Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp

A lot of tour groups seem to stop here, so it can get pretty loud and crowded, as well as take awhile to get food. The food was pretty good - I liked that they had shrimp burgers and my husband thought the garlic topping on the rice was great. Location is nice with some shops and a bathroom nearby.

Really cool spot. Was recommended by my Uber driver, who has lived in Oahu for 18 years. I was told this place has high quality, authentic garlic shrimp and it did not disappoint. Definitely worth the trip, especially after a long day at the beach!

Overall not bad. Food wasn't anything amazing. Ordered the garlic butter which was surprisingly quite plain. Also ordered the lemon pepper which was much nicer. Rice could have been cooked better, seemed a bit old and stale. Food took a while to be ready despite calling ahead to order. The overall atmosphere was great, the shelter was great to eat outside while not being too sunny. Would be good if they could provide knives and straws (the only have forks). Bit hard to get shells off with just a fork.

Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp is a popular stop for tour groups, with plenty of outdoor seating. It wasn’t the cleanest, but I wiped the table down with alcohol wipes. We tried the salt and pepper shrimp, boiled shrimp, and tempura—pretty good overall if you’re in the mood for some local-style food. They should. They could improve the side dishes—plain rice and pineapple just aren’t enough.

Stopped here because of a tour. We called ahead and our food was ready and quite hot. It was delicious. I had the shrimp tempura. My wife had the chicken. Cute place with a lot of charm.

Stopped at Tanaka for lunch. Outdoor eatery with a simple menu. I ate the chicken katsu. I enjoyed the meal. It was lightly fried, no heavy flavors, or seasoning, sauce provided on the side. Can soda extra. Service was fast. Location had a souvenir store, shaved ice shop, etc. I had a nice lunch.

It’s been over a decade since I’ve had shrimp from the north shore and this was my top priority this past vacation. Thankfully, the yelphood and YouTube helped me out in finding a spot to satisfy my craving. With so many to choose from. I really wanted Tanaka’s based on location and how appealing the shrimp looked. These guys are efficient, they had plates already made and we had our food in less than 5 minutes. We got the garlic spicy and the butter garlic plates. I’d rate the spicy a 5 out of 5, but the butter garlic was 500000 out of 5! Like the saying goes, the only thing better than butter is more butter! I found myself scooping up all the butter and garlic to eat that savory sauce all by itself. The beautiful thing is that with this kind of meal, you have to get your hands, face, clothes, etc dirty to really enjoy it. So don’t worry about looking like a savage and dig in!

Food was quite delicious, we stopped by here as part of a tour. So the tour arranged to have our food ready right as we arrived. There was plenty of outdoor seating. Wishing I could've had more to eat.

Amazing service and amazing food! The best shrimp and the vegetarian noodles are my favorite! Can't wait to go back

I really don't know how they do it. This place turns out tons of incredible, tasty shrimp. Fast. I was part of a large tour group that stopped there for lunch (they called in the order in advance). When we arrived, there were so many other people there (walk-ins, other tour groups, etc.), and yet nobody had to wait. There were six different options for the shrimp (plus a couple of non-shrimp options for those who can't do shrimp). They have other things, but most people opt for the shrimp plate, which comes with sticky rice and a piece of pineapple. They've got dozens of picnic tables so everyone can sit, and there are restrooms in the area. I got the salt-and-pepper shrimp, and it was terrific. I'm still thinking about the taste of that shrimp.

this place takes over as my favorite shrimp spot EVER. I'm mad I've barely discovered this place when it looks like its already really popular! I came on 4th of july evening and we were the only party there so the service was amazingly fast and we had the giant eating area to ourselves. I ordered the butter garlic shrimp plate and it was amazing. the shrimp was nice and juicy, the sauce was flavorful and had chunks of garlic, just how I like it. It comes with 2 scoops of rice and a pineapple wedge. my only issue is that there wasn't enough sauce for me, I generally love my food extra saucey so I was literally scraping the plate trying to get every last drip of sauce LOL

Food: delicious garlic sauce with tender shrimp. Noodles had a great flavor curry? Full of veggies too. My kids loved noodles. My favorite was the spicy shrimp. Perfect spice level for flavor, but not so that you were crying tears. Ambience: relaxed clean tables outside. Sink to wash your hands and bathroom very family friendly. Shaved ice and fruit stands in the parking lot lots of easy parking as well and garbage cans not as many chickens as other places. Service: fast easy to order and orders are fulfilled quickly. It's fast, casual local. They have some really cute shrimps in front to take pictures with. Free Wi-Fi

Wow wow wow!! One of the BEST shrimp TRUCKS on the NORTH SHORE! THE FLAVORS ARE AMAZING! What did we order? - garlic shrimp -spicy garlic shrimp Both were to die for.. so good and then we washed it down with a pineapple dole whip! So good!!! If you are on the north shore go to this shrimp truck with ample seating and large Parking area!!!!!

