GREAT EATS HAWAII: JUST TACOS MEXICAN GRILL AND CANTINA

JUST TACOS MEXICAN

GRILL AND CANTINA

HAWAII KAI, HAWAII

Once again we went in search of a good taco place in Hawaii. Once again we were disappointed. Just Tacos in the Koko Marina Shopping Center is a large sit down Cantina with plenty of seating and a very nice bar. The restaurant overlooks Koko Marina and the mountains. Very beautiful and relaxing. We were greeted by a very nice hostess who quickly brought us to a marina view table adjacent to the bar. Nice view. We were given two menus that were covered in a nice leather bound book. Inside was a very small menu in color with a few pictures. I went straight for the taco page. The menu states that these are the House Specialty Entree's with tortillas. Taco choices include; Carne Asada, Chicken, Carnitas, Chochinita Pibil (shredded pork), Birria (chunks of beef in special sauce), Ground Beef, Shrimp and Fish. I tried the basics - Carne Asada, Chicken and Carnitas. Served with Refried Beans and Mexican Rice ($14.99). Two Tacos will set you back $12.99. Fifteen bucks for 3 tacos. Hopefully they will be good I thought. The food arrived quickly. The presentation was good. I tried the Chicken Taco first. The chicken had a slight citrus taste but was a bit dry. The Carnitas (Pork) Taco was dry too. I did not care for the taste. Needed something to kick it up a bit. The tacos are served with just a small dab of Pico (onion, tomato and cilantro). Left the Carne Asada (Steak) Taco for last hoping it would make my day. It did not. Bland flavor again. The tortillas are a bit thick so I ended up just picking out pieces of the meat. Probably did not eat half of what was on the plate. The Quesadillas with Steak ($9) had two homemade tortillas loaded with Monterrey Jack Cheese. My daughter did not like all the cheese so she opened it up and just picked out the meat. She did not care for the dish and ate very little. Meals here are served with a bowl of chips and Green Salsa. The salsa was o.k. and had a very slight heat level. I judge a Mexican restaurant on whether I would go back again. In the case of Just Tacos, I will not return.

UPDATE: THIS LOCATION CLOSED