Mercado de la Raza is the only store I know of in Honolulu that stocks and sells an abundance of products from around Latin America. In the spring, a friend from Brazil needed some snacks for an event at UH Manoa, so we went to Mercado de la Raza where he found what he was looking for. And in October, a friend wanted to make some Peruvian food, so we went to Mercado de la Raza. For those looking, they stock both fresh and frozen yucca. Mercado de la Raza is a small shop on Beretania across from Times. Just street parking is available, which can be tough. I've only received great service this year from the workers who have been very friendly with kind greetings, helpful service, and smiles. I think there must be new ownership because when I visited maybe 15 years ago, the owner was kind of snippy, lol. During the government shutdown in November, Mercado de la Raza gave out bags of free food to anyone who needed assistance. I am happy to support a small business that supports the community! read more

Fantastic store for spices, chilies and more! Plus you get more for your money here too. Very good prices. I was surprised. Great little market but with plenty of those harder to find specialty ingredients. Also the service here is excellent! Very helpful and knowledgeable about ideas for ingredient substitutions and they helped me with a smile. I will definitely be coming back and recommending this store to others. read more

Fantastic Latin American bodega featuring a surprising selection of Mexican, Central American and South American goods. I was thrilled to see some essential Peruvian products, such as choclo (large kernel corn) and aji amarillo (yellow pepper paste). They have an impressive selection of dried chiles and don't miss their house products like spicy salsa verde! We will be coming back for the homemade tamales which they sell only once per month. Also...some great things to be found in the freezer section. It's cute as can be inside and extremely friendly and helpful. read more

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Maya. The lovely lady working today didn't flinch when I rolled in with 5 kiddos -on a mission to make tamales. We had no clue and she's explaining to the boys how to say the names for the peppers and where to find all the things. Explaining the different candies to them. The store is stocked with all sorts of delicious things from the well known to the buns of chilies to the bags of mole and tubs of lard. Everything we needed (fresh produce and all) is there! The shelves are loaded with treasures. The colorful decor is only less bright than the personality of Maya! We are on a mission this summer to explore the world thru food and Maya made our first stop amazing. #summer2025adventure read more

This place is full of witches! The good kind! I'm enchanted. I came in to pick up my first round of tamales and there are gorgeous, smiling, helpful, fast, efficient women running the show. Slay. I had easily ordered online for Saturday tamales (which I promptly forgot about), but they sent a helpful email reminder for pickup. With my half-dozen beckoning tamales in hand, I floated out to my car still spellbound and told my now-traumatized driver (husband) that I was "just going to take a bite." Two car tamales later--corn husks flying, husband white-knuckling the steering wheel while watching a wild animal devour its prey--I declared these the best tamales I've had on island. They are fat and juicy and I can't get them off my mind and/or my hips, probably. Something is afoot at this store. I've been kissed by the curse of their tamales--their impeccable skin care? Genetic lottery? Pure joy? I'm unsure, having a heart of coal myself--but I'm going to get to the bottom of it by placing a recurring Saturday tamale order until I figure it out. I'll be back, witches. (Apologies if offending any religious the tamales have overtaken me) read more

This is a speciality food market that has hard to find cheese and peppers. I think the prices are reasonable and will go back. The staff didn't greet me, but that is fine. I don't like to be bothered while shopping. They also sell piñatas which hang above. Super fun store that has a small family feel to it. I really liked their vibes. My student from Peru told me that this place has Inca Cola, so we went to try this drink that is more popular than coke. It has a different taste to it than American soft drinks. Fun experience! Reasonable price for a 2 liter, too. read more

Mercado De La Raza - Front - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The husband wanted to get some ingredients for a cinco de mayo party so I joined him because I'm all about walking around aimlessly in grocery stores. While he went straight for the buckets of chilis in the back, I walked up and down the short aisles of the little store. The shelves were well stocked and clean. They have all the things to make Hispanic food here. Aside from unique ingredients both in the refrigerators and on the shelves, they also have a whole display of Mexican candy and snacks. I love traveling and picking up local snacks to bring home from my travels, so this was right up my alley. I picked out a few and we were ready to check out. A small line had formed and we waited a few minutes because there is only one cash register. This is really a tiny store and there wash a dolly full of things to get restocked that was taking up a lot of space. The two people working here were nice enough, no problems in that department for us. They did disclose that they charge a percentage fee for credit card use. It seems like more and more places are doing this though, so it's becoming the norm. I just appreciate that they told us. Parking was a bit of a struggle because I believe it's only street parking. My advice is to go right at 4:30 when the loading zones open up for parking. read more

Love what the owners have done to this store. We absolutely love the different types of tamales that are flown in we tried Pork, Chicken and Cheese and it was super moist and delicious. The tortilla's are light and not thick. They also make their owns salsa verde. The store felt very welcoming and not loud or busy. Love the varieties of beans, tortillas, tamales, Tajin etc. I've been back numerous times since new the new owners took over. We love the service every time we come into your store. read more

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I saw a story on IG featuring this store and the way they're helping people during the shutdown and decided to check it out. The store is small, organized and has a variety of items. One of the owners, Megan, welcomed me in and we had a great chat. She was genuinely friendly and helped me find what I was looking for. She shared the cute story of how she and her husband came to own the little store with tons of character. Stopping in made my whole day brighter! Support local. Support good people doing good. And if you need support, please go check them out too! read more

After purchasing a half dozen tamales, I was pleased at the flavor and texture of the masa but was wondering is the meat such as beef/ chicken/ pork ratio to masa always so low? There couldn't have been more than a scant half tablespoon in each tamale and at $5 a tamale. I didn't realize masa was so expensive. read more

Such a GREAT find here in Honolulu!!! The have fresh tamales, I ordered online and it was so simple!! I went to pick up tamales and wound up shopping for some pantry needs that you can't get in supermarkets here! I'm definitely gonna head back there soon!! Thank to staff for quick attentive service!! read more

Gracias al cielo that this market exists on the island, because there's nowhere else to get many of these things. If you want to get masa harina to make your your own tortillas or thicken your chili the right way, or do the real lime water soaking to get perfect hominy for your pozole instead of what comes in a can, or any other cooking tasks for down home food, this is your ticket. It's a cluttered little store that seems to have a little of everything Mexican and Latin American, from dried and frozen goods to funky children's candies, even those veladoras prayer candles with pictures of the saints on them. Compared to San Francisco where I've been living and that has lots of Mexican groceries, this one is smaller, more limited selection, and a little higher priced... but also seems to be cleaner, more orderly, and higher quality. The selection of dried chilis in bulk bins is particularly appealing. There's not a whole lot of produce and it can run out, but when I commented that their tomatillos looked sad, they were nice enough to direct me to Safeway across the street. Speaking of staff, I found that they were very friendly and patient in explaining the right ingredients and how to cook things to a not la raza white guy like me. read more

There fresh home made salsas Mexicana, Verde, and Chipotle are all so good. They have many types of creama I've tried a few my favorite is the Salvadoran in the squeeze bag. So good! The new owners and team are really friendly. They offer a nice assortment of chiles. The store is crowded but clean and organized. read more

I've heard a lot of good things about this Latin American grocery store, so I decided to check it out. The owner was super helpful, as I didn't know what some of the products were. He helped me pick out the ingredients to make sopes. The store has such a great variety of items and of course the tamales. You can find them in the cooler section. I heard they run out quickly, so I was lucky to snag a bag. I can't wait to go back and see what other things I can discover! read more

Mercado De La Raza - Tamales and some ingredients for Sopes - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Nice selection of goodies and cordial staff. I had a fun time browsing through the aisles and loved all the grocery items that I've never seen before in Hawaii. Will be back for more! read more

only place to have what we were looking for! very friendly and looks out for one another, will be a regular store the family can come too. read more

NEW OWNERS!! Lots of new products, lots of help and smiling faces. Whole new experience. Enjoy!! read more

Lots and lots and lots of goodies in here! Came in to look for a few ingredients needed but they had just sold out so I ended up buying other snacks instead. Employees are helpful and polite. Full on Mexican feel in here. Decorated with snacks, hats, chiles, cheese and then some! read more

My first time lining up here for tamales. It's a good thing I arrived early and was like the 4th person because there was probably 20-25 waiting after me. I'm a little disappointed because it seemed like the cheese used in the Queso tamales was American cheese. I was so excited to go to this place after reading the reviews. Since there's a limit of 2 per person, I bought the Queso & Pork. The pork was good but not something i would stand in line again for 30minutes. It was moist, spicy and flavored well. In case you're planning to go be aware that they only sell it by the bag. The Queso was $15 for a pack of 5 and pork was $17 for a pack of 6. Both were fresh and hot. I was happy they didnt pack a thick layer of masa and then a small portion of meat like some places I've been to. read more

Mercado De La Raza - Queso tamalas - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, I never realized how difficult it would be to gather just the basic ingredients I needed to make those comfort foods. This store was like a nostalgic flashback and the perfect place to help replicate all those dishes I was brought up on. Everything I needed was stocked perfectly on their shelves. Will definitely keep coming back here. I'm so glad I looked them up! Looking forward to trying out their homemade Sofrito, just like I remember growing up. read more

We used to go in this area because of Times Supermarket. And I haven't really notice this one (palm-face). But one day, we were helping our neighbor by giving him a ride to the clinic, & yeah the clinic is just around this area. Decided to walk around while waiting him to get done, we came cross to this Mexican store. Curious & excited to might find goodies in here, we decided to take a shot in here. It is just a small store but packed with Mexican stuffs. Pretty sure anyone could find almost things that they need for their Mexican dish. Pretty sure the price is reasonable I guess. Haven't really shop in here but according to my flabby bandit it's pretty good though. Of course we didn't leave the place without buying few of the interesting stuffs they got (tortilleria & fruit punch). Fruit punch is really flavorful & their tortilleria is what we used instead of having taco shells (they're too brittle) which we bandits find it a good alternative coz it won't break easily. Not too messy when we start eating. Pretty sure we will be coming back in here! Mahalo & HAPPY JUANDERING fellow yelpers. (insert shaka) www.juanderbandit.world IG: hello.juanderpinay read more

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I'm just happy I have a place to get certain things. Maybe can buy elsewhere, but you don't get the advice at Safeway kinda places. Dusty cans so you know some things don't move, but check the expiration and all good. That's just the chance you take at these little places. The guy is super helpful and always so nice. I avoid the lady b/c you never know what mood she'll be in. read more

My kids wanted to end the school year by giving their friends and classmates goodie bags filled with Mexican candy, so being able to find this cute little bodega felt so good! They had the candy we were looking for, they had everything else I needed for my own kitchen, the only thing missing were Conchas and Pan Dulce. read more

So this is a spot I rarely visit do to the fact that it is in town and the parking isn't always the easiest. There is no parking lot you have to try and find street parking or I guess you could park across the street in the Times parking lot and then walka across the street. WARNING: make sure you are patronizing Times or one of the other merchants before using the parking lot or you may be towed! This is a little spot overflowing with tons of Goya products that are not found anywhere else on the island (to my knowledge). I choose only to come here if I absolutely can not find it anywhere else because the prices are rather high. I can usually find my adobo and sazón at Don Quijote but can never seem to find jamón. I was lucky one time and was able to snag some at Target in Ala Moana but since then haven't been able to find it there. The prices are 1/2 the price at Don Quijote so I am prone to buy it there unless I have no other choice. Overall this place does have a plethora of items you can't find anywhere else and if you're willing to pay the price and don't mind the not so easy parking situation I'd say check them out. read more

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This place is a local staple! Selection of products is great and I'm super happy to see new and local products being added to their shelves! Mahalo and gracias! read more

I write this review in all honesty for all the years I've ever shopped here under two ownerships, and I can confidently say that the customer service, and the products have always met my satisfaction. in addition, if there was ever a reason for a question of an item, the answers were always brief and detailed, and again to my satisfaction it's unfortunate to read some of the disappointing reviews, especially when they can be resolved with a simple phone call I empathize with others experiences that weren't as good as mine, and I hope they find peace in the future The store works hard every day to improve it services, and more importantly, to obtain more merchandise befitting the community and those of Latin roots I've been known to leave a bad review or two, but I have yet to have a reason to leave it here for this business I highly recommend if you need any products that you come here although parking is limited if you have to know the minuses read more

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Need more stores like this! The workers are super nice and helpful! Felt at home at this store. Loved seeing product that we can't get at mainstream stores. read more

LOVE this place. After they got new ownership it did a 180. The owners are super nice, attentive to their customers and listen to their suggestions. They have adorable little flags and trinket, but also yummy snacks! They had a soda I scoured the island for but couldn't find., which was a great surprise! They also help and encourage local small mom & pop shops for foods and other cute things! read more

This is where my hispanic friends tell me to go when I can't find Masa or Corn Husks in the grocery store. Ok fine, I'll go to town, have my husband drop me off, I'll stand in the line (that was down the sidewalk on a fresh tamale morning!), and then drive around the block and pick me up. I had no idea they sold fresh tamales in Dec but I thought I was getting a bag and would tell all my friends I made them. But nope! I was there 45 mins after they opened and they had JUST sold out before I got inside. Fine, I'll get the ingredients and learn how to make tamales on my own. They had the masa flour (premade masa is available only by preorder), lard, corn husks, fresh pico de gallo, tomatillos, peppers, and so much more. The store is tiny but they have a decent amount of goods. My tamale making experience was great. I had my husband as a sous chef, he helped me make the pork, red sauce, and green chile verde sauce for the chicken! Next day I made the masa (took a minute to get it to float). Honestly, the vegetarian version with oil never floated but it was the most fluffy and moist tamale ever. Stuffed that one with bean and cheese. I had made tamales one time, years ago with my Mom but this was the first time on my own and they were so yummy. read more

I have been shopping once in a blue moon at this store for most of my adult life. I love their offerings of select Mexican/Latin-American goods, spices, cheese, chorizo, tortillas, salsas, etc. Absolutely worth it if you miss eating the basics that your madre raised you with. You gotta try their fresh salsas in the refrigerated section as well as the sun-dried hibiscus to make Jamaican tea at home. read more

I love how helpful the store owner was when I came! They close at 5 and I rushed there at 4:58! They still let me in and helped me out in picking ingredients to make micheladas! Total was $53 :) read more

Mercado De La Raza - Goods for Micheladas & candy - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Being from California I think Hispanic ingredients should not be expensive but we are living on an island, so everything is a little more pricey. I'm glad this store is here . read more

I love specialty food stores :) There's such cool finds here..look at all the hot sauce! (See photo). My dad and I picked up a salsa verde and salsa chipotle from this tiny shop this afternoon! The salsa chipotle (red one) was my favorite! It had a really smokey flavor and the perfect amount of spice. Just wish this store sold tortilla chips..! Maybe they were just sold out by the time we went (around 2 pm), so we ended up getting some super authentic tostitos from the safeway nearby LOL read more

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Meghan the owner is really sweet and open minded especially when it comes to my spiritual practice. The store has a small section for anything spiritual such as Incense, candles, sage, Florida water, and many more. I was surprised that they have Santa Muerte candles which is really rare because we're in Hawaii. I requested a few stuff and she was able to order some. I've bought some snacks and frozen goods but I usually go here for candles. I love this store so much! Also, the girls that work here (I keep forgetting their names sorry ) are very sweet and have a beautiful energy. I feel so welcome! I love supporting this business! read more

Mercado De La Raza - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First visit and I love this little shop. They had everything I needed to make gandule rice and more. I'm a HUGE fan of the salsa in the fridge-wow, fresh and tasty. The chorizo is amazing (used it in my paella) and the fresh vegetables are actually fresh. Great selection of dried peppers, sauces, spices, etc. staff is very helpful as well. read more

Mercado De La Raza - Everything you need. - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Im amazed how Mercado de la Raza is positively thriving under their new management! Everything is on point from their customer service to their social media, they are now carrying latino local vendor products! I can see a bright future for the latino community here in Hawai'i with people like Mercado de la raza. Keep the good work! read more

A little bit of everything ! If you want tostadas, tajin, pillatas even mates y Yerba..... amazing store got me a jarrito with a plumeria flower it's so pretty ! Very nice to see in Hawaii! read more

Kinda surprised this place is still in business. I went a few times when I lived downtown but have been there less often since I moved to the west side. I see not much has changed. To charge almost 17 bucks for six tamales is robbery. Ingredients for them are not THAT expensive. We were told by the owners son that they are that expensive so they can make a profit. We saw none fresh - all frozen. You can get decent tamales at Costco for a fraction of the price. I was scolded for touching a can of lechera that was on the shelf and was informed "hey! That's just for storage!" I dropped my keys on the floor and immediately the son came running thinking I had broken products. Also, we decided to not purchase a certain chile after asking if they had them when we found them not the freshest. When we checked out, the cashier asked "what about the rest of your items?" As if we were trying to steal something. There are no products that are sold here that you couldn't find on island, and if not, purchase on Amazon. I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this to be the case. read more

The lady watches you like a hawk and appears to get pissed off if you look for expiration dates. Selection is bad, I can find most of those items at the commissary and Don Quijote Also, their Biden stickers and anti-Trump stickers are annoying (and I am Mexican-American) so will never go back cause of those read more

Street parking is metered. Great place to find ingredients you might have a hard time looking for at the super market like Queso Fresco. The owner sells fresh salsa, salsa verde, pico de gallo, flan, amongst others. They sell fresh tamales on the second and last Saturdays of the month. They open at 10am and often sell out by 11am. They do take pre-orders if you prepay the Friday before. I've seen some reviews about the service being bad and staff being rude. I've been here five times now. Each time I always get lost with how many things I don't know how to use and find the staff very open to answer questions and even give advice for what I am cooking. I believe what others are deeming as rude is more of a cultural difference. read more

Mercado De La Raza - In the refrigerated area to the back left of the store. - Imported Food Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii