CAUTION-UNCLEAN!!!! Very few things ever warrant a one star BUT... One of the chefs kept picking up his phone, texting and making phone calls with gloves on, then would put it down and immediately touch the food he was making for us without changing gloves. Who knows what is on that phone!!! Think of it... He uses the bathroom while watching YouTube and then wipes his butt, touching his phone to set it down BEFORE he washes his hands. Now he is touching my food with whatever is on that phone!!!!! This place could have been my go to. Could have been where I brought people when they come visit us and want Mexican, but you lost us for good. That's a hard one to earn trust back. read more

DISCLAIMER: The one and only reason they are getting 4/5 stars is the bottle of Kirkland margarita mix that was openly displayed at the bar. Otherwise, this is a MUST EAT My second cousin is from El Paso, and let me tell you.... I KNOW TEX MEX. I also know how hard it is to find good Tex mex on any of the islands (especially Oahu). Well my hungry amigos, look no further than Verde. First of all, service is fantastic. Servers genuinely care and take pride in the bean craft. I ordered the jalapeño margarita (muy caliente!!!) from the bartender. Outstanding laid back display in a mason jar with a garnish of cilantro (muy fresco!!!). The bartender also gave me a sample of the delicious locally sourced tea (muy local!!!) I ordered the fresh catch (muy pesco!!!) burrito, smothered and covered like Waffle House baby! Ahi, Mahi, green chiles OH MY. This burrito was fantastic. Highly recommend it. To end the night, I had a special margarita: fresh watermelon juice and reposado (muy refrascante!!!) Bill for my life partner and I was less than $80. Very reasonable Okay, managers of verde, please listen to this comment: please do not display the Kirkland half gallon of margarita mix on the bar. Perception is reality, and my aunt Marcy uses Kirkland mix. She's from Bay City, MI.... SHE DOES NOT KNOW MARGS. It's a perfectly fine mix, just put it in a squeeze bottle to add that craft cocktail appearance. I mean, you use the muddler and the fresh herbs, at least make it seem like you have a craft mixer (don't worry, none of the hip Williamsburg cocktail bars use homemade mixers, they just make it seem that way) Otherwise, this is a MUST HAVE on Kauai. read more

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We're from Texas, this is not Tex-Mex... more California style. Very good salsa with the right amount of bite! However, the chips are to thick... but are at least fresh & crispy. Guacamole was definitely not fresh-made, cheap store brand like. Steak and shrimp fajitas: steak was well done, not pink in the middle... definitely not flank steak as fajita meat is supposed to be. Shrimp was okay. I'll not be returning. read more

First time here and I'm really glad I stopped by! Friendly server (Jemme) greeted me and did get a great job and offered some good suggestions for my first time. Nice open clean space and freshly cooked food with a focus on local products made it a great lunch spot! Nice little bar that I'll have to try next time. Steak and Shrimp Fajita Special was great! read more

Verde - Steak & Shrimp Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Five Stars for the AHI TACO's. Really good. Next favorite is the Chicken Burrito with everything. Both items are around $12- ea but well worth it. Service with a smile from Nicole makes the whole experience worth every penny. We dined there on the way in and on the way out. Don't miss it! One last thought is the Super Hot Salsa available for $1.50. Habanero Heaven, be afraid , very afraid. Just had leftovers for breakfast. Super Hot! read more

Thank god for the complimentary chips and salsa cuz chances are you'll be starving by the time you get a table (it's a popular spot and for good reason!) Got the ahi tuna taco, ahi tostada, and carne tostada (Kauai beef) to share between 3 ppl. All were good and have a little spicy kick to it! Pretty well priced for filling & good food in Kauai. I'd definitely be back! read more

Verde - Ahi tuna taco. Yum yum yum - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

This was not the greatest Mexican place I've ever been to, personally. But just for a quick bite, it was overall decent. The customer service was great but the food and prices wasn't what I was expecting. My boyfriend and I got nachos and beef burrito with rice and beans and li hing mui margarita. The nachos wasn't as loaded as we are used to. It was pretty basic nachos, with meat, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. And it wasn't as big as we thought it was when our waiter estimated the size to us. However, it was still delicious in itself. The burrito with rice and beans was dry and not as juicy as I thought it was going to be. The beef was a little tough and the rice was a little hard and dry. I also didn't expect to have to pay extra to add rice and beans since I'm already used to having it come with my burrito; that kind of threw me off. And lastly the margarita tasted splendid and refreshing however, I didn't quite taste my tequila in it. But I would definitely have another margarita if offered the chance. Overall I enjoyed the atmosphere & mood of this place but would have enjoyed it a little more if the food was to my liking. But then again some places are different than others and Im just writing my experiences an. If I could I would rate them a 3 1/2 stars. read more

Verde - Beef burrito with added rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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Came here for dinner tonight, we had the stacked enchiladas and the Cali burrito. They were both pretty good. The ambiance of the place is very nice...modern/hip though didn't seem like a Mexican restaurant. Sever was very attentive, he refilled our water like 5 times. They also have a loyalty card which is pretty cool! Bad points: 1. Chips and salsa are not unlimited 2. They charged us for hot sauce and didn't tell us that it was $1.95 (who charges for hot sauce???) 3. They got my order wrong (I wanted all rice and I got beans...they offered to make me a new one though) 4. You have to pay extra if you want rice and beans read more

Verde - Stacked enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

I found this place using my Yelp App while on vacation with the fam. and judging from the positive reviews we would be in for a pleasant surprise. Walked in to check on the wait time for a table and they said around 15-20 min. roughly. It was really packed and they had a pretty small restaurant, only had seating for 20-30 people total. Our servers were cool and friendly. The entire group that runs the restaurant seems to be tight knit group. I thought it would be difficult to find a good local restaurant on this island with a modern twist on Mexican food. Most of our dishes were excellent, except for the Torta which seemed to be just thrown together with no much thought on how it would be consumed. Highlighted DISHES and drinks would be: ***The amazing RUMCHATA - you can't even taste the alcohol in here... I shared it with my little sister. Some kind of MANGO cocktail drink that was delicious and well presented in a mason jar. I also shared this with my sisters. AHI TUNA SALAD - Very well presented and delicious ahi tuna and salad dressing combo. The slices of Ahi are just so fresh and soft. Probably my favorite dish of the night next to the tacos. Fish Tacos everywhere in Kauai are ridiculously good for the most part... or maybe we just went to the best places. I never came across any overcooked or dry fish that I can remember and the sauces and other ingredients are always fresh. I would definitely recommend you eat here if on the island. It was within close proximity to our resort; and one of the few true "sit down" establishments we ate at during our trip. read more

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Yummy quick stop before heading to the airport on our last night. Wish we had enjoyed some drinks because they looked amazing!! Veggie tacos were flavorful and had good spice. Chicken burrito was loaded and delish! read more

Pleasantly surprised! We were so hungry after a long day of driving and were on the hunt for tasty vegan food. Enter Verde! Wow the green sauce on their tofu burrito was so good! The staff was super friendly and helpful but man o man that burrito was tasty. read more

Verde - Wet tofu burrito veganized - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Gem our server was awesome! During our 6 days stay we visited this place twice and we think its Mexican food on the island! Stacked enchiladas, fish tacos, fish burrito and veg sopaipillas. read more

Verde - Fish Tacos... Just delish! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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I got the Fish taco and my husband got a giant burrito. I don't remember what the fish taco tasted like, but I remember his burrito and it was sooo good. I would come back here if/when we're in Hawaii. I was quite impressed considering we are from Texas. This definitely lived up to our standards. I remember this place being a little more pricey than Texas...but it's Hawaii....what can you expect? read more

Fabulous Mexican food in Hawaii?? Who would have thought!!!! If you're in Kauai I would highly recommend this place! I grew up on the West Coast where I have had plenty of authentic Mexican food and I was not disappointed by Verde. It's a small restaurant in a strip mall so don't expect much via ambiance, but the staff was super friendly. They were so nice and just so friendly that I felt like I was eating with a group of friends. But most importantly the food! 1. Chips with salsas- these they give you for free when you sit down after ordering. The salsas were nice, spicy and full of flavor 2. Veggie Stuffed Sopiapillas- this was delicious, its almost like a big sandwich with this crunchy fried bread on the top and bottom. You can't eat it with your hands you need to use a knife and fork but it was full of flavor. The portion is large and even when you're bursting at the seams, you won't want to stop eating this 3. Ultimate Chicken Burrito- super large portion, filled with rice, guacamole, cheese, chicken and just full of flavor. Couldn't stop eating it! Prices were reasonable and everything was delicious. Portions are large so keep that in mind when ordering. All in all if you're in Kauai and craving Mexican food you must stop here! read more

Verde - Veggie Sopiapilla!! Yum! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Wont serve you if you traveled in the last two weeks, even called ahead and they didn't mention that , we drove 20 min to get to the restaurant and now we have to go find a new restaurant We all tested for covid and have negative test, it's likely this place will go out of business , not tourist friendly read more

Where to begin? We researched and visited many restraints on the island and enjoyed most of them tremendously. However, this was our favorite! Huge servings and super fresh food! LOVED the Mahi Mahi burrito- spicy and smothered is the way to go! Monday's are 3 buck margaritas, and they did not skimp on the tequila The food was fast, hot, and delicious. I highly recommend Verde! read more

Verde - Smothered Mahi Mahi goodness:-) - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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The two vegan tacos were very good, but the guacamole in the guacamole and chips was gross - looked and tasted like it came out of a tube.

This is by far the best Tex-Mex, New Mexican Cuisine That is here in Kaua'i. This place is nestled in the SafeWay Shopping Center right by SubWay and Dominos Pizza! The food is authentic delicious and amazing. They use the freshest Island's produce and their meats come straight from Kaua'i. In fact all their products come directly from Kaua'i with the exception of the hatch chilies Which come directly from New Mexico! Come on down to Lihue and stop on over to Verde and enjoy their menu and get a cocktail! Great atmosphere very welcoming staff and to top it all off their Chef is an amazing Young Lady local born right here on Kaua'i! So come on into Verde an enjoy enjoy enjoy!!! read more

verde is not a typical mexican restaurant. so dont be caught off guard with their fancy enchilada. but there is a good variety, featuring fresh and local ingredients. the burrito is so filling... i normally eat half and eat my leftovers the next day. they do have a spicy salsa if you want, but it is spicy... like foreal hahaha! our friend didnt think it would be... he was sweating so bad hahaha. i also love the sopaipillas!! also save room for dessert! the churros are so yummy and fluffy... read more

Hella score! We rolled in here after checking out Yelp reviews in the area for a quick dinner before seeing the Hobbit in Lihue tonight, and made it just in time to grab margaritas at $3 a pop for Happy Hour! The cashier/server was *SUPER* friendly and welcoming, and had a genuinely friendly happy vibe. I ordered the ahi tostada and the bf ordered the veggie burrito. Both were delicious, as was the chips & salsa. My ahi tostada was a bit intimidating at first - it was HUGE! - but I quickly realized much of the mountain was local greens :) Definitely recommend this place, and one of our favorites on the island. Like other reviews said, don't let the strip mall scare you! read more

Verde - Ahi Tostada, Veggie Burrito y dos margaritas para Happy Hour! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Tiny place located in a strip mall, near a Big Save market. Coming from San Diego (where we have awesome Mexican food), I wasn't expecting much and overall I wasn't that impressed. First off I ordered the naked taco salad with beef. When it came out, it was chicken. I was too nice and decided just to stick with the chicken. The salad was huge and it was loaded with warm chunks of seasoned chicken. It was okay, but nothing special. I do think it's an absolute rip off that the first batch of salsa and chips are free, but after that they make you pay. My party of 4 had to share 1 green and 1 red salsa (about 2.5oz in each cup). I think it should be 1 salsa per person. read more

Wow hands down the best meal we had in Kauai and probably the best tacos we've had period. This says a lot since we have had tacos in NY, LA, Texas and Mexico City! As soon as you sit down, a bowl of nachos with 2 types of sufficiently hot salsa is presented (and it's a bottomless bowl that they keep refilling) I had the garlic shrimp and fish of the day taco combo (1 of each). Both were delicious but if I had to pick one as my fav, it would definitely be the Garlic Shrimp My husband had the al pastor. While this is not the traditional al pastor, it was also amazing because it had the perfect amount of crunch. He loved it Also don't forget to try the rum horchata! Service was super great. This will be the one meal that I will crave when we get home to NY! read more

Overall, a solid place, but not particularly standing out in my mind. My stacked enchilada was definitely the highlight. A ton of food, tasty and well-made. Ambiance is also fun and it seemed like they have an extensive drink menu. My husband's fish taco salad was very disappointing. The fish did not taste fresh at all - extremely fishy flavor - and while it was supposed to be charred or something, some pieces were flat out very burnt. The dressing was relatively very heavy for the salad and bogged down the salad leaves to the point that they were limp. Also, although it said that it was served in a taco bowl shell, it wasn't. We were told the wait would be 15-20 min and it was easily 30-40. Not a horrible place to eat by any means, and we'd probably go back if we were in the area and try some new dishes, but it was a bit disappointing based on all the A++ Yelp reviews and for the amount of time we had to wait. read more

Great fusion of Hawaiian and Mexican! Came on a Sunday evening it was packed! A small cozy place but very simple and clean. Try the maths they are amazing! Food portions are huge . You can really taste the difference of natural meats in the food. Great place with kind people! read more

Verde - Burrito! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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Dinner out tonight with a great friend who took me to a place I never knew about despite all the times I have stayed on Kauai for work. The tourist spots are not always the best and the little out of the way places only the locals know about are usually great. This place is a perfect example of that. Monday night and all tables inside and out were full but luckily we were next on the wait list. Only waited about 10 minutes and then a table opened up. We were greeted by the waiter immediately with our free chips that were tasty with the accompanying salsa. We each ordered a taco dish. My friend had the Ahi tacos (I don't like raw or lightly seared fish) and I had the garlic shrimp tacos with rice and beans. The plate came steaming hot with cheese melted on the beans. The flavor of the garlic shrimp tacos was delicious and pretty big. The dish came with 2 soft tacos but I took 1 home but it didn't last long. Consumed within 2 hours of going to my hotel. Oh well, it probably wouldn't have tasted good for breakfast anyway. The meal was under $30 for both of us which is pretty cheap for an onolicious meal!!! read more

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Amazing mahi tacos. No doubt about that. ...bad part is that they nickel and dime you. I came on Monday at 6 and the restaurant was just filling up with the dinner crowd. Another 5 minutes and we would have had to wait for seats. I was getting a bit upset with how long it was taking to take our order, but the guy who ended up taking our order explained that one of their servers called in sick and the folks in the kitchen were helping. The specials for the day was mahi mahi and ahi. I opted for the mix and match tacos. They don't explicitly say you can do that in the menu but I saw another Yelper suggest that, so I did just that. I tried the steak and mahi. I give the steak taco a 2.5/5 stars. It was flavorful, but it was pulled beef instead of steak. The mahi was a 5/5 stars. The fish was super tender, unlike any other mahi mahi anything that I've ever had. Things to note: - Monday's are margarita Monday's with $3 margaritas - you CAN mix and match tacos - always go for the mahi tacos - you will get nickel and dimed - they didn't tell me the hot sauce was an extra TWO dollars for .5 ounce of not good hot sauce. They also charge for additional chips after the first basket. read more

Verde - Chips and guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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Oh my goodness, the food here was fantastic! The service is friendly but everything took a little while...we've learned to go with the flow here regarding this, after all we're on vacation and in Hawaii so we're happy :) This was hands down my favorite meal on this island so far. I got garlic shrimp tacos, my husband got an al pastor burrito and my 4 year old got a bean, rice and cheese burrito. Everything was so so good. The garlic shrimp was lightly crusted and not super garlicky. The al pastor burrito was really tasty. My daughter loved the rice in her brc burrito. We also ordered sopapillas for dessert. This was delicious! Freshly made dough fried to a perfectly puffy and soft pastry with honey for dipping. Very different from sopapillas in New Mexico, but really yummy! read more

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Food is always solid here, and I somehow always ordering the taco salad with chicken. Today I splurged and opted for the ahi instead, which was disappointing because 1) it costs more than the chicken 2) it was quite fishy. I had to ask for limes to cut the fishy flavor, and even then it didn't quite cover it up. I love the keiki plate here for my daughter. It comes out quickly. It's usually cilantro rice, broccoli, and your choice of protein. The ultimate chicken burrito and AL pastor burritos are my other favorites, always opt to get them smothered. Green sauce is hotter than red. The stuffed sopapillas are also another no fail option. The crispy fried potatoes are out of this world. Sopapillas with honey make a nice dessert. Best Mexican on island. Love this place! I wish they had plain unsweetened iced tea. The waitress offered me an Agua Fresca today and kept telling me it had no sugar, when it clearly said it had raw honey.... that's still sweetened. Oh well. read more

Verde - Ahi taco salad (ahi was fishy today) - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Food was decent but we waited an hour just for take out. Seems a little crazy for what it was.

Came here based on yelp reviews and was not disappointed. Atmosphere is casual, perfect for after a day of hiking. To start- a complimentary basket of chips with delicious salsa (only first set free). I had the verde, verde burrito that was full of veggies, guac and green sauce. I added the ahi for 4.95, which was seared medium rare with a good quantity added. This was huge and delicious. I also felt like it was unique and special, something I couldn't get easily back home. I was stuffed afterwards and did not add the rice and beans. My husband ate the fresh catch burrito and enjoyed it as well. My only regret is not returning during this trip to try the shrimp tacos ( they look delicious!) I will definitely come here again next time I'm in Kauai. read more

Verde - Verde burrito with ahi! So many tasty vegetables - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Not sure if this was just an off day or what but they messed up our order big time and didn't bring the last entree out until everyone else was almost finished eating. They gave someone shrimp instead of chicken and had to re do it. Then they said they were going to comp us that meal. Ya, I would hope they wouldn't charge us for their mistake! Unfortunately half of our party of 12 didn't care much for their meals. Servers were really nice but we won't be back. read more

All I can say is, DELICIOUS! This was one of the best meals I have had and the server was friendly and quick. Highly recommend this place. Also, gluten free and vegetarian friendly read more

Verde - Catch of the day, Ahi Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

We went to their first location four years ago on our honeymoon and have been dreaming of it ever since. I'm happy to report that verde's second location has successfully avoided the pitfall that many second locations do when a popular restaurant expands to a new place. You know what I'm talking about... smaller portions, terrible service, inconsistent food quality... This is not the case at the Lihue verde!! Our meals were just as delicious as we remembered them four years ago in Kapaa. The riff on a Moscow mule that used ginger lemon kombucha instead of ginger beer... WHOA. So good. For entrees, we ordered the daily special fish tacos (that day was mahi mahi) and ahi tuna (seared) burrito. Just absolutely delicious. The hot tortilla chips and smoky salsa were a delicious touch to whet the palate before dinner as well Go to verde to eat local (they try to source as many ingredients as possible from the island) and you won't regret it!! read more

chips were good, guacamole felt store bought. burrito was a good amount of food and yummy. would come back read more

Verde - vegan crumble tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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Finally got to try Verdes, and it did not disappoint!! The food, service and ambiance were perfect! We tried nachos, both pork and chicken stacked enchiladas and garlic shrimp quesadillas, they were all very tasty!! We will definitely be back!!! read more

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Amazing service- came on a Tuesday afternoon. I had mahi tacos on corn tortillas and they were the best fish tacos I've ever eaten. The husband enjoyed an al pastor burrito. The meat was tender and flavorful, and there were potatoes in the burrito. Salsa and chips were great, margarita was good, cheap draft beer and great service make for a 5 star place. read more

Verde - Mahi tacos and a $3 margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

We stopped here after hearing about their $3 margarita and beer happy hour. We came back two days later willing to pay full price the food was so good. The margaritas are tasty, not watered down, just the right amount of mix and tequila. The first round of chips and salsa are complementary but we decided on a second round, and got the guacamole the next time. To call them fish tacos is an insult - the Ahi tuna is lightly seared and dressed with sauce and crispy tortilla strips to give them crunch, we will dream about these tacos for a long time. Prices match that of other Kauai restaurants and service was top notch. read more

Verde - Ahi tuna tacos! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Ended up eating here twice during our trip and both times it was an excellent meal! The fish tacos (Mahi mahi and seared ahi) were consistently appreciated by all who tried. Make sure to add the rice and beans to your meal as they're surprisingly unique and tasty! My brother tried and enjoyed the stacked enchiladas, and the garlic shrimp burrito was also a hit. Personally I tried the adobada burrito for one of my meals and it actually wasn't my favorite. Flavors were good but it was quite greasy and the burrito fell apart while eating which is always a pet peeve of mine. Finally make sure to save room for the dessert sopapillas with honey butter. Yum! read more

Oh my goodness. This place is tucked away in a strip mall but don't let that fool you. It's s small restaurant. It beautifully decorated. The staff was so friendly and we got our food super fast! I got the mango margarita (do yourself a favor and get this, it was so flavorful and unique, one of the best Margs I have ever had!) and my husband got a plain lime margarita on the rocks (also very good.. I think they use good tequila which helps). I will also say the portions for drinks were healthy which is always nice! And less than $10 Now the food... I am vegan and picky when it comes to my burritos (it's hard to find a really good burrito because Mexican places are a dime a dozen these days). I got the veggie burrito vegan and it was THE BEST BURRITO OF MY LIFE! Stuffed (and I mean stuffed) with local seasonal veggies, avocado, and potatoes. It was huge but I ate every last bite of it and had zero regrets. My husband got he Mahi Mahi burrito and was very satisfied with his meal as well. Again, huge burrito we both were stuffed after leaving! Also bring you chips and salsa and the chips were so good too! Not too greasy which I love. Too bad we don't have more time here because I will be dreaming of that burrito and margarita until we can come back! read more

Verde - Veggie vegan burrito, Mahi Mahi burrito, lime and mango margaritas. So so so good! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

the best tacos and enchiladas on the island live at verde restaurant! They have developed a flavour profile clearly unmatched by the other bland Mexican restaurants. Service is great,friendly,quick and the beer is cold! read more

Verde - What a great tasting meal! - Mexican Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii