Red Salt

My wife and I actually stayed at Koa Kea (the resort attached to Red Salt) for 5 days. We ate most of our meals on site (prepared in the red salt kitchen) and had a wonderful experience. Upon check in they recognized our allergies and said they looked forward to accompanying during our stay. They even arranged for a quick meet up with the chef.

Each meal we let our server know about our allergies and they are able to cook everything on clean pans etc. We never had an issue and again ate here for 5 days breakfast lunch and dinner.

Few quick notes on breakfast - their potatoes are topped with bread crumbs so they’ll steer you away from those. No dedicated toaster but they do have gf bread. Omelette “eggs” are not real eggs so unsure if that formula is gf or not.

Saw mixed reviews about the sushi, but I spoke with the sushi chefs and he showed me the vinegar they use in the rice and it says gluten free. They also have Tamari and will change gloves to prepare and are knowledgeable about what has gluten / how they can modify. It’s incredible sushi, would highly recommend.

Overall, after talking to the right people I felt safe eating here and didn’t feel like a burden to staff at all. Would highly recommend. Also the resort is beautiful.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for peanut-free
• Good vegetarian options

I ate here twice while in Kauai and never got sick! I had the lobster risotto, burrata salad and even had sushi one night. The food was delicious!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I picked this restaurant because they had gluten free options and read that they would make modifications.

First sign of trouble was when I had to explain celiac versus preference to the hostess with the director of dining standing there and not saying a word. I’m used to high end restaurants where managers intervene and communicate to kitchen to make me feel safe.

I had to explain again to waiter about celiac. I asked about sushi and had to ask 3 times about the rice wine vinegar that a previous review mentioned. I was assured it was gluten free.

Since none of the fish could be modified I went with a rainbow roll made with real crab. There was no mention of mayo. Waiter brought my food and said “oh yeah there’s mayo in the crab but I figured it was GF/DF so was ok”. I’m not a mayo fan but was hungry so ate it. Taste was ok. It was pricey tho at $29 for the roll and $14 for 2 pieces of salmon nigiri. My husband who’s not GF had the miso cod which was under a 4 ounce piece for $49. I think he was still hungry but since there were no GF deserts he didn’t want to get one because I couldn’t share.

I’m fine with paying more to feel safe but after spending $225 for a meal that should have been $100 I felt cheated.

We are going to Tidepools in a few days which is just as expensive so I’m hoping it’s better.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Best celiac dining experience on the island. After mixed reviews here, I called the restaurant before going. The head chef took my call, he flagged my reservation in their system, and asked me to notify my server when I arrived so kitchen staff could set up a separate prep station. Server was extremely knowledgeable about gluten and cross contamination. Chef delivered my food personally. Excellent food, excellent service, there was even gluten free bread!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Sushi items are marked gluten free, but are NOT gluten free. I asked the waiter to double check with the sushi chef if the rice vinegar used contains barley or wheat. It DOES. Waiter apologized and said he does not know why the sushi items are labeled gluten free. Downright negligent and sloppy on Red Salt's part. Glad I specifically inquired about the vinegar. Stay clear of this place, they do not understand gluten at all.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

It was Celiac friendly, plenty of options. No GF bread before as some have mentioned. I was told this was the best restaurant on the island, and I chose the Mahi which did not need to be modified to be GF. It was BORING. Bland and tasteless...for $42. There are way better meals on this island for that!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

They were extremely accommodating, even with a menu already labeled with what was GF. Any of the steaks and the pork chop were also able to be done GF, and the waiter explained that to us. The GF bread and separate butter with red salt we’re delicious.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We did the tasting menu and immediately they knew and were accommodating to gluten free. They swapped out some toasted gf bread (tasted like Udis or Canyons Bakehouse but glad they had it) and changed one entree for me to a delicious fish dish. The whole time they were in tune and the menu is labeled by gf for dinner.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Went for breakfast. Server had zero understanding of celiac, kept conflating it with dairy allergy. Told me there was nothing I could eat. Really disappointed.

Celiac friendly?

No

Special gluten free bread for me. Wait staff was very careful. Checked with the chef to make sure my choices are clear. Steaks are all gluten free now.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I stayed at the Ko’a Kea hotel and ate at the restaurant many times. They are really nice and knowledgeable about gluten allergies and celiac. I highly recommend! Especially breakfast!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Went for breakfast. Very limited options but surprisingly we could have the Benedict on gluten free toast. Our server was very kind and checked with the kitchen to make sure our meal would be safe. We couldn’t have the potatoes so they brought us some avocado instead. Good meal fair price for the islands. Could have been a little warmer but they were very busy so I understand. Jenny our waitress was fantastic and friendly.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We loved this place and went again the next day. I had coconut shrimp, shrimp coconut bisque, and a mahi dish. All were excellent. They also had bread and EVERY dessert was gf. We had the red salt cake the first night and the cheesecake tonight. My girlfriend had a tofu entree that she said was the best tofu dish she has ever had. Note that it does contain gluten.

Food here was amazing! Very aware of celiacs. My son & I are both celiacs. There were lots of GF options. I had GF soup which was amazing. They also had GF deserts which were amazing & a real treat!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We went to Red Salt after reading the reviews off of this app. All I can say is you have got to go to this restaurant!!! First of all, I was excited because they would have gluten free bread and options for dinner. They didn't have the bread, BUT, they did make me, personally, a different option made with garbanzo beans(which are my favorite anyway!). You MUST get Brian as your server, very knowledgable and absolutely a perfectionist!!! He knew exactly what I could eat and since I am gluten, dairy and soy free, I am usually VERY limited to my menu options! However, he told me I can have most everything on the menu, gave me the options that I couldn't have, and told me the chef would be able to make me whatever I wanted. Seriously, I felt I was in heaven!! The drinks, appetizers, and dinner were absolutely AMAZING!!!!! This is absolutely a great place if you are gluten free!! Please give this a try!! I am sorry if I sound way too excited but it is so amazing to get an excellent meal that I won't get sick on, and this was one!! By the way, everyone else in my party could eat anything they wanted and their food (as they raved about it) was just as amazing! They said the root beer float/chocolate macadamia nut cookie and the creme brûlée were the absolute best desserts!!!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Celiac friendly?

Yes

The chef at Red Salt really understands Gluten free dining. They have gluten free bread to start your meal so you don't feel left out! Gluten free desserts are limited on the menu though, but the chef is awesome and does make an effort to accommodate you!!!