Da Seafood Cartel

OG Tostada

Curious by the large crowds at the old Wally Ho's on Kamehameha Highway, my friend and I stopped by for lunch and discovered Da Seafood Cartel. Known for their ceviche, tostadas, and tacos, Da Seafood Cartel offers a great extensive menu. 

We decided on the OG Tostada with a layer of blue crab spread, ceviche, avocado, and BSOD (Black Sauce of Death -which they also sell by the bottle) and fish tacos - 4 oz beer battered fish topped with slaw, pico de gallo, and chipotely aioli.  Both dishes were super delicious!  The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and open daily from 11am to 7pm. You can also find them at the Kaka'ako and Kailua Farmer's Markets. Highly recommend! 

Fish Tacos

Da Seafood Cartel
98-380 Kamehameha Hwy Aiea, HI 96701
808.762.0044

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Tight Tacos

There's a new taqueria in Kaimuki called Tight Tacos. This is actually the second location for business, the first location being in Maui. When my friend suggested that we meet here for lunch one day, I happily agreed. I am always game for tacos!

My friend arrived early and the house gave him a small donut to try - it was really good! I don't see desserts on the menu, and I forgot to ask the cashier if these are available to order. 

While we waited for our order, we were given a complimentary plate of tortilla chips with salsa.

My friend ordered the burrito with chicken - it was a decent size with a fair ratio of protein to rice. He really liked it and thought it was one of the better burritos he's had.

I ordered the Keiki Supreme, which came with two crunchy tacos, mexican rice and beans.  The tacos were propped up in this ADORABLE dinosaur holder. 

For a keiki meal, this was quite filling. I thought it was the perfect amount of food for an adult. And they do allow adults to order this! 

The tacos had a generous portion of protein - the chicken and pork were delicious!

Current hours: Tuesday to Saturdays 11 am - 8 pm (closed Sundays and Mondays).

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TIGHT TACOS

3617 Waialae Avenue

 

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Aloha Mamacita in Waipahu

Aloha Mamacita started as a food truck and in April opened a brick and mortar location in Waipahu next to City Nails. They serve up their famous Birria tacos as well as Birria crunch wraps, baos and more.  

3 Birria Tacos with consomme

This was the first time my kids were trying the Birria tacos and they absolutely loved it.  The tacos are generously filled with meat and cheese so just two tacos each were enough for us in one sitting.  We were so full, but we were already looking forward to eating our leftovers. 

Filled with lots of meat and cheese!

Aloha Mamacita Honolulu and Las Vegas locations are coming soon, but in the meantime go get your Aloha Mamacita birria fix in Waipahu.  Follow their IG @aloha.mamacita for more info and their $2 street taco Tuesdays!

Aloha Mamacita

94-801 Farrington Hwy

Waipahu, HI 96797

 

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Shay's Smash Burgers

 

Nice owners, tasty burgers, makes Shay's Smash Burgers a welcome addition to the food truck scene in Hawaii. 

The menu is small, making decisions fairly easy to make - do you want something simple? If so, go for the classic for $5.  For a buck more, you get lettuce, tomato, and onions with your burger.  If you want a really savory burger with sautéed mushrooms, harvati cheese and summer truffles, order the Fun Guy for only $7.  

I usually opt for the basic burger whenever I try a new burger joint, but today I could not resist trying the fully loaded Fun Guy.  It was a great decision!

With the fries, this combo came out to $10 - super reasonable for what I received! The burger was delicious and very filling. 

The burgers are made with hand-ground prime brisket short rib, and buns from local bakery La Patisserie.  I love that she uses a local bakery for her buns.  This is a JUICY burger, therefore if you are planning to eat this in your car, bring lots of napkins and hand wipes.

Also on the menu are chicken wings which were also quite good. I ordered the naked wings (6 for $6) and they were very moist and nicely flavored with garlic powder and salt.  If you want some spice in your life, ask for it with buffalo sauce.

My friend ordered the kale pig tacos and she said they were good! 

Shay's is open daily starting at 11 am on weekdays, 12 pm on weekends. I will definitely be back when the next burger craving hits!

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Shay's Smash Burger

98-291 Kamehameha Highway

(808) 381-3219

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Kono's - Kapahulu

Kono's in Haleiwa, known for their 12-hour slow roasted kalua pig, opened their second location on Kapahulu Avenue last year. 

The menu is quite large for a small joint. Their signature item is the breakfast bomber, but they also have sandwiches, bagels, plates, wraps, and tacos.

Seating is limited, but many who come here get their orders to-go. 

I wanted to eat something light since I was saving room for dessert at that famous bakery next door (think malasadas!), so I ordered the Kapahulu tacos - 2 hard shelled tacos with slow roasted pork, onions, tomatoes, slaw, and guava BBQ sauce. It was delicious, but hard to eat since the taco shells were cracked. 

Since my friend is unable to eat pork, he ordered the turkey avocado melt, which is served with Maui onion potato chips.  

Next time I want to try one of their milkshakes, which are made with premium vanilla ice cream - sounds yummy!

Kono's - Kapahulu
945 Kapahulu Avenue
(808) 892-1088
Open daily 7:00 am - 6:30 pm

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Taco Truck HI

We were in the mood for some authentic tacos so we stalked The Taco Truck HI's IG account @TACOTRUCKHI for their location for dinner. As soon as they posted their location in Wahiawa, we jumped into the car and were on our way.

We ordered their 4" soft tacos: carne asada -marinated beef; carnitas - braised pork; and pollo -seasoned shredded chicken. We also picked up a beer battered and deep fried fish taco as well as a cheese quesadilla. We got all the tacos topped with their rojo (red-hot) homemade salsa. They also offer a verde (green-mild) salsa.

The tacos were delicious and I loved the heat from the salsa. My favorites were the carnitas and the fish tacos. My son's quesadilla was huge and oozing with cheese. I look forward to returning to try one of their burritos and the asada fries!

Great service and amazing food!

Standard menu.  They also offer specials.

They offer Jarritos Mexican sodas ($3)

Front to Back:  carnita, pollo, and carne asada

Cheese quesadilla.  Also available with meat.

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