MEXICO CANTINA AND MARGARITA BAR
HONOLULU, HAWAII
MEXICO CANTINA AND MARGARITA BAR
WARD CENTRE
1200 ALA MOANA BLVD, 2ND FLOOR
HONOLULU, HI 96814
HOURS: Sunday thru Thursday 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Compadres Bar and Grill, Pablo's Cantina and Grand Leyenda have all occupied the space where the new Mexico Cantina has opened in Ward Centre. As with the others I am afraid that Mexico Cantina will end up the same and this space will be something new again in the not so far distant future. If it makes it pass a year or two I will be in shock because the food here is terrible. Probably some of the worst Mexican food I have tasted in Hawaii and believe me we have the worst Mexican on the planet. Our entire family was amazed that the food was really that bad. My wife threw out words like "bland", "tasteless" and "salty". My daughter said "salty" and "I have a tummy ache" after eating here. My feelings were the same. Bland, Salty and nothing that remotely taste like good Mexican food. We started with Chips n' Salsa. The salsa was fresh but pretty basic. No heat or flavor that you would want to come back again for. The Chicken Taquitos ($10.85) were also basic with boiled chicken placed in a tortilla and deep fried. The chicken had no seasoning at all. Tasted like boiled chicken. Served with Guacamole, Sour Cream and a little bit of fresh salsa. My daughter ordered the Kids Burrito Plate ($7.95) with a Shredded Beef Burrito. The beef was flavored with salt. Very salty.
I ordered two Crispy Tacos ($14.50) and was amazed how bad they looked on the plate. So thin with not very much in them. The Shredded Beef Taco was super salty. That was all I could taste. Could not finish this taco. The Shredded Chicken Taco contained the same boiled chicken with no seasoning or taste like the Taquitos. There was a very little lettuce in the tacos and no cheese or salsa. On the bland scale these would get a ten. Did not finish either of these tacos. I did eat the rice and most of the beans which were not bad. My wife ordered the Carne Asada and Fish Taco Combination ($15.95). My goodness the Carne Asada was a few pieces of tasteless and greasy meat in a corn tortilla. Nothing at all to add texture, flavor or color. This taco was also not eaten. The Fish Taco was also tasteless and included nothing to add flavor. This taco was also not eaten after a bite or two. I so badly wanted to walk into Mexico Cantina and come out raving that I had found a good taco place in Hawaii. That is not going to happen. In fact I have no reason ever to return to eat here. One bright spot was the service. We had a very nice waitress named Jennifer who was always smiling and checking to see if we were ok with the food. I feel bad that I lied to her by saying the food was good. Makes me sad to write a review like this, but I gotta call em like I eat em.
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| MEXICO CANTINA AND MARGARITA BAR |
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MEXICO CANTINA IS LOCATED IN WARD CENTRE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
FORMER HOME OF COMPADRES, PABLOS CANTINA AND GRAND LEYENDA |
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| MEXICO CANTINA HAS JUST OPENED AND EVEN THE PAINT WAS FRESH |
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| COME FOR THE MARGARITA BAR NOT THE FOOD |
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| ENTRANCE TO MEXICO CANTINA IN WARD CENTRE |
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HOSTESS STATION AT ENTRANCE....HEY THAT IS MY OLD TEQUILA LOCKER FROM
THE GRAND LEYENDA DAYS. |
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| INTERIOR PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS BEFORE |
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| MEXICO CANTINA MARGARITA BAR |
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| PHOTOS OF MEXICO ON THE WALLS |
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| BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SEATING AREA |
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| MEXICO CANTINA AND MARGARITA BAR MENU |
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| MEXICO CANTINA STARTERS |
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| FIRE EATER SELECTIONS |
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| TRADITIONAL MEXICAN FAVORITES |
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| ENJOY A VARIETY OF BLAND AND SALTY COMBINATIONS |
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| CHEF SELECTIONS |
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| PLENTY OF SELECTIONS AT MEXICO CANTINA |
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| FAJITAS AND SALADS |
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| MEXICAN SALADS AND WRAPS |
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| SEAFOOD AT MEXICO CANTINA |
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| ONLY $16.50 FOR FISH TACOS HERE |
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| MEXICO CANTINA BREAKFAST MENU |
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| HOT SAUCE ON THE TABLE |
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| COMPLIMENTARY CHIPS N' SALSA |
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| CHICKEN TAQUITOS |
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| BOILED CHICKEN FRIED IN TORTILLA - WHERE IS THE FLAVOR? |
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| KIDS BURRITO PLATE |
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| SHREDDED BEEF BURRITO WAS SALTY |
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| CARNE ASADA AND FISH TACO PLATE |
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| TASTELESS MEAT ON A TORTILLA |
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| THIS IS THE FISH TACO AT MEXICO CANTINA |
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| SHREDDED BEEF AND CHICKEN TACO PLATE |
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| CHICKEN AND SHREDDED BEEF TACOS |
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| CHICKEN TACO WAS KIND OF EMPTY AND REALLY TASTELESS |
As with Movie reviews and politics I disagree with their taste in Mexican food. It could use some touch up. But, it is very close to the Californian Mexican I grew up with and LOVE. The table side (prepared) guacamole was TERRIFIC. I would go there if only for that and the Margaritas. Not sure what they need to do to improve the food BUT, I feel more attention to detail would help. As far as the salt goes, add extra if you need that. I was very comfortable with the taste. WILL GO BACK.
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