Papa Ole's is a spot I heard about from a friend, and it hasn't disappointed me yet. It feels like…read morea small mom and pop type place that locals enjoy, which is always a good sign. My personal favorite is the kalbi ribs. They've got that backyard BBQ taste that feels like a homecooked meal, and it's usually what I end up ordering. Simple, comforting, and it just hits. I also love grabbing food here and taking it down the street to eat at the beach. It's one of those meals that feels even better when you're eating it by the water. I just read that they may be closing soon, and if that's true, thank you for all the delicious meals over the years and wishing the team nothing but the best moving forward.

Went to Papa Ole's before they will be closing their business after all these years on December…read more15th! We ordered a regular plate mix with kalbi and shrimp and a mini pulehu ribs. The kalbi and pulehu are just about the same cuts of meats just a different marinade and you get to choose how you want it cooked. We got it medium rare. Kalbi is more like a sweeter Korean bbq and pulehu more smoky bbq. Meat was good and tender and shrimp was a nice creamy taste. Getting a bite of everything with the Mac salad is a must! Only downside is I tried to phone order in advance knowing they would be busy but I couldn't get the phone call through. We had to order once we got there and there was about an 1.5 hour wait for our order. The area is a dead zone for phone service so although they'll call to let you know your order is ready, you may not receive the call. But the wait was expected so we decided to go hang around the beach while waiting. There was a line of people wanting to order. I'd recommend to go early in the morning while they still have everything in stock because we got there at about 10:45AM and they had just sold out of their peanut butter rolls! It is cash only as well. Sad to see the business go but happy there is a lot of locals supporting them, giving fond farewells and wishing the Papa Ole's ohana the best!

Absolutely delicious and HUGE portions! There were a few people in front of us, but we got all our…read morefood within 10 minutes. The mac salad was perfect! This cafe is to-go only, but that just made it the perfect breakfast to sit near the beach and enjoy the morning.

Hukilau Cafe was recommended to me by one of my coworkers that lived in the area. Unfortunately, at…read moretime of posting (12/14/25), it is carryout only. We ordered at the walk-up window and didn't wait long for our food to be made fresh! We both got the fried rice breakfast, which comes with two eggs (however you'd like), as well as protein. I opted for fried spam. My meal was hot, fresh, and delicious. It stayed very hot on the drive back to our hotel, as we sat at a table there. Prices are extremely fair for what you're getting! Great breakfast - we will be back!

Fat Poi does catering and it's just as good as that place in Waiahole. Because it was catering, we…read moregot to try more things than are on the daily Food Truck Menu. Their Kalua Pork is all the things--salty, smoky, juicy, tender, shredded meaty goodness. Their Squid Luau is perfect--the right balance of savory, mildly coconutty, melty luau leaves with bits of chewy squid. The Lomi Salmon has a nice bite from the red and green onions, the freshness from the tomatoes, and that briny saltiness. The Mac-Potato Salad was creamy and chunky, with a little bit of carrot and onion for freshness. The Lau Lau was loving assembled. Each foil packet was lined with a small piece of Ti leaf for flavor. The inside of the Lau Lau contained a piece of sweet potato, a chuck of salted pork, and a small piece of fat to keep everything succulent. More places should put sweet potatoes in their Lau Lau--I'm a fan. The catering buffet also had Chicken Long Rice which looked great with thick rice noodles and lots of chicken and green onions, but I skipped it because I didn't want to pour soup on my plate. I also skipped the white rice and fresh green salad. Another reason to seek out the Fat Poi truck is they do poke bowls and you can get combos to try more things. If you are looking for Hawaiian food, don't hesitate to order from Fat Poi, their food is winnahs!

During a break from the Polynesian Cultural Center, we stopped by the Fat Poi food truck. It was…read moreone, if not the cheapest, option out of the available food trucks and restaurants available. I got an Hawaiian Food with Kalua Pig and Squid Luau as my two choices. It was ready in about 10 minutes. The two main meets were decent and imo were just nicely shredded meat to pair with rice and some diced tomatoes that made for a quick meal. The server was very positive and gracious and there was table seating available as part of the center. Worth a try! But nothing to particularly write home about.

