El Burrito
550 Piikoi St, Honolulu, HI, 96814
El Burrito Menu
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Address :
550 Piikoi St
Honolulu, HI, 96814 - Phone (808) 596-8225
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey, Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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jeffrey w.
How is this place still open? does anyone actually eat here? save ur time and go to Taco Bell which tastes way better and more authentic than this place. Never thought i'd say go to Taco Bell for more authentic Mexican. i agree this place must be a front for something else.
(1)Gspot H.
I love the Mexican Chicken Soup. the Salsa and Chips are really good as well. My Hommie Always get the Nacho's with chicken and I always eat half. There is always a seat and not loud. I park and Butigroove, go in Butigroove crack a joke n walk over to El Buriito.
(4)Tim C.
Let's just say I won't eat here again. The meat in my tacos had no flavor. As others have mentioned they seem to just nuke things. Little flavor, not good Mexican food.
(1)Grace O.
It's BYOB, which is great. I gave 3 stars, mainly because of their service. The woman who served us was super cheerful and very attentive. When we asked for a more spicy salsa, she had fresh jalapenos chopped up and added to the salsa. I do quite like their salsa; there just wasn't enough kick. The food was fine--nothing stellar. I got the chicken burrito, and it could have been more seasoned, but the portion was generous. Wish they gave us more lettuce/tomatoes. The rice was fine, but also, wish it was seasoned more.
(3)Nene J.
Authentic mexican food?! Hm, can't even get their water right! I think taco bell would be rated as a 5 star restaurant compared to this. Food is microwaved!!! As I'm typing this, I am feeling queasy & unsettled having flashes of Chef Ramsay rummaging through their kitchen to find outdated meat and rotten vegetables! If I wanted to eat steak in some canned beans wrapped in a tortilla, I could've did that myself for under $11.00. Why did I continue eating? Because I didn't want to waste an $11.00 burrito but I think I would've been better off. Place smells bad. and really? no horchata?I don't think I'll ever be eating Mexican food in Hawaii unless its coming out of my own kitchen. The one star goes to service alone.
(1)Olivia D.
The food didn't used to be this horrible here. At one point, this used to be one of the more highly recommended Mexican joints on the island. I felt bad because my friend was craving good Mexican food and I brought him to El Burrito. He was so disappointed. The salsa was weak and the chips were bitter and slightly burnt. I've never had such tasteless salsa. How can they even serve that stuff? I've seen my Mexican friends make salsa and they can easily whip up a tasty batch in mere minutes. I expect the salsa to at least be edible in a Mexican restaurant. I ordered the taco plate with lamb and steak tacos. I forget how much it cost but it wasn't cheap. I used to get the carnitas and al pastor tacos here, but this time I wanted to try something new. What was I thinking? I'm one of those people that love gamey meats, but the lamb was smelly and had absolutely no seasoning--not even salt. It was just huge chunks of unseasoned lamb in the soft flour tortilla--no cilantro, no onions, no topping. I couldn't do it; it tasted too much like goat. The steak taco was the same. No lime, cilantro, or onion. WTF? It was really dry because the steak had been zapped too long in the microwave. Yes, I saw them heating our food up in the microwave. Maybe that's why the meat smelled; it had probably been sitting in the fridge for days. Service was indifferent. The girl only came by the table to take our order and drop off the check. I'll never go back there again.
(1)Puddytat C.
This used to be a good lunch place but the prices have gotten so high for what you get. Since, we stopped going here. Just not great bang for your buck for average food. They did have good fresh made salsa. Small and cramped space as well.
(2)Elizabeth N.
JUNK. They burned the chips, the salsa was bland (come on, add some salt or something!) and the carne asada burritos I got tasted the same. Actually, the burned taste actually gave the meat some flavor. Will NOT go here again. Better off going to Diego's Taco Shop, Ramiero's, even Taco Bell or Taco Del Mar! This CA native says don't waste your money. Sad when EVERYBODY is saying they burned the chips, goes to show you that it wasn't just my visit.
(1)Hugh K.
I'll start by saying that the service here was excellent. However, the salsa and chips were just OK, I liked the spicyness of the salsa, but not much taste otherwise. The burrito I had wasn't that good. I could have made better burrito to tell you the truth. The guacamole looked more like green lomi lomi salmon than guac. The rice was sticky and tasted more like Japanese rice than Mexican rice. I wouldn't recommend.
(2)Shannon S.
Best bean and cheese nachos ever simple food with great flavor lamb quesadilla is so tender
(5)Tanya M.
This place is a hole in the wall...figured it must be good and had read some decent reviews. Since moving to Honolulu, we've been on the hunt for good Mexican food....this is not the place. 1) They only take cash...this irks me to no end 2) Our server was playing footsies with some guy in the corner 3) Salsa...tap water with salt would have tasted better 4) I ordered the taquitos...bland, too much sour cream, rice and beans are also flavorless...the salt shaker got a lot of use 5) My husband ordered the carne asada plate...no bueno. Meat was a cheap cut of who knows what that was obviously pan fried, no flavor, came with 2 tortillas. 6) Guacamole was odd looking, also flavorless. Save your money and go to Taco Bell. This place leaves much to be desired!
(1)Benhur B.
This review is a couple of months late but, better than never. Actually worth "0" stars. I used to kinda like this place until my last visit. I found a roach in my soda drink cup. Yes, after drinking out of it. Traumatizing. 'Nuff said. Don't do it.
(1)Taryn M.
The mele al pastor taco is delicious! I tried it once and get it all the time now. The pork is marinated and is very tasty. Haven't seen it on the menu at any other Mexican restaurants. Definitely recommend trying I'd you eat here.
(3)Alyssa M.
not a fan. sweet family owned restaurant but food was not good. won't be back, sorry.
(1)Alina K.
I highly recommend to NOT go there, The burrito we ordered consisted of only meat that had no flavor. Rice that comes with your plate tastes like they used dishwater to cook from. The beans are watery. What kills this place even more is the cost! Way over priced for the crap they serve. Also I think they microwaved the meat that they put in the burrito. Very disappointed....
(1)Jeremy M.
We had a "carnitas" burrito and chicken nachos. I've never seen carnitas served like this - it was cubed, dry and flavorless. The nachos were not that bad, but as mentioned their chips are burnt, cheese was plain and seemed like it was microwaved. There were others around us who seemed to be enjoying their tostadas, though, so I guess if you do end up here for some reason that might be the one to try.
(1)Jo M.
Wth? Don't bother with this place, everyone says it used to be good, sad. The chips! The 1st thing one looks forward to is that basket of warm tortilla chips and homemade salsa, sit down and BOOM start shoveling chips and salsa into your face. I couldn't do it! They screwed up the chips! ALL the chips in the basket were burnt! Dark almond brown, and acrid tasting! The salsa was nothing special, watery and lifeless. I asked our server for some chips that weren't burnt, she said they are all like that. Perfecto! I won't waste your time with more critique, suffice to say it was all downhill from there. My friend H.O.H.R. and I didn't even bother to take home the leftovers from our two half eaten entrees, that sums it up. Funny how there aren't very many good Mexican places in Hawai`i, especially when considering that Mexican food isn't hard to make. Conclusion: El Burrito is El Crappo! Ole! (yes i know "ole" is from spain, so sue me)
(1)Jeff P.
Had their shredded beef burrito and taco, they do not have carne asada. That says alot. I am pretty sure this place is a front for something.
(1)Eric X.
Worst Burrito I ever had... 1) Carnitas -- they actually gave us chicken...big tasteless chunks of non-marinated chicken. Not even Tapatio could help much here. 2) Guacamole -- their recipe is 1 part avocado to 3 parts water 3) salsa -- see recipe for gucamole substitute avocado with tomatoes 4) rice -- what rice? 5) beans -- they spread refried beans as thin as butter on toast. 6) tortilla -- dry, bland, tasteless 7) sour cream -- in an attempt to compensate for the paltry amount of guac, no cheese, and smidgin of beans, the thing was over full of sour cream to the point where I'm taking whole bites of it. Oh and we had to pay extra for it. I would have enjoyed taco bell more (and for half the cost). This is just sad.
(1)Raquel A.
Great Service; Awesome Authentic Food
(5)Cory M.
I ordered the carne asada burrito for lunch a couple of weeks ago and bland is a word that comes to mind. Not only did the meat have no flavor, but the salsa wasn't much better. Luckily my friend had Siracha and I used that to add some taste to it. I upgraded them to two stars since they give a lot of food and the service was friendly. I may give them another shot, but only if coerced by others.
(2)Tyson K.
I decieded to try this hole in the wall place. i took a burrito to go...once i got home opened it up took a bite and threw it away. No waste time taco bell mo betta~
(1)Hannah H.
Just had lunch here and was very disappointed. We should have left after we heard the microwave timer going off the first time. It continued to be used for every meal that was ordered, including ours. Got the chili verde burrito and the chunks of pork were so big that it was hard to eat. Considering the name is EL BURRITO, I thought I was making a good choice with my order. Not so much.
(1)uilani c.
the food is always "on the money" when mama is in the kitchen. a typical order for us includes tacos (soft, flour tortillas) and chicken quesadilla. the food is tasty, muy autentico, and loaded with chicken (white meat). we hope that one day mama will add a chicken option to the tamales. food is delicious and well priced but parking is a drag.
(4)Katrice K.
The food is not good here... I ordered the vegetarian burrito was filled with what tasted like Campbell's vegetable soup and nothing else. The refried beans had no taste at all. My coworker ordered the carnitas which were dried, no flavor chunks of meat. The food used to be much better, I don't know what happened.
(1)Yun Y.
Hole in the wall place across fm Moana Pacifc and the Honolulu Time Company at the Rainbow bldg. Very reasonably priced! My husband lives and dies by this place. I'm personally not a big Mexican fan (quit that years ago) but I like tripe and their Menudo soup is pretty good and so are there burritos. My husbands addicted to their lamb chimichangas and me.... How's about some flavored pork - Mele they call it. Its all very simple home cooked stuff - nothing fancy. Chips n salsa is ok- don't expect too much but i've been as far as San Diego for Mexican food and this place pretty descent. Especially since Mexican food in Hawaii is limited like anything thats Spanish or European here has to be good to survive here for as long as I can remember. And well we see Spanish speaking people here allege time so it must be OG. Ask for extra spicy or jalapeño in your stuff and it's lovely. Anyways family that's eats together stays together right? He doesn't care too much for natto but I make him try anyways. Oh and watch out where you park....tow trucks love this area.
(3)Robert M.
Price was reasonable. Service very friendly. The food was bland, unfortunately. I had the shredded beef burrito, with rice and beans. All of it was very bland.
(2)Sky T.
The recents reviews hit the nail on the head. I was there for lunch a few weeks ago. The food was bland and the chips burnt. We were the only ones there for lunch that day. A few days later, we went back to give it a second chance. What a waste. Although it was dinner time we were again the only patrons there. The food AGAIN, was bland and tasteless. In fact, the food was premade and microwaved before serving. I will not go back to this place ever again. They used to be so good years ag. Back then, the place was full and you often had to wait for a table. Too bad now....
(1)onefootlaulau h.
First of all, let me say that I am a HUGE fan of Mexican food, and have always mourned the somewhat dismal availability of quality Mexican here in Hawaii. Not to mention that most of the acceptable Mexican restaurants here tend to be overpriced (I'm wagging my finger at you, Compadres)... When you can get a quality bambucha burrito, a side of rolled tacos, plus 2 fish tacos anywhere in Southern Cali for $6, it really makes you wonder. But then there's El Burrito. One of the few Mexican restaurants in Hawaii that I can honestly recommend to a person who's had real Mexican food, and my favorite place to get what's emblazoned right on their sign: a burrito. My favorite is their (shredded) beef burrito, because the thing is big enough to be your only meal for the day, and it is absolutely STUFFED with beef. Not rice and beans and cheese with a few sprinkles of dry meat, but STUFFED. The meat is shredded, simmered in some proprietary stew of delicious spice, 100% free from fat chunks and gristle, and available "spicy," which means jalapeno slivers thrown in. Cover that with the guac mix, pour on their extremely excellent homemade salsa, and it's fiesta time in your mouth. Prices are all extremely reasonable (again, for Hawaii). The staff at El Burrito are terrific: friendly and attentive. They recognize their regulars and are part of the community, so it's not unusual to see a family come in and see their children run behind the corner and give the cook (the matriarch of the establishment) a hug. The only slight problem is that parking can be hard to find (heed the warnings and do NOT park by Arts Hawaii - those guys will call a tow truck before you even make it across the street), and the seating inside is limited. But those two small points should not deter you. On taste alone, El Burrito is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Hawaii. It just so happens that the prices are good and the people great.
(5)Edward I.
AVOID WASTING YOUR MONEY... I figured it's called El Burrito Cocina Mexicana, sign says 28 year anniversary, it's a hole in the wall, how bad can it be? I should have looked this place up before going and ordering two Carnitas Burritos for take out. I got home and my wife and I were seriously disappointed with the horrible quality of food. I have met very few plates in my life that I hated, this was one of them. The tortilla was stale, carnitas was very dry, flavorless, cubed pieces of white meat (cubed and white is just wrong), a spoonful of tasteless beans, a pinch of cheese, a pinch of shredded lettuce, watery guacamole and salsa on the side. Nothing was good about the burrito, you will seriously be better off going to Taco Bell. After reading several comments before posting this one, it's true...you do not smell any food being cooked fresh and I did hear a microwave beeping just a little bit before I was handed the burritos. We have lived in California most of our lives so we know awesome Latin food! My wife is also Mexican & Puerto Rican so there are numerous great cooks in the family. We have heard from several people that live here or visit frequently that there are no good burritos on the island and we hope that is not true and we don't have any more experiences like today. The only thing good I can say about the place is the waitress who took and handed me my order was very nice.
(1)Kaipo S.
This place used to be great a few years ago, however, their food has really fallen off. Last chance I gave them, I ate the lamb and got a stomach ache for the rest of the day, haven't been back since.
(2)David G.
Back in the day this place was pretty good but not anymore. I can't see how this place stays open seeing they serve horrible Mexican. Don't eat here; even if someone pays you! Run while you can...
(1)Al D.
I've seen El Burrito many times and have never tried it before now. There's no convenient parking lot and I've always passed it by on the road. When my S/O suggested we try it, I thought, sure, why not? I'm a huge Mexican fan and if I could unconver another jewel of a mexican restaurant I would be happy. Well, El Burrito, is not that jewel. In fact, it is an enormous lump of coal and I'm just hoping I don't get sick from my food. The chips were bland and BURNT! The salsa was pretty good, although I'm convinced it was the only fresh thing in the restaurant. My S/O said that the meat in his tacos tasted old and moldy. And I had vegetarian enchiladas that were made out of CAMPBELL'S VEGETABLE SOUP! I mean, really. Who does that - puts campbell's vegetable soup in a tortilla and calls it an enchilada?? The rice and beans were not bad, to be fair. But the entrees were big losers. And the prices were pretty high for what you get. I know for sure that the condensed can soup they fed me in my meal was cheap. I would not recommend this place.
(1)Z Z.
Went to El Burrito today and here's the low down. Stay away..stay far far away. Go to Serg's in Manoa instead. El Burrito doesn't have a care in the world about it's food. Places like this should not be in existence. Here is the play by play. As all reviewers agree, chips have a burnt taste. The salsa is not so bad, but not amazing. Just tomato, onions, and cilantro pureed. I ordered combo tamale and pork taco. The tamale was somewhat edible as were the rice and beans (yes, kinda bland), but edible doesn't equal good. My pork taco was putrid. The meat was rotting and it was just meat in a tortilla, no lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, nada. The server was friendly, but I guess you have to hire friendly staff when your food tastes so bad. My g/f said her vegetable burrito tasted as if the vegetables were from a soup can. That's just freak'n sad. I wouldn't recommend El Burrito to my worst enemy. It's that g-d awfully bad. I would suspect that the person who cooks here worked in a prison or a homeless shelter. That's my guess.
(1)Kimmy C.
everything is mushy and blends together. beans and rice are terrible and tasteless. burritos and enchilladas are average. ive been here over 6 times and each time it gets worse. Taco bell is better
(2)b g.
Liked the food a lot. One of the best Mexican restaurants on the island. I really wish they would offer more free chips and salsa after we finished our first tiny complimentary serving. That's one of the things I like most about Bandito's Cantina. Oh well, I still like the place.
(4)Elymar M.
man this place doesn't even deserve a star. this is the first place I went to for some mexican food in hawaii and the food sucked so bad, i hesitated to even try any other mexican spots in hawaii for awhile.
(1)ck s.
I have eaten Mexican food from Mexico to USA to Canada. Geee..., I was very disappointed. Its alright that their place is small. But the food ain't good. Why would anyone want to pay $4 for a taco that has just a plain corn patch with meat that is not really asada ( but tasted like it was preserved meat form days ago) and a small amount of salsa that i could buy in the supermarket? I may as well do it myself with less money and would tastes a lot better. There were no scallion nor other traditional veges/species etc with it.
(1)Kona F.
Home style Mexican food. The best in Hawaii.
(3)Christa Lei S.
I'm going to give it two stars for the excellent service, and the fact that I live right across so whenever I have a hankering for Mexican food, I head here. I don't like their red sauce, but their green is just fine. The meat tastes like it's been microwaved, and their salsa is too watery. The chips are always burnt, so I put salt on them. All in all, the food isn't good, but the service is great.
(2)Violet H.
I recently had a very late lunch/early dinner here. There's a very small dining room from which you can see part of the kitchen. My first hint of things to come should have been that there was no smell of food wafting through the place. By now, I was the only one in the place. Then I heard the sound no diner wants to hear: The unmistakable ping of a microwave oven. Now I understood why I didn't smell any food. The chips were overcooked and tasted burnt. The cubed chicken in the taco was so dry, I nearly choked on it. The meat in the burrito was watery. The red sauce (possibly canned) on the enchilada glowed orange. Nothing had any flavor. Clearly, the food had been prepared who knows how long in advance, frozen, and reheated in the microwave. I thought maybe I was on a new TV show, "Candid Camera Kitchen Nightmares." But neither Alan Funt nor Gordon Ramsay were there. I was just me and the food. Soon I stopped eating because I felt ill. I spent the next two hours trying to keep the food down. This was the second worst meal I ever had. I would give zero stars if I could. It is really a shame because this place has potential. It needs a major overhaul, though. I suggest shortening the menu and making the food fresh. The dining room is small enough to make this work. The folks there are very nice, and I wish them luck, but they need to make substantial changes.
(1)Lynne P.
wow- reading the reviews for this place made me sad. even more sad is that i agree :( my burrito contained only meat, nothing else. the rice was bland. beans were good, but plain and sparse. the salsa was good. the worst part is i agree with other yelpers that they may use a microwave- the food came out lightning fast.... a little TOO fast.... and like other yelpers said i didn't smell any food being cooked. shame! because the staff was so friendly and it feels like you're visiting someone's informal home. i will just have to seek out other burrito options.
(2)Wan D.
I'm all for culinary experimentation but this experiment was a few guitars short of a mariachi band. The chips and salsa were good, but it was disappointing to learn that they don't sell horchata and I'm pretty sure the vegetable burrito is canned vegetable stew wrapped in a tortilla: Potatoes Onion Carrots Celery Corn Peas Zucchini Broccoli The staff are welcoming and friendly but I don't know if that's reason enough to come back. Lo Siento El Burrito this was the last lunch date we'll be having.
(2)Justin T.
The service was great! The food was good. The parking sucks! A long wait time for my to-go order. Would of been nice if they gave me chips and salsa since I had to wait so long, they give it to the dine in customers. Very tiny inside, you can hear everybody's conversation, which is fine. Nothing special, I wouldn't drive here just for the food. If I'm in the area however, I may stop by from time to time.
(3)Sonny S.
This place remimds me back home Charlotte, TX. I love it here. Family run, wonderful service. It's actually my 4th time back in a couple of months.
(4)Josh G.
I ordered the chicken burrito with a side of rice and beans. The chicken was very dry and had no flavor. The rice and beans were not good as we'll. I did not enjoy my meal. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Kona F.
Home style Mexican food. The best in Hawaii.
(3)Reid A.
Oh boy... I'm all for hole in the wall places, but this place misses the mark. I was thrown a bit when I stepped in this place expecting it to be a take out place, but noticed it was a sit down restaurant. I sat down and noticed the menu was offering a lot of things. I was a bit overwhelmed. The items should be less for such a small place. I ordered a beef quesadilla and a chicken taco. It wasn't a combo meal. It ended up being more than I wanted to shell out for lunch. The size of the lunch was ok, but I did order two dishes. One dish would be too small. The quesadilla and taco both had a lot of meat, maybe too much. The meat didn't have much flavor. The taco needed more lettuce and cheese. The service was great. I can't see anything that needed changing in that department. They need to simplify the menu and improve their meat.
(2)Dina N.
I really liked the special house meat. The taco was great. Not quite Mexico but the best Mexican I've had in a restaurant in Hawaii.
(4)Meghan D.
I love this place.It's hard to find vegetarian lunches and this place is great. My favorites; Taco salad, Guacamole tostada, vegetable enchiladas
(5)Mariel L.
I wish I could give this a negative one star. The people were rude and hung up on us while trying to place and order for pick up. The meat has no flavor what so ever, and as I was waiting for them to give me the food I saw them use a microwave. I hope it was just me haveing a bad experience but I do not suggest eating here.
(1)Meghan F.
Good service; family restaurant. Free salsa& chips when it's normally charged for so that was sweet of our waitress. $11 for the chimichanga plate wasn't bad because I had a lot of leftovers & I thought it was tasty! Not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I would eat there again because of the lack of Mexican food options in Honolulu. Wish they were open later!
(4)Val B.
Sorry. I hate to do it. But if you want your food microwaved. You've come to the right spot.
(1)Bobby S.
I live just a block away so I come here often for take out. I love the chimichangas. Whenever I get a longing for lamb, this is where I go.
(4)Denice R.
I was invited here by a co-worker as we were meeting for the first time (we work virtually). She obviously frequented the place, because the waitress knew her, so she asked the waitress how she was doing. The waitress began explaining how sick she was and how she wasn't feeling good, as she was setting down my napkin, which looked dirty, and fork.....uh? I asked for a carnitas burrito, but after taking my order, she came back and said they were out of carnitas. Keep in mind it was a weekday, Wednesday, and I was there at 12:45pm for lunch. So, I ordered a lamb burrito instead. When I got it, it was full of meat, which is normally good, but that is all. No beans, no cheese...just meat wrapped in a flour tortilla and dry at that. I've lived in Southern Texas, Southern California and have visited Mexico plenty of times. I've never had a burrito with only meat. And I'm all for finding cool dives to experience. This left MUCH to be desired. The kitchen looked empty, like there was no cooking going on at all and I couldn't even smell food cooking. There was only two people working, a young girl who was the waitress and an older lady that came from the back. They both seemed nice...that's about all I can say. Try a real, authentic Mexican place. This is definitely NOT IT! Wish I had checked out the Yelp reviews before hand.
(2)Nicole C.
Horrible...the food is all microwaved and old!! Evrything wasn't fresh and tasted days old. They couldn't even get rice correct. I wouldn't even call it mexican food, more like "el microwave". That is all.....
(1)Cull O.
This place is really bad. I don't think they cook any of the food at the location- it's all "zapped". The meat is dry and tasted like it was sitting in a fridge for a week. Same with the rice. "Authentic"and "home made" are NOT the adjectives to describe this place. Rotten food is just sitting in my stomach like a brick; wish I could rewind the day back an hour.
(1)Marissa G.
This is a family owned restaurant. Nana and Tata cook in the kitchen from their heart. During my pregnancy, all I craved was Mexican food and this place was my true saving grace. The food is authentic and the prices are perfect. Thank you El burrito and staff.
(5)Bob L.
Bias alert--my favorite place in town. Yolanda the cook and owner is a sweetheart who comes out to greet us when we are there. Made fresh and large portions. I love the flavor of the burritoes, tamales, and enchiladas--red or green sauce. Salsa and chips come free with means--mild but I like it. My girlfriend is addicted to the chimichungas. Bring your own bottle is OK--no alcohol is served. Parkig has to be elsewhere--hint Ala Moana. I feel I am at home when I arrive. Again bias alert
(5)David Mike C.
the service is stellar, the food is not. I've eaten here two or three times previously and it was passable. this time the food was bland. as in rice, beans, and burrito all bland. I had asked for spicy/hot, which the menu said to speak up if desired, and I was hoping for some salsa picante, but just jalapeno slices were stuck in my burrito. I want to like this place, but can't. parking is also a big deterrent. it's hard to find good mexican in town, but i recommend Serg's in manoa (have not tried Waimanalo location) and give a nod to Azteca in kaimuki. I have yet to try los chapparos and the north shore mex places.
(1)John G.
Ordered a Carnitas Burrito plate. Got a dried up tortilla around a bunch of cubes of pork that was so dry it was impossible to chew. I asked the server if I had ordered Carnitas, she said 'our Carnitas is cubed, not shredded'. The plate part was rice and beans, the rice was so over re-heated it was just falling apart in little bits. The guacamole salad on the side was nice, I ate all that. The burrito and rice stayed on the plate and hopefully when in the trash where it belongs.
(1)Chris L.
Will not recommend this place to anyone!! 1) There's no parking 2) Bland food 3) Food is not made fresh 4) Everything is reheated by microwave (Food served quickly) 5) Cheese not melted, meat cold in the middle (ahem!) they used the microwave!! (Again!) 6) No one is "cooking" your food! 7 )It's like eating someone's leftovers!! It's been years since we've eaten there- used to be good.. Not anymore!! Worst Mexican food ever!! Whoever heard of carnitas made of cubed spice-less pork chops? What's carnitas? *Carnitas~~Slow cooked pork with spices!!! Big disappointment!!
(1)Jeff P.
Had their shredded beef burrito and taco, they do not have carne asada. That says alot. I am pretty sure this place is a front for something.
(1)Eric X.
Worst Burrito I ever had... 1) Carnitas -- they actually gave us chicken...big tasteless chunks of non-marinated chicken. Not even Tapatio could help much here. 2) Guacamole -- their recipe is 1 part avocado to 3 parts water 3) salsa -- see recipe for gucamole substitute avocado with tomatoes 4) rice -- what rice? 5) beans -- they spread refried beans as thin as butter on toast. 6) tortilla -- dry, bland, tasteless 7) sour cream -- in an attempt to compensate for the paltry amount of guac, no cheese, and smidgin of beans, the thing was over full of sour cream to the point where I'm taking whole bites of it. Oh and we had to pay extra for it. I would have enjoyed taco bell more (and for half the cost). This is just sad.
(1)Raquel A.
Great Service; Awesome Authentic Food
(5)Todd R.
I cannot comment on the quality of the food from my last visit, but I can tell you about the unwelcoming reception and service - if you want to call it that - was offensive. My wife and I - accompanied by my service dog entered to be immediately confronted by a young woman with an attitude, followed by an older woman. We were told by the young woman that they "can refuse service to anyone..." because I had a dog. I informed them that it was a service dog and was allowed under the ADA. The young woman continued to give us attitude, while the other tried to shut her up. Reluctantly, they let us have a seat. Shortly after seating ourselves the young woman flung a set of menus onto our table and stormed off towards the kitchen. Offended by this deliberate show of disrespect I headed towards the kitchen, as my wife followed. We called out for the young woman to come and explain her action and express how indignate it made us feel. This server had no remorse, spouting out that we should shut up and where welcome to leave if we did not like it. The elderly woman tried to stop the server from her rude actions and at one point told the server to be quite. Even though the older woman offered to personally be our server, the damage was done and we told her that. Again the server blurted out for us to shut up or go away. I've never been treated with so much malice and will never step foot in this establishment again.
(1)jeffrey w.
How is this place still open? does anyone actually eat here? save ur time and go to Taco Bell which tastes way better and more authentic than this place. Never thought i'd say go to Taco Bell for more authentic Mexican. i agree this place must be a front for something else.
(1)Gspot H.
I love the Mexican Chicken Soup. the Salsa and Chips are really good as well. My Hommie Always get the Nacho's with chicken and I always eat half. There is always a seat and not loud. I park and Butigroove, go in Butigroove crack a joke n walk over to El Buriito.
(4)Tim C.
Let's just say I won't eat here again. The meat in my tacos had no flavor. As others have mentioned they seem to just nuke things. Little flavor, not good Mexican food.
(1)Grace O.
It's BYOB, which is great. I gave 3 stars, mainly because of their service. The woman who served us was super cheerful and very attentive. When we asked for a more spicy salsa, she had fresh jalapenos chopped up and added to the salsa. I do quite like their salsa; there just wasn't enough kick. The food was fine--nothing stellar. I got the chicken burrito, and it could have been more seasoned, but the portion was generous. Wish they gave us more lettuce/tomatoes. The rice was fine, but also, wish it was seasoned more.
(3)Hugh K.
I'll start by saying that the service here was excellent. However, the salsa and chips were just OK, I liked the spicyness of the salsa, but not much taste otherwise. The burrito I had wasn't that good. I could have made better burrito to tell you the truth. The guacamole looked more like green lomi lomi salmon than guac. The rice was sticky and tasted more like Japanese rice than Mexican rice. I wouldn't recommend.
(2)Shannon S.
Best bean and cheese nachos ever simple food with great flavor lamb quesadilla is so tender
(5)Nene J.
Authentic mexican food?! Hm, can't even get their water right! I think taco bell would be rated as a 5 star restaurant compared to this. Food is microwaved!!! As I'm typing this, I am feeling queasy & unsettled having flashes of Chef Ramsay rummaging through their kitchen to find outdated meat and rotten vegetables! If I wanted to eat steak in some canned beans wrapped in a tortilla, I could've did that myself for under $11.00. Why did I continue eating? Because I didn't want to waste an $11.00 burrito but I think I would've been better off. Place smells bad. and really? no horchata?I don't think I'll ever be eating Mexican food in Hawaii unless its coming out of my own kitchen. The one star goes to service alone.
(1)Olivia D.
The food didn't used to be this horrible here. At one point, this used to be one of the more highly recommended Mexican joints on the island. I felt bad because my friend was craving good Mexican food and I brought him to El Burrito. He was so disappointed. The salsa was weak and the chips were bitter and slightly burnt. I've never had such tasteless salsa. How can they even serve that stuff? I've seen my Mexican friends make salsa and they can easily whip up a tasty batch in mere minutes. I expect the salsa to at least be edible in a Mexican restaurant. I ordered the taco plate with lamb and steak tacos. I forget how much it cost but it wasn't cheap. I used to get the carnitas and al pastor tacos here, but this time I wanted to try something new. What was I thinking? I'm one of those people that love gamey meats, but the lamb was smelly and had absolutely no seasoning--not even salt. It was just huge chunks of unseasoned lamb in the soft flour tortilla--no cilantro, no onions, no topping. I couldn't do it; it tasted too much like goat. The steak taco was the same. No lime, cilantro, or onion. WTF? It was really dry because the steak had been zapped too long in the microwave. Yes, I saw them heating our food up in the microwave. Maybe that's why the meat smelled; it had probably been sitting in the fridge for days. Service was indifferent. The girl only came by the table to take our order and drop off the check. I'll never go back there again.
(1)Puddytat C.
This used to be a good lunch place but the prices have gotten so high for what you get. Since, we stopped going here. Just not great bang for your buck for average food. They did have good fresh made salsa. Small and cramped space as well.
(2)Christa Lei S.
I'm going to give it two stars for the excellent service, and the fact that I live right across so whenever I have a hankering for Mexican food, I head here. I don't like their red sauce, but their green is just fine. The meat tastes like it's been microwaved, and their salsa is too watery. The chips are always burnt, so I put salt on them. All in all, the food isn't good, but the service is great.
(2)Violet H.
I recently had a very late lunch/early dinner here. There's a very small dining room from which you can see part of the kitchen. My first hint of things to come should have been that there was no smell of food wafting through the place. By now, I was the only one in the place. Then I heard the sound no diner wants to hear: The unmistakable ping of a microwave oven. Now I understood why I didn't smell any food. The chips were overcooked and tasted burnt. The cubed chicken in the taco was so dry, I nearly choked on it. The meat in the burrito was watery. The red sauce (possibly canned) on the enchilada glowed orange. Nothing had any flavor. Clearly, the food had been prepared who knows how long in advance, frozen, and reheated in the microwave. I thought maybe I was on a new TV show, "Candid Camera Kitchen Nightmares." But neither Alan Funt nor Gordon Ramsay were there. I was just me and the food. Soon I stopped eating because I felt ill. I spent the next two hours trying to keep the food down. This was the second worst meal I ever had. I would give zero stars if I could. It is really a shame because this place has potential. It needs a major overhaul, though. I suggest shortening the menu and making the food fresh. The dining room is small enough to make this work. The folks there are very nice, and I wish them luck, but they need to make substantial changes.
