Prepare yourself for food comas! This hole in the wall restaurant is awesome, with amazing New Mexico style Mexican food. Get the tamales and taco plate! The hot sauces are on point and spicy. The owner is so nice. Call ahead to place your order. read more

Explosive flavors that are carefully defined for the food lovers palate. I was grateful to be introduced to this place and wondered why I never knew about it before. I'll be back! There is street parking with a coin meter, the owner is very friendly and the food was super hot and prepared in the exact amount of time he said it would be when I called my phone order in. I just wish I took photos to share. I only have a few left overs because the serving was so robust and I kinda wanted to eat a little later on too! read more

Second time to eat here since it's inception and I feel guilty for neglecting this excellent eatery! My only complaint was the beans could have been warmer for the cheese to melt. Other than that, this New Mexican cooking brings back very good memories of great food. If like tamal, you should be here to taste what real one's taste like which very few machines can match. The masa to contents ratio is good and will not leaving you feel like you ate a dough ball. The verde sauce has good flavor from the Chile and I think sensitive folks won't be be complying of too spicy. In fact I'll try the Extra Spicy on my next visit. Dine in is small with 4 stools at the front window and a 4 top to sit down. The to go traffic is phenomenal. This family run business can use more of your business, you won't be disappointed! read more

Tio's Tamales - Hatch green Chile Tamale - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is just awesome, and especially for breakfast! I'm in the area on Saturday mornings because of my kid's activities, and was looking for something to do... or eat. Not a lot of options in this area, so Yelp directed me in the direction of Tio's. The food rocks. It's just spicy enough to set my mouth tingling, but not overwhelming. I do enjoy heat, and it's unusual that I wouldn't be looking for some hot sauce, but this is just right. Over the last few weeks, I've had all of the Tamales, my favorites being the red/pork ones. OMG I would probably eat them by the dozen! The pork is tender, but not stringy, and holds just the right amount of texture to offset the smooth corn part of the tamale. The green/chicken one has that tangy heat I associate with green New Mexico chiles, and is a close second. I've had both the Spam and Carne Asada breakfast burritos, and SMOTHERED is definitely the way to go there. Of the two, it's close, but I prefer the Spam one, the each component is cut and cooked such that they combine well, but you get these uneven bites that allow each ingredient to really shine. The owner is super friendly and nice too, allowed me to chill and eat my burritos in the small seating area. Definitely not a place for big groups, but that's better for solo diners like me! Today the dude was super busy and he originally said my order would take like 20 minutes (which was totally fine, I had nowhere pressing to be). To my surprise, the food was handed over in like 5, and the owner was like, "you looked hungry so I bumped you up." Unexpected and a great touch at the same time. As other have noted, takeout is really booming, and the phone while I was there was constantly ringing with people calling in their orders. For sure I'm going back until I eat my way through the menu... and then I'll start over again. Food: Fantastic. I really gotta think of an excuse to order those tamales by the dozen. Value: Solid! Definitely won't break the budget. Service: Done by the Owner, and done really really well. read more

I know it's called tio's tamales, but can we talk about the NACHOS for a minute?? Cause these are the best nachos I've ever had. Sure, drag me for not talking about the tamales, but everyone knows those are great. BUT, don't sleep on the nachos. They are loaded with toppings: meat, cheese, the most delicious salsa, some type of peppers melted into the cheese, beans (which I generally hate, but love on these nachos), guacamole, pico, and sour cream. A slightly above 50/50 ratio of chips to toppings. The most delicious chips. They are spicy, savory, cheesy, crunchy, heaven. Get the carne Asada. The flavor is out of this world. 1) Do I generally love nachos this much? No, because generally they are lacking in the cheese department. (These are NOT) 2)Have I eaten these nachos three times in a week? Yes. 3) Did I wait 35ish minutes because they were busy for these nachos? Gladly. Oh and also, the owner is so so nice! read more

Tio's Tamales - THEEEE BEST NACHOS - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I got the carne asada nachos and omg!! It's so yummy!! It's a lot for one person in my opinion and the meat is so soft and tender! read more

Tio's Tamales - Small carne asada nachos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I remember several years ago I had the brilliant idea of starting an annual tradition of making tamales for Christmas Eve. Keep in mind I'd never made tamales before and had no clue what I was doing. Several hours later and after making a huge mess in my kitchen and no tamales, I changed my mind and ordered in Chinese food *sobs*. Now I'm older and wiser, and also I found out about Tio's Tamales. I purchased a dozen chicken tamales and a half dozen pork tamales. These were so good! My son's girlfriend is visiting us and she is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She said these were authentic, superlative tamales. I ordered a pint of extra spicy salsa and this was all we needed for an extra special Christmas eve. Best of all, no hard work or mess in my kitchen was made. I feel we've started a beautiful new family tradition with no cooking involved. Thank you Tio's Tamales! read more

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Located on Nu'uanu Ave right before Vineyard Boulevard, Tio's Tamales offers delicious Mexican food! My hubby and I have been on the hunt for a good breakfast burrito place near our house, and this has been such a good find! Per my fellow Yelpers, I found this gem! I am so glad that they are open before 8am so some of us can grab breakfast burritos before work! When I ordered I called ahead before picking up. I ordered two #3 breakfast burritos: chorizo, eggs, cheese, chili verde and potatoes When i got there, i got to pull up right in front at the street parking. When I walked in, the Owner Ray welcomed me and had my burritos made fresh and ready to go! The chorizo burrito is smaller, but full of flavor! I am so happy to have found this place and can't wait to go back to try the other freshly made menu items! Cheers to Tio's Tamales in Nuuanu! We'll be back soon. read more

Tio's Tamales - #3 breakfast burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

They are in downtown. Parking could get hard. But we were lucky to find street parking in front. So we gave it a try. We liked it. Service was great. Friendly staff. Yummy! read more

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Great breakfast burritos at a reasonable price. Just wish they offered them every day

The food was very good coming from San Diego. All the food had great flavor and spice, it was nice little restaurant, and the owner took the time to speak with us. Great food, great service, and wholesome people. Thank you Ray for the hospitality read more

Always wanted to try this place and I finally got my chance! We had two plates, three tamales (two reds and one chicken), two chicken tamales. And also picked up the 12 tamales (shredded pork). Very good and extremely filling. I ordered a side of green sauce and was so glad I did, the green sauce is totally amazing and spicy, it went really well with the pork tamales. Please, when in the neighborhood swing by and check it out!! They did forget to give me the asada fries read more

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I Love Tio's Tamales. For the reviews who gave them negative reviews because it wasn't good "Mexican food", learn the difference between Mexico and New Mexico. Tio which means Uncle in Spanish has never advertised that this is Mexican food. The cheeseburger with the oooey gooey melted American cheese and the green peppers carefully placed are the dead giveaway. That burger is a staple food in New Mexico. The tamale masa wasn't dried out. The pork in red sauce was really good and the chicken tamales were on point. I GOT The frozen tamales to go. I steamed them in a pot with a steaming basket and put a tight lid on it for 7 minute tops. If you microwave it with a wet paper towel, you might as well throw in the towel now. You are doomed to begin with. Microwaving is not the way to heat up a tamale. Well technically it is a way to "warm" up a tamale but the results are day and night. My favorite are the breakfast burritos. I always get the chorizo and cheese, yum yum. The portions are HUGE. I tend to be a creature of habit, so I haven't explored the entire menu, so there's that. To (Uncle in Spanish) Tio keep it going. I'll see you later this morning. And for you idiots who don't know the difference between Mexico and New Mexico, one's a different country ( hint, it's not New Mexico) and the other is the 47th state in the USA. So steam your tamales with respect, expect a messy cheeseburger and enjoy the spicy chorizo breakfast burrito, I know I will. read more

So I finally made it back here and did myself a solid and got the works!! It was delicious. Portion sizes are huge and prices are very fair. My tamale plate was definitely enough for two and super flavorful. It's takeout only and can be a bit of a wait depending on how busy it is and how many phone orders they have. I would definitely call in my order in the future. They accept credit cards with a $10 minimum purchase and takeout bags are 16 cents. Lots of meter street parking and everything was served hot and fresh! read more

