We got together for a family dinner. My wife, sister and brother. Our mom used to love Mexican food. Back in the old days we used to go Mama's Mexican kitchen. It was so good and always had a line waiting to get in for dinner. Quite the opposite here. We got there at 6:45pm and there was only one table besides us eating dinner. I didn't notice anyone ordering take out for pick up. Tanisha was our waitress and she took really good care of us. Yeah it also helps that we ended up being the only ones there eating. I really hope that this was just a really slow night because their food or what i ordered was really good. First Tanisha brought out chips and salsa. I like their salsa but i need a little heat to it so i added the hot sauce. I got the 3 choice combination plate. 2 shredded beef enchiladas and a steak relleno. Not too many places offer shredded beef. It's usually ground beef and i don't care much for that. The shredded beef is really tender. It's so soft and with the corn tortilla and enchilada sauce just blends so well. I like it as it's very delicious. The steak relleno is really good too. The only complaint I have is about the Spanish rice and refried beans. They were layered thin so it's really not that much. Being the cheapest items to make i would think they would give you more so you would be really full. I just wish had more of it cause it's really good and compliments the enchiladas and relleno. It's not about the rice and beans tasting good cause it does. I just wish had more of it. Then comes dessert. I love fried ice cream and they make it really good here. Perfect way to end my dining experience. I'm really happy coming here. The food i ordered was delicious and Tanisha is a great waitress. I highly recommend eating here for Mexican food. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the menu which i should have. The menu not only features what's available but also what's in it. A description of the entree choices. A few of them with pictures of the entree. Really good menu. Just sorry i didn't take pictures. My bad. read more

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Recommended by a friend while in Aiea. Parking is limited so I went about 1:00pm. Place is typical Mexican ambiance and homey. There was only one person when meet at the door. Said that we could sit at any open table. First time there, she gave us time to look over the menu. Good selection, one is ground beef which one of my dinning companion likes. Chips and salsa right off the back. Mmmmm. 1) Cheese Burrito plate. Very good. 2) Taquitos plate. Crunchy, not over cooked. 3) Tamale / taco combo plate. I loved that the taco didn't crack in half when I bite into it like some other taco places. 4) Ground beef chimichanga. All plates comes with Spanish rice and refried beans. Pros: Nice portions that would fill you up. Food came hot and fresh. Con: Maybe it might have been me but, I would have like more chip and salsa. There was only one server, so service was slow or maybe it was the kitchen. Not sure. I hate these 3% charge card when paying for your food. Would I go back? Maybe. It's close to where I live and it's not as crowded as other places that are more known. Parking is easy when I went. I like that my crunchy tocos don't break apart when you eat it. read more

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This restaurant is my go to for a great Mexican food fix ! The servers and cooks are always happy and friendly! I've been coming here for years and this is my very first post . read more

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Love their food Excellant everytime my new favorite Mexican papaya& avacado salsa is a Must Very hard to find authentic salsa & etc I go 1 a week now lol Ambiance small hope in the wall vibe but nice music food Awsome that's all I care about Super service ! read more

I really wanted Mexican food today for lunch so I found this place on Yelp. It had mixed reviews but decided to give it a try anyways. My husband & I decided to get take out. We order 2 plates and a bunch of sides. Ended up paying $70... which is crazy. I got the carne asada plate. It was honestly so bland... no flavor at all. I was super disappointed. No seasonings, no nothing. Position wise, it was a pretty big steak. But they weren't so generous on the rice and beans. My husband got the mariachi taco plate and his tacos tasted pretty good. We also ordered a side of rice, beans, salsa & salsa Fresca. I was shocked that my plays didn't come with any salsa, so it's a good thing I did an order of salsa. The salsa wasn't even spicy, it honestly tasted like the Tostitos salsa chip dip. They were very generous with the rice and beans. But they skimp out on the salsa Fresca. Literally was 1 small spoon in an 8oz container. I'm a big lover for Mexican food. Living in the mainland & moving back home, it's difficult to find anything compared to their. But this place idk I didn't really like it :( maybe I need to try it for dine-in and try something else on the menu. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Side of salsa Fresca - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

The food is always consistent and I love their chile rellenos and tamales! I always call in for take out and it's always ready when I get there. read more

