Love this place - the food trucks really make great chow - this place is the top of tier in that…read morecategory though. Should be a full eatery but they would likely get raped for rent and have homeless pissing on the front door nightly if it were. This town is going downhill fast with all the homelessness and meth use in that area. No effect on this business - the owner runs a solid place and the miscreants steer clear.

Ordered 3 of these and felt underwhelmed to be honest! They didn't taste super fresh and had sort…read moreof an oily taste. I got 2 beef and potatoes and 1 chicken. Got the garlic sauce and a pink sauce for them but didn't really help. The beef potato ones almost had a curry taste - didn't taste like a latin american treat. Maybe I just came on an off day...price was fair for 3.

Coming to the KCC Farmer's market in late January, I was surprised to find the layout changed so…read moredramatically. Besides several familiar sellers being gone, the number of vendors seemed to be less than I remember. Bringing a friend to this market, I wasn't sure whether he'd been here and I walked off to use the restroom which is now the one on campus. As I returned, my friend had wandered to this stand and generously shared what he bought with our other travel companion and me. He bought the Empanada especial which was crab (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=kWEPRzOWs2EtocPcEAaSLw), real crab meat, potato, smoked Gouda cheese, mayo, onion; it came with a delicious green chimichurri sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=WS6EnU062gvtZnct4DPPog) that we dipped them in. Not expecting this treat, I first took a bite and it was tasty, not knowing the flavors and ingredients. We toasted our landing here (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=72&select=fpX7EDFfjUJTUwsveh5Elw) and started dipping it in the provided chimichurri sauce. Before you knew it, it was gone. Since we were walking the rest of the market, I didn't stop here and only got details about this business and what I ate from taking a photo of their stand (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=72&select=xnYnbxbbydTYYSmFCRZ-mg). I'll study this a little more before my next visit and we'll see what the special is when we return.

I decided to try Papi's at the Kailua Farmer's Market tonight (Thursday), because I was looking for…read morea quick dinner bite. They don't have a permanent location, and do pop ups at various locations. I love a great empanada, and have been getting mine from the "other" empanada store that opened in early 2024 in Kailua. These empanadas are really small for the $5 price 3 for $13), but that's the only "negative" about it. It's about 3 inches across, which is about half the size of a "regular" sized empanada. Empanadas are more of a snack anyway, but two or three would make a meal for me, just not at this size (lol). The taste and texture are really great. The crust is flaky and slightly crisp, like the outside of a biscuit or a pie crust, which is really nice. The fillings are very tasty, and they have a good variety. I tried the Greek empanada, and the Cochinila, which is a slow roasted pulled pork. They were both very good and flavorful. They provided a small dish of chimichurri, fresh, tart, and slightly spicy. Their special one is their crab empanada ($6), and if they're a regular at the Kailua FM, I may try that the next time. Overall, they're very tasty with a great texture, but a bit pricey.

Saw them at the Blaisdell Wed market. Had a large amount of people waiting so I decided to check…read morethem out. After talking to the super friendly and helpful worker decided on the Chorizo, Chicken Tiki and another one I forgot lol All 3 were crispy on the outside and tasty inside! The chimichurri sauce made it even better!

At the Honolulu Farmers Market on a Wednesday evening. If you're in the mood for some empanadas,…read morePapi's Empanadas is your place! They have lots of different kinds to choose from. I tried a Lobster empanada and also a Beef empanada. Both tasted great! The workers are friendly and the food tastes great!

So happy Guaiqueri was at Waianuenue, even though they were by themselves during lunch. First time…read moretrying. Tried their chicken empanada, seafood empanada, and lilikoi tres leches cake. Empanadas were yummy! 4 minutes to fry so wait was quick. The dough/crust was tasty, but a bit greasy. Fillings were also tasty. Shredded chicken had great flavor. Seafood consisted of chopped up large pieces of octopus, shrimp, and calamari. What's even better was they were surprisingly still good when microwaved the next day (was too lazy to heat it properly). Definitely dip with lots of sauce! Unfortunately the tres leches was just ok - cake with frosting. Will definitely be back for the chicken and seafood empanadas!

I like empanadas but they are deep fried pastries and as such are heavy meals. Moderation is the…read morekey. Guaiqueri Empanadas is a food truck that is often available at a new food truck venue at the Varsity Building on University Avenue and Coyne Street. This is part of Kam Schools' Waianuenue Shopping Complex that is scheduled for completion later this ( 2026 ) year. One of the many ventures Kam Schools is undertaking. Guaiqueri offers Venezuelan empanadas. I tried their Beef Empanada. Filling was hefty and overall a tasty savory pastry. One does the job. Guasacaca ( cilantro cream ) sauce compliments the empanada. If you have political views on Venezuela their owner ( or co-owner ) is quite willing to talk about the situation. He was positive about the overthrow of Maduro but warned it is the crime cartels that still wield the real control from the shadows, but that the average person is going to be better off in general. Hours of operation - I'd check their IG.

Parking: street side…read more Seating: 4 large picnic tables inside for seating with bar seats along the entrance window. Service: counter service. Restrooms: shared with other businesses located behind the alley. Cost : $6-$8 per empanada Food: if you're looking for a traditional empanada this is not the place to go. With that being said, we have been to a few modernized empanada shops on the mainland so we were excited to try this spot. We found the dough to be softer than what we're use to from both Mexican & Colombian empanadas. The dough on one side was soggy while the other side was slightly more cooked. We got the ossobuco & corn empanada and while the filling was good, it wasn't anything special.

It's been quite a while since I've been here, but the empanadas are as good as I remember. I had a…read morecraving after I ate some that my granddaughter's nanny had made. She's also from Argentina originally, so they were the same type. The prices are the same, but they did adjust the discount structure a little. They used to offer either a discount, or a free empanada when ordering a certain quantity, but apparently no longer (understandable). They also used to provide a free serving of their amazing chimichurri with a quantity order as well, but either they forgot, or they discontinued that practice as well; and unfortunately, I forgot to check my box and order one before I left. They seem to be doing well, because several items were sold out, but they do have a wide variety, and there are enough choices to satisfy any tastes. I really must remember to come more often.

When my boyfriend and I were in Honolulu and on a North shore tour we decided to stop by Crispy…read moreGrindz. The acai bowl was the perfect treat to hit the spot on such a hot day. We decided to get an acai bowl topped with granola, honey, blueberries and banana. The acai was like no other acai I had ever had! It was so thick, creamy and refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness and no icy texture at all. All of the ingredients tasted incredibly fresh, and every bite left me wanting another. While it is only a food truck there is a bunch of shaded seating nearby and other delicious food trucks right next to it. Service was also very quick and friendly. I would definitely come back to try out some of their other acai bowl combos next time!

Tried out the pastel from their food truck at the cinco de mayo festival in Kakaako (coz all the…read moretaco trucks had huge lines...) glad I tried this place out coz their pastel with cheese and beef was delicious!!! How the cheese kinda melted with the pastry and deep fried together - hmmm... I was hoping to try the coxinha. Maybe next time. The wait wasn't too long as well. The pastel came out fresh, hot and crispy with gooey cheese and well flavored beef inside. I would order from them if I saw their truck again.

Diego is back! Maria Bonita, on Hotel Street, just Ewa of Nuuanu, has been our favorite place to…read moreget good Mexican food in downtown Honolulu for many years. Back "in the day", you'd find me there at least once a week, sitting at the table by the window, dining on great food. It's been closed for a while, but we've periodically checked to see if it was going to re-open. A month ago, we saw new menus posted on the windows and a building permit. We walked past a day ago and saw the "Open" sign and stopped in to find out what was happening. Staffing was the issue, something that's affected many companies in the post-COVID era. Anyway, I ordered my "off the menu" Chicken Enchilada Plate with Mole sauce, something Diego has made for me from time to time. Wow, it's better than ever! Two plump enchiladas filled with chicken meat, topped with shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream ... All swimming in Diego's wonderful mole sauce. Refried beans and Spanish rice on the side and a container of hot sauce ... Simply perfection! A co-worker ordered a Chimichanga with shredded beef, a la carte. It was huge and well presented. We're so happy to see Diego back in action ... Now, good Mexican food is just 5 minutes from our office. It's takeout only right now, but Diego said he has plans to re-open the dining room for patrons to enjoy his food on premises. Highly recommended!

Maria Bonita in China town is open again, as of now just take out only but Diego said he may start…read moredine-in in the near future. Figure I update the Menu photos as the latest one I saw was from 2 years ago. My go to dish is the "Chile Verde Burrito with Carne Asada" so good.

Is the food here good? Yes, the Quesataco Dorado, Mini Quesadilla and Consume are good…read more Does the Consume come with your order? No, menu is a la carte. Is this place worth waiting an hour and a half or longer? I don't think so. My lunch buddy and I decided to come here the Wednesday after Ohana Hale Marketplace opened up again. This was during the extension of the second Stay-At-Home order. After reading about how long people wait to order food from here, we decided to arrive at 10am. I got there earlier but I was on a call with a client so I stayed in my vehicle. Luckily my lunch buddy is always early and went inside to stand in line. Even though we were early, she was still 3rd in line. Now the wait begins... One hour passed and they finally opened to take orders! They took the first and second persons order. Third persons order was taken after first person received their order. This continues down the line. This is why you have to wait so long to order here. They seriously need to figure out a new system because if they don't, this will be their downfall. The food is good but I don't think it's worth the wait as mentioned above. Price is also on the high end for what you get. Overall, great to support local during this time but it'll be awhile before I come back again.

Yay! Finally got to try the hype on the mainland. There's another place that has this too, but it's…read moretoo far for me to get to. They opened at ohana market place last week and they already had a huge following. I attempted to go on their 3rd day and the line went out the door and then some. Since I was outside and the line was barely even moving, I decided to leave, especially since I read someone waited for 3 hours. I'm going to die from a heat stroke out there and I wasn't even prepared to wait that long. Then they were closed for a few days and was going to reopen on a Thursday, which ended up being the day of lockdown 2 on Oahu, and ohana market was now going to close completely, so they decided to open the day before! Score! I was so disappointed prior to that cause I was so close to trying until I saw they were going to open up before the place closes down. I was prepared this time! I went exactly when the marketplace opened and b-lined it to their spot! I scored and was the first in line! Lucky for me, they opened a little earlier than expected so the wait wasn't that bad - I say 40 mins tops! The menu was pretty small. It's either the Birria tacos for 4.50, quesadillas for $5, or the broth for $4. They have all of their lemonades and limeades and they start at $6 each. The limit was 10 tacos and I ended up getting all 10 along with 2 broths and a guava limeade. The total for all of this was a whopping $62. My jaw almost dropped. Lol. They also took orders 2 at a time so that's why the line barely moved. I hope they can find a way to be a little more efficient with this. I think they used maybe a 6" tortilla so it's not super big or super small either. The flavors were good and so was the broth. I really enjoyed the guava limeade that was recommended by the cashier. You can tell they use fresh limes in their drinks. I liked how I ordered too much so it came in two containers with limes and radishes. Perfect cause I forgot to tell them to separate 4 in a separate container since it was for a friend. I would come back again on occasion. It's kind of a lot of money for tacos, but it is addicting. I must say - I got myself into an entanglement with Birria tacos this week and I want more! Anyway! Some tips for you! Go when the mall opens so you don't have to wait 2++ hours and be disappointed or wait till the hype dies down. There's also 2 other people that sells this from their homes and 1 other restaurant that sells this twice a week in wahiawa. There is definitely more demand for this than people who actually make these. I hope more places jump on the Birria taco train!