Taco Del Mar

I’m so sad this Taco del Mar closed. It was my standby for lunch and sometimes dinner! The staff was friendly, the food was always good.
I was forced to go back to the one at the Ala Moana Mall. BOO! Their taco shells taste like they’ve been cooked in old oil. The meat is less than tasty there. And they just started charging $ 1 more per item if you want meat other than ground beef. What the heck? I left without ordering! Not going back!
Oh Taco del Mar at Ward… please come back! i miss you!

A reasonable fast-​food place to get Mexican food that is just as reasonable as the L&L at ward center, and a kid friendly place, but it’s a one-​man team, so service is only at the counter:
Mondo burrito — 4 stars — had a coupon from the newspaper to buy 2 mondos for $ 10, so the kids could have one each. The guy at the counter suggested (because I was trying to buy the cheapest way I could) that I could get a combo for $ 2.50 additional chips (or rice and beans) and a small drink, so it would only total $ 12.50 for both kids. We got a choice of 3 types of meat, 3 types of beans, and an assortment of veggies/​garnishes.
Taco — 3 stars — I only ordered a taco for $ 2.75 which was basic, but I took my kids’ quacamole and tomatoes which came with their Mondo burrito and added it with my taco. Otherwise, it’s extra if you order the sides with the taco. Total bill was only around $ 15 for me and the two kids.
Service — 3 ½ stars — although the guy talked pretty fast, when he saw my face, he asked «am I talking too fast for you?» and pointed to the wall and said, the options are also on the wall. haha. Although he sounded like wise guy, he was accommodating and suggested the best way to order. He also gave us cups for the drinks and water, and let my kids «split the drink» instead of buying another combo, which worked out perfectly for me.
Lots of parking everywhere, and a convenient place to buy fast Mexican food in a hurry at the Ward area. However, the bathrooms are a bit far of a walk — near the previously borders book store, so you can’t just go to wash your hands or use the bathroom in the middle of eating your meal unless you take it with you, or chance leaving it on the table unattended.

They have the stations set up just like Subway sandwiches. You pick either flour or wheat tortilla, then onto you meats like shredded beef, chicken of ground beef, and finally the toppings.
The perfect burrito combination is they heat up the tortilla in a flat iron to get both sides warm. Then they put a large scoopful of meat, then the delicious choice of re-​fried or black beans goes on top. I move over a bit and ask for rice and end with some fresh toppings.
I add a bit of cheese, lettuce, cilantro, cabbage, pico de gallo, medium salsa, guacamole and that my friend is a healthy and good sized portion.
They also have 3 kinds of Tapatio sauces and the Cholula to pour all over the delicious burrito. On Fridays, they have a special on their fish tacos and they accept iDcard for a even better discount.
I like their burrito because I can build it myself and they have really fresh ingredients, but I still heart Maui Tacos for their salsa station. It can’t be beat!
Unilocal Challenge #20/​365

Taco Del Mar isn’t the best, but it isn’t the worst either. It fills you up for a fairly cheap price (only Taco Bell beats it). I’ve been here many times for lunch break when I need to get in and out quickly.
There’s rarely street parking available in front, so I like to park in the new Ward garage right across the street. There’s normally a short wait or none at all around noontime. The employees are pretty friendly and they do a good job of asking what options you want for your order.
The food is pretty bland but the portion sizes are fairly large, so it’s filling. They offer free refills if you’re dining in, so that’s a plus. The dining room is really small and there are just a few tables outside, but there’s usually at least one open.
Recommended when you’re in a hurry, don’t want to spend a lot and want to be filled up, even if the food is a little on the boring side.
Unilocal 365 Challenge #005/​365

I thought this place was a lot better than the usual Taco Bell «Mexican food» experience.
Food: I really did not know what to get, but the helpful staff there suggested the mondo burrito for my very hungry appetite with pork and pinto beans. I tried to make it as spicy as possible by adding jalepenos and «hot» hot sauce. I had to add in my own amount of hot sauce while eating. Their salsa was very fresh and not too bad to my personal opinion. I can say that I ate good Mexican food made by Mexicans every week for a year so I think I know my grade of Mexican style food.
What really earned this place that fourth star was the cheerful and helpful girl who made my burrito and rang me up. She seemed to be the only person on duty at the time. Other than that, if you want real Mexican, you go to a real Mexican house. For a quick and cheap bite to eat, I suggest this place if you’re really craving a burrito.
This place’s burrito puts all of Taco Bell’s very oily and greasy foods to shame!!!
I also think that a lot of people should write better, more in depth reviews about places especially when giving a place only one star! I never found any reason while dining here to give this place such a low rank. Plus, this location was a WHOLE LOT better than the locations at Ala Moana and Salt Lake. I especially liked the service here compared to there; along with the quality of food.

Another indecisive night, Taco Del Mar I guess. Passed the sign outside the door for their $ 6 plates after 5pm and decided to get it. I’m glad I did!
Opted for the 2 enchilada plate; one beef, one chicken. They heat 2 small tacos up and roll the meats in with cheese? and drench them in wet (enchilada) sauce. Then they served generous portions of rice, beans (I chose black) on the side and continued to top with lettuce, sour cream, guac, and pico de gallo. The whole plate was deceptively filling.
With the military discount, this deal can’t be beat!