Small little place in Aiea. Food was good! So much meat in the burrito !!! The horchata was one of the best on the island!!! Loved the soda choices as well. They have a really good extra hot salsa if you ask. Service was good no issues. read more

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Our go to spot for chimichangas in the Aiea area. We've been coming here for years now. However, since it's closed on Sundays we haven't been back in a very long time. The reason we always try to get our fix on Sundays is because my Mom loves enchiladas and we have family dinner on Sundays. She loves spending time with us over food! With that being said, we finally got to try this place on a Friday because the hubby was craving a chimichanga. Not every place has this on a menu so, he was excited to get his fix! We ordered take out and called our order in ahead of time. When we picked up our food, my hubby checked to see if everything was correct. He said it looked really good & fresh. By the time we went home (less than 10 minutes), the chimichanga was no long crispy which isn't the restaurant's fault at all. We both ordered the beef chimichanga plates. I thought the beef was tender but in the salty side. I do love that they include sour cream, pico, and sour cream as well as Mexican rice & refried beans. They are needed to combat the salty beef. Overall, my hubby's craving was satisfied and the food was pretty good but, I'm not sure I'd go back again. The hubby said he'd try steak instead of beef next time. read more

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Very good food! Everything we tried was very well prepared and tasted great. We had the garlic shrimp to start with and it came out with large garlic pieces. The asada plate and asada tacos were amazing. The wait staff was very pleasant and the restaurant while small was inviting and clean. Highly recommend!! read more

The service was great. We went during a slow period and we receive lots of attention. The food was ok. It wasn't anything that stands out and/or makes me visit again while on vaca. I would return again though if someone asked me to. The food seems authentic and there's enough menu items to choose from. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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We went for dinner an early dinner, and I'm so happy we found this place. I know a lot of people are snobs when it comes to Mexican food, but everything we had was delicious, the service was fast, and that staff was friendly and attentive. Cute little Mexican decor too. Place is close to where we live, and it'll definitely be our "go to" spot to fill the Mexican food craving read more

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A really great go to spot for Mexican food with good service, located down the road from aiea shopping center. read more

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I tried this hidden spot for the first time and wow! I inhaled my food. I got the Chile relleno with shredded chicken and grilled jalapeños and everything tasted super yummy and I got pretty full off the single portion. Food felt fresh and serving size was perfect. Def reccomend. Nice little spot. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Chile relleno with shredded chicken and grilled jalapeños - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

A nice option for Mexican neighborhood take-out. Thoroughly enjoyed the shredded beef chimichanga plate. It's covered in sauce so it won't be crispy when you eat it, but the sauce is really tasty. I love that it comes with some guac, pico, and sour cream! It also comes with rice and beans which were amazingly delicious, I could've eaten those two sides by itself. The burrito adobada was good too. The price was reasonable for the complete plate. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Burrito plate - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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love the adodobada, everything here is ono. We have been coming here for years and the food is always ono

I came in around 11:30am on a Friday and was greeted promptly by a friendly lady. She said I could choose any seat since it was just me and another table. Water, chips and salsa came out really fast and since I knew what I wanted, I gave her my order right away. It took maybe 15 minutes to get my food which was not bad. I had ordered the chicken enchiladas and carne asada tacos w rice and beans. The beans were REALLY AMAZING. The rice was a little dry but flavor was good. The meat in the taco was seasoned really well. Like that meat in a mexi bowl would be so fire. The prices were good. It wasn't expensive. Wish they had some sort of soups during lunch time or a lunch combo plate would be nice I'd come again over lunch since the place was not so busy. Parking can be a hassle though. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Carne asada tacos w shredded chicken enchiladas and rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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It has taken me a while to write this because I'm always about being fair for the consumer who reads my reviews and decides whether or not to eat at a place I've visited. Menu: not very clear but it is a huge menu. I can't eat pork so I make sure the server is aware. Three of us came here bc our favorite Mexican place was closed and we had ordered online for pick up last year and the food was good. Chips were warm but it's like the rationed the amount. Plain lightly salted -it was okay. The salsa was simple nothing special. I ordered guacamole in hope to have a better taste -it was very bland. Certainly not worth the $. We ordered the Carne Asada fries -server asked if we wanted pico ( did not say it was an extra charge). For lunch I ordered the Mariachi tacos ( I prefer hard shell). I selected one chicken and one shredded beef., Chicken taco was soaked so by the time I picked up the taco to eat, the shell was soaked and fell apart. The beef was tasteless-no flavor at all. My daughter ordered a Chimichanga (steak) and it was a disappointment. No flavor whatsoever it's like no spices were added to the meat., it definitely did not look like the photo. Lastly my friend ordered taquitos -4 chicken is what she ordered. Considering we were hangry we remained patient. My friend asked to make sure the. Chicken is well cooked. Never was she asked if she wanted red or green sauce. So when the food came out my friend's Taquitos looked undercooked. She's battled Food poisoning so was being extremely cautious. We Called over the server and explained the situation and asked to have it fixed. She also told the server she didn't know the sauce was green versus red. Our server who's been Great! Took the dish back. A few minutes later another server whom we think may be the lead, came to ask us, I need to understand what is the problem with this dish?? My friend explained the chicken telling her it's pink and she can't eat chicken when it's undercooked. This person seems upset that we would send something back. She proceeded to say in a tone of irritation, " I need to know what is wrong with the dish so I can let my owner know. This is what it is supposed to. Like like. The chicken is slow cooked so it is not undercooked. Her attitude, approach and just that chip on the shoulder pissed all of us. It took a lot to refrain from yelling at her -again we explained the problem she turns away, goes back to the kitchen and we heard her say, "she said it's undercooked . She's not happy -make her happy". She came back with the dish & by now my friend wanted to leave- told her never mind and she proceeded to say, "the next time you order you need to know there's nothing wrong with this dish. This dish is served with a red sauce not green and you need to say something. Well we would have if the initial server was clear about what we were ordering. Frankly her approach annoyed us -she wasn't interested in what we had to say. Fix her attitude; fire her and fix your food because it was really really bland. read more

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Campeon burrito my son and I both ordered was totally awesome! Delicious and the meats were moist and flavorful!! Fried ice cream was unforgettable! Service was fast, friendly and very helpful! Parking was convenient and plentiful. The ambiance was very very nice! They played nice soothing music and seating was comfortable not packed too tight!! Coming back!! read more

2 years ago I came to this island coming from California. I stumbled upon this place and the food was amazing quick service to sit down, food came out quickly and server was very nice and attentive. I hope that one day this place gets popular on island so they can get more customers. I tried the tamale and I nearly cried it was something I can say that brings me comfort. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Three combo and Pork Verde The combo plate has a steak burrito A pork tamale in the middle and Chicken Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Do not recommend. Went in for takeout at 1:30PM. One customer dining in. Ordered two tamale plate and chimichanga plate. Tamales were blah. How about some salt, pepper, garlic?! Same with chicken in the Chimichanga. It had no seasoning and the Chimichanga was mostly tortilla. Refried beans runny, sour cream on the verge of curdling and guac is definitely not homemade. Two plates for nearly $40. And the free chips and salsa? Apparently not when you take out! Overall, terrible. Go to Wahiawa! There are several good Mexican restaurants there and the prices are more reasonable. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Very sour cream, fresh pico (not), and runny green stuff which is supposed to "our fresh guacamole." - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Probably the best Mexican food I've had since the start of COVID. Very authentic flavors, welcoming staff, and reasonable prices. Casual but clean atmosphere. Left well fed and happy. No alcohol but did confirm they allow BYOB. If this was in California it would be pretty good but in no way exceptional. But its in a strip mall in the outskirts of Honolulu, a city with a long history of somewhat less than mediocre Mexican food. El Mariachi II far exceeds that low threshold. read more

Well, Mexican food, good Mexican food, in Hawaii seems to be rare, and they are fairly authentic. Best of all fresh flavors, well done sauces, and nice portions. read more

Came here for the Menudo which they only have on Sundays. Hot, tripe packed, perfectly seasoned. I think it's the best on the island. I always get with flour tortillas . Also got a side cheese enchilada at a steal for $4.50. The service here is super friendly and fast and the staff give off friendly family vibes. Definitely recommend when you're in Aiea! Cheers read more

El Mariachi 2 - Sunday Menudo! - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Food took over 40 minutes and was cold. Honestly Taco Bell has better tacos and that's sad to say. The service was also bad, ordered a drink and never got it. The carne asada fries looked like they were microwaved and raw. Would never return. read more

Excellent! The food was yummy. Our server offered a habanero hot sauce that I think was made in-house to add to our dishes. My friend was afraid to eat it with her food but it was a nice and subtle kick. I had their combo with the chile relleno with steak and the tamale with pork. Ate the entire dish which came with rice and beans. We ordered desserts. Our party of 10 had the fried ice cream, the banana rica, and the sopapilla. All yummy. It's a BYOB place so that was a bonus. It is located in the little strip mall near Aiea Copy. It isn't super tight but it wasn't overly big either. The location is perfect with an influx of people in the restaurant at any given time. Lots of parking at the time we went. We did close it up being last ones out at 8pm. Looking forward to visiting again. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Fried ice cream. - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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9 of us went for my sister's birthday dinner last night. Lots of parking & make reservations... it was busy throughout the (Friday) evening. Great menu... so much to choose from and options for every taste. Complimentary chips (freshly fried) & salsa while you wait... and enjoyed drinks - bottled soda, Horchata & our own (BYOB). We "oo"ed as each plate got served on the table. All plates emptied (my son's one was wiped clean). Got couple desserts (Fried Ice Cream and a La Banana) to place a birthday candle and sing for the celebrant. It was perfect... and we were all stuffed afterwards. Nice birthday at El Mariachi. read more

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Located in the Aiea commercial center across of the Aiea Shopping center. As you take a left turn down from Aiea road they have a parking lot on the left side the right side is other business and you will have to cross over the street to get to the restaurant. The chips and salsa was good they seem to bake the chips, because it wasn't oily and the salsa was homemade on the little more spicy side then their sister restaurant in Kaneohe. My wife ordered the Adobada quesadilla which she had to send back because it was too salty for her. I had the combination plate beef burrito and the crispy beef taco and refried beans and rice. It was also on the salty side, but I like my food salty. The waitress was only 1 month on the job and was pretty lost, when my wife explained that her quesadillas was too salty and she couldn't eat it, if she could get a cheese quesadillas to replace her original order? Which she said I need to check back with the kitchen? So we asked for another basket of chips and salsa which the other El Mariachi the original always as us do we want more chips and salsa and never charge us for the chip and salsa. The Cheese quesadillas were okay. Parking is located in front and side of the building. Before giving her the money she asked do I need the change back? What ever happened to the old time waitress? And after paying the bill she didn't even give a receipt of our meal? Is it because we paid cash? She said they have 3 locations and this one is run by the sister in Kaneohe restaurant, the food is not the same and haven't been to the 3rd, but will keep my business to the original restaurant. read more

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The food was great. The bill came and we felt like it was a scam. We ordered food off the a la carte menu, when our food came out there were rice and beans on the plate, we let her know we did not order it and she informed us it was included. When our bill came there was no itemized bill, she had charged us the meal price for our a la carte items which is not what we ordered. Our bill should have been $38 based on menu price of what we ordered, and when it came out it was $68.55. So just beware to specify if you want a la carte and not the meal. Also the first chips and salsa is free, and she brought us a 2nd serving without us asking then charged us $3 for the 2nd round which it is disclosed on the menu only the first is free but when we didnt ask for it, we didnt expect to be charged. read more

11/2024 I cannot believe that I had not written a review on this place yet. This is one of our favorite Mexican go-to restaurants that we've eaten at for years for either dining in or take-out. It is a locally owned, hole in the wall restaurant tucked away in the heart of Aiea in the Aiea Commercial Center, just across the street from Times/Aiea shopping center. They have a few locations on Oahu. We first ate at the Kaneohe location & loved it. We found out about this location afterwards, even better, since we live in the area. This is truly a hidden gem. We've tried so many things on their menu. You can't go wrong with any of the choices. It was hard to find good Mexican food nearby after living in Southern California for a long time. Not only is their food good, but their customer service is outstanding & consistent every time we come. Friendly and courteous staff, well-trained. If you dine-in, go early because they do get busy. We try to get there about 5'ish. By the time we leave, tables are nearly full & it's not just the weekends or holidays, but every day! I like to call in the order & pick it up or you can order off of several food delivery apps. I don't know which ones still do this restaurant. Call in orders usually take about 15-20 minutes. Have not had a wrong order yet for pick-up, nothing missing, well-packaged/bagged. They also do a good share of pick-up orders. The parking lot is good size since they share it with the other businesses there. Food - ONO! And they do not skimp on the quantity. Flavors are right on, not spicy, but always hot & cooked to order. The tortilla chips are warmed up served with salsa sauce. When dining in, the first round is complimentary, if you want more, is when they charge you. There are probably about 8 - 10 tables, clean place, & colorfully decorated & festive. Hubby's favorite is the Carne Tampiquena. So much food, took him a couple of days to finish. My favorite is the steak taco salad in the shell or the steak fajitas taco salad in the shell. This nite, I got the seafood burrito - it was huge! They don't skimp on the protein by filling it with rice & beans. They include it, but the protein outweighs it. This had big pieces of shrimp, fish, & crab. It tasted like real crab so wasn't sure if it was imitation, but overall - ONO You can't go wrong here & I highly recommend you give them a try for delicious Mexican food . You won't be disappointed. read more

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I have tried the other El Mariachi in the past and enjoyed it. Location seems a bit hidden in the Aiea area. Was a bit disappointed with the food here. Not as good as I remembered it. Did a phone order for take out. I believe the servers are new, unsure of the menu options and availability. When I picked up my order, good thing I checked because they forgot my rice and beans. Portions and pricing is okay. - Steak tacos and Barbacoa tacos - similar seasoning, a bland taste. Meat was a bit dry. - Carnitas burrito - smaller size burrito. Flavor was okay. read more

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24.95 for this carne asada plate. The steak was good size and very tasty. Lots of sides. Food came out quick and staff is always friendly. It feels pretty legit mexican with the music and decor. read more

El Mariachi 2 - Carne asada plate. - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Very good food. Good flavor and quick service. Nachos and their burrito were really good.

this is the best thing i ever ate in my life and the deserts are delicious and the servers are so nice!!! overall it is just the best place ever to go if you felling like a big back!!! my rating: 10/10 !!! read more

pretty decent Mexican food in Aiea. coming from San Diego I had low expectations but they weren't too bad! it's a good spot for when you're craving mexican. the combination plate is such a good deal. big portions, and you can choose different meats and preparations to add some variety. I do wish the plate came with sour cream/guac/cheese without having to pay to add it, but even without it's good. it's byob. it can get pretty crowded on weekend nights, particularly Sundays when they have menudo. read more

They use to be good now their beans is like baby food mixed with old beans n new beans the rice has no flavor just color. I will never go back don't waste your money Taco Bell has better beans and rice burrito for $1.99 its fresh and affordable The Tamales are over priced for one it's $7 each that's a rip off and it's of course it's premade not fresh Menudo they have their no flavor trips is limited pieces overpriced as well Not going back !! read more

Food: 4/5 I always order the enchilada plate and I love it. Portion wise, I don't know if I love it so much that I clean my plate or if it's kinda small? I'm petite but I clear it every time lol. Service: 5/5 The ladies are kind and fast. The place can get busy but they're always moving around and checking on the tables. I noticed that they have a lot of take out orders so I understand it's a lot to juggle. Ambiance: 5/5 Very typical Mexican restaurant in Hawaii lol. Small yet fits a lot of people. Parking: 10/10 Tons. read more

lots of free parking outside. promptly greeted by a fine friendly local woman and seated. cozy place with the Mexican vibes. got water and ordered our horchata to go with our obligatory crispy chips n fresh salsa cuz we gotta have da good stuff when get mexican grinds... I ordered the shredded beef Chimichanga. wow this thing is massive and only cheap. crispy outside tortilla with flavorful moist juicy beef n cheese inside. guacamole, sour cream, n salsa. delicious. I couldn't finish. da roomate got da campeon Burrito. dat thing was massive too and buggah was quiet while she was pounding that. da mini is adventurous and ordered the Chile relleno with shredded beef. she said was mui delicioso. liked how soft the Chile was. Andele andele mami, E.I, E.I (uh-oh) el mariachi poppin' tonight. read more

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Love coming to El Mariachi they are always friendly and helpful. The waitress always make sure if you need anything more water to salsa. Food is awesome read more

El Mariachi 2 - Carne asada burrito and shredded chicken, wet burrito with green sauce - Mexican Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Food was okay. Prices increased. $19.95 for a 2-item combo. With tax and tip over$20 for a takeout, not sure if it was worth it.

Meh. Falta corazón. Also salt. The masa harina in the tamales was pretty tasty. People were cool. The flavors were kind of underwhelming.