Oahu Mexican Grill (Omg)
Oahu Mexican Grill (OMG)
Like Dislike Save
 
Phone (808) 724-6683
Address 2520 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
 
Map & Directions Map & Directions
Nearby places Nearby places
We're told this place is permanently closed. Click here if we're wrong!
Like Chipotle, only better. A little pricey, a little stingy on ingredients. Delicious!
Features
• Food Types: Mexican • Payment: $ - Cheap - Under $15 • Meals: Dinner • Meals: Lunch • Service Type: Counter / Quick
• Offers: Kids Menu
It feels like I've been on a quest to find a Chipotle in Hawaii for many years now. This is odd for two reasons. First, there are no Chipotle restaurants in Hawaii. Second, Chipotle is simply good on its best day and never great in my opinion. But the essence of Chipotle is what I'm after which is cheap (this is Hawaii, so we'll keep that relative), quick, not too unhealthy, and tasty.

Enter Oahu Mexican Grill (or OMG, get it?) which is clearly inspired by Chipotle from the vibe inside to the menu options and the way the food is prepared. Choose the shape of your food first (taco, burrito, nacho, or bowl) and then pick your meat filling (chicken, steak, barbacoa, etc) and then your toppings.

I went for the chicken burrito with Spanish rice (don't worry, they have the lime / cilantro rice too), pinto beans, lettuce, cheese, hot sauce, and sour cream. The hot sauce I chose was "Spicy Chipotle" and, while not spicy to me, is very tasty! The burrito overall was excellent and very tasty, better than any Chipotle to me. On top of that, the chicken was good and I didn't get any "funky" bits like I seem to get all the time with Chipotle. The meats at Oahu Mexican Grill are all natural, steroid free, and antibiotic free. We like that!

Does it taste the same as Chipotle? No, not really. Same idea, different flavor, but better flavor for sure. A huge burrito with soda was just over $10. They did up-charge me 50 cents for "extra cheese" and even with extra cheese my burrito severely lacked cheese. That is a complaint and almost kept me from giving a 5 star rating. But I'm letting that slide since the rest was so tasty. Of course, there are other up-charges like $1 for steamed veggies, $2 for guacamole, and so on so be prepared if you stray form the norm.

Parking here is pretty bad at times as the lot is small and requires payment but they do offer 1 hour of free parking, just get your ticket validated when you order your food.