This place is sooo good!…read more They serve the best French toast for breakfast and they have really good plate lunches for lunch or dinner. I've been coming her for like 10 years and they have always been really nice and the food is great and the service is great and a great environment

Tita's Grill This…read moreis a review for my experience eating at Tita's Grill, a food truck that serves Filipino cuisine. It is located by the Polynesian Cultural Center. Tita's Grill serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner *Be mindful of their hours Hours Monday - Saturday Breakfast: 8:00 am - 10:00 am Lunch 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm Dinner: 05:00 pm - 7:30 pm Closed Sundays & Wednesdays Words to describe Tita's Grill: Filipino Cuisine, flavorful, hearty comfort food, delicious, mouthwatering, fresh, savory Service/Menu: Friendly, efficient, seating is outdoors FOOD TITA'S PACK Rice, pancit (noodles), chicken wings, fried fish, brisket, macaroni salad *Trust me...just get it Yummy! Flavorful! Filling! GARLIC SHRIMP Garlic shrimp, macaroni salad, and rice All of the food plates we ordered were tasty-a warm hug in every bite! My favorite was the Tita's Pack! Portions were huge-and great to share All in all I enjoyed dining at Tita's Grill! Thank you aunties, uncles, and cousins for creating scrumptious and appetizing meals for us! I can't wait to dine with you again soon! Mahalo! Salamat Po!

This place is PHENOMENAL. I could eat here every day. I love just how insanely fresh their fish is,…read moreand also how they prepare it. My parents like their ahi katsu, while I like their mahi mahi tacos and mahi mahi plate the most. The best kept secret is their Poisson Cru-- it was so good that I wanted it for dinner the exact same day that I ate it for lunch. The service is to-go only and you order at the counter. Ken is usually the one taking orders. He's fast and efficient and will not be making small talk or smiling at the customers, but he sure runs an incredible business. There is a sign in the place that says takeout only, you cannot eat there. However, they do have benches for customers to sit on while they wait for their food to be prepared. The mahi mahi tacos take a while for them to make; so just be prepared for longer wait times if you order those. It's really worth the wait, though! Since the place is takeout only, all I can say for the ambiance is that it's focused on efficiency and cleanliness, rather than on fancy decor or a certain look.

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.

Heard about this place from Mark the foodie King of Hawaii…read more This place was fantastic the service was great she greeted us with a smile I ordered the loco moco when I got it you have to use 2 hands that heavy First bite I had to take my hat off to it The gravy was hella mean and they make from scratch everyday beef is locally grown it was fork tender and the flavor was delicious 2huge patties Egg was perfect Sunnyside runny how I like it With fries garlic on top The mac salad was so good wife ate most of it before I got the first bite It was busy and she still brought the food to us with smiles and love They have benches in front with cover to give you shade if needed This place won't disappoint

Wow! If you want great food and great hospitality this is the place to go! Was recommended by a…read morefriend who lives on the island to try this place out. We didn't get to try the other stuff but the tonkatsu was cooked to perfection! The meat was so tender, the sauce complemented the meal, rice was cooked perfectly and the Mac salad, one of the bests! DO NOT SLEEP on this place! Will need to visit again and just go down the menu to try everything. It's located in a spot with a bunch of other vendors, they had clean seating right in front of their spot. They are right at the corner so you can't miss them! Definitely recommending this place to all my friends and family that visit this island.

Dreaminggg of the day I can get this chicken again! My husband and I came to the North Shore for…read moreGiovanni's and enjoyed lunch at the shrimp truck. After we were walking around checking out the other options and we sampled a piece of chicken here. Even though we had just ate, we purchased some chicken to share because it was THAT good. We made small talk with the people there and ended up enjoying ourselves so much! A year later, I came back to Hawaii with my mom and this was our first stop. The same excellent customer service and the same excellent food. I cannot recommend this place enough, it will always be our goto when visiting Oahu!!!

Kale a's Hut Food:…read moreThe smoke rolling off the grill attracted me. The teriyaki grill chicken is delicious served with rice. Service: Good people, very friendly. I loved their energy. Ambiance: A fifty gallon drum pit is all it takes for some good bbq.

Located conveniently a few minutes from our Airbnb so it's a must. They close at 8pm so if you're a…read moretourist that eat late make sure to come before closing! Little nice restraint with 3 - 4 seated tables and 4 high-top 2 seated. Very small so during busy hours prob can't find seats. We came at around 7:15 and there were only 2 other parties there so not bad. Mandoo- crispy and yummy as expected. Ribeye BbQ - WARNING! Plate is massive! They are not shine with their portion size. For $22 that is a steal! For once the meat portion is bigger than the rice! My husband and I shared 1 entree and 1 appetizer and we were stuffed, actually couldn't finish the whole thing. The owner? (Cashier lady) was very nice and welcoming. Not sure if we will ever end up back here but definitely recommend and would come back. Currently losing my taste buds so the flavor to me is not as strong but hubby says the seasoning is great and he's a bit picky.

This is one of the few eateries that opens on Sundays for lunch and dinner in the vicinity. This…read moreplace also serves local, Korean food. My son ate all of his meat jun with rice. He seemed perfectly fine with his meal. My husband ordered their bi bim bap which tasted fairly good when all the ingredients, including raw, shredded purple cabbage, sesame seed oil, and kochujang sauce were mixed together. Unfortunately, fresh, orange colored egg yolk wasn't runny. The orange colored egg yolk didn't satisfy my palate. I ordered their kim chee fried rice because out of all the photos I saw in the restaurant, this dish popped right out and looked very appealing. My husband and I agreed that this entree was super spicy. There was some type of yellow, melted topping in the middle that didn't go well with this dish. Sprinkled furikake didn't jive well and threw off my taste buds. Orange colored egg yolk lacked the runny effect and did not appeal to my palate. This is the first place that didn't have chopsticks. My husband asked for chopsticks on my behalf because he knows I like to use them whenever possible. Instead, I kindly asked the worker for a spoon. There's only forks, knives and spoons. Workers were very courteous. Interior design has a variety of colors with a few tables and seats. Free, limited parking in the small lot.

My friends and I started our island food tour in Kahuku. We were at another truck, and after, Jeri…read moresuggested here. Jeri: We'll take Da Fun Guy burger, and can you add a slice of taro in it. He: Ummmm, excuse me...what? Jeri: We want Da Fun Guy, and add a slice of taro. Also an order of taro fries. Da Fun Guy is a great burger! The worker grilled a slice of taro, and it was on the side. We put it in ourselves and cut the burger into four pieces. So good! But man, those taro fries were amaaaaaaazing! Nice and crispy and very hot! I almost want to say they're double fried! This is a great place in the sea of food trucks that are all around the Sugar Mill Center. Lots of options! Mahalo Tara Hut!

We stopped at the Sugar Mill for lunch and I went straight to the Tarot Hut truck. Their menu did…read morenot disappoint! There were so many good-looking options, it took me a while to decide what I wanted. I went for the breakfast platter and it was perfection! The eggs were just the perfect amount of runny and gummy. My husband asked me to also get an order of the taro fries and I was delighted to discover that there were ulu fries mixed in. I LOVE ULU. I plan to try a burger on the next visit. Or maybe another platter. Or maybe the crispy chicken loco moco...

Seven Brothers was such a great find! We were looking for a late-night dinner spot, and there…read morereally aren't many places open late on the North Shore. We stumbled across this burger spot without expecting much, but wow everything was SO good. Definitely be aware of the burger sizes because they are massive! The fries and house sauce were absolutely phenomenal too. The vibe is super chill and laid-back, the staff is incredibly nice, and the food is seriously delicious. I would absolutely recommend this place and would 100% come back!

They're located at Kahuku Sugar Mill next to the food trucks. It's a cute restaurant with open…read moreoutdoor seating. You order at the counter and they'll give you a number thing and will bring your food to wherever you choose to sit. We wanted to sit outside but the chickens were attacking and fighting for our food :'( they literally jumped onto our table ... so we moved inside lol. The Shez Paniolo was huge! It came with two onion rings and pineapple. Beef patty had a nice smoke flavor. We also ordered a side of onion rings and paniolo. Highly recommend Paniolo; it came with crispy fries (looks like thinly sliced potatoes), bbq sauce and onion rings. I thought food was good. A few ppl in my group thought the burger patty was kind of dry. The decor was cute and beach themed. Overall, customer service was friendly when we were ordering. I noticed a few workers were going around checking on folks and having long conversations but they didn't come to us so whatever. They have clean bathrooms in the back. Plenty of parking available!