“Which shrimp truck is the best?”
When heading to the North Shore of Oahu, shrimp trucks are always a consideration after working up an appetite in the surf. Our go-to spot is Giovanni’s, which is also known to be the original shrimp truck.
Located in the small community of Kahuku, Giovanni’s first parked their graffiti covered white lunch wagon on the side of the road in 1995. Since then, more and more trucks have taken a stab at perfecting the simple recipe of local farm raised shrimp, butter, and LOTS of garlic. Giovanni’s is not only our favorite because of the flavor of their shrimp, but also the options offered in its immediate vicinity for our picky 4 year-old son.
Popping up around Giovanni’s shrimp truck are no less than half a dozen other lunch wagons offering tasty island fare from funnel cakes to tacos, kalbi (Korean short ribs) to poke bowls. So while Mom and Dad are getting their shrimp fix, our son is happy to enjoy the pineapple coconut smoothie whipped up for him at Hawaiian Island X-treme, located adjacent to Giovanni’s and even sharing the same pavilion.
So while some may prefer Fumi’s or Romy’s, which are both located just down the road, we prefer navigating Giovanni’s pot holed parking area and long lines. For us, it is worth it! The original North Shore garlic shrimp flavors keep us coming back. The variety of other options to keep our son happy while we’re licking our fingers and dunking our shrimp in their fiery hot sauce make this a trip we happily make time after time.
As of March 2021, the most popular Shrimp Scampi plate which includes a dozen jumbo shrimp and 2 scoops of rice is $14. Also keep in mind that Giovanni’s is CASH ONLY!
T-shirt shops, wood carvings and souvenir stalls galore.
A nice treat on a warm day!
