Where can you get freshly cooked breakfasts for $5 in this day and age ordered and prepared with a…read moresmile. Clean picnic tables to eat in front of the food truck. Thanks for researching on Yelp and treating us for breakfast Doc

Da Bald Guy was sold out at the Monday Waikiki Night Market so we made it a mission to try it out…read moreif we made our way to North Shore. We stopped by around 10AM a few days later and were able to try the Braised Boneless Kalbi and the Garlic Shrimp plate. The food was so delicious, it was all we could talk about on our trip. Kalbi was extremely tender and flavorful. Garlic Shrimp had no shell (yay)! It was cooked perfectly. We went up again but the Kalbi was sold out already for the day. We decided to try the Chopped Steak and it did not compare to our previous meal. It was more tough/dry. I wasn't sure if it was already precooked before hand and just sitting there. When we ordered, they handed over our plate right after we paid. Definitely left disappointed. Would make sure to come early since whatever that is left may not be what you want to try.

Literally the best shrimp I ever had. Absolutely delicious!!…read more I don't say that lightly either. It was otherworldly!! The staff was great too!!!! I'll be back!

Giovanni's is one of those places where memory does a remarkable amount of the seasoning. I've been…read moreeating here across decades. Enough visits that this is no longer about catching them on a bad afternoon, ordering the wrong thing or failing to understand what the place is supposed to be. I've tried the different shrimp, stood in the lines, eaten at the tables, navigated the parking, brought people here and returned because, for a very long time, Giovanni's was simply one of those places you went when you were on this side of the island. At some point, repetition becomes evidence. The truck itself has become an artifact. Covered in signatures, battered by time, photographed millions of times. There was probably a period when all of that felt charming. Now it mostly feels tired. There is a difference between patina and neglect and the surrounding experience has increasingly crossed that line for me. Flies, crowded tables, overflowing activity, rough parking, heat, trash nearby. You can romanticize rustic only so far before rustic starts asking for a pressure washer. Then there is the service, which has consistently been the hardest part for me to understand. I don't need anyone performing hospitality like they're auditioning for a resort commercial, but basic warmth costs nothing. Too often the interaction here feels impatient and transactional, as though the customer is somehow inconveniencing the operation by showing up to buy the food. After enough visits, you stop calling that an off day. And then there is the plate. The shrimp itself is actually the least offensive part. It is generally cooked reasonably well. Tender enough, rarely destroyed and when you get a good batch you can understand why this formula became so popular. Everything around it drags it down. The rice has repeatedly been soft, clumped and bordering on mushy. I am annoyingly particular about rice, but rice is not some decorative substance placed beneath the main event. It matters. When half the plate is rice, screwing it up is not a minor detail. The garlic is abundant, certainly, but abundance and care are different things. It often arrives more like a wet mass of processed garlic than the fragrance and texture you get from properly chopped fresh cloves. Add the butter and oil and you certainly get intensity, but after several bites the whole thing becomes heavy rather than interesting. The little salad on the side generally feels like an afterthought that has been waiting for someone to remember it. And that is ultimately my problem with Giovanni's. The entire experience feels as though its reputation arrived at the destination years before the restaurant did and everyone decided there was no longer much reason to keep improving. People will continue coming. Of course they will. The name is famous, the truck is recognizable, the photographs are practically mandatory and nostalgia is one hell of a business model. I understand it because it worked on me for years. But strip away the mythology and ask a brutally simple question: If this exact plate came from an unknown truck with no history, no signatures and no reputation, would you still wait in line for it? I wouldn't. Two stars. The shrimp can still be decent and I have too many memories here to pretend the place means nothing to me. But nostalgia should bring you back to a restaurant. It shouldn't be responsible for making the food taste better. I kept returning because tradition can turn habit into taste. I'm done confusing the two.

The absolute best Ahi Katsu fix on the island!…read more Tell me I'm not the only one who will drive completely across the island just to satisfy a craving! Whenever I need an Ahi Katsu fix, Ken's Fresh Fish in Laie is our absolute go-to destination. On our last trip, we decided to try the Opah Katsu alongside our usual order, and wow! Both had the most absolute perfect crunch! The fish is incredibly fresh, perfectly fried, and drizzled beautifully with sauce. It is worth every bit of the drive from the Ewa . Outstanding flavor, great quality, and a definitive must-stop if you're up on the North Shore. 10/10!

The best ahi katsu on the Island. Grab a plate, some poke, and fresh fish to cook later and it's…read morewell worth the 70 mile circle island drive. The fresh ahi katsu, huge! 14-16oz, panko crusted and deep fried medium or well done. It is topped with a combo of sweet katsu sauce and garlic mayo all over a bed of rice and a simple pile of dressed lettuce. Always look for the second fresh fish of the day. If available, the ono done katsu style eclipses the ahi. Just the nature of the fish, it is more tender and moist. Total weight is again, about a pound. Note: Fish can also be prepared in garlic butter. It's good but come on, garlic butter vs deep fried in a crispy coating? Good selection of half pound pre weighed containers of fresh ahi poke (ahi sesame ogo, just sayin') and fresh fish filets including ahi, mahi, ono, and marlin. Go early for best selection. Inexpensive. As of November 2025, $16/regular plate. Fresh fish filets, $7.50 / lb less than Costco. Fresh poke, $10/half pound. Cash or card. Same price. No nonsense counter service. Takeaway only. IMPORTANT: they are not active on socials. Last minute closures are posted on their door. Have a backup plan of where to eat ready. All that said, the best and based on the crowd of locals every visit, word is out.

Truly a hidden (but not so hidden) gem!…read more We randomly stopped by this place on our journey of exploring the North Shore. Upon a quick search, some people said they prefer this spot over another popular shrimp truck. Happy to say it was one of the highlights of our trip! The staff was very friendly and helpful. After ordering though a window, you wait for your number to be called and pick up the food. There are plenty of seatings around. We got the famous butter garlic shrimps and the salt and pepper shrimps plates. Both were delicious with great shrimp texture and freshness; however, we both agree salt and pepper shrimps are heavily underrated. Another bonus point is that the shells on the salt and pepper shrimps had a slight crunchy texture so I did not have to peel them. So happy to have found them!

Tanaka Shrimp in Kahuku was a last‑minute stop after seeing the positive online reviews. We ordered…read morethe butter garlic shrimp at $18 each, and the plates came out within about ten minutes. I missed the chance to take a photo, but the sautéed garlic was served over both the rice and the shrimp. Unfortunately, the overall flavor was flat, and the shrimp itself was a bit rubbery and needed more seasoning. My niece tried the spicy garlic shrimp, and the rice ended up being spicier than the shrimp. Tanaka seems to have steady traffic from tour groups, with visitors coming and going throughout the day. If you're a fan of Romy's, you may leave disappointed.

So freaking good!!! Literally melts in your mouth. You can taste the freshness. Love that their…read morefish is local, fresh and sustainably caught. I don't think I've ever eaten a half pound of poke so fast. Should have gotten the full pound. One of their specials was the yuzu wasabi and that absolutely smacked. Will definitely make this a must stop every time we venture up to the north shore.

If you want authentic, high-quality poke, Ry's Poke Shack is a must-stop. The fish is incredibly…read morefresh, perfectly cut, and I absolutely love that they have such unique poke flavors you don't find everywhere else. We actually got to meet the owner, Ry, and he is a really great guy - awesome, friendly service served with genuine aloha spirit. Fun fact for anyone on the mainland: they also just opened up a brand new location in Huntington Beach, California! Incredible flavor, awesome portions, and easily sets the gold standard!

The kalbi was so tender and charred nicely. I liked its slightly sweet marinade and the japchae…read morethat came on the side. Since the food is freshly cooked, there was a slight wait. You get a good portion of food per order! Definitely try it out, I left full and satisfied! I was probably so distracted by how good the food was that I forgot my purse at the dining area. The owners found it and held onto it for me. It was so nice of them. Thank you so much for keeping it safe!! I'm so grateful for you guys!

Kalbi on Fire is what some say is the best kalbi on da island, and I can see why! The owners were…read moresuper friendly and the portions were generous with plenty of rice and japchae. Everything came out fresh and almost unbearably hot, which I'll never complain about. The kalbi was a little sweet for my liking, but had a great char and was still really good. The outdoor seating area was fun with cute cats and plenty of chickens roaming around. The flies got a little annoying, but we're eating outside in paradise, so who can really complain?

