Coquitos Latin Cuisine Restaurant - Restaurants On Oahu Waianae, Hawaii

When you think of Waianae you naturally think of super delicious Latin cuisine. You just can't help but associate the two, right? No, of course not and so that means Coquito's is about as out of place as any restaurant can get. This is a good thing for so many reason, chief among them being the simple fact that Waianae really needs some good food options!

We read some reviews of Coquitos on various food review sites and the vast majority were very positive so we couldn't help but wonder if this was a hidden gem or if the owners just got really good at faking reviews. At the same time, a few reviews seemed to contradict the masses. So the only option was to try it for ourselves.

The first thought the average tourist (and some kama'aina) might have is about personal safety but this really isn't a bad area overall, even if the area is pretty rough around the edges in terms of curb appeal. Coquitos is right on the Farrington Highway, across the street from a McDonald's and Taco Bell and we actually frequent this area a lot and have never had a problem of any kind and have met a lot of very friendly locals around here. Forget that stereotype and come check this place out. Visit for lunch in the daytime if you still have concerns and then checkout out some of the amazing beaches along this coast while you are here.

The staff here are beyond friendly. They are super nice, very welcoming, and very good about making sure you are enjoying your meal and having a good time. The restaurant was clearly a house at one point and you feel like the owners are having you over to their house for lunch. Not sure if that is by design or not but it works.

The inside is fairly small and they have some tables outside as well. The parking lot is very tiny and will hold six or seven cars so if it is full you can probably park across the street (there is a cross walk, we suggest you use it) at one of the fast food joints.

We ordered their Coquitos Platter appetizer which is sort of a deep fried Latin sampler platter. It had some cheese filled empanadas, beef fill empanadas, guava filled empanadas, and some fried fish with a side of pico-like-salsa. It was very good.

For the main course we ordered their grilled rib eye with caramelized onions ($18.00) and chose a side of the gandules rice and sweet plantains. The steak was very tasty, as were the plantains. The rice could be a bit on the bland side to some (something we saw in a few reviews) but it was very good.

We also had the mofongo with chicken ($10.00). The mofongo is mashed plantain with crispy bacon and garlic which sounds odd but it's so good. It's formed into a bowl, has the consistency of dense stove top stuffing, and the garlic chicken (cut into tiny strips) sits inside. Truly tasty stuff. On the side we got the gandules rice and habichuelas which they say is "kidney beans" but it's so much more. It's kidney beans in a sort of soupy stew, almost a bean chili really, and was incredibly delicious.

For dessert we tried the Tres Leches cake ($4.75 for a large piece, plenty for two to share) which was quite tasty as well. This was a lot of food so you probably wouldn't want nearly this much for two people but we do this for you, the reader! Prices here are very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food you are getting and you can get out of here for under $15 per person for some of the dishes while others will push you a bit over that with a drink and tip.

So, if you grew up eating your grandmother's Latin food would this be great Latin food to match that? We don't know, but if your grandma can make food like this (or better) then invite us over anytime. We'll be back here very soon and very often for sure and highly recommend you try it out as well.

• Food Types: Latin	• Payment: $$ - Average - $15 to $30	• Meals: Dinner	• Meals: Lunch	• Service Type: Table
• Offers: Open Air / Outdoor Seating