Our favorite place for take out in Kaimuki, Palolo Valley. On 10th Avenue Teri steak always soft and tasty. Chicken katsu is yummy. Can order chicken katsu over green salad, not on menu but they will make it if you request. Homemade katsu sauce too. Fish dishes are nice with assorted types of sauces. I'm not a chili fan, but I've heard it's good. read more

I was so disappointed in the last time I tried to order food there. The lady's mood fluctuates, u never know what mood she in. Our last visit she was so rude!! I can normally take rudeness but her comments was personally hurtful. That I refuse to return there. I had regards going there and wanted to support small businesses. I even put tip for doing take out!! I'm sorry but it would take desperation to return there. read more

My coworkers and I had our hearts set on Your Kitchen which is next door but it was closed! We were severely disappointed but it gave us a chance to try North Shore Grinds. So here we go: Pros: -they accept credit cards -lots of fish choices (we all ordered something different... garlic ahi, salmon w/ papaya salsa, and furikake opakaopaka) all were good and I was very surprised how well everything was cooked. My salmon came out perfect! -they offer brown rice and tossed salad -food was cooked quickly -enough seating (about 5 tables of 4) -THEY CREATED THEIR OWN RECYCLING BINS FOR PLASTIC AND CANS!!!! -each of our plates were a bit under $10 and totally worth it considering the quality and quantity of food Cons: -i can't really think of any. i'm definitely coming here again so i'll save this for a future update if anything ever comes up. read more

North Shore Grinds - Ago salad with grilled vegetables - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The definition of hole-in the-wall: unassuming with amazing grinds! The portion sizes are generous compared to other plate lunch eateries. My favorite dish is the boneless kalbi. The pieces are a perfect size, tender, and coated in yummy shoyu based sauce. Their fried mahi mahi with lemon sauce is also delicious, with a crispy outside and moist, flaky fish on the inside. Normally I don't care for cooked fish all that much, however, North Shore Grinds makes it real onolicious. My mom's favorite is their hamburger steak that comes with two large patties smothered in gravy. Stop by for authentic island style ono plate lunches! read more

Plate Lunch takeout. North Shore Grinds is all about takeout. I dont think eating here will be comfortable as the place is pretty hot and seems a little dirty. Parking is on the street right in front. Lots of options on the menu. Portions are large and they do plate lunches right. They also offer brown rice. We ordered: Seared Ahi with Cilantro [~$11]: Ahi was grilled into little bite size pieces. Because the pieces were so small, the ahi was quite overcooked and was really dry. I also didnt really care for the cilantro sauce. It was a weird sweet taste that I think some may like. Grilled Pork Chops [~$11]: Two large grilled pieces of pork chops smothered in gravy. The pork chops were juicy and gravy just helped wash it down. A grab and go plate lunch alternative. read more

North Shore Grinds - Fresh Pork Chops [~$11] - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

After desperately searching for parking for 20 minutes and late for work, I finally found street parking!...in front of North Shore Grinds. The grouchy owner immediately jumped out and crabbily demanded that I park elsewhere, "Go park somewhere else! Don't park in front of a business!" He pointed to a space in front of a fire hydrant AND a driveway and told me to park there. Did he know I was going to eat lunch next door at Your Kitchen? I didn't mention it. I politely told him, "I guess I could park somewhere else...but in front of that truck there's a driveway." He kept insisting I park in front of the fire hydrant. Three times. And very grouchy! I said I would park somewhere else! A ploy to get my car towed? I have eaten lunch here at least once a month for almost a year, and I never go for the service, but that experience left a sour kimchee taste in my mouth. The food is very decent. If you order fish items it can get expensive, but stick to the mini size plates like the construction workers who frequent at lunchtime and you'll be fine. I'm sorry this bad experience prompted me to write a review. Their katsu, while it doesn't come with katsu sauce, is pretty quality. The teri items are well marinated and perhaps a bit gloppy and salty. You can sub in tossed salad for mac salad in all the plate lunches. Unfortunately, I will be staying away from this place for awhile. Beware of parking right in front of the restaurant! read more

North Shore Grinds - Teri chick charsiu - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Outstanding!!! Loved it!!! Happened upon North Shore Grinds tonight and absolutely LOVE IT! I had the furikake Opakapaka and my hubby had the garlic ahi with cilantro pesto....what a deal...Romaine lettuce salad, brown rice for me, white rice and salad for him and a diet coke...tip included $25! At that price, we can eat out every night...too bad they are closed tomorrow!... His ahi was cooked to perfection and the pesto was delicious! My opakapaka was sooo yummy with the crispy furikake crust and the sauce was just right..what was really nice is the sauce is on the bottom and not slathered over the top...so you can decide how much sauce you want. Everybody is friendly there...since it was our first time, no shame, just ask everybody what they're ordering...and they tell you. We will DEFINITELY go back...can't wait! read more

