Buho Cocina Y Cantina

Plain and simple: we were sat for lunch at a dirty metal table with paint chips. A Japanese waitress completely ignored us; we were the only two people there with literally 200 empty seats around us. When two Japanese couples were then sat she immediately took their orders and then a Caucasian waitress, nice enough, finally appeared after 15 minutes. Food: really disappointing AND expensive. Dried out rice, cold, pasty black beans, tasteless enchiladas and a tortilla soup that was so spicy it was unacceptable even to spice lovers. A side of salsa literally tasted like someone put a kitchen sponge in a blender and sprinkled Ajax in it. Stay away!

I ordered the chicken quesadillas, which I thought were good but not great. I wish that the meals came with sides such as rice and beans, instead of having to pay extra for them. What I think sets this restaurant apart of the others are it’s excellent ambiance and décor, and the top-​knotch customer service. The rooftop views were a sight to see at night. Our waiter was DeAndre, who did a great job recommending choice dishes, and explaining the intricacies of each. Also whenever we needed anything he seemed to already be aware of what we would need. Great service overall. I would eat here again.

Quesadilla! And they have some Vegetarian dishes that will hit the spot! Just hop into the elevators on kalakaua avenue and make sure to hit the bar for the sunset… Otherwise, check out every taco Tuesday for your fun day!

Good place with a great roof top location. Service and kitchen a bit disorganized but food was enjoyable and atmosphere is good, especially above the noise of Waikiki.

It is no surprise that I instantly fell in love with Buho Cocina Y Cantina after learning that their owners also own Bread + Butter and Shokudo. Score! My review is for Buho’s most amazing happy hour (early and late).
Hawaii really needs more outdoor/​patio-​type bars like Buho. The open-​aired atmosphere is perfect for $ 2 tacos on Tuesday, dancing on Friday evenings, and taking selfies with the views of Waikiki at any time of day. I love the long bar, water feature with fire lamps, garden-​esque side seating and cowhide throws on the covered seats. There’s enough room for your intimate date-​nights, obnoxious birthday parties of 10, or taking shots with new friends at the bar. There is no reason you would not have a fantastic time at Buho.
HAPPY HOUR FOOD:
All items are $ 9 or under.
Homemade Chips & Salsa/​Guacamole: OMG, these chips are really amazing. Freshly fried and perfect for dipping in their spicy salsa and guac. Definitely a must-​get.
Taco Tuesdays: These $ 2 tacos rotate as far as meat-​options, but always a satisfying option with all the fixins.
Carne Asada Fries: I usually hate skinny fries, but these were topped with seasoned carne asada, pico de gallo and queso mixto (cheese), which made for a great big bite. Wow. $ 9.
HAPPY HOUR DRINKS:
MUST TRY their $ 7.00 hour margarita. They do have non-​happy hour margs/​drinks like Ginger Lilikoi or Cucumber Fresca. I mostly just love tequila so I’m happy with the standard margarita.
$ 4 Draft Beers: YES! One of the few restaurants that has my favorite beer on tap: Dos Equis Amber. Gets me happy every time. :)
There is a paid parking lot around the corner from the Buho main entrance in Kalakaua. If you’re heading Diamond Head on Kalakaua, turn left on Seaside Ave and then your first left on Lauula Street. Price is usually reasonable for the late evening.

Go for the rooftop, great views and Happy Hour! Truly friendly and fun staff, awesome urban-​Miami décor!
Enjoyed the «Tempura Kauai Shrimp Tacos», nice price of $ 14.95… came with mango pico, ancho powder, lime, chipotle aioli — Fresh, great presentation!

I have heard many people speak of the ambience of this restaurant, and it is true that it is truly a special place. You take the elevator to the top of the building, and it takes you to an open air restaurant. We ordered the tortilla soup, which was bland and creamy. The shrimp enchiladas were quite nice, but the rice was dry, and the black beans were so-​so. The waitress was fairly attentive, but they forgot our spoons for our tortilla soup so they had to wait quite a while to get them. $ 12 cocktails were OK, but I will not be back.

First let me say that I’m from Southern California so I have a different set of standards when it comes to Mexican Food.
1. The Food: I ordered the chicken burrito bowl. It was a big portion! I eat like a bird so I’m good for food for the next 2 days lol. It was pretty good, but not California good and not very memorable to be honest. But it was not bad… it was on par with something I’d get from Wahoos fish Tacos, and just a little bit pricier.
2. The Ambiance: Nice rooftop dining, casual. Uncrowded when we went so we got seated very quickly.
3. Service: Our waitress was nice and friendly and was really good about checking up on us.
4. Price: A tad pricey for the quality of food but unreasonable though.
5. Parking: Waikiki shopping $ 5 flat, no validation
Overall experience was good, not blow me away good, but good. Would I come back? Sure. But this place doesn’t cut it as a «go to» place for me.

I had never heard of this place before being invited out with friends (to celebrate a wedding) but it was described to me as «Hawaiian-​Mexican fusion» and I was already a little skeptical. Hungry. But skeptical.
Our party arrived at different times so we all sat in the «waiting» area in front of really nice fire pits but when our entire party arrived we weren’t moved to an actual table but served there. It was rather awkward. We had about 5 servers in total throughout the night– our main server (an older gentleman) was amazing! He had such a great attitude and offered recommendations and reviews on the food choices. Another of our servers had the worst attitude (pretty much shoved plates in our faces)! After she gave us the plates we realized that every single one was dirty with food crusted to each plate. When we asked for new plates she looked so beyond irritated and yanked the plates back.
We were told that their margaritas were bomb so we decided to get a few of those but were sorely disappointed. I ordered a Desert Rose ($ 11) and my partner, who had never had a margarita before, tried their Buho Margarita ($ 10) and we were both disappointed because neither of them tasted like (or looked for that matter) a margarita. Mine pretty much tasted like elderflower and lime juice :(
I ordered the Manchego Smoked Brisket enchiladas ($ 18.95) and my partner ordered the Pineapple Pico Pork Belly tacos ($ 12.95). They were both alright. Well seasoned but a lot spicier than we expected. It took about 70 minutes for our food to arrive (it was a busy night and we were all in good company so nobody really noticed until after we left haha). Since we weren’t sitting at an actual table we all had to put our plates in our laps to be able to eat comfortably. High seats, low «tables,» and a bunch of ladies in heels = awkward angles all around!
On the other hand– I really enjoyed the vibes of the place. The open air aspect was refreshing and we were able to catch quite a bit of the fireworks show :) it’s a nice lax environment that kinda makes you want to sit around and talk story (though next time I’ll probably stick with a beer…)
SERVICE: 3.5÷5
FOOD: ³⁄₅
DRINKS: ¹⁄₅
ENVIRONMENT: ⁴⁄₅

Have you ever wanted to really love something but you just didnt think it was true love?
Thats exactly how I feel about Buho. –_​_​_​–
I finally found myself in Waikiki and thought that Id take the opportunity to finally cross Buho off of my little Bookmark list. We got a little lost; but its in the Waikiki Plaza building (the building across the street from the store H&M). There are two ways to get to the restaurant; go up to the 4^th floor in the building and find the cute little «hidden» hallway that leads to Buho and feel as if youre discovering walking into some secret awesome place, or take the elevator from the street level thats up front between Victorias secret and Sephora. We initially went through the hallway which felt like an adventure in itself, but the elevator is super convenient and its really pretty with changing lights! But if you get motion sickness easily (like a couple of my friends) then I’d suggest not taking the elevator. Oh and the host station is outdoors, so make sure to walk out there (we looked hella lost when we first went there).
Ive been here twice and they were different experiences. First off, try to make a reservation if you can. The place can get packed on certain days. A couple of friends and I tried coming here once and they couldnt even fit us in –_​_​-​.
The first time I came here was for date night. We got lucky and were able to just walk in and get seated. The second time, my friend had made reservations and we were lucky enough to get seated out on the front deck!
Anyway, the reason I really want to like this place? I’ll admit it; its looks. Its the vibe and its atmosphere. This place is in such a great place and decorated perfectly; it has an outdoor deck that is lighted with a bunch of hung lights and star shaped lanterns and has a few little flames here and there (theres a corner where theres a firepit!). The deck overlooks Waikiki; its not too high, but you definitely get a view.
The service here is… well i guess it depends on your server. My first waiter, Don (I think) was great; really attentive, made a few suggestions and was really friendly. Another waiter was very… interesting. He would make remarks that would make my friends feel awkward, and when we asked for change, he pulled out his own wallet right in front of us? Ive never had a waiter do that before and I dont know if it was appropriate? I also ordered a burrito, but was given a burrito bowl. When the runner (not the waiter) gave us our food, he noticed my confused expression and asked if it was wrong. I told him that I had ordered a burrito, but id just keep the burrito bowl to avoid any inconveniences for the kitchen. He smiled and said «Oh okay sorry… but its kind of the same, just without the tortilla.» –_​_​_​– But he did attempt to give some suggestions, which was nice.
The food and drinks itself are just… bleh. Not the place Id go to for really great mexican food. I tried the brisket enchilada and the burrito bowl. They were both just okay. My boyfriend had the Fajita with carne asada; that was really delicious and pretty worth it. However, if they ask if you want more tortillas, just a warning; its an additional $ 2.50 (we werent warned until we saw the bill). The appetizers were really good though; the chips that come with the salsa and guacamole were really great! They were thick and crispy, and went well with the dips. The oysters and corn were also really delicious. But beware; the oysters sell out! As for the drinks… they were pretty strong, but not that tasty.
Overall:
The good:
–Pretty atmosphere
–chill vibe
–Service (varies)
–Appetizers
The not so good:
–Service (varies)
–Food and drinks
–You more or likely need a reservation
–prices; kind of up there for what you get
Id be willing to come back though. I just hope that they can up their food game, cause I really want to like this place more!

Buho has been open for nearly a year and a half now, but a few days ago was my first visit to the restaurant for a friend’s birthday. Located on the top floor of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. The parking entrance is off of Seaside Ave and is a bit tight. You can take the escalators to the restaurant directly from the restaurant.
The location is undoubtedly a draw with a nice view of Waikiki. Our server was friendly, as were the runners, but service was quite slow. Our orders took a while to come, though in the case of one of our friends, his Caesar Salad didn’t arrive until after everyone else and received and finished their entrees and had to be asked for… That is, when we could find our server. My drink order was also forgotten, even though the server had recommended it, though at least I the drink didn’t show up on the bill. They didn’t, however, discount or comp the salad… This was a big miss on their part I think.
Despite the service issues, the food pretty good. Authentic Mexican it was not, but the guacamole ($ 9.95) was great, as was the Tequila Garlic Shrimp ($ 19.95). I appreciated the fact that they shrimp were shelled, but the heads left on! The small salad it came with looked pretty dried out and wilted though. The award winning ceviche, on the other hand, was tasty, but the fish tasted a little past its prime. We brought our own cake, so we didn’t try any of the desserts.
Overall, would I go back? Probably not. Prices are a bit high, portions are a little small, and service is spotty. These are all issues I’ve had recently with both of Buho’s sister restaurants, Shokudo and Bread + Butter.

Buho is yummy, and the food is good. Although the prices for the quality is why my review might seem less than favorable. I was just in CA, and for what you get here there… well this place would go right out of business. The bar keeper that helped me was this woman that was soooo full of herself — I think she forgot that she was there to serve me. She seemed to think that she was doing me a favor by helping me. I was confused for a moment… then remembered that I was there to get served and for HER to answer questions. The ambiance and location might be what is saving this place. It is a large area that seems to always be full. Again for Hawaii the food is good, but compared to any other upscale Mexican Restaurant in a city this place screams pinchi-​guero!

I rarely give 1-​star ratings, but when I do it’s because of poor service, and poor service is what merits a poor rating for Buho.
When my party arrived a little early for our reservation, we could not be seated because our server was not yet there, so we were told we could sit at the bar for happy hour. We offered no complaints, but our reservation time came and went and we were still not seated, so we needed to approach the hostess ourself to inquire. Maybe she just forgot about us — one of the only parties in the restaurant at the time. Once we were seated our server started taking our order, and he was very nice and helpful. However, he told us that we could only order happy hour items at the bar (til 7… it was 5:40), which no one had previously told us about even though we were waiting at the bar for 20 minutes. He asked his manager for an exception since we had to wait already, and when he told us no again and saw that we were disappointed he asked his manager again. For some reason the manager felt a need to come to our table to tell us no himself. His tone felt very condescending and patronizing as he said that we could move back to the bar if we wanted happy hour items. We could’ve just stayed at the bar earlier, and there were 20 open tables, so we weren’t taking up anyone’s space. We moved back to the bar and ordered both menu items and happy hour items.
There are no free chips and salsa like many Mexican restaurants, so we ordered some. Our first server told us that though we have to pay for the first round, the second round is free. However, when we asked for more chips and salsa, the bar waitress charged us for a full order, which we noticed on the bill. When we asked her about it, she said only a second round of chips are free, but not the salsa. She agreed to charge us for only the salsa, but we still don’t know why she charged us for a full order in the first place. She should have comp-​ed the salsa.
Though the service was very poor, the food was good. I especially liked the pork belly flautas. The menu says 3 flautas, but really the plate comes with 3 halves. The garlic tequila shrimp was also delicious. However, everything was highly overpriced. Who charges $ 13 for three tacos?
Still, the service was so bad that I will never return to Buho. We had a negative experience with every employee we interacted with, and the manager was the worst. Maybe you can treat tourists this way because they will not return any way when they leave, but you cannot treat local customers like this because you lose a customer that could return regularly and bring friends. Sadly I will not do that.

Ate here last Saturday. My party had 19 people so it was kinda crazy with the food and alcohol. However our waiter… I think his name was Don… Did such an awesome job catering to our every need, constantly checked up on us for drink refills (which we had a lot of) and removing any empty platters.
Since it was a large party (my friends and I always have an annual Christmas party)… I was in charge of making the reservations. I believe I made the reservations in September or early October. Which was ample amount of time for 19 guests. Alden Tottori was the person I spoke to for the reservations. He was… Hands down the best person to work with. He was professional & prompt at responding to each and every one of my emails. He helped me make the planning process a breeze. SO THANK YOU ALDEN!!!
There wasn’t a lot of space to play our Christmas games. But we made do. There is nothing bad to say about this place. Food was delicious, the area is beautiful. Overall, this restaurant deserves more than 5 stars!

Buho is located at the top floor of the building right next to the top of Waikiki and across of the royal Hawaiian shopping center. It’s right above the Tanaka of Tokyo.
The view is really beautiful but the food here is just average. Hawaii just doesn’t do Mexican food like the mainland.
Stuffed Jalapeño — You get 3 of them and they’re a bit on the spicy side, nothing about them really stood out for me.
Beef Nachos — Just a standard nacho dish, the chips were below average I was expecting them to be crispy when they first came out but they were already a little soft.
Brisket Enchilada — Probably the best thing I had, the brisket was pretty good but like everything else, nothing really stood out.

I first came here a few months ago for a networking event which was held in the fire pit area — although it was a little warm for the fire to be on, I nonetheless instantly fell in love with the space and knew I wanted to have some event there in the future. So when it came time to planning my birthday dinner, I knew this was where I wanted it to be. First, let me say that Daniel and his team are really great to work with in terms of planning. I went back and forth on the menu a few times and Daniel was always very gracious and helpful every step of the way.
Fast forward to last night, which was my birthday dinner. Around 5:00 p.m. (reservation was for 7:00 p.m.) I get a call from Buho regarding the weather (there was a 60% chance of rain) and the fact that the fire pit is not covered. Obviously I was incredibly disappointed, but I didn’t want to risk me and my guests getting soaked and I was grateful for the call — luckily they were very accommodating and were able to put us in a private room.
There was a little bit of a delay as they tried to get the room ready for us and so during that time we tried to stand under the cover near the bar area but were still getting a little rained on. However, once we were able to be seated, things ran a lot smoother. Service was great and the lead server for our group was very attentive.
In terms of food — we definitely tried a little bit of everything: salsa, guacamole, pork flautas, goat cheese chopped salad, carne asada quesadillas, goat cheese quesadillas, pork belly tacos, brisket tacos, prosciutto wrapped jalapenos, yellowtail ceviche and shrimp ceviche. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the pork belly tacos! The only thing I will say is that I wish they had done a better job of spacing out the dishes in terms of timing — after the salsa/​guacamole, everything seemed to come out very fast and I would’ve preferred it to be more of a slower pace. A few tips: 1) some of the prosciutto wrapped jalapenos were very very hot, even for those of that can handle the «heat» so just be aware; and 2) you definitely need to eat the pork flautas with the onions otherwise you don’t get the same effect.
For dessert, we had churros and they also gave us a poached pair with goat cheese to celebrate my birthday (both of which were delicious). All in all, this was an awesome evening and I will definitely be back. Thank you again Buho Cocina Y Cantina for a wonderful birthday celebration!

Great ambiance! it’s a rooftop bar kind of feel. Probably a good idea for a first date.
The food is delicious. But also very heavy. Their guac is spicy and so yum. We went for restaurant week but only ordered one set cause the rest of the menu looked so good. But the must order item is surprisingly the duck l’orange. It was the best thing we had at dinner that night.
And on Mondays and Tuesdays some guy named Isaac plays live acoustic music. He had an amazing sound and adds to the already great ambiance.

We stumbled over to Buho on a Sunday evening after everything else we wanted to go to was packed. Yes, even on a sunday night in downtown, you need reservations because it is the city that never sleeps of the pacific.
I was impressed with the beauty of the building Buho is in, with gorgeous architecture, and seamless transitions from shopping to dining. We were seated immediately, and ordered drinks. Our waitress, although friendly, had chipped nails on every finger of both hands, with what looked like food under the nails. I was grossed out, but after tasting the guacamole, I gave in a little… it was really good. Chips were over-​cooked, and over-​salted, but obviously house made.
Drinks were a little on the watery side, and very sweet. We ordered tacos and enchiladas, and were absolutely not impressed with either. I had the Chicken Enchiladas ($ 17.95) and the boys had the Beef Tacos ($ 9.95) and the Fish Tacos ($ 14.95). Everything was ok, but nothing worth the price, which I thought was insane for three tacos and two enchiladas, or the wait, which was about 45 minutes.
I would probably come down for guac and margaritas to cool down or meet up with friends for drinks, because the atmosphere is hip and fun, but not to eat because the food is boring, mushy, and overpriced.

Sorry Buho, three strikes and you are out in my books. Went when they first open, had horrible service. Went at a late night after work, had horrible service. Finally, went on a Saturday night for a friends birthday. We came a little late and got a table near our friends. Because we came after our friends had finished dinner, we ordered drinks. Server didn’t even offer us a menu or water or table settings. Then when they didn’t come back, we were forced to go to the bar. We stood in a line and then the bartender said, this is ONLY for staff. I said, I just want to get another drink, and she walked away. Then I went to a barstool and stood there waiting to order and she never acknowledged me.
Food is pretty decent, albeit Waikiki prices. However in my books, horrible service ruins even the best food. Yuck Sorry Buho!
I know the owners are the same as Shokudo, which I am OK with. Shameful that Buho staff are associated with the same restaurateurs.

Date: September 4, 2015
Location: Buho Cocina Y Cantina
Reason to go: Hanging out with new friends
After leaving a bar establishment on Saratoga Road… a bunch of us took a walk down Kalakaua and crossed the street until we reached the entrance for Buho Cocina Y Cantina. Individuals visiting this establishment would need to take the elevator up to the rooftop.
Our group of around 15 exited the elevator to step foot into the open air rooftop of Buho Cocina Y Cantina. There was latin music playing in the background. I love latin music! We were greeted by Ernest the host and he informed us that the group could head towards the bar area since majority of us just wanted alcoholic drinks.
There was only one bartender working the bar and he seemed overwhelmed at the size of our group. Some members of the group knew what they wanted to drink and they got their drinks really fast. I waited patiently for the bartender to put in my order of Don Julio Blanco Tequila Sunrise. It took another employee to grab the bottle from inside of the restaurant. I guess the bartenders use the Jose Cuervo more for the Tequila Sunrise since that bottle is always available up front by the bar.
One day in the future I would like to have a meal from the restaurant end of this establishment. I would also like to find out how the establishment will feel during night time. I imagine it will be mighty beautiful under the stars and checking out the city lights of Waikiki from the rooftop.