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I can't believe it took me so long to try this place. Shame on me, seriously. We've come here twice in the past month which says a lot for us. Let's just say when I ask my husband what we should eat on the weekend he'll either say sandwiches or here because the food is that good. Often we will both end up choosing this place without even agreeing or discussing it first. I always get the same two items and that is the carne asada fries and the pork tamale with Xmas sauce (red and green). I love the carne asada smothered fries... this is probably the only dish that I'm not picky about the fries being super crispy because the chile sauce with chopped green chilies and topped with cheese tastes so amazing that it soaking into the fries just makes it that much better. It is addicting, craveable, just salty enough, just spicy enough, and seriously a perfect bite. Their tamale is on the smaller side but that's okay because it's very flavorful and soaking up all the Xmas sauce and having bits of red rice and beans with cheese is lovely. Food is fresh and pretty quick. Prices are very reasonable for the quantity and quality. The owner is very nice and friendly. You will find me parked outside the shop, eating in the car, and running my fingers around the box and licking my fingers to get every last drip of sauce because it's that good. We will try the green chile burger next! I absolutely love this place and can't get enough. 100% check it out! read more

Tio's Tamales - Carne asada smothered fries, extra fries, and pork tamale plate with rice and beans 3 - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Food was delicious, my daughter and I loved our lunch. They are very friendly and welcoming.

My brother picked up Chorizo burritos for us. It was delicious and very filling. They make their own chorizo and it's only available on Saturdays. So ono! read more

I was ecstatic to try their tamales because it was my first time. I did research and it seems like they offer good food. I went there and ordered tamales. Great! whoever is on the cashier was super pleasant that seems like he wasn't taught what customer service is or how to say "Thank you!". He took my card and handed back to me like I badly needed their food. (Okay, I was trying to convince myself that he might not had a good day or what. It's always good to be understanding especially in this time of pandemic.) Not to mention a bad demeanor after he charged me. (okay, prolly he really had a bad day). He handed me my order on a thin plastic bag without saying "Thank you!", so I said "Thank you!". Goodness gracious, this person has no rapport. Oh boy! I wasn't told that it was extremely hot and didn't even bother to ask me if I need utensils or napkin. Oh well, what can I expect from someone who has great customer service? Anyway, I'm glad I didn't bother myself to buy more other than tamales or else it would be an amazing day for me too. XD For food, I love it and I wish to come back and try more menu but if I would experience the same customer service, no thanks! Customer Service is greater than Food, in my opinion. People who goes to your business want to patronize and help you to keep you going. I know how hard to sustain a business amidst pandemic. I don't think a customer deserves a bad customer service. Just saying... read more

Tio's Tamales - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great Quality Food, Everything Is Delicious. Bets Tamales In Hawaii! Try Tio's You won't Be Disappointed!!!

Hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint on Nuuanu Avenue - just outside of Chinatown. Very small. Probably best suited for take out - which is perfect during these strange COVID times. I know tamales are their thing (as their name implies), but honestly, I've never been a big fan of tamales, so I decided to try their smothered burrito instead - chicken for the Mrs and carne asada for me. This comes with a choice of chili verde, red chili or xmas sauces. I went with the red chili and the green for the Mrs. Burritos were a good size. Fillings and sauces were tasty. Would definitely come again the next time we're in the mood for Mexican. Kind of want to try their breakfast burritos. Early closing time (2:30pm). Street parking only. read more

We stopped by last week Saturday on 7-3-21, 15-min. before their closing time at 2:30p. I found out about this place from someone who was wearing a New Mexico mask, and I told him that I enjoyed hatch chilies and he told me about Tio's Tamales. I ordered the Santa Fe Chicken Tamales plate with rice and beans with extra chilies and green sauce. I enjoyed it. My husband got the Carne Asada Chimichanga plate with everything on the side. We also ordered the Bean Burrito with chicken and green chili. We also sampled the Chorizo Taco. We also ordered chips and salsa. We loved the homemade chips and salsa as well. The salsa is on the spicier side the way I like it. The chips are fried nicely with a sprinkling of salt adding to the crispness and crunchiness to our tasty bite. Everything was substantial and very tasty. The flavors are reminiscent of the time we visited New Mexico. The owner says he ships in the Hatch Chillies, that we really enjoy from New Mexico. The person who also told me about Tio's says that the restaurant makes Chicharron New Mexican style every Thursday. I will need to try that as well. I also saw some Menudo on Tio's website as well. I will definitely need to have that soon. All in all, we enjoyed the spices and meals that we brought home from Tio's Tamales. The customer service from the owner was also very inviting. We will definitely return. read more

Met the owner "Ray". Very courteous / pleasant to talk to. Interesting history / background. Food is very tasty / delicious. Would definitely / highly recommend. If you get the opportunity check it out. Well worth it. read more

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Learned that they import famous Hatch Chiles from New Mexico. Hubby won't eat any Mexican food with lard cuz he doesn't eat any land animals and was happy to learn that this place doesn't use any. Due to COVID, all orders are takeout but they did have a table and a few chairs for pre-COVID dining. We ordered the number #4 breakfast burrito: egg, potato, diced green chiles, and cheese. I never tasted that type of chiles before and gave it a try. The #4 was just the right amount of heat for me. Our burrito was one of the most tastiest ones we've had in awhile. This will be our new "go-to" for breakfast burritos. Will definitely return. Open only for breakfast and lunch; T-Sat; Located one block on Nuuanu between N.Kukui and Vineyard. Metered parking only out front, probably best to have two people for flexibility. read more

A friend stopped by Tio's this morning and got a bunch of us breakfast burritos. Mine was the chorizo, which was very spicy but delicious. After eating 1/3 of the burrito I had to stop and cool off my mouth and let my stomach rest, because this thing is HUGE. For lunch, I had the rest of the burrito and it was even delicious COLD. So for me, this thing was enough for breakfast AND lunch, and it was only $7.50. What a great deal! Looks like parking is street only, and it's only open in the morning and early afternoon, so get your food early! read more

Tio's Tamales - Chorizo breakfast burrito - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This small restaurant is specialized in tamales. They have different options and even including vegan tamale. I tried it and it was so good! It's not overly salty but still flavorful. 4 vegan tamales for $11 is a great deal! It's big enough for two people! read more

Tio's Tamales - Tamale - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

No where can compare, value, taste, and speedy service especially on Saturday mornings! Hot tamales chicken and softest breakfast burrito

Three years living in San Diego taught me what good Mexican food is all about (including homemade tamales from my friend's mom). It's been a constant struggle, ever since, to find Mexican food in Hawaii that is up to par. You reach a point where mediocrity starts to taste pretty good, and you forget what flavor tastes like. Enter Tio's Tamales, whose New Mexico style is something I was unfamiliar with. They use different chiles than the Baja style I'm more accustomed to, but I cannot argue with the results. The first bite of the tamales was a small revelation. The verde actually had sabor! I was not crazy about their refried beans, but Tio's delivers where it matters most. This is the best Mexican food on Oahu. read more

incredible.... thank you kind sir for wonderful food... we'll be back! Chili Relleno and Shrimp Burrito... just perfect. read more

Tio's is sooo yummy. They have authentic Mexican good. Their breakfast burrito's are always in demand. I ordered a vegetarian tamale thinking it would be horrible. I was gladly wrong. It was so flavorful. I was even offered a sauce for the top when it was noticed I was spraying on bottled sauce. The smothered fries have a light green salsa and cheese on top. I ordered a small as my meal but it was definitely big enough for two people. Yes though, I ate it all. Their veggie street taco for taco Tuesday $1.75 is also flavorful. No weird cauliflower filling. This is a small establishment that gets extremely busy during lunch. We were told if you wanted a breakfast burrito during lunch, they can do it if it isn't busy as their grill is small. The only drawback is the street parking which is hard to get. read more

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Awesome staff and amazing food!! Definitely plan to go back. Wish the space was bigger but worth it regardless

This place is fantastic. Their tamales are excellent quality and taste amazing. They also have really good rice and beans. My partner had the rellanos and they were different but really good, the breading was almost like Indian fried bread, rather than an egg base. The flavor was excellent Highly recommend supporting this small restaurant. They also have parking at the front so you can stop in and pick up very easily. read more

This is a hole in the wall hidden treasure with can sit 6 customers. Order your food at the counter good for take outs customers also only street parking which are limited. The food is very tasty and they specialty is the Tamales but I had the burritos wet was very good and the tamales also was very good. Staff is friendly and the owner & Chef also came out to greet customers and talk story. Hours are Tuesday - Saturday Closed: Sunday & Monday's Open for Breakfast & Lunch read more

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I've never had this Chile Rellano Plate and it's sooo delicious. It's spicy, so. W prepared. read more

Tio's Tamales - Chile Rellano-must try! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here for the first time today and had the tamale plate and smothered burger. The food was delicious and the owner is super nice! We will be back to try other things that we were interested in. read more

Friendly owner and yummy food! Ordered the chicken and bean burrito, it was HUGE. For a small eater, it can be two meals or share with someone. There is cheese pull too! The burrito is pack with rice, bean, chicken meat and cheese, not too salty or spicy. And reasonable price too. They only have street parking or you can park at Longs for a little walk. read more

We came here for lunch on Wednesday and I was pleasantly surprised! It's a very small Mexican restaurant that's hard to see from the inside as it is very small. My co worker brought us here and it did not disappoint! When we asked what they were known for they said tamales so of course we had to get the tamales! Service/Environment- it's very small and quaint which I have no issue with! It was a very casual environment! Everyone was very friendly!!! They were also very quick which I appreciated since I was on my lunch break! Food- delicious! I had the pork tamale and it was delicious! I loved the sauce that was on the tamales! I grew up eating lots of tamales so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had very good tamales!!! Worth the $$$- yes! They give you a good amount of food where I could not finish it and finished it later in the day. They Instagram worthy- it's a cute venue, food isn't the prettiest but I mean let's be honest Mexican food has lots of sauce on top and isn't the cutest but what matters is the quality of food which they definitely met!!! Added to my go to list?- yes! It's very hard to find good Mexican restaurants on the island so I'm glad to have been introduced to this place! This is a great cozy Mexican restaurant. I will definitely be back! read more

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Food was amazing and well priced. This is New Mexico style food. I lived in New Mexico for 5 years and this was very close to the food we ate there, albeit a little hotter than I remember. Very friendly employees! There is only one table and a few stools at a counter, so it's best used as a takeout option. I highly recommend eating here! read more

Didn't even know this storefront was here! Nuuanu okazuya, stand this shop. Went to try their tamales because I couldn't down the plate I got. WOW! Just WOW! Had their chicken tamales and it was BOMB! Moist, juicy, flavorful and steaming hot!!! All I needed was a little salsa verde for a little heat. One of the best tamales I've had! read more

Holy tamales! I've had this place bookmarked for awhile and I finally got the opportunity to try this place out. Watch their posted hours as they're not always open and they also close really early! So don't even plan on coming here after work cause you will be out of luck! They are located just outside of Chinatown, they're next to the Mandoo place and there is only street parking available. If you're planning on doing take out then a quarter in the meter should be sufficient. I came during the late afternoon so I'm not sure if they have a lunch rush. There was already a man and his daughter eating their food (which sounded like a first timer from a mainlander that just moved here), a lady (also a first timer) because she took awhile to order and had many questions on the menu. Anyway, the person already eating their food raves about the fries and the chilies that was used. I already had the chimichanga in mind along with a small order of fries. However, they had a special for 1.75 street tacos since it was Tuesday. The bill came out to a little under $30 but there was a lot of food! Everything I got was good! The carne asada was also soft! I'm always scared to order this because the steak is always hard as a rock, but not this place! I even reheated the food later in the day since I had so much leftover and it was still soft! I will come back again to try other things. My hubby likes tamales so I may pick some up. read more

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The Carne asada fries are yummy! Better then I even expected. The verde sauce makes them! & the cheese has such a creamy texture while you eat, very good! I will be back, but next time I'm sharing! haha read more

Tio's Tamales - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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