El Palenque

OMG, the El Palenque we knew and loved is back!! I struggled with the food for a while and moved on to some others, today myself and good friend decided it was a great day to try again. We ordered steak picada and enchiladas but let's start at the beginning. The homemade chips and salsa were absolutely insane, be prepared, the salsa is hot but so damn good. The homemade chips just put that over the top as a starter. We ordered bean and cheese nachos with fresh jalapeños and that too was delicious, the chips also put that over the top. Now for the entrees, rice was excellent, beans were excellent, and the steak picada was so fresh it almost mooed at me. Made perfectly, the heat was palpable, fresh tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños with the meat made it a favorite. The enchiladas were a personal favorite of my good friend and co worker, she enjoyed every bite of it. Also ordered a couple of tamales to go, a salsa, and guacamole. Have now sampled that and it is a dream come true for me. I love south Texas style Mexican food and this brought me all the way home to my childhood days growing up there. I could not have asked for a better experience, the food was fresh and hot and the server was on point as well. 10/10 will be doing this again, and again, and again......

Ordered from El Palenque for dinner tonight via UberEats. I got the chimichangas. They are crispy, warm, and comforting. I do however find them a bit plain. They're still tasty, just kind of wish they had more flavor. I also didn't really care for the refried beans- a little runnier than I normally like them and would've liked a little more cheese.

I can't say much about the ambiance or the service, as we ordered through a delivery service. All in all, I would still order from this place again, maybe try their enchiladas. They looked delicious!

I'm here biweekly at this point. It's definitely my favorite mexican food on island. When I walk in, they know what I want already (mixed cheese enchilada plate) although I do love to mix it up sometimes (tamale or chile relleno is delicious as well). The mole enchilada is my favorite. It's so perfectly balanced between sweet and heat, I can't get enough of it. I love all of the different sauces (red, green, mole) and it never disappoints.

Most recently I got the chile relleno plate with both red and green sauce. I guess my stomach is shrinking because I couldn't finish it all! Pretty big portion as it comes with rice, beans, tortillas, chips and salsa. Don't worry though, I got the rest to go and enjoyed it later.

The restaurant is pretty small but when I go midday, there's always seats available to dine in. You can order take out as well, place your order in store or call ahead. There is a bathroom available and limited parking. There is street parking as well as a little lot right next to the restaurant. Usually, I just park in the Walgreens lot and walk on over if the other options are taken.

Customer service is almost always perfect as there are two people that are incredibly nice, a male and a female. I need to get their names, but they are always so nice whenever I go in. The server is a male that takes my order and the women is the one cooking. So sweet, every time.
As I'm writing this, I am waiting for them to open as now I want another plate. Today may be the day I try a new dish!

Authentic Mexican Food in Oahu.

We've been going for years and the menu is extensive and tasty.

Homemade tortillas set the tone with great salsa.

Service is always friendly.

Most favorite dishes are available so be ready for a tasty experience.

Incredible Mexican food. If you're coming back from North Shore, this is a must try. It's right on your way, on Kam hwy in Wahiawa, on the right as you're just about to head out of town and head to the freeway.
How best to describe the Mexican food here?
It's Mexican food like you would find close to LAX in California. If you've had really good Mexican food, then that's a description you'll understand. Large portions, very flavorful, with a nuclear salsa that will ruin your day if you're not into hot sauce! Ask for the green sauce, if you are not sure.
There are not a lot of good Mexican restaurants on Oahu for some reason. You definitely have to stop in at El Palenque, as it's definitely one of the better options.

TLDR; really good Mexican food. A must try!

This was the third time I dined here and the food was on point as always. The service was amazing and we made it in the nick of time before they decided to close early for the night. The ambiance is pleasant with all the decorations. If you love authenticity along with home in the wall discoveries this is the perfect spot!

Wahiawa has many Mexican options but this is my favorite. It's a small hole-in-the-wall, but you can't beat the food. Since there's limited seating, we usually do take out.

Please note that the food does take a while to make, but I love that it's fresh. If you're ordering take out, you can park on the street or in the parking lot in front of Napa. The window to pick-up your takeout food is actually in this lot, so it's super convenient. They're always super nice and helpful on the phone.

They do have taco Tuesday prices!

Yummy Mexican cuisine. This place has been in the same spot off kam highway in wahiawa for at least the last 10 years. So this place has been on my foodie list for quite some time but for whatever reason, I hadn't had a chance to try it. Because it was 630p on a Saturday (I assumed it'd be busy considering it's a small hole in the wall place with maybe 6 tables for seating), we decided to place a takeout order. A tip for picking up takeout: they have a to-go window on the left side of the building. It opens into the parking lot. The inside is pretty small so I recommend waiting at the window instead. There was only one waitress running the place, serving people sitting in and the to-go window. She seemed like she had a long day but still put on a happy face and was quite nice. We ordered the mixed beef enchilada plate, a chicken and pork chimichanga plate and a side of queso and chips. I really enjoyed their queso but you gotta make sure it stays hot as it thickens up once it cools down. They use homemade chips. The beans and rice weren't flavorless like most places I've tried. I honestly could've eaten a plate of just that. I think I liked the chimichangas more than the enchiladas but both were still pretty good. The meats were tender and not dry at all. Lots of flavor.

I have loved their food for years! Don't get out there very often though. Was able to finally go recently and the food was still excellent though if you are a vegan, I would suggest not going there. Selection is very small.

Friends bought out the ceviche for the day and they all loved it. It was the special of the day.

I don't write reviews a lot but I've been here twice within the past week lol. It's my new Mexican restaurant comfort place. And the prices compared to the Mexican restaurants up the road..El Palenque is more affordable. The staff has been friendly so far too!
10/10 would recommend