The islands of Hawai'i are some of the most beautiful places on earth, located in the most remote part of the world.
However, this vast distance from any other landmass does not detract from the cuisine.
With such a rich culture and welcoming people, you can find many diverse types of foods and various culinary fusions.
The 10 Best Restaurants on the North Shore of Oahu
1: Raised by the Waves
Located practically on the North Shore near Kahuku Beach, across from Kahuku District Park, Raised by Waves is your go-to quick grab-and-go brunch-style café.
They offer everything from smoothies to post-surf delicacies. It is a fully vegan café with a menu centered around fruits and veggies.
The Pitaya bowl or smoothie is to die for; I would get this all the time when on the North Shore.
It is a dragon fruit base with bananas, honey, almond milk, and strawberries, topped with fresh coconut shavings, honey, and fresh berries.
2: Seven Brothers
With over four locations nestled along the North Shore, Seven Brothers is hard to miss. Their establishments are near Haleiwa, Sharks Cove, Kahuku, and La’ie. After your first bite, this killer burger joint will have you foaming at the mouth.
These joints are truly run by seven brothers who were born in Kahuku.
This hole-in-the-wall spot makes the best burgers on the island.
They even have a vegan burger, and the majority of the ingredients are locally sourced and grown.
3: Ted’s Bakery
Ted’s Bakery is located near Sunset Beach, just past the EhuKai Beach Park. Opened in 1988 by Ted Nakamura, it has been making some of the best sweets on the North Shore since then.
The story runs much deeper than Ted's, and it all started with his grandfather, who immigrated to Kihei, Maui, and eventually Oahu from Japan to work on sugar plantations.
Eventually, with the help of his sons, he leased the land. Check out the full story on their website.
4: Aji Limo
Just in front of Shark’s Cove, located in the food truck parking lot next to Foodland, Aji Limo blends Peruvian and Japanese cuisine, creating a fusion of cultures also known as Nikkei.
This is my all-time favorite poke spot on all of Oahu.
I know it's quite a controversial statement, but they deserve it.
Not only is everything fresh, but the moment you finish one, you are going to want to keep coming back for more.
5: Crispy Grindz
Crispy Grindz is a Brazilian-style food truck that serves classic Acai and Pitaya bowls.
Don’t forget that they also have Brigadeiro’s, a famous Brazilian sweet made with cocoa, butter, and condensed milk. Their locations are in Waikiki, Haleiwa, and La’ie.
The Haleiwa location is situated on Kamehameha Hwy, near Kono’s North Shore.
6: Pupukea Grill
Located between Pupukea Beach Park and Sharks Cove, Pupukea Grill offers sushi, sashimi, poke bowls, quinoa salads, and more.
It is a cute little food truck with various delicious grab-and-go foods, perfect for eating while enjoying the sunset.
7: Sunrise Shack
The Sunrise Shack was opened by the Smith brothers and Koa Rothman, all local North Shore surfers.
First opened in 2016 on a small plumeria farm in the heart of Oahu’s North Shore, they now have more than five locations on Oahu.
The main one, where you can even catch the pro surfers, is located near Sharks Cove, and they pride themselves on their famous bullet coffees, superfood bowls, and smoothies.
If you want a quick, light meal that will give you the energy to take on the surf on the North Shore, the Sunrise Shack is your spot.
8: Haleiwa Bowls
Located right in Haleiwa town, Haleiwa Bowls has plenty of smoothies and superfood bowl options.
My go-to is the Blue Majik Chia Pudding, made with blue majik macadamia nut milk chia pudding, topped with granola, local bananas, blueberries, coconut flakes, bee pollen, and raw honey.
9: Haleiwa Joes
Situated next to Haleiwa Joes, just northeast of the Haleiwa Town Center, this beautiful sit-down restaurant brings amazing seafood dishes to life and has some of the best meat cuts on the island (without taking a chunk out of the bank). It has an extensive dinner and lunch menu.
The view is amazing, and it sits right on the water overlooking the harbor.
10: Foodland
The famous supermarket chain, mostly on Oahu, offers some cheap, ready-made, and tasty foods such as sushi and poke.
While Aji Limo makes the best poke on the island, I lived off Foodland's spicy mayo poke bowl when I went to school at UH Manoa.
It's easily the best cheap and simple poke bowl on the island.
The Bottom Line: Best Restaurants on the North Shore
If you are on the North Shore or anywhere on Oahu, don't miss out on these mouthwatering food spots.
Numerous places deserve to be on this list, as the diversity of cuisine could easily make for more than 20 different spots.
The best place for a variety of options is the parking lot turned food truck paradise in front of Sharks Cove, just past Foodland, heading towards Pipeline and Sunset Beach.
Planning a trip to Oahu? Check out the best hotels on the North Shore.