Love this neighborhood taqueria! Located on Palolo Ave next to Kings Family Mart and Gas station. Parking in front. Great for Take out or eating inside. Try this hidden gem in the valley and you will fall in love with the local atmosphere. The umami of all the meats will blow your mind! The habanero salsa is no jokeI particularly enjoyed the Birria and El Pastor! I wanted to try the Special Brisket Torta, but will return for that one. read more

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Still wanna try the burritos, but those specials make it hard to order anything else. Had the wagyu burgers, tri tip and cerviche. Personally I think it's usually a waste to burger wagyu...but this was delish. It was juicy without being messy, all burger, seasoned well... everything I want in a burger. With everything else going on, I had half...and grinded the other half for breakfast the next day! We like tri tip...it's one of the more cow-y tasting meats making it tastier. Was a little overdone for me, but the taste was great. Hubs coulda used more salt, but with a squeeze of lime, I thought was perf. We aren't usually cerviche people... but this one cucumbers were still super crisp. YUM. Perfect. Baby ate the Tri Tip, some burger, but loooooved the potatoes. I don't know how they were prepared since I don't cook potatoes often...But was nice and salty on the outside and soft on the inside. Baby also liked the guac...she basically used the chip as her spoon. Salsa was too hot for her, but I thought had a nice and fairly mild kick. I know some of the other salsas kick a little harder. Still one of my fave Mexican places in Hawaii... read more

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Dinner in Palolo, Honolulu, Hawaii... We saw Bruddah Fran's check-ins on Yelp, looked at his photos, and read his review... He's the Duke of El Azul Taqueria, so we wanted to check it out since he recommended the place! We went at little after 5pm on a Thursday, so it wasn't busy yet. We easily got free parking in the lot that's shared with a convenience store. Note: currently closed on Sundays and Mondays. Only open for dinner at the moment. Service was helpful and attentive. We had some questions and the guy behind the counter was knowledgeable and patient... thank you! I got the 3 taco plate with a horchata. I chose the vegan taco which had spicy cauliflower and fresh pineapple; birria taco - a bit spicy, but tender and tasty; and the al pastor taco - a bit chewy, but flavorful. My meal came with beans and rice. I liked the beans and even put some on my tacos! The rice was a bit bland and plentiful - I couldn't finish! The horchata was on the thick side... not watered down like most horchatas. I could taste the cinnamon! Overall, it was alright. I liked the colorful decor and real piano in the restaurant! There were several small tables for dining-in. Next time, I'd get the ribs... they were being cooked in the parking lot! read more

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Yo, this Mexican joint is Legit Yo!!! I'm always down for Mexican & thanks to da Yelp app., I came across someone posting of some great pics of some Mexican grindages from El Azul Taqueria. Where is Al Azul Taqueria located??? This little "hole in da wall" restaurant is located in the heart of Palolo Valley, as there are two other businesses (a liquor store & Korean chicken wing joint) that are connected to this little Mexican restaurant (within the same building). The restaurant's menu is pretty simple, and they are known for their birria tacos. So it was pau hana Friday, and my homie - Nate Y. is always down for Mexican, so me & him heading out to this Mexican joint in Palolo Valley. Upon walking into the joint, I already knew what I wanted - as I wanted to try the taco plate (I got my tacos with chicken) with beans & rice. As for my homie, he got the grilled chicken burrito. What can I say about the grub? I can totally see why this little Mexican restaurant does so well, as they certainly churn out some onolicious Mexican grub! My three tacos were packed with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat & the black beans and Spanish rice portions were more than generous. As for my friend's grilled chicken burrito..........try look at his burrito. It was totally packed with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat!!! I was totally jealous of his burrito, and now I wanna come back here just to eat da grilled chicken burrito! Lol! Great service here, and they had a "help yourself" sauce station. May I warn you, da Habanero sauce is really, really, HOT!!! It's so hot it'll burn a new hole in your gut for trying to down a lot of that sauce on your taco! Lol! There is a small parking lot fronting this little Mexican restaurant, but the lot is shared by the Korean wing joint, and liquor store, so if you come at peak hours, you may have to look for street parking instead. El Azul Taqueria does a lot of walk in's, and I notice a lot of folks would come here and do a grab & go. The restaurant is small, but they do have several tables within the restaurant so you can eat here if you choose. Great service, & onolicious Mexican grub! If you haven't tried El Azul Taqueria yet, you're missing out my friend! Go chance 'em! read more

