Las Pinatas of Maui — Restaurant in Maui

I have to disagree with the other reviews that say 'real Mexican food' -- Their menu does offer all the usual stuff, but the preparation is not exactly authentic. I give them a B+ for effort but a C+ for execution. My husband ordered chicken tacos (the combination plate) and I ordered the fish tacos (also as a platter). The presentation is good -- but the food is very, very bland. And like so many other Mexican restaurants in Hawaii, the tortillas that they use are like tasteless cardboard. ugh. Maui Tacos in Kiehe (also on Maui) does it right -- But I digress. The chicken was 'okay'. Just so bland. The salsa (we tried the 'regular') was so watery that it had no flavor, let alone any sort of spice for the food (which desperately needed it). The refried beans and rice were good. Not overly spiced with cumin and other such spices that many places use but Mexicans do not. The fish tacos -- I really wanted to like them. But they used a breading (that sounded good in theory) of chilies and egg (?) and it was more of that than fish. When I scraped away the breading (or whatever it was) the fish was very 'fishy' - not at all fresh -- had a very old taste to it - almost rancid. So sorry to have to report that. Could not finish the tacos -- even without the dried, taste-free tortillas. The lettuce was fresh and they included some cheese, etc. And there were lime wedges available - but nothing could save the fish tacos. The place itself was pretty casual and did a pretty steady business during our short stay. A bit dirty, but sort of what you might expect in that setting (order at the counter, bus your own trays and plates with the trash cans located at the entry ) -- I just cannot give them over 2 stars. Friendly service and some effort to make things 'different' which is fine, but please don't lose the flavor. Convenient parking, did not use the bathrooms, prices are higher than they should be, but typical for Maui, and the service was friendly and fast. Probably won't go back, but if we do, we'll try something else on the menu. We live on O'ahu and often travel to Maui. I'm from a Mexican family and have lived in Arizona and Southern California where Mexican food is some of the best anywhere, so I know what a good tortilla should taste like, and I know what a fresh piece of fish is, and how chicken can be made tender and flavorful. And that even a mild salsa should not taste like watered down...

TEEERRRRIBBLE!!! Go to Fernando’s at the mall instead. I ordered carne asad fries, they gave me microwaved CRINKLE FRIES, topped with a few pieces of steak(no seasoning), and the cheapest cheese at Walmart. I understand this isn’t California or Mexico, but they didn’t even try creating a Mexican style dish. Everything was cheap and they cut corners ever change they got. I’ve gave them a few chances and every single thing was blan with no flavor. Im not upset it wasn’t the greatest Mexican food in the world, I’m from San Diego, lived in Mexico, I’m upset they tried passing some of the cheapest ingredients into the cheapest tortilla and call it authentic Mexican food. My best advice would be to actually try cooking. Isn’t Mexican food supposed to be exciting and flavorful ? Doesn’t Maui have fresh ingredients?

Please do not support a buissness that doesn’t care about the customers or they product they serve. This is the only times I’ve been genuinely upset at a buissness or even someone’s dish. If you want decent Mexican food on Maui, check out Fernando’s at Queen...

Stopped in here for lunch and was glad I did. The food coming out of the kitchen all looked good and fresh. All items are made to order so you will have a short weight before your food arrives. The service was exceptional. I don't know if it was the owner or not but the woman who helped take my order went above and beyond to answer all my questions and explain some of the menu items so I would get exactly what I was hungry for. I left with more than one meal because everything looked so good that I wanted something to go. The nachos were enough for two, and the chimichanga was crisp and loaded. I was also very impressed with the amount of extras you could add for free. For sure it would be an extra charge at most other places. The atmosphere is decorated in the style you would expect. Overall a Mexican feel but I would say a few touch ups and attention to details could help to bring the place together but definitely nothing that you would care about once your food arrives and get your...