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The signs announcing that the parking lot is for Luquin's patrons only are numerous.
The county had a chance to buy all of that land for a very fair price and failed to do so.If they had and then had it paved,tour buses would have stopped in downtown Pahoa, instead they go to Malama.
Another failure of our inept government.
PS
The fence and gate were put up to stop drug dealing,you were just collateral damage.
My husband is from Finland but loves Mexican food. I grew up in SoCal, so, like Kelena and Kapohocat, I know what 'real mex' can be. I put up with Luquin's, in part, to humour my hubby (who does order the Margaritas without fail) and also because there aren't a lot of choices in the Mexican food genre, unless you're willing to buy masa harina at Safeway and go at it while on a limited-stay vacation. I have been at the receiving end of the surly service; however, it's been a reasonably priced meal without a lot of expectations. We didn't buy real estate, but we pondered over house plans at their tables and generally enjoyed the moment, for what it was worth.
Kelena: perhaps bring sani-wipes for the table?!
edited for correct spelling of Kelena, sorry.
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quote:
Originally posted by Aki...to humour my hubby (who does order the Margaritas without fail)...
let Aki know we not only serve decent tequila and cold beer on the deck but I can make a mean Lilikoi margarita! Come down next time you are in town.
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It's good to know it's not just me.
Also good to hear Mr Luquin has done a lot for Pahoa. I hope someone who knows the Luquins warns them that their staff are undermining their restaurant.
If I hear that service has improved then I will go back. I like the shrimp tacos!
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Luquin's is one of the cleanest restaurants in town. The floors and even the windows get washed daily. The parking lot is cleaned up daily, and it is trashed by many users who are not even their customers. Salvador pays about $7,000 a year for just the liability insurance on that parking lot and has never charged anyone to park there. And he is constantly donating to school events and other local causes - including not charging for the use of the Akebono Theater when the Puna Community Medical Center has had fundraising events there (3 times).
Compared with Paolo, who has never donated anything to the community in the more than ten years I have known him, I would rather spend my restaurant dollar supporting Salvador and his family. His good works improve the flavors for me.
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Had lunch there today. The service was fine, and I had no complaints with the fish nachos which were enough to share with a friend.
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I rarely go to Luquin's but when I do it's usually someone else's choice. (Hey, I go with the flow!) Putting aside the mediocre food, my experience with Luquin's service is rarely good--not because anyone's ever been surly, but because they seem way understaffed and/or the servers are just not paying attention.
Whenever I see ineffective staff in any organization I blame the leader. Sorry, that's the reality. It's the leader's job to hire the right people and provide conditions where they can succeed. If they don't, it's time for said leader to reflect and make adjustments.
Well-run organizations listen to customer feedback and take appropriate action (ex; re-training, more presence on the floor, replacing employees who don't represent the values of the organization, etc.)
Salvador deserves his props for everything he does for the community. But I just can't make the leap to "his good works improve the flavors of his food"! There's no doubt in my mind that just as Salvadore has the power to do good deeds for the community, he also has the power to improve the quality of his food if he chooses to do so.
That said, I don't believe that Salvadore has any incentives to improve. Luquin's seems to have found just the right niche in Pahoa: a client base willing to put up with less-than-stellar service and mediocre food, as long as the price is right.
I don't fit that demographic, but to each his/her own.
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
