Does Opal Thai sound too fancy for you? Need a more casual, quick bite? Kahuku Grill might fit. It’s several miles outside of Haleiwa, and a tiny pitstop on the side of the road. It offers perfectly good burgers and fries, but the number one item on the menu is the coconut-macadamia crusted shrimp complete with side salad (lettuce or macaroni), furikake rice, and a Thai sweet chili dipping sauce. Shrimp trucks dot the entirety of the North Shore, with many of them serving up delicious options, but even the mouthwatering garlic shrimp does not compare to the coconut-mac. The chili sauce completes the flavor trifecta and the whole meal combined is a refreshing plate lunch after a day at the beach.

Keep in mind that, like most places on the North Shore, the restaurant is small and often busy. The service has always been perfectly friendly, but lines are common and many times the only place left to eat is at one of the tables outside. Most of the year the balmy tradewinds so common on Oahu prevent this from being a problem, but when the winds die or during heavy rain, outdoor eating can be unpleasant.

If you would like to stay in Haleiwa, Kahuka Grill has a sister restaurant in town called Seven Brothers that focuses on burgers and fries. The Paniolo (cowboy) burger remains my favorite, with the combination of barbecue sauce, onion rings, pineapple, and grade-A beef making for a truly delicious (and messy) experience. Seven Brothers’ rosemary potato slices are rightfully famous and not to be missed. Either restaurant is a great option for a day on the North Shore, and if time allows, it’s probably worth visiting both.