We stopped by Lulu’s for lunch because they have a pretty robust selection of gluten free items, which seems hard to come by in Waikiki.
We had a lot of trouble with our order - 2 of our drinks had to be remade, the eggs on my Lulu Moco were fried instead of the requested over easy, and we ended up with a fly in another drink.. BUT I’ll say Sage, the waiter, and the manager both handled it really well. Both were very on top of getting things remade and coming to check on us to make sure everything was fixed to liking.
The food was also good, but the fish tacos were definitely the best thing any of us ordered.
After my spiel, they reassured me both over the phone and in person that they were able to serve Celiacs with confidence. It took me literally two bites and a speed run to the washroom to realize that was completely untrue. I left the meal 98% untouched, and informed the server that the food had made me ill and that we needed to pay ASAP so I could go back to my private hotel bathroom. Paid for everything and left in tears - the staff didn’t even apologise or offer to comp my meal. Was a great last night for our vacation. Slay Noi Thai
Best local organic foods in Hilo. Lots of options for Vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. The people are down to earth and kind. If you eat meat, they are very conscious about where they get the meat. The best Kombucha I have ever had. From the homemade cultured hot sauce to the gluten free dairy free brownies and banana splits, they do it right. Weds night they have Kava, open mic and pizza made with ancient grain organic flour. Owners are also very cool. 😎
Ambiance: Very cool garden setting. Live music at certain times. Overall an great atmosphere. Tends to be very busy. I'm giving it four stars, though, because they try to rush people through in 60 minutes to accommodate the next seating. They pushed us to order right away and then brought out our salad and entree at the same time.
Wait: We waited 10 minutes with a reservation. Without a reservation, you're rolling the dice. Can be hard to get reservations during the peak season.
Food: Good, but nothing special enough to justify the price. "Keoki's Style" fish was just ono with some pesto and a sweet glaze. The kale salad was quite good.
They have happy hour specials 4-5, but if you come in with a 4:45 reservation, they won't allow you to order them. You have to arrive earlier than that.
Drinks: The cocktails here are unique and good, but incredibly sugary. I would recommend them if that's your style. Prices range from $17-$25 per drink.
Service: The front of the house generally did a good job, except that they served us a dish that I was allergic to after I told them about my gluten allergy. When I looked at the dish and asked the server to confirm that it was gluten free, she immediately apologized and took it away.
Although the restaurant has a good vibe and the staff is friendly, I do not recommend this place for 3 reasons. First, we got their 12” pizzas unaware that they only come in gluten-free. It was the worst pizza crust I’ve ever had in my 50+ years, although the menu does mention it, It is not very clear and we missed it and our waitress did not confirm if we were OK with gluten-free pizza dough. I’m sure their 14” with regular pizza dough is better, but I cannot be the judge of that since we did not have it. Second, they brought our appetizer and salad after the pizzas. Third, their menu states they charge an automatic 20% gratuity for tables of 6 or more. Our table of 6 was actually charged 22% gratuity instead of 20%, so beware. There are many great food options in Maui, but I would stay clear of this restaurant for the reasons mentioned above.
Do not come here if you are looking for safe dining for gluten allergy or celiac. Go to Lulu’s Waikiki instead, where they have a wide variety of gluten free items and DO make the effort to avoid cross contamination, unlike this restaurant.
First time visit with no reservations. Waited less than 10 minutes. The server was polite and knowledgeable and the food was super yummy. There were few gluten free options which was nice.
Service was excellent "Kiwi" waiter excelled
Food tasted great fish and chips
The mai tais were watery and not that good for my taste, so drink beer
Don't go here for gluten-free because there is nothing available but a real bad tasting dessert at lunchtime
We had an unforgettable dining experience at Merriman’s Waimea. The service was top-notch—attentive, thoughtful, and especially accommodating of my gluten allergy, which made the evening feel even more special. The food was outstanding: we enjoyed the perfectly cooked steak and the fresh catch of the day, both of which paired beautifully with their excellent wine and cocktails. As a lovely surprise, we were also treated to a complimentary dessert. From start to finish, it was a memorable evening. Highly recommend!
Had the best dinners here on our trip! The macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi was the best! Highly recommend. They are so good about food allergies here! They are informed and take them seriously!
This was a great place to eat. I have celiac disease they were able to accommodate me by changing around some of the dishes to accommodate my needs and I appreciated that greatly. I would highly recommend for anyone that has celiac disease. The food was tremendous
We ordered gluten free pizza. It was real crust, not that cracker crust that you get at most places. It was delicious. The service was great and the food came out quickly. I definitely recommend eating here while in Kuaui!! There is a nice shopping center around it as well!
Absolutely loved our meal here! I have celiac disease and our server Nico was extremely knowledgeable about options that would be safe for me. I got the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and it was devine! I would highly recommend dining here, especially if you are celiac or gluten intolerant!
AMAZING!!! The poke here is incredible! Come early as I hear they sell out. I would come back again and again. I'd love to try their other items as well.
