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    Monkeypod Kitchen

    4.1 (3.8k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    MONKEYPOD KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Casual
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    Recommended Reviews - Monkeypod Kitchen

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    Fish and chips, with pork tacos in the background
    Maria B.

    We came here twice with friends this week because we enjoyed their lunches and dessert so much. My husband and I ordered the pork tacos and fish & chips-both very flavorful. When we asked our server what type of fish it had been, he said Marlin! We also shared the orange cream pie for dessert and it was perfect for people who like orange flavor. Service was friendly and fast. Great views and live music also. Inside Whalers Village.

    Avocado and cucumber salad
    Angela F.

    Great dinner! Suggest to come early, as the crowd becomes sizeable after 5:30ish, even mid-week. They have a digital waiting line, though, so you can browse the shops before your table is ready (must check in at the desk first). Our family had the fish and chips (husband, who said they were better than at Hula Grill), avocado and cucumber salad and poke tacos (me, both were satisfying), and noodles with butter (my kid, who are the whole bowl). I also had a Mai Tai which was enjoyable, the lilikoi foam in particular. We sat inside, and there was a very nice breeze through the restaurant so it didn't get too hot, and we weren't in the evening sun. Service was efficient and quick!

    Poke Tacos -- Ahi tuna, ginger, shoyu, cabbage, avocado cream sauce on crisp wonton shells
    Terry C.

    For years, we've been coming to grab a bite at Monkeypod Kaanapali when we're up in the area. Although we've haven't been here for some time, the restaurant seems to have faltered a bit in food quality and food prep. Of course we understand that operation costs have increased, yet the prices were a bit steep for what one receives. Location, location, location. The Ahi Tuna Tacos had a very minimal amount of ahi on top of a large quantity of cabbage tucked into the small wonton shell. The ginger was missing and the shoyu wasn't noticeable at all. The Lobster Deviled Eggs were well prepared with plenty of creamy egg filling, but the very small sliver of lobster topping each of the four egg white halves addded zero flavor. The lobster meat was used more as a decoration than a main ingredient. The total flavor of the rich, velvety texture of the filing was excellent, but again, the slivers of lobster added zero flavor. Pete's Fish & Chips was quite delectable with the daily catch of today's offering using mahi-mahi fish. The tempura style coating was a bit flat in taste and crunch, but overall the fish and coating was not greasy and was enjoyable. The fries served with the fish were quite limp, but had a good flavor. The pizza oven, however, was out of operation waiting for a part. The service from Zachary was spot on. He was very friendly, and attentive during our meal, but was not intrusive. It was quite warm inside the restaurant, so we sat on the outer patio area, which still allowed us to enjoy the live music, which plays daily between 11am to 9pm. The restaurant is usually loud and quite busy.

    Chi chi drink
    Steve S.

    Food fabulous! Service quick and correct! Nice setting and does not disappoint Fabulous musician playing 80/90 music that everyone loved

    The View
    Kayla H.

    One of the prettiest places we dined while in Maui. We were lucky enough to get a table with an incredible view. I was surprised how fast we got seated and even more surprised how quickly we received our food. All the food was great, and our server was fantastic! The Kalua Pork and Pineapple pizza is one of the best things I ate while in Hawaii. The flavors blend perfectly! The only thing I would not rate five stars would be the coconut cream pie, it was pretty bland and I would not recommend ordering it.

    Eva W.

    When we come to visit Maui, this is our go to for Mai tai and lunch. This Monkeypod is located in the Whaler's Village. You can do a little shopping and stop by here for lunch. They have a parking garage for Whaler's village. You can get a validation from the restaurant when you dine here. All the times I have visited, the food is pretty good. I really like there poke tacos. It's a yummy little appetizer. The poke is fresh and has good flavor. Their fish and chips are always good. That is always fried to crispy outside and the fish is cooked just right. The fish has good flavor and the fries are pretty good, too. I do like their fish sandwich. They are known for their Mai Tai drinks. My husband always orders one when we are here. LOL. You can't go wrong dining here. The owners are the people who own Merriman's. That place is good too. They are doing it right at both restaurants.

    Maui Cattle Company Cheese Burger
    Geoffrey S.

