Jose’s Mexican Cafe & Cantina

My go to Mexican restaurant no longer exists so we went hunting for a new one. Tried a few others in the area before we saw a friends post on fb and decided to check this one out.
They did not disappoint. We had the steak fajitas and carne asada chimichanga it qas awesome and we really liked their homemade salsa.
They didn’t put any mole or verde sause on the chimichanga like we are used to but we were able to request it after. Lots of seating. Wait staff are attentive, prices are a little higher than I am used to paying, but qe will continue to go back because the food tasted great.

Besides Cinco De Mayo and Mardi Gras, this place is not very busy. I usually try to come here on Sundays because the parking meters on Koko Head Ave are free! Free is always good. :) If you don’t score free parking, there is a metered lot right outside of Jose’s.
My boyfriend’s dad actually loves coming to this place. 1. Because he loves their Macho Nachos and 2. Because they have all kinds of tequila.
The prices are pretty reasonable for the amount they give you. I either play it safe with the enchiladas or I get some type of burrito (wet). They give you chips and salsa while you wait for your food. I got to admit that the chips and salsa are actually really good and once you start, you can’t stop.
Service has gotten better lately, but it seems like there is a high turnover rate because I don’t see the same servers anymore.
I personally like it here because it’s a sit down restaurant that is quick and the food is not bad. They can also accommodate large parties if necessary and I don’t have to worry about a long wait to eat. Hence… I’m always HUNGRY!

It’s hard to find decent restaurants that serve consistently good Mexican cuisine. Still have not found it. However, I found Jose’s Kaimuki that is close to where I live and has pretty good options for those with an acute sense of a margarita fix. Can’t get enough of the margaritas.
Joe’s Mexican Cantina Kaimuki is one of 2 actual Mexican restaurant in the heart of Kaimuki town, although I can be wrong. Y’all can tell me later or I’ll just Unilocal search it. The other one is Azteca on the corner of Koko Head and Waialae Avenue, and Verde Kaimuki, a café that serves mainly burritos, among other treats. Chili’s Kahala and Taco Bell doesn’t count lol With that said, I’ve been here over the years, since living in Kaimuki for over 30 years. Never left, except for the traveling for marathons and half marathons on the mainland and once overseas in Canada and Europe. Still, no place like home — especially in Kaimuki. I would say I’ve been here a little more than the Unilocal check ins will say. Most of the experiences here were with family, other times with friends. All of the experiences were good, yet average. The food here was consistently okay but delicious, but yet again, average too. Depending what you order, the quality is good and the presentation works well. The overall experience — at least in the most recent visit — was good and positive. I know that you do get pretty good service here that’s just a delight to be apart of.
Jose’s Mexican restaurant and Cantina Kaimuki is centrally located in Kaimuki town on Koko Head Avenue. Directly across the street is the former Liliuokalani Elementary School, now turned into DOE departmental offices. They accept major credit cards, so it’s always handy dandy when you don’t have cash on hand, as well as cash. Parking wise is the same as any other businesses in Kaimuki town: nearby residential street parking for free where you can find it or metered pay parking around the corner or in the municipal lot behind First Hawaiian Bank on 12^th Avenue. The restaurant itself is small and intimate, but definitely a place you’d want to check out, if you want to check out new tastes in Kaimuki or Mexican fare in general. The décor here is pleasant and nice. Clean and organized, so that’s always a good thing. They have a small, but good assortment of adult beverages, as well as soda pop for the kids. Ideal for dinner as well as happy hour after a tough day at the office, although a nice option for lunch, if you are in the area.
Jose’s Mexican cantina Kaimuki does give generously for the price you paid for each entrée. That’s always a good thing, specially when you can save it for lunch or whatever on the next day’s meal. I do like the wet Big Kahuna burritos, which are decently huge, and it comes with beans and Mexican rice. At $ 12 or so, they’re worth their weight in beefy carb happy goodness. I’ve known big ass burritos before myself, so this one was as not really epic, but it was a decent size. With the mix of Tabasco and the cheesy meat marinating in my mouth between noms and chewing, the satisfaction of just having all that cheese and protein in my mouth was kind of awesome in a way. Some sort of nirvana that I had been vying for, for so long was just nice and very convenient. Of course, the margaritas and plenty of it, as well as other selections of beer, were very complementary for any and all types of entrees you may have on your next visit to Jose’s Mexican restaurant and cantina in Kaimuki. I also loved the cheesy quesadillas at one time I was there. It just looks like a Mexican pizza in a way. While the taste was good, it wasn’t the best that I ever have, but still good though.
The service here was pleasant and friendly at the last recent visit. It’s like that whenever I visit here. Always a nice ambiance, since you feel like you’re in an authentic Mexican home inside when you step inside. When you leave, you’re like, oh, it’s still Kaimuki. While the food is consistently good, but okay, and the service here was positive and spot on, I feel that this place is good for what it serves, but it’s just alright. Still tight for the liquor selections though. While this place has seen better times, at least my group are seated quite promptly and there is no real wait — depending on when you decide to go. Best bet would be before 6:30pm on weekday evenings and virtually anytime during the weekends.
You might want to come here to check things out. Might be a hidden gem to some people, just not all. 3.5 stars. I’m glad it’s here in Kaimuki town though, a quick 5 minute literal walk from my home.
Support local!
C+

Came here for dinner the other night. I usually go to another restaurant just around the corner but they were closed that night. I was really craving Mexican so we decided to eat here. Plus we already put money in the metered parking.
We were seated right away and were served chips and salsa. The chips were very good, the salsa was only ok. The first basket of chips are free, if you want extra you have to pay.
I ordered the whole enchilada which comes with 3 different fillings, cheese, chicken, and ground beef. I asked for the red sauce with my order. The enchiladas came with refried beans and rice. The beans were very tasty and came with a lot of melted cheese. Yum! The enchiladas however could have used more sauce and may have been left in the oven a little too long as my sauce dried up on the plate.
The food is a 1 star in my book, but since the service was great I gave it another star.
I probably would not come back unless the same situation happens to me again, where I already payed for parking and craving Mexican food.

Helena worst service i have ever gotten anywhere n we have given her many many chances. Ive been going to joses 30+ years pretty sure n i will no longer step foot in there any longer. RUDE!!! Really bad. I cant comment on anything else bcz its that bad n management does nothing about it!!!

Waitress had a rude attitude and the margaritas here weren’t even good. What Mexican restaurant doesn’t know how to make a margarita?

I had their carnitas plate. The beans and rice are pretty good, and saying that from someone born and raised southern California is a nice compliment. The salsa and chips were tasty, and the atmosphere is nice. However I am not a fan of the crispy carnitas which seemed greasy. There are two types of carnitas. Northern Mexican which are crispy like here, and Michoacan which are a more like Kalua Pork or pulled pork, soft and not greasy. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone wanting good food.
Mucho Gusto!

I will give it a 3. The service definitely on the slow side. Food was really good. Wife got just cheese enchiladas so they where on the greasy side. I got chicken enchiladas and a beef taco, mine was excellent. Only bad thing was the waitress for got a pupu but it was fine because the meal was more than enough.

So HELENA the BARTENDER gave the worst service ever. She has an attitude problem. She got my order wrong. Then when I told her I am missing something she told me that she never put in the order. When asked if I could see the receipt she gave me more attitude. Showed her that she did put in the order never once did she say sorry. Then she told me she need the receipt back AGRUED WITH ME WHEN I TOLD HER SHE HAD IT. When she found it never really said anything. Threw my order in which i ordered over $ 100 worth of food for my whole family on the counter without saying a word and walked away. I used to like it here but service sucks no wonder no one goes there anymore. Food is not that great also so I wont be coming back EVER!!! If you dont like your job don’t work there. Helena you should also dress your age.

Been coming here regularly for the past year or so. Every time I always leave happy and satisfied with the meal. It is my new favorite Mexican restaurant.
They have this dish called the Whole Enchilada which has 3 different types of enchiladas with three sauces. It is broke da mouth good. The chips and salsa are delicious as well. Unlike some Mexican restaurants in Hawaii, the salsa is nice and spicy with great flavor.
Their drink specials are awesome as well. The only disappointing thing is that they don’t have any beers on tap– but that’s okay, we come here for the margaritas anyway. You can get a pretty large margarita for less than $ 9.00 and the bartenders are not stingy on the alcohol.
Service here is pretty good too. I’ve had different servers every time I’ve been here. They’re always friendly and professional. Sometimes though, the food takes a while to come out. But it’s understandable why.

Note to Management and Ownership: Hire employees who want to be at the restaurant, aren’t lazy and don’t have bad attitudes. Either your training and the hiring process is lacking or the managers need to do their jobs and create a customer friendly environment.
Tried this place twice in the past year. The first time our party waited for a LONG time just to get the waitress to come and take our order… and the place was empty. After another long wait, food comes but without one of the dishes. When we mentioned this to the waitress, she claimed order was put in and would be coming. Judging from the not so subtle detour to the cook area and the time it took for the order to arrive it was obvious she forgot to put it in the first time. All of this with a perpetual frown on her face and no apology. We were pleasant enough and didn’t complain as she looked more miserable than we did.
Went for a second visit this past week and waited forever to be greeted and acknowledged. Gave up and left. Again, the place was empty. Not sure how this place stays in business as Kaimuki is sprouting up new and interesting eateries as of late. Spending our $$ elsewhere.

I’ll spare you all the mediocre review about the place and just list some highlights. Excellent chips and salsa but $ 2.50 after the first basket. Over-​priced and lukewarm food but portions are large and can be shared by two people for a decent price. Service is good with plentiful seating. Parking is metered in the back. The vibe is of a old bar and grill with TVs to watch sports and lounge. Probably the most hilarious and most entertaining thing was seeing a patron play video games on his laptop while we ate.
Side note, they only have mahi mahi tacos and they go at ~ $ 16. Save your money and find another place.

