Our server, Marita, was so awesome! Great food, amazing drinks, 10/10 service highly recommend. Thanks Marita for giving us a great start to our trip :) read more

Really nice looking clean restaurant. Excellent margaritas! I had the catch of the day tacos, they were good but a little bland, the addition of some salsa really helped. They also had some nice vegetarian options. My husband really liked the veggie burrito but the plating left a bit to be desired, it would have been nice to have a little something else on the plate. read more

The waiter was polite. She did her job well. It Took a ridiculously long time for the food to finally be served to us. The restaurant was not busy. I ordered the Carne Asda & Camarones. The Carne Asda was very over cooked. The shrimp had no evidence of garlic butter, the beans were barely warm. The other meal we ordered carne Asda Taco plated...the carne Asda was very very over cooked the the tortillas were dried out. The bean on this plate were also barely warm. The waitress took the price of the taco plate off of our bill. I didn't wanna order new food because the wait was extremely long. read more

This was our first visit, the service was excellent, the food was delicious and the restaurant was clean! So was the bathroom! We plan to go back soon! Even the children ages 3,5 and 7 enjoyed the food! That's a plus!!!!! read more

Our waitress was really friendly and helpful. The food was delicious: ceviche and nachos and home made flan!

Can you believe that she skipped me and did not come back so rude I did not eat at all

The food is delicious, the service is extraordinary. I moved to Hilo recently, my first experience here was just amazing. I was born in California but I have Mexican parents. This is absolutely the best Mexican food I have had so far. Big thank you to the owner who is from Denver, we talked story about my favorite basketball team, the Nuggets and made me feel very welcome. Thank you to all of the staff. read more

Food was okay but bland- definitely needed salt and other seasoning. I love authentic Mexican food and have eaten and enjoyed it many places, both in Mexico and the continental United States. To call this Mexican food is a bit of a stretch. More like American Mexican with much needed flavoring. read more

Very clean restaurant and friendly staff, love the vibe of restaurant. Drinks were good, Chorizo was packed with flavor, I really didn't care for anything else. Ordered posole not traditional at all , very bland, didn't have radish like stated on menu, and the slice jalapeño was pickled not fresh, didn't taste any chilies like ancho, or New Mexico, guajillo , or even some mexican oregano in broth. Beans tasted very bland and possibly out of a can, salsa also not great. I wouldn't say a traditional Mexican restaurant, more like Maui Tacos. read more

Best chili relleno on the island. It was a special and I hope they put it on the menu. Great friendly service.

Ordered the Carnitas plate it was vary salty, hardly any tortillas. Flautas we're tasteless. Service was horrible! Kids fries were not cooked! Nachos were vary bland! read more

About as disappointing as pretty much all the Mexican food on the Hilo side. Do yourself a favor and go to the Tacos Jalisco food truck or Jefa's taco stand when she's open. They're both amazing. read more

The burrito is as big as your head. Seriously, it is worth sharing. The service was wonderful. Our server was genuinely interested in us having a great meal and recommended items based on our food interests, palate and appetite. read more

The staff was very friendly and attentive. The food was mediocre with a markup. Dry tortillas and canned beans. We had steak and carnitas. It was fine. Could have made it all at home and we're not great cooks. Even the hot sauce was the one from the store that we use a home. All this would be okay at a bargain place but here you pay extra for...the modern paint job I guess? Might be a good place for a drink and an appetizer. read more

Me and my other half decided to check this new restaurant in Punakai. They're called Coco's Cantina, they serve a variety of Mexican foods. Upon arrival (7:00 pm), we notice that they were packed full. We decided to wait next to a couple as they were waiting as well for an open seat. You don't choose a seat, but rather the waitress seats you. If the restaurant is full, I would suggest waiting on the outside until you find an open area to stand (since the restaurant is small). We waited for a good amount of time until we were seated, since they were packed full. I ordered their chili verde as another customer recommended it on a Facebook post. It was delicious, the meat was tender, and everything else on the plate was packed full of flavor. My other half ordered the carne asada burrito, he loved the dish! I'd also want to add the fact that they initially served us a warm batch of tortilla chips and salsa. As for drinks, I had their tamarind flavored Jarritos (Mexican soda), my other half had a Big Wave. Our waiter was kind and proactive on our side of the table. The restaurants interior design was clean and welcoming. Overall, we had no bad experience on this restaurant. Food was great, customer service was good, aesthetics of the restaurant was pleasing, overall good vibes. We will be coming again! read more

Coco Cantina - Chili verde with pinto beans & flour tortillas - $14.00 - Mexican Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Clean, friendly and delicious food. Happy to find this place while on vacation and staying in Kalapana.

Went with a few friends and the food was so good! Lots of flavor and I think the portions are pretty big. I also loved the chips and salsa which were complimentary. I got the land and sea burrito which had chorizo and shrimp which was really good. Had a lot of flavor. Will definitely come back later to try more of the food and some drinks! read more

Coco Cantina - Land and sea burrito - Mexican Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Attitude of excellence! Jasmine was on point and so was the food. Great meals and drinks, good atmosphere. Nice spin on Mexican cuisine. Good team here! read more

First timers! Love the local vibe. Service was on point tonight. Carne Asada burrito was flavorful and plentiful! Fantastic drinks as well. We will be back! read more

Coco Cantina - Carne Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The best way to summarize my foodie experience at Coco Cantina's is Mexican food in a can. I paid 18.00 for the Carne Asada plate. Even after requesting medium rare, my steak was over cooked and dry. My tortillas came in wrapped foil and fell apart in crumbles around the edges after I opened them, as if they were sitting in a warmer and not prepared fresh to accompany the dish. The rice, with all honestly, tasted like it was previously frozen and microwaved. Salsa was like canned tomato pureed with cilantro. The only enjoyable thing was the pinto beans, which was not over seasoned and left in its simplicity (well done). My daughter ordered the Chicken Burrito, but most of it was filled with the same rice and covered with a sauce that was again, from a can. My son ordered the Piscado Torta (fish sandwich) with generous amounts of mouth watering grilled fish, but it was destroyed when someone thought it was a good idea to poor black beans over it. The bun got soggy and it transformed into a black unappetizing "sloppy joe" as he described it. The carne in the burritos come in sliced chunks, not shredded, and packed with rice as a filler. I was surprised at all the bay leaves I pulled out. I never known Mexican food to use bay leaves...ever. I don't expect 100% authenticity at any Mexican food establishment, but its very disappointing when it gets completely battered like this. The atmosphere was very pleasant, clean, and had added charm with an outdoor seating area. We had great service and the bar was enticing on the right night and quaint. However, the food is the life line of any restaurant and what keeps customers returning. The lack of pride and quality was presented on those plates tonight. read more

Coco Cantina - Tortillas unwrapped, cold, and fell apart. - Mexican Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Joseph (bartender) makes the best lemon drop martini. I had him use tequila instead of vodka. Flavors were superb. I definitely recommend this cocktail. Mahalo, Joseph. read more

This place was AMAZING! From the food to the customer service! We shared the carne asada fries and the pollo torta and fries, BOMB!!! the marinate and sauce in the torta was on point. The fries were crispy & the guac was really good! My first time ever trying flan and that was soooooo good and so were the churros! Im most definitely coming and back and spreading word! Special thank you to Joe our waiter who was on it with our order, water and just the amazing vibe he gave off in serving his cutomers, Big blessings to you and the rest of your team there at Coco Cantina! read more

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I guess this is their version of Mexican food. Not authentic at all. Please don't judge Mexican food by this place because there is no comparison. It taste good but it's NOT MEXICAN read more

Lunch was not so busy. The place is clean. The food is good but the flautas was a little on the dry side. Everything needed more salt and flavor. Asked for extra salsa- never came. Salsa was on the chunky rather than saucy side. No picante flavor either. Drinks were good. read more

I'm sort of a Mexican food aficionado. And I'm this place has a fresh menu that is a nice change from the usual place. Service was great and the food was delicious. I will be back! read more

Simply can't understand all the positive reviews of this place. Service is good yeah, staff are lovely and it's not their fault the food is so bad... but the food is SO BAD. Like I wouldn't go back even if I was starving and had no food in the house and nothing else was open. There is simply no reason to come here when there are TWO other Mexican places in town - Pancho's taco truck is absolutely delicious, and Luquin's is locally owned, a longtime Pahoa tradition, and if you want margaritas and a friendly bar they've got it. read more

I have ordered 3 times from this place and have ended up tossing the order into the trash. The Nachos tasted like black beans and that was it. All I could taste was beans...no flavor at all. The soup was just about as bad. read more

Friendly service and great food. The warm tortilla chips are a plus along with some great salsa. 3 of us ordered a drink called Pohiki Tea it's like a Long Island Tea but with the addition of cranberry juice. Very tasty with a good kick of alcohol. Fajitas, Chicken Salad, Mexican burger(torta)and a chorizo and shrimp burrito were ordered. All meals except the salad came with choice of beans and rice. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the burrito and the chorizo was very good the burrito was stuffed with everything except the shrimp not too many to be found. Although I will be trying shrimp and chorizo at home as it was a tasty combination. That's the reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars. Went during lunch and there was a pretty good crowd. We sat outside not much to look at except print/photo shop next door but didn't matter because we were out with friends enjoying their company during these COVID times. We all agreed we will definitely be back! Not a fan of the "new" Luquins so this is a great option. read more

10/10, 100/100, the best mexican food on the islands, and some of the best mexican food I've ever had! Large menu, vegetarian friendly, and fresh food. Love the aesthetic. Drinks and dessert are off the hook (Guy Fieri style). But the best part is the staff. They're friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. Thank you, Josie, for making our experience here worth remembering! read more

Food is bland. Wry cold no flavor at all. Portions are good. Staff is good. But wouldn't recommend it. Go to Jalisco food truck.

I was unsure of how the experience would be in a new place and new location, but I can say without a doubt the staff was exceptional. My only advice (if my bartender from tonight sees this) is add alittle crunch . read more

This is definitely some of the better Mexican food on the island and the service is very nice

I ordered chips and salsa and a carne asada burrito, the chips and salsa were good but there were way to many chips for the amount of salsa they gave. The burrito was decent as well but I ordered my steak medium rare and was greeted with well done steak pieces in the burrito. Overall good food, just not what I expected. read more

Not sure where these reviews are coming from, the pahoa locaton is better but Hilo is not it. The food is bland, no presentation, the drinks are not that great and the venue itself, although a good location, has no ambiance that you would expect in a Mexican place. It's just mediocre all around. The service we had was polite and trying there best but seemed a little overwhelmed. I would give this a third star but it really is just not it at all. read more

The tortillas fell apart even before we opened the wrapper. The beans and rice were boring without spice and mediocre. The corner stones of mexican food are the tortillas, beans and rice. Failing to execute these critical elements is unacceptable in a mexican restaurant. The salsa was pretty ok. The chips and margarita were very good, thus the two stars. The service was great. read more

Great authentic Mexican food. I tried a ton of different Mexican restaurants on Big Island and this is my new favorite Mexican cantina. The staff is always friendly and the food always taste great. Thanks and keep up the great food/service:) read more

We just moved here from Southern California and thought we would never eat decent Mexican food again. Wrong! This is the best Mexican restaurant on the Big Island and probably all of Hawaii. Our server Josie was sweet and awesome. Super fast service too. Yummy margaritas and appetizers. We'll be back! read more

Are here several times. Good food & great service! We have been happy with all of our meals. Take out orders are easy, hot & delish!

This place has Amazing drinks, but the foods not great though, pretty bland and unauthentic.

So glad to find this newly opened gem. We enjoyed our chips and salsa and quesadilla at the bar. They went perfectly with the delicious margaritas Nicole prepared from scratch, try the one made with lilikoi and jalapeño! Top notch service and great food, we will definitely be back the next time we are in Pahoa! read more