On every visit to Kauai, I stop here when I need to switch it up from eating Hawaiian lunch plates. I always enjoy what I order. Get here between 11am-3pm for lunch specials under $15. I was fully satisfied. Glad they were open days after Hurricane Lowell passed through. Stop in and support local! read more

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I had the camarones a la diabla seafood plate, which had decent flavor and a nice spice level, it was a good, average plate. We also shared chips and salsa, which were fine but fairly basic with queso dip as well. My wife had the three Baja fish tacos. The fish was beer battered and fried, and while it was cooked fine, the overall flavor was just okay. She mentioned the corn tortillas tasted average and they were edible and decent. read more

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We had a great experience! The carne asada tacos were packed with flavor, the meat was tender and well-seasoned, and the toppings were fresh. The burritos were huge, filling, and delicious with just the right balance of ingredients. The chile relleno was cooked perfectly with a flavorful sauce and plenty of cheesy goodness. Everything tasted fresh, the portions were enough, and the service was friendly. We'll definitely be coming back the next time we're craving great Mexica food while on Kauai! read more

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We're from San Diego so we KNOW authentic Mexican cuisine! Paco's was just next door and had menudo from Friday 11:00 and the weekend, so we had to go!! Server, she was so nice and friendly! Menudo, on point and authentic, prepared well, great chile flavor without being too spicy, excellent clean flavors and herbs/spices. Fish tacos, they have both grilled and Baja style (seasoned battered and fried). They use fresh Island Ono or other fresh local fish. Ceviche is with local Ono and fresh. Chips and salsa on point, cold cerveza from Modelo, Corona, Tecate along with large Michelada's, margaritas and other Mexican libations. Come for the menudo, tacos and ceviche! Oh, other menu items are carnitas, carne asada, chicken tacos, enchiladas, mole and other typical fare. Casual but fun ambience. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Menudo / authentic and delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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I ended up ordering here one night when our original dinner plans fell through. It was getting later in the day and a lot of places close early. This place was right down the street from where we were staying. I walked in and was helped right away. I had asked if I could order to go and it wasn't going to be a problem at all. I ordered and paid and was told I could have a seat while I waited. The place is cute and there's a decent amount of seating available. The order didn't take long and the server grabbed several containers of salsa for me. My youngest ordered chicken tacos which she seemed to enjoy. My oldest got the carne asada fries which looked amazing. She couldn't finish it in one sitting. I went with the Al pastor tacos and they were decent, but I've had better elsewhere. read more

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Not much to say. The food was phenomenal. I almost started to lick my plate. The chips for my salsa were so warm and good. The shrimp were a healthy size and plentiful. Overall an enjoyable experience. Highly recommend. The waitress was polite. The service was good read more

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I was looking for a quick bite before the night ended and stumbled across Paco's Tacos Cantina for a California Burrito. I called in for a pick up order which took a moment to prepare - the staff were friendly and offered us chips while we waited. I was a little bummed about the size of the burrito for what it cost, the taste didn't wow me either. Maybe I'll have to try something else. read more

Food was ok. Service was ok. Dependable mid mexican food. Food is alright for a dinner when not much else is open. The salsa was good. Liked to sit outside and watch the city. read more

Happa Haole here back on Kauai we decided to try a spot we've always wanted to try and it did not lets us down!!! The chili verde burrito plate was straight fire the flavor was very close to brother Joes ( my family member) who was from Mexico and made everything fresh from his garden! My wife got the carne asada salad and she said it was delicious! We topped it off with what turned out to be one of the best flans we've ever had! We grew up in SF and have been spoiled by our selection of Mexican food and Pacos definitely rivals anything we've ever had!! Shout out to our waiter Exodus who was full of aloha and made it even more enjoyable read more

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Good food. Fajitas were great. Shrimp cocktail was different but tasty. Atmosphere ok.

We wanted for this place to rock the tacos. With a name like Paco's Taco's you would assume their tacos are going to be great. It was ok at best. The carne asada tacos tasted like fish and had very little flavor. The salsa is pico with very little flavor. The beans and rice were tasty. The service was good. The restaurant has a good amount of seating. I appreciated all of the photos of the family (I assume) that started the restaurant. read more

Good food. I had the 3 shrimp taco Tuesday special and my husband had the chicken mole enchilada with rice and beans. Good atmosphere and friendly service. read more

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This place is solid! Food is fast and good. Fish tacos were delicious. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

We came on Monday morning as they opened. We're here from California. This food is authentic and oh so tasty. Everyone is so helpful and accommodating. Loved this place. Our group of 10 had carnitas torta, burrito al pastor, tacos and huevos divorciados. Excellent!! read more

The chile rellenos were bomb. Wife got a garlic shrimp burrito and added nopales-that was a winner winner. Refried beans done right. Excellent drinks and a welcoming environment. We are from LA and we had low expectations of what we would find for good Mexican food n Kauai. The food was delicious: The quality and care put into making flavorful food at Paco's Tacos is to be appreciated: Thanks so much. read more

Just landed in Kawaii and went to the condo in Kapaa but first had to get a quick bite for lunch. Had the grilled fish taco platter and a side of chips and salsa to split with my wife. There was plenty of food on the one dish and left extremely full. The salsa for the chips was very fresh, not too spicy and had great flavor. The fish tacos were lightly seasoned and the green sauce over the shredded cabbage was very tasty. Our server was friendly and the other staff were very attentive and nice. We really enjoyed our lunch and highly recommend this local establishment. read more

This spot is pretty average. I wouldn't want to come back, but if you are hungry it'd be a decent place to stop.

We stopped in here because it was crowded.. hoping for good and inexpensive tacos. The carne asada tacos were barely seasoned and the ceviche was grainy.. never seen ceviche grainy before so I didn't eat it. Maybe the other menu items are better but I should've known with the multi colored chips. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I grabbed the fish tacos which were ok. My wife had the carne asada tacos which were definitely not tasty, she only ate one of the three. They use really cheap quality meat, we actually thought it was ground beef, at least that's what it tasted like. I ordered take out so I can't comment on the service, but the atmosphere seem ok at best. read more

Went to 3 of their locations and each location has workers who are of this culture. Food was amazing all 3 places and service was great!

My favorite taco spot in Kauai. Couldn't have gotten more lucky having our timeshare exchange literally next door to Paco's. The shrimp tacos with added cilantro & spicy dressing is an absolute dream combo. Perfect hawaiian-mex taco. Pricing is great & portions are just right. Highly recommend! read more

We are here on our drive through Kapaa. The menu is digital so you have to scan the code to read through it. They have a special each weekday. On Monday the special was fish taco salad and house margaritas. I had a house margarita which was good - but oddly wasn't cold. There was ice in my glass but whatever they used to make the drink wasn't chilled at all. I had two fish tacos and a side of guacamole which was absolutely delicious. My husband had the enchiladas which he also said was really good. Our friend had a quesadilla and it looked under grilled. The tortillas didn't have any indication they were put on a grill to melt together. So it fell apart instantly when he picked it up to eat. Good food. Would probably come again. Decent parking. Bathroom is outside around the building. read more

We ate there twice and the service was great, good salsa, food was good too! I would recommend it !!

The carnitas were fresh, tender and delicious. Baja fish tacos were killer. Fried but felt lite and the fish was fresh! Great service too! read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Baha Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Food was ok. It wasn't super warm or hot. I feel like there are better places for sure to get a good authentic taco.

Fish Tacos were good. Frijoles were good. Server was exceptionally nice Got the menu and it had no prices - had to ask the price of each item On the chips and salsa that is served at the beginning, they actually charged $3.50 to refill that tiny container. That's a first in maybe 500 dinners at Mexican restaurants. It was apparent that the management was out to soak the tourists. Didn't really feel that this was honest. Had a funny feeling when we arrived and the parking lot was close to empty. read more

We made a pit stop before hitting the beach. We ordered a couple shrimp burritos, rolled tacos, and a smothered burrito. Food came out in about 15 min- our to-go bag had utensils and extra salsa as requested. Service was prompt- all good! read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Maybe a bad day? Food has little to no flavor, staff forgot half of our order. Queso was like a ball of molten plastic. They charge for chips and salsa. Wouldn't reformed based on this visit. read more

Our party of 6 checked in around 7:30 PM, the sweet hostess, Mia, told us it was a 20 minute wait, 20 minutes later she came out and told us it would be another 10-15 minutes, 10 minutes later she came out and offered us two separate tables or the option to wait longer for a larger table. After already waiting so long we decided to split our party and take the two tables. Our waitress, the only waitress working the tables, finally acknowledged us after about 10 minutes of sitting. He was working all the tables solo, with the help of the hostess so I get it. We placed our order and waited... now I must disclose, we were all hungry by now. It was around 8:15 when we placed our order and got our food at 8:55, just minutes before they close. This place is slow definitely, but the food was piping out and good when it finally came out. It's nice to see authentic Mexican food on the island but they need to speed up the process, maybe by hiring more people. Mia the hostess, earns a star of her own. She was so sweet, so helpful and she was really doing her best. I appreciated the fact that she was checking in on people waiting for their table and keeping us informed. It was apparent she was working hard and hustling. For that they get a three star from me. read more

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I strongly recommend staying away from this place. The food had no flavor, making the entire meal a disappointment. On top of that, the service was absolutely terrible. Overall, it was a horrible experience. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - More like a flavorless steamed asada taco - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We did not love this food. Our server was fantastic and the view was nice, but we should've known better than to go to a golf course for Mexican food. The chicken nachos were bland and the chicken was low quality. They do have Mexican Coke so that was a plus! I would not recommend this place for quality Mexican food. read more

Came for dinner right when it opened at 5pm. The tables filled up quickly and we got lucky to snag one. To start, we ordered 3 flavors of tacos - carne asada, Baja fried fish, and al pastor (2 tacos per order) so we could try a variety. Disappointed by the carne asada which were just ok. The al pastor was tasty but a little too spicy and didn't have pineapple. Enjoyed the fish taco. I also ordered a lilikoi margarita, which was large and pretty strong. Flavor was ok, but I couldn't finish it. We were still a little hungry and decided to get one more round of a different flavor taco - carnitas - which was our favorite flavor! In our experience, beef on the islands isn't as great as back home, but they excel in fish and pork. Overall, the tacos had just enough toppings to not overpower the proteins and they came with 2 kinds of sauce - chipotle mayo and tomatillo. I especially liked the chipotle mayo. Service wasn't bad. read more

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Below average margarita, small salsa and then when you ask for more for the chips you haven't been able to finish they charge you $3. Ordered the Birria and 5 min later waitress comes back and says no Birria, anything else? So I did order a shrimp taco, it was very good I will say, ended up ordering another one, and they do serve it with salsa and a chipotle mayo sauce. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Prices were okay, drinks not very tasty (and seemed watered down), but mostly the food was very bland. Not a good mix of flavors, nothing stood out. Very poor representation of Mexican cuisine. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Mai Tai, Margarita, Chips and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

COVID-19 era carryout review You hear people all over Hawaii bemoan the fact that there is no good Mexican food here. There are honestly places that serve some pretty lousy versions but there are also some gems that do a great job and this is one of them. I am an Oahu person and live far from the Paco's on the north shore so have never tried it. When I found myself in Kapaa and near this place (a mini-chain on Kauai) I decided to give it a try and was not disappointed. Service is slow and the friendly staff seem overwhelmed by the high volume of carryout orders. I am not actually sure who is charge of getting food from the kitchen to the front counter but I could see that my meal was sitting in a container ready to be claimed and finally decided to just walk back and ask. Service goofiness aside, this may honestly be THE BEST TORTA I have had in Hawaii -- better than "that" place in Wahiawa and better than what I've had in Honolulu. The bread was perfect, fresh, warm, pressed and grilled until slightly crusty. Beans and crema/mayo were tasty, lettuce gave the sandwich some crunch and helped me feel better about eating an unhealthy meal, and the pork was excellent! My sandwich was a hot mess just as it should be. The torta was also served with a huge whole pickled jalapeno plus very good french fries (which I thought were a strange addition at first, but now I know that all my tortas will need fries!) :) The guy who handed me my takeout from the kitchen was mortified that I was asking for my own food and packed me a bag of excellent warm tortilla chips and salsa. Not sure if this comes with fries AND with chips/salsa or if I just got lucky. Terrific spot. Can't wait to try more of their food. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Parking next door - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Nice restaurant and great services however the tacos are just ok to us. Good if you want Mexican food and stay near by. Parking is okay. read more

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Michelada was a good size! And I had the crazy grilled fajitas... service was awesome !

7th Place - 2022 Kauai Fish Taco Throwdown This location has a more vibrant vibe than the Poipu location but their fish taco is just Ok. It's a decent fish taco but nothing special. Nothing terrible either and it is only $5/taco. However, the piece of fish was a little smaller at this location compared to the Poipu location. If you are on a budget and in Kapaa, this is a good choice for a fish taco. Decent Margies too. On the upside, the Nopales tacos are awesome. read more

The poor reviews for tacos didn't keep us from trying this restaurant, and I'm so happy we came here. I took of Margarita Monday, and my BF was pleased to see Fortaleza tequila at the bar. The chips were NOT stale, and the salsa was tasty. We enjoyed our choices: taquitos & camarones Al mojo de ajo. The garlic sauce in the latter dish is addictive. It seeped into my rice, and WOW! Order it if you love garlic. The restroom is outside and around the corner, but it was clean. read more

Paco's Tacos Cantina - Kapaa - Monday Margarita & tequila Fortaleza - Mexican Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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My family & I tried this place and being Latinos is one the of the worst places I have been to. Food had no flavor and greasy and salsa was horrible. I don't know why it has a 4 on yelp should be negative. read more