This is the perfect restaurant if you are looking for VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE options in the area. Our 5 year old is vegan & gluten-free and we were worried about what we would find for lunch... the rice and beans plate was perfect. Plain white rice (no broth), vegan refried beans, mild salsa, corn tortilla (upon request). He loved it. Hubby and I shared the vegetarian enchiladas with ranchero sauce (made vegan), and the tofu/cabbage taco with flavorful cilantro sauce (which came with chips and house made salsa). Mmmm delish! Portion sizes were big. Prices were very reasonable. $40 for all 3 of us. A BIG shout out Michelle for who was super helpful, super efficient, and super knowledgeable (requesting the kitchen to clean the area due to our GF request), making our experience seamless! read more

Island Taco - Convenient location, w/ plenty of street parking amidst the roosters - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Expectations. Always set expectations. You show up to a Michelin restaurant you expect service and food. You show up to Island Tacos you expect a vibe and food. Two maybe three people working. Be patient. They will get you your tacos. It was as good as expected. Just remember to be patient. read more

Island Taco - Get your island tacos here. - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

A nice stop coming back from the canyon. Their tacos are made to order and very fresh. Homemade flour tortillas with corn option as well. My husband enjoyed his kahlua pork taco and I had the shrimp taco. Very very spicy! I should have ordered the papaya instead of Cajun flavor. I also asked for no rice on the taco and they forgot. Would like to see more topping options besides just cabbage and rice. read more

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OK, overrated. Came here to try the tacos based on the reviews. Food was mid rated. Food was fine. Don't forget to clean your own table before you sit down. That's what they have posted and don't forget to return the bathroom key. The cashier gets very upset. read more

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People here were super nice and food was delicious! Loved the service and taste. My brother had seared ahi tacos, I had a taco salad and we got a quesadilla ! All great the chips and salsa were super crispy and tasty as well. Would definitely come back here. Fantastic spot for lunch. read more

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Got the mahi mahi fish taco. Loved the flavor especially with the sauce they provided. Their home made chips and salsa were pretty good too. I enjoyed their service with a local aunty helping us navigate the menu and our options. Plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Parking is a little bit limited but if u park across the street or find street parking you'll be okay. Perfect spot to try after exploring Waimea canyon. Thanks for the ono fish taco!! 5 stars read more

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We were a little skeptical stopping by Island Taco after reading a few negative reviews, but we had a great experience! The lady working the counter made food recommendations with it being our first time. We enjoyed our tacos and the service. There is plenty of seating to enjoy your meal. For clarification, there is a bathroom in the back. The lady allowed us to use it even though it is not advertised as a public bathroom. read more

Island Taco - Seared ahi cajun taco (front) and seared ahi wasabi taco (back) - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

What a nice hole in the wall right off the street. Service was great. Lady at the counter was super kind and helped us as we navigated the menu. Came out and checked on us as we started eating our meals. My wife got a taco that was huge!!!! Excellent portion size. I got a wet burrito and rice and beans. All of it was great. Portion size was excellent. Everything tasted excellent. Would highly recommend this place if anyone is in the area. read more

Island Taco - Hole in the wall - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

I loved Island Taco! I ordered the cheese quesadilla, and also tasted the enchiladas! Both delicious (especially the enchiladas!). There were a lot of options for vegetarian customers, along with local favorites like the Kalua Pork burrito, which my husband had and said was great! They had some tasty looking baked goods up at the counter so I grabbed a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie for after-lunch dessert. It was big enough to share 4 ways, which I did and my family loved it. The outside eating area had a few tables and some bar seating on the small patio, and there's a little gift shop next door to browse around in while waiting for your food. The employees were so friendly, they really made us feel welcome. read more

Island Taco - Outside sign - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

The food was amazing!! We ordered the mahi mahi taco and the ahi Cajun burrito both were really good portions and very flavorful.

Nice little local shop for tacos and tasty eats. We stopped in here on a Friday for lunch and the line was out the door but moved pretty quickly. Got a shrimp quesedilla and an ahi taco. Prices were high but typical for the island the taco serving was generous and the homemade pita torilla chips were fresh and tasty. Seating was very limited so have an alternate plan if its a busy day. read more

Island Taco - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Great place! Perfect place to stop before or after Waimea Canyon. The line was to the street. We knew it had to be good and it didn't disappoint. Service was great. Food was excellent. We had the Mahi Tacos. The chips, salsa, tortillas and sauces all homemade. Keep in mind tables are dirty and haven't been cleaned. Take a wet wipe and hand sanitizer. No restrooms. read more

Tacos were sooo good and different from what I'm used to. Only complaint is the lady working at the register - very rude. I'd still come back for the food though! read more

So GOOD! Ranked 1. Wasabi Ahi (not spicy), 2. Cajun Mahi, 3. Kalua pork. These tacos are #1 in Hawaii for a reason! Chips are like a homemade fry bread chip. Def will come again. Island vibe workers, super fun and friendly! read more

Steak taco was incredible. Top 5 tacos I've ever had. My Husband really enjoyed the quesadilla. The original taco was great. Wish we were staying closer to go back again! read more

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Needed to get a quick bite before our rafting tour and Taco Island was nearby. They have parking at the side of the restaurant. Customers order inside and dine outdoors. Comfort food at it's best!! The fish tabos were perfectly seasoned. It included chips and homemade salsa, which was unique in a good way!! Loved the cabbage slaw that came with it. Accentuated the fish. Large portions and very affordable. read more

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Friendly cashier service, outdoor picnic bench area, really good papaya coleslaw shrimp taco w chips and salsa.

Stopped in for tacos after visiting some local sites. It was 330 the open sign was still on. The woman at the register rushed us through our order. After ordering we were told she would bring it to us so we went to the open tables and saw some stools. My husband went and got 2- the lady came out of the back and yelled at us that those were not at the tables because the my were closing soon. My husband explained that he understood and will put them away when we are done, the lady rolled her eyes and walked away shaking her head. We felt very unwelcome and uncomfortable. read more

I love this place! Chimichangas are on point, rice is so delicious. If you are lucky enough to score a cookie, get two. You won't regret it. They are delicious! Service here is always friendly and fast as can be; great places get busy and you may have to wait. It's worth it. There is outdoor seating you can grab too! I love eating here or picking it up to take to watch the sunset. 10/10 recommend. read more

Island Taco - Mahi chinichanga - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Seems expensive for one taco, but they are huge and delicious! Worth it! I had the Cajun shrimp taco and it was unique and tasted great. The chips are also the best. Only problem was flies outside if the breeze wasn't blowing. read more

Service was soso, greeting was kind of slow but abrupt. Food was okay but not really what we were expecting. It was a little bit of any odd combination of ingredients for the taco and the enchilada. Not bad but we get better fish tacos at our Farmers Market in Mt. View read more

I wasn't very hungry, but if I had been, I would have tried their fish and wasabi burrito--it sounded intriguing. My husband was craving beef, so he went for it, and he said it was the most unique burrito he's ever had. He enjoyed it! I sampled the rice, beans, and red sauce, which were good. We especially liked their spicy sauce--it added a great kick. The place itself was fine, though I found it a bit inconvenient that the restroom was located in the neighboring shop. It made me feel like I had to buy something from there just to use it, which was uncomfortable. read more

Island Taco - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

The food here was so good! They have great vegan options and the woman taking our order was super friendly and accommodating. The portions were hearty and our food came quickly even though it was super busy. The only slightly negative thing is the outdoor seating is on a very loud, busy road, but it didn't detract from the great meal. We'd definitely return. read more

Island Taco - Tofu chimichanga, lime-cilantro rice, and refried beans. - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

This review is for the delicious papaya shrimp burrito! It is unlike any other shrimp burrito I've tried before. It has a slightly sweet and tangy coleslaw inside and came packed with hot shrimp from the first to last bite. read more

The friendly and attentive service, homemade tortilla chips and delicious burritos rice, beans and tacos.

I had the Mahi burrito and while the flavor was great, it took awhile to get my order and the portions were a bit the small side. I think the taco would have been a better choice for me. It was dang fresh though. read more

My taste buds are so fulfilled with the flavors here! We ordered vegetarian tacos with tofu, enchiladas with tofu. Wow! Both items were jam packed with flavor, warm and just perfect portions. Ranchero sauce was uniquely tasting, was balanced with perfect amount of spice! Small place but impactful flavors! The staff takes pride in providing exceptional service, takes care of guests as if it's a home cooked meal served in a restaurant! read more

Always stop here after West side adventures. Solid tacos and chips and salsa. Fast and fabulous.

