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Taco Tuesday Rooftop Mexican DJ nightly
taco tuesday capital of waikiki

Búho Cocina y Cantina

Fifth-floor rooftop Mexican restaurant + cantina + late-night dance party. Famous for Taco Tuesday Latin Night, Cinco de Búho monthly, salsa lessons on Fridays.

Address
2250 Kalakaua Ave, Ste 525 (5th floor, Waikiki Shopping Plaza), Honolulu, HI 96815
Instagram
Hours
Mon/Wed/Sun 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM · Tue/Thu-Sat 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM. Last food seating around 10:15 PM.
Happy hour
Daily 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM — $2 tacos, $7 margaritas, half-price guac & chips, discounted draft beer
Price range
$$-$$$ regular / $ during happy hour

The pitch.

Búho is the rooftop where the night actually goes somewhere. Show up for happy hour at 5, watch the sun drop behind Lewers Street, and stay as the terrace transforms from margarita-and-tacos into a Latin dance floor under string lights. Taco Tuesday is the move, but every night here has its own version of the same trick: tequila, a DJ, a rooftop breeze, and a crowd that came to participate.

What it actually is.

Búho occupies the 5th-floor rooftop of Waikiki Shopping Plaza — 3,000+ square feet of open-air terrace looking across Kalākaua toward the beach. It functions as three venues stacked in one: sunset cocktail spot, Mexican restaurant, and after-dinner dance party. Fire pits, string lights, terra-cotta tones, and a long agave-stocked bar set the visual tone. The kitchen runs modern Mexican with local Hawaiian ingredient influence (ahi, kalua-style adaptations) and tequila/mezcal is the obvious pour. Taco Tuesday is the legendary night — $3 tacos, $11 margaritas, Latin Night DJ — and it's been a Waikiki institution for nearly a decade.

🍹 ORDER THIS

The drinks worth ordering.

🍴 THE FOOD

And if you're eating.

Happy hour: what to get.

The $2 tacos + $7 margarita combo at 5-6 PM. Easily Waikiki's best margarita-and-taco value with a sunset chaser as the room fills.

— The happy-hour move

Outside happy hour, it's known for…

Taco Tuesday Latin Night (the biggest weekly event in Waikiki nightlife), Cinco de Búho on the 5th of every month, Fiesta Friday salsa lessons.

Best time to actually go.

Tuesday between 6 PM and 10 PM for legendary Taco Tuesday with Latin Night. Friday 7-9 PM for salsa lessons. Daily 5-6 PM for happy hour with sunset.

🤙 INSIDER TIPS

What locals know.

Reservations on OpenTable for dinner

Walk-ins wait 30-60 min on weekends

Ask for the happy hour menu

It's separate — they won't volunteer it

Elevator from Waikiki Shopping Plaza ground floor

Not obvious to tourists

Arrive at 5:30 PM on Taco Tuesday

Lock down a terrace table — line forms by 7 PM

Ask the server about specials

Online menu often differs from in-house

🎵 MUSIC & SCHEDULE

When the music's on.

Nightly DJs from 9 PM Tue-Sat (8 PM Sun). Fiesta Friday: bachata/salsa lessons 7-7:45 PM then social dancing. Live salsa band on the 5th of every month ('Cinco de Búho').

⚖️ THE HONEST READ

What people love & what they don't.

Pulled from Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, and local Hawaii blogs. We don't sugar-coat.

✓ What they love

  • "Best margaritas in Waikiki"
  • Rooftop atmosphere consistently called "magical"
  • Taco Tuesday is the most-recommended weekly event in Waikiki nightlife
  • Staff fun and engaged

✗ What they don't

  • Service can lag on busy nights
  • Full-price menu feels expensive for portion sizes
  • Elevator wait at peak
  • Tables turn slowly — walk-ins get frustrated
📋 MENU HIGHLIGHTS

What's on the menu.

Curated highlights from each section, last checked 2026-05-20. Prices and items change frequently — always verify with the venue before you go.

Going? Tell your group.

Bookmark this page. Show up. Have a night you'll text people about tomorrow.

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