La Cucaracha Mexican Bar and Grill
2310 Kuhio Ave,Ste 102, Honolulu, HI, 96815
La Cucaracha Mexican Bar and Grill Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
2310 Kuhio Ave,Ste 102
Honolulu, HI, 96815 - Phone (808) 922-2288
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :12:00 pm - 10
- Mon : 12:00 pm - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Touristy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Lisa P.
If only I had looked this place up on Yelp first.... *Sigh* Into each vacation, a few tourist traps will fall. My hubby and I wandered into La Cucaracha on Cinco de Mayo, hoping for a little "Ole" to celebrate the holiday, as well as a little taste of home. What we got was sticky tables, inattentive service and an atmosphere that was more "Hotel California" than "Mexican Fiesta". Add in the lukewarm drinks and queso dip that had nary a pepper in sight and tasted just like that canned cheese they put on chips at Little League games, and we could not find our way back out soon enough. We continued our observance of our favorite Mexican holiday at Senor Frog's up the street.
(1)John O.
Just okay. Food is okay, if your hungry. Don't think they have any specials. As for the margaritas, well, they are way overpriced. I asked for a Cadillac and they did not even make it right. I told them that the Cadillac normally comes with a splash of orange liqueur (Grand Mariner). They said that they would have to charge extra. So, my margarita came out to $11 at a cheesy Mexican restaurant. Oh, by the way, the best margarita that I can find on the island is at the Beach Bar at the Westin Moana Surfrider or at Dukes Canoe Club at the Outrigger Hotel. If you get the one from Dukes, make sure you ask for the top shelf margarita.
(2)Emily E.
I don't know what the others are talking about. My husband & I stumbled across this place on our vacation & went back the very next day because it was so good. The service was friendly, but a little slow. The food rocked & so did the 'ritas
(4)Robert C.
I wasn't expecting much from a Mexican restaurant in Waikiki, but was pleasantly surprised. We must have had the best meal here, maybe because we had a late lunch and they were not very busy. We're from the west coast and know Mexican food. This was really good, huge portions, great service. Our waiter, Roy, was friendly and attentive. I say go and see for yourself!
(5)Ryoko Y.
This place is busy! The host sucked... However the food I ordered was quite good, & our waiter was really nice, friendly & attentive.
(3)Kim N.
If you want to get sick then go here. Omg, within 10 mins of our meal, my bf and i both got sick, and had to leave. Asked for the bill and geez, it's not even a cheap place. I would have prefered throwing my money in the beach then give it to this place. Horrible restaurant.
(1)Pippi L.
Went here with my boyfriend because we were craving mexican food. Although we were seated promptly, the service took forever and the food was horrible. My margarita was totally watered down and I didnt even get a decent buzz. Food was not even close to being flavorful.not cool.
(1)peter b.
Cool waitress Kim works at this intersting Mexican restaurant off Kuhio..decent food and nice mexican atmosphere make for a nice evening
(3)Lindsay C.
My review was for the Koa Ave location - I didn't know there were two!! oops!
(3)David G.
Lame name & lame food. All you have to do is open up a can of this and a can of that, heat it up, throw some hot sauce or salsa on it and call it Mexican food. That is what this ghetto place does. Their food is a joke & so are their prices. Run while you can...
(1)Liz T.
Why would anyone name a place The Cockroach? Oh, because the Mexican food here is as scary as a big one with airborne capabilities and a 40-egg capsule. Consider this a warning.
(1)Emily W.
If you could give zero stars, I for the first time ever....would. However, I would like to dedicate my single star to our server, who did a wonderful job considering the circumstances. It was obviously her boss who was oblivious to the term "customer service," We happened upon this place while on our honeymoon and had a horrible experience. After deciding to split something because of their insanely overpriced menu (not to mention that they charge for chip refills AND soda refills), we received the wrong item. We specifically asked for no meat and got taco's WITH meat. And not just any meat, some sort of mystery chicken meat. Last time I checked it's not supposed to be purplish brown. Needless to say, when we told our waitress this she told her manger and they were "unable to do anything." So, we spent $25.00 on a meal we not only didn't eat, but one that made my fear of meat increase ten fold.
(1)Syria P.
What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said. Take heed my friends to the 1 star rating. I should have Yelped this restaurant before I ate here. Once again my hunger got me in trouble. Or maybe I was just happy to see a Mexican restaurant directly across the street from my hotel. The indisputable sign that this place was not worth time or money was when our waitress openly disclosed to us that the food this restaurant serves is far from real Mexican food (she was Mexican). I wish she would have told us that before we sat our foolish tourists butts down in those sticky chairs. We left this restaurant feeling very small with a ridiculously large bill of $60+(all we ordered were meatless nachos, taquitos, and two beers). I quote, "RUN FOR YOUR REPUTATION & POCKETBOOK."
(1)Kevin M.
RUN RUN RUN! Just stay away. It's ghetto and over priced! $15 bucks for enchiladas? WTF? As soon as you walk in you'll notice that it's dirty. This place is a joke. Save your money and go elsewhere! This place doesn't deserve to be on Oahu.
(1)Rezzo S.
Ok, first off don't be scared by the name if you speak Spanish, just a joke name people relax. Second, the place has great Mexican food and atmosphere, the best I've found on Oahu and I've tried most of the others. Can't say I've eaten everything on the menu, but I'm ALWAYS happy with the chips and salsa (fresh and spicy), carnitas (crispy and tender), and micheladas/margaritas (refreshing). The only place that compares in Hawaii is Pancho & Lefty's on the Big Island.
(4)Ann L.
Aw, why all the bad reviews? I didn't think that this place was that bad. While craving some Mexican food in Hawai'i, the bf and I had walked by this place the other night, so when trying to decide on what to eat, I suggested this place. So we go in and are promptly seated. Roy, our waiter, was a little spacey, but helpful nonetheless. I ordered the California burrito with the Kalua pig... and the bf got their Mole. We both enjoyed out meals, I thought my burrito was a bit bland at first, but once I put some salsa on, it pretty much rocked. However, on the downside, if you want more chips and salsa, it's an extra $1.50. Boo. Who has ever heard of a Mexican place charging for chips and salsa?! Oh well.
(3)Julie C.
OMG! This place is the BIGGEST RIPOFF in Waikiki!!I know, I know, places are pricey in Hawaii. This goes waaay beyond that. Mexican food is cheap to make and sell so this place is just gouging, even by Hawaii standards. My husband ordered the 2 enchilada meal for $18. and I ordered the Flautas for $18. My husband's 20 oz. draft beer was $10. When the food came, my husband immediately said, "Wasn't this supposed to be 2 enchiladas. This is one enchilada." He stopped a waitress and asked and dismissively she said, as she walked away, "No that's two." As we looked at it, there was NO WAY it was 2 enchiladas! (If we had been at a taco stand where the enchiladas were $8, we wouldn't probably have said anything, but keep in mind this is $18!!) So we asked our waitress and she said it was 2, explaining some weird way they roll it with 2 strips of meat in one tortilla (I have gone over this many times in my mind, since I routinely make enchiladas and it never has made sense) Anyway, manager comes and explains it again, still saying it was 2 enchiladas when clearly it was not! Weird, weird! My flautas were supposed to be 3 ea., one chicken, one kalua pork, one beef. Instead it was 2 kalua pork and 1 beef. There were also supposed to be avocado slices and there were none. Someone needs to open a Mexican restaurant near La Cucaracha, charge normal prices and put them out of business!! Worst of all, their attitude is rude and dismissive. Needless to say, my husband left not one, but 2 zeros as the tip!
(1)Doris W.
