I drive a little distance to come here to eat and enjoy the cantina next door. Today a new…read morebartender named Jackie waited on me I had a fantastic experience with her and my lunch... very friendly and very aware of all the customers in bar. I ordered food ahead for dinner to go. Highly Recommend this Establishment!!! I drive a little distance to come here to eat and enjoy the cantina next door. Today a new bartender named Jackie waited on me I had a fantastic experience with her and my lunch... very friendly and very aware of all the customers in bar. I ordered food ahead for dinner to go. Highly Recommend this Establishment!!!

Such a great find for Mexican food on the island! Everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and…read morereally hit the spot--but the bean and cheese burrito deserves a special shoutout. It was simple, comforting, and absolutely delicious. My son, who's from California and very serious about his Mexican food, said it was the best bean and cheese burrito he's ever had--which is definitely saying something! The portions are generous, so you definitely get your money's worth, and the spicy sauce has the perfect kick with amazing flavor that takes everything to the next level. If you're craving satisfying, authentic-tasting Mexican food, this place is a must. We'll definitely be back!

***4.5 STARS***…read more After a subpar dinner outing earlier this week and a bad day at the office today, I was weary and didn't have much energy to go dinner with some buddies I've known since junior high. Plans were already made and it's been some time since I saw them so I dug deep for positivity and picked up my friends for an early dinner. Venue was Mexico Restaurant (MR), located near the corner of N School Street and Houghtailing. MR has been in business on the busy N School Street for over 18 years now. I've been wanting to try here as I've driven past this place so many times and wondered what their food is like. A handful of my colleagues at work spoke highly of this restaurant and 3 different people told me to try their crab chimichanga which uses real crab meat, evidenced by small pieces of crab shells found while eating. So excited. We arrived at MR shortly before 530pm to have witnessed all parking stalls occupied. One of my friends went to ask the staff if I could park in a marked stall "truck" which was fine. Impressed how all stalls were taken so early. As I walked in, I was in awe of such interesting and colorful decor that gave the restaurant a festive and bright atmosphere. Prior to dining here I read a handful of reviews where it was mentioned chips and salsa are no longer complimentary. The food porn on Yelp's photo gallery showed generous portions so although we were hesitant in ordering a starter, I was tasked to pick something and chose the carne asada fries. I pretty much wanted to try the much anticipated crab chimichanga I've heard so much about but also came across the pescado frito (deep fried fish, catch of the day) served with tortillas, which also got my attention. When our server Jesus advised there's no fish of the day, I asked about my colleague's recommendation of crab chimichanga which I couldn't find in the menu. Jesus advised there's lobster instead which I ended up ordering. The carne asada fries came out shortly and this starter was piping hot and looked delicious. It hit the spot with generous portions of beef, cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Absolutely delicious. The wait for our main dishes didn't seem that long as the time was used catching up with each as it's been quite some time since we last saw each other. 3 hot plates of sizable chimichangas and burrito were served. After snapping photos it was finally time to dig in. My lobster chimichanga was not bad but it lacked the crispy exterior I was expecting and the lobster didn't really shine. You knew you were eating seafood but the lobster didn't shine. The accompanying fried beans, Mexican rice and papaya salsa were tasty but perhaps too much starch on a plate. Food was indeed tasty but perhaps I was expecting too much when advertised as lobster. Portions are massive here where we all took leftovers home for another meal. Service was above average. Jesus and the other staff stopped by our table to check up on us, refilled our water glasses and brought carry out containers as we were done. Overall, a memorable first time at MR where I'd be game for a repeat visit. This time I'd like to try their quesadillas as I also enjoy eating this. Or perhaps the pescado frito as I'm a fan of deep fried fish tacos.

Sitting at a booth facing the register at the bar. Total of 4 tables in here, it's 4pm. Phone rings…read more4x in a row, 2 servers come and go to the back of the bar, not one of them bothered to answer it. If that was you calling for take out, I apologize on their behalf. They weren't not busy but common, put the person on hold if anything. The people are hungryyyy If you want Mexicos, eat in, don't do take out. Noted.

