Despite the slightly grumpy girl at the counter, Mi Ranchito is DIVINE. Freshly made, authentic Mexican food is my weakness. And coming from near East LA, I am *beyond* particular. I live for their Chile verde and Chile Colorado plates. Half of which you can take home for the next morning. My husband thinks their corn tortillas are fantastic and corn chips and salsa, the best in Hawaii. (I am allergic to corn.) It does take awhile to get your food but that is because they make it all from scratch. Delicious!! Family run and truly a foodie treasure. read more

Mi Ranchito - Chili Colorado - Mexican Near Me - Hawi, Hawaii

My urge to use the restroom led me to this goldmine of authentic Mexican Cuisine with a small "cash only" takeout window that prominently displays a sign that says "Restroom Use Customers Only". (Note to self: monitor intake of coffee from Waimea to Hawi). The food is super flavorful and fresh, prepared by two people who run the whole show. Affordable and ample cuisine complete with friendly service, ambiance, Mexican music, ample outdoor seating, and yes, a restroom, don't miss this gem of an eatery for a fulfilling bite on your way to Pololu or Waimea. If you dine in, you'll get a bonus basket of chips and salsa. read more

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We live in town and the food here is very good. Friendly service and large portions. Prices are also very reasonable. They do to go and you can dine in. They also give you fresh made chips and salsa with each order. We come here about 1 time a month to get our Mex fix. read more

After snorkeling we drove by this Mexican restaraunt and decided to stop for lunch. VERY DELICIOUS MEXICAN FOOD. The server was very nice and the food was excellent. I had the green cheese enchiladas . read more

Delicious food! Kind staff that work their butts off. Very consistent. I highly recommend!

We fell in love with this place. The food is delicious and the owners and fantastic staff work hard to make sure everything is ALWAYS fresh. Recommend the #27! read more

Growing up in Southern California, its hard to impress me with mexican food outside of SoCal. I've tried almost every mexican eatery on the island and prior to this, it was Lucy's in Hilo. We were at my Brother in Laws on Saturday and decided to grab some lunch from town. They are open during the COVID deal and doing to go orders. Food is a bit pricey, but it's Hawi and I understand they have to make a profit too. The food was GREAT. We had pollo quesadilla, flautas, and a carnitas plate. The food was delicious and the refried beans are...REFRIED. They're the best I've had here. read more

Having a Mexican food addiction can come on strong at times. When the craving comes on heavy, and you want those tacos, you begin to search. Coming to the island, and you find Mexican food, your first thought is, "Mexican food in Hawaii? This can't be all that good. We found Mi Ranchito and it felt so close to home in California.  I had to order fish tacos and a crunchy taco. Hubby got nachos as usual. We dined outside on their charming wrap around deck. My hat goes off to the girls in the kitchen because its HOT AF back there. They are busting their booty! Lemme just get straight to the point and say this is legitimate mexican food. My hubby is a nacho snob, I'm a mexican food snob and come from a place where we have taco trucks every 200ft. And NOBODY has rice like these girls! Honestly THE BEST rice I've ever had! The crispy tacos were fried to perfection.  And the fish tacos hit the spot and are the best I've had on the island so far. read more

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I wish I could recommend! I want them to be good. They have potential and a good location they just don't know how to run a business. Ok you remodeled the dinning room great! Turn the lights down so it doesn't feel like a high school cafeteria. Create some ambiance... music??? decor of some kind?? What Mexican restaurant doesn't serve beer??? Make a deal with Kohala Grown for the beer and have a happy hour with free chips and you will be packed with locals and tourists. It's Mexican food ... put some spice in it maybe? Your sitting on a gold mine ...get it together. read more

Good honest Mexican food... at a good price. Nothing fancy here just asic Mexican dishes well executed.