Furikake opakapaka is the best! My kids love the chicken katsu and their Homade Kim chi cucumbers

A definite hole in the wall in the middle of Palolo! Plate lunch style eatery with good sized portions at a moderate price! I have eaten here many times and my favorite plate by far is the teriyaki char siu and teriyaki chicken. Another favorite is their laulau Hawaiian plate. Typical plates range from about $7-$10. Service is great. Cash only. Parking on the street may be scarce but there are a ton on the side streets. A must for any visitor or resident! read more

North Shore Grinds - Teriyaki Char Siu and Teriyaki Chicken Plate - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I'm on a quest to find the best Teri-beef plate. I've heard a lot of good things about North Shore Grinds. Overall I was very happy with their Teri-steak. Good taste and they pour teriyaki sauce over the meat which I wish more places would do. Now parking is an issue. And they cook to order so if you're in a rush I would do a phone order. I definitely will be back! read more

North Shore Grinds - Teri steak - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

North Shore Grinds, in Kaimuki....kinda far from the north shore, but the food was pretty good. The Mac nut crusted fish had an amazing lemon sauce, and i'm all about sauce. They weren't skimpy on the sauce (yay!) but it also tasted amazing. The hubs got the garlic calamari, and it was amazing! He was expecting rings and legs, but this calamari came out as one slab of yum. It looked like katsu, (size-wise) and it was cooked perfectly, so not rubbery. It's street parking, so you may have to park and walk, but it's worth it. You order at the window, and then they will bring it out to you when it's done. I don't know how they have so many items on the menu (at least 20 regulars, and 10 specials), but it's cheap and tasty. read more

Maybe it was what I ordered, but I can honestly say that, yes I have experienced better. After wanting to go to North Shore grinds, but thought they were closed, went to Your Kitchen. While waiting, I was looking at North Shore grinds' menu, and first thing that caught my eyes: Seared Ahi w/ Cilantro Pesto. Doesn't that just sound amazing? I thought so. So finally, after four days, I was able to try it. So here goes. So first off, when I think of the word "seared," I think of it lightly cooked on the outside, and towards the end of the piece of the fish, but raw in the middle. Do correct me if I'm wrong. Now according to my definition, those three pieces of fish were not seared. It was cooked all the way through, but not cooked good enough. If you're gonna sear it, sear it, don't just cook it half-a** Next was the cilantro pesto. It just looked like collared greens. It was like pure cilantro being put in your mouth, way too overpowering, and there was absolutely no taste of the pesto, you would hardly even know it was in there. Disappointment in the making. It's gonna take a lot to go back to this place. read more

North Shore Grinds - Seared Ahi w/ Cilantro Pesto - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place takes CC (vice Your Kitchen which is also on 10'th Ave, but cash only) I really liked this place! Portions were very generous, and they have quite a spread on their menu. Lots of fish, meat, and chicken options! Last time, I got the cajun chicken breast, with comes topped with hau'ula tomato salsa. Super good! The chicken was moist and well-seasoned, and the tomato salsa (has a good kick to it) really enhanced the dish! My boyfriend adores the onion gravy from here, his favorite plate is the hamburger steak. I saw another board with other specials on it, and those sounded super good...but alas, it was too late to change my mind (we had already ordered and paid)....so next time I will definitely check out something from that other board! read more

I've recently had lot of real life recommendations to check out North Shore Grinds and it didn't disappoint. We got two plates: Mahi Mahi with Lemon Cream Sauce: I went with the mahi mahi after following Aaron W's review. Tons of yelpers confirmed that it was goodness in a styrofoam container. Crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. As Aaron said, it paired well with the lemon cream sauce. I think this was the first plate lunch I've ever had that I have wanted to pair with a wine. A hole-in-the-wall joint with cheap, gourmet lunches. There aren't too many of these around. 3 healthy-sized pieces of mahi mahi for $9. Excellent. Mini Teri Chicken: I was quite disappointed when my friend ordered a teri chicken plate. I mean c'mon. Teri chicken? Every plate lunch place's teri chicken tastes the same. Some burnt, some over cooked, some bland. Chicken with teri sauce. Yawn. Oops. I got a delicious teri chicken kick in the face. There was nothing wrong about this chicken plate. It was simple but was cooked perfectly. If you get teri chicken, I don't think there is much more you could ask for. The mini chicken plate was also a good size for $6. I had to double-check the total cost to see we paid for a regular plate. So let's go through the awesomeness checklist: Rockin food, check. Great sized portions, check. Affordable, check. 4 star review, check. read more

North Shore Grinds - #19) mahi mahi with lemon cream sauce - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

If it's your first time here, then you definitely need to try the teri steak first. It's a good introduction to this restaurant. There's air-con and a few clean tables to sit on. The service was fast and the wait wasn't too long. The place is definitely a place you might have overlooked if you were just driving thru Palolo, but it's a nice alternative to the restaurants that are nearby in on King street. The teri steak was a good portion. Served with rice and mac salad, the teri steak was cut up into bite size pieces. Juicy, saucy, sweat, salty goodness. read more

North Shore Grinds - Teri steak plate with rice and mac salad. - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I've been eating here since I can remember and I always takeout to go home. It is my childhood and the kalua pork is undeniably good. I highly recomend for a solid hawaiian platelunch read more

Family own. Tasty foods! Plate lunches and tons of options. It's a no frills place that delivers big portions with much aloha.

If you want high quality, home cooked grinds-- this is da spot!! Their plates are always packed w plenty of white rice and mac salad. Yum!!

Local grinds, had the teri steak. Awesome. Excellent Mac salad. Ordered fried rice but got brown. Steak and shrimp excellent too. Also got brown but asked for fried. Oh well. read more

I only came to this place because I was going to try your kitchen but it was closed. Seriously I don't know how this place got 4 stars on yelp. For $9 a plate I expect, at least, for the food to taste good and this far from it. When I first opened up this plate, the chicken already didn't look good to eat. When I tried to tear of the skin, it looked terrible. There was some kind of weird batter and no crispy skin, which is the #1 thing i look forward to when eating fried chicken. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/north-shore-grinds-honolulu?select=-uQr9Dkg-PKmIRt8WZW5rg#RecV9YPQLu4tLgE7hbajhQ the inside shot and proof of how terrible this fried chicken was. i had lots of fat, skin, batter, with hardly any meat. i think they use a different part of the thigh meat here. i'm used to having the fried chicken thigh with 1 bone, but the 3 pieces of chicken in this plate had more bones. i assume this part of the chicken is cheaper than the regular chicken thigh. The chicken katsu was also bad. I thought loco moco drive inn was bad, this place is the worst. Probably the best tasting item on this plate was the mac salad. I should have tried the fish instead, but it's going to be hard for me to go back. read more

See all

Great food always from North Shore Grinds!! I especially love his Garlic Ahi with Red Pepper Sauce and his Hawaiian Plate. Oh...and his Caesar salad is excellent!!....his Caesar salad dressing is the best!! read more

My bf lived in Kaimuki for many many years and had no idea this place existed.I heard about the beef stew from a friend a while back but it slipped my mind to check this place out. Because we were off this past Friday, we decided to give it a try. Parking: Only street parking available. Because we went during the weekday, we were lucky enough to find parking right in front of the restaurant. Food: I ordered the mini teriyaki chicken plate (came with two pieces of chicken, one scoop mac salad and one scoop rice) that was $5.95. Taste was okay (kinda bland) but pretty much filled me. Bf ate the regular kalua pig and long rice plate (came with lomi lomi salad, two scoops rice and one scoop mac salad) which was $9.60. Kalua pig was pretty good but the long rice was alright. Service: The lady who took our order was really nice. When ready, she brought our food to us. We decided to eat in, nothing fancy and limited seating area. Overall: Will definitely go back and try something different next time. Menu has a wide variety of food to choose from, so because of this, I had a difficult time deciding what to eat. read more

North Shore Grinds - Mini teriyaki chicken plate ($5.95) - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

my go to plate lunch spot! FOOD: i always get the calamari with cream sauce. it is amazing! they have so many options and everything i get is always yummy. prices are reasonable. PARKING: there is street parking read more

This is the second time I tried this place and all I can say is wow! This is probably one of the tastiest chicken katsu that I have tasted. The meat was tender and juicy and the outer layer was nice and crispy. The katsu sauce could use a little more Worchester sauce, however, everyone has their own take on it. The sweet lady was very friendly and nice and what's good is that they cook each order as it comes in. Growing up in this neighborhood bought back memories of how much things have changed. This is really a neighborhood place that serves really good food at reasonable prices. Parking might be a challenge, however, the neighborhood is so big with lots of street parking. We need to support more local business such as these which keep Hawai'i Na Ka Oi! read more

