Barrio Cafe - Wahiawa
In short, tasty food, overpriced. 3.5 stars because of price and parking. Food is good though.
Came on a Friday afternoon around 12:30. Our first time here. The owner is the sister of El Pelenque, another Mexican food restaurant located a few blocks away.
Keep in mind this place serves a different type of Mexican cuisine. You won't find enchiladas, mole, or chile rellenos here if that's what you're looking for. Here is burritos, tortas, tacos.
It was crowded, so we were lucky to get one of the last two tables. By the time our food came, there was a short line of people waiting to be seated. There were lots of take out orders being picked up too.
The moment we walked in I was in Mexican food heaven. The delicious aroma of the food and spices brought my expectations to a whole different level.
Food first, logistics if you keep reading.
Food:
Street Taco Plate
I had the three choice combination with chicken, carnitas, asada. The chicken was a bit dry, and not much flavor. The other two were better. It came with two sides. The rice was yummy. The beans were just ok. I wish they had black beans instead. I did not think to ask.
Birria Burrito - wet
My friend wanted an enchilada which they don't serve, so she opted for this burrito (paid extra $1.04 for birria) and ordered it wet, with red sauce (paid extra $2.25) and green sauce on the side (paid another extra $2.25). I enjoyed the burrito. Carnitas, rice, cheese, pico. She asked for no beans. Lots of meat and flavor. I like that the tortilla was light and fluffy, unlike some heavy ones. I don't know if they make their own but it was good. See review of prices as you keep reading.
Churros French Toast
Breakfast is served all day so we ordered this as a sweet to our savory. Happy that they serve it in half orders. This was very good. Crisp on the outside, soft and almost custardy on the inside. I wish there were more sauce to dip it in but that would've been sugar overload.
Horchata
I was hesitant to order this at first because most other places I get it from is too sweet. A few sips would be enough. This one was perfect. The flavors are well balanced with the sweetness.
Price: It's expensive. For two plates, a half an order of a breakfast and two horchatas ($6 each!) it cost $70+. I think the horchatas were way overpriced so won't get those next time. The price of the side sauces were a bit steep too. If I'm willing to pay the price at the time, then I guess it's worth it at the time.
Kinda annoyed by the extra charge for the shredded beef. Shredded beef for tacos, nachos, etc. is not a new thing. Now there's a name to it, along with an extra charge for it. Too funny.
Also, $2.25 each for the extra sauces? I didn't think it would cost that much extra.
Will I be returning? I won't be a regular here. MAYBE if I am craving for a special something that only they serve I will return. From this first visit, there is nothing specific I would return for.
It's overall too pricey, parking is a challenge during the lunch hour, and there are MANY other Mexican eateries around. This is not the only game in town.
Location: This restaurant is on Kilani St., immediately next door to the Kilani Bakery with the famous brownies. Walk over to Kilani Bakery after lunch to get your ono brownies.
Parking: There are only 4 stalls in the front. Good luck finding street parking. We were blessed to get one in the front.
What to expect: You get seated. Order from a physical menu. Food is served in take out boxes which I think is a good idea in case you have leftovers.
Atmosphere: Casual. Chill.
Service: The wait for the food was about 10-15 minutes. Friendly service.
Side Note: My sister in law is from Mexico. I asked her about street tacos. She said "WHAAAT? Tacos is tacos. I don't know what is that street tacos." Hahahaha....best place for Mexican food is Isavel's kitchen in Seattle. read more