North Shore, Oahu: Food + Hiking Guide
FUEL UP WITH THE BEST GRINDZ ON THE NORTH SHORE + EXPERIENCE UNIMAGINABLE 360 VIEWS
Chris and I LOVE food. Most of the time we make delicious, healthy meals at home, but every once in awhile we like to explore and scout for the most delicious food on the North Shore. Below you'll find Chris' descriptions of all our fav North Shore spots. Check them out next time you are on Oahu!
North Shore, Oahu - Food Guide
By Chris Farro
Location: Haleiwa, Hawaii
Best açaí on the rock. They don't cut it down with apple juice or guaraná. Just a little bit of local banana. It's Bomb and run by Brazilian’s!
- Lanikai Juice -
- All the super foods for all your super needs. I get the Antioxidant Blast. This is my favorite smoothie joint on the island. YUMMM!
- Opal Thai [no longer in Haleiwa - now in Honolulu] -
- You HAVE to go here. It's sit down and very reasonably priced. Opal owns the place and talks with every table; usually orders for you unless you can demonstrate your prowess of Thai cuisine. I've been going for months and he just now lets me order from the menu; he still changes it around but it's f*cking amazing Thai food. It’s also BYOB.
- Thai Bo -
- Cheap and tasty Thai food truck right off the main road. Get the naughty princess Curry. Go Thai hot if you are tough and for legendary status order Lao hot! You won't.
- VJ's Butcher Block -
- They have a butcher shop in Haleiwa but they also have a food truck. Bit pricy for a burger but when you pull off that around the island century ride, calorie up with their Paleo Burger. It's fricken nuts good.
- Waimea Bakery -
- Right next to Malama grocery store. Good ingredients, surprisingly cheap for HI and tasty! They have sandwiches, bakery things and smoothies. Go cray.
- Elephant Shack -
- Newly located to Haleiwa. Insane Thai. Thai Kapow is awesome; not the healthiest thing but guaranteed to fill you up for 3 more hours in the water. We eat here almost twice per week. Yum Gai Yang is so bomb.
Location: North Shore, Oahu
Best Poke in Hawaii. Healthy, delicious, satisfying and cute girls usually work there. It's a local pro hotspot. Get the Spicy tuna quinoa.
- Bonzai Bowls -
- Need an Instagram of an Açaí or Pitaya bowl? Go here for that picture perfect, great tasting, healthy treat. These are massive açaí bowls and so very delicious.
- Sharks Cove -
- Their ahi burger is pretty great. Not the most healthy but damn that tiger sauce is fire.
- Ted's Bakery -
- North Shore staple. Their portions are monumental and only surpassed by the unhealthy factor. They have breakfast plates that will fuel those peddling legs until the evening.
- Lei Leis -
- The Ahi steak is incredible. A bit on the pricier side but extremely delicious! Grab your babe and take her/ him on a romantic date here! Don't be surprised if you see Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater or other North Shore legends.
North Shore, Oahu - Hiking Guide
The Hiking on the North Shore is next level. Here are four of my favorite hikes on the North Shore:
Crouching Lion Hike
- In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful hike’s on Oahu! It is very steep so it’s not the best idea to hike it after it has rained. But I definitely recommend get after it.
- How to get there:
- Enter this Crouching Lion trailhead address into your Google Map: 52-180-52-204 Kamehameha Hwy
- Don't leave anything valuable in your car when you park, especially if it is a rental car. It's always good to be cautious.
- Time: 1 hour - 4 hours. The best part about this hike is that it can be as long as you want it to be. You can always turn around whenever you feel like it.
Stairway to Heaven, also known as Haiku Stairs
- This is one of Oahu's most popular and forbidden hikes. The stairway was originally built for the U.S. Coast Guard to allow access to the LORAN radio antenna on the top of the mountain. The hike is super gnarly and dangerous, do not take un-athletic or incapable friends/ family on this hike. It is a whopping 2,120-foot, 3,922-step ascent.
- This hike is illegal and dangerous, hike with caution.
- Read this article for more information and on how to do this hike legally!
- Time: Total of 3-4 hours
Ehukai Pillbox Hike
- The Ehukai Pillbox Hike is a short hike with spectacular views right above Pipeline. There are awesome military bunkers at the top that look down on all of the different surf breaks along the north shore including Pipeline, Sunset, and Backyards. Here you'll get some incredible photo opportunities. Dare I say, "It's so instagrammable!"
- How to get there: Park across the street from the Sunset Elementary School Parking lot. There is a sign marking the start of the "Ehukai Pillbox Hiking Trail"
- Time: 45 minutes - 1.5 hours
Kaena Point Hike
- Kaena Point is located on the very western tip of the island of Oahu! This dramatic lava shoreline is said to be the place where the souls of ancient Hawaiians would jump off into the spirit world and meet the souls of their ancestors. It is the first hike Chris ever took me on in Oahu! It has magnificent views and not a very difficult hike.
- How to get there:
- From the North Shore/ Mokuleia side: drive to the very end of Farrington Highway and park at the trailhead. Walk 10 minutes on the mud road. Once you get to the end (the point) of the road, start hiking up to the bunker!
Images from Kaena Point!
Xx, Erin