Overview
Taste T’z appears to be a small, local, counter-service burger spot on the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu, at 85-859 Farrington Hwy in Waianae. Google Places lists it as operational with daily hours of 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and a modest review base rather than a large, heavily documented footprint. (waze.com)
For a traveler, the main reason to care is that this looks less like a destination restaurant and more like a neighborhood “hole-in-the-wall” stop with a following for simple comfort food, especially burgers and a few local-style sides or add-ons. The available evidence suggests it is the kind of place people seek out for a quick, casual lunch rather than a long sit-down meal. (restaurantji.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
The menu lane is straightforward: burgers and other quick, affordable comfort foods, with a local drive-in feel rather than a broad restaurant menu. The strongest recurring signals point to homemade hamburgers, fries, a signature mustard-mayo-style sauce, and pastele-related items that give the place more local character than a generic burger stand. (restaurantji.com)
- Overall menu style: burger-and-fries drive-in / fast-food-style local lunch spot, with some Hawaiian/local comfort-food overlap. (restaurantji.com)
- Notable items supported by reviews/listings: homemade hamburger, double cheeseburger and fries with sauce, pastele lumpia, pastele stew with white rice, hamburger steak, smoke meat with onion, chicken cutlet, luncheon meat with eggs. (restaurantji.com)
- Special sauce: multiple sources highlight a mustard-mayo or “special mustard sauce” as a signature draw, and it is described as central to the burger experience. This is well-supported and not just a one-off comment. (restaurantji.com)
- Price expectations: traveler-facing third-party listings place it in a low-cost to modest range, roughly around the $10–$25 per person band, with reviewers also describing it as affordable. (restaurantguru.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limits: the evidence supports a meat-heavy, burger-centered menu. It may be useful for travelers looking for quick comfort food, but it does not appear especially strong for vegetarians, vegans, or lighter specialty diets based on the available menu signals. That is an inference from the menu emphasis rather than an explicit claim. (restaurantji.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The physical experience seems to be very casual and utilitarian: more of a grab-a-meal roadside or neighborhood stop than a polished dine-in restaurant. Third-party listings describe takeaway, delivery, no reservations, no outdoor seating, and parking available, which fits the picture of a compact, practical local operation. (restaurantguru.com)
- Service model and seating: counter-service / takeaway-friendly; reservations are not accepted. Seating is not highlighted as a strength, and at least one listing says there is no outdoor seating. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: the repeated language is “hole in the wall,” “local drive-in,” and “classic” rather than stylish or scenic. That suggests a plain, community-oriented atmosphere. (restaurantji.com)
- Practical features: delivery is listed on Restaurantji, and Restaurant Guru notes credit cards, parking, wheelchair access, and takeaway. Those are helpful traveler details, though they come from secondary listings rather than the restaurant itself. (restaurantji.com)
- Best fit: a fast lunch, a casual burger stop, or a low-key local food detour while driving the Waiʻanae Coast. (restaurantji.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers wanting a full-service dinner, a scenic sit-down meal, reservations, or a broad menu with many non-meat options. This is an inference from the available evidence. (restaurantji.com)
History & Background
Very little reliable backstory surfaced in the available sources. The strongest contextual clue is that reviewers and listings treat it as a long-running local spot, with one source referring to it as a classic community place and another noting a previous name change from “Faith’s Place” to “Taste T’Z Place.” That suggests local continuity and possible rebranding, but I did not find a primary source confirming ownership history or a formal founder story. (menupix.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Review patterns consistently praise the burgers, fries, and especially the signature sauce. Several sources also describe the food as homemade, fresh, and affordable, with friendly service coming up repeatedly. A few review snippets frame the place as a nostalgic local staple that people want to keep supporting. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signal is mixed food quality consistency. Restaurantji shows a noticeable share of low ratings alongside positive ones, and at least one review on a third-party listing complains that a burger was “paper thin” and not worth the money. That suggests the criticism is real but not universal: the negative signal is present, yet it does not overwhelm the positive local-loyalty pattern. (restaurantji.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours are listed consistently as 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily on multiple third-party sources, so this reads like a lunch-and-early-afternoon stop rather than a dinner place. (waze.com)
- Expect a walk-in, takeaway-friendly experience; reservations are not accepted. (restaurantji.com)
- If you go, the most-mentioned order strategy is to try the homemade hamburger with the special sauce and, if available, the pastele lumpia or pastele stew. (restaurantji.com)
- This looks like a cash-and-casual mindset place, even though one listing says cards are accepted; it is probably best to keep expectations simple and not assume a full restaurant setup. That is an inference from the overall listing pattern. (restaurantguru.com)
- Parking is listed by one source, which is useful on Farrington Highway, but I would still budget a little extra time if you are stopping during local lunch hours. (restaurantguru.com)
Verification Notes
- Official Google Places identity anchor: Taste T’z, 85-859 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792, (808) 696-1601; Google Places shows the business as OPERATIONAL. (waze.com)
- No official website was found in the supplied Google record or in the higher-signal sources I checked.
- There is a name-history / rebranding signal: MenuPix refers to Faith’s Place and says it is now known as Taste T’Z Place. That is a useful caution, but I did not find a primary source confirming the transition date. (menupix.com)
- No major verification issues found beyond that naming drift and the lack of a primary website. (restaurantji.com)
Sources
- Google Places / Google Maps record for Taste T’z —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=9813778944855432333— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Most useful for the baseline identity anchor, address, phone, hours, status, rating, and photo count. - Waze live map listing for Taste T’z —
https://www.waze.com/live-map/directions/us/hi/waianae/taste-tz?to=place.ChIJLe_C42KLAHwRjdxQaPSLMYg— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for confirming the location, phone, and daily hours posture. - Restaurantji page for Taste T’z —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/waianae/taste-tz-/— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for recurring menu signals, service style, no-reservations note, and review-pattern language. - Restaurant Guru page for Taste T’z —
https://restaurantguru.com/Taste-TZ-Place-Maili— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for menu highlights, price-range signal, practical features, and mixed review commentary. - MenuPix page for Faith’s Place / Taste T’Z Place —
https://www.menupix.com/hawaii/restaurants/380332697/Faith-s-Place-Waianae-HI— Retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for the possible prior name and for repeated praise of the burger/sauce combination.