Both Jose and I had the privilege to go to turtle Bay on the North Shore. The location of our…read moreestimate is at Kuilima Estates and it was a beautiful day, bright sunny skies, cool breezes, and the fresh smell of salt in the air from the ocean. So our job was to take all the measurements of sliding screen doors total of six of them plus two very large windows Screens. We both got done in two hours. It was still too early to go home so we called it Pau Hana Time!!! we both needed drinks, even though it was still lunchtime, but why not we both control our own business. There is this quaint little bar nearby so we went straight there! We was greeted by two ladies, and one of them is the bartender name Kanani. She's an excellent bartender who knows how to be super friendly like if we were all best friends. She is definitely one of the main reasons why we go there often. I enjoy this little bar because of the view of the golf course. The bar itself is an open restaurant so you can feel the cool breezes of the tradewinds. I've been coming to this bar ever since the first time I started golfing, ever since the dinosaurs ruined the Earth, lmao! Just kidding! We had several beers and $15 French Fries?! You do get a decent amount even with the both of us eating it. It was very filling. It's amazing every time we go there there's always several happy people who are very friendly to talk to, and that's one of the reasons why the bar is a wonderful place for both locals and tourists to enjoy. Although I haven't eaten at the restaurant recently, I do remember when I did try the restaurant the food was very well prepared and seasoned just right. I think maybe next we come here we gotta try out their food menu!

Stopped here for a quick lunch and found the food and service quite good. It was not crowded as it…read morewas a weekday, but noted that servers were very attentive and kept checking on us. Both our burger and sandwich were done really well and the season fries were great. The Cobb salad was very large. And could easily feed two persons.

Sorry late post! This was about a month from posting this!…read moreMy family, bf, and I wanted to support food trucks today for our lunch, so we decided to head to the Kahuku Sugar Mill I wanted a garlic shrimp plate and this is usually my go-to spot. I love the garlic smears they leave on the rice and that it's almost like a paste (my preference lol). Though it is very oily/buttery (almost like a pool) where they have the shrimps- still really Ono! My dad wanted to try their squid and shrimp plate (garlic butter combo)- he said he enjoyed it! He requested no garlic on his rice. Overall, this has been my preferred garlic shrimp plate. I don't like the shrimp heads at the shells aren't too hard. There's some places and it's very crunchy. These ones aren't pretty soft so I don't have to worry about it hurting my lips when I suck the garlic off lol I do want to note that I had shrimp here once and it was a bit mushier than usual. This was a couple months ago, but all the other times, the shrimp has been a good texture

I am being brutally honest. I was extremely excited for this shrimp . I have never had bad garlic…read moreshrimp at any truck on the island. If I could give negative stars I would. Not sure if this was an off day, or if I got a bad batch of shrimp (everything else wasn't good either) but it was horrible. We walked around the entire food truck area trying to decide what we wanted. We came to this area for Da Bald Guy but he was sold out so on to the next option. Shrimp on the island is my go to and so I decided to try Famous. Their pictures on the menu looked great so I ordered a plate to split with my husband of spicy and garlic shrimp with two scoops of rice. It was $20. I paid as my husband went over to Mikes Huli Huli Chicken to see about getting an appetizer. My food came out super fast. Like almost too fast... My husband asked why it was so quick. I think I found out. We sat at the brewery bar area and grabbed a beer and opened the to go box. It looked good. The spicy was clearly spicier than the garlic shrimp. I grabbed a garlic shrimp and started to peel it and was having a hard time. It was not letting go of the shrimp. That is usually a sign that it was thawed incorrectly or overcooked. My guess was these were shrimp that were cooked earlier and sat... overcooking. Once I finally got the skin off and ate one the shrimp was grainy and super rubbery. They were gross. Absolutely gross. I took a scoop of rice and it was mushy. Again seems like it sat for a long time and over cooked. It was a ball of mush. I couldn't get back two bites before we threw it away. There goes $20 and sadly my confidence that all shrimp trucks on the island are magical and taste great.