Mi Casa has the best Mexican on the island! They usually pop up at Fishcake in Kakaako every 1st…read moreand 3rd Sundays. He does a rotating menu of a special and tacos. This past weekend the menu was fajitas and chicken tacos! I've been coming to Mi Casa for almost 2 years now and his food never disappoints! A few of the different mains I've had are burritos, enchiladas, flautas, variety of street tacos, tonkatsu poblana, and chilaquiles! I'd suggest going closer to when the open- generally around 11:30a. Sometimes he gets busy depending on the day so the wait might be like 30min but it's definitely worth a try! Parking is just street parking in the area but generally it's not too difficult to find something. Follow their instagram for the menu! @micasa_hawaii

Every dish is great (authentic). Owners are awesome! The…read moreburritos and guacamole are my favorite and anything special.

My family and I lost power due to hurricane Lala and decided to eat out. I was a bit nervous since…read morewe had a 14month old baby but our waiter was so kind and made sure to include her every time he checked up on us. As it was time to leave it started to storm, one of the staff in the front offered his jacket to cover my baby from the rain. We parked close to the entrance so we didn't see it as an issue. Then our waiter walks us to our car with an umbrella making sure my baby and I got into our car safely and dry. I also want to mention that the food is great and the prices aren't bad! What my family really appreciated was the overall experience and kindness we received from everyone there. Very genuine. It definitely made our day/night. I didn't catch their names but they were working on August 15th. Will be dining in more!

Went for dinner and the parking lot was overflowing, they had a party going on and even with the…read moreparking lot being full we got seated right away. Service wasn't as good as normal, the bus person I I guess could have helped instead of just standing around with the waiter being so busy, which made the service very slow at least they could check on the tables, we were there almost 1/2 hour and no one came to check on the table for water or anything else? We were ready to leave, it has never been this bad on service all the times we dined there. Finally our meals arrived I ordered the special shredded beef burrito which was good as before, which is huge and filling. My wife ordered the veggie regular burrito which after eating about half because it is small compared to the specialty burritos, found out it wasn't a vegetarian burritos, but also a shredded beef burritos. We went early hoping to avoid the rush, but I guess everyone else had the same idea. Sorry no pictures due to this page will not allow me to update any more pictures.

Happy hour? Say less ‍…read more Especially if you have a rough day, recommend checking out this reasonably priced and relax with a margarita. The server is really nice and gave great recommendations. Maybe I felt like Kirby from Nintendo, but would love to order everything. However, I can always come by to try the rest of their menu!

Oh jeez..where to start. Hardly ever give 1 stars, but the experience paired with prices were…read moreterrible. Happy hour ends at 6 pm, but we walked in by 5:50 and sat down. Waitress was super sweet, but her manager couldn't honor the happy hour pricing, because they took the order at 6:03, although we were sat down ready to order..not our fault you didn't come to take our order.. Price: 2 birria tacos for $17 I get everything is expensive here but this is straight up asinine. Not for this sad looking plate with a dried wedge of lime. Is that supposed to do anything at this point This tells me management is profit maxing without doing anything else to make this into a remotely decent restaurant. Reminder to look into restaurants before going! We saw outdoor area and wanted to grab some margs and left with a bill we thought was the biggest waste of our money so far in 2026. Not to mention their roof leaks so you're not even safe from rain! I highly recommend Taco Bell or any local food trucks! ‍ gd I haven't felt scammed like this in a hot minute.

I love coming here for my taco fix since they first opened years ago! I love getting their carne…read moreasada tacos and burritos. They always load up the tacos with a good amount of meat and it's such a great deal especially for their Taco Tuesdays. I love how they have a self serve area for the limes and onions. Their chips are my FAVORITE! The salsa is always good and the guacamole is delicious too. The service here is always great. It's always clean whenever I come in and I always look forward to coming here. I Definitely recommend this place to everyone!

First timer. Food was very flavorful. Got the 3 taco plate pork,fish and steak. Liked the pork the…read morebest tender and it was the perfect combination of meats and toppings. Steak was good but I think it's only the 3rd time ever eating a steak taco just personal preference rather have chicken or pork. Fish taco was good had a little spice to it. I have low tolerance for spice. Everything was very tasty and came with rice and beans. Added side order of sour cream. Cashier was friendly gave us recommendations. It gives mom and pop shop or family own shop. Place is a little run down but the food was good. Will definitely return

Originally from Southern CA, my expectations are pretty high and this place exceeded it! The…read moreambiance is cute for a lunch date, the plating was beautiful, and the food was delicious. It is authentic in the sense they add limes, and traditional spices that reminded me of home. The salsa was so delicious, I even asked if I could purchase it to take some home. The ease of ordering is great as well. Definitely make a stop here! I loved it!

