Nestled down in the heart of Waikiki is one of the few “Mexican” restaurants on the island. With a claiming of the most authentic and tastiest of Hispanic cuisine, The Cucaracha falls short of this false and self advertised reputation. If it happens to be the place where you want to “pre-game” with some margaritas, the restaurant may serve your purpose. Their drinks are average to high priced (to me that’s $10-12 a go) but do carry a decent kick in the pants in a sizeable glass. But that may be where your buck stops. I have been to this restaurant on several occasions always in the hopes that the last visit proved to be a fluke, when in reality, it is the food that is the fluke. Every dish is costly with little to no excitement for your taste buds and the only resonating impression it gives you is later in the day when you can’t leave the bathroom. My first attempt was the fajitas. For over $20 you get undercooked or burned veggies and meat with stale tortillas, limp Pico de Gallo, and one hell of a stomach ache. My cousin had the mole which was equally as bad. It seemed more a thick, brown, tasteless paste that reminded me of something that they’d serve in prison camps. The burrito was also pretty horrifying. The meat was charred, the rice had been sitting, and the beans were cold. Not only did we leave with light checkbooks, hungry eyes, and indigestion, but we also left with a rather disappointed regret in choosing a place that doesn’t even uphold to the true Mexican style of chips and salsa. They give you a set amount of chips and salsa, small portions mind you, and any extra was additional cost. If you are looking to save a few bucks when dining out or looking for any decent quality of food, stay away from The Cucaracha. The last thing I’ll add is that the name means cockroach and it fits perfectly since I do believe there were more cockroaches than happy customers in that restaurant.