Lahaina Tacos is opening today in downtown Honolulu, but to Pedro Haro, the business is more than serving authentic Mexican cuisine. It’s the realization of a dream for his family, which moved from Lahaina to Oʻahu.
“My dad passed away two years ago, so my brother Armando has become the father of our entire family,” says Haro, who is the marketing lead for the business. “My dad’s and my brother’s dream was always to open a taco truck in Lahaina. Unfortunately, the truck burned down before it was even opened. This is sort of a continuation of that dream and all of the family is working at it; we’re all part of it.”
Haro explains his family moved from Mexico to Lahaina in 1988, and the dishes served at this new taco spot reflect family recipes.
“There was no in between; it was Mexico to Lahaina, those are the only two places we’ve ever known,” he says. “We always says Mexico and Hawaiʻi are kind of like our mother and father; Mexico-born, Hawaiʻi-raised. This is how my mom used to make tacos, how my grandma makes tortillas, how my sister makes her salsas. It’s very authentic; this is the kind of food my family made in Mexico. It’s the kind of food they brought to every family gathering in Lahaina.
“What makes us different and what people are going to notice immediately is that the tortillas are freshly made,” he adds. “In Mexico, that’s what we grew up with — you go to a taco place and everything is made fresh.”
Customers can choose from tacos, burritos, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), bowls and plates. Meat choices include asada (steak), pollo (chicken), adobada (marinated pork), birria, lengua (tongue), chorizo (sausage) and there’s a veggie option also available.
“Some of the filling choices are different, like having lengua, which is tongue,” Haro says. “If people are having a mental block about it, they should eat a little bit of it, because it’s actually very delicious.”
Prices vary depending on the meat choice. Customers can order the dishes a la carte or choose plates, which include three tacos, one burrito, one quesadilla or one torta of their choice. Plates include white or Mexican rice, beans and tortillas. All tacos come on 5-inch tortillas with onions and cilantro.
Beef and pork burritos feature large flour tortillas with beans, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole, according to Haro. Chicken burritos have rice instead of beans and include lime cream, in addition to the other fillings.
“The tacos are made with corn tortillas, but the quesadillas and burritos are made with flour tortillas,” says Haro, who recommends that customers try the adobada and cochinita pibil (the latter will be added soon to the menu). “Adobada is not spicy, but it has a deeper flavor. Cochinita pibil is slow-cooked pork that’s very dender and flavorful; it’s typical of the area — Nayarit — that we come from in Mexico.”
“Our menu choices are a little bit different,” Haro says. “The torta is a Mexican sandwich; it’s very typical in Mexico to be able to have that.”
For now, the business will be open on weekdays only from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ordering is in-person only, but Haro says the goal is to eventually have online and phone ordering available.
“There’s one thing our mom always said — that we’re guests in Hawaiʻi, and we have to leave it a little better than how we found it,” Haro says. “Making this food is our little contribution to Hawaiʻi, and we’re hoping that people like it.”
CONTACT
Lahaina Tacos
900 Fort St., Honolulu
lahainatacos.com
Instagram: @lahainatacos
Open 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