    We had a friendly server, I really don't have any beef with him. The chairs are not made for everyone, I did ask a waitress if I could swap it for another chair... after some attitude that was flaking off she agreed as long as "I put it back" (right)... I wanted a burger, today is day 2 for us here in Maui... the Dukes 1/3 burger is haunting me (gonna have to get it after this burger) I wanted an Apple Cider... they offered cider, but the menu wasn't clear in its layout. When I asked my server for his opinion, he really didn't have one. I took Apple... have to say, as ciders go, it's on the rounder, softer side (a menu note would have saved me from ordering) and since I've never had a Maui Cider, I'd give it a shot, lesson learned! My beef (no puns intended) is the burger. When I first ordered a "King Kong" little did I know I was in the children's section. I told my waiter I wanted an "adult sized burger and fries". I wanted my burger well done (they got that right out of the gate) but the fries were also overcooked! When the table ribbed me that I hit the child burger, and the second one came, it looked the same... ON THE SMALLER SIDE! I was hungry, and hunger makes the best spice. I will tell you, the Ahia Tuna melt looked bigger than my burger! For what you are charging, I'd expect a larger patty. I'm not asking for a Los Angeles sized patty like you get at Lawry's, or a WeHo burger like the Palm serves, or even the burger at Cafe Bijou in Agoura Hills... The Diet Coke was flat too... The saving grace was my wife's Coconut Chowder... but you would think there would be more vegan alternatives for what they offer. I went in hopeful... left hungry.

    Pete's Fresh Fish & Chips
    Ricky C.

    When you're in Maui, this is the place to go for killer Mai Tai and they're right! Mai Tai's were fantastic! Food wise, we ordered the Seared Ahi, it was delicious and fresh and the sauces were perfect, next was the poke tacos-they were delicious, the fish and chips-hmm the fish proportions were big and solid, but fries were not fresh, a little stale. Their service was attentive, waiter filled our drinks and checked on us several times. I wish we went during the day, i'm sure it has fantastic view of the water but in general it's a good place to hang out with live music.

    Lorraine F.

    Monkeypod has been on our list every time we've gone to Maui, and we finally got to during this most recent trip. This location is located inside Whaler's Village, an outdoor mall in the Ka'anapali area. We made a reservation for 9 PM (it was the only time left) but we ended up getting to the mall a few hours early so we just wrote our name to the list and they texted us when our table was ready about an hour later. Everything we got was great. We had the deviled eggs and one of the salads for appetizer, the fish & chips, fish tacos, pesto gnocchi, and of course, the famous Monkeypod mai thais. These mai thais live up to the hype - that foam is SO good and this drink alone makes the trip worth it. Pricing is definitely on the higher side. Tip for parking: if you park in the mall parking garage, they will validate your ticket here - make sure you remember as the rates get pricey. Overall a pleasant experience and would come back again.

    Mahi tacos and poke tacos
    Ivana Y.

    Stopped in for a quick lunch while visiting Whaler's Village and was seated immediately, with prompt service throughout our meal. We ordered the truffle fries, mushroom pizza, mahi tacos, and ahi poke tacos. They also offered complimentary macaroni with cheese and red sauce for keiki under 3, which was a thoughtful touch. Unfortunately, the food was a hit or miss. The pizza crust was soggy, and the toppings slid off when you tried to pick up a slice. The mahi tacos came with a chipotle mole that made the dish spicy. The standout dish were the ahi tacos. Overall, beautiful views of Kaanapali, but the food was pretty average.

    Strawberry cream pie --   Save Your Fork for Pie
    Bianca D.

    We came here on the final day of our honeymoon! Sad we didn't realize this spot sooner. We heard it was a popular spot and when we arrived we quickly realized that, with the long wait times. The place was lively and the employees all super kind. We opted to sit at the bar which was a great experience. The bartender honestly made the experience! He was kind, upbeat and a great conversationalist. We didn't get a picture of our food but everything was amazing! We both got the fresh caught fish tacos. The bartender treated us to a complimentary dessert which was played beautifully. It was a delicious strawberry cream pie which I had never had. We can't wait to return to Maui & to Monekypod to try more food!

    House Cut Fries
    Jocelyn L.

    My husband and I love the original Merriman's restaurant, and were excited when we heard about the more casual, sister restaurant in originally Wailea, but now also Ka'anapali. I've actually been here two times now, kind of left with similar impressions. Everything is decent, but nothing really standing out, and very expensive for what it is. We got the poke tacos, which was decent, but $27. It was very expensive for an appetizer to share. My husband got the Maui Cattle Company Cheese Burger, which was $23. It was on the medium side, and didn't come with any fries. I don't mind paying $23 for a burger, but it better be substantial, extremely good, and/or come with fries. For my entree, I got the Fresh Island Fish sandwich ($28), in which they change up the fish daily. I think mine was the Mahi Mahi that day. It tasted fine, nothing amazing, but was also small. It also, similarly to the burger, didn't come with any fries or side. It just seemed so expensive for a tiny fish sandwich that didn't even come with fries. I'm not going to let them live down the fries! I'm glad we got the appetizer, and a side of fries to share, because we would have still been hungry otherwise. In addition, I noticed there was no difference in the lunch or dinner menu. For dessert, we got a slice of the Banana Cream Pie, which was so delicious!!!! This one was amazing. It had something called apple banana in it, which was some local fruit - tasted amazing. The pie in general tasted amazing. This was worth getting. I'm looking at the Happy Hour menu now, and it's very limiting. $4 off the cocktails sounds great, but when the cocktails are regularly priced at $20, yikes that's still expensive. The appetizers are half off, except seafood?! I will say that the service was excellent. Our waiter was particularly accommodating, especially with our toddler, who was sleeping in a stroller during the duration of the lunch. I also really enjoyed the interior of the restaurant, which was kind of how I imagine most Hawaiian restaurants to be, indoor with no windows some half outdoor in some sense with the breeze coming through, live music, and warm and inviting, yet casual interior. We didn't have live music during our lunch hour, but I noticed on their website that they do have live music daily for dinner. We ended up leaving the restaurant feeling kind of ripped off. I can't say I really loved the food here, but the experience was decent. Just an average experience over all, not my favorite. This was a huge bummer because I really enjoy the regular Merriman's restaurants still. I would return perhaps only for happy hour, only for a cocktail and a slice of that Banana Cream pie, hopefully hearing some of that live music.

    Shrimp n bacon pizza
    Jennifer M.

    We had a great waiter but I did not get his name. He told us about a beach to snorkel to avoid paying 1k for a boat and we checked it out and had the best snorkel experience thanks to him! Our drinks and food were good and the whole ambiance was vacation vibes. Quick service, good drinks and good food. Thank you to the waiter for slaughterhouse beach recommendation!!!

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    5 months ago

    Love this place. Great food and great location! Went with a large group and had an excellent experience

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    5 months ago

    Got in fairly quickly on a busy night. Friendly service. Excellent mushroom truffle pizza. Excellent strawberry cream pie for dessert.

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Worse food I ever eaten. Fish and chips were over cooked and no fish. Everything about the place is terrible

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    Page 9 of 94

    Monkeypod Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Monkeypod Kitchen

    Does the restaurant take reservations?

    I don't think they take reservations.

    Do they charge GET tax and a Kitchen tax on top of the total food prices? If so, how much do they charge?

    They charged the usual Hawaii tax, as other restaurants do. And then there was an extra charge for "kitchen staff" added to the bill, which was unique to this restaurant. Plus we also tipped the server 20 percent, as usual. We just found that… Read more

    Do they have gluten free options?

    There are limited options but the fish tacos with GF are good. The staff is knowledgeable about GF options.

    Any recommendations for Vegan options?

    Is Happy Hour only served in the bar area? How early should I get there for HH?

    Happy Hour is served in the restaurant also! Hard to say how early because it depends on how busy it is. Last May we were seated with 5 minutes left and I just ordered two Mai Tais for myself :-).

    Are you wheelchair accessible?

    Yes, easy for wheelchairs

    How far in advance do you accept reservation for both locations on Maui?

    They do not take reservations but I recommend putting in your name and walking around the shopping area during your waiting time and you won't even notice you waited!

    What's the difference between this place vs Monkeypod kitchen by Merriman?

    This is the same family of restaurants. Head Chef runs both locations and is often in the Wailea location in the afternoon, then the Westside location in the evening or vice versa.

    Happy hour here? What times and reviews?

    3-5 pm. The mai tais were amazing. They have foam on top of LiLikoi (passion fruit) and they were the best Mai Tais I've ever had (only $10 each). We had a pizza for $10 too – (kalua pork, macnut pesto, roasted pineapple, jalapeño, green onion),… Read more

    For those have dined at this restaurant recently. Do they take reservations by phone? They are no longer excepting reservations by OpenTable. If not, how long are the waits in the morning, afternoon and dinner?

    They do not take reservations. First come, first served. We went 3 times on this trip to Maui!! We would go just before happy hour starts, and once we waited about 15 min., the other 2 times we didn't wait at all!!! Might be a bit early for dinner,… Read more

    Can you get take out?

    Yes.

    Do they take reservations now?

    We're you able to make reservations? No longer available on open table. Did you call?

    Do I make a reservation by calling the restaurant directly? Open table or? Thank you

    They have more availability if you call direct.

    Do they take reservations?

    They don't take reservations anymore.

    Do you have Outdoor dining?

    yes!

    Is this restaurant open yet?

    They are opening today 11/19/20

    Is this restaurant open yet?

    Unfortunately, they are not.

    What is the name Of the general manager? Had dinner Wednesday night and My husband had a very disturbing night after dinner.

    call and ask

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    Kitchen 5315 Restaurant & Tiki Bar

    Kitchen 5315 Restaurant & Tiki Bar

    3.8
    (737 reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$

    Walking up from the beach to our cars. We found a tiki bar sign that offered happy hour from 3^5…read more We followed our way through the beautifully landscaped hotel.There to a little bar, where winndorri our fabulous bar tender. Guided us through the happy hour menu and drinks. The couple next to us had been coming here for years. And loved this far inside this was the best place ever. So we stuck around. We went through many of the appetizers and drinks. That were fabulous, I would highly recommend this little.Hidden spot?Don't want to miss this hidden gem tell winndori hi for me !

    Avoid this abomination at all costs! We waited more than an…read morehour for our food and only received it after complaining to several staff. Our waiter took our order, never brought my wife's glass of wine; then after we had waited 25 minutes without getting anything, he stopped by to ask us how things were going so far. We were baffled: "We haven't received any food or drinks yet." Another 10 minutes later, he showed up again, apologized and said the restaurant's manager had said their order-entry system had gone down and that our order would be one of the first to go in w/the tech running again. Then another 25 minutes passed, other tables got their food, and we sat empty-handed. Two of our party finally complained to multiple staff; our waiter said to calm down and that our food would be ready in another 10 minutes (seriously?); and very soon thereafter, our food finally arrived. No apologies from the restaurant, no follow-up on why the order took another half-hour after their system was allegedly running again, no sign of our appetizers or wine. We were OK w/those last details because after waiting more than an hour, we were ready to leave. Our order finally arrived more than an hour after we had placed it, and the food was fine. After the meal, I asked three employees if I could speak with the manager; each was evasive or said he's hard to reach. Finally, our waiter claimed (no idea whether this is true) that they had no more kitchen staff, the owner was cooking all the food, and the restaurant was due to close in the next few days. That was in late December 2025, so if Kitchen 5315 is still open in 2026, save yourself the misery and avoid this restaurant!

    Photos
    Kitchen 5315 Restaurant & Tiki Bar
    Fish Taco
    Fish Taco
    Sunset tonight

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    Sunset tonight
    Honu Oceanside

    Honu Oceanside

    4.3
    (1.7k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$
    Outdoor seating
    Locally owned & operated

    We dined next door the night before, but after eating at Honu Oceanside I wished we would have…read moreeaten here two nights in a row. The food was that good. The staff were attentive and the drinks were amazing! We sat at the bar and ordered the truffle fries to start along with another appetizer but the portion of truffle fries could have fed 4 people. We each had a main dish which afterward we were stuffed. The atmosphere is great, the restaurant has a modern design but you need to make a reservation. They were fully booked when we walked in, luckily we had a resy but the people ahead of us had only booked a 2 top and wanted a 4 top. When in Maui, go to Honu for an elevated dinning experience.

    We scored an amazing parking spot and beautiful view table to start off on the right foot…read more We've been coming here for years when pizza was the focus and the interior was rustic, but not since reopening after the fires and WOW! It's gorgeous inside and some of the best service we've had - hostess, waiter, bussers, everyone was excellent. We also loved the food we had. It's upscale and island prices, but well worth it. Everything was tasty and we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine. They will cork your leftovers for you to take back so don't be shy about getting a bottle. We're so happy this part of Front Street is surviving and thriving and we will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Fresh Raw Oysters with Billecart-Salmon Champagne
    Fresh Raw Oysters with Billecart-Salmon Champagne
    Worldly Wine List
 Diversity with value
    Worldly Wine List Diversity with value
    Waterfront Dining
 Waterfront restaurant

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    Waterfront Dining Waterfront restaurant

    Monkeypod Kitchen - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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