(1)Lynne P.
wow- reading the reviews for this place made me sad. even more sad is that i agree :( my burrito contained only meat, nothing else. the rice was bland. beans were good, but plain and sparse. the salsa was good. the worst part is i agree with other yelpers that they may use a microwave- the food came out lightning fast.... a little TOO fast.... and like other yelpers said i didn't smell any food being cooked. shame! because the staff was so friendly and it feels like you're visiting someone's informal home. i will just have to seek out other burrito options.
(2)Wan D.
I'm all for culinary experimentation but this experiment was a few guitars short of a mariachi band. The chips and salsa were good, but it was disappointing to learn that they don't sell horchata and I'm pretty sure the vegetable burrito is canned vegetable stew wrapped in a tortilla: Potatoes Onion Carrots Celery Corn Peas Zucchini Broccoli The staff are welcoming and friendly but I don't know if that's reason enough to come back. Lo Siento El Burrito this was the last lunch date we'll be having.
(2)Justin T.
The service was great! The food was good. The parking sucks! A long wait time for my to-go order. Would of been nice if they gave me chips and salsa since I had to wait so long, they give it to the dine in customers. Very tiny inside, you can hear everybody's conversation, which is fine. Nothing special, I wouldn't drive here just for the food. If I'm in the area however, I may stop by from time to time.
(3)Elizabeth N.
JUNK. They burned the chips, the salsa was bland (come on, add some salt or something!) and the carne asada burritos I got tasted the same. Actually, the burned taste actually gave the meat some flavor. Will NOT go here again. Better off going to Diego's Taco Shop, Ramiero's, even Taco Bell or Taco Del Mar! This CA native says don't waste your money. Sad when EVERYBODY is saying they burned the chips, goes to show you that it wasn't just my visit.
(1)Tanya M.
This place is a hole in the wall...figured it must be good and had read some decent reviews. Since moving to Honolulu, we've been on the hunt for good Mexican food....this is not the place. 1) They only take cash...this irks me to no end 2) Our server was playing footsies with some guy in the corner 3) Salsa...tap water with salt would have tasted better 4) I ordered the taquitos...bland, too much sour cream, rice and beans are also flavorless...the salt shaker got a lot of use 5) My husband ordered the carne asada plate...no bueno. Meat was a cheap cut of who knows what that was obviously pan fried, no flavor, came with 2 tortillas. 6) Guacamole was odd looking, also flavorless. Save your money and go to Taco Bell. This place leaves much to be desired!
(1)Benhur B.
This review is a couple of months late but, better than never. Actually worth "0" stars. I used to kinda like this place until my last visit. I found a roach in my soda drink cup. Yes, after drinking out of it. Traumatizing. 'Nuff said. Don't do it.
(1)Taryn M.
The mele al pastor taco is delicious! I tried it once and get it all the time now. The pork is marinated and is very tasty. Haven't seen it on the menu at any other Mexican restaurants. Definitely recommend trying I'd you eat here.
(3)Alyssa M.
not a fan. sweet family owned restaurant but food was not good. won't be back, sorry.
(1)Alina K.
I highly recommend to NOT go there, The burrito we ordered consisted of only meat that had no flavor. Rice that comes with your plate tastes like they used dishwater to cook from. The beans are watery. What kills this place even more is the cost! Way over priced for the crap they serve. Also I think they microwaved the meat that they put in the burrito. Very disappointed....
(1)Jeremy M.
We had a "carnitas" burrito and chicken nachos. I've never seen carnitas served like this - it was cubed, dry and flavorless. The nachos were not that bad, but as mentioned their chips are burnt, cheese was plain and seemed like it was microwaved. There were others around us who seemed to be enjoying their tostadas, though, so I guess if you do end up here for some reason that might be the one to try.
(1)Jo M.
Wth? Don't bother with this place, everyone says it used to be good, sad. The chips! The 1st thing one looks forward to is that basket of warm tortilla chips and homemade salsa, sit down and BOOM start shoveling chips and salsa into your face. I couldn't do it! They screwed up the chips! ALL the chips in the basket were burnt! Dark almond brown, and acrid tasting! The salsa was nothing special, watery and lifeless. I asked our server for some chips that weren't burnt, she said they are all like that. Perfecto! I won't waste your time with more critique, suffice to say it was all downhill from there. My friend H.O.H.R. and I didn't even bother to take home the leftovers from our two half eaten entrees, that sums it up. Funny how there aren't very many good Mexican places in Hawai`i, especially when considering that Mexican food isn't hard to make. Conclusion: El Burrito is El Crappo! Ole! (yes i know "ole" is from spain, so sue me)
(1)Cory M.
I ordered the carne asada burrito for lunch a couple of weeks ago and bland is a word that comes to mind. Not only did the meat have no flavor, but the salsa wasn't much better. Luckily my friend had Siracha and I used that to add some taste to it. I upgraded them to two stars since they give a lot of food and the service was friendly. I may give them another shot, but only if coerced by others.
(2)Tyson K.
I decieded to try this hole in the wall place. i took a burrito to go...once i got home opened it up took a bite and threw it away. No waste time taco bell mo betta~
(1)Hannah H.
Just had lunch here and was very disappointed. We should have left after we heard the microwave timer going off the first time. It continued to be used for every meal that was ordered, including ours. Got the chili verde burrito and the chunks of pork were so big that it was hard to eat. Considering the name is EL BURRITO, I thought I was making a good choice with my order. Not so much.
(1)uilani c.
the food is always "on the money" when mama is in the kitchen. a typical order for us includes tacos (soft, flour tortillas) and chicken quesadilla. the food is tasty, muy autentico, and loaded with chicken (white meat). we hope that one day mama will add a chicken option to the tamales. food is delicious and well priced but parking is a drag.
(4)Katrice K.
The food is not good here... I ordered the vegetarian burrito was filled with what tasted like Campbell's vegetable soup and nothing else. The refried beans had no taste at all. My coworker ordered the carnitas which were dried, no flavor chunks of meat. The food used to be much better, I don't know what happened.
(1)Yun Y.
Hole in the wall place across fm Moana Pacifc and the Honolulu Time Company at the Rainbow bldg. Very reasonably priced! My husband lives and dies by this place. I'm personally not a big Mexican fan (quit that years ago) but I like tripe and their Menudo soup is pretty good and so are there burritos. My husbands addicted to their lamb chimichangas and me.... How's about some flavored pork - Mele they call it. Its all very simple home cooked stuff - nothing fancy. Chips n salsa is ok- don't expect too much but i've been as far as San Diego for Mexican food and this place pretty descent. Especially since Mexican food in Hawaii is limited like anything thats Spanish or European here has to be good to survive here for as long as I can remember. And well we see Spanish speaking people here allege time so it must be OG. Ask for extra spicy or jalapeño in your stuff and it's lovely. Anyways family that's eats together stays together right? He doesn't care too much for natto but I make him try anyways. Oh and watch out where you park....tow trucks love this area.
(3)Robert M.
Price was reasonable. Service very friendly. The food was bland, unfortunately. I had the shredded beef burrito, with rice and beans. All of it was very bland.
(2)Sky T.
The recents reviews hit the nail on the head. I was there for lunch a few weeks ago. The food was bland and the chips burnt. We were the only ones there for lunch that day. A few days later, we went back to give it a second chance. What a waste. Although it was dinner time we were again the only patrons there. The food AGAIN, was bland and tasteless. In fact, the food was premade and microwaved before serving. I will not go back to this place ever again. They used to be so good years ag. Back then, the place was full and you often had to wait for a table. Too bad now....
(1)David G.
Back in the day this place was pretty good but not anymore. I can't see how this place stays open seeing they serve horrible Mexican. Don't eat here; even if someone pays you! Run while you can...
(1)onefootlaulau h.
First of all, let me say that I am a HUGE fan of Mexican food, and have always mourned the somewhat dismal availability of quality Mexican here in Hawaii. Not to mention that most of the acceptable Mexican restaurants here tend to be overpriced (I'm wagging my finger at you, Compadres)... When you can get a quality bambucha burrito, a side of rolled tacos, plus 2 fish tacos anywhere in Southern Cali for $6, it really makes you wonder. But then there's El Burrito. One of the few Mexican restaurants in Hawaii that I can honestly recommend to a person who's had real Mexican food, and my favorite place to get what's emblazoned right on their sign: a burrito. My favorite is their (shredded) beef burrito, because the thing is big enough to be your only meal for the day, and it is absolutely STUFFED with beef. Not rice and beans and cheese with a few sprinkles of dry meat, but STUFFED. The meat is shredded, simmered in some proprietary stew of delicious spice, 100% free from fat chunks and gristle, and available "spicy," which means jalapeno slivers thrown in. Cover that with the guac mix, pour on their extremely excellent homemade salsa, and it's fiesta time in your mouth. Prices are all extremely reasonable (again, for Hawaii). The staff at El Burrito are terrific: friendly and attentive. They recognize their regulars and are part of the community, so it's not unusual to see a family come in and see their children run behind the corner and give the cook (the matriarch of the establishment) a hug. The only slight problem is that parking can be hard to find (heed the warnings and do NOT park by Arts Hawaii - those guys will call a tow truck before you even make it across the street), and the seating inside is limited. But those two small points should not deter you. On taste alone, El Burrito is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Hawaii. It just so happens that the prices are good and the people great.
(5)Edward I.
AVOID WASTING YOUR MONEY... I figured it's called El Burrito Cocina Mexicana, sign says 28 year anniversary, it's a hole in the wall, how bad can it be? I should have looked this place up before going and ordering two Carnitas Burritos for take out. I got home and my wife and I were seriously disappointed with the horrible quality of food. I have met very few plates in my life that I hated, this was one of them. The tortilla was stale, carnitas was very dry, flavorless, cubed pieces of white meat (cubed and white is just wrong), a spoonful of tasteless beans, a pinch of cheese, a pinch of shredded lettuce, watery guacamole and salsa on the side. Nothing was good about the burrito, you will seriously be better off going to Taco Bell. After reading several comments before posting this one, it's true...you do not smell any food being cooked fresh and I did hear a microwave beeping just a little bit before I was handed the burritos. We have lived in California most of our lives so we know awesome Latin food! My wife is also Mexican & Puerto Rican so there are numerous great cooks in the family. We have heard from several people that live here or visit frequently that there are no good burritos on the island and we hope that is not true and we don't have any more experiences like today. The only thing good I can say about the place is the waitress who took and handed me my order was very nice.
(1)Kaipo S.
This place used to be great a few years ago, however, their food has really fallen off. Last chance I gave them, I ate the lamb and got a stomach ache for the rest of the day, haven't been back since.
