Alejandros Mexican Food

I’M A MEXI-​FAN
Alejandro and his mother whip up family favorite recipes showing all the other Mexican restaurants on O‘ahu how it is done! It is a little bit of a drive to get to this hole-​in-​the-​wall and parking is very limited, but its authentic Mexican flavors, reasonable prices and friendly service make it worth the extra effort. Every Thursday is chicken enchilada day and it is a must have! Enchiladas are assembled like lasagna– layered with juicy shredded chicken, corn tortillas and this incredible verde sauce. It’s topped off with cheese and sour cream. The plate comes with rice and pinto beans. I also enjoy the burritos which are also layered with flavor. There are 2 sizes of burritos — regular ($ 7) and humungous ($ 13). For a couple bucks more you can make it a ‘wet’ burrito and make it a meal which would include the beans and rice. The salsa has a nice amount of heat. The other option is a mild, green salsa which is also very good.
I’ve been to every Mexican restaurant on the island. This restaurant is up there with my other fav, Luibuenos.

This place never fails me… great food… every time… if it is TUESDAY… i’m getting tacos. and eve more importantly… i am to see Alejandro! these tacos taste like they came from LA!!! i’ve had tacos in LA, Mexico… and even New York… these tacos are great… super authentic! just come here… parking is a bit of a challenge around lunch time… but worth it!

OK, but not great Mexican.
Had the beef burrito. It is ground beef. Not even seasoned ground beef like you get at Taco Bell. Plus rice. Why does everyone want to put tons of under-​flavored rice in a burrito? Cheap way to fill it up, I guess. Sigh.
Carnitas wasn’t bad. Better than the carne asada. Had it as a street taco. Good quantity of meat.
So if you come here, stick to the street tacos. Avoid the beef.
And if you want a beef burrito, go to Taco Kabana.

!!JUST DO IT!
New Mexican Food spot for sure! Macho Burrito was nothing less of what it is named! Alejandro is the man, cool guy! Thanks for the great service! Will be back for more most definitely!

Wow! This place is awesome!
It’s a little shop in the middle of a residential valley. If it weren’t for GPS, I’d be lost. Since it was Tuesday, I HAD to get tacos because it’s Taco Tuesday! That means $ 0.50 off tacos! w00t! I got 2 veggie tacos, no cilantro, add avocado. Mmmmmmmmm Although I like my taco shells to be crunchy, this soft taco is still very tasty. Loved it.
I also got a side of rice and beans. Yum. The service was so professional and good. My advice is to go early before the crowd gets there. They have different specials all week long, but perhaps I’ll see you there at the next Taco Tuesday!

Alejandros… you are about as close to good Mexican food I will get here in Hawaii, so I thank you for existing. Yes, I will get a crew of my coworker bros and we will drive to you from downtown all the way to Kalihi to the random pink building smack dab in a residential area. Yes, I will parallel park on an incline slanting downward so that we can enjoy our conquest. And we will do it before 12pm comes and the onslaught of military men and women backlog orders.
This is as good as it gets on Oahu with a good price and excellent customer service, to boot. Andale to Alejandros!

This is one of the better Mexican places I’ve been to in Hawaii. Granted I only had tacos, it was very good and customer service was 5 stars! My friend Yvette C raved about this place so we decided to have lunch here. She makes the best home cooked Mexican food so I trust her judgement when it comes to Mexican cuisine. When we entered, Alejandro and his mom came out to hug her and talk story. It was like they were long time friends. Even the cashier was very friendly and helpful.
Alejandro’s is located in Kalihi at the corner of a pink building. Their sign is hard to see so look for the pink structure so you don’t pass it. There are about 6 parking stalls but it’s shared with the other businesses in the building. The stalls are quite wide but limited. ½ star knock down for location and parking so 4.5 stars. The outside looks dated but when you go in, the restaurant looks modern and new. They have a flat screen TV and you can clearly see the kitchen where they prepare your food.
You have the option to dine inside or out. There are stools to sit on along the counter seating inside and two tables with chairs outside. No view but you get to enjoy a beautiful day. Alejandro’s has daily specials and an easy to read menu inside. They even have combo meals. I tried one of each taco and they were all good. My favorite was the Carne Asada (A) because it was so juicy and flavorful. If you want to kick it up a notch, they have several hot sauce options by the register. Great Mexican hole in the wall and I’ll be back!

My new go to place whenever I crave for Mexican food! Located in Kalihi, it’s in the same building as the infamous pink store as you drive your way up to Kalihi Valley so you won’t miss it.
Their menu is quite limited but everything is delicious! They have tacos, burritos, quesadillas & mexi bowls. You can choose from beef, carnitas & carne asada for your meat. But they also serve veggie options for non meat lovers. I believe they also have chicken & chorizo for their specials. The burritos are awesome! I’ve tried the beef & carnitas & I loved them. The serving is big & filled with a lot of meat & ingredients, not just mostly all tortillas like other Mexican places I’ve tried. I don’t really care for onions & cilantro & this is only place that makes me eat them. They go so well with the rest of the ingredients & flavors. I recommend trying their Wet Burrito Wednesdays special, the burrito is covered with homemade enchilada sauce. A must try! The tacos are quite small but very tasty. I’ve tried carne asada mexi bowl & I really liked it. It was carne asada topped on mexican rice & beans with onions, cilantro & cheese. Serving was just right, not too little & not too much. It was good enough to fill & satisfy my hungry stomach :)
The prices are pretty reasonable considering everything on their menu is really good. Their taco combo meals also come with Mexican rice, beans & soda. Taco Tuesdays is $.50 cents off ala carte tacos & Super Saturdays is $ 1 off macho burritos. I must add that their macho burritos are HUGE!!!
Only downside is parking. They do get super busy & their parking is very limited. But other than that, I highly recommend this place!

Something about cinco de mayo that makes me want to have good Mexican food and beer! And after seeing that mouthwatering picture posted by Unilocal Hawaii on Instagram of Alejandro’s macho carnitas burrito I knew exactly what must be had!
My friends thought I was crazy to want to go for Mexican on 5/​5, crazy day. I decided on take out. Called in my order and was quoted 10 minutes. No problem; it would take me 20 to get there. Alejandro thanked me for waiting on the off hour. Wait time at lunch was a crazy 90 minutes! Was it worth the drive? Absolutely.
Alejandro’s is an authentic hole in the wall kind of restaurant. No margaritas with umbrellas here. In fact no liquor served. What is served is probably the best carne asada and carnitas you will find on the island. Tastiest street tacos filled generously. Served with two delicious homemade hot sauces: a mild green tomatillo sauce to delicately season, would be perfect with seafood, and my personal fav… the spicier habanero red sauce which complimented my carnitas burrito perfectly. Sooo substantial, I still have over half for lunch tomorrow. What should one season the carne asada with? Absolutely nothing as its perfectly marinated and already bursting with flavor!
I always think of Alejandro’s as being so far away. If you are in downtown Honolulu it really isn’t. Located towards the back of Kalihi Valley, about two thirds back on Kalihi Street, it’s only about a 15 minute drive. Take the Likelike and turn right on Nalanieha St. Left onto Kalihi. Look for the bright pink building, right side of st. Mostly a takeout place, there are a few tables outside. Take it to go and enjoy the beautiful pockets of paradise Kalihi Valley has to offer.
Luv supporting small local businesses. And this is as best as it gets. Open Tuesday thru Friday til 7:30pm and Saturday with slightly shorter hours. Menu is a bit limited yet what they do, they do right! Most days has a different special. Today was chicken enchilada day until they ran out. Then featured an amazing pork verde.
Never got my Corona with lime tho I did get amazing taco and burrito at a more than fair price. Looking forward to a repeat visit soon and before next ⁵⁄₅ to this well deserved 4.5 star place!

We almost didn’t come here as we are from California and really have a strong love of authentic Mexican food but we are soooo glad we did and we found the food and service to rival the best our home town has to offer.
When we first walked in Jaime, the woman taking orders, could be heard talking it up with the people before us in a very happy and genuine way. She was clearly excited to introduce people to the food and made suggestions and helped us navigate the menu. Which was very clearly laid out. She even excitedly made me a little salsa mix to try that she thought I would like. And I did. I love eating food around people who love to eat as much as we do!
Loooved the carnitas el macho burrito. And they don’t go skimpy on the meat either. My husband had the tacos with the three different meat choices and ordered more after his first three they were so good.
I recommend this to anyone who is visiting Oahu and want to get away from the touristy side. And if you happen to live in this beautiful place, you definitely should make this a regular stop.

