I am a GF person who was eating out with a person without dietary restriction. While reviewing my options to eat I came across mahana. As a west coast resident visiting the east coast I was completely unfamiliar with the location. When we arrived I discovered I could eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! So, I ordered a kids size chilled noodles with chicken and green beans. My companion noodles with teriyaki chicken green beans and broccoli. As GF person I was able to eat not only my food but also try my companions! It was all delicious! My favorites were the chilled noodles and broccoli. My companion (a local) promptly called their siblings and said "we have a new place to go!" And then talked about their dish for 2 days afterwards. It is fantastic to have a place that feeds my dietary restrictions and satisfies my non restricted companions. read more

Mahana Fresh - Sesame noodles, chicken and green beans - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Delicious, fresh and healthy options. So glad Mahana Fresh opened up in Gainesville. The Veggie Vacay bowl was flavorful with coconut rice, mushrooms, tofu, and topped with coconut sweet potato sauce. I preferred the rice and kale over the noodles (not al dente) and the ginger broccoli was soggy and overcooked. The sauce was quite tasty and helped to round out the savory veggies and add flavor to the tofu. A great healthy option and excited to come back for another bowl! read more

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Went to this restaurant for the first time today and it was great place for a quick lunch. We came in about 12:30 (12/11/24) and there was a decent sized crowd already sitting at tables. The gentleman behind the counter (didn't have a name tag), was very accommodating. He greeted us and let us know he'd be with us soon. Looked like he may have been getting a to go order together. He finished quickly and took our orders, offered information about drinks and silverware and even came to check on us during our meal to make sure everything was good. I don't think I saw him stop moving the whole time we were there. Just really good service! The food was also good! There was a good selection and we both got a keto bowl and everything tasted well seasoned. The whole place was very clean, even the restrooms. read more

Mahana Fresh - Restaurant with food bar in background - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Tried Mahana Fresh for the first time today - I liked but didn't love (sorry but I have very high standards to get a 5). What went right? Most everything - clean with quality ingredients - service was good but slow - there were 2 people ordering in front of us and no one else in the place - not a good sign for a Thursday at lunch time so fingers crossed their volume increases and they stay in business. The food was good but needs more seasoning. I got half kale and half spinach as my base - the garlic cilantro green beans were delish and I don't like cilantro but with the garlic it worked well. I also had mushrooms and they were fresh and tasted good. I added steak but it was dry and needed seasoning - bland. I added creamy wasabi that mostly tasted like mayonnaise - needs a lot more wasabi. Overall good and I was able to easily fix the missing flavor profiles with salt. My wife got the sesame noodles with Key West chicken. Noodles were good but she and I both wanted more sesame. Also the chicken was good - they say it is sweet but it really wasn't - which I appreciated because I don't like overly sweet anything - overall a better meal than my steak because it had more flavor and was properly seasoned. I will try Mahana Fresh again and the server was super nice and did everything right. Recommend they work on adding a little more flavor to their food (seasoning and actually add wasabi to the creamy wasabi) and I will be a fan. read more

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This was our first time here.While the ordering process is a bit slow , the staff is friendly. The flavors are mellow , and I did not detect any over saltiness as referenced in some of the other reviews. The brussels sprouts were fantastic. The selections are a little more limited than some of the larger national chains but what they had was well prepared and fresh. We definitely plan to be back, as it was a good value . read more

I adore Cava and Chipotle so I was excited to see this place had finally opened. The place was spacious, clean, and had plenty of seating. However, the service wasn't great. As a fast food worker I can't blame them. A man who seemed to be a manager scolded an employee in front of me for not abiding by the portion sizes. This was my fault as I'd asked for a little extra rice, thinking it was like the other places that give free extras except for proteins. This brings me to the portion of the food. My decision to eat lunch there was very spontaneous and I just asked for a bowl not knowing the sizes. I would opt for the Big Mahana from now on. The rice had a great texture and flavor but was a bit oily. Though that could be from the cilantro vinaigrette, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wouldn't order the kale salad again, maybe spinach would be better.The mushrooms and sweet potatoes had good flavor and texture, I would like to try some of the other veggies. Lastly, the chicken was decent. The flavor was good but it was dry. Although my experience this time was iffy, I will give it another chance now that I've learned. This place has potential, but I don't see it lasting very long. There are several spots around that give on par or better flavor and bigger portions for a smaller price. But, it does offer healthy options and new flavors. read more

