Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Nelly's Tacos

    4.4 (183 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Food Trucks
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

    Nelly's Tacos Photos

    NELLY'S TACOS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Nelly's Tacos

    Recommended Reviews - Nelly's Tacos

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Menu
    Sherie K.

    I really wanted to like this place ... I was soooo close to going to a shrimp truck when visiting this area on the North Shore, but something inside me said "try the one Mexican food truck, looks good!" I started reading Yelp reviews while waiting for my food and I wish I read them sooner. The food definitely lacked some flavor for me. I ordered the crispy tacos which were really just flaunted and I asked for the spicy sauce on them-- definitely could have used more hot sauce because the chicken was kind of bland. The rice and beans weren't that much better... I ate the food because I was really hungry, but like I said, I kind of wish I went elsewhere. I'm pretty sure there were just 2 older ladies working the truck and they had at least 3 orders before mine, and I ended up waiting nearly 35 mins for my plate. Everyone else in my party who got food elsewhere waited about 5 mins and were done eating by the time I got my food. I've had much faster taco shops serve me with more flavor... I feel a bit mean saying that, but just trying to be honest. Next time I will take the advice I was given and go to one of the other spots in this local food truck area on The North Shore!

    Their new sign
    Joe W.

    If you Craving Authentic Mexican Food on the North Shore of Oahu, Nelly's is the hidden gem of Kahuku. A true Mom and Pop food truck, ran by Benito and Nelly originally from Mexico. The Only thing better than their friendly demeanor and big heart is their food... Our Service was fast and friendly... however during rush hour, it may take a while for some dishes cause they make everything from scratch with just the two of them in the truck. The ambiance is quant, a true food truck with covered park benches to enjoy your meal. They are located with other food trucks across the street from Kahuku high school. Their truck is set back from the road behind Geovani's Shrimp truck. Just look for the sign in the pics

    This spot offers authentic Mexican flavors that are hard to find in the island. The flavors are bold, the tortillas taste homemade, and the meats are seasoned perfectly. The fish tacos are especially fresh and delicious. Super friendly service. For those looking for authentic Mexican cuisine on Oahu, Nelly's Tacos is a must-visit destination.

    Delicious tacos !
    Nicole S.

    Some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! We got one of each in the 4 taco plate and every single one was amazing. We also got an additional fish taco that was excellent. It is a food truck but there are a few tables and chairs. The people who run it are so sweet and friendly. If I lived here I would be eating here every day!

    Carne Asada burrito
    Allyssa P.

    Eh...better off trying the other food trucks. We should've known by the lack of a line and the not so friendly lady. She was on her phone when we were trying to order and she want very nice. We got a steak burrito and it was pretty big but the meat was dry and we were told it was going to be spicy, but it was not. Lol Don't waste your time, go to Giovanni's or the Hawaiian/Korean truck.

    Fried tacos
    Caroline Y.

    I don't recommend this food truck, the food is very bland and greasy. I should've went to the other truck behind it. The service was very slow, the truck looked.. fine I guess. And the sides of beans and rice were pretty small, the beans tasted almost starchy and watery, and the rice was probably the best thing on the plate. The chicken had no flavor and the sauce was pretty flavorless and I ordered the mild. The place had an okay seating area but we ended up going to the other one with Giovanni's shrimp truck.

    Fish tacos. Good flavor and crunch. Loved the cilantro and onions with it.
    Michelle M.

    Loved these tacos!!! The fish tacos had some good crunch with the purple cabbage, and we really liked the cilantro and onions. They were super flavorful. The beef tacos were amazing! Such great flavor. The chicken tacos were pretty good. The pork was really tasty but our favorites were the beef and fish. The plain quesadilla wasn't that great (thus only 4 stars) but the chicken one was really good! Totally authentic Mexican.

    Nichole S.

    Came to Nelly's because I was craving Mexican food. I almost drove past this truck so you definitely need to pay close attention when driving here. I ordered fried chicken tacos aka flautas. Came with 3 rolled tacos & rice & beans. Food was good and definitely hit the spot!

    Fried chicken tacos
    Nik S.

    Awesome authentic Mexican food on the North Shore. Fried tacos are delicious! If you can't decide - get the mix plate comes with a little bit of everything. If you're starving, this is the place to go because they're super fast too! While everyone else is waiting 30 minutes for shrimp nearby, you can be done eating and on your way to the beach. Cash only!

    Fried tacos

    BEST MEXICAN FOOD ON THE ISLAND! The fried tacos were the bomb! The rice was really fluffy and beans were so good. Nice covered area to eat with music playing in the background. Most authentic Mexican food, the owners are from Mexico and have had their food truck here for 14+ years! Seriously don't miss out on this hidden gem!

    Rolled chicken tacos were bomb!!!
    Kat K.

    We found our new go to spot for tacos! Just cruising the island on a Saturday afternoon and originally going for Giovanni's garlic shrimp while in line, we saw someone with this huge plate of carne asada tacos and it looked absolutely ono. We ended up asking where he got it and we left the shrimp truck line for this...and well worth it!

    Available tacos of the day

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jackie J.
    122
    42
    22

    1 year ago

    Not pretty from the outside, but FANTASTIC tacos! Try them! Quesadilla was also good- beans were good- rice was white rice.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Good prices and good authentic Mexican food on the north shore. Other restaurants near are overpriced and shitty.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nik S.
    0
    19
    10

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sal G.
    0
    65
    39

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom E.
    3
    25
    9

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Denise H.
    1457
    1091
    11365

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nic Z.
    372
    1806
    5418

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark R.
    0
    14
    10

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sam S.
    0
    11
    5

    3 years ago

    Beautiful and friendly couple from Mexico. The food was delicious! Highly recommend! Please give this place a chance.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andy S.
    0
    172
    23

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Nelly's Tacos Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Nelly's Tacos

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 2,234 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

    3.9
    (5.5k reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Literally the best shrimp I ever had. Absolutely delicious!!…read more I don't say that lightly either. It was otherworldly!! The staff was great too!!!! I'll be back!

    I visited this famous spot last week while in Hawaii with my wife, and it honestly did not live up…read moreto the hype. We ordered the Spicy Shrimp and the Shrimp Scampi plates, and neither was impressive. The food came out almost instantly, which proves it is not cooked to order. Because it sits around, the shrimp is incredibly difficult to peel. Anyone who cooks shrimp knows that if you do not peel it right after cooking, the shell sticks to the meat, which was exactly the case here. The Spicy Shrimp had a decent kick, but it lacked actual flavor. The Shrimp Scampi was better but still bland. Honestly, 9 out of 10 shrimp places back home in Southern California make a better plate. To make things worse, the two ladies managing the truck were rude. My wife asked for extra napkins, not realizing some were already in the bag. The worker snapped back, "Are those not enough?" and made her feel super awkward. We also asked for a cup of ice to go with our canned sodas. They flatly refused and told us to ask another truck nearby. Luckily, the other truck owners were much nicer and gave us the ice. Save your time and money. There are much better, friendlier options out there.

    Photos
    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck order wait line
    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck order wait line
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
    Shrimp Scampi

    See all

    Shrimp Scampi
    Eighty Chicken Sandwiches

    Eighty Chicken Sandwiches

    4.9
    (105 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Had heard about Eighty Chicken Sandwiches from a couple pre-trip searches and wanted to make it one…read moreof our must-go dining stops on this trip. We drove up to get there just before noon on a Saturday. It was rainy, so the numbers were a bit light in the area, but there were still thirteen people in line when the truck opened for business. The owner was fun, friendly, and engaging the customers in conversations while prepping the food. There are times when I think some food truck owners take on the role of a short order cook and get annoyed that you don't understand "how" you're supposed to order; that was certainly NOT the case here. You just need to decide if you want a hot or regular sandwich and whether you want bleu cheese or special sauce. We got one hot and one regular, but the chicken is HUGE and two adults can easily share one sandwich. I'm torn, because while we would probably order just one sandwich next time, I also want to support the business and get two. The chicken was as good as everyone told us and had incredible crispy batter. The fries though...those were maybe the best I've ever had. I don't normally love the double cooked style fry, but could live off those and never get tired of them. FYI...we took ours to eat at the Beer Garden about 100 yards to the west and that's a winning combo.

    Love Eighty Chicken Sandwiches! Chef Adam is great. He's obviously in this for the joy of it and…read morewants his customers to have a good time. He gives excellent clear directions on how to order your sandwich. I love that the concept is simple. Order the number of sandwiches you need for your party. Do you want spicy or not? (Spicy is delicious and not too spicy at all.) Do you want blue cheese sauce or "dat sauce" which is like fry sauce? No drinks available so bring your own or take it to the beer garden nearby and get an adult beverage. Cash or Venmo only. The price is $20 for a huge chicken sandwich, delicious fries, and your side of sauce along with a cup of ketchup. My sandwich was MASSIVE. Honestly, you could split with another person--but I always want my own. Well worth the drive out to get it. Saturdays and Sundays only; check his Instagram for updates.

    Photos
    Eighty Chicken Sandwiches
    THE Chicken Sandwich - undipped (narrow side)
    THE Chicken Sandwich - undipped (narrow side)
    Huge meal! Barely fits in the box.

    See all

    Huge meal! Barely fits in the box.
    Mike's Huli Chicken

    Mike's Huli Chicken

    3.6
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Checked in around noon on a Monday. Parking was pretty easy, the lot offers plenty of spaces on…read moreeither side of the Seven Brothers main shops. Definitely worth stopping in at Seven Brothers Restaurant and or the bakery as well. Back to Mikes, You'll walk up and spot signage plus the yellow signature bus shack. I'd seen Mikes Huli Chicken on an episode of Diners Drive Ins and Dives and Guy said "the skin is as crispy as it gets next to being fried." That never left my memory. This being my next visit since seeing that episode, I had to try it. What did I order? - Mikes Huli Chicken Plate $17: 4/5 Stars - Chicken is a nice half chicken portion, perfectly juicy, nicely slight char taste. Crispy skin? Unfortunately no. - The Mac salad is nice. - Generous serving of rice *** Mikes Huli sauce is delicious! Be sure to find the self serve bottle and the to go sauce cups and get you some extra. You'll walk up and place your order at the window, pay, cash or card, then find yourself a seat. The cashier was simple and quick to the point. No small talk. The seating area within mikes truck is a decent size accommodating roughly 15 to 20 people. Outside, there additional tables as well. Overall, I'd say if you're in the area, give it a try, it will neither blow your socks off nor disappoint. Mikes is a solid Huli Chicken plate. It simply delivers satisfying meal.

    Meh. I feel like the quality of Mike's has gone downhill…read more I stopped by yesterday during a trip to the North Shore to get some lunch. I got the #9 plate, which is kalua pork, huli chicken, and I got mac salad. The kalua pork meat itself was fine. Not gristly and not too fatty. However, barely any smoke taste to it and was fairly bland. The huli chicken didn't have crispy skin. It seemed lukewarm like it had been cooked a while earlier and was just sitting. The sauce is amazing and I do think it's delicious with the sauce. Rice was just rice. Meh. Even adding shoyu didn't add much flavor to it, to be honest. The mac salad is extremely bland. I don't know if they need to add some acid to the mayonnaise or more salt, but it was pasty and no flavor. I would honestly skip getting the mac salad next time and get regular salad! That's how bad this mac salad was. Two slices of pineapple on the plate were fresh and flavorful. I did enjoy these. Service was okay. I had asked if they still honored kama'aina discount and was told no. That's fine; I understand not all places offer discounts. I don't know when kama'aina discount stopped being offered, but back in the day I used to receive it when asking. I did notice though that two guys who ordered before me got a "mahalo, braddah" in a friendly tone but I got a terse "thanks." Guess haole girls don't get mahalos even if local. It's just uncomfortable when certain people get friendly, effusive mahalos and others get terse thanks, like I didn't want to be serving you food today. Maybe cause it was Mother's Day and they didn't want to be there? Sure didn't feel like 'ohana today. So many flies around, it made eating uncomfortable. A few fly fans on tables but not at the one where I was seated, so it was basically like constantly shooing away flies and trying to take a bite of food super fast before they came back on my food. Probably I should have taken my food away and gone to the beer garden nearby with fewer flies. Meh. I used to really like Mike's but I will stick to Da Bald Guy and Seven Brothers when I visit the sugar mill in the future.

    Photos
    Huli Chicken with rice, and Mac salad
    Huli Chicken with rice, and Mac salad
    Huli huli stir fry chicken
    Huli huli stir fry chicken
    Mac salad

    See all

    Mac salad
    Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck

    Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck

    4.0
    (755 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Sorry late post! This was about a month from posting this!…read moreMy family, bf, and I wanted to support food trucks today for our lunch, so we decided to head to the Kahuku Sugar Mill I wanted a garlic shrimp plate and this is usually my go-to spot. I love the garlic smears they leave on the rice and that it's almost like a paste (my preference lol). Though it is very oily/buttery (almost like a pool) where they have the shrimps- still really Ono! My dad wanted to try their squid and shrimp plate (garlic butter combo)- he said he enjoyed it! He requested no garlic on his rice. Overall, this has been my preferred garlic shrimp plate. I don't like the shrimp heads at the shells aren't too hard. There's some places and it's very crunchy. These ones aren't pretty soft so I don't have to worry about it hurting my lips when I suck the garlic off lol I do want to note that I had shrimp here once and it was a bit mushier than usual. This was a couple months ago, but all the other times, the shrimp has been a good texture

    I am being brutally honest. I was extremely excited for this shrimp . I have never had bad garlic…read moreshrimp at any truck on the island. If I could give negative stars I would. Not sure if this was an off day, or if I got a bad batch of shrimp (everything else wasn't good either) but it was horrible. We walked around the entire food truck area trying to decide what we wanted. We came to this area for Da Bald Guy but he was sold out so on to the next option. Shrimp on the island is my go to and so I decided to try Famous. Their pictures on the menu looked great so I ordered a plate to split with my husband of spicy and garlic shrimp with two scoops of rice. It was $20. I paid as my husband went over to Mikes Huli Huli Chicken to see about getting an appetizer. My food came out super fast. Like almost too fast... My husband asked why it was so quick. I think I found out. We sat at the brewery bar area and grabbed a beer and opened the to go box. It looked good. The spicy was clearly spicier than the garlic shrimp. I grabbed a garlic shrimp and started to peel it and was having a hard time. It was not letting go of the shrimp. That is usually a sign that it was thawed incorrectly or overcooked. My guess was these were shrimp that were cooked earlier and sat... overcooking. Once I finally got the skin off and ate one the shrimp was grainy and super rubbery. They were gross. Absolutely gross. I took a scoop of rice and it was mushy. Again seems like it sat for a long time and over cooked. It was a ball of mush. I couldn't get back two bites before we threw it away. There goes $20 and sadly my confidence that all shrimp trucks on the island are magical and taste great.

    Photos
    Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck
    So so so good !
    So so so good !
    Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck

    See all

    Nelly's Tacos - mexican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...