Since we happened to be in Kalihi, I set the GPS and started the journey to Alejandro’s, driving through what appears to be a busy residential neighborhood for a few miles until we arrived.
Alejandro’s is a tiny place, it seats about 10 comfortably inside on bar stools and a make shift, half picnic table, bar top. There are two tables outside under the overhang and seats an additional four to six. There’s parking in the front and along the side, when it’s crowded you may get blocked in by customer’s picking up their orders.
Alejandro himself, works the register and informed us of Saturday’s $ 1 off «Macho Burrito» special. We stared blankly at the menu board trying to decide from all the wonderful options. The green sauce at the counter is mild tomatillo salsa verde and red is habanero. wait for the kick! Water cups are $ 0.25 each and you can help yourself to the right of the register.
We ordered:
–Carnitas Macho Burrito ($ 13): juicy pulled pork, rice, beans, onions, cilantro, cheese and sour cream
–Carne Asada Mexi-​Bowl ($ 8.50): the container looks small but it’s very filling. Basically a deconstructed macho burrito, without the wrap and much easier eating with a fork, in my opinion. The carne asada is tasty with just the right amount of marble in the steak. Add sliced avocado for $ 0.50
–Carne Asada Quesadilla ($ 8): the same delicious steak, onions, cilantro, salsa verde with a mix of cheeses, melted into a crispy folded tortilla.
FYI:
–BYOB friendly
–Call ahead for daily specials or to pre-​order/​pickup food.
–Currently closed Monday’s
Alejandro’s personality and excellent customer service keeps the patron’s coming back for more. It may be slightly overpriced, but it’s definitely the best Mexican food on the island. I’ll be back to try the street tacos. and the rest of the menu for that matter.

Incredible street tacos… for Hawaii.
Just three regular meats (beef, carnitas, and carne asada) as a taco, burrito, or quesadilla. If you ask, pinto beans, rice, avocado, cheese, sour cream. Go on Thursday, there’s also a chicken enchilada. That’s it.
Rant — (1) This is not LA, lines are not 50 deep with patrons constantly ordering. They can’t sell a taco for $ 1.50 so no whining about prices. (2) The street taco was NOT invented in SoCal so «it’s not as good as back home» doesn’t cut it unless home was somewhere in Mexico. Boom!
Meat sweat run down:
Beef — course ground, still moist with good amount of fat. Aggressively seasoned with great herbaceous, cumin spiced finish.
Carnita — well braised, pulled and chopped. Good amount of fat. Herbaceous flavor with added bonus of burnt bitterness from pan scrapings.
Carne Asada — tender and juicy with a lot of integrated fat. Texture of flap with flavor of short rib. Nice lime zest finish.
Tacos are simply a pile of meat, raw onions, cilantro, ad salsas verde on a corn tortilla. Because of the fat content, the three in the combo meals will definitely fill you up. Burritos add the rice and beans but are still 80 percent meat. Two sizes: regular and macho. The later easily weighs a pound. If you’re lucky, the chicken enchilada is very good. Tender, juicy, chicken skin and fat incorporated within. Oh heck, just good eats.
Don’t leave without sauces. Red is tomato and assorted chili. Green, tomatillo, cilantro, chili, onion, cilantro and lime. Both add welcome acidity.
Service is extremely friendly. Patience is a virtue. The kitchen is small and they do get slammed. Waited 40 minutes for my order.
Finally, parking in their lot is very limited BUT turn the corner and park on the steep side street.
If only we could get some head, tongue, tripe, and brain tacos. Daily special Alejendro? Ahhhhh…

So I had actually found this place months ago but because of the location it was hard to find time to get here. But every time I would see a post about their tacos I would get so salty that I hadn’t been…
Well now i have! And man was this everything I had hoped for! I used to live in North Carolina and had access to legit Mexican food and so I had been craving it for years since I moved back home.
Alejandro’s is the one! The tacos are filled with the meat of your choice… and not that half ass shit with like a pinch of meat and all veggies. It’s seasoned perfectly too!
Their 3 taco combo plate comes with 1 carnitas and 2 carne Asada tacos with rice, beans AND a drink for $ 12! Like who does that anymore!
Kalihi valley can be sketch AF but I’m telling you… you won’t regret making a trip out here. Can’t wait to try the rest of the stuff on the menu!

This place is off the beaten path, it’s tiny, and neither of those things should dissuade you from coming here. Always one on the lookout for a good Mexican spot, I trust few when they tell me «I know the BEST spot for Mexican» because it’s subjective, and what I like, Tex-​Mex, isn’t what most people like, Cali-​Mex. But my friend, Russ M., told me about Alejandros recently and I really trust his judgement.
Well, Alejandros didn’t disappoint when it came to street tacos. I had the carnitas and carne asada. Super delicious and lots of flavor. My husband had the Mucho Burrito and he really liked it, but I think it liked my carnitas taco more.
EVERY employee in there was filled with Aloha. So friendly, awesome attitudes and all around great to chit-​chat with while waiting it the, long, line for my order.
If this place expands, and I really hope it does, then seating, a frozen margarita and some more food options will make this place the best spot for Mexican on Oahu. As is, it’s still totally worth your time and money to visit.

I was craving tacos in Kalihi and found this place on Unilocal.I was a little surprised to see how far back into the valley it was, it’s literally in between residential houses.
I recognized the owner as a street vendor I used to see in Waikiki selling tacos on the weekend to the night time partiers. I was glad to see that he finally got a place. I was also excited because I always enjoyed his tacos.
I ordered the three different tacos; carnitas $ 2.50, beef $ 2.50, & carnes asada $ 3.50. All the tacos come with onions and cilantro. You have your choice of house made habenero or verde sauces. They also have store bought sauces to choose from too. I used both of the house made sauces. The verde was nice and tangy. The habenero was the right spice level with the perfect seasoning.
All of my tacos were overflowing with meat. All of the ingredients tasted fresh. And the meats were all nice and tender and juicy.
The staff were all very welcoming and efficient. I’m glad to say that the owner hasn’t lost his pleasant charisma.
I’m very happy that Unilocal lead me here today. This is one of my new favs!

I had a carne asada burrito with avocado, sour cream, and cheese. I usually don’t like rice in my burrito but decided to go with it. Wow. It was delicious! Just the right ratio of everything, and so flavorful! Fresh cilantro really takes it to the next level for me. Good, solid customer service. Parking is a bit of a challenge — there are probably about 8 stall all told and the building is shared with a laundromat and a tiny neighborhood market. Prices are very very reasonable given the quality of the food. My carne asada contained some grisly pieces but everything tasted so good I didn’t really mind. It is way up there in the valley, tho — best to take Likelike to Nalanieha, the take a left on Kalihi.

Would mainland four star this place but Honolulu, definitely a five. Been a fan of Alejandros since I found his corner cart drunk many years ago on Kuhio near Tsunami’s and started going at least monthly even sober (and having to stay up late given the crazy hours). Couple months ago a buddy from LA told me he found an authentic LA street taco place and him and I argued back and forth about how no way it could compare to my late night cart and figured would give it a try. to my surprise Alejandros opened a restaurant!!! Since then I’ve been coming two or three times a month consistently because honestly he wasn’t lying and the hours are way better than that corner cart :) .
Alejandros is your no frills excellent street Mexican. Just a corn tortilla, choice of meat, grease, cilantro, and hot sauce (though I will admit, and maybe it’s just me, the salsa has gotten less hot the last couple months sadly). The burrito’s equally as plain which is a good thing. Not a fan of ground beef nor a carnitas fan (in general, nothing to do with this place) but the asada is amazing and done right with onions, garlic, and ligaments. To top it off the place has free parking, the service is great and both him and his mom can talk your ear off, and the food (outside the macho burrito) is priced right. Oh and my kid loves the quesadilla though I personally think it taste better cold (which works out great as I eat her left overs :)
On the minor side I honestly do think the salsa has gotten less spicy lately, I can’t recommend any of the fancier food (nacho’s for example have that God awful cheese sauce instead of melted cheese, the enchilada verde’s to me taste canned and I think they bake them, wish they would use crema instead sour cream). also I’m a sucker for tostada’s which they don’t have but that’s alright TBH as I can get them from Zarate’s and it would force me to choose between a tostada or taco’s which I don’t want to do :)
Have no real big complaints TBH and highly recommend.

I work in Kalihi and I’m always looking for food options outside of Kamehameha Shopping Center. But let’s keep it real– I’m always looking for authentic Mexican options on O’ahu anywhere!
Where is it? When you drive up Kalihi Street to Alejandro’s you are driving parallel to Likelike Highway. Normally, when you take the left hand turn to make your way back to the Likelike Highway, you keep going straight on Kalihi Street and Alejandro’s is going to be on your right. It’s located in an old pink building next to a laundromat. Plenty of parking available!
There seems to be a special offered every day (love that)! On Saturday you get $ 1 off the macho burrito. The lady taking my order explained that I could add avocado for $ 1. I was looking on the shelf behind her and could see giant local avocados the size of softballs so I decided to upgrade. Especially if they’re using buttery local avocados.
As I sat waiting for my burrito, watching the football game on the small flatscreen TV. I was taking in the surrounding views. The restaurant is nicely decorated and super clean. There is a gorgeous view of the Ko’olau mountain range.. . And are the guys working in the kitchen old enough to be working in the kitchen?
Of course I ordered carnitas, you know Hawai’i is going to do shredded pork right. The flavor of the meat was outstanding and not overly salty like other carnitas can be. I will probably never try their beef options because the carnitas was just super lean and perfect.
The burrito was huge. Enough to feed two people.
The taste of my burrito was super authentic and delicious except– it was bland. I can’t wait to go back and request that my burrito be made spicy. I added the salsa verde that was located at the counter but that didn’t provide any spice either. If you don’t like spicy, this might be the best burrito you’ve ever had.
I will never pay extra for avocado in a burrito again. There were only two small pieces of avocado. Major disappointment.
Overall, I can really see myself becoming a regular customer here if they can spice up my burrito (my life).

I attended an outdoor wedding in Kahaluu and they had a food cart serving carne asada tacos. This was a HIT and actually detracted from all the other food being served for dinner because all the guests were standing in line for tacos. I remembered the name Alejandros in hopes of tracking him down later the food was so good! I haven’t had this type of tacos since I lived in LA and ate at the food stands there.
1 year later… craving Mexican food, Google mapped this bad boy down and he’s opened up a shop in Kalihi valley. It’s worth the drive out here. Like the other reviewer mentioned .you may think Google is wrong. but it’s right! Keep going. Look for Pink building on the right hand side.
I ordered the #2 combo perfect for indecisive people like me. 11 $ for 3 tacos (steak, Carne asada and beef) served with rice and beans. Absolutely Legit! Very good tacos! I’ve only had their tacos but I’m sure the other items are just as delicious. Food is fresh and so tasty here you can just taste the love that goes into these. It’s hard to find good mexican food in Hawaii and this place is about as good as it gets. Homemade salsas are so good!
The owner Alejandro is very personable and he’s also the cook with a staff of about 2 to help him.
This deserves a 5 star for the food and wonderful personable service from the owner.
I love supporting small Hawaii businesses and this one is truly a winner!
If you are in Kalihi or anywhere near the area make the drive into the valley and try it you won’t be disappointed.

Service: Greeted as soon as we walked into this cute little restaurant. Everyone that works there is so friendly and talks to everyone while we wait in line to order and wait for our food to be cooked.
Food: Absolutely delicious. Ordered Carne Asada Macho Burrito, this thing is massive but very flavorful, I wouldn’t be able to eat this by myself. Definitely shared this I couldn’t even eat half. Beef Quesadilla is so yummy I ate half of it. Taco Combo #2 was delicious ate half of each taco beef, carnitas and carne asada. I was so full after eating all of this but I enjoyed every single bite.
Parking: There is a few stalls in front of the shop, people tend to double park and no one has a problem moving their cars while waiting for their food.
I took a menu and brought it to work, we will be ordering from here in the future.