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I order burritos every time. And every single time, they come out a little bit different. I'm not sure why this happens since I don't make any modifications, but the food itself isn't bad. I ordered a steak burrito two weeks ago, and it was so good I didn't even get a chance to snap a photo. Can't say the same this time around...most of it is still sitting in my fridge two days later. The steak wasn't fully cooked, which is not something I go for in a burrito. It also lacked flavor and that "wow factor" I experienced last time. The meat wasn't seasoned well and honestly, it tasted like it was boiled. I will say, I really enjoy their verde salsa and chili salsa. They taste fresh and are packed with flavor! They definitely add to the experience, and I'd strongly recommend trying both. They rotate their salsas, so if you come often enough, you'll get to try them all! The service is good. I've received incorrect orders in the past, but the staff is always quick to make it right...unfortunately, I usually don't realize until I've already driven all the way home (lol). My only real complaint is the inconsistency in quality and ingredients. Sometimes, the food is amazing! But I can't say the same for each experience. If you check out my photos, you'll see burritos I ordered (on different days) look completely different. I'll have to stop by next week to see how the burrito varies from my last experience. You know, for research...and because I love an excuse to eat a burrito lol. Total before tip for two burritos was $32. Seating is available inside, but it's usually packed. There are cute little table outside too! Parking is available but it fills up quickly. read more

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This place was surprisingly hopping right at 5pm opening - already a line to order with some doing takeout and some eating in. The gentleman at the register was very patient and kind and also happened to be the server. Working really hard. We ordered a variety to sample everything and decide if we would be changing from tight tacos devotees to this place. Long story short, we're not. The chips were excellent. Warm and crispy. The house salsa was fine. Not sure if it's free refills if you eat in on the chips like at TT. The pickled vegetables were delicious- sour, not too sour, not too salty, not spicy and plentiful for only $4. By far my favorite part of the meal. The guacamole was freshly made so took some time. It was tasty but the quantity for $6 was the same size as the salsa, a tiny bowl. The fish taco I had was overly seasoned. The taco al pastor was excellent and delicious. Plenty of onion, cilantro and beets on the side. This place does not skimp on the veg. The grease however gets the tortillas wet quickly and the taco falls apart quickly very messy to eat. The hub had the birria burrito. Very big portion with plenty of well seasoned meat. However overly pretty heavy. It wasn't bad or anything. But the limited parking, far location down palolo ave makes tight tacos the better choice especially bc the food at TT is a bit lighter and suits my palate better. They have some cool art on the walls here. The menu font could be bigger and more contrast with the background for my aging eyes. Overall it was fine but prolly not gonna go back. read more

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We got a tip about El Azul Taqueria in Palolo and decided to check it out. My husband loves Mexican food but it's so hard to find good quality Mexican food. He's from California so he's a critic to most Mexican food places. Most times when we go to a place, he's always like umm it's okay. His review of El Azul Taqueria was quite different. El Azul Taqueria is located on Palolo Ave which is right next to the Aloha Gas Station. They have a mini mart next to their restaurant. El Azul Taqueria is a small place which doesn't have a whole lot of things on their menu but they are doing well with the products that they offer. Since it was our first time there, I asked the worker what he would recommend. He said that he would recommend the Birria tacos or the el pastor burrito. I hadn't had Birria in a while so I got that. You can get combo plates for Birria. The combo comes with either three or 12 tacos and consommé and cheese. My husband and I got the three taco combo. We got my daughter two tacos of the grilled chicken. And we also got a side of rice, Birria fries, and a horchata drink. We got it to go because the place was kind of small. The whole ride home my daughter kept sipping up the horchata drink. By the time we got home there was only a few small sips left for me. When we got home to open it up, we were so excited to eat it. It all looked so good. We dug right into the fries. The Birria in the fries and tacos were on point. So delicious. The extra veggies to put inside were fresh and went nicely in the tacos. My daughter loved the Birria fries so much and she had a taste of my Birria tacos and she didn't want to eat her grilled chicken taco anymore. I tasted the grilled chicken one and it was still good also but the Birria is what puts this place over the top. We will definitely be coming back here. Everyone was just savoring every bite when we ate our dinner. We're already planning when we are going to come back. read more

