Best Food Trucks on Oahu 2026 — Shrimp, Plate Lunch, Tacos & More

Why Food Trucks Win on Oahu

Some of the best food on Oahu comes out of a truck bed or a roadside shack with a takeout window. The North Shore shrimp trucks alone justify a 45-minute drive from Honolulu. Here is where to go, what to order, and what to expect.

Giovanni's Shrimp Truck — Kahuku (North Shore)

Giovanni's is the original North Shore shrimp truck and still the benchmark. The white truck is parked on the side of Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku, and you will recognize it by the signatures and messages covering every inch of the exterior. Order the garlic shrimp — 12 pieces over two scoops of rice for around 6. The butter and garlic pool at the bottom of the plate and you will want to eat every drop. Cash only, no exceptions. Bring small bills. Hours run roughly 10:30am to 6pm daily but they close when they sell out. Get there before 2pm to avoid the wait and the risk of missing out.

Romy's Kahuku Prawns — Kahuku

A few minutes past Giovanni's on Kamehameha Highway, Romy's raises its own prawns in aquaculture ponds on-site, which means the shrimp are genuinely fresh in a way most places cannot match. The buttered prawns and sweet chili prawns are the two plates worth ordering. Prices run 6–8 a plate. The setting is more of a covered roadside stand than a truck, with picnic tables under the shade. Closed Tuesdays.

Ono Seafood — Kaimuki

Technically a small shop rather than a truck, Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Avenue is the go-to for poke on a budget. A two-scoop plate over rice runs about 2–4. The ahi shoyu and spicy ahi are both strong. Get there early — they are open roughly 9am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and they run out. Cash preferred. The shop seats about six people inside.

Aloha Plate — Multiple Locations / Original in Honolulu

Aloha Plate got its start as a food truck and now has a permanent location, but the truck still shows up at events and pop-ups around the island. The plate lunches lean local — chicken katsu, kalua pork, garlic shrimp — with generous portions and real rice, not the stingy kind. Plates run 2–5. Follow their Instagram for truck locations and hours since the schedule shifts.

Tips for Hitting the North Shore Trucks

If you are making the drive to Kahuku specifically for shrimp, go on a weekday. Weekends bring tour buses and the wait at Giovanni's can stretch to 30 minutes. The strip of shrimp trucks between Kahuku and Haleiwa has four or five options clustered together, so you can walk from one to the next. Most accept cash only. There is a gas station nearby if you need an ATM. Eat at the picnic tables on-site rather than trying to drive and eat — the garlic butter will end up everywhere.

What to Skip

The trucks that have popped up closer to Waikiki targeting tourists generally do not compare in quality or value. If you see shrimp plates for 2+ from a truck in a hotel parking lot, keep driving. The real ones are on the North Shore.