See all

Ordered 2 mini plates, chicken Katsu, lau lau /chicken long rice and the tripe stew, all were fantastic. The Katsu sauce is not your typical one, it does have a kick to it; If you plan well you will be able to find free parking right in front of their store. read more

So glad that this restaurant is not really located on the North Shore. Located conveniently on 10th Avenue, this little hole in the wall has quickly become my #1 spot for a hearty plate lunch. With 5 four tops, it's a little tight for dine in, but I guess it's just a part of the dining experience. They have a pretty nice variety on the menu at a very reasonable price. They have the best teriyaki chicken, rice cooked perfectly and a tasty, plain Mac salad (just the way I like it!) I would compare this plate lunch to HK's, which was located in Moilili. This was one of my favorite spots and I was very saddened when it closed. Alas, I found a comparable plate lunch. Not only is it a great deal, but when you become a regular, you can get a punch card to thank you for your loyalty. Many places offer this, but this one is one of the best offers out there. A full punch card gives you a choice of a t-shirt and a bag or TWO plate lunches!!! Crazy right?!? I am confident if you give this place a try you will soon be filling up your stamp card too! read more

See all

Kudos to North Shore Grinds during these difficult times. They are taking care of Senior citizens who are staying at home in Pālolo Valley by bringing them dinner on Mondays at NO CHARGE! Across from me, next to me and one more are all very late 70's or mid to late 80's. Yesterday the North Shore Grinds staff brought not only dinner but a box of necessity items.....toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, dish soap and more. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness shown!! They will be bringing dinner again next Monday! Thank you so much North Shore Grinds! I will pay your kindness forward! Mahalo Wanted to apologize to Unified Hawaii on 10th Avenue who partnered with North Shore Grinds last week and provided the cleaning supplies. These items were much needed and appreciated! Your kindness and generosity are overwhelming! God bless all! And thank you North Shore Grinds and Unified for taking care of everyone again today. Mahalo! read more

I ordered the herb crusted mahi mahi with lemon cream sauce to-go. The aunty taking my order was not too friendly. She didn't ask if I wanted mac or tossed salad, but since I knew I had the option I remembered to tell her as I was paying. The food was great, the pieces of mahi mahi were a little small, but it tasted delish and the lemon sauce is amazing. They also have a stamp card....buy 19 entrees, get the 20th free. LOL. If you buy the regular entees (~$10 each), that comes out to about 5% off. worth it? Idk....I wouldn't really go out of my way to come here....I actually like the place next door a little more due to their friendliness. read more

This is hole in the wall restaurant on 10th Avenue in Kaimuki/Palolo area. I ordered the seared ahi with cilantro pesto with brown rice and tossed salad. The portion is not bad and for me I believe one order can feed 2 people. I love how they have healthy options here and good local dishes. read more

North Shore Grinds - Seared ahi with cilantro pesto and brown rice - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The food here is great. When I worked this side, it would be a twice a week place to pick up some plate lunches. My personal favorite is the chicken katsu, I just loved how it was cooked... never greasy at all. The employees are friendly and make you feel welcome. Just remember, it can be a little adventure to find parking... but what's life without a little adventure? For the food here, it's certainly worth it. read more

My first food experience in Hawai'i, but the food was underwhelming.. As a disclaimer, I absolutely hate mayonnaise so the fact that macaroni salad came as a side (and the mayo sauce got on half my food) was definitely a factor. I got the seared ahi with papaya salsa, and the ahi wasn't actually seared, it was thoroughly cooked. That's not usually what comes to mind when the menu says seared ahi so they should probably label that fish "ahi steaks" or something. The fish was on the drier side and the papaya salsa was weirdly warmed by the ahi. Bf got Furikake Opakapaka, which was nicely seasoned but there wasn't enough fish. There was more furikake than Opakapaka, and he doesn't like mayo either so the Mac salad was out. Both of our dishes were $10.95 and we took it home to eat, but there were many people wandering in and ordering food so there must be something good about this place. Maybe just try something other than the "seared" ahi. read more

North Shore Grinds - Seared Ahi with Papaya Salsa - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Fast & friendly service. Tasty food. Furikake opakapaka & mahimahi w/ lemon butter sauce were the winners for me. Seared ahi wasn't bad, but I'm not a fan of basil. Fried calamari was nice & tender. Small local joint on 10th ave in Kaimuki. Not sure about parking so that was the only drawback. read more

See all

This is a true hidden gem.. I stumbled on this place about 12 years ago, and it was finding an oasis in the Kalahari desert. It is without a doubt the top 3 local plate lunches in the island. The chicken katsu with the horseradish bbq sauce is worthy of a mouthgasam! The only flaw with the place is there is no parking, it's all street parking around the palolo residences. Oh, and the food takes some time to get to you, but that just shows the quality...... No L & L generic wannabe Hawaiian bbq here! read more

North Shore Grinds - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Local style plate lunch. Is OK. LOTS of average tasting food for a few bucks. It's in a hot, tiny, street parking joint. No ambiance but the food is fast and good. Not stellar but for a 12$ Hawaiian plate with chicken long rice, lau lau, lomi, rice and salad or mac, well, can't beat that. The food really lacked salt and might have been on the dry side but it is what it is. Lady gave us a coupon for a free meal after way too many plates purchased. Not going back. Young's and Masa's way better but they are also way more expensive. Maybe twice as much. So you be the judge. Empty wallet? Go NSG. Otherwise? Someplace else. read more

See all

Wednesday dinner was good, so we had to go back on Thursday to try something else. I finally got to try the Chicken Katsu anad BBQ with Horseradish Sauce. I was disappointed at first because I didn't taste the horseradish. A few bites later there was a big smile on my face. The horseradish kicked in, but not too overpowering. The chicken looked like breast meat, not thigh. My wife tried the Sirloin Steak and Shrimp Scampi. Lucky for me, because I could also try it. There were two pieces of steak. My wife preferred the thicker one because it was more tender. I didn't have a problem biting either one (considering I can't bite anything). Overall, we'll be back for both of these. There's still a lot more to try...... read more

See all

Grind Time! North Shore Grinds has an extensive list to satisfy any groups order needs. On a busy day, you might have to circle the block a couple times or park a couple blocks down. It's worth it though, in the sense where you're paying less for more. Because I went on a not so busy day, service was nice. The Asian lady greeted me with a soft voice and took my order. Nice experience there. What I ordered? Mini Chicken Katsu w/ tossed salad ($6.45): The Katsu itself was made just right. It wasn't overcooked and hard, nor was is undercooked and soggy. The sauce that it came with was a BBQ horse radish sauce. Basically BBQ sauce with a kick. It was a nice change up from the usual tonkatsu sauce. The tossed salad was just simple greens. I believe the sauce was a sesame sauce. Nothing special. Mini Hamburger Steak w/ onion gravy and mac salad ($6.35): The hamburger steak was a little overcooked, but the gravy made up for that. Better overcooked than under I suppose. The gravy had the right amount of saltiness and was thick enough to scoop up with your fork. Since I did takeout, half way through I decided to fry an egg and turn it into a loco moco. That was nice. Mac salad was a Mac salad. Nothing bad to say about it. It wasn't soft like how L&L makes it, which I am happy about. Both plates came with 1 scoop of rice. Open 10:30 am for lunch til 8 PM for dinner from Monday-Saturday, All your local favorites from BBQ chicken to chili plates are set at good prices for lunch or dinner. I'll definitely be back to try more, especially since I don't live to far away. read more

North Shore Grinds - Mini Hamburger Steak w/ onion gravy, 1 scoop of rice, and Mac salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I'm a little hesitant to blow up my spot but it's pretty out of the way that most people probably won't bother. Best plate lunch I've ever had. Maybe the quickest too. Chicken katsu is straight fiya, even without the best bbq sauce to ever grace a piece of fried chicken. Best mac salad I've ever had (so simple too), and the rice is even noteworthy. Perfect amount of stickyness and salt there. The char on the burger patties is good but there's something small kine off there... almost like a filler or?? It's reminiscent of a half beef/half veggie burger. There is some stiff competition for best plate lunch in the Kaumiki/Palolo area, but North Shore grinds takes it for me. read more

Hole in the wall spot! Super good food at a reasonable price. Lots of variety in the menu and you will be full after you finish read more

North Shore Grinds - Hawaiian Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

BEST. BARBECUE RIBS. EVER. seriously, trust me and try it, but do it early because they often sell out. I can only review the barbecue ribs, because that's our uncle recommended for us and we just can't bring ourselves to order anything else because the ribs are so delicious. The trick is to ask for mac and veggie salad as your sides, pick it up on your way home, and prop yourself in front of the TV, pop open an ice cold beer, and indulge! My friend visited me from Korean a couple months ago, and despite all the famous places we took her to eat, North Shore Grinds bbq is what she still talks about to this day. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

Super reasonable prices for good quality food. Chicken katsu was very good, crispy, not overcooked (chicken was not dry), but the teriyaki chicken was just ok - kind of a bland sauce with chicken breast. This is one of those places you need to know what's good to order. I'll be back to try other items. read more