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El Azul Taqueria

4.3 (56 reviews)
ModerateTacos

Order El Azul Taqueria Takeout or Delivery

El Azul Taqueria Photos

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EL AZUL TAQUERIA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - El Azul Taqueria

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El Azul Taqueria in Palolo Valley neighborhood.
Fran C.

Yo, this Mexican joint is Legit Yo!!! I'm always down for Mexican & thanks to da Yelp app., I came across someone posting of some great pics of some Mexican grindages from El Azul Taqueria. Where is Al Azul Taqueria located??? This little "hole in da wall" restaurant is located in the heart of Palolo Valley, as there are two other businesses (a liquor store & Korean chicken wing joint) that are connected to this little Mexican restaurant (within the same building). The restaurant's menu is pretty simple, and they are known for their birria tacos. So it was pau hana Friday, and my homie - Nate Y. is always down for Mexican, so me & him heading out to this Mexican joint in Palolo Valley. Upon walking into the joint, I already knew what I wanted - as I wanted to try the taco plate (I got my tacos with chicken) with beans & rice. As for my homie, he got the grilled chicken burrito. What can I say about the grub? I can totally see why this little Mexican restaurant does so well, as they certainly churn out some onolicious Mexican grub! My three tacos were packed with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat & the black beans and Spanish rice portions were more than generous. As for my friend's grilled chicken burrito..........try look at his burrito. It was totally packed with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat!!! I was totally jealous of his burrito, and now I wanna come back here just to eat da grilled chicken burrito! Lol! Great service here, and they had a "help yourself" sauce station. May I warn you, da Habanero sauce is really, really, HOT!!! It's so hot it'll burn a new hole in your gut for trying to down a lot of that sauce on your taco! Lol! There is a small parking lot fronting this little Mexican restaurant, but the lot is shared by the Korean wing joint, and liquor store, so if you come at peak hours, you may have to look for street parking instead. El Azul Taqueria does a lot of walk in's, and I notice a lot of folks would come here and do a grab & go. The restaurant is small, but they do have several tables within the restaurant so you can eat here if you choose. Great service, & onolicious Mexican grub! If you haven't tried El Azul Taqueria yet, you're missing out my friend! Go chance 'em!

Guacamole $6 bowl looks deceptively large in photo but is similar size as salsa bowl (small)
Jannet L.

This place was surprisingly hopping right at 5pm opening - already a line to order with some doing takeout and some eating in. The gentleman at the register was very patient and kind and also happened to be the server. Working really hard. We ordered a variety to sample everything and decide if we would be changing from tight tacos devotees to this place. Long story short, we're not. The chips were excellent. Warm and crispy. The house salsa was fine. Not sure if it's free refills if you eat in on the chips like at TT. The pickled vegetables were delicious- sour, not too sour, not too salty, not spicy and plentiful for only $4. By far my favorite part of the meal. The guacamole was freshly made so took some time. It was tasty but the quantity for $6 was the same size as the salsa, a tiny bowl. The fish taco I had was overly seasoned. The taco al pastor was excellent and delicious. Plenty of onion, cilantro and beets on the side. This place does not skimp on the veg. The grease however gets the tortillas wet quickly and the taco falls apart quickly very messy to eat. The hub had the birria burrito. Very big portion with plenty of well seasoned meat. However overly pretty heavy. It wasn't bad or anything. But the limited parking, far location down palolo ave makes tight tacos the better choice especially bc the food at TT is a bit lighter and suits my palate better. They have some cool art on the walls here. The menu font could be bigger and more contrast with the background for my aging eyes. Overall it was fine but prolly not gonna go back.

Burrito
Kaile P.

I order burritos every time. And every single time, they come out a little bit different. I'm not sure why this happens since I don't make any modifications, but the food itself isn't bad. I ordered a steak burrito two weeks ago, and it was so good I didn't even get a chance to snap a photo. Can't say the same this time around...most of it is still sitting in my fridge two days later. The steak wasn't fully cooked, which is not something I go for in a burrito. It also lacked flavor and that "wow factor" I experienced last time. The meat wasn't seasoned well and honestly, it tasted like it was boiled. I will say, I really enjoy their verde salsa and chili salsa. They taste fresh and are packed with flavor! They definitely add to the experience, and I'd strongly recommend trying both. They rotate their salsas, so if you come often enough, you'll get to try them all! The service is good. I've received incorrect orders in the past, but the staff is always quick to make it right...unfortunately, I usually don't realize until I've already driven all the way home (lol). My only real complaint is the inconsistency in quality and ingredients. Sometimes, the food is amazing! But I can't say the same for each experience. If you check out my photos, you'll see burritos I ordered (on different days) look completely different. I'll have to stop by next week to see how the burrito varies from my last experience. You know, for research...and because I love an excuse to eat a burrito lol. Total before tip for two burritos was $32. Seating is available inside, but it's usually packed. There are cute little table outside too! Parking is available but it fills up quickly.

Outside
Serena M.

We got a tip about El Azul Taqueria in Palolo and decided to check it out. My husband loves Mexican food but it's so hard to find good quality Mexican food. He's from California so he's a critic to most Mexican food places. Most times when we go to a place, he's always like umm it's okay. His review of El Azul Taqueria was quite different. El Azul Taqueria is located on Palolo Ave which is right next to the Aloha Gas Station. They have a mini mart next to their restaurant. El Azul Taqueria is a small place which doesn't have a whole lot of things on their menu but they are doing well with the products that they offer. Since it was our first time there, I asked the worker what he would recommend. He said that he would recommend the Birria tacos or the el pastor burrito. I hadn't had Birria in a while so I got that. You can get combo plates for Birria. The combo comes with either three or 12 tacos and consommé and cheese. My husband and I got the three taco combo. We got my daughter two tacos of the grilled chicken. And we also got a side of rice, Birria fries, and a horchata drink. We got it to go because the place was kind of small. The whole ride home my daughter kept sipping up the horchata drink. By the time we got home there was only a few small sips left for me. When we got home to open it up, we were so excited to eat it. It all looked so good. We dug right into the fries. The Birria in the fries and tacos were on point. So delicious. The extra veggies to put inside were fresh and went nicely in the tacos. My daughter loved the Birria fries so much and she had a taste of my Birria tacos and she didn't want to eat her grilled chicken taco anymore. I tasted the grilled chicken one and it was still good also but the Birria is what puts this place over the top. We will definitely be coming back here. Everyone was just savoring every bite when we ate our dinner. We're already planning when we are going to come back.

Birria burrito
Amanda K.

They are about halfway into Palolo next to a mini mart. There is ample amount of parking. I had my two dogs with me so I had to bring them in with me and they were okay with it. The guy cooking the meat outside was so sweet and gave my two boys a piece of carne asada. I ordered the carne asada plate with rice and beans no cilantro. And it was delicious the meat was so tender and the tortillas they were in weren't flimsy and breaking they were pretty thick and they were filled generously with the meat. I also tried the Al pastor tacos but I like the carne asada better. And my husband got the birria burrito with guac. Definitely will be back to try other items.

Russel M.

From the same family who brought you Castro's. El Azul taqueria an authentic Mexican food place in Palolo. Run don't walk the food is so fresh.

Follow their ig.
Lily D.

New spot in a unsuspecting place in palolo. They're about 5 mins off the main strip on Waialae once you pass the mc Donald's. Just keep going up the road and it'll be on the right hand side right before a gas station. They are next to a convenience store which shares the parking lot. I was a little surprised to see that there was barely any parking, but I got lucky as someone was about to leave. I think most people tend to go in and out of here. El azul is brightly light and there was already 3 tables occupied when I got there. There was also a couple with a dog outside (there's 2 outdoor tables). But also keep a note that these tables outside is right by the parking so you might end up smelling car fumes and stuff and being right next to cars. But it is a nice dining option if you do opt to bring your dog with you. Inside it's clean and cozy with maybe 5 tables inside. Towards the end will be the menu and this cold bar that holds all their salsas. I opted for the Birria fries tonight for ($15) it came with cheese, sour cream, pico, guacamole. The food came out maybe 15 mins after ordering and I was on my way. Packaging was nice. The food was a little bit salty for me (well the Birria was). The cheese had a different texture that I wasn't use to like a mash potato consistency. It was a very mild flavor tho. Overall I thought it was pretty average. I think it was a little hard to eat since it was extremely salty, but I think this new addition to palolo area would benefit the community around them since there isn't a lot of options unless you decide to drive out to the main area of kaimuki. Also. This is the second restaurant that is owned and operated by Castros in Waikiki. I haven't gone there just yet but heard great things about it there from others. I may try other things instead In the future and give it another shot.

Drinks and Tres Leches Dessert
Myra G.

I returned and tried the vegan tacos!!! OMG! Best tasting vegan tacos. I'm for sure going back for the vegan option and I'm not vegan!! That's how good it is. I tried their tamale too. It was their special. That was tasty too but I was so surprised at how tasty the vegan tacos were.

3 Taco Plate
Janel O.

Came here on a whim as I was in the mood for a nice taco joint. The portions were very generous and I really loved the flavors. I tried tried the Elote, the taco plate, and chips and salsa. I would love to give five stars but unfortunately the undercooked pastor made me feel queasy while eating it. The salsa was so delicious, I wish they gave a little more. The rice was some of the best I've had on-island. I would love to give this place another shot, I'll probably just avoid the pastor. The service was super friendly as well.

Fresh chips
David T.

Deep in the back of Palolo Valley is a gem of a Mexican restaurant. Hard to believe that so many people found this place but it looks like they have a lot of regulars. The burrito was huge. No way i could eat it all and too difficult to pick up. The burrito is so wet that it was hard to eat with the decorative paper on the top of the plate. i ended up taking off the paper cause i was eating paper. The burrito and tacos were very good. Honestly i am not a big fan of black beans in my burrito and wish they had a refried option. The chips were crunchy and fresh but salsa was only so so in my opinion and tasted like a mix of pico with tomato sauce or paste. Other than that everything was great and grateful for another good Mexican restaurant. i will return.

3 tacos plate - one of each
Shay Y.

Food, service, and price point is pretty great at this tiny place tucked in Palolo valley. There are a few tables and they recently opened up a few more inside. There's a mini salsa bar (tasty!), and you can't go wrong w/ the 3 tacos plate. My favorite protein was the al pastor, covered with freshly cut pineapple - yummy, tender and good textures! The burrito was huge too. Chips & guac were great, so we ordered a 2nd one for the table. Will definitely be back!

Burrito
Steph C.

The burrito is huge and delicious. Try a trio of tacos. My favorite is the birria. Tip: everything tastes great but with the hot sauce it's even better.

Salsa sampler
Michael B.

This is it my friends -Taco Heaven. Absurdly good salsa, and all the proteins - Birria, chicken, and Al Pastor are done perfectly. Owners are a awesome and hard working and support local farms and vendors when possible. A very good place to spend your hard earned $$$ and your money goes far. A taco plate for $14 - in this economy?! Truly a hidden gem in Palolo.

Housemade chips and Salsa Verde

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Had the birria tacos. They were flavorful and a perfect size. They are generous with the meat in the tacos. Great lunch!

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Best burritos we ever had in our lives!!!!! So onolious!! The meat is so yummy and the tortilla is seared, so sooo much flavor.

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Ask the Community - El Azul Taqueria

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I came here on a Tuesday with my partner. He is very particular about his Hispanic food so we…read moredecided to try this spot out as it was recommended by many. It is a small to mid sized spot, but still has a good amount of seating. Some window bar seats, and then about 6 tables with chairs and booth seats. The service style is similar to a take out spot (so very minimal), they do ask if you're dining in or taking out, but it seems like you order, seat yourself, and pick up your own food. They would wipe your table down per your request though. Also to note, they have a $3 taco Tuesday deal but it is ONLY for specific tacos AND only during specific hours on Tuesday. We weren't specifically going for the deal so it didn't matter to us, but manage your expectations if you were looking for a deal (esp since some of their tacos are quite pricey) We ordered: * Steak Quesadilla: 7.6/10 This was good, decently cheesy and the carne asada was pretty flavorful as well. * Carne Asada Taco: 7.2/10 Since it's the same steak as the quesadilla it was pretty good as well. I feel like the carne asada has more Asian flavors and spices than Hispanic. It was good regardless. * Carnitas Taco: 7/10 This was good too, similar to kalua pork. * Baja Fish Taco: 8.3/10 This was pretty solid. The fish tasted like it was good quality and the aioli (same as the camarones) was good pairing with the taco * Camarones Taco: 8.1/10 I liked this quite a lot, the cheese skirt brought a nice textual and flavor contrast to the rest of the taco, I also liked the aioli paired with it. If it had slightly more shrimp it would be even better * Horchata: 6/10, this was okay, kind of grainy. I enjoyed everything, my partner on the other hand thought most of the things were just okay. The only thing he really liked was the baja one. Also we would both note that instead of being topped with cilantro and onions, all the tacos had cabbage on top instead? (some had pico with it, some had a little bit of onion). I wouldn't mind coming back but I think my partner would rather not.

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

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El Azul Taqueria - tacos - Updated November 2026

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