Island Taco was the best food I had while we were visiting Kauai. I tried their classic taco with everything in them. It was made fresh and stuffed generously even with rice. It was served with fresh salsa and corn tortilla chips. The other plate was seared ahi and served with flour tortilla. I liked flour tortilla better. This place is takeout but there's some tables outside. We were lucky that we were able to order some food. They were having technical issue so they weren't taking anymore orders and turning away customers during lunch time. read more

Island Taco - Classic tacos - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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We stopped at Island Taco immediately after an exciting morning visiting Waimea Canyon. The location is perfect for a post or pre Waimea Canyon meal (depending on when you go up there), but it's also a great option any time you might be in the area. Island Taco is a small, unassuming building with a small number of tables outside. Some of completely covered in shade from the building and some are picnic tables with umbrellas. We were there in November and it was still absolutely sweltering for us sitting outside even under the shade, but I guess that means you will just eat quickly and then the table will be available for the next group :) We arrived at the peak of lunchtime and there was quite a line to order food, but once we ordered our food it was prepared fairly quickly, so that's good. Even though I was enticed by the fish options, I decided to try the steak burrito instead. It's cajun spiced and has jalapeno creme. It was delicious! The steak was really tender and all of the flavors were fantastic. In the end, I had no regrets in getting one of the less Hawaiian options on the menu. The burritos are served with rice and beans on the side, while the tacos come with chips and salsa. Realistically speaking, the portions aren't that big and the prices are fairly typical Hawaii prices (they are much higher than you'd see for something similar on the mainland). All in all, we enjoyed our lunch here and still had room to get some shave ice immediately after! We would definitely eat here again next time we visit Waimea Canyon. read more

Island Taco - Burrito - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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The tacos were delicious!! Something about the way they cook them, it was really tasty. I ordered the classic tacos. Chips & salsa came with it. read more

Island Taco - Classic taco - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Great food. Warm and friendly service. I had the Shredded Pork Taco. It was amazing. And the homemade chips were the best. Good place to fuel up before heading up to the canyon lookout. read more

This place was easily in the top three places we ate at while in Kauai and again shockingly not recommended to us, just simple stumbled upon. We were so fortunate to get there when we did, too. The line was out the door and as we walked up we were handed a number and the closed sign was put up behind us. (So I am unsure the hours of this place) the woman working there was so friendly and still showed she meant business and I loved that about her. The options were so simple too. Pick the taco, the tortilla and spicy or not. That's how I love to order food. The tacos were big and plentiful. Very generous servings of mahi per taco and even the chips were delicious. The homemade sauces and salsa were so good I considered drinking between bites verses pouring on the taco itself. I loved eating outside (the only option) and watching the people hustle around fruit stands and markets. This food and experience was great! read more

Island Taco - Seasoned mahi on corn - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

The tacos here are worth driving to the edge of the island for and might possibly be the best tacos on Kauai. We got 2 different types, the cajun and the cilantro lime. The flavors of each were very different but both excellent. Make sure to get a side of their tartar sauce. It broke da mouth! The staff are friendly and approachable. They have really cute Christmas decor if you go in December. There are funny jokes on the wall. Love this casual spot! read more

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Terrrrible customer service. The cashier basically snarled at my group as we ordered. Tacos were decent but not great. Service outweighed the food. read more

The cashier lady was trying to scam and over charge for the mahi mahi tacos we ordered, after confronting her she changed the price and didn't even apologize! She was mad at me for not letting her overcharge us. Absolutely ridiculous. The mahi mahi taco was less than average. read more

Flavorful fish tacos! You won't regret it. Pros: Cajun Fish Tacos were excellent Staff gave Great recommendations Rain coverings, if needed Little shop next door is a gem! Little shop had a bathroom (with purchase?) Cons: Wasabi Mayo was too mild IMHO Kids menu was a bit pricy Parking lot was unpaved read more

The meal was okay overall, but it felt like it was missing that extra something to make it really memorable.

Mahi tacos were great and the service was excellent. We got there before the lunch rush and had our food in mere minutes! read more

Island Taco - Cajun Mahi Mahi Tacos, homemade chips - Hawaiian Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

We hit up Island Taco after visiting and hiking Waimea canyon... This is a small Taco Joint where you put your order in with the friendly cashier, and they bring your plates to the picnic tables situated directly outside the grill. Of course the Kauai chickens are hanging out waiting for your food as well. Be cautious of your plates and don't leave them unattended and you're all good. Our group was super hungry and I went with the Classic Burrito. It came with 3 small scoops of rice and some beans on the side. Everything the plate was tasty and I thoroughly enjoyed my dish. The portions were on the smaller side or maybe I was just super hungry. I wanted more on plate. lol My friends all enjoyed their fish tacos. Really yum. I would definitely visit again when in Kauai...cheers! read more

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