It’s rare to find a Mexican eatery with numerous vegan options available, but Gordos prides itself on providing a full vegan menu. The business launched in 2020 in Waialua, according to business owner Alberto Vela.
“We opened in March 2020, right before the pandemic,” he says. “We had a restaurant in Waialua for four-and-a-half years. When we started, we wanted to do half of our menu plant-based because my sister and brother-in-law are vegan. We cater to everybody; usually, we have a lot of vegan specials, too.
“You can get plant-based anywhere, but I consider us the kings of plant-based on the Mexican food side,” he adds.
Vela notes that there is no cross contamination between plant-based and non-plant based dishes; all items are stored, prepped and cooked separately.
Since then, the business closed Waialua restaurant and now has an orange food truck on Atkinson Drive, across of Ala Moana Center. It’s been at this location for the past nine months.
“More than 50% of our customers were coming from around the island just to eat at our spot on the North Shore,” Vela says. “Once they found out we were open down here, they came to support us.”
Customers can choose from a variety of tacos, burritos, nachos and loaded fries — vegan and non-vegan options are available for each category. If you’re looking for an appetizer to share, start with the supreme fries ($15), which come loaded with carnitas, nacho cheese, beans, sour cream, pico de gallo and jalapenos. A plant-based option is also available, and comes with your choice of plant-based protein and cashew sour cream.
Mahi mahi fish tacos ($15) and shrimp tacos ($13) are newer menu items, according to Vela, who says the business changed its menu slightly since opening in Honolulu. If you’re looking for a plant-based option, check out Gordos’ tofu phish tacos ($15), which come with two battered and fried marinated tofu tacos topped with cashew chipotle coleslaw and with rice and beans on the side.
“We didn’t do fish tacos or shrimp tacos up on the North Shore,” he says. “We decided to try something a little bit new once we were down here. We like to use mahi mahi (for the fish tacos); I hand bread it and fry it, and you get two tacos, rice and beans. For the tofu phish tacos, we take a tofu block, marinate it, then I hand bread it and deep-fry it.
“One of my personal favorites is going to be the supreme burrito ($15) with shrimp in it,” he adds. “You can get it smothered with red and green sauce, and with cheese and sour cream over the top.”
Speaking of burritos — Gordos’ wet burrito ($16) is a customer favorite. This macho option includes your choice of meat, cheese, beans, rice, cabbage and pico de gallo. It’s topped with red or green sauce and sour cream, and served with salsa on the side.
“We make all the sauces in house — our red sauce and green tomatillo sauce,” Vela says. “They’re not spicy at all; they just have good flavor. We also have our homemade hot sauce, which is very spicy.”
Plant-based proteins include vegan “carne asada” and soy curl “carnitas,” according to Vela.
“Our vegan ‘carne asada’ is soy steaks; we marinate them in a 48-hour marinade and we cook them up,” he says. “For the carnitas, we use a soy curl; that one is slow-cooked.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for daily specials, including jalapeno poppers ($8) and vegan birria tacos ($16). The latter is increasingly popular, according to Vela.
“They’re crispy tacos, you can dip them in the consommé and there’s rice and beans on the side,” he says.
Gordos is open from 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays to Tuesdays (closed on Wednesdays). The business also offers catering for special events.
“Basically, gordos in Spanish means ‘fat boys’ or ‘big boys,’” Vela says. “Everybody calls me ‘Gordo;’ that’s why we decided to call it Gordos, just in general. You know you’re going to get full here; it’s a good place to eat.”
CONTACT
Gordos
401 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu
808-490-1552
Instagram: @gordos_food2020
Open 12:30-8 p.m. Thursdays-Tuesdays, closed Wednesdays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