The food here is excellent. I grew up on the mainland in a city where you could find authentic Mexican food, and Mi Ranchito is the real deal. Today I got soft tacos, which were just loaded with tender chicken. The beans & rice are really tasty, and the sauce brought with chips is hot! There's plenty of parking in the back and lots of seating. The two gals running the show are amazing, because the heat coming out of the kitchen is incredible and I can't imagine being able to think in there, let alone crank out delicious food. It's a small place with huge flavor! read more

Mi Ranchito has been my go to since consistently staying in Kohala despite being from the East Side. I work in Kona now and the drive from Hawi to Kailua Kona is a bit easier than Mountain View in Puna to Kailua Kona. That being said, the food is always good, the gals that work there are always friendly, and despite not trying out the entirety of their menu the options I do usually get have been awesome. Tacos and burritos with their chips and salsa have always been a hard win for me. I always try to leave tips too cause of the food and service especially now with COVID. read more

Mi Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Hawi, Hawaii

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Best Mexican in Kohala. It's the place to go to around here. Orders take a while, but only because it's fresh and worth the wait.

Great food! Reasonable prices. Friendly staff... very extensive menu! Open every day except Sunday

We've been on the Big Island for a week and have been driving the island using the GyPSy Guide mobile phone app. We found Mi Ranchito while passing through Hawi. Had the carnitas nachos. It was the best and I lived in Northern Mexico for 28 years. read more

Great food!! Amd service I definitely thing the wet chimes are ultimate thank you for staying in Kohala

Best Mexican food on the island by far. A hidden gem! Love their Carne Asada tacos with corn tortillas. I'm a regular here!

I order take out almost every week since Covid began. Good Mexican food and I would say it's the best on the island. It's a friendly, homey place, very family oriented.... on really busy nights the whole family is back there working. read more

I frequent this restaurant and they are always good, but this time I actually threw away my food, I had a carnitas enchilada and a beef taco I think it was a # 16 The enchiladas tasted like the meat was old, the beans smelled and tasted burnt, The beef taco wasn't as bad but meat tasted several days old. At this point I tossed it all in the trash, wasted $12. Maybe because they were closed the next day they wanted to save money and not make anything fresh. Like I said before I go often but this time it was bad. The service is always friendly. read more

Great food, good prices, really good service. Super solid, you won't be disappointed!

Very literally a hole in the wall, it doesn't get more auténtico than this place. We were tired of the Hawaiian fare on our last day, and Mi Ranchito hit the spot. The flair as are amazing. And it feels like Mexico. Can even hear the roosters crowing in the back. Bring cash. No credit cards accepted here. read more

Another disappointing Mexican restaurant on the Big Island. I ordered a chile verde burrito. I don't have a drop of Mexican blood in me, but I can make a better chile verde than theirs. Their idea of chile verde seems to be: mix in a bottled chile verde sauce into pre-cooked (and dry) pork (or chicken), right before you serve. That is not Chile Verde. read more

Mi Ranchito - A hole-in-the-wall kind of place - Mexican Near Me - Hawi, Hawaii

I've been eating here all my life and even having traveled to many countries and lived in a different city, this remains my all time favorite restaurant. Maybe it's nostalgic for me and in that sense im very biased, but the food has always been outstanding! Even when I branch out and get something other than my usual, I am brought a delicious meal and wonderful experience. read more

Best on the island! Great prices for the quantities too. Lots of care goes into the food made here

Their crispy tacos are on point. Standard Mexican restaurant as far as choices, but could use some depth in vegetable choices. Vegetarian or vegan options are slim to none. Only iceberg lettuce and tomato here. Use the resources around you and make this a truly remarkable restaurant!! Great people and service read more

We were driving back from Pololu valley and we decided to stop here. Great decision! The food was amazing, possibly the best Mexican food I've had! No exaggeration read more

Great place. Large portions and quality food. Lots of open air searching. Definitely recommend if you are in the area looking for a meal. Had a burrito, tacos, and enchiladas and all were excellent. read more

Excellent Mexican food in the middle of nowhere on Hawai'i? Oh yes indeed! We were touristing in the area and thought we'd give it a try, not expecting much. Totally authentic and delicious. The chili verde was a standout out dish and the salsa is wonderful. It is definitely out of the way, but we'll worth the trip! The town of Hawi is lovely as well. read more

This place offers classic tasty authentic Mexican food. They serve fresh, hot tortilla chips and excellent homemade salsa to enjoy while you wait for your food. Their entrees, served with beans and rice, are all delicious! This is a superb choice for a quick meal you won't regret. Highly recommend if you're in the area! Just don't forget: they're cash only. read more

Hidden away in the back of what passes for a shopping center in the small town of Hawi on the Big Island, Mi Ranchito offers tasty Mexican cuisine, including a broad range of traditional and locally-inspired Mexican dishes, using fresh locally-sourced ingredients at a reasonable price. Place your order at the window in the hallway and explore the art hanging in the gallery or have a seat indoors or on the lanai while you wait for your food. All dishes are made-to-order -- down to the fresh tortillas that are handmade for each order -- so, it might take a little while to prepare your order in the small kitchen. My dining companion and I split an order of fresh tortilla chips served with very spicy salsa. As for entrees, I opted for the fish tacos ($11 for two tacos, spanish rice, and beans), prepared using broiled ono (a local whitefish) on those fresh tortillas, and my dining companion opted for the shrimp and avocado salad ($10). Both of us were very happy to have stumbled upon this hidden gem to break up the monotony of Asian-inspired cuisine with tasty Mexican food during our stay on the Big island. Note that Mi Ranchito is a cash-only establishment. read more

The food was absolutely delicious and I completely cleaned my plate! I almost never normally clean my plate. I ordered one soft carne asada taco and one veggie enchilada. Hike down to the black sand beach at Pololu Valley and then enjoy their delicious food. read more

I do not recommend this place. Would have loved to try it, but the male waitstaff was super rude to us. We had just arrived in Hawi after a long drive and there were customers at the order window. We selected a table to sit at while a few members from our party looked for a bathroom while we were waiting. When we asked the waitstaff if there was a key for the bathroom he said it was for customers only and walked away, didn't even look at us or give us a chance to explain that we would be purchasing food. We planned on eating here, but since the man was a jerk we left and went to Rainbow Cafe where we were treated in a friendly manner AND were offered access to the bathroom without questions. read more

Well I've been coming here for years and we make the drive from Waimea about 1x month. It's progressively declining in customer service at the counter. Consistently out of food and rude counter clerks will be the demise of this place. When the owner is there, it's great. When she's not, the young counter workers are not super friendly and not apologetic for lack of product. Anyhow I just hope they can figure it out soon because they are really the only game on this side of the island. read more

Hands down most authentic Mexican I've had in the islands. Everything on the menu is delicious. Broke da mouth!

Food took a long time and wasn't that good. I only liked the rice and beans. Not for me but would recommend if you really like Mexican food.

I ordered a carnita tostada thinking it would just b the tostada. Pleasantly surprised when it came with beans, rice & guacamole. Husband ordered the pork verde burrito and said it was great. We also ordered chips and salsa and the salsa was runny spicy tomato sauce. Is skip that item next time. read more

Great find in a relatively desolate town. The staff are very friendly, and the prices are fair. The food was good.

Hidden Gem! Spent 12 days on the island and found this place the last day. I guess it's true to save the best for last- hands down the tastiest meal and cost $35 for a family of four. We ordered the shredded beef tacos, chili relleno, and shrimp tacos- all was delicious and fresh and very filling. Put this on your Big Island itinerary! read more

Totally unexpected hidden gem! I live on Oahu and it's impossible to find authentic Mexican food...so coming to the deep country north Kohala on the Big Island to find this place was amazing! One of our party of 5 is always on the search for the hottest hot sauce, and the server smiled a devious smile and came back to our table with a made to order ghost pepper salsa that did not disappoint - and should be bottled and sold! Even their regular homemade Habanero hot sauce was flavorful with a bite! If you find yourself in this lonely corner of the Big Island, make time to stop by! read more

Another Californian here... Now I've heard there's very little resembling decent Mexican food on the island, but this place gets an extra special note from me for being one of the very few places open on Thanksgiving. We drove from Hilo, through Waimea, and up to Hawi, and it was literally almost the only thing open, and we were definitely grateful to find it. The service here was not what you'd call fast, but was super friendly. Salsa was hot, definitely hot and spicy, and very tasty. The only thing I really found fault with was the jamaica, as I personally found it way too sweet and sort of artifical tasting. Then again, it's not a drink I usually have, so I don't have much to compare it to. I ordered fish enchiladas. I have no idea what kind of fish it was, but there were plentiful large chunks of it, bursting out all over my enchiladas. It was sort of dry and the flavor wasn't my favorite, but I'm not a huge fan of cooked white-fleshed fishes, so it's not their fault. Rice and beans solid and flavorful. Inexpensive and well worth it. Awesome job. read more