Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, Haleiwa, Hawaii

There are so many delicious foods to eat when you are in Hawaii. And one of the most famous things to eat when you drive around the north shore of the island, is at one of the many shrimp trucks. There are quite a few different trucks to choose from, and there's a huge debate as to which one is the best. But among the handful of different shrimp truck options, one of the most famous is Giovanni's Shrimp Truck.

I have driven past this shrimp truck in Kahuku many times, but for some reason I have never stopped before to eat there. One reason is because, I would normally fill up on other plate lunches or Hawaiian poke from Kahuku Superette () before ever arriving at one of the famous shrimp trucks.

But little did I know, there is now a second branch of Giovanni's Shrimp Truck in Haleiwa, Hawaii, and that's exactly where I happened to be when I saw it. So I didn't get to go to the original one, but many of the reviews I read said that they use the exact same recipe. One morning we decided to go to their truck and find out what the hype of the north shore shrimp trucks were all about.

I arrived just as they opened, so that we could get the most fresh food, and also so that we wouldn't have to wait in line - sometimes there can be big lines waiting for the shrimp trucks in Hawaii - especially when a big bus of tourists unloads to eat there.

Their menu is quite simple, you just have a choice of shrimp scampi, the hot and spicy version, or the lemon shrimp recipe. Though the hot and spicy was tempting, I decided to go for the most famous recipe, shrimp scampi. My lunch came on a plate with two scoops of rice, partnered with 12 succulent shrimp, all anointed in an extreme amount of garlic caked on. The aroma was impressively garlicky, and as a garlic lover I could not wait to eat them.

Some people decided to take the shell off the shrimp before eating them, but we decided to eat the whole thing with the shell on, that way you don't miss any of that delicious garlic. The side of hot sauce was alright, but it was a little too vinegary for me, so I don't think it went all that well with the shrimp.

I'm not an expert when it comes to the shrimp trucks on the North Shore - this was my first time to eat at one. But, for my first time eating at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, I can say I really enjoyed the shrimp scampi, and I would definitely come back to eat it again.

Address: 66-472 Kamehameha highway, Haleiwa, Hawaii 96712
Website:
Open hours: 10:30 am -- 5 pm daily

Music in this video courtesy of Audio Network

Get my FREE street food guide:
Follow my adventures on &
Bangkok 101 Guide:
Thai Food Guide:

Thank you so much for watching this food and travel video by Mark Wiens. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss my next tasty adventure. You can subscribe right here: