By Kristin Hashimoto

Fernando's salsa and chips, photo by Kristin Hashimoto

People are serious about their Mexican food. Arguments can occur over the quality of salsa offered and how authentic one establishment’s mole (a complex spice mix) might be. Fernando’s Mexican Grill & Cantina in the Queen Ka’ahumanu Mall offers the uninitiated and the Mexican food lover a good selection of menu options that meet expectation and the reality of mall food offerings.

Have you met a chicken or pork chimichanga you didn’t like? Think about it. It’s deep-fried, filled with cheese, rice and choice of meat, topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Chimichangas, taco salads, and the Americanized mexican pizza are really benign choices when trying a Mexican restaurant for the first time. Of course, if they aren’t good, something is very wrong with the place.

Fernando’s chimichanga, Mexican pizza and chips and salsa are all decently good. Portion sizes are large and the chips are crisp. Consistency here might be iffy, as repeated visits yielded a chimichanga that when lukewarm turned into a cheese brick.

Chicken Chimichanga Fernando's, photo by Kristin Hashimoto

For dessert, patrons can choose fried ice cream, flan (custard), churros, which is fried dough extruded in a stick form approximately an inch in diameter, and covered with cinnamon and sugar.

Prices range from approximately $10 to $20 for entrees that include but are not limited to entrée options such as, but not limited to: soft tacos, seafood tacos, chile relleno, tamales, enchiladas, fajitas. The food is decent and service can be variable. Getting in an out of Kahului during lunch hour with all those red lights can eat time. Service at Fernando’s can be quick or average for Maui restaurants, regardless of how many are seated. If visiting for lunch and needing to get back to the office in an hour, you may want to order take-out, order ahead, or visit when there are less time constraints.

Fernando’s also has another location at Maui Marketplace. For more information visit www.fernandosmaui.com, or call, 871-5333.