(2)Al D.
I've seen El Burrito many times and have never tried it before now. There's no convenient parking lot and I've always passed it by on the road. When my S/O suggested we try it, I thought, sure, why not? I'm a huge Mexican fan and if I could unconver another jewel of a mexican restaurant I would be happy. Well, El Burrito, is not that jewel. In fact, it is an enormous lump of coal and I'm just hoping I don't get sick from my food. The chips were bland and BURNT! The salsa was pretty good, although I'm convinced it was the only fresh thing in the restaurant. My S/O said that the meat in his tacos tasted old and moldy. And I had vegetarian enchiladas that were made out of CAMPBELL'S VEGETABLE SOUP! I mean, really. Who does that - puts campbell's vegetable soup in a tortilla and calls it an enchilada?? The rice and beans were not bad, to be fair. But the entrees were big losers. And the prices were pretty high for what you get. I know for sure that the condensed can soup they fed me in my meal was cheap. I would not recommend this place.
(1)Z Z.
Went to El Burrito today and here's the low down. Stay away..stay far far away. Go to Serg's in Manoa instead. El Burrito doesn't have a care in the world about it's food. Places like this should not be in existence. Here is the play by play. As all reviewers agree, chips have a burnt taste. The salsa is not so bad, but not amazing. Just tomato, onions, and cilantro pureed. I ordered combo tamale and pork taco. The tamale was somewhat edible as were the rice and beans (yes, kinda bland), but edible doesn't equal good. My pork taco was putrid. The meat was rotting and it was just meat in a tortilla, no lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, nada. The server was friendly, but I guess you have to hire friendly staff when your food tastes so bad. My g/f said her vegetable burrito tasted as if the vegetables were from a soup can. That's just freak'n sad. I wouldn't recommend El Burrito to my worst enemy. It's that g-d awfully bad. I would suspect that the person who cooks here worked in a prison or a homeless shelter. That's my guess.
(1)Kimmy C.
everything is mushy and blends together. beans and rice are terrible and tasteless. burritos and enchilladas are average. ive been here over 6 times and each time it gets worse. Taco bell is better
(2)b g.
Liked the food a lot. One of the best Mexican restaurants on the island. I really wish they would offer more free chips and salsa after we finished our first tiny complimentary serving. That's one of the things I like most about Bandito's Cantina. Oh well, I still like the place.
(4)Elymar M.
man this place doesn't even deserve a star. this is the first place I went to for some mexican food in hawaii and the food sucked so bad, i hesitated to even try any other mexican spots in hawaii for awhile.
(1)ck s.
I have eaten Mexican food from Mexico to USA to Canada. Geee..., I was very disappointed. Its alright that their place is small. But the food ain't good. Why would anyone want to pay $4 for a taco that has just a plain corn patch with meat that is not really asada ( but tasted like it was preserved meat form days ago) and a small amount of salsa that i could buy in the supermarket? I may as well do it myself with less money and would tastes a lot better. There were no scallion nor other traditional veges/species etc with it.
(1)Cory M.
I ordered the carne asada burrito for lunch a couple of weeks ago and bland is a word that comes to mind. Not only did the meat have no flavor, but the salsa wasn't much better. Luckily my friend had Siracha and I used that to add some taste to it. I upgraded them to two stars since they give a lot of food and the service was friendly. I may give them another shot, but only if coerced by others.
(2)Tyson K.
I decieded to try this hole in the wall place. i took a burrito to go...once i got home opened it up took a bite and threw it away. No waste time taco bell mo betta~
(1)Daniel F.
Haven't tried the food yet but the service is excellent. Good thing I speak Spanish fluently.
(5)Peter T.
OK this place pretty bottom of the barrel even by Honolulu Mexican standards. Stopped by and got a chicken burrito and ended up with something that was basically a three day old microwaved chicken wrap that I threw half away. Supposedly there were beans in there but didn't see any, the salsa wasn't worth it's name tasting like the cheapest off brand jar you can buy, and ditto the guac. Make matters worse pricing not competitive for bottom barrel and no parking either. Will not repeat.
(2)David Mike C.
the service is stellar, the food is not. I've eaten here two or three times previously and it was passable. this time the food was bland. as in rice, beans, and burrito all bland. I had asked for spicy/hot, which the menu said to speak up if desired, and I was hoping for some salsa picante, but just jalapeno slices were stuck in my burrito. I want to like this place, but can't. parking is also a big deterrent. it's hard to find good mexican in town, but i recommend Serg's in manoa (have not tried Waimanalo location) and give a nod to Azteca in kaimuki. I have yet to try los chapparos and the north shore mex places.
(1)John G.
Ordered a Carnitas Burrito plate. Got a dried up tortilla around a bunch of cubes of pork that was so dry it was impossible to chew. I asked the server if I had ordered Carnitas, she said 'our Carnitas is cubed, not shredded'. The plate part was rice and beans, the rice was so over re-heated it was just falling apart in little bits. The guacamole salad on the side was nice, I ate all that. The burrito and rice stayed on the plate and hopefully when in the trash where it belongs.
(1)KEVIN R.
The rudest people I've ever encountered on this island I grew up here too. I will make sure that I put this company on blast for how they treat people. To the lady that owns the place you are a rude person. I completely understand why you're to start having business is in successful. Block me in so I can't get out of the parking stall and tell me it's not your problem. I have 30,000+ followers on Facebook alone I will be posting all kinds of shit about your company
(1)Rian D.
Worst. Burrito. Ever. Small, dirty restaurant. Food was barely edible. Pretty sure they just microwaved some leftovers, as we heard them using one but never heard any pots or pans. Don't even think they have an oven. No joke.
(1)Brandon C.
I've been coming to El Burrito for years, and its still one of my faves in town. First off, some of the reviews have legit objections to the food and microwave-- for the nachos its mandatory to melt the cheese! Same for things like the hot tamales and quesadillas. Order something fried, and it'll be fresh, guaranteed. The burritos are not the overload of 20 things you'd normally get, and can be hit or miss depending on your tastes. But the Tostada Nachos are a winner, each time, every time. Flautas, Chimichangas, and taquitos are also all excellent choices. This place has some of the best guac I've ever had, but to each his own. I'd categorize this as "home style Mexican" rather than a Mexican restaurant. For the amount of food you get, the prices are very reasonable.
(5)Reid A.
Oh boy... I'm all for hole in the wall places, but this place misses the mark. I was thrown a bit when I stepped in this place expecting it to be a take out place, but noticed it was a sit down restaurant. I sat down and noticed the menu was offering a lot of things. I was a bit overwhelmed. The items should be less for such a small place. I ordered a beef quesadilla and a chicken taco. It wasn't a combo meal. It ended up being more than I wanted to shell out for lunch. The size of the lunch was ok, but I did order two dishes. One dish would be too small. The quesadilla and taco both had a lot of meat, maybe too much. The meat didn't have much flavor. The taco needed more lettuce and cheese. The service was great. I can't see anything that needed changing in that department. They need to simplify the menu and improve their meat.
(2)Matt S.
This was my second or third time here. I won't be coming back. Most of the 2 star review are spot on about this Mexican joint. Today the only good thing was the salsa. Chips may have been a little stale. Rice was bland. Beans were bland. My vegetable enchilada tasted like they had drained the juice from vegetable soup and threw it into a corn tortilla. The potato chile relleno...had much to be desired. Most of the potato was outside the chille. They were out of green sauce. The red sauce was bland. Where is chef Ramsey when you need him in the kitchen? I won't be coming here again. Service was good though.
(2)Mariel L.
I wish I could give this a negative one star. The people were rude and hung up on us while trying to place and order for pick up. The meat has no flavor what so ever, and as I was waiting for them to give me the food I saw them use a microwave. I hope it was just me haveing a bad experience but I do not suggest eating here.
(1)Denice R.
I was invited here by a co-worker as we were meeting for the first time (we work virtually). She obviously frequented the place, because the waitress knew her, so she asked the waitress how she was doing. The waitress began explaining how sick she was and how she wasn't feeling good, as she was setting down my napkin, which looked dirty, and fork.....uh? I asked for a carnitas burrito, but after taking my order, she came back and said they were out of carnitas. Keep in mind it was a weekday, Wednesday, and I was there at 12:45pm for lunch. So, I ordered a lamb burrito instead. When I got it, it was full of meat, which is normally good, but that is all. No beans, no cheese...just meat wrapped in a flour tortilla and dry at that. I've lived in Southern Texas, Southern California and have visited Mexico plenty of times. I've never had a burrito with only meat. And I'm all for finding cool dives to experience. This left MUCH to be desired. The kitchen looked empty, like there was no cooking going on at all and I couldn't even smell food cooking. There was only two people working, a young girl who was the waitress and an older lady that came from the back. They both seemed nice...that's about all I can say. Try a real, authentic Mexican place. This is definitely NOT IT! Wish I had checked out the Yelp reviews before hand.
(2)Nicole C.
Horrible...the food is all microwaved and old!! Evrything wasn't fresh and tasted days old. They couldn't even get rice correct. I wouldn't even call it mexican food, more like "el microwave". That is all.....
(1)Sonny S.
This place remimds me back home Charlotte, TX. I love it here. Family run, wonderful service. It's actually my 4th time back in a couple of months.
(4)Josh G.
I ordered the chicken burrito with a side of rice and beans. The chicken was very dry and had no flavor. The rice and beans were not good as we'll. I did not enjoy my meal. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Cull O.
This place is really bad. I don't think they cook any of the food at the location- it's all "zapped". The meat is dry and tasted like it was sitting in a fridge for a week. Same with the rice. "Authentic"and "home made" are NOT the adjectives to describe this place. Rotten food is just sitting in my stomach like a brick; wish I could rewind the day back an hour.
(1)Marissa G.
This is a family owned restaurant. Nana and Tata cook in the kitchen from their heart. During my pregnancy, all I craved was Mexican food and this place was my true saving grace. The food is authentic and the prices are perfect. Thank you El burrito and staff.
(5)Bob L.
Bias alert--my favorite place in town. Yolanda the cook and owner is a sweetheart who comes out to greet us when we are there. Made fresh and large portions. I love the flavor of the burritoes, tamales, and enchiladas--red or green sauce. Salsa and chips come free with means--mild but I like it. My girlfriend is addicted to the chimichungas. Bring your own bottle is OK--no alcohol is served. Parkig has to be elsewhere--hint Ala Moana. I feel I am at home when I arrive. Again bias alert
(5)Meghan F.
Good service; family restaurant. Free salsa& chips when it's normally charged for so that was sweet of our waitress. $11 for the chimichanga plate wasn't bad because I had a lot of leftovers & I thought it was tasty! Not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I would eat there again because of the lack of Mexican food options in Honolulu. Wish they were open later!
(4)Val B.
Sorry. I hate to do it. But if you want your food microwaved. You've come to the right spot.
(1)Bobby S.
I live just a block away so I come here often for take out. I love the chimichangas. Whenever I get a longing for lamb, this is where I go.
(4)Dina N.
I really liked the special house meat. The taco was great. Not quite Mexico but the best Mexican I've had in a restaurant in Hawaii.
(4)Meghan D.
I love this place.It's hard to find vegetarian lunches and this place is great. My favorites; Taco salad, Guacamole tostada, vegetable enchiladas
(5)David Mike C.
the service is stellar, the food is not. I've eaten here two or three times previously and it was passable. this time the food was bland. as in rice, beans, and burrito all bland. I had asked for spicy/hot, which the menu said to speak up if desired, and I was hoping for some salsa picante, but just jalapeno slices were stuck in my burrito. I want to like this place, but can't. parking is also a big deterrent. it's hard to find good mexican in town, but i recommend Serg's in manoa (have not tried Waimanalo location) and give a nod to Azteca in kaimuki. I have yet to try los chapparos and the north shore mex places.
(1)John G.
Ordered a Carnitas Burrito plate. Got a dried up tortilla around a bunch of cubes of pork that was so dry it was impossible to chew. I asked the server if I had ordered Carnitas, she said 'our Carnitas is cubed, not shredded'. The plate part was rice and beans, the rice was so over re-heated it was just falling apart in little bits. The guacamole salad on the side was nice, I ate all that. The burrito and rice stayed on the plate and hopefully when in the trash where it belongs.
(1)Chris L.
Will not recommend this place to anyone!! 1) There's no parking 2) Bland food 3) Food is not made fresh 4) Everything is reheated by microwave (Food served quickly) 5) Cheese not melted, meat cold in the middle (ahem!) they used the microwave!! (Again!) 6) No one is "cooking" your food! 7 )It's like eating someone's leftovers!! It's been years since we've eaten there- used to be good.. Not anymore!! Worst Mexican food ever!! Whoever heard of carnitas made of cubed spice-less pork chops? What's carnitas? *Carnitas~~Slow cooked pork with spices!!! Big disappointment!!
(1)Todd R.
I cannot comment on the quality of the food from my last visit, but I can tell you about the unwelcoming reception and service - if you want to call it that - was offensive. My wife and I - accompanied by my service dog entered to be immediately confronted by a young woman with an attitude, followed by an older woman. We were told by the young woman that they "can refuse service to anyone..." because I had a dog. I informed them that it was a service dog and was allowed under the ADA. The young woman continued to give us attitude, while the other tried to shut her up. Reluctantly, they let us have a seat. Shortly after seating ourselves the young woman flung a set of menus onto our table and stormed off towards the kitchen. Offended by this deliberate show of disrespect I headed towards the kitchen, as my wife followed. We called out for the young woman to come and explain her action and express how indignate it made us feel. This server had no remorse, spouting out that we should shut up and where welcome to leave if we did not like it. The elderly woman tried to stop the server from her rude actions and at one point told the server to be quite. Even though the older woman offered to personally be our server, the damage was done and we told her that. Again the server blurted out for us to shut up or go away. I've never been treated with so much malice and will never step foot in this establishment again.
(1)Jeff P.
Had their shredded beef burrito and taco, they do not have carne asada. That says alot. I am pretty sure this place is a front for something.
(1)Eric X.
Worst Burrito I ever had... 1) Carnitas -- they actually gave us chicken...big tasteless chunks of non-marinated chicken. Not even Tapatio could help much here. 2) Guacamole -- their recipe is 1 part avocado to 3 parts water 3) salsa -- see recipe for gucamole substitute avocado with tomatoes 4) rice -- what rice? 5) beans -- they spread refried beans as thin as butter on toast. 6) tortilla -- dry, bland, tasteless 7) sour cream -- in an attempt to compensate for the paltry amount of guac, no cheese, and smidgin of beans, the thing was over full of sour cream to the point where I'm taking whole bites of it. Oh and we had to pay extra for it. I would have enjoyed taco bell more (and for half the cost). This is just sad.
(1)Raquel A.
Great Service; Awesome Authentic Food
(5)Katrice K.
The food is not good here... I ordered the vegetarian burrito was filled with what tasted like Campbell's vegetable soup and nothing else. The refried beans had no taste at all. My coworker ordered the carnitas which were dried, no flavor chunks of meat. The food used to be much better, I don't know what happened.
(1)Yun Y.
Hole in the wall place across fm Moana Pacifc and the Honolulu Time Company at the Rainbow bldg. Very reasonably priced! My husband lives and dies by this place. I'm personally not a big Mexican fan (quit that years ago) but I like tripe and their Menudo soup is pretty good and so are there burritos. My husbands addicted to their lamb chimichangas and me.... How's about some flavored pork - Mele they call it. Its all very simple home cooked stuff - nothing fancy. Chips n salsa is ok- don't expect too much but i've been as far as San Diego for Mexican food and this place pretty descent. Especially since Mexican food in Hawaii is limited like anything thats Spanish or European here has to be good to survive here for as long as I can remember. And well we see Spanish speaking people here allege time so it must be OG. Ask for extra spicy or jalapeño in your stuff and it's lovely. Anyways family that's eats together stays together right? He doesn't care too much for natto but I make him try anyways. Oh and watch out where you park....tow trucks love this area.
(3)Robert M.
Price was reasonable. Service very friendly. The food was bland, unfortunately. I had the shredded beef burrito, with rice and beans. All of it was very bland.
(2)Nene J.
Authentic mexican food?! Hm, can't even get their water right! I think taco bell would be rated as a 5 star restaurant compared to this. Food is microwaved!!! As I'm typing this, I am feeling queasy & unsettled having flashes of Chef Ramsay rummaging through their kitchen to find outdated meat and rotten vegetables! If I wanted to eat steak in some canned beans wrapped in a tortilla, I could've did that myself for under $11.00. Why did I continue eating? Because I didn't want to waste an $11.00 burrito but I think I would've been better off. Place smells bad. and really? no horchata?I don't think I'll ever be eating Mexican food in Hawaii unless its coming out of my own kitchen. The one star goes to service alone.
(1)Olivia D.
The food didn't used to be this horrible here. At one point, this used to be one of the more highly recommended Mexican joints on the island. I felt bad because my friend was craving good Mexican food and I brought him to El Burrito. He was so disappointed. The salsa was weak and the chips were bitter and slightly burnt. I've never had such tasteless salsa. How can they even serve that stuff? I've seen my Mexican friends make salsa and they can easily whip up a tasty batch in mere minutes. I expect the salsa to at least be edible in a Mexican restaurant. I ordered the taco plate with lamb and steak tacos. I forget how much it cost but it wasn't cheap. I used to get the carnitas and al pastor tacos here, but this time I wanted to try something new. What was I thinking? I'm one of those people that love gamey meats, but the lamb was smelly and had absolutely no seasoning--not even salt. It was just huge chunks of unseasoned lamb in the soft flour tortilla--no cilantro, no onions, no topping. I couldn't do it; it tasted too much like goat. The steak taco was the same. No lime, cilantro, or onion. WTF? It was really dry because the steak had been zapped too long in the microwave. Yes, I saw them heating our food up in the microwave. Maybe that's why the meat smelled; it had probably been sitting in the fridge for days. Service was indifferent. The girl only came by the table to take our order and drop off the check. I'll never go back there again.
(1)Puddytat C.
This used to be a good lunch place but the prices have gotten so high for what you get. Since, we stopped going here. Just not great bang for your buck for average food. They did have good fresh made salsa. Small and cramped space as well.
(2)Christa Lei S.
I'm going to give it two stars for the excellent service, and the fact that I live right across so whenever I have a hankering for Mexican food, I head here. I don't like their red sauce, but their green is just fine. The meat tastes like it's been microwaved, and their salsa is too watery. The chips are always burnt, so I put salt on them. All in all, the food isn't good, but the service is great.
(2)Z Z.
Went to El Burrito today and here's the low down. Stay away..stay far far away. Go to Serg's in Manoa instead. El Burrito doesn't have a care in the world about it's food. Places like this should not be in existence. Here is the play by play. As all reviewers agree, chips have a burnt taste. The salsa is not so bad, but not amazing. Just tomato, onions, and cilantro pureed. I ordered combo tamale and pork taco. The tamale was somewhat edible as were the rice and beans (yes, kinda bland), but edible doesn't equal good. My pork taco was putrid. The meat was rotting and it was just meat in a tortilla, no lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, nada. The server was friendly, but I guess you have to hire friendly staff when your food tastes so bad. My g/f said her vegetable burrito tasted as if the vegetables were from a soup can. That's just freak'n sad. I wouldn't recommend El Burrito to my worst enemy. It's that g-d awfully bad. I would suspect that the person who cooks here worked in a prison or a homeless shelter. That's my guess.
(1)Kimmy C.
everything is mushy and blends together. beans and rice are terrible and tasteless. burritos and enchilladas are average. ive been here over 6 times and each time it gets worse. Taco bell is better
(2)b g.
Liked the food a lot. One of the best Mexican restaurants on the island. I really wish they would offer more free chips and salsa after we finished our first tiny complimentary serving. That's one of the things I like most about Bandito's Cantina. Oh well, I still like the place.
(4)Elymar M.
man this place doesn't even deserve a star. this is the first place I went to for some mexican food in hawaii and the food sucked so bad, i hesitated to even try any other mexican spots in hawaii for awhile.
(1)ck s.
I have eaten Mexican food from Mexico to USA to Canada. Geee..., I was very disappointed. Its alright that their place is small. But the food ain't good. Why would anyone want to pay $4 for a taco that has just a plain corn patch with meat that is not really asada ( but tasted like it was preserved meat form days ago) and a small amount of salsa that i could buy in the supermarket? I may as well do it myself with less money and would tastes a lot better. There were no scallion nor other traditional veges/species etc with it.
(1)Kona F.
Home style Mexican food. The best in Hawaii.
(3)KEVIN R.
The rudest people I've ever encountered on this island I grew up here too. I will make sure that I put this company on blast for how they treat people. To the lady that owns the place you are a rude person. I completely understand why you're to start having business is in successful. Block me in so I can't get out of the parking stall and tell me it's not your problem. I have 30,000+ followers on Facebook alone I will be posting all kinds of shit about your company
(1)Rian D.
Worst. Burrito. Ever. Small, dirty restaurant. Food was barely edible. Pretty sure they just microwaved some leftovers, as we heard them using one but never heard any pots or pans. Don't even think they have an oven. No joke.
(1)Chris L.
Will not recommend this place to anyone!! 1) There's no parking 2) Bland food 3) Food is not made fresh 4) Everything is reheated by microwave (Food served quickly) 5) Cheese not melted, meat cold in the middle (ahem!) they used the microwave!! (Again!) 6) No one is "cooking" your food! 7 )It's like eating someone's leftovers!! It's been years since we've eaten there- used to be good.. Not anymore!! Worst Mexican food ever!! Whoever heard of carnitas made of cubed spice-less pork chops? What's carnitas? *Carnitas~~Slow cooked pork with spices!!! Big disappointment!!
(1)Daniel F.
Haven't tried the food yet but the service is excellent. Good thing I speak Spanish fluently.
(5)Peter T.
OK this place pretty bottom of the barrel even by Honolulu Mexican standards. Stopped by and got a chicken burrito and ended up with something that was basically a three day old microwaved chicken wrap that I threw half away. Supposedly there were beans in there but didn't see any, the salsa wasn't worth it's name tasting like the cheapest off brand jar you can buy, and ditto the guac. Make matters worse pricing not competitive for bottom barrel and no parking either. Will not repeat.
(2)Brandon C.
I've been coming to El Burrito for years, and its still one of my faves in town. First off, some of the reviews have legit objections to the food and microwave-- for the nachos its mandatory to melt the cheese! Same for things like the hot tamales and quesadillas. Order something fried, and it'll be fresh, guaranteed. The burritos are not the overload of 20 things you'd normally get, and can be hit or miss depending on your tastes. But the Tostada Nachos are a winner, each time, every time. Flautas, Chimichangas, and taquitos are also all excellent choices. This place has some of the best guac I've ever had, but to each his own. I'd categorize this as "home style Mexican" rather than a Mexican restaurant. For the amount of food you get, the prices are very reasonable.
(5)Reid A.
Oh boy... I'm all for hole in the wall places, but this place misses the mark. I was thrown a bit when I stepped in this place expecting it to be a take out place, but noticed it was a sit down restaurant. I sat down and noticed the menu was offering a lot of things. I was a bit overwhelmed. The items should be less for such a small place. I ordered a beef quesadilla and a chicken taco. It wasn't a combo meal. It ended up being more than I wanted to shell out for lunch. The size of the lunch was ok, but I did order two dishes. One dish would be too small. The quesadilla and taco both had a lot of meat, maybe too much. The meat didn't have much flavor. The taco needed more lettuce and cheese. The service was great. I can't see anything that needed changing in that department. They need to simplify the menu and improve their meat.
(2)Matt S.
This was my second or third time here. I won't be coming back. Most of the 2 star review are spot on about this Mexican joint. Today the only good thing was the salsa. Chips may have been a little stale. Rice was bland. Beans were bland. My vegetable enchilada tasted like they had drained the juice from vegetable soup and threw it into a corn tortilla. The potato chile relleno...had much to be desired. Most of the potato was outside the chille. They were out of green sauce. The red sauce was bland. Where is chef Ramsey when you need him in the kitchen? I won't be coming here again. Service was good though.
(2)Mariel L.
I wish I could give this a negative one star. The people were rude and hung up on us while trying to place and order for pick up. The meat has no flavor what so ever, and as I was waiting for them to give me the food I saw them use a microwave. I hope it was just me haveing a bad experience but I do not suggest eating here.
(1)Meghan F.
Good service; family restaurant. Free salsa& chips when it's normally charged for so that was sweet of our waitress. $11 for the chimichanga plate wasn't bad because I had a lot of leftovers & I thought it was tasty! Not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I would eat there again because of the lack of Mexican food options in Honolulu. Wish they were open later!
(4)Val B.
Sorry. I hate to do it. But if you want your food microwaved. You've come to the right spot.
(1)Bobby S.
I live just a block away so I come here often for take out. I love the chimichangas. Whenever I get a longing for lamb, this is where I go.
(4)Denice R.
I was invited here by a co-worker as we were meeting for the first time (we work virtually). She obviously frequented the place, because the waitress knew her, so she asked the waitress how she was doing. The waitress began explaining how sick she was and how she wasn't feeling good, as she was setting down my napkin, which looked dirty, and fork.....uh? I asked for a carnitas burrito, but after taking my order, she came back and said they were out of carnitas. Keep in mind it was a weekday, Wednesday, and I was there at 12:45pm for lunch. So, I ordered a lamb burrito instead. When I got it, it was full of meat, which is normally good, but that is all. No beans, no cheese...just meat wrapped in a flour tortilla and dry at that. I've lived in Southern Texas, Southern California and have visited Mexico plenty of times. I've never had a burrito with only meat. And I'm all for finding cool dives to experience. This left MUCH to be desired. The kitchen looked empty, like there was no cooking going on at all and I couldn't even smell food cooking. There was only two people working, a young girl who was the waitress and an older lady that came from the back. They both seemed nice...that's about all I can say. Try a real, authentic Mexican place. This is definitely NOT IT! Wish I had checked out the Yelp reviews before hand.
(2)Nicole C.
Horrible...the food is all microwaved and old!! Evrything wasn't fresh and tasted days old. They couldn't even get rice correct. I wouldn't even call it mexican food, more like "el microwave". That is all.....
(1)Sonny S.
This place remimds me back home Charlotte, TX. I love it here. Family run, wonderful service. It's actually my 4th time back in a couple of months.
(4)Josh G.
I ordered the chicken burrito with a side of rice and beans. The chicken was very dry and had no flavor. The rice and beans were not good as we'll. I did not enjoy my meal. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Cull O.
This place is really bad. I don't think they cook any of the food at the location- it's all "zapped". The meat is dry and tasted like it was sitting in a fridge for a week. Same with the rice. "Authentic"and "home made" are NOT the adjectives to describe this place. Rotten food is just sitting in my stomach like a brick; wish I could rewind the day back an hour.
(1)Marissa G.
This is a family owned restaurant. Nana and Tata cook in the kitchen from their heart. During my pregnancy, all I craved was Mexican food and this place was my true saving grace. The food is authentic and the prices are perfect. Thank you El burrito and staff.
(5)Bob L.
Bias alert--my favorite place in town. Yolanda the cook and owner is a sweetheart who comes out to greet us when we are there. Made fresh and large portions. I love the flavor of the burritoes, tamales, and enchiladas--red or green sauce. Salsa and chips come free with means--mild but I like it. My girlfriend is addicted to the chimichungas. Bring your own bottle is OK--no alcohol is served. Parkig has to be elsewhere--hint Ala Moana. I feel I am at home when I arrive. Again bias alert
(5)Todd R.
I cannot comment on the quality of the food from my last visit, but I can tell you about the unwelcoming reception and service - if you want to call it that - was offensive. My wife and I - accompanied by my service dog entered to be immediately confronted by a young woman with an attitude, followed by an older woman. We were told by the young woman that they "can refuse service to anyone..." because I had a dog. I informed them that it was a service dog and was allowed under the ADA. The young woman continued to give us attitude, while the other tried to shut her up. Reluctantly, they let us have a seat. Shortly after seating ourselves the young woman flung a set of menus onto our table and stormed off towards the kitchen. Offended by this deliberate show of disrespect I headed towards the kitchen, as my wife followed. We called out for the young woman to come and explain her action and express how indignate it made us feel. This server had no remorse, spouting out that we should shut up and where welcome to leave if we did not like it. The elderly woman tried to stop the server from her rude actions and at one point told the server to be quite. Even though the older woman offered to personally be our server, the damage was done and we told her that. Again the server blurted out for us to shut up or go away. I've never been treated with so much malice and will never step foot in this establishment again.
(1)jeffrey w.
How is this place still open? does anyone actually eat here? save ur time and go to Taco Bell which tastes way better and more authentic than this place. Never thought i'd say go to Taco Bell for more authentic Mexican. i agree this place must be a front for something else.
(1)Gspot H.
I love the Mexican Chicken Soup. the Salsa and Chips are really good as well. My Hommie Always get the Nacho's with chicken and I always eat half. There is always a seat and not loud. I park and Butigroove, go in Butigroove crack a joke n walk over to El Buriito.
(4)Tim C.
Let's just say I won't eat here again. The meat in my tacos had no flavor. As others have mentioned they seem to just nuke things. Little flavor, not good Mexican food.
(1)Grace O.
It's BYOB, which is great. I gave 3 stars, mainly because of their service. The woman who served us was super cheerful and very attentive. When we asked for a more spicy salsa, she had fresh jalapenos chopped up and added to the salsa. I do quite like their salsa; there just wasn't enough kick. The food was fine--nothing stellar. I got the chicken burrito, and it could have been more seasoned, but the portion was generous. Wish they gave us more lettuce/tomatoes. The rice was fine, but also, wish it was seasoned more.
(3)Hugh K.
I'll start by saying that the service here was excellent. However, the salsa and chips were just OK, I liked the spicyness of the salsa, but not much taste otherwise. The burrito I had wasn't that good. I could have made better burrito to tell you the truth. The guacamole looked more like green lomi lomi salmon than guac. The rice was sticky and tasted more like Japanese rice than Mexican rice. I wouldn't recommend.
(2)Shannon S.
Best bean and cheese nachos ever simple food with great flavor lamb quesadilla is so tender
(5)Violet H.
I recently had a very late lunch/early dinner here. There's a very small dining room from which you can see part of the kitchen. My first hint of things to come should have been that there was no smell of food wafting through the place. By now, I was the only one in the place. Then I heard the sound no diner wants to hear: The unmistakable ping of a microwave oven. Now I understood why I didn't smell any food. The chips were overcooked and tasted burnt. The cubed chicken in the taco was so dry, I nearly choked on it. The meat in the burrito was watery. The red sauce (possibly canned) on the enchilada glowed orange. Nothing had any flavor. Clearly, the food had been prepared who knows how long in advance, frozen, and reheated in the microwave. I thought maybe I was on a new TV show, "Candid Camera Kitchen Nightmares." But neither Alan Funt nor Gordon Ramsay were there. I was just me and the food. Soon I stopped eating because I felt ill. I spent the next two hours trying to keep the food down. This was the second worst meal I ever had. I would give zero stars if I could. It is really a shame because this place has potential. It needs a major overhaul, though. I suggest shortening the menu and making the food fresh. The dining room is small enough to make this work. The folks there are very nice, and I wish them luck, but they need to make substantial changes.
(1)Lynne P.
wow- reading the reviews for this place made me sad. even more sad is that i agree :( my burrito contained only meat, nothing else. the rice was bland. beans were good, but plain and sparse. the salsa was good. the worst part is i agree with other yelpers that they may use a microwave- the food came out lightning fast.... a little TOO fast.... and like other yelpers said i didn't smell any food being cooked. shame! because the staff was so friendly and it feels like you're visiting someone's informal home. i will just have to seek out other burrito options.
(2)Wan D.
I'm all for culinary experimentation but this experiment was a few guitars short of a mariachi band. The chips and salsa were good, but it was disappointing to learn that they don't sell horchata and I'm pretty sure the vegetable burrito is canned vegetable stew wrapped in a tortilla: Potatoes Onion Carrots Celery Corn Peas Zucchini Broccoli The staff are welcoming and friendly but I don't know if that's reason enough to come back. Lo Siento El Burrito this was the last lunch date we'll be having.
(2)Justin T.
The service was great! The food was good. The parking sucks! A long wait time for my to-go order. Would of been nice if they gave me chips and salsa since I had to wait so long, they give it to the dine in customers. Very tiny inside, you can hear everybody's conversation, which is fine. Nothing special, I wouldn't drive here just for the food. If I'm in the area however, I may stop by from time to time.
(3)Elizabeth N.
JUNK. They burned the chips, the salsa was bland (come on, add some salt or something!) and the carne asada burritos I got tasted the same. Actually, the burned taste actually gave the meat some flavor. Will NOT go here again. Better off going to Diego's Taco Shop, Ramiero's, even Taco Bell or Taco Del Mar! This CA native says don't waste your money. Sad when EVERYBODY is saying they burned the chips, goes to show you that it wasn't just my visit.
(1)Tanya M.
This place is a hole in the wall...figured it must be good and had read some decent reviews. Since moving to Honolulu, we've been on the hunt for good Mexican food....this is not the place. 1) They only take cash...this irks me to no end 2) Our server was playing footsies with some guy in the corner 3) Salsa...tap water with salt would have tasted better 4) I ordered the taquitos...bland, too much sour cream, rice and beans are also flavorless...the salt shaker got a lot of use 5) My husband ordered the carne asada plate...no bueno. Meat was a cheap cut of who knows what that was obviously pan fried, no flavor, came with 2 tortillas. 6) Guacamole was odd looking, also flavorless. Save your money and go to Taco Bell. This place leaves much to be desired!
(1)Benhur B.
This review is a couple of months late but, better than never. Actually worth "0" stars. I used to kinda like this place until my last visit. I found a roach in my soda drink cup. Yes, after drinking out of it. Traumatizing. 'Nuff said. Don't do it.
(1)Taryn M.
The mele al pastor taco is delicious! I tried it once and get it all the time now. The pork is marinated and is very tasty. Haven't seen it on the menu at any other Mexican restaurants. Definitely recommend trying I'd you eat here.
(3)Alyssa M.
not a fan. sweet family owned restaurant but food was not good. won't be back, sorry.
(1)Alina K.
I highly recommend to NOT go there, The burrito we ordered consisted of only meat that had no flavor. Rice that comes with your plate tastes like they used dishwater to cook from. The beans are watery. What kills this place even more is the cost! Way over priced for the crap they serve. Also I think they microwaved the meat that they put in the burrito. Very disappointed....
(1)Jeremy M.
We had a "carnitas" burrito and chicken nachos. I've never seen carnitas served like this - it was cubed, dry and flavorless. The nachos were not that bad, but as mentioned their chips are burnt, cheese was plain and seemed like it was microwaved. There were others around us who seemed to be enjoying their tostadas, though, so I guess if you do end up here for some reason that might be the one to try.
(1)Jo M.
Wth? Don't bother with this place, everyone says it used to be good, sad. The chips! The 1st thing one looks forward to is that basket of warm tortilla chips and homemade salsa, sit down and BOOM start shoveling chips and salsa into your face. I couldn't do it! They screwed up the chips! ALL the chips in the basket were burnt! Dark almond brown, and acrid tasting! The salsa was nothing special, watery and lifeless. I asked our server for some chips that weren't burnt, she said they are all like that. Perfecto! I won't waste your time with more critique, suffice to say it was all downhill from there. My friend H.O.H.R. and I didn't even bother to take home the leftovers from our two half eaten entrees, that sums it up. Funny how there aren't very many good Mexican places in Hawai`i, especially when considering that Mexican food isn't hard to make. Conclusion: El Burrito is El Crappo! Ole! (yes i know "ole" is from spain, so sue me)
(1)Hannah H.
Just had lunch here and was very disappointed. We should have left after we heard the microwave timer going off the first time. It continued to be used for every meal that was ordered, including ours. Got the chili verde burrito and the chunks of pork were so big that it was hard to eat. Considering the name is EL BURRITO, I thought I was making a good choice with my order. Not so much.
(1)uilani c.
the food is always "on the money" when mama is in the kitchen. a typical order for us includes tacos (soft, flour tortillas) and chicken quesadilla. the food is tasty, muy autentico, and loaded with chicken (white meat). we hope that one day mama will add a chicken option to the tamales. food is delicious and well priced but parking is a drag.
(4)Sky T.
The recents reviews hit the nail on the head. I was there for lunch a few weeks ago. The food was bland and the chips burnt. We were the only ones there for lunch that day. A few days later, we went back to give it a second chance. What a waste. Although it was dinner time we were again the only patrons there. The food AGAIN, was bland and tasteless. In fact, the food was premade and microwaved before serving. I will not go back to this place ever again. They used to be so good years ag. Back then, the place was full and you often had to wait for a table. Too bad now....
(1)Kaipo S.
This place used to be great a few years ago, however, their food has really fallen off. Last chance I gave them, I ate the lamb and got a stomach ache for the rest of the day, haven't been back since.
(2)onefootlaulau h.
First of all, let me say that I am a HUGE fan of Mexican food, and have always mourned the somewhat dismal availability of quality Mexican here in Hawaii. Not to mention that most of the acceptable Mexican restaurants here tend to be overpriced (I'm wagging my finger at you, Compadres)... When you can get a quality bambucha burrito, a side of rolled tacos, plus 2 fish tacos anywhere in Southern Cali for $6, it really makes you wonder. But then there's El Burrito. One of the few Mexican restaurants in Hawaii that I can honestly recommend to a person who's had real Mexican food, and my favorite place to get what's emblazoned right on their sign: a burrito. My favorite is their (shredded) beef burrito, because the thing is big enough to be your only meal for the day, and it is absolutely STUFFED with beef. Not rice and beans and cheese with a few sprinkles of dry meat, but STUFFED. The meat is shredded, simmered in some proprietary stew of delicious spice, 100% free from fat chunks and gristle, and available "spicy," which means jalapeno slivers thrown in. Cover that with the guac mix, pour on their extremely excellent homemade salsa, and it's fiesta time in your mouth. Prices are all extremely reasonable (again, for Hawaii). The staff at El Burrito are terrific: friendly and attentive. They recognize their regulars and are part of the community, so it's not unusual to see a family come in and see their children run behind the corner and give the cook (the matriarch of the establishment) a hug. The only slight problem is that parking can be hard to find (heed the warnings and do NOT park by Arts Hawaii - those guys will call a tow truck before you even make it across the street), and the seating inside is limited. But those two small points should not deter you. On taste alone, El Burrito is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Hawaii. It just so happens that the prices are good and the people great.
(5)Edward I.
AVOID WASTING YOUR MONEY... I figured it's called El Burrito Cocina Mexicana, sign says 28 year anniversary, it's a hole in the wall, how bad can it be? I should have looked this place up before going and ordering two Carnitas Burritos for take out. I got home and my wife and I were seriously disappointed with the horrible quality of food. I have met very few plates in my life that I hated, this was one of them. The tortilla was stale, carnitas was very dry, flavorless, cubed pieces of white meat (cubed and white is just wrong), a spoonful of tasteless beans, a pinch of cheese, a pinch of shredded lettuce, watery guacamole and salsa on the side. Nothing was good about the burrito, you will seriously be better off going to Taco Bell. After reading several comments before posting this one, it's true...you do not smell any food being cooked fresh and I did hear a microwave beeping just a little bit before I was handed the burritos. We have lived in California most of our lives so we know awesome Latin food! My wife is also Mexican & Puerto Rican so there are numerous great cooks in the family. We have heard from several people that live here or visit frequently that there are no good burritos on the island and we hope that is not true and we don't have any more experiences like today. The only thing good I can say about the place is the waitress who took and handed me my order was very nice.
(1)David G.
Back in the day this place was pretty good but not anymore. I can't see how this place stays open seeing they serve horrible Mexican. Don't eat here; even if someone pays you! Run while you can...
(1)Al D.
I've seen El Burrito many times and have never tried it before now. There's no convenient parking lot and I've always passed it by on the road. When my S/O suggested we try it, I thought, sure, why not? I'm a huge Mexican fan and if I could unconver another jewel of a mexican restaurant I would be happy. Well, El Burrito, is not that jewel. In fact, it is an enormous lump of coal and I'm just hoping I don't get sick from my food. The chips were bland and BURNT! The salsa was pretty good, although I'm convinced it was the only fresh thing in the restaurant. My S/O said that the meat in his tacos tasted old and moldy. And I had vegetarian enchiladas that were made out of CAMPBELL'S VEGETABLE SOUP! I mean, really. Who does that - puts campbell's vegetable soup in a tortilla and calls it an enchilada?? The rice and beans were not bad, to be fair. But the entrees were big losers. And the prices were pretty high for what you get. I know for sure that the condensed can soup they fed me in my meal was cheap. I would not recommend this place.
(1)Dina N.
I really liked the special house meat. The taco was great. Not quite Mexico but the best Mexican I've had in a restaurant in Hawaii.
(4)Meghan D.
I love this place.It's hard to find vegetarian lunches and this place is great. My favorites; Taco salad, Guacamole tostada, vegetable enchiladas
(5)Daniel F.
Haven't tried the food yet but the service is excellent. Good thing I speak Spanish fluently.
(5)Peter T.
OK this place pretty bottom of the barrel even by Honolulu Mexican standards. Stopped by and got a chicken burrito and ended up with something that was basically a three day old microwaved chicken wrap that I threw half away. Supposedly there were beans in there but didn't see any, the salsa wasn't worth it's name tasting like the cheapest off brand jar you can buy, and ditto the guac. Make matters worse pricing not competitive for bottom barrel and no parking either. Will not repeat.
(2)KEVIN R.
The rudest people I've ever encountered on this island I grew up here too. I will make sure that I put this company on blast for how they treat people. To the lady that owns the place you are a rude person. I completely understand why you're to start having business is in successful. Block me in so I can't get out of the parking stall and tell me it's not your problem. I have 30,000+ followers on Facebook alone I will be posting all kinds of shit about your company
(1)Rian D.
Worst. Burrito. Ever. Small, dirty restaurant. Food was barely edible. Pretty sure they just microwaved some leftovers, as we heard them using one but never heard any pots or pans. Don't even think they have an oven. No joke.
(1)Brandon C.
I've been coming to El Burrito for years, and its still one of my faves in town. First off, some of the reviews have legit objections to the food and microwave-- for the nachos its mandatory to melt the cheese! Same for things like the hot tamales and quesadillas. Order something fried, and it'll be fresh, guaranteed. The burritos are not the overload of 20 things you'd normally get, and can be hit or miss depending on your tastes. But the Tostada Nachos are a winner, each time, every time. Flautas, Chimichangas, and taquitos are also all excellent choices. This place has some of the best guac I've ever had, but to each his own. I'd categorize this as "home style Mexican" rather than a Mexican restaurant. For the amount of food you get, the prices are very reasonable.
(5)Matt S.
This was my second or third time here. I won't be coming back. Most of the 2 star review are spot on about this Mexican joint. Today the only good thing was the salsa. Chips may have been a little stale. Rice was bland. Beans were bland. My vegetable enchilada tasted like they had drained the juice from vegetable soup and threw it into a corn tortilla. The potato chile relleno...had much to be desired. Most of the potato was outside the chille. They were out of green sauce. The red sauce was bland. Where is chef Ramsey when you need him in the kitchen? I won't be coming here again. Service was good though.
(2)