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    Panchos Tacos

    4.8 (82 reviews)
    ModerateTacos, Food Trucks
    Closed Closed

    Panchos Tacos Photos

    PANCHOS TACOS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Panchos Tacos

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    Reviews With Photos

    Birria taco plate and consommé
    Kraziechic A.

    Been here several times and I have never been so pleased. The food taste great and the portions are large. Not to forget about the crew, they are so friendly. I will return every-time they are in town even if I have to wait in line! Ya'll need a restaurant, you guys would kill it! Best food ever!

    Get the chile verde taco and ask for chile verde sauce on the side! Thank me later haha
    Indira S.

    Get the chile verde taco and ask for chile verde sauce on the side! Thank me later haha I'm from LA (home of the best tacosssss), so I know hahaha TRUST

    20 Tacos
    Michelle K.

    The Best tacos on the east side of the island. They are located in Pahoa on tues/wed, thurs at Ben Franklin in Hilo & Fridays at Kai store in Hilo from 9-3pm. Get there early because like any good eatery the line gets long. I definitely recommend the tacos. I really like the chorizo, barbacoa, carne asada & al pastor.

    Menu
    Gina P.

    Big menu everything looks delicious, hard to choose. Nice vegetarian and vegan selections, always appreciate that! Long line so go early, but once your order is placed, only about 5-10 minute wait. It's in a parking lot, hot, with a small canopy cover to wait after ordering. Very good and satisfying lunch!!

    This is the alacart 4 Asada (Steak) tacos. Enjoy the review I'm gonna be enjoying my lunch.
    Larry D.

    Absolutely the Best Mexican Food on the Big Island. The service is spectacular as always and the staff a special kind of amazing. As for the ambiance it's great that is why it's called a Street Tacos.

    Mole chicken enchiladas plate
    Anna H.

    So lucky to have stumbled upon this place because it actually should be a place you come to purposely in Pahoa. Why? It's really delicious, freshly made to order, and affordable! We ordered the mulitas and the mole chicken enchiladas plate and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I know mole was a special item on the menu and glad it was available. I liked the outdoor seating area where you get to talk to locals in area. They love the food so much they come weekly. Next time you find yourself in Pahoa, make sure to find Panchos!

    Keto Tocos
    Kaleo A.

    The best Mexican food on the Big Island!!! Anything you order will be Awesome!!! My favorite is the keto Tacos! So good just melts in your mouth!!! If you are going to Hilo location on Thursday or Friday, place your order online the night before. It get hot waiting in the line to order, but it is still worth every drop of sweat to wait It is so Good!!!

    Esquites
    Brennan T.

    Review #18 for 2021. A Latina friend from Los Angeles that was visiting said that Panchos is the best Mexican food she's had in years. I questioned if it was context specific because Hilo doesn't have much Mexican food, and she said that the food is objectively good. I tried Panchos birria with her (my first time having birria), and I liked it a lot. She said what made it good was the many layers of flavors. I got it again for my family, and they liked it too, but be warned that it's kinda spicy (which I like, but my mom couldn't handle). Panchos is in Hilo on Fridays starting at 10:30am in the HPM parking lot facing the highway. I suggest pre-ordering on their website on Thursdays because the line gets long, and once they're out of something, they're done. That's food truck style! I've also had pastor nachos and barbacoa burrito especial. Both were huge and delicious! Great deals for $9 each. Their $2 tacos are super tasty and a steal. Tried the esquites (like elotes in a bowl), and it was super yummy. I'd order everything again, and I want to try other things too. Service is great, and I didn't have any issues over the three times I visited. I'd say that Panchos is the best Mexican food on the Big Island! I'm jealous that I don't live in Pahoa so I could have Panchos more often. Once a week will have to do for now!

    Outside
    Veronica D.

    This mobile food truck just got upgraded to a trailer. They spend Tues/Wed in Pahoa and Thurs/Fri in Hilo 10:30-3. They always have a line. Must be doing well if you can open only for lunch. So far have tried the burritos which are amazing. Just beware the especial vs the "super" which is the size of your arm! They toast the outside wrap just like they do back in SF mission district which I loved. Can't stand cold cheese on a burrito. I also tried the "sincronizadas" which was fun to say. It's a quesadilla but with roasted peppers and choice of meat. I got the steak. Loved it! I also like their Chile verde pork. Salsas we're good. Chips not needed. Get sodas or water out of cooler next to stand. There are some tables and tenting outside Pahoa location. Park past the fence but they are serious about closing time. This is a regular place for most locals. Family owned business.

    Line of taco truck, with cute Mexican music playing

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    15 days ago

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    3 days ago

    I couldn't believe that they have Mulitas. They were so good. It's the only place in Hilo side that serves them, and they are Ono.

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Hands down the best tacos ever! I love their Al Pastor and their Birrias!! The owners & their ohana are so nice & sweet! Mahalo Panchos!!

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Great food, but not too friendly!! Customer service is a huge part of a great place to eat. A smile and thank you are noticed!!

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    1 year ago

    Best Mexican food on the big island! And one an amazing family that serves it! God bless you guys!

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

    Went last week and they didn't disappoint. Ordered and our order was out in like 10 minutes. And it was good!!

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Panchos Tacos

    La Jefa Island Tacos

    La Jefa Island Tacos

    4.1(21 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    For a non brick and mortar store. I like them!!!! So looking over to the right next to the fruit…read morestand is La Jefa island tacos. Had to get the fish tacos, because you are in Hawaii, the super burrito birria because why not. Was not disappointed on the other hand I was very pleased with my choices . I had to ask for extra pickle pepper , just needed the extra acid and heat. I also had the freshly made churros with cinnamon sugar. Crispy crunchy soft in the middle. Luck I had some vanilla ice cream in the freezer. Perfect match. Service was on spot . Everyone wore masks , they had a dedicated person for taking orders, another cooking, and one doing the final finish work. . Will come back

    Ok, finally found this place setup after couple no-shows. Really wanted to like ( or love) the food…read moreafter much anticipation. Pros: friendly/fast service, composite earth friendly containers. Cons: very bland food. Thankfully brought home and doctored up with everything Mexican we had...( onions, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, Avocado, cilantro, even cheese!)!! Had we bought to take to eat elsewhere, we wouldn't have eaten sadly. No slow cooked authentic taste at all. Hubby had Carne Asada burrito grande, after first bite he said meat was like ground beef. He couldn't see any sour cream, cheese either so he wasn't happy having to put our own toppings on to make it enjoyable. My lengua quesadilla grande was supposed to have extra toppings inside as well but just got meat/cheese. Both meats very diced , and rice/beans also NO flavor, 22 bucks, sadly won't be back.

    Photos
    La Jefa Island Tacos
    La Jefa Island Tacos - Churros with sugar and cinnamon

    Churros with sugar and cinnamon

    La Jefa Island Tacos - Carnitas tacos with onion and cilantro.

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    Carnitas tacos with onion and cilantro.

    Rico's Taco Shop - Rico's signage

    Rico's Taco Shop

    4.7(42 reviews)
    18.7 mi

    TLDR - the staff are very nice and this place is very convenient when visiting the area, but I know…read moreI'll never come back. The food was tasteless and I don't appreciate when places try to get a double tip. Food options around the area are very limited, but I encourage tourists to take a chance and explore further. This place is a great convenience for people visiting Hawaii's Volcano National Parks and are starving after a long day of sightseeing. Unfortunately, I was very let down considering the great reviews it has online. This is a food truck, so as expected, the parking is extremely limited and there are only two picnic tables available if you choose to sit down and eat. The area is nice if you don't mind eating outdoors. When I went, there were only 2 people working in the truck. They were extremely nice and did warn us about waiting times. There was a long line of people so we had to wait about 25mins for our food. Honestly, this is not inherently a problem, but be ready to wait if it's busy. Now for the food and the reason I'm giving this place a low rating. I was allowed to mix the carnitas tacos and the chicken taco plate given that they're all the same price. The chicken had a nice spice to it, but every item on the dish was very bland. The rice felt dry, the refried beans felt like they were straight out of a can, and it could have all used some salt. But the big nono was that it appears they included a tip in their total before handing the machine over to you to add a tip and pay. Unless you tell me Hawaii's tax is close to 20% (which I know it's not), I find it very disrespectful when businesses do this to their customers.

    Food takes a while, as they're just two people running the cart! I liked the birria tacos the most…read more The couple was so kind.

    Photos
    Rico's Taco Shop - Birria de Res taco plate.

    Birria de Res taco plate.

    Rico's Taco Shop - Carnitas taco trio

    Carnitas taco trio

    Rico's Taco Shop - Fresh produce. We try to use ingredients grown in Hawaii as much as possible.

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    Fresh produce. We try to use ingredients grown in Hawaii as much as possible.

    Panchos Tacos - tacos - Updated May 2026

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