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Ordered the Birria tacos. Ordered take out close to closing time. Upon walking up to the restaurant, every table filled was outside and inside. I like that they were fast to complete my order as there was 30 minutes left to closing and I ordered 12 taco combo set. The Birria meat was very dry. There was so little cheese. Consome had absolute no flavor, only purpose was to rehydrate the beef jerky like Birria meat. Which didn't really have strong flavor either; it was bland. Not worth $60 I wouldn't recommend due to no flavor and dry Birria. Would maybe give another chance to the other dishes but definitely no to Birria. read more

They are about halfway into Palolo next to a mini mart. There is ample amount of parking. I had my two dogs with me so I had to bring them in with me and they were okay with it. The guy cooking the meat outside was so sweet and gave my two boys a piece of carne asada. I ordered the carne asada plate with rice and beans no cilantro. And it was delicious the meat was so tender and the tortillas they were in weren't flimsy and breaking they were pretty thick and they were filled generously with the meat. I also tried the Al pastor tacos but I like the carne asada better. And my husband got the birria burrito with guac. Definitely will be back to try other items. read more

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From the same family who brought you Castro's. El Azul taqueria an authentic Mexican food place in Palolo. Run don't walk the food is so fresh. read more

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New spot in a unsuspecting place in palolo. They're about 5 mins off the main strip on Waialae once you pass the mc Donald's. Just keep going up the road and it'll be on the right hand side right before a gas station. They are next to a convenience store which shares the parking lot. I was a little surprised to see that there was barely any parking, but I got lucky as someone was about to leave. I think most people tend to go in and out of here. El azul is brightly light and there was already 3 tables occupied when I got there. There was also a couple with a dog outside (there's 2 outdoor tables). But also keep a note that these tables outside is right by the parking so you might end up smelling car fumes and stuff and being right next to cars. But it is a nice dining option if you do opt to bring your dog with you. Inside it's clean and cozy with maybe 5 tables inside. Towards the end will be the menu and this cold bar that holds all their salsas. I opted for the Birria fries tonight for ($15) it came with cheese, sour cream, pico, guacamole. The food came out maybe 15 mins after ordering and I was on my way. Packaging was nice. The food was a little bit salty for me (well the Birria was). The cheese had a different texture that I wasn't use to like a mash potato consistency. It was a very mild flavor tho. Overall I thought it was pretty average. I think it was a little hard to eat since it was extremely salty, but I think this new addition to palolo area would benefit the community around them since there isn't a lot of options unless you decide to drive out to the main area of kaimuki. Also. This is the second restaurant that is owned and operated by Castros in Waikiki. I haven't gone there just yet but heard great things about it there from others. I may try other things instead In the future and give it another shot. read more

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I returned and tried the vegan tacos!!! OMG! Best tasting vegan tacos. I'm for sure going back for the vegan option and I'm not vegan!! That's how good it is. I tried their tamale too. It was their special. That was tasty too but I was so surprised at how tasty the vegan tacos were. read more

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Came here on a whim as I was in the mood for a nice taco joint. The portions were very generous and I really loved the flavors. I tried tried the Elote, the taco plate, and chips and salsa. I would love to give five stars but unfortunately the undercooked pastor made me feel queasy while eating it. The salsa was so delicious, I wish they gave a little more. The rice was some of the best I've had on-island. I would love to give this place another shot, I'll probably just avoid the pastor. The service was super friendly as well. read more

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Deep in the back of Palolo Valley is a gem of a Mexican restaurant. Hard to believe that so many people found this place but it looks like they have a lot of regulars. The burrito was huge. No way i could eat it all and too difficult to pick up. The burrito is so wet that it was hard to eat with the decorative paper on the top of the plate. i ended up taking off the paper cause i was eating paper. The burrito and tacos were very good. Honestly i am not a big fan of black beans in my burrito and wish they had a refried option. The chips were crunchy and fresh but salsa was only so so in my opinion and tasted like a mix of pico with tomato sauce or paste. Other than that everything was great and grateful for another good Mexican restaurant. i will return. read more

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Food, service, and price point is pretty great at this tiny place tucked in Palolo valley. There are a few tables and they recently opened up a few more inside. There's a mini salsa bar (tasty!), and you can't go wrong w/ the 3 tacos plate. My favorite protein was the al pastor, covered with freshly cut pineapple - yummy, tender and good textures! The burrito was huge too. Chips & guac were great, so we ordered a 2nd one for the table. Will definitely be back! read more

El Azul Taqueria - 3 tacos plate - one of each - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The burrito is huge and delicious. Try a trio of tacos. My favorite is the birria. Tip: everything tastes great but with the hot sauce it's even better. read more

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This is it my friends -Taco Heaven. Absurdly good salsa, and all the proteins - Birria, chicken, and Al Pastor are done perfectly. Owners are a awesome and hard working and support local farms and vendors when possible. A very good place to spend your hard earned $$$ and your money goes far. A taco plate for $14 - in this economy?! Truly a hidden gem in Palolo. read more

El Azul Taqueria - Salsa sampler - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's always exciting to welcome a new restaurant to the mix! El Azul Taqueria is the second restaurant of chef Luis F Castro of "Castro's Waikiki". We were looking for Mexican delivery and spied El Azul...with no reviews! Then I checked Yelp...ditto! AND..it's in Pālolo Valley! So we took a chance and we're glad we did! Here's my fast take on what we had. Chips and Salsa $4.00. Huge portion. Great house made chips. We got 2 orders so we could sample two of the three salsa options. The salsas are a miss. The salsa verde is way too spicy, and I'm a bonafide chile-head. The Chili de Arbol was also spicy but too oily. I wish they had a simple pico de gallo option. Pickled Vegetables $4.00 Big win! Pickled okra, carrots, pear (?), jalapeño and more. Loved this! I'm assuming they are house made. 3 Taco Plate $15.00 Very Good. We ordered 2 Grilled Chicken and 1 al Pastor. The plate comes with Spanish Rice and Beans. Served on corn tortillas that are griddled in oil, I would prefer them not done this way but that is a personal preference and says nothing about the quality. Both the chicken and the pastor were cooked well, generous portions and nice flavors. Love the bits of fresh pineapple in the pastor tacos. The beans and rice are also a standout! Wow. Really delicious (though the menu said Black beans...pinto beans arrived instead) Kudos for the eco friendly packaging gorgeous our delivery order and considering they delivered from Pālolo to our place in Kaka'ako the food was hot and held up well. read more

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Was happy to learn a new taqueria opened up in my neighborhood and knew I had to check it out. The Al pastor and cauliflower tacos were delicious and filling. I will definitely be back to try some more of the items soon! read more

El Azul Taqueria - Al pastor tacos, cauliflower vegan taco. - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wow! Finally a decent Mexican restaurant on Oahu. And it's an order at the counter kind of place! I'd put their food up against ANY Mexican restaurant any price range on Oahu and their food will come out better at a much lower price point. The menu is limited but covers the basics. Portions are huge and the prices aren't much more than Taco Bell. Food comes served on real plates. We were excited to find a place that has good Elote. It's a rarity on Oahu and this one was very good. Chips and salsa are a must at only $4. Best chips on the island. Almost all Mexican places are lazy and don't make their own chips. Burrito is huge, filling and has the right balance of flavor and proportions for protein, cheese, and rice. Tacos are equally amazing and I love the soft corn tortillas. There are about 6-7 4 top tables. Be cool and bus your table, wipe it down, and leave these nice people a tip. read more