They were knowledgeable about what was gluten free and very helpful. Their slaw is to die for as well.
I called to confirm there were gluten free/dairy free options and was told yes there was a whole menu. Great! It also showed up on the GF app, so when we were seated i was very disappointed that at first glance there was very little that seemed to actually be GF/DF. Honestly I was ready to leave, I didn't want plain white rice and some protein with no sauce or flavor. Thankfully the manager was very helpful and went over all the options we had, and was very patient. Curry was not on my mind for dinner, but it was SO good! So was the pork loin. Even though I couldn't have the regular side, the sauce was amazing, and they were very accommodating with options. The drinks and wine were stellar. Honestly I would come back every time for the poke. The avocado sauce was insane with the ahi. Thank you for being much more accommodating than first appearance of your allergy menu.
It is one of the best places for vegan and vegetarian options. It also offers a gluten-free option.
Ordered as follows:
Loco Moku - Best, in my opinion
Taro Burger - 👌
Raw Pad Thai - 👌
I would strongly recommend this place.
Menu is smaller than I remember from 2 years ago but everything was delicious and there are quite a few gluten free menu options. I had filet mignon and shrimp. Both were cooked yo perfection. Accompanying sauce and veggies were also delicious. Service was excellent.
This place is located upstairs with no views of the ocean. Still nice though. They had some good gluten free options which was nice. Stairs and elevator are available. The street side stairs are slippery when wet. Dry rear stairs are available as well
Reservations were recommended but we had no wait, arriving around 4:30pm. The staff was incredibly friendly, drinks and appetizers were served promptly, and every dish ordered was cooked to perfection. One of our party has Celiac disease/wheat allergy and the server was knowledgeable about every item on the menu, making this experience safe for her. Highly recommend.
The atmosphere, sunset, and vibes of this restaurant are definitely positive. However, we found the service and food to be poor. We found a lot of people we talked to when referring us to this restaurant would say, “Oh my gosh the sunset is amazing,” but they never spoke highly of the food and service. We found this to be true, unfortunately. The food was mediocre, we’d been on the island for over a week and were looking forward to this meal, but it was definitely a let down. Also, we were celebrating a milestone birthday while on the island and had ordered a cake from a local bakery that was gluten-free and vegan as the birthday boy has strict allergies. When speaking to the restaurant, they let us know an hour in advance of our reservation that we could ‘under no circumstances’ bring the Birthday cake that was accommodating severe allergies for the birthday boy. We ended up only going once during our trip and again, found management, the service, and food to be average and nothing to rave about.
I explained many times to the waitress that I have I have celiac (gluten free), and also have a potato allergy and I wanted to order the ribs. For the side she recommended the salad since I can't have fries, and I said no croutons since they contain gluten. The ribs were delicious and I will be back for them, but as I was already halfway through eating my salad I noticed two small croutons hidden under some of it. I don't know if they premake the salads and just picked off the croutons or what, but the salad is definitely not celiac safe if that is the level of care you put into making them safe for people with food allergies. We deserve to eat out just like everyone else and just like with any medical condition we are allowed to ask for accommodations.
Hands down some of the best Italian food I have ever had - and we found it in Maui! The service was incredible, including the knowledge of our server on what my husband could eat that was gluten free. It is hard to find gluten free bread and Italian food that is good, but all of the food we ate at Matteo's was great.
Great dietary friendly menu, amazing service, and delicious food. I had the omakase which was creative and made me feel like I was in Japan. I also had a whole fish which they were able to make gluten free for me. It was delicious. I’d be a regular here if I lived in Maui.
Great atmosphere and options for food. Casual dining experience with live music. Cauliflower crust is a great option for gluten free needs. Got the brewmaster and the Hunter. Both were unique pizzas with great taste.
Excellent dinner in Kauai. Very accommodating, attentive and professional staff. Many seafood, land and gluten free options. Our family ordered five different options and everyone was extremely pleased.
Mina’s Fish House was a home run, pricey, but worth every penny. The service was exceptional, food was excellent, and the atmosphere was perfect with Hawaiian ocean views…what could be better!? Mina’s had plenty of gluten free options for me, which was an added surprise and plus. They even had warm bread for me delivered separately with homemade hummus. The octopus was the best I have had to date, the Marlin dip and homemade taro chips were great, and we ordered a whole fish that was perfectly deboned and served table side. To end the evening, Mina’s brought my mother who was celebrating her 80th birthday that night, a complementary dessert which made her day. If you are in Ko Olina, I highly recommend making a reservation at Mina’s. You won’t be disappointed.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Experience
I'm not new to spectacular foodie experiences throughout the world, and admittedly I'm very hard to please when it comes to cuisine because of so. Spago’s Maui impressed me!
Starting with the accommodating friendly service, impressive presentation of the delicious food, and that unbeatable view - from the appetizers to the dessert... all nailed it. When you're in Maui, Spago's in the Four Season’s is a must. Whether you choose to bar dine or take a table overlooking the ocean you can't go wrong with either.
My suggestions 👇🏻
🍣 Tuna Poke Cones
🐠 Japanese Hamachi
🍛 Pineapple Coconut Curry (show stopping perfectly balanced perfection)
🐓 Pan Roasted Chicken (trust me on this one, never would I reco ordering 🐔 at a seafood restaurant, this will be the BEST you’ve ever had, zoom in on that skin)
🐟 Smoked Marlin, heart of palm on a garbanzo purée, a work of art from Spago's corp visiting chef
🍞 Maui Onion Focaccia with Hawaiian salted 🧈 is worth the carbs and gluten!
🎂 Chocolate Macaroon
🧁 German Chocolate Soufflé was everything you'd expect and more
The meal was so good I chose to revisit for a bar dine before catching my late flight. Yes, I'm been to Mama's, I’ve tried many food trucks, hole-in-the-wall, QSR, and Michelin stars in Paris and beyond, this place is not to be missed. Mahalo chef(s)
Food, for the most part, is good. Wouldn't recommend the fish tacos, very dry, but the chicken street tacos and tortilla soup is very good. Service is good, the server was very knowledgeable. Asked about gluten-free options and let me know what options would be best.
Our family of four enjoyed a sunset meal at this wonderful restaurant. We made reservations on a Wednesday evening. The atmosphere was intentional with a nice mix of energy and sophistication. Our server, Braxton, provided thoughtful service being attentive to the gluten sensitivity. We chose the Mixed Grill, Blackened Ahi, Miso Butterfish and Opakapaka. The food was well prepared, plates visually appealing and portions were satisfying. The signature dishes held up to their fame. Pricing set the stage for a celebratory dinner. Certainly, would return when in the area again.
I ordered the Crab Topped Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, as this is right up my alley, and I was excited to see it as a gluten free option since I have a gluten free issue. Yummy, but I would say overpriced.
Both of my parents ordered the Kiawe Roasted Chicken. This is also a gluten free option. The rosemary sweet potato hash that comes as a side with this dish was DELICIOUS! Both of my parents enjoyed their meals, but they also both agreed that the Huli Huli Chicken Plate on our Road to Hana journey for only $20 was better than the chicken here at Hula Grill for $33.
Our view was incredible.
No frills restaurant with very good food, staff was very knowledgable and able to cater for our coeliac daughter (which we found to be a struggle in other restaurants around Waikiki). Food was lovely, great place for a quick meal.
This place has great food and cocktails. The service was excellent. Home made pasta with gluten free options! This is my second time here. Previously, it was for their happy hour, which was good. The only thing I should like see change is an update to the interior design and decor. It's dated.
They do have gluten free options and the server took great care to ensure all the food was gluten free! My wife’s food was not gluten free as you can see by the photo 😂
From someone who NEVER writes reviews...
When you pair great taste with a waiter who was on top of his game,
It makes for a great meal and what would be our normal go to for dinner out if we were locals!
The great service started with Tony being extremely knowledgeable of celiac disease to the point of understanding cross contamination and being able to tell us which foods to avoid because of it! Not something we're used to back home.
We ordered the Guava BBQ St Louis style ribs. They substituted the fries for garlic mashed without us even having to ask. The flavor of this sauce if you love a sweet sauce this one has an amazing flavor and has no spice/kick to it. Unfortunately the rack that was brought wasn't the greatest of quality of meat. We didn't ask for or expect anything to be done, we even turned down the replacement that was offered. Before we knew it, either the owner or manager was at the table insisting on making up for the toughness of the ribs. He had another half rack brought out and they were amazing.
Had a large group, our reservation was handled fantastically. All the dishes we tried were great. Had some good gluten free options. Staff was very friendly and the views were amazing.
Food took forever to come out. My chicken marsala was extremely undercooked. The gluten free bread was just plain toast. For the price it was no where near the quality. Beautiful patio thats about the only good thing. Service was friendly but slow and non attentive for a “high end” restaurant. Seemed short staffed. Everyone in my group left feeling underwhelmed.
Stopped here during breakfast hours before heading out to catch flight out of Kahului Airport. Food and service were excellent. Ample free parking spaces are located back of the building. Gluten-free options are available. Will visit again when visiting Maui in future.
A nice restaurant right in front of the park that separates the residential area from the Brennecke and Poipu beaches. We had a Beach Burger with a gluten-free bun and the Seafood Risotto. Food is tasty, a bit expensive, but this is Kauai, so it’s expected. Live music was a nice touch.
Best restaurant in Kohala, maybe even best on the Big Island. My wife is vegetarian/ gluten-free, and I eats all kinda ish, and we both found something satisfying and yummy to eat. The vibes are chill, clean atmosphere, Hawaii music only. Servers were very attentive. Food was bomb. They have unique lilikoi drinks. I recommend the lilikoi mojitos. I brought my wife here for our anniversary and am so glad I did. We will be back for sure. Do yourself a favor and book a reservation for dinner! Just do it!
Celiac friendly