Mahana Fresh - Mahana Bowl, half coconut rice half kale crunch salad, roasted mushrooms and roasted sweet potatoes, Key West chicken, cilantro vinaigrette - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I enjoy the concept of this restaurant. Fresh choices and variety of flavors. I wasn't a fan of my experience today. The food assembly line food was very messy and unkempt. I found a piece of wood chip in my bowl. The manager was made aware and made an effort to make it right. Thank you. I replied to you Carlen D on 7/18. Thanks for reaching out. read more

Mahana Fresh - Piece of wood....from produce, smoker, I don't know. Didn't feel good biting down. - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Service was good! Teenager was attentive. I love the outside seating. I wanted to like the food. When I looked at the line of food it looked like it was there for a while. I still wanted to try because I was hopeful but sadly my pallet was disappointed. There was plenty of food but it just had no flavor at all. It was all very bland. I ate half the bowl because I paid $17 and change for the bowl and my drink. I can't bring myself to eat anymore cause it just does not taste good. Ugh! I don't like leaving not great reviews but I am also not going to be dishonest about my experience. Doubtful I will ever come here again to eat. read more

Mahana Fresh - Vegi Vacy B Veggie Vacay Bowl* - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I love this place! I probably eat here at least 3 times a week. I love that there is finally a healthy option that doesn't break the bank. I'm shocked to read some of the other reviews! I have had nothing but great service and great tasting food here. The customer service has always been great. The employees are always very friendly and will acknowledge you when you get in line if they are busy with another person's order. The manager has always been very friendly and ensures that everything is ok and asks if I need anything. You can tell that he cares about the patrons of the restaurant and wants them to have a good experience. The food has always tasted great! I read some reviews about the noodles being cold, but that's how they are supposed to be. The noodles are served cold, which I actually enjoy. I have always had tender chicken, and have not experienced overcooked or tough chicken as some other reviewers have mentioned. I will continue to eat here and hope that the others who did not have a good experience will give them another try. read more

Something new for the pallet that was ok. The noodles, broccoli and mushrooms had to be my favorite part. The Tuna was good also. Overall it was in the realm of the new standard of a $20 lunch that was with a drink they have soda and juices. The orange drink was great. It had no tag so orange drink you go!!! read more

Mahana Fresh - Tuna and BBQ chicken big bowl. - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

17.00 for old chicken, and let me clarify that I arrived at 11:10 right after opening. They obviously served yesterday chicken.

The reason why I'm giving this place 2 stars is because the tofu bowls we got were completely inedible because of how spicy they were. We didn't get any add-ons that should have been spicy, so it's completely perplexing. Unfortunately we ordered through a delivery app, so there was nothing we could do about it. It sounds like others complained of over salted food, which wasn't our experience, but overly spiced to the point of not being able to eat it is no better. The place has some promise, so I hope they can revise their recipes. read more

New Mahana Fresh location in Gainesville! Went for the opening day, it was super crowded but employees were on top of it, still working as best as possible. Food was average, we only paid $5 for the bowls because it was their opening promo but original bowls are 10-13 dollars. Not sure we'd spend full amount to eat the food for what the portion was. Ambience was nice, just a regular style spot- similar to Chipotle or CAVA. read more

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I have no idea of what all the bad reviews are talking about! It almost sounds like a totally different restaurant! In the past 3 weeks I've been there 4 times and all 4 times I've loved absolutely everything! The food, customer service and im addicted to the Mahana mango smoothie! I love the noodles and the coconut rice! My family has loved it so much that we've brought my mom, my mother in law and my friend all separate occasions and they loved it as well. The people that work there, especially the guy with curly hair, they are super nice and helpful and no, I do not agree portions are small. Maybe people are used to the disgusting amount of food that cause obesity in this country but guess what? Portions are fair, price is fair, food is great and seems to be on the healthier side so choose your battles or go to McDonalds! read more

All the reviews so far are accurate with the portion sizes. They are small for the price you pay. My husband says for the price of the bigger bowl you can get double the size of a regular similar bowl at Chipotle or Cava. Not sure if I can convince my husband to go back haha, or my teen who eats a lot. They both had to eat a frozen pizza at home shortly after eating here! Food was decent. Sweet potato side was a bit hard and not cooked all the way. Rest of the protein- steak, tuna, tofu (we tried them all) were decently flavored. Staff was friendly. If it's healthy you're looking for-this is a good option because of the smaller portion and fresh food option. If it's more for your money you are looking for-my husband would say go somewhere else. read more

