Tacos and... Coffee?

I've shared a lot about the Japanese and Okinawan cuisine that we have tried thus far, but this week I'd like to veer off from those flavors a share a different type of restaurant that's here on the island - Esparza's Tacos and Coffee.

Tacos and coffee? 

Yes, tacos and coffee. You may not think this combination works, but it does. 

They actually serve more than just tacos and coffee at Esparza'; they also serve enchiladas as well as soups and some delicious sides, like Mexican rice and chips & salsa. 

Their coffee bar is full service with Americano, latte, cappuccino, and mocha options offering a flavor assortment to go with each coffee selection.

If you're not in the mood for coffee Esparza's also has a few very unique soda options like pineapple and their own in-house homemade ginger ale (which I highly recommend). 

Once you've ordered your food you'll have the opportunity to select your salsa from the salsa bar. There are several to choose from; green tomato, spicy red tomato, red tomato, fresh jalapenos, and more! After you've selected your flavors for today's visit you then take a seat anywhere you like inside the restaurant or outside on the patio and wait for your buzzer to alert you that your order is ready. Once alerted, you proceed to the order pick up window and grab your trays. Then it's time to chow down!

At Esparza's the vibe is chill, the food is fresh, and the flavors are on point. My favorite thing so far is the green salsa enchiladas. They're spot on! However, you cannot go wrong with the tacos (try the fajita tacos).

This may come as a shock to my friends and readers, but I have not tried the coffee yet. I've been so eager to try their unique sodas that I have passed on the coffee (insert shocked face). However, I'm not leaving the island anytime soon and the green salsa enchiladas are so good that I'll definitely be back to Esparza's, which means a cup of coffee is in my future. And, I'll update you when I try a cup!

Until then, if you're on the island and craving a taco, enchilada, or just a big bowl of chips and salsa - visit Esparza's - you won't regret it!

Agena Castle Ruins

Whenever we share the length of our orders to Okinawa with people, they often respond with, "Wow! We've been here 'x' amount of years and still don't feel like we've been able to see or do half of what we've wanted to on this island!" And after hearing that five or six times, Zach and I devised a plan: with every free weekend that we have we are going to attempt to visit a new place. 

Our most recent new place was the Agena Castle Ruins in Uruma City. These ruins date back to the 14th century (not too shabby) and were part of the Ryukyuan Kingdom. Although the outer wall has not stood the test of time, the inner wall has and is protected by the Japanese Government. 

But here is what's really fun about this site - it's open to the public. The Agena Castle Ruins have become part of a central park for Uruma City and visitors can enjoy this history anytime they want. As long as you are able to make the ascent up to the top of the castle (approximately 161 feet) you should have no problem enjoying the ruins as there are easy walking paths and benches throughout the ruins. 

If you choose to visit these ruins in the summertime and lack the motivation to continue the ascent due to the heat, let me encourage you with this picture:

 The view from the top is totally worth it!

 The refreshing breeze along with the spectacular scenery is surprising and quite beautiful!

The ruins were so much fun to walk through. There's a tunnel to go under, trees to go around, and rocks to climb over; but only if you want to. If you're not interested in that you can stick to the main path (except the tunnel, you have to go through the tunnel to get to the view).


Overall, we had a great visit to the Agena Castle Ruins and would highly recommend visiting if you're looking to get outdoors without going too far away from everything (we were only three blocks away from a delicious sushi restaurant... more to come on that later).

Final note: if you forget a bottle of water to take with you through the ruins, don't worry, there are several vending machines along the sidewalk before you enter the park.

*Facts about the Agena Castle Ruins came from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agena_Castle and https://en.japantravel.com/okinawa/agena-castle-ruins/7615*