Hawaiian garlic shrimp is a iconic local dish, not technically traditional Hawaiian food, featuring shell-on shrimp tossed in a pungent garlic-butter sauce, heavily popularized by North Shore, Oahu food trucks since the mid-1970s. With the recent flood happening at the end of March, and our trip being in early April, going to North Shore wasn't advised. While we have some great Hawaiian garlic shrimp spots in Arizona, we had to at least try to get some garlic shrimp while on Oahu. We gave this place a try just because we were already in the building. It wasn't a choice we made prior because honestly, I would have suggested trying a more well-known spot like two miles away, haha! We shared a $14 Shrimp with Original Garlic sauce on it and made it a combo with rice, a scoop of potato mac salad, and regular salad, $14 + $6. Sam's Kitchen was okay. I would have loved to have the shell-on but this place does not offer shell-on shrimp. Still, they make a decent garlic shrimp. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Signage. - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Was average nothing really stood out but still fine. I think I ordered the wrong type of garlic shrimp so maybe my fault. I was expecting it to be more fried and flavorful. Still decent but definitely very pricey for the size. read more

This food truck has moved. New location is in a hotel next to the pool. The garlic shrimp is a classic. Spicy garlic was a bit bland. The plate comes with 8 shrimps, rice and salad. The service was okay. It took a while to order and also get the check. read more

This is a little hidden and off the beaten path but man was it worth it. I was craving a Hawaiian bbq lunch and they delivered the goods. Not shown are the garlic fries that I devoured on my walk back to my resort. The mac salad is a potato mac, my favorite. Bright fresh and big portions. I was full the rest of the day! They also offer a order ahead and pick up option. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Spicy garlic teriyaki chicken plate with salad, mac salad and rice - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We really enjoyed our lunch here. The seating area was so relaxing and quiet. Food was great and service was kind and attentive. I would absolutely return. read more

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I've been told this place is really good and I was so excited to try it! I ordered the garlic steak plate with add on garlic shrimp, and a guava iced tea (not pictured) Price was about $35-$40. But I was excited so I thought it would be worth the price STEAK: the best thing about the steak was it was very tender! The garlic was good for a few bites but some of the pieces were so salty it literally burned my throat SHRIMP: nothing to write about this.. just salty, and no where near as good as Giovanni's Weirdly, the best part of the meal was the guava iced tea lol Idk if I came on an off night, but it was super disappointing :( I might give it a try once more though to see if my bad experience was a fluke read more

Sam's Kitchen - Garlic steak plate with add on garlic shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Dave is the Bartender/Manager here. Excellent service! Super friendly quick on the pour, and eager to please! They just started opening up for lunch time about a month ago - something they haven't done before, and people have been attending! Sheva (Seven) - was my bartender today - very friendly super engaging and always quick to entertain with fun trivia facts! Beer prices are fairly priced, see the pics I posted to see everything. No price gauging on wine AT ALL!! (Other places charge $15 for a chardonnay, and vary the prices of the wine depending on the type; now granted if they going higher end and longer age in a barrel I can understand - but for a bottle cali wine you can get @ Target for the same brand at $15 - ya know there are some mark ups!) Anyhoooo.... Let's talk the food: belly so happy taking leftovers home! Alright so Step 1: Choice of protein: fish, beef, chicken, tofu, vegetables. I asked for half chicken & half vegetable combo (they were EXTREMELY accomodating on that request)!!!!! Step 2: Pick yer sauce! They have 5 main sauces, pic enclosed. I went with the Spicy Teri Garlic! (trust me foodies it fiiiiiire! Step 3/Final Step: Choose da sides (again on the menu pic) I went for the combo - salad, rice, and potato/mac salad! Now for specialty drinks: Their Bloody Harry (a unique Bloody Mary) is completely worth it! Uses a unique homemade infused vodka that hands down you will NOT find anywhere else on island! Glass is rimmed with salt AND peppercorns, again another unique feature to this beverage! There is also a new beverage called Wonka Lada, which looks very much like something you'd see out of Willy Wonka's factory and/or if you really geeking out making comparisons to Monster's Inc! And others have compared it to something out of Warcraft, I can't say anyone is wrong! Smoothy style especially for those needing a nice cold fix! Li ing mui on the rim. Gives all the piña colada vibes with a strong hit of ube! This is one of those that hits you afterward!!!! Great vibe there are tables all around and even a small hot tub/pool area to give more to the atmosphere look! So don't complain if plastic cups are used because hotel has a no glass policy around the pool. This establishment has been here since last November. And don't think yer gonna get bored sitting here! Bar top is really solid hard wood!! There are all sorts of decor that each time you come here it almost a game of find this item! Tribal masks from Africa, Traditional tiki faces, bonsai trees, Hula instruments, saddles, tapa style roofing, beware the lobsters running amuck! Hmmm maybe a promotion needs to be done where what item is new hiding amongst all the decor for a special prize or something? And yes for you folks who are die hard sports fans - there are 2 televisions - everything comes from streaming services - so treat them nicely with yer tips and maybe they can get more power to more of what u wanna see! (hint hint hint) Overall this place is a huuuge 100/10! So bring tyler gang here! Oh in case u asked the bar is inside the Bamboo resort (fun fact this building been here for 100 years!)! And don't worry super close to the bus lines so for those who need an extra lift yer covered! (unless you ubered or lyfted or drove, rode yer own bike/scooter/skateboard or did yer own two feet here! Yes your mouths and eyes are watering to get over here! So easy way to know yer in the right spot is to see the vintage Yellow Woody sitting out front! Just please don't climb in it for photo ops - that would really make everyone sad. Yes Yelpers I "will be back"! Enjoy and help support these local folks running the place! read more

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I saw all the great reviews and took my son for lunch. The steak was very chewy and no good. The shrimp had good flavoring, but it was oily and soggy. We had to throw it away after a couple of bites. Luckily this was a food hall and we found him good ramen at Baikohken. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Steak with original garlic sauce and shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Quaint place and if you blink, you'd miss it. It's a bar situated at the hotel pool. It's a very divey feel but the bartender was super cool while we made a pit stop for drinks and a shrimp plate. I'd come here again. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Menu - February 2026 - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've passed by this restaurant so many times thinking it was just a regular place, maybe a food truck, I was very wrong. The service was quick and to the point. Location is a very cute spot. Yes it's connected to the hotel but the poolside area is very pretty. And I really enjoyed my garlic shrimp plate. 10 out of 10 experience will be coming back and recommending this place! read more

Sam's Kitchen - Garlic shrimp plate - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Sam's is tucked away in the back, but has enough decor near the street to find it. The first time I went, was a bit off hours afternoon time frame. I walked to the back and there was no one there, I was unsure of what to do, so I went to the bar and asked if it was Sam's. Sure enough the bartender gave me a menu and I ordered to go. Note that the menu is a little confusing. You need to order things as a plate to get the rice, salad, and potato/mac salad, or else I guess its considered a la carte? I enjoyed it so much that I went twice and seriously considered going a third time in the span of a few days. They are also open late! They do have plenty of seating there but I opted to eat back at my hotel. Online ordering is not available for this location, despite what te menu says. On the first visit, the potato salad was such a sad small scoop, the second time I went, I asked for an additional a la carte side of it for 2.50 and the scoop I got with the plate was also much bigger this time. (See pictures) Overall, really enjoyed the food and would definitely return. read more

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I came here for garlic shrimp after finding this place on someone's blog. The entrance was quite hard to find--at first, I thought it was just a food truck. When they asked if I was dining in or taking out and I said dining in, they guided us inside to a stylish open-terrace space surrounding a pool. While we were there, we found out from the staff that a famous Japanese idol group had actually filmed a music video here. Apparently, fans used to visit for that reason, but when we came, although there were other customers, nobody seemed to be there specifically for that spot. There were two of us, and since it was around 5 PM and not crowded, we were seated at the big table used in that MV. As for the garlic shrimp--I ordered the spicy version because I love spicy food, but that was a huge mistake. It was so incredibly hot that my mouth was burning, and I couldn't really taste the actual garlic shrimp flavor. I tried my friend's regular one, and it was truly delicious--actually better than at other places I've tried. I definitely recommend going with the regular! I'm not sure about the takeout prices, but dining in with drinks came to about $26 per person. Service depends on the staff, but overall, the atmosphere was great and we left very satisfied. read more

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Finally tried the new location at Bamboo Hotel. Sad to say the orig flavors of my beloved Sam's Kitchen is now gone. The garlic shrimp was drowned with too much butter, the previous version was more dry with better seasoning & popped in the mouth. The garlic steak was good but again no longer the same. The potato salad was descent, but the previous legendary version is also no more. New location is at the back of Bamboo Hotel next to the pool, ambiance was nice. But i miss the orig Sam's Kitchen at the alley read more

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This spot is a little bit hidden, tucked inside a hotel next to their pool area. We ordered crispy fries and a garlic shrimp plate which came with a scoop of rice, potato salad, and green salad. The shrimp was a little salty for me but it was nice that it was already peeled. Could've used another scoop of rice as one didn't seem like enough. Vibes were weird, the bar tender was making comments to us about other patrons and the server literally tossed the bill at our table. read more

A must stop when coming to Hawaii! The bartender makes a great Mai Tai and the spicy shrimp is my favorite. There's a little bit of a wait but that's to be expected with good food. Such a hidden gem! Definitely in my top 3 of food spots in Waikiki. read more

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The restaurant is located in the Bamboo Hotel in the center of Waikiki Beach area. We stopped by for a quick bite. They have a small menu with limited options. We ordered ahi with French fries and steak with side of rice, salad and potato salad. The food came in tiny portion and the price was insanely high. For $50/2 ppl, we were half full. The dishes were also very salty and barely edible. Asked steak to be medium well and came out medium rare... The waitress we had had a attitude and kinda intimidating. Although the staffs here who served us last night were nice. read more

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Open late, good food cooked fresh. The portions are large. Staff is friendly. Tucked behind a hotel, with an old tiki bar vibe & a blue-lit lava rock pool. We've always gotten our food to go, but the bar usually has a couple friendly characters sharing a drink. There's a charming old-school hawaii vibe to the place. read more

This restaurant is tucked behind the back of a hotel adjacent to the hotel's pool area. Its pretty casual outdoor seating that can be good for large parties with what looked like a full bar. I came here with a group of girls and we were able to seat at a large wooden table. I personally didn't feel like there were too many things to order so we all got different variations of the garlic shrimp plate. Originally I had wanted to do an A la carte order of the shrimp (4pcs) but the waiter said it could only be added on.. boo. I opted for the spicy garlic shrimp plate and I was quite underwhelmed. The shrimp is peeled except for the tail and it seemed breaded then fried which definitely felt too heavy. On top of it all, they were also kinda small. I was also a little upset that on the menu it said mac/potato salad but then I wasn't given a choice and was given a potato salad instead of macaroni. Next I thought the shrimp was just ok, but the cherry on top was that the rice was kind of dry. They have good happy hour prices, but the foods just okay. Especially the garlic shrimp is nothing to for them to brag about. But also not terrible. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've eaten at Sam's Kitchen every time I visit Honolulu, and it has always been amazing until this visit. I came with my parents and was excited to see that the restaurant had moved to a better location. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. We were seated at 7pm, but our food didn't come out until 8. I had to walk up to a server (because no one came to check up after we ordered) to ask if our order had been placed, I was given a vague response with no explanation, which came off as dismissive. When the food finally arrived, the shrimp tasted great as always. But the beef was extremely chewy to the point where none of us could even bite into it. All three of us ended up leaving it untouched, which was very disappointing since I've ordered the beef couple times before. We still paid in full since we ate some of the rice, but between the long wait time and the inedible beef, I don't see myself returning on my next visit since there are many other shrimp trucks out there. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Before - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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landed and first meal was here for dinner! only to find out the shrimp was all sold out CRIES but we ordered their famous steak (yommy) and chicken with sauce -- also rly good but i prefer smaller bites. a very naive environment, friendly staff and it was raining harder than usual so it made it all the merrier that my sandals were soaked keke read more

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This place is hidden behind a food truck in front of a hotel and a little hard to find. You have to head around the truck to the back and can sit by the pool or the bar. We ordered at the register to go and the cashier was friendly and helpful, recommending the spicy garlic shrimp. I took my order to the beach after, enjoying the spicy garlicky flavors. The sauce was heavy on sambal chile and I wish that flavor wasn't so overpowering and that there would be more garlic. The potato salad side was solid. I thought the food was decently good but honestly I'm not sure if I would come back and get it again. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Spicy Garlic Shrimp Plate - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Delicious Hawaiian dinner Love the simple menu-- pick a protein, a seasoning, then side dishes Service was phenomenal and quick Awesome quiet ambiance by the poool read more

Sam's Kitchen - Shrimp garlic - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Unassuming little outdoor restaurant that offers great garlic shrimp as well as other sauces like teriyaki that others in my party had and enjoyed. Simple, good food that hits the spot at a good price. read more

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Shrimp was pretty good, with an excellent flavorful sauce. Portion size is a bit small though for the price compared to other restaurant options in Waikiki. Service was slow but was alright. Ambiance is average, was dark at night. Location shares space with the hotel pool area. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This review is for takeout only. A family member recommended Sam's in Waikiki as a good place for garlic shrimp if in the area. We had to pick-up someone from the airport at 10 p.m. so returning to Waikiki brought limited options for dinner at that time. Arriving at Sam's, we decided to order a variety of dishes to share. We ordered an original garlic steak (just the meat, no rice or salad), two garlic shrimp with rice and salad and a spicy garlic shrimp (just the meat). Service is quick and friendly. Food is less than average. The steak was extremely overcooked and tasted more like beef jerky. The garlic sauce in all of the dishes didn't have much flavor. We ended up not finishing about half of the food and ate leftover musubi and poke we got earlier that day. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Extremely dry steak - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Based on where we found it, I think it's moved recently. It was a little difficult to locate as the shopping area that it's in doesn't make it clear. Food portions were great. We enjoyed the food and I thought the teriyaki sauce was fantastic. Shout out to the older man working the counter as he gave great customer service. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Teriyaki Shrimp plate - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This is a place that I really wanted to like since the people there were SO friendly but the food fell a bit short for me. Granted, they had JUST moved to their new location so I feel like things were a bit unorganized and they were still trying to figure stuff out a bit. Starting with the positives, Sam and his team are so nice! You can tell they love what they do and love seeing their customers happy. There were a couple hiccups during our experience but they were always quick to try to remedy the situation. Our food took a little long to get to us but the servers always checked in with us which was nice. Unfortunately, the food was just average esp for the price point they are set at (at least it was for the night we went...). Personally couldn't taste anything super special about the garlic shrimp and the steak that we ordered was dry. I will say that I like that they give you the options to choose a sauce and protein for one of the dishes they offer - their sauce selection sounds pretty interesting (included a pic). Their new location is in a pretty nice spot in Waikiki though, so that's also a plus. It was nice to walk around after dinner to explore and digest. read more

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Didn't get to try a shrimp truck on North Shore, but chose this for a bite in between hiking Diamond Head and surfing in an outrigger canoe. Literally a hole-in-the-wall/alley situation. I had the original garlic shrimp plate which came peeled, with potato & mac salad, rice, and salad mix. They had just opened so there was a little bit of a wait for the food. Street-facing tables, enclosed (but stuffy), or go around back to the awning-covered alley tables behind where you place your order. The shrimp was very garlicky! My dining companions also tried the tofu, the teri garlic chicken, and another flavor/style shrimp plate. We didn't try the beef or spicy sauce. Service was ok. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Original garlic shrimp plate - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It breaks my heart to leave Sam's a poor review. This used to be a consistent favorite whenever my family and I were in town but no longer... Shrimp is no longer crispy and garlicky like it used to be and now resembles more of a sauteed buffet scampi. Huge bummer because Sam's used to save us the drive up to the North shore. Additionally prices are outrageous now costing over $20 for a plate with less than 8 shrimps, a dollop of undercooked rice, and a sad salad. The new location is in the courtyard of an older motel giving major tiki room vibes but it's really just a tourist trap. read more

Food was just okay. Seasoning underwhelming. Servers were very nice and wanted to please.

Late night meal hunt got us to try Sam's. They open late every day. A part of a hotel, ambiance was cute. Tables surround a little pool. Tiki vibes. Service a bit inattentive. Food underperformed for us. Garlic shrimp had too much oil. Poke mid. Garlic bread tasted microwaved yet with burnt garlic (bitter). read more

Hole in the wall! It's conveniently near everything and open late! Service is great and food is great. * We got: - steak + rice (w/ teriyaki garlic sauce): Steak was so soft and flavorful. Looks like it's a whole piece of steak! Very filling About $22 Definitely check it out! There's also seating indoor/outdoor read more

Sam's Kitchen - Top Sirloin N.Y. Steak Da Plate - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was thrilled to find Sam's Kitchen on Kuhio Ave in Waikiki. It was a little late and my friends and I just wanted to hang out a bit. One friend was staying at the Bamboo Hotel and asked us all to join him at Sam's Kitchen for a bite to eat and we could byob. The staff were friendly, we got plenty of service, the space looks amazing, and the food was yummy! We ordered fried tofu, veggie spring rolls, and crispy fries to share as pupus. I will definitely go back and will bring friends with me! read more

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LOVE IT HERE! The food is excellent!! no need go Northshore for Garlic Shrimp! Steak is tasty and cooked medium rare with flavor and heat! Chicken is tasty and crispy- vegetables cooked with flavor and "wok" heat! Dog friendly and evwn ordered plain chicken for pooch! The atmosphere is tropical and laid back! Drinks look awesome and service is top notch!!!!! read more

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Conveniently located at our hotel! Perfect spot after a long day out. We lost track of time and ended up strolling back to our hotel late after exploring. So glad we were able to have a meal right by the pool. It's a really beautiful scene with the string lights, and some relaxing loungers. At the time they seemed a bit understaffed so things were a bit slower. There were lots of guests for the marathon so I appreciated the server checking in every now and then to make sure we were okay. Not a bad meal for a convenient and chill spot. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Garlic Shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Order at the counter and take a seat and be prepare to WAIT!! Luckily we came like right before the mad rush, around 6:30. We ordered garlic shrimp and a beef plate. Waited about 30 minutes... then unluckily our friends after us ordered 4 plates and waited over 1 hour and 15 minutes for it. It's like they stopped making orders and everyone after that wasted over 1 hour for their plate. No food was coming out and I honestly don't know what the heck they're doing back there. Our friend asked many times and finally after like an hour and 15 minutes they got their food. Food was pretty good though. They butterfly the shrimp and it got all the good seasoning in it. Def better than Giovanni's. The steak wasn't too bad either. It seems like they put online orders ahead of line orders. So during rush hour be prepare to wait at least an hour or more for your food. I don't think it's worth the wait but if you can come before the mad rush then you'll be good. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Garlic shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We stumbled upon this restaurant a few visits ago and now we make a point to stop by every time we are in Waikiki. It is truly the freshest and most delicious shrimp dish we have had here and we honestly cannot believe this place is not packed all the time. The outdoor seating area is so cool with a pool, beautiful lighting and tons of plants that make it feel like a little oasis. It is a great spot for larger groups and very kid friendly. Definitely grab some wine or beer and enjoy dinner here because the prices are incredible for the quality. On top of all that the staff are so personable and welcoming. We just love this place and highly recommend it. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Came here because there were good reviews. Location is not too hard to find, but as of August 28 they have a big sign that says they are moving to new Waikiki locations. Food took maybe about 20 minutes to come out. We ordered the matsuri shrimp with rice and pineapple teri sirloin. We ordered the steak medium, but it came out well done and super tough. The matsuri shrimp says that it comes with dried seaweed on it, but there was no dried seaweed. Not sure what seasoning they used but it just tasted like garlic shrimp, nothing special. Overall, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Matsuri shrimp - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I remember really loving this place a few years ago, but the last time I visited with my friend we both agreed it was less than average for ridiculous prices. We both got the Garlic Shrimp ($14) and were shocked that we had to pay for the rice (+$6) in addition to it. It basically came out to $2/ shrimp piece, which were all pretty average sizes too. The rice was SO dry that I couldn't even pick it up with chopsticks, and although it was extremely garlicky, I feel like it still lacked flavor. We both didn't finish our food, not because it was too much (quite the opposite, actually), but because it was just not worth the calories. The service was also subpar, the music was blasting, and I saw the cook on his phone the entire time when he wasn't cooking which made me felt like the workers didn't even wanna be there. read more

Sam's Kitchen - super small and sad garlic shrimp for $20 - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Prob the worst and most expensive food i've ever had. Portions were so tiny and served in plastic bowls. Food was extremely greasy and barely had any flavor. They ran out of half of the items on the menu and we came at 8:30pm. We got the spicy garlic chicken, spicy garlic steak, and garlic tofu. Chicken came out cold and they gave the worst pieces of steak. Would avoid at all costs. Server was weird, ambiance is misleading for the quality of food. read more

Sam's Kitchen - Spicy garlic chicken, spicy garlic steak, garlic tofu - Food Stands Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii