About 45 minutes by car from Naha Airport. In the old shopping street of Okinawa City, there is a long-established taco shop called “Charlie Takouju (Taco). It is a popular restaurant that is crowded not only with tourists but also with locals. I tried a juicy classic taco at Charlie Takouju!
Point 1: Chuo Park Avenue, where “Charlie Takouju” is located, is a nice retro shopping street!
I have been curious about “Chuo Park Avenue” in Okinawa City for a long time. Charlie Takouju is located in that shopping district called Chuo Park Avenue.
Originally, Chuo Park Avenue was created by Ryukyuans and Americans in an attempt to create a place for orderly trade.
The original name was “BC Street (Business Center Street),” meaning “center of commerce,” and for a while after its opening in 1950, it was mainly used by restaurants and other establishments engaged in wholesome business, but eventually the number of establishments engaged in prostitution and the like increased, and public morals were disturbed.
However, the number of shops selling prostitution and the like soon increased, and public morals were disturbed.
However, the shopping arcade has been aging and declining, and young locals have been inspired to open new stores to keep up with the newest trends.
Walking along the shopping arcade, one can see palm trees and tropical bougainvillea blooming in profusion, giving the area a slightly mysterious atmosphere.
It was still mid-morning when I went, so many of the stores were shuttered, but there was a wide variety of stores ranging from restaurants, soap and aroma stores, Tatoo stores, cafes, and clubs.
Among them, Charlie Tatoo, located at the end of Central Park Avenue, is a long-established business established in 1956. It has been watching the changes in Chuo Park Avenue closely.
Point 2: What is the standard menu at Charlie Takouju?
Charlie Takouju has two classic dishes on its menu. One is “tacos,” as the restaurant’s name suggests. As the restaurant’s catchphrase “Born in Mexico, raised in Okinawa” suggests, tacos have been familiar to Okinawans since before they arrived on the mainland.
There are three types of tacos: beef, chicken, and tuna, and I ordered the chicken and tuna.
I ordered chicken and tuna. I could understand chicken in a taco, but what about tuna? I was blown away when I tried it. It was a little spicy, but juicy and delicious!
The skin in particular is exquisite, somewhere between moist and crispy.
It was very different from the tacos that are often sold on the market.
The mango smoothie was also thick and very tasty!
Another staple at Charlie Takouju is “Charlie’s Taco Rice” (a.k.a. Charlie Rice).
This is another menu item that has been around for so many years that it may well have originated here.
It is a little different from ordinary taco rice, with plenty of minced meat, two kinds of cheese, spicy sauce, and rice hidden underneath, and shredded lettuce on the side.
There are no diced tomatoes or other ingredients, which is Charlie’s way.
This “Charley Rice” is said to be available in different spices and sizes, so you can choose according to how hungry you are.
Point 3: There’s more! The menu at Charlie Takouju!
Tacos and taco rice are not the only items on Charlie Takouju’s menu. There are also cheeseburgers, egg sandwiches, steak sandwiches, enchiladas (tortillas filled with filling and topped with spicy sauce and grilled), chili risotto, and other rice dishes.
There are also mango smoothies and ice cream, which I ordered this time.
There are also set menus such as “Charlie’s Set A” (S) 800 yen (tax included) (1 taco: beef spicy, Charlie’s rice (S), drink) and “Taco 3-Pack Set” (850 yen) where you can compare three types of tacos: beef, chicken, and tuna. So don’t be intimidated by the pre-payment system and take your time to browse the menu before making a decision.
