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    Taco Aina

    4.9 (17 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Kaliko K.

    Let me first start by saying, "Where have I been? Under a rock!" @tacoaina is located right off the Keaʻau-Pāhoa Hwy, not too far past Makuʻu Market if you're going toward Pāhoa Town. To say I was taken by surprise is an understatement. There were three different tacos on the menu today, and we got two of each. The three tacos were asada, lengua, and chicken mole. Lengua (Beef Tongue): The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender and perfectly seasoned--the perfect savory element/protein to assume the "main character" role. The meat was doused in a bright and zesty salsa verde and topped with cilantro and onions. Every ingredient had a role, and every single one of them gave Oscar-winning performances. This was by far my favorite taco out of the three available today. Bravissimo! Chicken Mole: The chicken was moist, succulent, and bathed in a deep, earthy, nutty, velvety, and aromatic mole that genuinely took my breath away. The notes of tomato and garlic from the rice were like a warm hug, and the pickled onions cut through the richness and nuttiness of the mole in the most complimentary way. Exquisite! Asada (Beef): The asada tacos were my least favorite, but only because of the texture. The meat had a bit of a chew, and I prefer mine to be more tender, but that's it. Flavor-wise, these were a 10/10! As an honorable mention, I must bring up the salsas, sauces, sides, and the two char-grilled jalapenos that came with our tacos. Every single salsa, sauce, and side was exceptionally delicious. And the charred jalapenos were a nice touch. I'm so happy that I finally made it, and I'm now a HUGE FAN! All of you need to follow @tacoaina and try her food immediately! Big Island Foodie & Traveler approved = PS Since posting my story during lunch, three people told me that her birria is up there with THE BIG DAWGS and that she usually serves birria on Tuesdays. I guess I'll be back on Tuesday Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo

    Shrimp and Fish taco. Cabbage slaw, lime crema, pico de gallo and a chile de arbol salsita
    Samdooby R.

    This place is ridiculous. Delicious, fresh, and way more than authentic. I tried a carne asada, carnita, mahi, and shrimp taco. Carne asada was moist, well seasoned and tender. Great char on it and great taste. This was my favorite.. Carnitas was made from buche (pig stomach) and was DELICIOUS. Moist, clean tasting and addictive. Fish and shrimp tacos were good. Nice crisp fry on the fish, moist and flaky and HUGE. The cabbage slaw was refreshing and the acid from the lime and pico de gallo was needed to cut thru the richness of the batter. Same w/ the shrimp taco. Delicious. Kiki also gave me a side of pickled onions, jicama, pepino (cukes). The pickled onions were delicious. Allspice, bay leaf, and clove were distinct flavors coming thru and on point. Her knowledge of flavors are unmatched. By far this is THE best food truck for Mexican food on the island. Others don't even come close. She posts her days on Instagram so best follow her to find out where and when she's selling. It's worth your taste buds.

    three boxes of tacos on a table

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    Kiki L.

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    3 months ago

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    Kiki L.

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    Kiki L.

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    10 months ago

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    Kiki L.

    Tommy, I appreciate your taking the time to review your experience.

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    Kiki L.

    Lana, I appreciate the positive feedback. Thank you.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Super friendly and delicious. We are leaving next Tuesday when she is back again. Wish we could go back again!

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    5 years ago

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    Big Island Birria Boss

    Big Island Birria Boss

    4.8
    (103 reviews)
    24.2 mi
    $$

    First off, I am from Sinaloa, born and raised, and now live in California. I know what real Mexican…read morefood should taste like. Hands down, the quesabirria tacos and flautas are as good as they come--absolutely amazing. We happened upon this place on Yelp, and I was a little skeptical, but after the first bite, I felt transported back to Mexico. My entire family agreed that these are the best quesabirria tacos we have had outside of Mexico, and possibly even in Mexico. The flavors were amazing, and the consommé was absolutely delicious. We are regulars on the Big Island and normally do not eat Mexican food because we have never found a good spot, with the exception of Shaka Tacos. This place was really busy, and there was only one person working. She was doing it all--taking orders, collecting money, and making all the delicious food. She was never rude and was so pleasant. She said the cooks had called in and she was the only one there. Talk about dedication! She made sure everyone got their food, and it was made perfectly. I cannot commend her enough for all the work she did and for putting out an outstanding order of food. She is a real gem and should be treated as such! It is so hard to find good employees today, and her dedication and attitude inspired me. I wish we had gotten her name, but she said she is always there. If the food takes longer than you like, just be patient, because you are in for a treat when it comes out. Good food takes time, and the food is definitely worth the wait. We will definitely be coming back every time we are here. This place is a real gem. If I could give it more stars, I would. I hope everyone reading this takes my advice and goes to this wonderful place for the delicious food and the warm people.

    Really good spot leaving from the falls, we stopped in for lunch and had no wait - it was right…read morewhen they opened. Just two people working and they were both friendly. Food was made fresh and took about 10 minutes! It was a lot of food too. I would've liked more cilantro and lime for the tacos, and maybe a bit more salt in the beans and rice, but overall it was great. The drink was our favorite! Plenty of seating, quiet, and quaint.

    Photos
    Inside dining
    Inside dining
    Quesabirria plate
    Quesabirria plate
    Horchata and Birria Tacos

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    Horchata and Birria Tacos
    La Jefa Island Tacos

    La Jefa Island Tacos

    4.1
    (21 reviews)
    1.6 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
    Churros with sugar and cinnamon
    Churros with sugar and cinnamon
    Carnitas tacos with onion and cilantro.

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    Carnitas tacos with onion and cilantro.
    Rico's Taco Shop

    Rico's Taco Shop

    4.7
    (42 reviews)
    17.9 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
    Birria de Res taco plate.
    Birria de Res taco plate.
    Carnitas taco trio
    Carnitas taco trio
    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.

    Taco Aina - tacos - Updated July 2026

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