El Palenque

We tried El Palenque on a recommendation and weren't disappointed.It's a small establishment, with minimal parking, but they do takeout. Staff was very friendly and food was cooked quickly. They make their own tortillas and they tasted fresh and were cooked well.Ordered 3 tacos, Sopa, and a Gordita to try a variety. I don't really care for rice and beans with my meal so we ordered a la carte.Gordita - pork inside. Good amount of filling. Masa was fresh and pocket held up to the filling. Enjoyed this a lot.Sopa - again fresh masa. Fried perfectly and the beef was well seasoned and the whole thing was filling.Tacos - 1 soft (chicken) and 2 crispy (beef and pork). These were my fave. Again the masa is the star here. The crispy tacos were puffy and had a mix of crisp and chewy. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy. The fillings were really well seasoned and the tacos were generously sized.We will definitely be back here to try other options, and get more tacos. It's out of the way for us, but 25min to Haleiwa from Town isn't too bad to manage on a weekend.

While in the area we decided to grab a quick dinner at El Palenque. Parking is very sparse- either try your luck with street parking or in the shared lot next to the restaurant. There are only 6 tables inside and 2 were already occupied when we came in. Traditional Mexican music and decor. Though there were lots of takeout orders being handled, our server was attentive and efficient, able to get our orders and check at the end of the meal in a timely manner. We ordered the carne asada fries and Trio wet burrito. The portions of food were great for the price. The steak was pretty good on the fries but there wasn't a lot of it. Same for the burrito. Not a big deal for me, but could be disappointing for the carnivores out there. As dine in customers we also got some complimentary chips and salsa. As previous Yelpers mentioned, their salsa is HOT. If your taste buds are sensitive to spice, it might not be for you. Best to have your water or soda on hand to cool your mouth after a few bites!

THIS IS NOT AUTHENTIC. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO TO TACO BELL. DONT LET THE NAME OR THE MENU FOOL YOU! Ordered a burrito and chimichangas plate.Burrito plate was mostly lettuce and sour cream. Basically a vegetarian burrito. Maybe a tablespoon of diced meat for the whole burrito. Chimichangas plate we ordered had a bunch of oil at the bottom. Chimichangas were soft cause they sat in the oil. Beans and rice just tasted like oil. I would rename this "oily plate with semi-fried/ soggy tortillas"I can't imagine what the salsa and nachos taste like.

Located in Wahiawa on California Ave, Parking is street parking and they have a small shared parking lot next door.Inside they have only 6 tables, so many times we are in the area we would like to try their food, because we heard it was very good.Finally got a chance there was parking and 1 table open, so we went into try their food.When we sat door the waitress brought us a bowl of chips and salsa, I liked the salsa but it was on the spicy side which I like and you know it was homemade salsa, but had to let my wife know it would be too spicy for her, she tried it and asked the waitress for a milder salsa. My wife had the ground beef nacho and it also was very good and the portion was very large, which she also couldn't finish.The service was great and prices are very reasonable.Another Mexican restaurant asked if we wanted chips & salsa, but didn't realize that they charge for it, because most do not charge.I had the shredded beef burrito plate with rice and beans.It was huge and I could only eat half of the burrito and rice and beans. It was very tasty.

Another lazy Sunday eating at El Palenque. They never disappoint. Prices are on point. Guacamole is FRESHER THAN FRESH!

Our go to place for our Mexican food cravings. Their enchilada plate is my favorite! Their portions are generous, I always need a to go box. Excellent service and ambiance. Don't forget to get a horchata yum!

Excellent service, excellent food. Parking is slim (either street or a couple in the parking next to the building. Was lucky to find a street stall so stopped here for lunch. Ordered their Trio Burrito. Wow, this thing is gigantic. It came with their 3 meats (chicken, carnitas, and beef) with lettuce, cheese, avocado, and sour cream. The flavors of all the meats came through in different spots in the burrito. I tried to finish it but it was too massive. This is one of our fave Mexican food spots on the island. Swing by and try them out.

Love this place for authentic Mexican food, plus the service is top notch. We typically order the chicken enchilada for takeout and we always get these beautiful Mexican plates of food where the cheese, sauce and beans and everything else melds together so beautifully and deliciously. So much flavorful goodness. chicken enchiladas (of course), veggie enchiladas, steak fajitas and chicken mole. Everything was top notch and devoured in no time by the guests. I think the mole may be my new favorite - so saucy and spicy and unique in flavor. They went above and beyond to bring the food to us (for a reasonable fee) and even went back to get chips, etc. when they realized they forgot them. Recommend 100% for catering and takeout when you're craving authentic Mexican!!

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!

Great Mexican food and service is always friendly. Cute little hole in the wall eatery with Mexican decor.