Bringing The Fiesta To Honolulu

By Steve Hamile
Wednesday - February 09, 2011

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The Latin culture is all about family and food, and it’s no different at Pablo’s Cantina, where we stress traditional dishes made with fresh ingredients, an inviting atmosphere and great amigos.

I grew up in Hawaii, and my family has a long history here in the entertainment and restaurant business, having owned Alii Lounge, the island’s first jazz club. Our restaurant may be new to the neighborhood, but I am no stranger to the industry. After living in Mexico for years, homesickness settled in, as did the strong desire to return to Hawaii and bring authentic Mexican cuisine to our Islands.

The Pablo’s Cantina team.

The space in Ward Centre appealed to us for so many reasons, including the beautiful outdoor lanai area. It also has a great history as the former home of Compadres, and we were able to preserve some of its charm with the Wall of Flame and hanging a neon Compadres sign over our bar.

Our menu reflects Mexico’s diverse food culture and features regional specialty dishes from around the country, including Oaxaca, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Pacific Coast. Our sauces, salsas and pico de gallo are made fresh daily.

Even our bar staff is committed to fresh ingredients, squeezing more than 15 gallons of fresh lime juice and making more than 50 gallons of sweet and sour mix for margaritas every day. In fact, all of the ingredients in the cocktails are made fresh on-site, which means our customers always enjoy a delicious drink.

We may be known for our Taco Tuesdays — fun nights offering $1 hard-shell and $2 soft-shell tacos — but we are so much more. Thursdays are family nights and los ninos eat for free with each paying adult. We also offer a pau hana daily with drinks specials from 4 to 7 p.m. and then again from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the night owls. The restaurant also features a great semi-private area for parties or business functions.

Our philosophy is simply to treat everyone like familia, enjoy what we do and take pride in our service, and we hope to do just that for years to come.