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The newest Maui Tacos restaurant, which recently opened in the Waipahu Town Center, is becoming the go-to place for those on the west side craving Tex-Mex with a tropical flair.
“The prices are good and I really like the food,” said customer Mike Putnam, who ordered the Hana Surf Burrito (slow-cooked barbecued pork with rice, cheese, onions and cilantro for $12.45). “Also, they give really good portions. I work in construction so I get really hungry and need to eat a lot.”
Putnam said he enjoys the food so much he’s here for lunch almost every day and is on a first-name basis with the staff.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Mark Ellman opened the first Maui Tacos on the Valley Isle in 1993. Since then, it has grown to include nearly a dozen restaurants across Maui, Oahu and the Big Island, and there are plans to open more in the coming year.
The Waipahu location is one of several franchises.
MAUI TACOS
>> Where: Waipahu Town Center
>> Phone: 888-6499
>> Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
>> Prices: $10-$15
>> Parking: Free lot
“When people don’t know what to order and want suggestions, we ask them what they feel like eating, whether they feel like eating a lot or a little,” said Tiffany Mai, the restaurant’s project manager. “We try to give them what they are craving, not what’s going to cost the most.”
The restaurant’s half-dozen employees are cross-trained to help with front and back operations so that orders can be taken and food prepared with the least waiting for customers, she added.
ABOUT THE FOOD
Maui Tacos describes its style as “Maui-Mex,” a play on Tex-Mex, “and a vacation you can eat.” It infuses traditional Mexican ingredients such as jalapenos, tomatillos and cilantro with pineapple, mango and other tropical flavors.
A stand-alone salsa bar offers more than a dozen custom choices — from Pineapple Passion (pineapples, tomatillos, sweet onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapenos and lime juice) to Hula Heat (tomatoes, roasted chilies, tomatillos, sweet onion and garlic).
WHAT TO ORDER
A popular choice among customers at the Waipahu location is the fish tacos plate ($12.96), swordfish, beans and rice wrapped in a corn tortilla and served with a side of jalapeno sauce, chips and salsa, Mai said.
There are also almost a dozen vegetarian options, indicated on the menu by a heart symbol.
Maui Tacos Waipahu also hosts a Taco Tuesday special — $1 street tacos.
Meals typically cost between $10-$15. Kids menu items and desserts are under $10.
HOW TO ORDER
Order and pick up at the counter. Large-screen menus above the cash registers make it easy to assess the options.
GRAB AND GO
There’s plenty of free parking at the Waipahu Town Center. Maui Tacos is between Seafood City Supermarket and HawaiiUSA.
About half a dozen booths and tables are inside the restaurant for those who prefer to dine in. Those who do can also take advantage of free refills on fountain drinks and aqua frescos such as horchata.
Grab and Go focuses on takeout food, convenience meals and other quick bites. Email ideas to crave@staradvertiser.com.
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