Love the food here! The service was on point. We ordered and within 20 minutes our food was ready.

First time here at Jose’s Mexican Café & Cantina. WOW! Bueno Ono Delish! I had tonight’s dinner special: Chicken Enchiladas with green verde sauce. Yumm! My hubby had the Big Kahuna burrito. Topped off with a strawberry sundae for two.
Donna was our server. She was awesome! She explained the special (chicken enchiladas) and the other food items. With a great attitude.

Ok, haven’t posted a report in ages. Speaking about ages, the first time we went to this restaurant it was about 40 years ago. I moved off island & never came back again since 1966. We moved back home 2 years ago. The first time we came here, back in the mid 70’s, we didn’t think much of the food (probably would have given 1 star). That’s why we never went back. Now that we are here again, we are trying all the Mexican establishments around. We decided to give Jose’s one more chance to see if they have improved. They must have done something right staying in business for 42 years at the same location! We were pleasantly surprised! The food was good. I had the carnitas plate and my wife had abondigas soup.
When we walked in, we were skeptical because it was totally empty except for 2 guys sitting at the bar. This was 12 noon for lunch on a Saturday. You know about the empty restaurant rule! But we stayed. We were glad we did.
The only negatives we had was that the food is way over priced (I guess Kaimuki commands Kahala prices nowadays!). My carnitas (Mexican version of kalua pig) came with no pico de gallo sauce (that’s a must for this dish– fresh diced tomatoes, onions & Chinese parsley– Mexican version of lomi salmon without the salmon). The beans & rice were very good. My wife rated the abondigas soup as excellent. Now, we are well qualified to judge Mexican food. My wife is half Mexican, we lived in LA for 20 years (which we have eaten & traveled from east LA to Cabo San Lucas & many cities on mainland Mexico.

I was really excited to try this place after my roommate came home with what looks like a delicious burrito. So I went online to check out the menu in order to place a to go order.
The website doesn’t work, and the menu that is available online doesn’t have any prices. Apparently they charge $ 19 for a burrito. Or you can get a burrito with only chicken inside for $ 14. How does that make sense? When do burritos ever have only one thing inside them? I really wish there were better Mexican experiences on this island…
The lady on the phone was annoyed with all of my questions, which is understandable, but get your website fixed if you don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of questions. I ended up not even ordering because it was so frustrating. I’m too hungry to deal with this!

All I can say is this restaurant (at least when I come) is always busy and the food is either a hit or miss. I always come at around 12 and the restaurant is always empty. There is always the same waitress working and sometimes she has attitude and doesn’t check on us and sometimes she’s very attentive. The last time I went was definitely a miss. My favorite thing in the world are tamales, but these were so dry! My friend’s chimichanga was gross and the rice could’ve been wetter. We were the ONLY ones there. Since all of us look about 20, and we were laughing and talking, the waitress kind of gave me the «stupid kids» attitude when I asked for a fork. Despite this, I ate everything (despite it being expensive for that quality). The guacamole was good, but again, expensive.
The time before this, they were pretty good! My tamales were soft and the meat was soft as well. When I took my 10 year old brother and he ordered the «cheese pizza», it came out and it was sooooo small! He finished it in 2 minutes (seriously it was like one of the small microwaveable ones) and we ordered him more food. The chips are good, salsa kind of tastes just like plain mushed tomato. I’m not sure if I’ll come back here, but it’s been OK for now.

The chips were fresh and the salsa had just enough bite so we didn’t need extra hot sauce.
My honey ordered a combo with shredded beef taco, Chile relleno and tamale. It came with beans and rice so he was a happy man. Everything was cooked as expected, he rated his plate an 8 :-)
I ordered a big kahuna burrito with shredded beef, sour cream, olives, lettuce, tomatoes and green sauce… my favorite! I’ll rate mine an 8 too.
Also got to use my iDcard and saved 15% of the bill! We’ll be back!

Okay this place used to be hit and miss for me until I discovered a solid selection that I now get every time: combination plate with a chicken taco and bean tostada. So, so yum.
I’ve never had any complaints about service. I probably go here 3 – 4 times a year. Also, I’ve been going here with my family for at least 15 – 20 years. It was different back then (better) but it’s still fine now. My mom loves this place.

From the moment the stale, hint-​of-​cigarette smoke smell hits you as you walk in, you know this may not be the best idea.
But there is free salsa and chips.
Ugh, the salsa isn’t that great.
But, boy is that grande margarita strong!
So you order the bean dip. It’s okay… I mean, I’m pretty sure I would eat anything covered in melted cheese but the beans are pretty obviously straight out of a can.
But it’s Friday and you need a drink with your friends and this place is close by.
Sub-​par at best… but the drinks were decent!