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Nelly's Tacos

4.4 (183 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican, Food Trucks
Open 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

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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

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1 month ago

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8 months ago

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1 year ago

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

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1 year ago

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

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3 years ago

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

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Papi's Taco's

Papi's Taco's

4.5
(206 reviews)
0.2 mi
$$

I first came across Papi's Tacos back in 2019 when I came to this area to check out Cheesus Chrust…read morefood truck (no longer there) and had dessert at Aloha Rolls (no longer there either). Papi's Tacos was across from Aloha Rolls. Alex had the football game on (Philadelphia vs someone), and we just started talking. We sat there for an hour talking. He was super friendly and cool. He even offered me a beer. I was skeptical that the food would be as good as back home (I'm from Southern California), but, upon learning he was from Santa Ana, I figured he knew what good Mexican food should taste like. I didn't buy anything then, as I was already full and had food left over, but lamented it. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I specifically drove from Waikiki to this area to get food from Papi's Tacos. I do recommend the drive along the windward side of the island if you aren't pressed for time. I got the super burrito with carne asada and my GF got two carne asada tacos. Both were amazing. If you're on Oahu, make the trip, you won't regret it. Hale'iwa is a nice little time to check out in the area as well.

Papi's is a food truck in a North Shore neighborhood institution that includes the famous…read moreGiovanni's (too buttery for me). You will find food trucks aplenty anchored by Seven Brothers kitchen and market. We got the three taco combo to try the shrimp, fish, and carnitas. They are relatively small and come in threes. Made with corn tortillas, cilantro, and a sour cream- guacamole sauce they are full of flavor. Beans and rice come on the side and being from Phoenix I know tacos and these stand up. Seating is plentiful on this Sunday with picnic tables everywhere and beautiful weather. The aloha service was suspect and didn't really feel like the lady was there to do anything but take orders. At the End of the Day this is a taste choice out of the plethora of food trucks. Look for my review of Deez Bowls too. Solid choice if you're craving a taco spread at a reasonable cost!

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Papi's Taco's
Fish and shrimp tacos
Fish and shrimp tacos
Papi's Taco's

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Seven Brothers

Seven Brothers

4.4
(1.4k reviews)
0.2 mi
$$

Definitely worth the stop if you're on this side of the island! We checked out the bakery first,…read morethen grabbed food from the separate chicken sandwich shop. The chicken sandwich and fries were so good we ate every bite before I even thought to take a picture. The whole area has such a fun, relaxed vibe with lots of little shops and places to walk around, making it a great spot to spend some time instead of just grabbing a quick meal. The service was friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. We'll definitely be back!

Super hot in Kahuku the other day but we had decided that we came this far and that I was going to…read morehave garlic shrimp for lunch today. I parked next to the well-known shrimp truck but when I turn my head, I saw the blue truck that was featured in Netflix. So I decided to walk over the hill unfortunately this truck closed at 2 PM for the day. Looking at the distance, I saw seven Brothers and heard a lot of good things about this burger joint. After after browsing the menu, I saw that they did have the garlic shrimp plate and decided on the combo of the garlic shrimp and garlic ahi. I also ordered a drink and and the largest size they had is a medium size at other fast food places however the very sweet counter girl did let me know that refills are free. Sister number one ordered the sandwich Sister number two ordered the regular garlic shrimp plate and my brother-in-law ordered the Seth burger. While we were able to find a table in the patio area, although they also have seating indoors available. As told by the counter girl, our meal would be delivered in about 15 minutes and it came in just under that time We all like our own dishes. The only complaint is that the regular garlic shrimp plate only head six shrimp and they were on the smaller size compared to the other garlic shrimp trucks in the area. To our surprise there was a young girl that's approached her table asking how arm you was and if we needed anything like more sauce, and we did ask her for a knife. And we thought that was a nice touch for counter, ordering and outdoor dining. I do recommend this place for burgers and the however for garlic shrimp plate I do recommend trying one of the other shrimp trucks

Photos
Interior seating.
Interior seating.
Paniolo and onion rings
Paniolo and onion rings
Large Home Fries

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Large Home Fries
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.

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

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Shrimp Scampi
Surf N Salsa

Surf N Salsa

4.5
(1.3k reviews)
13.4 mi
$$

One of the burritos i have ever had! I had the pork traditional burrito. Guac was also amazing…read more Great place! Would recommend!

I woke up today craving tacos!…read more So I got up, showered and got my work clothes ready and convinced my partner to take me to take a drive to Waialua to Surf n Salsa! It didn't take much convincing by the way since we love the place that much! Today I had the cheese and a potato empanada. It was delicious. I bought three to share and I was already full with one. I also got the cucumber lemonade and Raul got the pineapple jarritos. I drank almost all of it. I ordered two Carne Asada tacos this time without the plate sides because I figured I would be too full with the empanadas and I was right. It was just the right amount. We tried the nachos this time and it was delicious and filling. It was loaded with refried beans and guac and cheese, and all of the fixings. What a great way to start my day. And you know what was even more exciting? We decided to go to the back and check out the distillery for the first time and was impressed by the helicopter that we saw outback. We even got to get a drink while we waited for our food. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very nicely decorated bathroom inside as well. This place has easily become my favorite place. My family is coming by this November and this will be my first stop to introducing them to Hawaii as my favorite place to eat in my new place I call home.

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Surf N Salsa
Carne asada fajitas plate (house made flour tortillas not pictured)
Carne asada fajitas plate (house made flour tortillas not pictured)
Chimichanga plate (interior - lengua)

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Chimichanga plate (interior - lengua)
Taqueria El Ranchero

Taqueria El Ranchero

4.0
(2.4k reviews)
13.5 mi
$$

My foodie friends wanted to make sure we stopped here on our food adventure. I always love coming…read morehere because the Mexican food is pretty good! But what I didn't know was that they don't have a happy hour...they have a HAPPY DAY!!!!! 10-6 PM! So even though we were not really hungry cause we just had lunch, we ordered some crispy tacos...which are four minis. The day was getting happier and happier! The bartender was great! Friendly and attentive! And it still has the same great vibe to just relax and enjoy! Gracias and Mahalo El Ranchero!

The food at Taqueria El Ranchero is still very good, and the prices are reasonable. I had the wet…read moreseafood burrito with shrimp, and as usual, it had an impressive amount of shrimp in it. Flavor was solid, portion was generous, and the food itself is the main reason I keep coming back. The ambiance is chill and local. Most of the afternoon crowd seemed to know each other, which gives the place a comfortable neighborhood feel. That said, the inside is a little dingy and could probably use a renovation. The issue on this visit was the service. When we got there, it was pretty empty, maybe 4 or 5 people sitting at the bar. The guy working behind the bar seated us, but then never brought menus, never brought water, and never came back to take our order. When my friend tried waving him down, he ignored us. Eventually another employee came in, and the bartender just told him, "Go take his order," without acknowledging us at all. I don't know if he was only working the bar that day, but he could have at least brought water, menus, or simply said someone would be right with us. Instead, the whole interaction came across as dismissive and unnecessary. Food was very good as always, but service matters too. Based on this visit, I'd call it 3 stars overall.

Photos
Tacos in the cantina
Tacos in the cantina
WATERMELON SANGRIAS
WATERMELON SANGRIAS
SEAFOOD WET BURRITO

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SEAFOOD WET BURRITO

Nelly's Tacos - mexican - Updated July 2026

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