I have to admit, when my friend suggested Mexican for dinner, in Chinatown no less, I was not really enthusiastic, but I'm so glad I decided to just roll with it. I was absolutely blown away at my first bite of their fish ceviche dish. I'm no connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, so I had no expectations. I can't even describe the flavor - little bit if BBQ spice, lime, ??? but just absolutely delicious. It came with a few tostadas which were wonderful as well. I'm a lightweight when it comes to spicy, and this one has a heat that builds up, but I couldn't resist one more bite. When we ordered, I told my friend I would take one bite, so he would need to eat the majority, but I think I took three (at least). Lol! Since the quality of food was way higher than what I was expecting, I asked for an order of the guacamole and more tostadas. I was okay with having leftovers if I couldn't finish my entree. The flavors in the guacamole were wonderful and just popped - as can only be achieved with it being whipped up right then. My dish was the Chile Relleno with beef. It was both beautiful and delicious. I love mushrooms, and this comes in a mushroom version, so I might try that next time. It came with a side of beans and flour tortillas. I know it won't be as good, but I am looking forward to the leftovers. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find the food refreshing and lighter than what I was expecting from a Mexican restaurant. Already planning another visit with more friends and hope to get try the pulpo (octopus) next! read more

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Pros: -Most of the food is astounding! (I have been here 3 times and love the food for the most part. My recommendations for appetizers are ceviche and octopus & shrimp cocktail. For entrees, the Oxtail in Chile Pasilla and Conchita Pibil are by far some of the best Mexican I've had on island. Both are tender and flavorful and paired with their homemade tortillas make amazing tacos. Dessert is also ) -Outdoor and indoor seating with decent atmosphere -Full bar -Takes reservations Cons: -The birria is a hit or miss (also it's made with goat) and the tacos feel more like quesadillas. -Not enough staff (usually 1 cook and maybe 1 waiter max) -Food usually takes a while but can be really slow at times (25-40 min for main dishes to come out). If you are hungry get an appetizer to hold you over while you wait for your main. -No tanktops or beachwear is allowed. This is weird as it Hawaii and it isn't a super fancy place. -Only street or public parking available If you only care about the taste of the food, then I highly recommend this place. However, beware that you will need to wait a while for the food and the service can be good or bad. Also don't try to come with beachwear as I've heard people got kicked out because of it. read more

Tlaxcalli - Outdoor seating - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Atmosphere: Unwelcoming Food: Bland and disgusting Service: Rasict remarks from owner Best thing you can do during your Hawaiian vacation is not eat here. Spend your cash elsewhere. read more

After reading some reviews , hubby and I decided to check this place out . We walked in on a Friday noon time .. we were happy and hungry , let me just say this owner/chef killed my vibe . Definitely a Debbie downer .. no warmth of customer service . I mean come on there's tons of other places we could of eaten . This guy was just not welcoming at all . So sad .. He stated " don't look at my bar" , I can't do drinks right now . Hubby and I were confused. So I really wanted to know why . So I asked , he stated " I don't have a bartender right now . And then we we ordered that was another issue . Hubby asked about the tacos . The guy said " we're not a taqueria (taco place ) , you can get tacos anywhere " and he quickly turned the menu around to say order like an entree . Just rude ! In the end I ordered tacos and a side of beans . when I ordered a side of beans , they guys seemed annoyed . Overall I must say the food was great 5 stars but the service definitely a 0 and needs huge improvement. This place has full potential to be a great place ..! read more

Tlaxcalli - Cerviche de Atun - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I love the idea of outdoor seating and Mexian food in Chinatown. However, on this visit (have been there 4 times) things went really downhill. First off, the owner met us at the door and demanded we take our masks OFF. What a Neanderthal. This was the most UNWELCOME I've ever felt dining in any restaurant. As it turns out the food was definitely off this night. Maybe he didn't appreciate us walking into his restaurant masked and sabotaged the meal? Not sure. But based on this meal and bad service, I would not be coming back. Bottom line--we didn't feel welcomed from our first step into this restaurant by the owner. Add the luke-warm service and top that with the over seasoned/salted food/,bad fish, I cannot recommend Tlaxcalli. read more

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This so far is my favorite Mexican restaurant!!! The staff was awesome!! We sat inside but the outdoor seating area has a beautiful ambience. Great for groups or date night. The food was good my favorite was dessert.....Cinco Leches cake!!! At the moment it's BYOB so that was great!! Had I known, I would've brought my own alcohol to mix up some margaritas, since I was looking forward to having a few. Good thing the peeps arrived before so did cause they picked up some Corona and the staff offered some limes. We're definitely visiting this place again!!! read more

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The food was delicious. When I tell you that I have traveled the world and that I have tasted a lot of "authentic food," believe that I have. This is the most authentic and homestyle Mexican food on the island, trust me. Manage your expectations. Don't come here if you expect to be catered to. Or, if you expect the red carpet to be rolled out. Think, "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld and expect it to be as such. Personally, this doesn't phase me because I don't expect to be treated like royalty, or for anybody to be my servant. The man is a genius in the kitchen. We pay for the food in my family, so I tipped him well because he clearly worked his ass off. Could he use of people skills? Sure. But I don't go to restaurants to fill my happy tank. I go to fill my stomach. And for that, he gets an A+! Don't worry, Sir, I'll bring Kevin next time. Keep up the great work! Hire you a ray of sunshine to work the front, and you will be good to go! read more

Tlaxcalli - Sign - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We ain't in Kansas anymore. I mean sure there's Mexico and Alejandro's here on Oahu but this place is traditional no Americanized Mexican food. And when you come with a Mexican American dude and he don't know. You know you're way into tradition. First no private parking. You get street parking if lucky or the parking garage. Second the front door doesn't stand out. It's in between a couple of closed or rundown shops. But inside is beautiful. Plenty of colorful tables and stands that you're use to seeing in Mexican restaurants and they have the papel picado decorations like Frida's. I know you read that review. We sat outside making sure not to sit in the "lovers table". This seating area is nice. There's another restaurants dining area next door and they were burning incense. I got the pork belly and poke. What you never heard of surf and turf? Anyway the pork was soft and flavorful. It wasn't salty or douse with soy sauce or vinegar. It's hard to explain but if you love bacon on steroids get this. But this poke ceviche was the main event. I had to gobble this up. And the manager/waiter/cook was introducing a replace for this dish in the future. People this version is the bomb. Grab it before it goes away. I only hope we don't have a Coca-Cola repeat. Seriously grab the ceviche de atun. In fact, get two servings. Overall four stars. Food was complex and simple. Food was familiar but with crazy twist. Food was just damn good. No five stars because we came at lunch so there was only one guy running the front and the back therefore service was slow. I'm sure dinner has more staff. Now excuse me, where's that car of mine. M read more

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Restaurant is themed from Sinaloa in Mexico but let's just say even El Chapo would want chips n salsa and some chopped onions & tomatoes in a taco after a long tunnel escape. Oh did I forget the rice! Don't expect any of that. Dish tasted like Kalua pig n food was cold. Was out of peppers n mushrooms so couldn't order much. The hot sauce was bangin and the waiter was awesome. He made things better for us. Will give them that. Overall the restaurant is cool asf n vibes but they are just missing the Mexican in Mexican food. Restaurant should just be called Food in Cool Place until they figure out the Mexican part. read more

Tlaxcalli - Somethings missing. Can you guess what? - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Finally some good Mexican Food This food is busin - as the kids say The aguachiles are spicy like for REAL. But super good read more

Great date night spot. It's quiet and you are not rushed. The patio is very nice. The waitress was prompt, friendly and helpful. The short-rib and shrimp tacos were wonderful. Nice variety on the menu and things I have not seen before. We'll be back. read more

Customer service at its worst. Stepped in to have a drink and use the restroom and whoever was in the kitchen stepped out to rudely ask me "What do you want?" We gave it a second chance by coming back a few hours later because we thought we caught the employee at a bad time. But he was just as rude if not more rude the second time around. We tried to get seated and he told us we couldn't be just standing around... it wasn't even busy for him to be acting like we were in anyone's way. We tried to be understanding and followed what he said by asking what kind of drinks they had. The employee became irritated and angrily pointed at the menu. If you're looking for aloha... this is not the place. read more

The food and ambiance are excellent. This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've eaten at. The duck confit mole was yum. They have a long list of specialty drinks--the Oaxacan Old Fashioned and Naranjaita were different and good. The chef is a bit curmudgeonly, but so what. He's in the kitchen. read more

Tlaxcalli - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm not a fan of Mexican food but came at the recommendation of a friend. I had the octopus and was able to try a bit of friends' fish and pork dishes. All were really tasty. It was a slow Monday lunch, and Owner seated, cooked and served us. He's gruff, but not off putting. I could see the gleam of humor in his eyes. Would come again. read more

My friend and I wanted to meet up for some beers and lunch. He picked this spot and turned out to be awesome. It's located in Chinatown near Lucky Belly. The interior decor is definitely on-point. When we arrived, we went right at opening time (lol). The gentleman helping us didn't seem too thrilled, but we get it. We got our info checked and cleared and sat down inside. Outside seating is also beautiful, but we are indoors for a cooler seating. We started off with the ceviche which was wonderful. I definitely appreciated the large tako pieces. I chose the enmoladas for my main dish. It was extremely delicious. I was raised eating the enmoladas my mom would make with sour cream which pairs deliciously with the chocolately bitter taste of the enmoladas. Unfortunately they didn't carry any, but what was interesting was the gentleman's response. Instead of just politely communicating that they didn't carry any, he went on to say that this was a Mexican restaurant and don't carry sour cream. He then said you don't eat real Mexican food with sour cream. It was a totally unnecessary response, but it's all good. He did seem a little flustered and he was the only one tending the restaurant, like a champ. We concluded that he was probably the owner. It was definitely a note-worthy Mexican restaurant. read more

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The food in this restaurant is de pinga, authentic Mexican cuisine. The owner/chef makes everything straight from the heart, and the food is a symphony of flavors. The Short Rib Tacos and Ceviche de Atun are to die for. It's very flavorful and the right kind of seasoning. In terms of the ambiance, it's very chill and relaxing. You can either dine inside or outside. The outside is very illuminating and tranquil. If you come correct, you'll have a real Mexican experience. read more

We had a great time at Tlaxcalli, so I'm surprised by the negative reviews. My husband and I ate outside and it was a perfect spot for our date night. The duck mole was super flavorful and authentic. The birria, which is goat, was on another level. The broth was not salty or fatty/oily like other places. We also had the pulpo (octopus), though perfectly cooked, I just enjoyed the other two dishes more. Churro Bread Pudding was outstanding and I am so happy we tried it. Please try out the Pre-Spanish Mexican food for yourself! We will be back again soon and bring the kids next time. read more

Oh, where do I even begin with my Yelp review for Tlaxcalli restaurant? Well, let's start with the positives. The patio is awesome! I mean, it's so inviting and beautiful that you might forget about the frustrating experience that follows. We arrived around 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, expecting to have a delightful meal. Little did we know that time would start moving in slow motion. It took a whopping 45 minutes just to get our drinks! And the food... well, let's just say it didn't live up to its tantalizing description on the traditional Mexican menu. It was disappointingly "meh." I had built up such high hopes for this place, only to be let down by lackluster flavors and slow service. Did I mention it took an hour to get our food? Now, let's talk about the potential this place has. The location is fantastic, and the patio alone makes you want to forget about all your worries. If only they could match the charm of the setting with top-notch customer service and some actual flavor in their food, Tlaxcalli could truly be a gem. So, in conclusion, if you have all the time in the world and don't mind a bit of culinary mediocrity, Tlaxcalli might be the place for you. Just be sure to bring a good book or a very patient friend. Who knows, maybe they'll improve one day and fulfill their true potential. Oh and almost forgot, the aguachiles are so hot they might make your head explode!!! Proceed with caution. Anyone that actually finishes it deserves a prize! read more

Soo last week my family was eating at Olays, across the yard. And seen this place and was curious to try. Found it on yelp, made reservation at 7pm. Came in and was sat outside on the bench table. The ambience is nice. Low lighting. There's a small slope on their ground so it was kind of uncomfortable to sit. Anyway, we were able to order pretty fast.. after waiting for our food, we decided to add on a few more tacos. We ordered the capechana, brisket tostitos, chicken taquitos, tongue taco, beef cheek taco, shrimp taco appetizer, and mushroom Chile relleno. I think our appetizers took at least 20 minutes to come out. I understand they might have been busy and understaffed so I was patient and okay. After having eaten our appetizers, it was probably like 7:50 and none of our tacos or entree came out yet. We're just watching everyone else's food come out b4 ours, even though they sat after us. I believe our tacos and Chile relleno didn't come out until 8:32 cus that's the same time I texted my cousin and told her that only now our food came out. The food: Capechana : whole shrimp, tako slices, ahi cubes with some tomatoes, onions. Basically like a ceviche and served with 3 tostadas. This dish was just alright. I felt like it was hard to eat since the pieces were kind of big. I guess I was expecting it to be more of a dip. The shrimp tacos came 3 tacos per order. My aunt said each taco only had like 1 piece of shrimp and potatoes. Flavorless The brisket tostada: my bf said he liked it. It had a smokey flavor topped with some raw veggies Mushroom Chile relleno: this was probably the most flavorful dish out of everything. Much smaller than I anticipated. It came with beans (which were on the salter side) and warm tortillas The tacos all tasted the same and had little to no flavor. The taquitos weren't that good either, so I've heard.. my uncle said the ones from 7/11 taste better. Honestly I was excited to eat here cus the vibes looked cool and the menu looked different. I hate being harsh on reviews but this is my honesty. I'm sorry to the business. I read all the reviews and everyone said it was soooo good but I don't see it that way. read more

Tlaxcalli - Capechana - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food is made with care and detail. Tastes of the dish come together so well and all parts have a unique taste. Love the food. Service is wonderful. Mahalo! read more

Too many rules..the owner/chef is rude and not welcoming. Go to the restaurant next door Obake much better service and staff is welcoming.

We'd been hearing a lot of buzz about Tlaxcalli so it was the obvious choice when we had out of town friends visiting over Cinco de Mayo. We made reservations but wouldn't have had much trouble getting a table without. It was the perfect place to go for a great meal, unfortunately we didn't realize they didn't have a liquor license yet. I think they are working on that but never fear there is a liquor store right around the corner that can hook you up and the restaurant welcomes BYOB. The restaurant itself is super cute and the outdoor dining area is great. There was some type of a party going on in the courtyard next door and we were treated to great music, adding to the already lovely ambiance. All of the staff was friendly and helpful, the service was reasonably quick and the food was all delicious!! They make it super clear that rice is not served. I'm not sure I understand this choice, especially here in Hawaii where we love our rice. The entrees each came with beans and tortillas, which were great, but we all would have enjoyed rice to soak up the sauces. Also the beans are served in a dish on the side so the entrees themselves look a little boring without anything else on the plate. Maybe they will reconsider and if not I might actually consider BYO-Rice!! Otherwise it was perfect! read more

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Aloha, we happily stumbled onto this authentic Mexican restaurant in Chinatown (I had wrong date on another restaurant for rez, ugh). Cool vibe sitting outside under umbrellas with strings of lighting, nice. And a liquor store right around the corner for cold beer - as since new, no liquor license yet, can still BYOB, nice. I enjoyed the NO RICE, forced watching carbs, nice. The beans were delicious with the meal. We tried 3 different meals, all different from the Mexican used to, but really good. Was told deeper into Mexico style, nice. I wasn't too thrilled with ceviche, but everything else was fabulous, thanks YELP for guiding us down the street to this new find. Enjoy! read more

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Great food, great drinks, great service, great atmosphere. What a little gem of a place in Chinatown!

Walked in for brunch with an empty coffee from across the street to an empty restaurant for brunch. Host told us they don't accept food from outside. When asked if we could dispose of it he said no and that he didn't know where the closest trash can might be. We left. Seems bad for business to refuse service just for one empty coffee cup, particularly in an open restaurant with zero customers. read more

Highly recommend coming here. The food is incredible. Tables inside and out. If can, I recommend sitting outside. it's like eating out in your backyard, yet you're in downtown Oahu. It's BYOB, besides that they have limited soft drinks and french pressed coffee. Get the coffee. The menu is subtle, refined. This is not your typical hog jaws mexican restaurant. They are known for their homemade corn tortillas and chorizo. Oh, and don't ask if they rice. I tell you, NO! We started with the ceviche de atun. Large chucks of fresh ahi (poke style) with a chipotle drizzle and crispy corn tortillas. Omg. I knew after a few bites, we came to the right place. Next I ordered the mushroom enchiladas, my husband ordered the seafood chile rellenos. The chef came out and asked who ordered the mushroom enchiladas. I sheepishly raised my hand. He said now you can go anywhere for enchiladas. And that mind you, his enchiladas still are good. But there are other more outstanding dishes on the menu. Wow! So I replaced it with the mushroom chile relleno. He was right! The chile relleno was the bomb! I even tried my husband's seafood chile relleno. His was heavenly. They were out of dessert but we are coming back. Parking is pretty easy, there is meter parking in front and one of those pay lots across. Give it a try! read more

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5 stars for food. Flavorful spices and dishes. Best dish was the dessert - bread pudding churro 3 stars for service. The waitress is lovely and tries to make up for the cook who's customer service is a buzzkill. First when we called to make reservations, the cook answered and was not helpful or friendly. When we arrived, we asked how spicy certain dishes were and the cook shrugged his shoulders and said it's a hit or miss. After getting the food and it tasting amazing, the cook came back out and we commended how great the food was. He just stared blankly at us and aggressively asked if we needed something. It was a little off-putting and didn't set a great mood for our group as we continued eating. I would recommend the food and would likely eat here again, but will elect for take out as I would not want to experience the cook's customer service again. read more

Food was delicious and I would consider dinning here again. I was hesitant to give this place a 4 star rating for a few reasons. The chef cooking our food was not wearing a mask and touched his clothes and face frequently (you can see him cooking from the outside seating area). They do not serve rice which would greatly complement their dishes. The flour tortillas (3 per dish) was served in a single platter. Especially due to covid, I think it would've been better to separate each persons tortillas instead of everyone grabbing from the same plate. On the positive side, this place is BYOB, their red and green salsas were delicious, and the lady serving us was kind and friendly. read more

Tlaxcalli - Menu as of 04/28/2021 - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Mexican food is very hard to find in Oahu. Real good tasting Mexican food that is. Went here with a bunch of friends, sat at the bar and all we got was straight rudeness from this bartender. He was rude, took forever to service us, and just made us feel like we weren't welcome there. Mind you we work in the service industry. I want to say the food is good, but I don't think I'll ever recommend this place for the service alone. We were going to go somewhere else this bartender was so bad. I've never seen anyone with such a bad attitude. read more

Tlaxcalli - Rude bartender. Bad unwelcoming attitude. - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Support Local =D Tlaxcalli IS home cooking. The owner is the Chef and cooks everything fresh to table. You HAVE TO get the Pokeviche. If you don't get anything else, get the Pokeviche AND the outdoor seating. The outdoor seating will lower your blood pressure and is the perfect spot for lunch or dinner with plenty of shade. - parking: plenty of street parking - price: each person will spend about $15-$25 - level of fullness: I've eaten here 3x and been full every time - vibe: it's home cooking and every dish is pretty and delicious - recommend: Pokeviche and outdoor seating read more

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Wow, what a find! Wife and I went to order our turkey dinner at Little Village and to our dismay found that they didn't open until 4:00 pm due to COVID-related drop in business. As we walked back to our car we glanced across the street and there Tlaxcalli's sign beckoning us to J-walk to try their food. As we peeked into the window the lone employee (Julio, perhaps?) opened the door with a welcomed smile and invited us in to dine. Since we were the only customers in the restaurant on a weekday during the lunch hour we decided that this would be an opportune time to dine-in in an extreme socially distanced setting. Menu is straight forward and I went with the oxtail in chile pasilla ($15) with wife opting for the more run of the mill chicken tostada. I ordered the horchata as well and Julio (?) went right to work preparing our lunch. While the restaurant offered fresh air and we were sitting at the window seat facing Smith Street, Julio was akamai enough to note the warm and humid air and quickly turned on the a/c to make our dining more comfortable. Wife really enjoyed the tostada and I must say the the chicken was tasty and the corn tortillas were light and crispy. The oxtail was fall-off-the-bone (literally) tender and tasty to boot. The oxtail meat and refried beans were added to the fresh tortilla to make a finger-licking good mouthful. You won't go wrong ordering either of the dishes we ordered but there's so much more to explore on their menu. The horchata was creamy and tasty with a nice balance of cinnamon. We can't wait to come back. And the Little Village turkey dinner order? We had parked in Little Village's parking lot and as we walked to our car we saw the owners parking their car and were able to get our order in. In my book that's a win-win day! read more

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The kitchen staff is the owner I believe. Just a warning to potential patrons, if the kind bartender isn't there.. run away. The owner is so rude and unwelcoming, he seems so angry to have to deal with customers. The food is good but read the menu VERY CAREFULLY.: there are hidden fees for things like kitchen fee and credit card fees. I got tired of this man's mean attitude and we left. Never again. We actually believe it has to be money laundering or shady business, the place is always empty and the service dismal. *** in response to the angry owner below, ITS hidden if it's in small print and not on a sign on the door, or as largely printed as the menu items and prices. * he also won't give you to go boxes so bring your own. read more

Four of us decided to try Tlaxcalli after getting positive feedback from other employees at our office. A bar dominates the left side of the restaurant and the colors are bright and airy (light green and yellow). Music is being played but it's unobtrusive. Julio told us it would be 20 minutes before he could serve us as he had a large phone order to process first. The time flew by and we ordered the Enmoladas ($16), King Mushroom Mole ($16), Oxtail Pasilla ($17) and the Campechana ($18). Three of us ordered a lengua taco ($5) on the side. The mole sauce on the Enmoladas and the King Mushrooms had a depth of flavor and complexity we haven't tasted at other places. There was heat from the Ancho chiles and an underlying sweetness that came out subtly; kind of like the lingering overtones found in a good whiskey or Scotch. According to the person that ordered it, the Enmoladas was fine. It was accompanied by a bowl of beans, simply prepared and subtle in flavorings. My King Mushroom Mole was less successful; the mushrooms were a little tough and didn't absorb the mole very well. My dish also came with a bowl of beans and some tortillas. I wished the tortillas were toasted. The Oxtail Pasilla was simply and lightly seasoned but the portion was ample for one. It came with tortillas and beans. The fourth member of our group had the Campechana, a seafood cocktail with shrimp, octopus and ahi ceviche in a cold seafood broth. It was served with tostadas. He liked the dish as it was an ample serving. I let him try the mole sauce with the last tortilla; he liked it. The lengua tacos were less successful. Two of us felt something was missing and the tongue was very tender but lacked something. I just made lengua on Sunday (and today was Wednesday) so I could compare the two. The Tlaxcalli lengua was a touch too subtle for my palate. Food preparation was fast so we were able to dine in an hour even after accounting for the initial delay. Now, the real negative. Being a small business, Tlaxcalli charges a 4% surcharge if you use a credit card. We paid cash but didn't realize we were surcharged until we returned to the office. Tlaxcalli labels themselves as home style Mexican and others at our office agree. For three of us, the price paid made it less of a value as there are other venues nearby that provide flavorful Mexican food at a lower price point. So, a conditional recommendation. read more

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Delicious and authentic Mexican restaurant, and enjoyed sitting in the shaded courtyard. So good to find a peaceful place in the middle of Chinatown. read more

Great ambience, very nice server, an Asian woman, (they may have read the reviews below and keep the guy back of the house, did not encounter him) accommodated a special request for my daughter. Very strong and delicious cocktail. Menu is different from any other Mexican place I've been to- not sure what region this represents but it's comforting and yummy! Will be back long as we see her! read more

Food took literally an hour to get to us, shitty attitude from servers/cook because it was the same person the food is bland and the menu is an amalgamation of random Mexican/ Spanish dishes that all have little to no flavor despite having a bunch of things tossed I tip of the dish to make it taste better, the steak was not even close to cooked correctly which baffles me, even the decor is a bunch of random things spanning from Mexico to Korea to European countries, if you order the carne asada I am so sorry for your loss in your wallet and stomach it is such a depressing dish They also don't serve rice despite advertising so on the menu read more

If you walk in and see a 6' plus shaved head dude walking toward you menacingly, just turn around and walk back out. The owner/chef really should stay in the kitchen, and hire someone friendly to greet customers. We decided to support a small Chinatown local business, but were treated to the full-on wing-nut treatment when the owner demanded "you take off your masks to eat here." Seriously dude? OK, we'll play. We took off our masks and waited to be seated, and all he did was stand there and glare at us. After about 30 seconds of uncomfortable staring and intimidation, I said "The masks are off - can we please be seated?". Bro just handed us menus and pointed to the door to the patio, where he followed us out. We went outside, and sat down where the they had some latin rap music thumping on the one loudspeaker. Cool. Finally after he went back into the kitchen, we waited for another 10 minutes before the waiter showed up and dropped water and took our drink orders. We've eaten here a few times before and like vegetarian fare they offer, so we're used to the wait - just not used to the nasty anti-mask vide thrown by the owner. We ordered a couple of drinks - the Paloma is a rock-star level mix. There was something new on the menu that was intriguing, the fried MahiMahi over chunky guacamole. I had high hopes for this dish that were dashed when the waiter was serving it and strong nasty fish odor knocked out any appeal. The chucks of mahimahi tasted like they were either old or had too much "blood meat" on them, so the flavor and odor was very off-putting. For entrees we ordered two plates, the first was the shrimp tacos. The presentation was really amazing, with the mixture served on deep fried tortilla shells. Unfortunately the mixture was way over salty, and barely edible. We joked after getting our second carafe of water that we would need to drink at least two more carafes to wash out the salt from our system. The second entree we ordered was one I've had a few times before and enjoyed immensely, and is the main reason I'll suffer the poor service here - the alii mushroom mole. This dish is one of the best items on their menu IMHO. The only drawback is their mole skews to the spicy/chili side of the scale, and steps all over the flavor of the poached and then lightly grilled mushrooms. I guess if I decide to go back again, it's going to be for take-out. Nobody needs to deal with an angry dude right in your face when you walk into a restaurant. Chef, if you about to get $100 from me for a light meal and a couple of drinks, at least be nice about it. If you can't, stay in the kitchen channel your inner Gordon Ramsay and abuse your staff. read more

We live on the edge of Chinatown and enjoy discovering restaurants we have not had a chance to try out. I noticed Tlaxcalli Mexican restaurant which is about a 2 block walk from home. The reviews are somewhat mixed but reviews are very subjective. We arrived a little before 5 and had to wait for the doors to open. When opened a very gruff man let us in and asked If we had reservations. There were 3 different groups waiting to get in. Totaling about 10 people and none of us had reservations. He said OK and added "I don't have a bartender so you can't get alcoholic drinks, I hope that's OK. Trust me I am saying all of this in a much nicer tone than he did. I am assuming he is the owner and was pissed that he had no bartender, so we will cut him a little slack. On to the rest of it. Let me preface this with an admission that I am not really a fan of Mexican food generally, and am not particularly fond of spicy things. I have lost 70 lbs in the last 8 months so I am a bit careful with my meal selection. I opted for King mushrooms in Mole sauce and my wife had the ox tail. Both were very flavorful and my wife truly loved the oxtail. My mole was much spicier than I had expected so I ended up eating warm mushrooms and rinsing off the mole sauce in my beans. Not the restaurants fault just my tastes. Overall the food was actually very good, but the attitude of the owner was so objectionable that it brings the review down. Once the bartender showed up the owners attitude improved but it was still not good customer service. No real interaction with the owner. Very disappointing read more

I was looking for something different for lunch and came upon this fantastic spot that has recently opened. I personally love Mexican food and restaurants with a Mexican vibe. The lay out is nice, it's spacious, great color scheme, and most important of all...amazing food! This is a great spot right in the heart of History Chinatown District, Honolulu. I live in the area so I can see my self coming through a lot. Aloha! read more

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I came in to pick up some food on the way home from work. The bartender had to ask the owner/chef permission to take my order. Apparently he was upset that I was making an order to go. I ordered for three people, the items I ordered were no longer available but still on the menu. So I went with the bartenders recommendation. After 35 minutes of waiting for my food, I decided to get away from the blaring music and sit down in the patio area of an empty Restraunt (Friday at 6:30). The chef/owner came out and looked at me and then told the bartender to come get me and tell me to wait at the bar only. Mind you again, the Restraunt was completely empty, but they wanted me to stay inside at the bar. Classic overly controlling owner/chef. He was the only one working back there, I am guessing everyone else quit on him. I will add, it's the only place in hawaii that says no board shorts, T shirts, tank tops and slippers on the front door. The Restraunt is on Smith and hotel street not Rodeo drive, give me a break... no aloha, rude, pretentious, not professional... UPDATE: carne asada tasted like burnt balls of salt. Some special dish tasted like pork in McDonald bbq sauce. Pork tacos tasted like dry jerky. Waste of money. Terrible food. read more

Tlaxcalli - Empty at 6:30 on a Friday night. - Mexican Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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