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    Guadalajara Grill

    4.1 (235 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Food Trucks
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:30 pm

    Guadalajara Grill Photos

    Business Info

    GUADALAJARA GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Guadalajara Grill

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    Menu with the wrong prices.
    A'Lissa O.

    Stopped for some quick fish tacos right outside the Polynesian Cultural Center... they weren't too quick. Prices posted are not correct. They said they are in the process of getting a new sign. Really? After I ordered, I asked if they were on corn or flour and they said I could choose. But if I hadn't asked, no choice would have been offered. After 10 minutes I got some okay tacos. Fish had skin on, lettuce, salsa, guacamole. Old school rice and lukewarm canned black beans. Not worth $18, but edible.

    Ja'Nelle S.

    The service was good. I was able to walk up to the food truck and place my order. There isn't much ambiance as it is a food truck but the service was good and the staff were friendly. Prices were average for Hawaii. The food was pretty good and exceeded my expectations.

    Small fish with no flavor in the tacos.
    Michelle M.

    We were really excited to try this place. The pictures on the menu look amazing. We had the fish tacos, taco salad with beef, the hukilau burrito with shrimp and the chimichanga with chicken. The fish tacos were an utter disappointment! Small pieces of tasteless fish with mushy corn tortillas and a little lettuce, guacamole and pico. But there was so little flavor and substance! Probably the worst fish tacos I've ever had unfortunately. The taco salad wasn't much better. The beef was a dry pot roast that lacked flavor. And the shredded lettuce was so prominent that it lacked lots of flavor as well. It did have a little pico and guacamole as well as sour cream, but it was mostly lettuce and dry meat. It really needed a dressing of some kind. A cilantro lime dressing would have helped a ton. The shrimp burrito was really tasty and so was the chimichanga. It had a lot of chicken and good flavor. It could have been deep fried a little more. But overall we were mostly disappointed with the meal. I probably wouldn't ever come back based on half of our meals being super lackluster.

    Veggie Burrito
    Rick L.

    Had lunch here as a quick option before spending the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It's part of the market area before the entrance which has a few other options to check out. The menu was labeled with what was vegetarian and gluten free so if you have those diets (which we did in our party) you go in knowing they are conscious of these things and you will be able to eat something. I had the Veggie Burrito which was hearty and good...I generally prefer pinto or refried beans, but neither of those are vegetarian here so had it with black beans. I was quite filled when it was done done and thought this had a nice authentic flavor to it. The person who took our order seemed awfully unhappy to be there which is not typical of Hawaii and bummed us out a little. This is a good quick stop (well it was quick for us...a bit a line developed after we ordered) before heading into the center for the day. There's plenty of seating behind the truck too.

    Nelly C.

    We were on the hunt for tacos... found one in laie located at PCC. Checked this Yelp review and PHOTOS ARE NOT THE SAME AS WHAT YOU RECEIVE! I was pretty upset with it. Grilled fish taco - really salty, they say they put slaw on it but was just lettuce. Said grilled shrimp taco on menu - it was shrimp cocktail Kine shrimp . Yes it was cold. Steak taco not even a carne asada taco. No taste what so ever. Rice - was hard as hell with floral flavor and really dry Black beans - open can and put cheese. Was room temp. Customer service - girl was on her phone while I ordered and I was more irked when she kept saying "what?" And made me repeat! I really wanted to love it but not even the birds wanted it.

    Carnitas chimichanga, $17
    Shayna R.

    $15 for the chimichanga and $2 to substitute for the carnitas. Came with refried beans, guacamole, Spanish rice, sour cream, and a little salad topping. The chimichanga wasn't super heavily deep fried but enough to give a nice crisp to the tortilla. There was a generous portion of pork in it too. A little pricey but it is in a touristy area with a fun vibe so we'd prob return if in the area.

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    4 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Longest wait I've ever had for a restaurant, around 2 hours and all for the worst Mexican food Ive ever had.

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    1 year ago

    If you want overpriced slop come here. Everything chewy and nasty paid 27 bucks for 2 tacos

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Love the portions just enough. Quesadilla was golden brown with some tasteful sour cream. Also got the Surfer Burrito pretty loaded!

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    Papi's Taco's

    Papi's Taco's

    4.5
    (206 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    I first came across Papi's Tacos back in 2019 when I came to this area to check out Cheesus Chrust…read morefood truck (no longer there) and had dessert at Aloha Rolls (no longer there either). Papi's Tacos was across from Aloha Rolls. Alex had the football game on (Philadelphia vs someone), and we just started talking. We sat there for an hour talking. He was super friendly and cool. He even offered me a beer. I was skeptical that the food would be as good as back home (I'm from Southern California), but, upon learning he was from Santa Ana, I figured he knew what good Mexican food should taste like. I didn't buy anything then, as I was already full and had food left over, but lamented it. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I specifically drove from Waikiki to this area to get food from Papi's Tacos. I do recommend the drive along the windward side of the island if you aren't pressed for time. I got the super burrito with carne asada and my GF got two carne asada tacos. Both were amazing. If you're on Oahu, make the trip, you won't regret it. Hale'iwa is a nice little time to check out in the area as well.

    Papi's is a food truck in a North Shore neighborhood institution that includes the famous…read moreGiovanni's (too buttery for me). You will find food trucks aplenty anchored by Seven Brothers kitchen and market. We got the three taco combo to try the shrimp, fish, and carnitas. They are relatively small and come in threes. Made with corn tortillas, cilantro, and a sour cream- guacamole sauce they are full of flavor. Beans and rice come on the side and being from Phoenix I know tacos and these stand up. Seating is plentiful on this Sunday with picnic tables everywhere and beautiful weather. The aloha service was suspect and didn't really feel like the lady was there to do anything but take orders. At the End of the Day this is a taste choice out of the plethora of food trucks. Look for my review of Deez Bowls too. Solid choice if you're craving a taco spread at a reasonable cost!

    Photos
    Papi's Taco's
    Fish and shrimp tacos
    Fish and shrimp tacos
    Papi's Taco's

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    Pounders Restaurant

    Pounders Restaurant

    3.7
    (839 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    The experience is feeling of " I want to come back here!!…read moreNice and beautiful environment I love it!! Delicious food & Excellent service!! Definitely recommend.

    Walked in to get some Chunky & Co cookies and found some cakes in the Pounders bakery display. I…read moreforgot to take pics of their signs for it, but they had 2 cakes available (by slice)- Ipo Chantilly cake and Chocolate Lava cake. They were $12 each a slice w/ a scoop of ice cream. We decided to give this a try instead of the usual ice creams nearby we typically get- esp since we don't see them have cakes too often when we pass by the area. We usually are in the area by 2/3pm on a Saturday, so idk if they have more in their display earlier in the day. The staff member (I didn't catch his name) informed us that his mother baked the cakes! We decided on getting the Chantilly cake and he was kind enough to give us 2 scoops of ice cream Giving the cake 3 stars because it was good but nothing too special, esp for the price. Wished it was colder as the cake could firm up a bit more. The frosting wasn't runny but it could've firmed up a bit if it was colder. If the price for it wasn't $12, I'd probably get it again- maybe if it was under $10. We'd try the chocolate lava cake next time just to try it, but if there's nothing very unique about it, we probably won't get it again... esp for the $12 price point.... The staff there were also super nice and friendly

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Pasta Carbonara
    Pasta Carbonara
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    Huli-Huli Chicken
    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

    3.9
    (5.5k reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    Literally the best shrimp I ever had. Absolutely delicious!!…read more I don't say that lightly either. It was otherworldly!! The staff was great too!!!! I'll be back!

    Giovanni's is one of those places where memory does a remarkable amount of the seasoning. I've been…read moreeating here across decades. Enough visits that this is no longer about catching them on a bad afternoon, ordering the wrong thing or failing to understand what the place is supposed to be. I've tried the different shrimp, stood in the lines, eaten at the tables, navigated the parking, brought people here and returned because, for a very long time, Giovanni's was simply one of those places you went when you were on this side of the island. At some point, repetition becomes evidence. The truck itself has become an artifact. Covered in signatures, battered by time, photographed millions of times. There was probably a period when all of that felt charming. Now it mostly feels tired. There is a difference between patina and neglect and the surrounding experience has increasingly crossed that line for me. Flies, crowded tables, overflowing activity, rough parking, heat, trash nearby. You can romanticize rustic only so far before rustic starts asking for a pressure washer. Then there is the service, which has consistently been the hardest part for me to understand. I don't need anyone performing hospitality like they're auditioning for a resort commercial, but basic warmth costs nothing. Too often the interaction here feels impatient and transactional, as though the customer is somehow inconveniencing the operation by showing up to buy the food. After enough visits, you stop calling that an off day. And then there is the plate. The shrimp itself is actually the least offensive part. It is generally cooked reasonably well. Tender enough, rarely destroyed and when you get a good batch you can understand why this formula became so popular. Everything around it drags it down. The rice has repeatedly been soft, clumped and bordering on mushy. I am annoyingly particular about rice, but rice is not some decorative substance placed beneath the main event. It matters. When half the plate is rice, screwing it up is not a minor detail. The garlic is abundant, certainly, but abundance and care are different things. It often arrives more like a wet mass of processed garlic than the fragrance and texture you get from properly chopped fresh cloves. Add the butter and oil and you certainly get intensity, but after several bites the whole thing becomes heavy rather than interesting. The little salad on the side generally feels like an afterthought that has been waiting for someone to remember it. And that is ultimately my problem with Giovanni's. The entire experience feels as though its reputation arrived at the destination years before the restaurant did and everyone decided there was no longer much reason to keep improving. People will continue coming. Of course they will. The name is famous, the truck is recognizable, the photographs are practically mandatory and nostalgia is one hell of a business model. I understand it because it worked on me for years. But strip away the mythology and ask a brutally simple question: If this exact plate came from an unknown truck with no history, no signatures and no reputation, would you still wait in line for it? I wouldn't. Two stars. The shrimp can still be decent and I have too many memories here to pretend the place means nothing to me. But nostalgia should bring you back to a restaurant. It shouldn't be responsible for making the food taste better. I kept returning because tradition can turn habit into taste. I'm done confusing the two.

    Photos
    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck order wait line
    Giovanni's Shrimp Truck order wait line
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
    Garlic Shrimp Scampi
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    Shrimp Scampi

    Guadalajara Grill - mexican - Updated August 2026

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