Mahana Fresh - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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I don't know how i've waited over a year for this place to open and it to disappoint me this greatly. The sesame noodles are so salty it's inedible - and the Honey Sriracha Brussel Sprouts weren't even flavored - just salt. It tasted like Bobby Flay attempted to make Asian/Hawaiian fusion and gentrified the **** out of it. Not impressed read more

Mahana Fresh - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Highly enjoyed our bowls - tiki teriyaki and the spicy ahi. We will definitely be back! read more

Mahana Fresh - New American Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

We see the concept and the spot has great potential! With that being said the food wasn't warm but not freezing cold. Steak was dry and bland but the rest was good tasting overall. The restaurant itself was very quiet with no music or anything kind of made us just want to leave. We were gonna eat there but chose to get the to go bowls as all the "clean bowls" were actually dirty when he picked them up. The silverware was also dirty and not clean. Behind the bar was a mess and not really kept up with. The sauces were everywhere not put back in place and the food was also just not kept up with and looked like it was there for awhile . Expected way more for the price $50 for two bowls and two drinks. read more

Yes, but noooo... I saw the opening of this restaurant mentioned on the news, as this franchise is owned by a famous local professional athlete. My son has a gluten intolerance so I thought this could be a good restaurant for him to enjoy, but there is a lot going on here. Let's start with the customer service. It seemed like they had some newer customer service reps because they said absolutely nothing to us as we stood there and it took almost a minute, which included multiple exchanging glances before we were finally greeted. Once we got the order, I concur with many already, the portion sizes are small. I do understand that to a point, it is having healthier portions, but for the price you would think it would be more food. The price doesn't match the value. Think about it like this, you are paying close to Cava's prices but have half the food. When I got ready to pay for the food, I asked to buy some cookies, because of course, given everything was gluten free, I thought this would be something my son would enjoy. Turns out they had no cookies. This was about two hours after they opened, so it was early in the day. What gives? So as for the food, I thought the flavor was okay, but some of the chicken and the rice (got a BBQ Luau Bowl) was overcooked. The sauce is good but even my son (Buffalo Mac and Cheese) thought less could have been put on. It can definitely be overpowering. My thoughts on this place is I love the concept, but the execution is poor. The employees need better training. Seeing the manager sitting in the background as his employees struggled on very basic things is a bad look. If you are a new business in an new area, first impressions are important, and I believe they have failed so far. Hopefully they can turn it around because there is a market for these type of places. read more

There are not many places to get whole foods fast and at a reasonable price point. Add the gluten-free freedom, and I am in love! I have had at least 8 meals from Mahana Fresh since the store opened and have settled on a favorite: coconut rice, bbq chicken, green beans, broccoli. If I get the Big Mahana bowl (which is an insanely large portion, so I rarely do), I add sesame noodles. There is so much flavor in the food that I do not feel the need to add a dressing of any sort. My husband loves the teriyaki chicken with sesame noodles, green beans, broccoli, and wasabi sauce. We appreciate having this local option and will keep bringing our business to Mahana Fresh. read more

Absolutely love the staff and healthy food! Happy with a chicken bowl or wrap depending on my mood for lunch. Being able to grab my meal if on the go or sit and relax at a table. They had larger bar height table, many tables along the windows plus a nice outdoor space when the weather is nice! So glad Mahana Fresh came to Gainesville and what a great location! read more

I was very excited to see a new restaurant open, especially one that is supposed to be healthier than others. The staff couldn't have been nicer and they were very friendly. The restaurant was very clean. I was extremely disappointed in the food. It was so salty I couldn't eat it. My husband's food was just as salty and we had two different bowls and it wasn't just one item in the bowl. So much for being healthy, it was terrible. It was as if a container of salt had been dumped in and contaminated everything. I know the restaurant is new, but before they get too far into business, they need to make an emergency stop and examine their recipes and what's going on before they salt themselves out of business. If someone is watching their sodium levels, this is not the place to go. So much for healthy food. It's sad and a waste of a huge opportunity to have a great new restaurant. I will give it another chance, but not anytime soon. For now, I'll stick with Cava and Chilpote. read more

The Mahana bowl was heavy in sodium. It may be the sauce applied to the bowl as both noodles and steak were very salty. This negates any health benefits of better food. I hope they can make the necessary adjustments and become successful. read more

Good food, nice decor - staff is still figuring it out but trying. I will go back and try something else next time

Can't speak for the food, but I picked up an order for a group online. The order was over, half an hour late and being delivered.