Bunny and I were in Oahu for our honeymoon staying at the Hyatt. We just finished seeing Pearl Harbor and the weather was horrible. It was raining really hard and we were waiting to see when it would lighten up so we could get lunch. A few days prior, we agreed to check out this place and since it was in walking distance, we thought sure why not? We started walking toward there. The decorations on the outside looked nice. There were a lot of lights, making it seem like a happening place and fun. However, that was quite the opposite. Upon coming up the stairs, we were greeted by a server who told us to sit anywhere we liked. There was only one family there. I thought maybe because of the bad weather and the fact that this restaurant had just opened that there wasn't a crowd. We got our menus and the first thing I noticed on the cover was the extra charge for salsa. I thought, am I seeing this correctly? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. I didn't say how much but that the first round of chips and salsa was on the house and refills would be charged. I had to discreetly tell Bunny, otherwise we would eat up the chips quickly. After that, we decided to take our time. I contemplated what was so special about this homemade salsa that we would need to pay in order to get more. It tasted quite ordinary to me. I would usually order tacos and with a different meat for each in order to have a variety. I decided to go with Tres Amigos Tacos. As I read the description, I noticed in the fine print that meat could not be mixed and matched. This was a surprise to me. I've seen places where they charged more or would have separate amounts for each type of meat, but this was a first I've seen about having the same meat for each taco. That seemed a bit boring to me . I ordered a Coke and since they did not have that, I settled for a Pepsi. I didn't see pay attention to the beverage section to see if soda did not include free refills. However since there was an charge for more chips, then who knows what else could be charged? Our server came back with our drinks and it was in a large cup filled with lots of ice. My assumption was that it was non- refillable. On the upside, I didn't need a refill on my drink. At least Bunny's ice tea was refillable though. Bunny ordered a burrito from the "gringo" section. Being that we were in Hawaii, I felt that I should at least try something more Hawaiian, so I decided to go with the kalua pork. When our server came over to take our order and I noticed that she didn't write it down. She was going off memory but when repeating what I wanted, she forgot. That made me feel a bit uneasy. When the plates came, they were nice and hot. Bunny asked for some sauces and a variety of different ones came, ranging from mild to very spicy. I didn't use any, but Bunny did not seem to impressed by them. Since we were kind of hungry and wanted to get back, we just finished our meal. Our bill was cover $40. i wouldn't see myself coming back here during our next visit.
(1)Lonnie B.
Outrageous prices. Bland food. No free refills on chips. Staff was friendly enough, but not worth the price.
(1)Tess K.
I concur with everything all the other Yelpers have said: weak drinks, mediocre food, cheapskates with the chips. But I have another more pressing matter to address: I drank about half my water when I realized there was a bug of some kind, possibly a cockroach (not joking) in my water. His little legs were pointing up at me AS I took a sip. My stomach was turning. The waitress got me a new water, but no manager came over to apologize, it was as if this kind of thing is totally normal for them. When we get our bill, there's no "sorry about the bug in your drink" discount. Not even some small gesture like my drink taken off our receipt or my meal comped... something that would have been standard procedure in any other restaurant. When my husband talked to the manager, his response was basically "what do you want me to do about it?" Totally tacky and poor customer service. I wasn't even angry or upset until that happened. I should say he did eventually take less than 10 dollars off our bill, claiming it was ten-percent (it was a 170-some dollar bill for 5 people) so apparently the manager isn't good with math. The bottom line is these people don't expect your return service because they cater to tourists. In fact, they don't CARE if they get your return service. ALSO NOTE: After reading about some similar Yelpers complaints about bugs in drinks, I did call the Health Department to report the incident. I suggest others do the same. Those kinds of poor kitchen practices are not acceptable.
(1)Nathan M.
This restaurant may ruin your vacation. Remember that scene in American History X, where Edward Norton gets raped in the shower? Yea, that's how my taste buds and wallet felt as my girlfriend and I walked bow-legged from La Cucaracha. Our first clue should of been the name. It's named for a fucking cockroach! It's almost like this place is a bad joke that some rich Hawaiian is using to troll tourists. Our second clue should of been the grey-haired clientele. When no one eating looks like they've heard of an iPhone - let alone Yelp - run. Our third clue should of been the complimentary chips. Small basket with 15 grocery store chips and a cup of salsa. "Here you go ahh-mee-go-es! the first basket is free, the next one costs $1.50!" It's like a drug dealer... If drug dealers sold really bad chips with watery salsa. Our fourth clue should of been the "Waikiki's best Margarita!". Hint : If you order a well margarita and can't taste the crappy tequilla - you're either on an undercover TV show or you're at La Cucaracha. I don't even want to talk about... I *can't* talk about the food. It makes me so painfully sad to think about the flavorless old gym socks they served us for $30/plate that I've taken up the ukulele and started writing poetry to ease the pain. La Cucaracha is a horrible, horrible place. Run away. Run far, far, away.
(1)Andrew S.
Very satisfactory food and margaritas but outrageously priced for mexican food - as can be expected in Waikiki. Margaritas were great with a good selection of tequillas - but they were small in volume. I really can't take it when mexican places charge for chips and salsa - a cardinal sin. The first batch is free. Quality - good. $10 for a small side of guacamole - geesh. The brightest spot - the kahua pork crispy pork tacos were outstanding. Two stars.
(2)Ryan B.
Omg my soul hurts. Why is there no choice for zero stars? Giving this place a star is an unforgivable injustice to all those restaurants that actually deserve a single star. It was my idea and I dragged a friend here. I feel so much guilt - the kind of guilt that lasts a lifetime. It was that bad. Why is the mexican food in Waikiki so terrible? What was right? 1. The service was fine for Waikiki. You can pay a lot more to be antagonized. 2. That's all. What was wrong? 1. Chips and salsa. A child's portion. $1.50 for refills. They claim it's the quality that makes them charge for refills. Absurd. 2. ALL of the food that we tried. Small portions. Terrible flavors. Another reviewer said that Taco Bell was better. It's not even close. I'm pretty sure that there were grill shavings in my chipotle burrito. The only doubt I have is the denial - and maybe a bit of lingering hope. 3. The price. WAY too expensive, even for Waikiki. You get better value out of the sandwich cooler at ABC. 4. The dancing cockroach mural on the wall is beyond disturbing. Somehow, I think it's maybe even a little racist. Your quest for mexican food in Waikiki may take you to La Cucaracha. When you step through the door, just know that they hate you -before you even show up. They've actually built a menu and an entire experience to show you how much they hate you, and it's clearly a labor of love. You'd have to have a profound contempt for your customers to own/operate this place.
(1)Christina L.
I hate hate hate writing negative reviews. First, I'd like to leave a good review for our server & the kitchen for fixing my meal that I wasn't 100% clear on. When I said "no beans" I should have specified not on the plate or in the Chimi. I take responsibility for that. I had a new plate in under a couple of minutes. Thank you! I'd also like to leave great review for the manager who tracked us down 2 blocks after we left to return our credit card we left behind. Thank you for that! The food was ok - I'm not expecting any great Mexican food in Hawaii - I was just in the mood for some greasy, cheesy food. Some of the things I didn't enjoy: 1. No Skinny Margaritas - I can't have the sugar in sour mix 2. No Pinot Grigio :( - so instead of a festive experience, I was left to drink unsweetened ice tea. 3. The drink menu standing up on the table was sticky/greasy - may just be a pet peeve of mine. 4. The complimentary chips were delivered with the phrase "First basket is free - if you want more it's $1.50" Obvious this is something the owner wants his customers to be clear on. Hear it 20 times throughout your meal while they repeat the phrase at each table...puts a girl on edge. I started forgetting about my meal I was craving and started thinking about my wallet. I stared my boyfriend down as he was chomping on the few chips thinking, I hope he doesn't want more! 5. When you think Mexican, don't you think Sour Cream, Guacamole, Cheese? How about a Chimichanga without anything - I asked for some Guacamole on the side and I should have asked if it was included as a condiment...when we got the bill that dollop was $3. Dining out is supposed to be fun & happy experience - I felt like the staff was controlled by the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. Looked like it was mostly tourists in there - so he/she doesn't have to worry about repeat business because there's a new group of people every day. These locals, however, will not be going back I'm sorry to say. I really hope the owner reads his/her reviews. I would have sent this privately to the manager could I find a website for them. Bottom line - if you want Mexican - wait til you get back home if you're on vacation - or go to the North Shore
(2)Michael P.
Gosh some reviews can be down right violent - yikes! Listen sometimes you just want some goofy Mexican Food and a Margarita Damn-it! And that's what I got for lunch last week - and I was so satisfied. Margaritas pack a punch (I always get the "top-shelf/Cadillac" what ever Mexican-Dive I meander in to...and these were yummy I am sure I had two... and the chips were fine salsa was that tomatoey red style from a jar - whatever - just bring me my Margarita - and the fish tacos were yummy for sure - the prices were fine just fine for a dive spot in Waikiki - I mean its Waikiki - I did go for lunch and the crowd was NOT cute - I won't describe them but not cute - though the waiters were super "friendly" if you know what I mean which made me feel at home and comfortable... And I am sure if I wanted to go out and party that night they would have been helpful - which is always nice that you can count on the "network" when you are out and about .... But otherwise Margarita ON!
(3)Tiffany Y.
This review is based solely on the food because some friends and I experienced it in take-out form. The stuff is microwaved and greasy as shit....straight up! We all have stomach aches and nausea which makes me wonder about the cleanliness of the kitchen. I think this place would be great for a new episode of "Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares"
(1)Giovanni A.
You seriously charge extra for chips and salsa, to "maintain the product?!" Seriously, I've been to thousands of Mexican restaurants and not once have they ever asked to charge for more! It was crappy chips and salsa on top of it! The food was ridiculously priced, the waiter was terrible, the restaurant was empty. The taquitos were dry, the tacos were very bland and soggy! Avoid!!m
(1)Cathy P.
After eating for six nights in Waikiki we headed back to this place where we had been before...maybe 8 years prior. It's cute Mexican kitsch. Now, yes $18 is expensive for a combo platter...but this is Waikiki and I can't even imagine what the rent is here. So it is slightly overpriced, but the food was flavorful...like lots of flavor so I'm not sure what everyone is complaining about. They were very busy when we were there and the service was a tad slow but nothing too bad. They did serve my 11 year old a kids meal quesadilla even though the kid's meal says only up to age 11. At is was perfect and plain like he likes it..so score for that. I had the cuca tacos combo and it was really good. My husband had the carnitas...very good. My older son had the beef burrito and he really liked it. It would have been nice if they refilled the chip basket...kind of expected at a Mexican place but they didn't. Would we go there again...yeah we would.
(3)Beverly K.
We were not that impressed with our queso or burrito. Our server didn't seem to care about us at all. She was not very friendly either. The restaurant atmosphere was cool, but the food and staff really brought their rating down. Our waitress seemed annoyed when we asked for water and was stingy with giving us extra chips.
(1)Jenny K.
I expected the Mexican food in Hawaii to be pretty bad. But I've been to a few places that actually had passable Mexican food. This is not one of those places. Uncooked pinto beans, mushy flavorless rice. The salsa was ok, it probably came out of a jar. I had the pacific tacos, and other than someone forgot to season them, they were okay once I added salt & pepper. I was dining solo and my chip basket contained about 10 chips. They are obviously portioning to save money. Those Waikiki rents are high! My service was pretty good, hence the 2 stars. I implore u to not waste your money here.
(2)Karen R.
Worst Mexican food ever! I ordered the tortilla soup and it tasted like it was a day old. I did not eat it but sent it back. Service was horrendous, it took them like 10 minutes to get our drink order and the restaurant was mostly empty. Don't even bother going there is awful and overpriced.
(1)Terrell L.
What's in a Name ??? Well when it comes to my appetite apparently it does have some affect. The Cockroach ! I couldn't get past the name of this place, Sorry !
(1)Emmett B.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS! First of all, you're in Hawaii, you shouldn't even be going here. You should be sipping on Mai Tai's for happy hr across the street at the Hyatt. There margarita's are a joke.... a big joke. They don't put the margarita's in a normal size margarita glass and it taste even worse than Chevy's. I think they use some cheap margarita mix w/ some really cheap tequila. There food is a joke. I got the hot wings and they were almost bite sized, and no meat on the bones at all. I repeat do not order their hot wings. The hot sauce that was drizzled over it tasted like canned tomato sauce. Lastly, there happy hr is a joke too! $5 for queso dip is a rip-off. and $8 for a nasty-ass margarita... rip off.
(1)Joshua B.
This place is reminiscent of Midwestern Mexican Restaurants. Seems more about the theme than the product. I've been spoiled during my time living in San Diego, and my notion of what Mexican Food should be is not this. It wasn't horrible, but also not great by any means. Overpriced and a little bland. If you're looking for Fish Tacos there's at least 2 other places better than this nearby. South Shore Grill, for example. Well, I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for good Mexican Food. If you're on vacation from an area that doesn't have it to begin with, this may be the type of place you're used to. I will say the service was good. Very friendly. The drinks were good too, but also overpriced. My wife and I still haven't found a truly amazing Mexican Restaurant on the island. This was definitely not it. I suppose I'd recommend this if your nearby and don't feel like walking.
(2)Victor O.
I know it's a song, but who would eat at a restaurant named La Cucaracha?? Maybe that's why it only has 2 stars.
(1)Tim H.
My wife and I were in the mood for some Mexican food when we were on vacation in Hawaii. So we walked around and found this place. It looked pretty cool from the outside so we decided to give it a try. We sat down and ordered our drinks and dinner. The service was kind of slow for the amount of people in the establishment at the time and the music was kind of loud. The I got the beef fajitas and my wife got an enchilada. Neither of us were impressed. If I am ever in Honolulu again, I will seek out a different Mexican restaurant or just miss out on having a Mexican meal. Perhaps I am just spoiled in that I have a lot of Tex/Mex restaurants in my area so maybe it's just me. Give it a try and see what you think.
(2)Emma C.
If it were possible to give a place 0 stars, I would. Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. Our waiter was friendly enough. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me preface this by saying that even though we live literally yards away from this place, I'm not that local that has a problem paying the tourist-y prices for tourist-y places. This restaurant is a block from the beach. Of course the prices are higher. Of course the whole restaurant is not aimed at repeat customers (however much I disagree with that). However, when a place has only decent food, questionable management, and absolutely atrocious drinks, I get a bit ticked off. My margarita was disgusting. I can't speak for the unflavored ones-maybe those are fine-but my raspberry one, which I ordered for happy hour (woo hoo, one whole dollar off the price) tasted like one of those slushy style drinks you get in Vegas in those giant holders that make you violently ill the next day (true story, btw). So disgustingly, sugary sweet. It was blaringly obvious that no real fruit was sacrificed in the making of that margarita. I did not finish mine. For our meal, we ordered a smothered shredded beef burrito (we received a shredded chicken one...) The burrito in and of itself was perfectly acceptable, although nothing to write home about, but definitely not worth the nearly $15 price tag. You get one complimentary (small) serving of chips and salsa. Each additional basketful is $1.50. Dafudge?? What I mentioned earlier about the questionable management arose out of my amazement that servers loitered about, plainly doing nothing in full view of the patrons. I understand that sometimes it is slow, but it's dang unprofessional to hang about on the balcony looking out at the street, regardless of whether we need you for anything or not. Either look busy, or do nothing in the back or the kitchens, out of everyone's sight. I was so disappointed, because I wanted to like this place due to its very cool ambiance and convenient location. I would strongly advise you-local or tourist-to stay away. There are far better places that are just as convenient to the beach. Whether or not there are any other Mexican joints, I really couldn't say. Probably not. That's likely why La Cucaracha stays in business. That, and like I said, they don't need repeat customers due to their location in the middle of tourist-ville. :(
(1)Rachel V.
