Luquin's 454 — Restaurant in Hawaii

A Culinary Catastrophe: This "Mexican" Place is a Crying Shame! Let me be unequivocally clear: if you are searching for authentic, flavorful, or even remotely edible Mexican food, RUN, DO NOT WALK in the opposite direction of this establishment. My wife and I, lured by what can only be described as a grand overstatement from friends, stepped into what promised to be a "nice place to eat." What we found instead was a gastronomical abomination, a downright gross mockery of Mexican cuisine that left us deeply disappointed and frankly, offended as Mexican Americans.

Yes, the atmosphere attempts a "Mexican cantina" vibe, and that's precisely where any semblance of positive experience screechingly halts. Beyond the faux ambiance, everything else is a spectacular failure.

I optimistically ordered the carnitas rice and beans plate, alongside asada and pastor tacos. My wife went for the enchiladas, also with rice and beans. The verdict? An absolute, unmitigated disaster. The al pastor tacos were not just "a little greasy" – they were practically swimming in a pool of oil, overwhelmingly sweet to the point of being cloying, and the tortillas? ICE COLD. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge about Mexican food knows that warming tortillas is literally day one, hour one of basic training. It seems their "chef" must have been playing hooky that day. The rice and beans might as well have been made of cardboard and dust; they were utterly flavorless, serving no purpose other than to take up space on the plate.

My wife's enchiladas were described as "just okay." "Just okay" for Mexican food is a damning indictment. Mexican food, with its vibrant flavors and rich traditions, should never, ever, under any circumstances, be "just okay." It should sing! It should dance! It should make you crave more! This was a flat, dull whisper.

And then, there was the salsa. Oh, the salsa! You get these "free" when you sit down, and after experiencing them, the reason why becomes painfully obvious. My "salsa" was frozen solid. I mean, legitimate ice chips. When I politely inquired if it was fresh, our waitress, bless her heart, insisted it was. I then presented her with the evidence of ice shards in my "fresh" salsa. She apologized and offered a replacement. Naturally, I had to ask if the new one would also be frozen. She checked. It was. This isn't rocket science, folks. Salsa is one of the easiest, most fundamental staples of Mexican cooking. To serve it frozen is not just an oversight; it's culinary malpractice.

My wife and I will never again darken the doors of this establishment for food. Perhaps for cheap beers or margaritas, but certainly not for a meal. As a Mexican American living in Hilo, it fills me with genuine sadness to see such a lackluster, overpriced, and frankly insulting excuse for Mexican cuisine in our wonderful town. Our locals deserve so much better than these outrageous prices for sub-par food. This...

A Disappointing Experience from a Fellow Restaurant Professional As a restaurant manager myself in Waikiki, I rarely encounter an establishment that compels me to write a negative review, but my recent visit to this restaurant was truly appalling. I believe it's crucial for both potential customers and the owners to understand the extent of our dissatisfaction. Our dinner started poorly when our drinks were immediately sent back. However, the food was the real disappointment. My meal was frankly horrible - I could barely eat a quarter of my burrito due to the poor taste and quality. Equally concerning, my five-year-old nephew's burger was served undercooked and raw. I immediately brought these issues to the attention of Manager Camilla, expressing my feedback professionally and directly. Despite the numerous issues, I paid my bill as i stated to manager, but made it clear that this was the worst service and food I had ever encountered. There was no vulgar language or unprofessionalism on our part; in fact, we constantly had to ask for basic items like straws and napkins. It was puzzling to see so few patrons in the restaurant, a sign, it seems, of the consistently poor service and food quality. Adding insult to injury, I was shocked to hear the owner allegedly state they "don't want locals at her place of business." This attitude, combined with the abysmal dining experience, makes it impossible for me to recommend this establishment. From a restaurant professional with years of experience and a track record of five-star reviews, this place deserves a minus 5-star rating. I strongly advise you to go elsewhere. Rubens is a 5-star experience and a far superior choice. This restaurant is unprofessional, lacks customer service, and delivers very poor food quality.

It hurts to leave a review of this sort. However after this experiences and the comments left in reply to a review left on yelp. The blatant lies. Im baffled. This is the worst establishment I've ever encountered. What happened to liquids? I grew up eating there at the original location. Way before the extension and sadly after the once best Mexican restaurant burnt. Im guessing a shift of ownership took place cause this place is the last place id go to i rather eat at taco bell than here......

First impression of this place was poor. Not sure if she was a manager or a hostess but the pregnant woman was very rude.

I had my two year old with me, and there were two homeless dudes fighting in the parking lot. So we went inside to get away from the commotion. I get they have no control over homeless fights and the huge homeless encampment in the jungle nearby.

We wanted a table but we were also waiting on one more to arrive. We couldn't be seated because it was "against their policy". I get it, some places can be packed and busy. This place wasn't. It was mostly empty.

I asked if just the four of us could be seated and if/when my friend shows up they could also be seated (it was clearly empty in there, 10+ tables visibly available) she said no, and even if we did sit, he couldn't sit by us if he showed up later and that we would have to wait "it's policy".

She was rude about it, and seemed to enjoy being unhelpful. If it is truly a policy especially when more than enough space was available, it's a dumb policy.

The waitress later was nice, the atmosphere was neat, and the food was good. But that lady was MEAN. If she's face of customer service here, no wonder this...