There was parking across the street for us luckily since all the curbside spots were taken. The…read morerestaurant is right on the corner and once you walk in the counter to order is right there. The special today was a torta for $17.50 that I'll be getting next time, but I came here for tacos with my husband. We got there around 12:30 pm and just happened to beat the rush! I ordered our food for takeout, and it came out pretty fast. I ordered the Vampiro tacos, which is 4 open faced birria tacos. It doesn't come with consommé, and didn't need it to be honest. My husband got the 3 for $15 tacos, carne asada, pork belly, and birria. All good! Inside was pretty clean and nice and breezy for a Hawai'i day in February. We will definitely be coming back!

Sister location and part of the original Alejandro's next door. If you've eaten at Alejandro's then…read moreyou know what I mean. Only difference now is they are a sit down establishment serving margaritas and the like. I try carne asada at almost every Mexican eatery I stop at and this place rises to the top. Authentic taste; as if you were somewhere in Mexico. Any menu item is well flavored. That's all you need to know. Oh, their portions are huge so be mindful when ordering. If I had to pick one thing bordering negative it is the location as they are on Kalihi Street well into the Kalihi Valley. But, you will get used to it after your first visit; afterall, it's worth the journey into the "valley" Couple things you should know and that is chicken enchiladas are not made daily. I think it's Tuesday and Thursday? Not sure but it is limited. If you don't already know, their Kapahulu location closed a few years ago. They do intend on opening another location in Pauoa Valley I'm told and another location in Pearl Kai... I hope I'm not spreading rumors.... Regardless.... get there or be square!

This is a really great local find in the middle of a neighborhood. Good spot to have some tacos…read moreand watch sports. The bar seats were all taken by locals from the area. First time driving through this part of Kalihi. Reminded me of where I used to live in Waipahu.

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.

With only a few hours between church services on the weekend my fiancé and I tend to go to our…read morenormal hot spots - ramen, curry, burgers, the occasional k-bbq and pho joints. But we were looking for something different, quick, and tasty. That's what we got at K-Mex HI although to be quite frank - the parking lot here is terrible! Mostly due to their location in the middle of the street with a handful of street parking locations shared with multiple other businesses down the lane. It took us 3 rounds of driving before we ended up deciding it was better to drop me off to order and pick up the food and have my man drive around into another larger parking lot to wait the 15-ish minutes it would take for our food to be ready. The owners were so nice. Answering all of my insistent questions, smiling when I ended up ordering something different from what they recommended on the menu (my bad - it's a question I ask all businesses even though I usually decide what I want beforehand LOL). They asked if I needed a bag, if I needed utensils and napkins, and even checked in on me while they made the food! Awesome service and I'm sure it would be the same if we decided to eat in. I liked the atmosphere. It was small but homely, clean, and there were a few small fish tanks in the corner! 15-ish minutes later, food packed up - I jumped back in the car and we drove down to South Shore Market in Ward to eat at the tables and take a glance if Ocean Taste's line was... long (it was). And let me tell you... the food? Delicious. The amount of food? Good for the price! And overall pretty darn great experience. I wasn't the biggest fan of the spicy pork (not my preference). But my fiancé liked it and his only comment was that it was a bit greasy for his liking. Reminded him he was in-fact eating spicy pork which is normally served on his plate lunch in a piece of tinfoil so the oil doesn't get everywhere! The carne asada was super delish along with the gochujang hot sauce cups we found at the bottom of the bag. I'd get K-Mex HI again if I was in the area but I'd love to see them in another location where I can more easily park! That's the only real bummer about this place and has deterred me from returning. :(

Cute little taco place nestled between a couple buildings off to the back end. They have a "double…read moreparking " lot which means if you leave before the person parked behind you then you need to wait or hope they move for you. We got lucky because it was only take out/pick up orders so nobody stayed parked behind us for long. There is also street parking. I had 3 tacos and did 2 chicken and 1 beef. They have several sauces to choose from that range from hot to hotter imo lol...a Tapatio and some other brands. Mine actually tasted great without it. The restaurant has a few tables, a couple fish tanks, flat screen tvs and just an overall cute vibe. Everything looked clean.