Monarch — Restaurant in Haverhill

I visited Monarch in Haverhill, MA, expecting a real smoothie shop with fresh, nutritious ingredients. The interior looked trendy, with bright décor, motivational quotes on the walls, and a menu that made it seem like they offered healthy, protein-packed drinks. But as soon as I placed my order, I realized this place is nothing but a scam wrapped in pretty packaging.

Let’s start with the taste—absolutely awful. I ordered a shake, expecting something rich and flavorful. Instead, I got a thin, chalky, artificial mess that tasted like watered-down protein powder mixed with chemicals. It was disgustingly sweet, clearly overloaded with artificial sweeteners, and had a weird, bitter aftertaste that lingered for way too long. It didn’t taste fresh at all—just processed, synthetic, and downright unpleasant. The so-called “tea” was just as bad, an artificial-tasting, sugar-loaded energy drink that felt like it was doing more harm than good.

But the real problem isn’t just the terrible taste—it’s the outright dishonesty. I specifically asked the staff what was in the shake, and instead of giving me a clear answer, they fed me vague, misleading phrases like “natural proteins and vitamins.” When I pressed for more details, they continued dodging the question, acting like the ingredients were some kind of secret. After digging, I realized why—they were deliberately hiding the fact that everything in their drinks comes from Herbalife, a controversial multi-level marketing (MLM) company that’s been criticized for misleading business practices and questionable product safety.

They don’t tell you upfront that you’re not actually in a real café—you’re in an MLM recruitment center disguised as a smoothie shop. These places aren’t about health or nutrition; they exist to sell overpriced, low-quality Herbalife powders while tricking people into thinking they’re buying fresh, nutritious drinks. Even worse, there were no clear ingredient lists or prices anywhere in the café. Who hides their prices? A shady business, that’s who.

And let’s talk about the health concerns. These Herbalife products are not FDA-regulated, meaning there’s no oversight on what’s actually in them. Independent research has linked some Herbalife products to liver damage and contamination with harmful substances (Manso et al., 2011). Without proper regulation, you have no way of knowing if what you’re drinking is safe—or if it’s packed with hidden additives, synthetic fillers, or even harmful contaminants.

At the end of the day, this place is nothing more than a well-marketed scam. The drinks taste awful, the staff lies about what’s in them, and the entire business model is built on deception. If you care about your health, your wallet, or basic honesty, avoid this place at all costs. You’re better off making a smoothie at home—with real ingredients, not overpriced powders from a shady MLM scheme.

References: • Manso, G., López-Rivas, L., Salgueiro, M. E., Duque, J. M., & Barrera, J. C. (2011). Hepatotoxicity associated with the consumption of Herbalife products: A review of cases from Spain and other countries. Revista Española de Enfermedades Digestivas,...

Herbalife is NOT HEALTHY FOR YOU. (This is what they use in their mega tea’s) it can cause liver damage. Paying almost 13$ to get liver damage.. I happened to just be getting blood work for another thing, all of a sudden they notice my liver levels was up to 211!! My mom told the doctor every possible thing I have done differently……. She told the doctor I started drinking those teas and the doctor called her back right away and told her to tell me to stop because they know all about it. It’s all online about how Herbalife is a scam. I’m perfectly healthy too. For my liver levels to jump from 39 to 211 is ridiculous. The people are very nice there but do not get ripped off or taken advantage of by the teas. Don’t let them...

My friend and I stopped by Monarch Nutrition today to check out the new store. Only open a few weeks, the location was easy to get to and a convenient parking area across the street made parking very easy. The store is very clean and the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of delicious shake and tea options - something for everyone! It was tough to pick from all the yummy options but we tried the mint chocolate and the “fluffernutter” shake and then bought a tea for the ride home (cucumber-lime and strawberry lemonade).... all choices were delicious and I’ll definitely be back to try some...