Delicious, healthy, and a great variety to choose from. Not sure why there are so many low reviews. Would come back again!

My wife and I have been here twice in the past week. Originally we were skeptical since so many establishments there have failed but gave it a try and loved it. They give you a very generous amount of food for the price. The bbq chicken and steak were delicious. The store looked pristine, service was quick and very friendly staff. Would highly recommend this place! read more

the food is very delicious i enjoyed it . Good service and good everything very amazing food read more

Fresh and healthy food that tastes good. Here the things to improve Portions sizes are way too small for the price, I ordered the big Mahana and asked for double noodles and still got very little. Employees seem to be trying to do their best but we had to keep waiting for the food as it kept running out, maybe try to make larger portions at a time so that your employees don't have to worry about saving the food for the others behind you in line. Also, pls chill out on the salt in the noodles. Update: I went a second day in a row and the portions are much better along with the service! Updating my rating to a 5 star. Great job read more

The food was amazing! Very fresh and filling, but not too heavy! Was the perfect meal for a 21st birthday! Will 10/10 recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

Not the first impression I was hoping for. The bowl I ordered was overly salty and the steak was cooked beyond recognition. Will give them another shot at some point. read more

The food is delicious 5*, the portions sizes are extremely small 1*, locations is great, front line staff friendly but too slow when there are long lines 2*, and management needs to keep a check on all foods so you don't have a 30 min. wait on items. There's a lot of customers around 6p.m. so make sure the rice, vegetables, and meats are prepped before hand. No need to loose customers because half the food is gone. I'll go back but before dinner:) Again, the food is super tasty. That's why I waited an unholy 45 minutes for a to go order:( 4-25 Just went back an hour ago. Service was great! Food was plentiful, no wait. All smiles and today with purchase, (Thursday only- Grand Opening promo) you'll get a free key chain to use for free drinks until the end of the Year!!!!! Will be back:) read more

Ate here for a quick dinner with my kids. The kids loved the food, I enjoyed mine and liked how fresh and healthy the offerings are. Prices are fair for what you get. We will definitely be back again. read more

Walked in an hour before closing on a Friday. Ordered a basic item, Original Mac and Cheese. Told by grumpy manager they were out of cheese, code for "he was too lazy too close to closing to make a batch so that a customer could be served a basic item that has a whole screen devoted to it." read more

I tried this restaurant and was impressed with the cleanliness and friendly staff. I ordered the Key West chicken bowl and there was no shortage of chicken this bowl was loaded! The ingredients were fresh and cooked to perfection and the flavor was awesome. I will definitely be going back and highly recommend giving them a try. read more

I was visiting the area and decided to give this new place a try. I have a lot of dietary restrictions, but gluten is the main one I stay away from. That said, this was one of my favorite bowls in a long time. My combination was the sesame noodles, key west chicken, garlicky green beans, and sesame ginger brocolli. Everything tasted amazing, even my agua fresca. The service was great as well. I placed an online order and put in the notes to mix the Agua Fresca drinks, and they did. Overall, my experience was great. Now, this will be my go-to when I'm in Gainesville. read more

A curly haired teenager helped greatly with my order, i was feeling very hungry so he convinced me to get the big mahana with double steak and it was delish! The restaurant was very clean and had very nice natural lighting. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who hasnt tried it! read more

I went there today with my sister to try something new. We both got tofu noodle bowls. The noodles were cold and when I say cold, I mean like fresh from the refrigerator cold. I'm not sure if it was meant to be that way? The tofu was super super salty. Due to the saltiness it made the whole bowl salty. The only good part of the meal was the sweet potatoes. I would not recommend this place. Immediately after eating, my stomach started hurting and the food did not sit well with me. It wasn't worth the money spent considering the dish was super cold. I would recommend that they do fried tofu instead of cold, soggy tofu that's over salted. And heat up their noodles. read more

My experience at this location was very pleasant. I was assisted by a nice young man, he asked me how my day was (which was so sweet of him, I was going through some personal things at that time). I recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a delicious healthy meal! read more

Food looked like it was out too long - staff member mixed up orders - didn't offer to change said that will be okay (husband/ daughter order) Broccoli dish was spoiled. Overpriced. Workers were chatting in the back barely refilling food that looked old. Witnessed manager and staff in a disagreement. Family of 4-we left our food barely eaten on the table. read more