I cannot express how much this place f'in sucks donkey balls. I'm not even kidding. The food is terrible, drinks sucked, apps sucked...I guess the only thing not to whine about was ice water. Over priced. Lousy. Disgrace to Mexican restaurants everywhere. Why waste good money, A S*ITTY BURRITO WAS $15 mind you, when you can go to Duke 's down the street and get their bad ass salad bar for the same price ALL YOU CAN EAT. Also, there is a fabulous Hawaiian plate joint right below! F that place, go there...go anywhere!
(1)Jessica M.
Despite the horrible reviews, I must confess that I had a lot of fun here. Yeah, it's a bit expensive, but it's Waikiki. Okay, the food isn't the greatest...but it's Mexican food in Waikiki. The service was great and friendly to the point where we were practically taking shots with our waiter. The owner was a lively, older lady who ended up telling us about her world travels and directing us to the best karaoke spots in town. The drinks were good, the food was okay, the chips and dip were yummy...I really can't complain. I would go again for sure.
(4)Alison R.
Over priced for the portion and quality even when taking the location into consideration. BF and I stumbled upon this place our first night in Waikiki. We figured, why not? I should have checked Yelp out first. Lesson learned. To start. Everyone gets a tiny basket of complimentary chips and salsa to start which the server was kind enough to mention and it's posted on the menu. I can see some people not catching that and then get surprised when there's $5 added to the bill. I tried a passion fruit margarita and he had a rum and coke. The margarita was meh. I wished I had ordered a beer instead. For food I ordered the pacific fish tacos he ordered the chicken chimichanga. I got two wee sized fried pieces of fish on corn tortillas with some verde sauce. I thought - Really, that's it for $15? No cabbage or tomatoes could be spared to dress the taco...? BF said his chimicha was ok but overpriced by about $5. If you're craving Mexican food I think you could do better elsewhere.
(1)Melissa R.
Do not...I repeat..DO NOT waste your time or money stepping into this place. I had to leave a review so that others don't make the same mistake I did while being on vacation. My fiancé was super hungry and wanted to eat here. I told him we should yelp it and I should of gone with my intuition especially eating at a restaurant that is named after a cockroach lol!!!!! We started off with drinks. I ordered a Michi which is simply clamato juice and Modelo beer. The guy brings out some green concoction that I took one sip of and seriously wanted to spit it out. Then we order food and lord let me tell you the dish reminded me of the food that was show cased on Hell's Kitchen and I have to admit I'm being somewhat nice to even compare it to that. I could only imagine how dirty their kitchen is omg!!! After they brought out the meal I couldn't eat it and was anticipating for the bill to come out just to leave this dump. The $60 bill came out, I saw two old innocent old women who sat down and who definitely have never heard of YELP. I felt it was my moral imperative to tell them to run as fast as they can and never look back and I did just that. Fortunately, the two innocent victims got up and left because they knew we were being genuine and honest. After paying for a meal we didn't even touch we spoke to the manager and asked how on Gods green earth does he stay in business serving food like this. He replied, "you guys are from California, you can't compare Mexican food in Hawaii to that." I then thought to myself the only comparison to this food that was served was pretty similar to Cesar dog chow...if I had a choice to eat this food or to try dog food for the first time I would rather try the Cesar's dog chow. At least I would know what to expect. Please if you see this restaurant run and never look back!!!!!
(1)Jerome B.
La cucaracha no me gusta. The blare of mariachi music tickles the ear of the casual tourist and walkers by in Waikiki. The bright lights from the little stringed bulbs on this second floor establishment like a light house's beacon to returning ships, beckoning the curious to its flicker. Then you spot the name, LA CUCARACHA... (say it as if you're mentioning Lord Voldemort's name, with awe and apprehension all rolled into one)...you're hooked. "Mexican food in the heart of Waikiki, let's try it!" These must the words that have fated thousands of tourists to this siren's trap. Once you enter the siren's lair, you are subject to their whims. We ordered a large nachos for $25 DOLLARS! Actually, it was more like muy pequeno, the portion was SOO small. You can go to Round Table Pizza a block away and get a nachos grande for $15 less, and get twice as much food. For shame La Cucaracha. The entrees ordered by the rest of the party also had small portions for triple the price. Even the beer was overpriced at $6 a bottle. Furthermore,the chips and salsa they gave came with watered down salsa and because of their small portions we ran out of the nachos fast, and they charged another $1.50 for a refill. Wow. La cucaracha no me gusta. So after eating the food there, instead of feeling satisfied, I felt swindled and hungry. La cucaracha no me gusta.
(1)Brock B.
I noticed a lot of Yelpers say this place is expensive. That is true but I don't mind paying more for good food. I love to eat. But this place is so disgusting I wouldn't eat here even if it was free. Even if they offered to pay me to eat here I wouldn't do it. This place was that bad. The service sucked too despite this place being empty. I should have known that with such a great location and beautiful open patio for a restaurant to be so empty it had to be bad. Before we ate here my fiancé wanted to Yelp it but I was so hungry and getting cranky I didn't let her. Worst mistake I made. Speaking of how hungry I was, a fried shoe would have tasted good to me at this time. That's how bad the food was at this place. I didn't even finish my dish. After years of watching episodes of Kitchen Nightmares I just know the food had to come out of a disgusting kitchen. There was only two other couples in here that were pretty old and you can tell they never heard of Yelp otherwise I would have been the only moron in this place. After eating here I refuse to eat anywhere new without Yelping it. I don't care how hungry or cranky I am. Btw my beer sucked too. I don't know how they pulled that off. Maybe they rarely clean the taps which if that's the case is gross. I would say this place is probably only good for bottled beer however I am sure they would find some way to screw that up also.
(1)Joselys L.
this place gave my best friend and i "food poisoning!" pls do not go there, i already called the department of health and they should be swinging by at any time! we ordered our food and it literally came out in less than 10 min! i shouldn't never stopped in that place after a beautiful day in waikiki beach! it totally ruined my day the next day! dont go there!!! (unless you want to experience a very very painful food poisoning. :""( !!!
(1)Daniel B.
I see lots of bad reviews but I had a great meal and the price didn't seem bad for Hawaii. I ordered the Island Fish Tacos and thought they were delicious. I walked out for $27.00 (tip not included) for the tacos and 2 draft beers.
(4)Remington G.
Alright, so my family and I were determined to get some Mexican food and unfortunately this was the only one we could find nearby. Thankfully we weren't that hungry so we didn't spend that much, but if we all had a dish I think it could have bankrupted us. It is soooo overpriced. Now I know that it was in Waikiki so things are more expensive, but at least make the food good. The food did not taste fresh and it was really bad for what it was worth. I think the worst thing about it was that there wasn't free refills on the chips and salsa. On the menu it says the first refill is free, but subsequent ones are not because they want to keep up the "homemade" quality. This is a joke, because their salsa tastes like the ones you get from the jar and the chips are nothing special. The hostess said that their chips were better than Chevy's, but it's more like they were exactly like Chevy's... except they have better salsa. Didn't even bother with the free refill because the chips were so bad. Try to stay away from this restaurant, please...
(1)J J.
There should be something less than one FULL star. If you have ever ready my reviews you will know I usually only review places that I like.....HOWEVER, I will make an exception here. My husband and I travel to Hawaii alot for business and we LOVE Mexican food. Being from So Cal, we feel like we know Mexican Food, and honestly it is hard to screw it up real bad. This place has figured out how to take Mexican Food and just destroy it. I got tacos, HOW DO YOU MESS UP TACOS?? Let me tell you, you cook the meat in pure salt, then put no cheese on them. It is horrible. The only way you can like this place is if you live in the mid-west and have no access to solid Mexican Food - and for those of you that fit that.....don't waste your money. In Waikiki you are safe with Italian food, seafood, Ramen, Sushi, Hotel Beach Bars - NOT MEXICAN. Save that for your trip to CA.
(1)Mandi Kay A.
First night in town so we were looking for someplace close. It looked fun because it had a porch and it was all lit up. Guess were just attracted to shiny things... Reading the reviews now i guess it was expensive, we though so also but it was our first restaurant and sort of just thought thats what we were to expect in hawaii. Our server was from Virginia and she was very sweet and prompt. Food came out FAST. I mean 5 minutes it seemed like fast and it was nice and hot. Decent food. I had the Rollo Pollo (chicken wraps). I def wasnt hungry afterwards and only my dad finished his entire meal. So atleast the portions were decent. We didnt drink, but i was looking at their "happy hour" prices and they were about 5 bucks a beer. 7 dollar reg drinks. :/ Not awful. Nothing i could get for dirt cheap in Indiana where i'm from...
(3)Kevin D.
The food was ok, not great not bad. They definitely are cheapskates on the chips and salsa. They give your first one for free then charge for additional, which normally I would not complain about. But the free basket only had about 12 chips, so for our party of 3 we each only got 4 chips. Weak!
(2)Mitch S.
Food was ok... Way over priced charges for every little thing. Server was less than pleasant over simply bring bottled water in & having it setting on the table. They do not offer refills on anything other than iced tea. But the price of a soft drink is still just as much. The chips cost extra after the first basket, which only has maybe 15 chips in it.. Won't be back over priced for what you get.
(1)Kelly M.
Ugh this place is awful. We waited 10 min at our table before a server even stopped by to get our drink order. It was not busy. The tacos I had were literally dripping with grease and my friend sent her food back. We will not come here again.
(1)Carl Y.
Rude or just indifferent? Went out of our way to get to this place - huge mistake. Food was reasonable - although I've never paid $20 for a burrito before and hope never to again. it really fell apart with the service. Host didn't bother seating us or even wish us well when we were leaving even though we walked right by and the place was almost empty by then. No one put condiments on the table and it took almost 15 minutes for someone to take our order even though there were as many waitstaff as tables with people. Same story with checking on how things were after the food was plopped in front of us. The only time anyone was friendly was at the end when it came time to calculate the tip. They even had the nerve to figure out what a 20% tip is for you. Very nice. They also advertise themselves as "gay friendly" I think the only ones who got worst service than we did was the male couple across the room. The worst service of anywhere I've been to in the state.
(1)Megan S.
My boyfriend and I are avid Mexican food lovers from the mainland and were sorely missing some Mexi while staying in Waikiki. We're from Seattle so you can throw a rock and hit any of 5 great Mexican restaurants at any given time. My guidebook, Oahu Revealed, suggested this spot and it was only a couple of blocks from our hotel so we decided to check it out. Its Tuesday night and the place is hoppin', but we swiped a great table on the patio overlooking the street. Nice view and a light breeze. You could see a little ways down to the beach. I loved the atmosphere, all jangly lights and what not and the waiter was super nice. After we ordered he asked if we liked hot sauce. Why yes! He dropped off a few different bottles of various hot sauces. Nothing super fancy, but it was a nice tough. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and the boyfriend got the chile relleno. We both ordered La Bohemia cervezas. Now, when I order fajitas in Seattle I expect a sizzlin' plate of veggies/meat and tortillas on the side so I can build my little tacos. Here, I got 2 tacos already made up with the shrimp and some yummy green sauce on top. Lots of rice and beans that were great too. So although it wasn't what I expected, I was happy. I wish there would have been some veggies, but I left full and good. The boyfriend's plate was delicious too. The egg was nice and crispy fluffy on his chile. We did both remark that this joint is definitely Mexicana por gringo. Eh, we're gringos in a foreign land. It was all good. I think the atmosphere of the place is what we liked. Mexican in Waikiki. Called The Cockroach. Hilarity!
(3)Anne B.
Less than okay food and completely over-priced!!! Wow! I'd be willing to pay pricey if the food quality matched but this was far from the case. For the same price range, I recommend Cha Cha Cha on Seaside across from Ross Waikiki. Otherwise, go to Sam's or Costco and spend that money to buy bulk Mexican food that you can microwave or cook in the oven, because the food here tastes just like that! The 1 star is entirely to acknowledge the service that we got. Otherwise, I'd give this place zero stars!!
(1)Brenda L.
Wow!!! So ridiculously overpriced and food that is not even edible. Go someplace else.
(1)Kay A.
Walking around Kuhio Ave is no easy feat when you're tired, hungry, and in need of sustenance. My friend and I were having trouble finding a spot that caters to vegetarian diets so we happened upon La Cucaracha. Mexican food is easy to vegetarian-ize and we needed something cold to drink after soaking up the sun. The server was kind and she talked to us about her life in Hawaii and how her family loves it there. That's one of the things I look for in a restaurant - service and friendliness. I'm one of those people that love to talk to strangers... I want to know who's making my food and serving it to me. The food was decent enough. We got nachos w/o meat of course. Nothing spectacular, but not too bad either. All-in-all, A-OK.
(3)Devon S.
Thank to the power of the iphone and the glorious yelp app, i will now be giving you an "as it happens" review of this mexican eatery. Just sat down as its a "seat yourself " joint. - 15 minutes in. Place isnt very busy but i have yet to see my server. Not good. Oh wait. Here he comes. - Just got the complementary chips and salsa. He took my drink order, so far not too bad. - Have finished the chips. A bird decided to take one for himself and fly away. Moocher. Im now people watching as i wonder where the hell my Pepsi is... - Drink finally gets here and he takes my order. Chile relleno and cacu taco (corn shell taco with shredded beef and topped with green salsa). Lets see how long it takes. Meanwhile, there is a HUGE marriage party going into the Hyatt across the street. Wow, that must have been some wedding. - Foods here. Didnt take that long. Excuse me while i dine. - Man, everything is really, really bland. The chile, the taco, the beans, everything. Im talking no seasoning at all. This is pretty bad. - Total bill came to around $20 and it was not worth it. - Final verdict is two stars. 2 for the food, 2 for the service and 5 for the great view of the ocean. That averages out to about 2.5 or so, yeah? "S"
(2)Bryan E.
The only reason this place gets one star is because ZERO stars is not possible. Don't stop...RUN...FAST...to anywhere! This places makes Taco Bell look awesome. It took 20 minutes just to order a drink after being sat. We never did get the standard chips and salsa. Fortunately, we never ordered dinner after witnessing the widespread service problems. It didn't stop there though...when we tried to leave it took forever to get our bill because they only had one computer working and the servers were all standing in line to use this one machine. We estimated our bill, left money on the table, and couldn't get out fast enough.
(1)Terry B.
My wife and I ate here on Friday, September 21st, 2012. She happened to see it while we walked through the Waikiki neighborhood looking for a decent restaurant to eat at. I will say that the food and service both, were good. In looking at some of the other posts, some commented that there was only "10 chips" in the chip and salsa basket and slammed the restaurant for that. My only comment is: this "chip and salsa" was complimentary and was a taste-teaser, so to speak. If you liked what you had, for an additional $1.50, they'd bring you a FULL basket of chips and salsa. I had the Juanitas and my wife had spicy shrimp. We both thought our lunch was delicious. Granted, it's more on the pricey side but that is a given when one is eating in Waikiki. What do you expect when you're eating in Waikiki? You pay for the atmosphere and location.
(4)Glenn G.
Good location and decent food but it is a tourist trap .... TOO Expensive. The base prices are high and then they nickle and dime you for things like extra chips and salsa. Take the money you would spend on tortilla chips here and spend it on gas to drive to Cholo's in Haleiwa (North Shore)
(2)Jason G.
An average Mexican restaurant in a great location.
(3)Jessica E.
Gross food that is WAY over priced. They charge $3.00 for chips & salsa and there are no substitutions on any of the dishes, this is printed on the menu. In addition to this the manager got into an arguement with a customer in front of all of the guests and me & my family had to walk out. Horrible.
(1)Leslie G.
Ok I can understand some of the bad reviews, especially complaints about the price. But you're in Waikiki. I haven't found a single thing in Waikiki, except perhaps at an ABC Store, that isn't overpriced. It's all about the location & that's half of what you're paying for. As far as the food, it's good by Hawaii standards. We are only in the past, say, 10 years or so seeing a real influx of Mexican food. What I don't understand is why do people travel somewhere only to eat a cuisine that area isn't known for, & still expect it to be as good as what they're used to? It's the equivalent of someone from China eating at P.F. Chang's & then writing a review that the food isn't authentic. Well ... Duh. Most Mexican places outside of Waikiki are also pricey, so I wasn't surprised when I saw the menu. I was surprised to see such nice portions. The food was good & got to our table very quickly, which was great because we were starving. The service was also wonderful. Our waitress was friendly & helpful. I'd go back.
(4)Paul D.
Horrible! Overpriced! Tourist Trap! Over Charge you for everything! Avoid at all costs!
(1)Larita P.
I am surprised by the yelp reviews. I can't say this is the worst Mexican place I've ever been to. It was decent. We split a small beef nachos (It was huge!) and an order of chinampas (uh Mexican egg rolls, I had to laugh). We each had a margarita. Our server, Estela, was very nice. She's from Puerto Vallarta. That's in Mexico- a real live Mexican in a Mexican restaurant! Exotic! The staff seemed a little frazzled all evening which seemed a combination of satisfying customers' seating arrangements (mind you they had already been there an hour and more people were coming that they didn't tell the staff about and they expected to seat them on the already crowded outdoor patio) and a table of (eventually) teary-eyed, runny nosed Japanese men wanted their fajitas extra spicy, which sent toxic spice smoke throughout the restaurant, causing everyone to choke and cough. They also closed at 10:30 which I though was a bit early for Waikiki, especially since they continued to seat people at 10:20pm even while they started cleaning, moping and setting chairs on the tables in the interior dining rooms, oh and turned out the decorative lights and turned on the overheads (goodbye, ambiance). Since all of these things did not directly affect us, I say La Cucaracha (unfortunate name) was ok.
(3)Katherine C.
Man, I sure wish I had yelped this place before wasting my money and time here! We had just arrived in Waikiki and were really hungry and decided to just settle and eat here. The waiters were not friendly, food was HELLA expensive, and it was not even good. I can get better food at Rubio's for 10 times cheaper!
(1)Mark E.
My friend and I live out here and tried this place out last night. Right when we walked in it seemed like the staff seemed a bit put off. Our service was really bad and the food wasn't anything that great, especially for the prices. My friend got the burrito and I got a taco salad. The food did come out quick, so I'll give them that, but maybe it was because it was already prepared and they just nuked it or something-haha. The waitress only came by once the entire time. There are a lot better Mexican restaurants on the island that I would go to before I would try this. I wouldn't recommend it at all.
(1)Christine W.
The family and I were on our way to Me's BBQ down the street, but it was closed on a Sunday evening. Hungry and wearisome from walking, we thought we could grab an El Toritos style dinner @ the the festively decorated 2nd floor La Cucaracha..........what a MISTAKE! $15 for a burrito + rice and beans? ...No thanks. For prices that high, you'd think the food would be much up to scale...I'd rather go to Taco Bell and get 15x the food. The chicken is dry too. Yeah and I echo whoever said $1.50 for another round of chips and salsa. Ridiculous...they should be complimentary. They're located on a very convenient corner and the decorations are festive, but keep going down Uluniu Ave and eat at the Korean restaurant Me's BBQ instead for a much worthy meal.
(1)Daven D.
Save your money. Just go drink a bunch of sea water and then shove food in your mouth. That would have probably tasted better than the food here. Instead of putting salt in the food, this restaurant has decided to put food in the salt. And the chips were cooked in oxidized (aka old) oil. yuck!! Out of our group of ~14, the majority did not think the food was good. Some thought the food was passable, but nothing to write home about. The service and the margaritas were good, tho... and the cockroach art on the wall was funny. but that's about it.
(1)dive d.
It has to be labeled a tourist trap since no one would return there after the first experience. To start with the walls and menus were the filthiest I have ever seen in a working food estabishment. How the health department hasn't closed them yet is beyond me. Food is expensive in Hawaii, I have lived here and get that, but this was ridiculous. $25 for nachos! If the food was just expensive that would be one thing, but the small portions were sad. If a mexican food place that won't refill the stale chips sounds like a fun place that bring lots of money and don't worry about having room for desert because you will leave hungry. Our waitress was very nice and the bad food was served quickly.
(1)L O.
Ugh! I SHOULD have checked Yelp before coming to this place. What a waste of time and money! We should've just gone to McDonalds on the next block and it would've been better food. Even the FOOD TRUCKS taste better than this expensive garbage! For someone who came from San Francisco, where we have kick ass Mexican restaurants, we have standards to compare this to. Let's go with the positives first: friendly service, good atmosphere, nice patio seating overlooking Waikiki Beach.... It ends there. This was around the first week of December. We stumbled upon this restaurant since it was less than a block from our hotel. When we were seated and given the menu, we were shocked at the prices! $18 for a burrito?? Are you kidding me?? But since we already started eating the chips, we figured we'll stay. We thought maybe it's expensive because it was hella good. WRONG! My boyfriend asked if they had Arroz Con Pollo, and the server had no idea what he was talking about. She suggested something else instead (a meat plate, not chicken). I ordered some Carne Asada plate (for like $22), and I asked for no beans. I got a plate of spanish rice and carne asada. No salsa, no color, just the rice and meat. The carne asada was not grilled - like it was boiled or something, and looked funny. Just this brown meat on my plate. My boyfriend sort of got the same thing, except his meat was cut into strips. Same colorless plate with the pale meat. We looked at each other, and I said to him, "What the hell is this? What the hell is THIS?" We sucked it up and ate it, but didn't finish it because the taste (or lack of it) was worse than the way it looked!! It just got better and better.. *roll eyes* Our bill for the garbage? $70, ladies and gents. That's for the 2 $20+ plates and a couple of drinks. I think regurgitated food would've tasted better. We swore that we'll never come back, and I swore to YELP it. Maybe because Hawaii is so far from Mexico that the food had nothing Mexican about it....
(1)Ray E.
Over priced below average Mexican food and the service was slow.
(1)Greg B.
Great food. Seriously. The pineapple salsa is to die for. The price however is ridiculous. I went there with 2 others for dinner, it was $98.00! Yes, $98, AMERICAN DOLLARS. We each had a normal plate of food, The Kahlua pork plate x 3. Each had ONE drink, two Michaladas and one foo foo drink. BOO!
(2)Adam F.
Avoid. Tourist trap. For four people eating an entree each and sharing an order of queso, the bill was close to $90. Even soda refills are extra. Food was okay, but portions are way out of line with the price.
(1)Jess K.
How are there 2 locations of this place? It is sooo horrible, expensive, and disgusting. They should be shut down!
(1)Emily M.
