Mahana Fresh — Restaurant in Idaho Falls

I was really grateful to find a restaurant with so many vegetarian and gluten-free options when I visited Idaho Falls on my way to the Craters of the Moon National Monument! It was awesome that everything was labeled incredibly clearly, and the staff was both knowledgeable about the ingredients in their food but also incredibly patient, kind, and accommodating of my dietary restrictions. Their app and website are also incredibly informative and have full lists of the ingredients and nutritional information for each menu item.

Although Mahana Fresh was undeniably accessible and accommodating, the food itself was...alright. It was certainly refreshing to have some fresh vegetables and a vegetarian option that actually contained protein in it after a long road trip filled with...none of those things, but I don't think I could see myself wanting to frequent this spot if I actually lived in town. The honey sriracha brussels sprouts were tasty and delightfully spicy, but a bit too sweet for my taste (which, of course, I should have guessed from the word "honey" in the name). The sesame ginger broccoli was solid, and the bites of garlicky cilantro green beans that I stole from my dad's plate were also quite delicious. My mom's roasted sweet potatoes were, unfortunately, overcooked and way too salty, yet simultaneously lacking in flavor. Also, while I understand that Mahana Fresh is a fast-casual restaurant, many of the vegetables and proteins were all kept over the hot plate of death for what seemed like many hours, so nothing really felt "fresh."

I did really enjoy the sesame garlic tofu, though, although I would have preferred to have the protein warmed (it was served cold, which was odd, considering that all of the other proteins, aside from the poke, were kept warm...although, in hindsight, considering how the vegetables fared over the hot plate, perhaps having cold tofu was a blessing in disguise). The citrus ginger was solid -- it was basically like the carrot ginger dressing traditionally served at Japanese restaurants with a stronger orange flavor. My father wasn't the world's biggest fan of the creamy wasabi, though, and had a few stomach issues a few hours after our meal here.

Overall, if you're on a pan-America road trip and happen to be crossing through Idaho Falls, chances are that you've been a bit deprived of vegetables and good, clean, healthy food for at least a few days. I would definitely recommend dropping by Mahana Fresh to give your body a break from the fast food or random grocery store items, but it's by no means a must-try. Also definitely recommend giving Mahana Fresh a try if you have a lot of dietary restrictions and have been struggling to find restaurants in the area that are able to...

We were so sick after we left this restaurant. The girl who helped us was not that interested in explaining anything and had this blank stare. It was like watching a sloth who just didn't want you there and cared nothing about you in the first place. We told her we didn't want spicy because we would get sick. She said no pretty much on everything yet IT WAS!!! We almost threw up in the car. Let's just say getting home was are only saving grace in being so sick. Im thankful we had 2 bathrooms!!! Its NOT funny either! The food is so far from Hawaiian it was a joke. We lived in Hawaii and this was nothing like it. Food was mostly spicy, overcooked and overpriced. I had been a chef most of my life and this was sickening and gross. Anybody from Hawaii would not eat it. Its not authentic and how are you NOT going to have pineapple anymkre?! Like thats a Hawaiian staple. Its what makes it Hawaiian in the first place. Pineapples, the good ones are grown in Hawaii. I have been sick only one other time from somewhere years ago and this just by far was just a no, no!!! The one gentlemen was kind and refunded us that was working in the back. If you like spicy, overcooked, boring, and not authentic then you'll love it! We expected better from this restaurant. I could literally put together authentic Hawaiian food together in my car and sell it and it taste better WITHOUT the vomiting and well you know the rest. We will never go back there. Like ever!!! It was really sad in there and no one was there. But maybe we came at the wrong time but I doubt it. If food sucks and prices are too high without good quality, and the customer service is bad people won't return. It doesn't matter if only one good person works there. Others working there that ruin the business reflect on everyone they work with.

UPDATE: Owner said to email them but NEVER responded. Lack of care or compassion whatsoever! Just an AI generated response. Their employee that served us lied about threw food with intent to harm or plainly DIDN'T care and allowed us to eat the spicy food. If you want true Hawaiian food, just go to Hawaii and eat there. At least it's genuine and tastes good. The owner gives zero flying squirrels in space about their customers and never apologized for what happened. Many businesses and people around here operate this way. Its sad that integrity and kindness had really almost disappeared. Makes me miss my childhood where things...

I was debating between 3 and 4 stars, but because I think these guys really have a unique and useful product, even if it's not my bag of chips, I thought I'd err on the higher side.

What I don't like: They are pushing a Hawaiian motif, and their brand of Hawaiian sort of reminds me of when someone makes a Betty Crocker dish, puts pineapple on it, and calls it "Hawaiian" (or when someone puts avocado on a dish and calls it "California-style"). These guys have some Hawaiian-ish flavors, but I didn't see any of the fried, sauced, mac-and-mayo-infused, or high carb comfort food you'd see at any other Hawaiian place... In other words, I think their outer branding is pushing the wrong market.

What they do awesomely: If you are looking for seriously fresh, healthy, lightly-but-adequately seasoned, keto-friendly food, or if you need to navigate one of several sensitivities or food allergies, this is your place. I ordered the "Big Kahuna Bowl" in order to try out several things at once, and in the end, I was kind of impressed. All their veggies were high-quality and unusually fresh for a fast-food place, and the seasoning was light but flavorful. Even their spinach, and I don't like spinach, was so natural-tasting that I was kind of into it. The food tasted clean, and I felt good body energy afterwards, so I know they aren't cutting any corners. The protein-over-carb ratio was super high, and that's really hard to find anywhere around our proto-typical American high-carb food industry.

I am not giving it the highest rating because I was honestly expecting something different when I walked in, and I had to drop some heavy change to find out that it wasn't what I was looking for (even though it's totally worth it if you want that style of food). But now that I know what's up, the next time I'm feeling like getting some low-carb, high-veggie, real, whole, healthy food on my lunch break,...