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We frequent Castro's as much as possible, so we were excited when the owners created a dinner spot with the same dedication to quality ingredients and freshness. El Azul is an exciting addition to the neighborhood. Our favorites have been the chips and Salsa (yes who knew that would be so good we crave it!) the Al Pastor Burrito which is the largest burrito on island trust me it'll take two hands! And the Birria fries Everytime we come here we are welcome with happy customer service and the attention to detail in the decor makes for a special Cuban dinner experience! We will be back time and time again because everything is so damn good! read more

El Azul Taqueria - Al Pastor Burrito - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

So glad I found this little gem in Palolo best Mexican food in the area guaranteed it's a little off the beaten path but well worth the drive up into Palolo they actually have a grill outside that they barbecue the meat as authentic as it gets read more

Food is muy delicioso, service is fast and very pleasant to eat n dine in. My son reccomended this place because we love their birria beef tacoʻs w/consomme. You can get it with rice & beans too We love their tasty food. read more

The food was pretty good. The guy who worked there was very attentive. However, the woman are beyond rude. When I ask questions, she seems impatient and not helpful. read more

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Great service, yummy food. The menu was confusing for me, but the cashier patiently explained to me and I ordered a 3 tacos plate, and I requested one of each: chicken, Birria, and al pastor. I liked the chicken the best. You have to pay extra to get the consommé for the Birria. Al pastor was a bit crispy and I couldn't really discern a flavor from it, it could have been better seasoned. Still would come back and I really want to try their elotes. Tip: it's BYOB and there's a locally owned liquor store right next door. read more

Food: Excellent!!! You gotta try all their homemade salsa and sauces. My favorites were the vegan cauliflower and al pastor tacos and the birria burrito. Service: Friendly with a smile you can't beat. They deliver the food to your table. The food came out under 10/15mins. Ambiance: AC, cute decor, and about 8 tables inside. Cozy and clean. Fun Latin decorations. Parking available right in front. Bathroom in restaurant. This is a good addition to all the food options in the Palolo area. A must try! read more

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I'm actually gonna PEE MY PANTS. Bro I just ordered uber eats from them for the first time. They put so much effort into my order. The BIRRIA BURRITO was massive and sooo flavorful. I asked for hot sauce on the side and they gave me a good helping of it. The chips and salsa and the fries were FIRE TOO. This is my new fave Mexican place on island. I'll def be bringing my friends and going in person!! Like please look at the burrito hanging out of the takeout box. Love YOU GUYS and thanks for going the extra mile even for takeout orders!! read more

El Azul Taqueria - Chips & Salsa - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Had the birria tacos. They were flavorful and a perfect size. They are generous with the meat in the tacos. Great lunch!

The most unassuming taqueria! The best tacos and friendly service. The chips are amazing. Order pico de gallo with it. Dine in is fun. It's such a quaint hideaway. Lots of takeout orders happen every time I'm there. Menu is small but won't disappoint!!!! Try it and let me know your favorite read more

El Azul Taqueria - Look for this sign. Next to the gas station on Palolo Ave. - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Got a 3 chicken taco plate and an Al pastor bowl. Chicken tacos were so flavorful and bursting from the seams. The Al pastor bowl was an interesting take on a burrito bowl. The menu says it comes with lettuce, but my bowl did not have any lettuce. The sour cream and salsa were cold, so once I mixed it all together, the whole bowl was cold. However, the Al pastor itself was so delicious my pants fell off! Hahaha jk but forreal it was really good. Definitely recommend. read more

El Azul Taqueria - Al Pastor Bowl - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It's nice to see a small eatery in this area. Parking is out front that's shared with the Family Mart next door. There's 2 table seating outside and maybe 5 inside. The cashier was pleasant and answered all of my questions. We had ordered about 7 plates to go. It was well packed so nothing seeped out and the order was all correct. We waited maybe under 10 min. As for the food, it was a bit too salty with the beef and the consommé used to dip the birria taco for my taste. As for the grilled chicken, it was flavorless and somewhat dry. I'd prefer the chicken shredded like the beef. The rice tasted good; although, it wasn't fully cooked (crunch). The black bean texture was too thick for my liking. The fries were ok, I enjoyed the ones that were crispy and not soggy. I will probably go back to try a few other items. It's great to have an eatery nearby open until 9p. read more

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Never have I ever... sounds like the childhood game, right? This is no game. It's the latest entry into Oahu Mexican food. Unfortunately it wasn't a real good start. They're really big on their tacos, and maybe that's the problem. I didn't order any tacos, but we did order burrito with Carne Asada, the problem there was the Carne Asada. The meat was so tough and fatty. It was almost unedible.flavor was way off, which as you are about to see is that I can write that imperfection off as tastes wise, it must be from different parts of Mexico example black beans, Mexico refried beans, Jalisco. Whole Pinto beans? Cabo. lol. From a Taqueria, I expect exceptional Mexican food. Why call it a Taqueria if it's the Zippy's of Mexican cuisine. Being new to Oahu, I'd be willing to give them a second chance. But first they would have to prove to me that they may change to the Carne Asada. Nobody likes fat and tough meat. read more

Best burritos we ever had in our lives!!!!! So onolious!! The meat is so yummy and the tortilla is seared, so sooo much flavor.

Literally insane how good the chicken burrito was. Even the tortilla was SO good. The rice was packed with flavor, the chicken was tender and so well seasoned. I could have ordered two but they are so huge. Best burrito I have had on island and in town read more

We were so excited to try this place as we've been looking for good Mexican food since moving back from the Bay Area. We got the food to go, for reference. I got the bowl with al pastor, my Mom got the al pastor tacos, and husband got a burrito with birria. I enjoyed the black beans, and the al pastor had a nice taste, but was super oily. So oily that my Mom's tacos were broken up from it. The chips were ok, a little thick for my preference, but nice taste. I didn't like the salsa at all, it was thick and tasted like tomato paste used for pasta and once that got into my head, I couldn't eat it any more But my biggest issue was the rice! People are saying it's good, so I don't know if it was off today, but it was unlike any Mexican rice I've had? It was clumpy and not mixed well, so bits of dried red everywhere. The grain of rice didn't seem right either? Like using local short grain instead of long grain? (Which may be why it wasn't cooking right). It sort of had an Uncle Ben's style of taste to it, which was a real bummer cause I love Mexican rice and can be happy with just that and pinto beans. Sadly, since all of us got a variety of items (except for chicken) and all had the same consensus, I don't think we'll return. The oiliness, bad salsa and rice was a big strike for me. read more

Had it delivered 3rd party. Food was a phenomenal!!! Huge portions. I ordered an extra side of beans and rice and a burrito. I had left overs for 3 days, you also can tell everything is made in house. Especially their chips and salsa. Best Mexican on island. read more

I heard good things about this place and wanted to see for myself. As I was eating everything I couldn't wait to go back. The food is so good! The guac was fresh and the chips were nice and warm. Elote was good, but I probably would save room for more of the guac or tacos next time. The birria burrito was so good! It was a little messy, but full of flavor. I can't wait to try more. read more

AMAZING birria tacos! Also very friendly staff and food was served quick. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Oahu. read more

El Azul Taqueria - 2 Birria tacos and 1 Grilled Chicken taco - Tacos Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This review is solely on the al pastor bowl. I give it a 1 star because i asked for no beans and there was a crap load of beans in the bowl. 98% of the albpator was burnt beyond recognition amd was like eating charcoal. I just tried to eat it and didn't want to send it back because I was afraid I would get the special if you know what I mean. The bf had the burrito which he said was good. I would go back but hopefully next time it's not charcoal I get instead of al pastor. read more

Large portions for a reasonable price. Birria tacos were good but don't sleep on the pickled vegetables. Chips were a tad too salty and the salsa was not my favorite but looking forward to trying the other salsas. Overall a very welcome addition to palolo valley. read more