Always the best. Took my 92yo mom for a quick visit to the North side of the island and had to make our regular stop at Tanaka's. We tried the rest but Tanaka's the best! Fast friendly service, clean with plenty of parking. Shrimp are huge and serving size are very generous. So tasty we can say enough. We were in heaven. This is a must when visiting the Shrimp Shacks in Kahuku. The shave ice in that complex is so ono. Tried #25 Mango. Oh man so delish

It's been over a decade since I've had shrimp from the north shore and this was my top priority this past vacation. Thankfully, the yelphood and YouTube helped me out in finding a spot to satisfy my craving. With so many to choose from. I really wanted Tanaka's based on location and how appealing the shrimp looked. These guys are efficient, they had plates already made and we had our food in less than 5 minutes. We got the garlic spicy and the butter garlic plates. I'd rate the spicy a 5 out of 5, but the butter garlic was 500000 out of 5! Like the saying goes, the only thing better than butter is more butter! I found myself scooping up all the butter and garlic to eat that savory sauce all by itself. The beautiful thing is that with this kind of meal, you have to get your hands, face, clothes, etc dirty to really enjoy it. So don't worry about looking like a savage and dig in!

Stopped here as part of Circle Island tour. Had butter garlic shrimp which was onolicious! The shrimp were big and cooked just right. It came with 2 scoops of rice and a wedge of pineapple.

First time trying Tanaka Shrimp and glad we did! They are located in Kahuku on the North Shore. Big area to accommodate large groups. Service was friendly and food came out fast. The shrimp was very tasty. Love the chunks of garlic. Shrimp cooked perfectly! We loved the tasty garlic butter. Just wished they gave more sauce on the rice. Also wished the rice wasn't so mushy. But overall, good and definitely worth the try. Highly recommend stopping by.

Definitely yummy and fresh. Enjoyed sharing the spicy garlic shrimp plate and shrimp burger (which also includes pork in the fried patty). My fam liked their food too, but the fries are very meh. Basic frozen crinkle cut. Luckily we beat the rush of a big tour bus coming in. Order and grab food at the counter with open seating. It's good but personally wouldn't go out of my way for.

Despite being here at lunchtime on a holiday Monday, the service was fast and there were plenty of picnic tables in a lovely covered (shaded!) area. Each serving comes with 8 of the possibly fattest juiciest shrimp on the North Shore. Lemon pepper, garlic, and spicy garlic are all delicious (though our fave remains the garlic). Ample sauce served on two scoops of white rice (this could be improved on as the rice was a bit mushy but we've had worse elsewhere). And a slice of pineapple. $18 a plate. We will definitely stop here again.

Still yummy as ever! Easy process to order through the tour guide, pick up and paid at the window. Wish they gave a little more sauce for the katsu but still crunchy and yummy nonetheless. Garlic shrimp still full of flavor and sauce. Not as busy as the first time I went but plenty of tables to sit at.

i must have been to 8 or 9 shrimp places. This is my second favorite place for shrimp on the island (only because I like my food VERY spicy) . the quality and flavor is very good - if I didn't like spicy/sour so much, this would be my number 1 spot.

We stopped here for lunch on our tour and we got chicken katsu and the spicy garlic shrimp. Both were so yummy and the portions were pretty good for $18 a piece! They were very quick with their service and the seating was outside - so you were able to see what was going on around you! Lots of places that you can sit, not sure if you can sit inside though. We would definitely eat here again if we made our way around again.

Well this stop was part of the tour's lunch break! Planning ahead is what made our lunch run smoothly! Our tour bus driver took our orders before driving out here and all we had to remember is the number of what we chose on the menu plus the name of IAN our tour bus driver! Well you guessed right, shrimp shrimp and more shrimpssss! When we disembarked the bus we rushed to the pick up window , gave our menu order number and sat out at their covered patio where long tables and benches were available. Wash sinks with soap are available to use before and after eating! Nice! I got the Shrimp Tempura with 2 scoops of rice and a pineapple chunk slice!! Oh my the shrimps were juicy freshly delicious , crispy batter was very light and I surely enjoyed my lunch!

First time in Hawaii and the garlic shrimp here lived up to the hype! This is a fast, casual spot. We ordered as part of a tour group prior to arriving at Tanaka and as soon as we got there we were able to quickly pay and pick up our order from the window. We tried the Butter Garlic Shrimp and the Spicy Garlic Shrimp. Both were amazing! I especially liked the spicy one- it had a nice kick! This is definitely the top spot for a comforting garlic shrimp dish!

About 8 plate options, expect to pay $20 for a plate and a drink. We went on a lesser than busy day so, many seats available, sharing picnic benches. All three of us really enjoyed what we chose. I ordered the salt & pepper shrimp and add spicy garlic butter to my rice, my other two friends ordered spicy garlic and garlic butter shrimp. The shrimp were large and plump! I eat mine with the skin and tail but my friends don't and they were able to peel it easily. They don't devein them but they do splice them before frying. Two scoops of rice and 1/4 slice of pineapple with your meal. Very simple dishes and good nonetheless! They used to serve Pepsi for the soda but now they serve Coca Cola - ICE COLD - so good with the meal. Service is quick they're not very personal and it's all busy body business but the orders came out right. There are three wash stations, one next to the restrooms and two sinks on the side of the building walking towards the trash bins.

Food was delicious, I got the tempura shrimp and chicken katsu. Food was great and the environment was good, came here on a tour bus guide through the island. Service was decent. Food was definitely a 10/10 I would come again. There are also lots of good nearby shops for tourists

Oh so good and juicy!!! Perfect balance of spicy & garlic! Not too heavy on the oil which I love & gives perfect level of shrimp boil! So bomb.

This is the new location for Fumi's! It's been 2 years since we last had Fumi's so we were so happy to learn that this was what reopened to replace Fumi's down the street. We've tried other garlic shrimp in Oahu and Maui and this is still the best out of all of them. I still don't understand the hype of the more popular shrimp truck when it taste like any other garlic shrimp I could get at Boiling Crab in California. Our go to is the spicy garlic shrimp. The shrimps were huge and exploding with garlic flavor. You get about 8 shrimps with 2 scoops of rice. I think the sauce is plenty but you can also purchase additional sauce on the side. What me and my husband love about their shrimp is that it doesn't taste heavy with the butter. And you get a slice of pineapple! We always get our own plate to eat when we normally share to try other food. They have a sign that says cash only but I saw people in front of us using their card for a large, complicated order and needed to show ID. We still paid with cash to make it easier. There is a large lot of parking and plenty of tables with seats. There are restrooms with multiple stalls with a hand wash station outside of it. We have stopped here between 1:30-2pm, which seems to be an ideal time with no wait and after the tourist busses have left. On our last trip to Oahu in 2022, we came here 2 days in a row from the Waikiki area. We knew we had to make our way again to eat here and don't regret any of it! This is always one of the highlights of our Oahu trip that we can't stop talking about and continously recommend to our friends. We'll be back!

My husband I came to try out the garlic shrimp, This place didn't disappoint. This place dallops garlic on the shrimp, SO SO GOOD! So flavorful, and it even comes with garlic rice and a pineapple! Such a good spot.

I'm not normally one to order shrimp becauase I'm not good at peeling them, but they made it so easy to eat and keep eating! The sauce over the rice and the fresh pineapple to finish the dish- we're leaving super satisfied

For the price of $18.99, you can get 6 shrimp. But if you ask for no rice (usually it comes with 2 scoops), they will give you 2 extra shrimp instead. It honestly seems like a touristy spot, the shrimp itself though seasoned well and tasty, were not worth the price tag. They also didn't clean out the line of intestines in the shrimp, which surprised me. They did split the shrimp so it was easier to eat.

Friday, August 23, 2024: This eatery contracts with all the major tours on the island. Due to this fact (and I can only comment on the non-shrimp dishes) when creating meals en masse, it's quantity over quality that rules. We stopped here for lunch with the Majestic E Noa Tours. Our tour guide, Shorts, called in our orders ahead of time so it would be ready when we got there. Shorts got behind the window and handed out the meals. My husband, sister, and I do not eat shrimp (I'm allergic!) so we opted for the noodles and chicken katsu. The sweet & sour sauce with the chicken did nothing to complement the taste. The chicken was tough, chewy, and dry. The noodles were bland. I hope their shrimp is better than these 2 meals. At $18 per meal it was not worth it but no choice as it came with the tour. It's a cute little building and it has a nice, spacious covered outdoor patio for dining. We would not eat here of our own accord, sorry.

If you're in the north part of Honolulu do not pass up this incredible spot. We would have easily driven right by it if not for our wonderful tour guide Ian, who called the order in before we arrived to save on time. If you are waiting on your meal, there's a cute art gallery Full Fathom Five right next door. Went with the Garlic Buttered Shrimp which is major bang for your buck. The portion was mighty and filling. If I could come back here again, I would dabble in the Lemon pepper shrimp as this also looked good. Vegetarian noodle also looked good if you're not into seafood. Couldn't have asked for a better place to stop.

The best garlic shrimp you could ever get! I got the garlic and my bf got the spicy shrimp. It was a good sized portion for us both. I wish I could've gotten more but since we were on a tour we only had 30 mins to eat. The service was fast as we called ahead as well and the ambiance is amazing too as it's outside and there is also a shaved ice and fruit stand outside too.

YOU GUYS. I'm pissed this place doesn't have more reviews. My boyfriend and I ate here and got the spicy garlic shrimp and we HAD to get 2nds. Oh man. We will be back again. Also the service was fast and food came quick . I liked that they had benches and bathrooms and other food stations.

Best food I've had since my trip to Hawaii. I got the buttered garlic shrimp and it was absolutely amazing.The rice was delicious the sauce on top of it was savory, and the shrimp perfect. We also got a number five, which was a breaded chicken, and it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Juicy, and not greasy. Perfection. Highly recommend!

Disappointed at this tourist trap. There is a ton of parking but this shrimp plate is nothing to write home about... the rice is hard and the shrimp doesn't seem to be marinated in the garlic sauce like other locations, so it lacks flavor. We also purchased a "young coconut" at a neighboring stand for $12 and it was so old, tough and with no coconut milk. I even asked the guy how old the coconut was and he said "young"..

I came here as part of Go tour Hawaii. Our group of 10 people stopped here in the middle of our day between other destinations. The best part about it is that we didn't have to wait , our tour guide his name Charlie really nice , he took our orders to called the restaurant ahead an hour before we arrived, and then he hopped behind the counter and handed out our meals the moment we got there. Unfortunately, the food isn't very good. This compares unfavorably to other shrimp food trucks. The Lemon pepper shrimp and the chicken katsu were just ok, especially considering the price. The biggest appeal of this place is that it works with the tour companies, so you might come here whether you like it or not

Delicious! Best meal I've had in Hawaii. We tried the lemon and pepper shrimp and the spicy garlic shrimp. The jumbo shrimp had good seasoning and added sauce on top of the rice. This is a must try spot while you're in Hawaii. Both dishes were great. I wished I had taken one to go. Plenty of parking. Also there are shops in the same area.

Delicious and fresh! We always stop by when we are in North Shore. Both garloc and spicy garlic is really delicious. Highly reccomend!

Pay attention to this bright, green building next time you're traveling through the North Shore of O'ahu! Tender, large shrimp served here in their variety of plate flavors. All the sauces are homemade! Definitely a must try! - Spicy Garlic - Lemon Peoper - Butter Garlic Finish tour meal with some iconic Dole whip ice cream! YUM!

Ordered a spicy garlic shrimp. Location is very north of Honolulu. Shrimp was tasty and rice was perfectly cooked. Worker was fast and friendly. Plenty of outdoor seating available with low music in the background. There was a stage set up, I'm assuming it's for live music (sometimes)? Plenty of parking available as well. Although it's delicious, I've had better. Plus the drive is too far out in my opinion.

Don't let the name fool you. This place is 100% Chinese as are its guests. Not that that's such a big deal but there is no local flare at all. This is NOT Fumi's although it is in the same location. The shrimp and the rice are over salted, overcooked and overpriced. They charge for shoyu, if you can imagine that!! On the upside it has plenty of seating in the shade and has restrooms which are under-stocked and a little bit dirty. The service has no personality whatsoever.

My first ever garlic shrimp on Hawaii! And it aimed to impress. We came late afternoon after the lunch rush so we did not have to wait long for the food. All of the food was piping hot and the flavor was amazing. The seating is all outside on picnic tables with a large covering. It's definitely a rural business so just be prepared! They have sinks and a restroom but are not the fanciest things but it's all about the experience! :)

We stopped here because of its convenience off the highway on our way home and we were told the garlic shrimp was to die for. I'd firmly disagree. It was just alright. We had garlic shrimp at other places on island that were PHEMOMENAL so this was a very sad plate for it. There was enough excess garlic butter to add on top of the rice which made the rice tasty but the shrimp were just topped with the sauce and didn't taste like they had sat in sauce for any amount of time so they really lacked flavor. The place was cute and there was a store and snowball stand in same lot but I wouldn't recommend if your goal was delicious butter shrimp. We had better.

I'm not the biggest seafood person, but this garlic butter shrimp was so yummy! The seasoning of the shrimp was so good, and I really enjoyed the rice because it had the same garlic butter sauce all over it. The rice with the shrimp was the perfect combination! I enjoyed sitting outside eating my food. It does get crowded at lunch time, but there weren't any issues finding a spot to sit. I would definitely recommend coming here and miss the shrimp plate so much!

Came here after spending the day hiking, and am SOO happy I stopped by. My sister and I got the garlic shrimp and it was the best garlic shrimp I've had on the island. Service was quick and friendly. I wish they had more of these locations throughout the island because of how good it was. We were able to finish our plate both in less than 5 minutes.

While visiting Honolulu it's pretty much a standard day to travel to the other side of the island for shrimp ~ The atmosphere is like fast food order at the window, pay in cash, get your order and head to a large covered picnic area, wooden tables, paper plates, plastic silverware & plenty of paper towels as these meals are messy. This location has a nice upgrade, an open area sink where you can wash your hands. It's clean & fans are going to the flies stay away. The food is fine.....we had 3 different type of prepared/flavored shrimp they all tasted the same to me. My biggest issue is none were deveined so I did mine~ Is worth the drive? If you haven't been b4 I'd say yes but go early and if it's the weekend go really early.

Tanaka is one of the many shrimp plates stands out here on the island and is just one of those foods where I feel obligated to have during my trip to Hawaii. Not much felt unique about this spot as they don't offer much besides Katsu, tempura shrimp, and the cooked shrimp as the proteins. Each plate costs $18 and each shrimp plate only comes with 2 scoops of rice and a pineapple slice as the side. The rice was a bit overcooked and soggy to my liking, but I did keep finding myself taking bites of rice with their garlic butter sauce. Their katsu comes with a sweet katsu sauce which I was not a fan of, and was just overall plan but had a nice batter. Their plates could definitely use some more substance, other than that this is more so of a stop that you would make here to fulfill your hunger!

The sauce is some of the best sauce for shrimp I've ever had, really garlicy. They have a sink for you to wash your hands and plenty of benches! They play music and there's plenty of families. They do cash only and every item is 18 each.

We came with Go Tours Hawaii, and made the stop for lunch. There was good service and nice outside seating. Food was good too!

Service is so quick! Spicy garlic shrimp are juicy and delicious. Rice and pineapple make this the perfect meal. Plenty of outdoor seating and a few other food stand and restroom close by.

The food is very tasty! Shrimp cooked how I like it and very flavorful. I recommend getting extra butter garlic sauce on the side. Service was great, answered all my questions and was very informal and friendly. Great outdoor ambiance with local music great vibe.

Intro: I took a tour across Oahu and Tanaka Kahuka Shrimp was our lunch spot. Since our guide called in our order ahead of time, our food was ready for us when we arrived. Ambiance (2.5/5): This is a no-frills type of spot. You order at the counter and they only have seating outside at picnic tables. That means if you have a small group or you're solo and they're busy, you may be sharing a table. Luckily, the seating outside is covered which provides a respite from the sun. They also had a stage outside so I wonder if they have live music sometimes. Service (N/A): Since our tour guide called in the order ahead of time, service wasn't really a part of my experience. I picked up my food at the counter and took a seat. That's it. Drinks (3/5): Cans and bottled drinks are offered here. I went with a Hawaiian juice. Food (3/5): I went with the butter garlic shrimp which is served with rice. This is shrimp that you have to peel on your own. The sauce was solid. Not incredible but solid. The portion side is decent. Not generous but decent. We're seeing a trend here. Pretty much your run-of-the-mill meal. Overall: If you're on the north side of Oahu, Tanaka Kahuku Shrimp is not a bad choice. Especially because Hawaii is known for its garlic shrimp. For $20, you'll have a meal and a drink. Not bad for Hawaii prices. They also have other flavors and two non-shrimp options: chicken katsu and noodles (vegetarian option).

The food at Tanaka was so good, it made my soul sing! The spicy garlic shrimp and sticky rice were incredible! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I tried Giovannis up the street and the next day I tried Tanaka's while on a tour of the island. Shrimp wasn't warm and no Mac salad or lemons. I ordered the spicy garlic and it was underwhelming. Our tour guide was the one who went back to the kitchen and got our meals distributed to us so I can't say much about the interaction with the customer service team. Ambiance - it was quite dead when we went around 2pm besides our tour group. Plate wasn't pretty enough or worth it to take a picture.

Garlic butter shrimp is delicious. 10/10 I would recommend just enough rice. Must stop on island/shrimp tour