My friends and I were walking along our first night in Waikiki and we stumbled upon La Cucaracha. Despite what my fellow Yelpers say, I quite enjoyed the food. What kept me coming back for more was their margaritas. The margaritas were delicious and cheap. I highly recommend theme for cheap happy drinks as well as decent food. The atmosphere was pleasant and the service quite friendly!
(5)Erin H.
We were craving mexican food on our recently vacation to the island of Oahu (end of May 2009) and found that La Cucaracha was the only option in Waikiki. We were seated promptly and the place is just a little hole in the wall with decent food and great atmosphere. If you sit outside you can see the beach on Kalakaua, but if you sit inside you might get a little toasty as it appears the ventilation system inside the restaurant is only the windows leading to the outdoor seating area. I paid $7.50 for a regular margarita which was very delicious and strong. The Super margarita was $14 but I didn't have enough room for that one. We had tacos & flautas and were pleasantly surprised at how authentic/tasty the food was. If you're looking for a fancy mexican restaurant look elsewhere, this place was really laid back and small (big parties might be harder to get in there if they're busy). If you're looking for AMERICANIZED-mexican food, also go elsewhere, that might be why people are complaining. Most people are convinced that places like Chipotle (while still delicious & tasty) are serving "authentic" mexican food, and they're wrong. I will agree the prices are a little bit pricey for a mexican restaurant in Waikiki, but I didn't have any issue paying what we paid for dinner. The food was good, the service was great (even though our waitress was a liiiittle spacey), and the atmosphere/location was perfect. I personally had the gringo (chicken) tacos which was served with rice & beans and I was very full from this meal (hence the reason I couldn't go for the 2nd margarita) and my boyfriend had the beef flautas which were huge and very filling (even though he usually finds himself still hungry after a meal). I would hardly call this place ghetto or prefer to eat taco bell over their food. If you're staying local to Waikiki and crave some mexican food, this is definitely the place to go.
(4)Monica M.
This place was expensive, it was $40.00 for two people and we didn't get any drinks. The food is sub-par, Mi Pueblos (a chain) has much better food and much better prices. You get very uninspired Tex-Mx without all the annoying flavor of a good restaurant. For this disservice you are charged an arm and a leg. The waitstaff are friendly, but that is not enough to overcome being thoroughly underwhelmed in every other manner. Honestly, the food might be as good as Taco Bell, but imagine the value menu costing $10+.
(1)Sarah R.
Never again. I was in Honolulu... craving mexican food... and despite the name of this place... it looked rather inviting. The man who greeted and seated us was very nice... and the chips and salsa were pretty good too. I was getting a good feeling from all this... Until I looked at the menu. Holy expensive batman!!!! Never ever have I seen Mexican food this pricey. The waiter comes to our table and I ask if I can just get a bean burrito a la cart. He tells me they don't do a la cart. Ok.... So I ask for a bean burrito with beans and rice. He says they don't do that. I can order the chicken burrito and ask for it without chicken. Sounds good right? Wrong.. the chicken burrito is 15 dollars. Am I going to shell out 15 dollars for something I usually pay 5 for? No. Not even in Hawaii. I ended up getting this vegetarian roll thing.... it was like mexican food sushi. Very strange. The entire thing had ZERO flavor. So I asked for guac... and that didn't have much flavor either. Very disappointing. Aside from the chips and salsa.. this place is pure crap.
(1)sandy v.
TOURIST TRAP!! if your goal is to have a good margarita, then this is your place. however, if your goal is to have good food - this is not the place! outrageous..... a burrito for 13 + dollars??? charging per tortilla??? ridiculous. their rice was ok, the beans were not good. i had the prawns with a sauce. the sauce was good but the prawns were not cooked with the sauce - thereby making it with no flavor. don't waste your money. if you are in north shore - hit cholo's - excellent mexican food.
(1)Mako S.
we love thier Kalua pork brrito;) it is tasty! and we orderd Jalapeño cheese (forgot actual name...) was also so good! prrito is always huge to me, so i took the leftover home and it was still yummy next day. we didn't try all of them on the mienu ;p but they are good. I would like to come back there again;)
(3)nick b.
I couldn't find this place on Yelp when I was looking with the Mobile application. I wish I had. We were in Waikiki this past weekend and had a craving for Mexican. We found the place advertized in one of the local LGBT rags. So we decided to go. The Atmosphere: The place is decorated in Mexican chintz and I agree with one of the previous reviewers that the floors, tables, and seats were sticky. The restrooms are down the stairs, outside the restaurant where you need to enter a code to open the door. The facilities were in poor condition, dirty and smelled. I'd expect this after an entire night of beer drinkers watching a football game, not at 8:00pm. The Food: We started with the appetizer, Uno, Dos, Tres - This dish was layers of beans (like out of the can, not refried) shredded chicken and cheese. It was very watery and had no flavor. I had the Kalua Pig, my partner had roasted pork. They were $1 apart on the menu and basically the same dish. The Kalua pig was wrapped in a Ti leaf and served with a pineapple salsa and salad. The pork was served with rice and refried beans. Both dishes lacked any real roasted flavor and required a few squirts of lime to bring them up. I was surprised to see this on the menu "First round of Chips and Salsa is on us, after that we charge." I've worked all over the USA and have never seen that. Now given that Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific maybe the food costs are higher, I'll give them that. I was also surprised to see the offered Fajitas with Cheese on them. At the end of the meal I found myself wishing I hadn't eaten there. The Service: Our Waiter looked like Robbie, played by Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond. He took the order and no sooner had put down the appetizer when he returned with my dish. He said the "the kitchen was moving really fast" that night and asked if I wanted my meal now or did I want them to hold it in the kitchen. He blamed the problem on a 10 year old point-of-sale system (POS). I suggested if that was the case that he put in the Appetizer, wait a while then go and enter the meal. It seemed all too complicated for him. The table next to us was three Senior Citizen couples that insisted on many photographs of them eating their meal. At one point they gave the camera to a waitress/Hostess who felt it was best to lean over our table, while we were eating to photograph them. All without even asking "Would you mind?" or even a "Please?" that was just plain rude. Overall: I'll give it a one star mostly because I'm being generous. I think the attitude there is "We service tourists, you don't like it, too bad; there's more tourists coming after you!" Thank goodness for YELP!
(1)Lizzie C.
For what it is, it's way overpriced. You'll get subpar food with service of even lesser quality. At the time it was okay, because I just got off a five hour flight without eating anything and had no idea where I was or where to find food (that wasn't fast food, anyway). I ended up here somehow. My tacos were meh. The rice and beans were really good, but it's pretty hard to mess up rice and beans.
(2)Leonel M.
Walking late at night the streets of waikiki Honolulu looking for a place to eat when my friend spoted "the roach" a mexican restaurant but being in Hawaii, mexican food wasn't really our first choice but the place looked promising, colorful lights, good music, and a waiting line, always a good sign, so like the many other lost souls starving on the streets of waikiki in search of a place to eat we were lured like roaches to the cucaracha. The food was decent but nothing to write The Nevadans about, besides when we looked a the prices we decided to only order some appetizers...lots of them and get drunk instead. The drinks were good and so was the food but alcohol tends to make my tastebuds less critical and to make my meals more enjoyable. Service was great. Sooo good that the waiter tipped himself, I would've tipped him more but since he figured On his own that he deserved 15% that's what he got. We did feel insulted by the auto-gratuity charge specially since we weren't told ahead of time. There was only four of us, If they're going to charge a service fee they should have it posted on their book of rules....I mean on their menu. No soda refills No chips refills No salsa refills 15%for service I had a great time here thanks to the margaritas, fun atmosphere and the company of my friends. I would probably return but not necessarily for the food. You know what they say...1 cucaracha = more cucarachas. Aloha! \m/ \m/
(3)Bledar D.
We as a family eat at Mexican restaurant often but this one was a bad choice: Overpriced meal ( 2 tortillas $25) It was supposed to be crispy tortillas but they were more like a rotten leaf The chips and sauce that are free everywhere here you only got half basket for table and second one is charged to your bill.
(1)Nic N.
Please save yourself and your stomach by avoiding this place. This place holds true to its name(the roach). I can easily say this was the worst "Mexican" food I've ever had. Also very over priced for the portion size. And where in the hell would you get a side avocado for $6.00. I ordered the island fish tacos and I almost cried because they were probably just some microwaved battered cod and spent about $20. Sad excuse for Mexican food :/
(1)Steve C.
Went here hoping for some good authentic Mexican but left disappointed. Way overpriced but being in Waikiki beach it's not surprising. Considering the quantity and quality, it was very disappointing. They even charged for the chips and salsa that every other Mexican restaurant provides gratis. The best part was the $5 margaritas. The salsa they brought to the table was very fresh. My mole enchiladas were dry and bland. Probably the least enjoyable version of that dish I have ever had. Oh well, live and learn.
(2)Nancy V.
If I could give 1/4 star to this place, it would still be too high. Very expensive! Horrible food, the worst excuse of fajitas I have ever been served. What? No chips and salsa? "Only in request". Really? Beans were not cooked, greasy, soggy chili rellano. Don't do it folks, we did the research for you. Not worth it. So disappointing.
(1)Shena Z.
First timer. Went in they sat us right away. Tables were really small which is odd for a place that has huge plates. Food was good. Taste pretty basic. Nothing spectacular. But TBH the prices do not Match up! Way too pricey! All in all would I go back? Yeah I guess if I wanna spend all my money.
(3)Yolanda R.
Bad waitress, Bad food and the ONLY one negative Review I have to write for Honolulu, HI. I would stay away from Mexican foods while vacationing in Hawaii, especially if you are from California, there is so much more to ENJOY... anyways, I blame myself for going there with my boyfriend, my fault, my bad idea! I thought the "name" of the restaurant was cool :(
(1)Lisa A.
This restaurant was lucky it pouring rain so we ran in to eat & dry off. Food is over priced, tasteless and lacked presentation. It was nice of our server to separate our checks for the table without attidue.
(1)Lane O.
Only Mexican restaurant I've eaten that charges for refills on chips and salsa. Chips seemed stale and from a bag. Salsa was good.
(2)Cedrick W.
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!! PLACE DOESN'T EXIST! tried to find it to try out the food and ended up looking like an idiot wandering around. They turned the restaurant into a japanese restaurant called Murakame Udon.
(1)Arnold T.
Me: Yo! What's up man! I went to this Mexican restaurant called La Cucaracha. What's that mean? Spanish speaking buddy: Means "cockroach", but it was a nickname for a famous female figure that led the charge in many battles in the Mexican Revolution Me: Wait...what? They named the restaurant "The cockroach"? No matter where I go, Bun and I get a hankering for Mexican food. Rather me more so than her, without a doubt though she loves her tacos. Near the Hyatt Regency where we were staying, we saw this restaurant with some rather appealing décor. Understandably assuming, Oahu may not be known for their Mexican food, a couple red flags rung itself glaringly. I started to dig right in when the chips and salsa came. At first bite of the average at best mushy concoction, Bun whispered something to me. CRUNCH, CRUCH, CRUCH..."what?" I replied. Bun had to repeat it a few more times with gaps filled with sighs and rolling eyes until she pointed to the front of the menu. By this time, almost half of the chips were already gone I mind you. It said something to the degree that their house made salsa is not refillable. Extra servings will be an extra charge. I haven't seen this before. Thus appears red flag number one. Red flag number two reared its ugly head out when we went through the menu. Ordering our drinks we found out their fountain soda in the back is non refillable. Why? How much does it cost to refill a coke? Bun usually gets her tacos with a variety choice of meats. Kalua pork as an option is a very interesting one. Yet, allowing the customer to choose only one type of meat for three tacos shows inflexibility. I ended ordering a wet chicken burrito from their "gringo" section. (Yeah, they call it that.) When our food came you could tell, freshness wasn't their forte if you catch my drift. My burrito was a bit little watery and cold inside. Still my plate was hot. Bun's tacos were somewhat ok, but got incredibly boring fast. Especially since they only allowed one choice of meat. (Did I mention that already? Oh yeah, I did.) The multiple selections of hot sauce given to us poured out like ooze. Like the stuff that turns normal turtles into ninja turtles. Texturally and color wise, it was that disgusting looking. As forgettable the food was, the bill was not. The area may warrant higher prices, but the prices were really expensive for product quality received. Last but not least, the final red flag is the name of the place. They are called La Cucaracha, meaning the cockroach. Aren't cockroaches synonymous to a place that's dirty? It still befuddles me. Displaying an energetic layout inside that may attract a casual consumer, eating here may generate a feeling a being tricked. The lackluster food fails the more with the exaggerated prices. Cutting expenses should not be so blatant where it sacrifices the satisfaction of the customer.
(1)Steve M.
I wouldn't even give this place a star, but I couldn't get on the review site! My family and I went on Cinco de Mayo to celebrate. First of all the tables were dirty and not wiped down. The menu, in my opinion was marked up for the event. The average dinner meal was between 22 to 25 dollars. For Mexican food a ridiculous price! We order our meals and some drinks, chips with salsa, avocado. The drinks were watered down, the chips looked like they were out of a bag. The salsa was out of a jar. I'm not a food snob, but I have had much better food from a Taco Truck in Chico, CA where we live! Don't waste your time here a bad experience!
(1)Sam S.
Pro's: Close to the bench, outdoor seating, and happy hour specials Cons: My service was very slow. I was never greeted. My server never told me drink specials. I also was never offered chips and salsa though I saw it was free on the menu. It took a solid 5 minutes for the server to come take my order. It wasn't even busy. My food came out hot and quickly, however it was nothing I would go back for. It was also nothing I would pay $20 for either. Also I used the bathroom. Old, outdated, and downstairs outside of the restaurant.
(1)David C.
Might be over priced, and a horrible happy hour menu. But the food is delicious for not being authentic Mexican food. I had a Kailua Pork Burrito and my wife had the blackened salmon burrito and both were delicious. Great server from Arizona that brought humor and great suggestions throughout the meal. Definitely will be back the next time we're there.
(5)Pamela H.
Yep. Disgusting. Gross mole sauce, watery beans, funky tasting rice. Waiter was an idiot. Learned my lesson: read the reviews BEFORE you sit down.
(1)Brian A.
God awful Mexican food. It was also overpriced and the service was lacking, not that good service would make this place suck any less. I would rather crush my testicles in a vice than eat at this shithole again
(1)Mike E.
I ate here on my honeymoon and they took me to the bank. First off I'd like to say I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that charges extra for Cheese. I ordered chicken tacos and they did not have any cheese. At $17.99 for 3 small tacos I figured like 99.9% of all Mexican restaurants, the cheese would come with the tacos. The basket of chips was small and they charged $1.50 for a new basket. When they offered me a soft drink refill I asked if refills were included and they informed me there are no refills. So I decided we'd had enough and cashed out. The bill was $44.97 before gratuity. If you like being taken advantage of... This is the place for you. I honestly can't believe they're still in business. I wouldn't eat here again if it were free.
(1)Chad G.
Never again, greeted by host ok, walked past server. Gave her the same look she gave me (fake smile). Total attitude, very straight forward in her tone of voice and actions. She should rethink her career choice. food is ok. Overpriced! Feels like something happened in the kitchen, that I should know about. Something that might give me a cold sore in my mouth. NEVER AGAIN. Should have gone to Cha Cha Cha's.
(2)