Lanikai Shrimp Shack

Where or where did the shrimp shack go? Oh where or where can he be? Those used to be my favorite food truck, but now it’s no where to be found. Oh so sad. At least give a girl and update!

Best fish tacos around. Always looking for small places to eat happened to end up at the Lanikai Shrimp Shack and had the best food we have had all week. Fish tacos are TO DIE FOR and the English Pig Dog (new) is amazing too!!! Telling everyone about this place!

I came here with my friend for a late lunch on a Tuesday. There were 2 people ahead of us and the guy took all of our orders first so he can make it at the same time. He was friendly.
There was a table by the lunch wagon and a fee chairs scattered around. But there is also a atone pillar behind the truck where you could easily have a seat; not to mention the beach in front of you!
Being that it was late lunch, around 1pm, our wait time was much shorter compared to the other reviews. We waited behind the lunch wagon, under the tree, for about 15 minutes. The guy was nice enough to get out of the truck, find us to let us know our food was ready. Super good service!
Unfortunately this is where the 2-​star rating is explained. The shrimp plate came with a big scoop of rice, a slice of lemon, some cabbage, and the shrimp. But it was so awful. This lunchwagon probably uses generic brand shrimp. The shrimp was so tiny and rubbery. The taste was not so great either. There was not enough garlic and the shrimp was so dry. I looked underneath the shrimp and there was no sauce at all.
The taco plate was huge. It came with Mexican-​style rice. The tacos were made with cabbage, tomatoes, what I believed to be ahi, and sauce was drizzles over the top. The taste was okay. The tortilla was nice and soft. I liked the tacos better than the shrimp plate.
Overall the food was not very good, and for for a place called Lanikai «shrimp» shack, the shrimp was awful. The tacos were not anything special but it was certainly a large portion for only $ 6.00.
If you are looking for good shrimp, the Lanikai shrimp shack is not the place to come. Make that extra 17 miles of a trip to head over to the north shore or Kahuku.
Had it not been for the great service from the guy who was running the place at the time, I probably would have given it 1 star. But, in any case, I probably will not be coming back here any time soom.

Pretty sure they have an invisible truck, or else they’re not here. So disappointing.

Carne Asada 5 stars! Juicy and flavorful! Fish tacos 3 stars, they were good but needs more of a kick and crunch, they offered Saracha so that helped! I asked for 2 taco plate but the lady gave me 3 on purpose, that’s so unheard of where I come from, super generous. Oh and I over heard a patron asking her about her Llilikoi butter, he seemed like a big fan, so if anyone tries it please let me know if it’s any good.
If you are in the area and need food, this is def a good option, Gooooo Carne Asada!

Yum! Sooooo glad we tried this food truck. Fast, fresh & delicious: perfect! The setting is pretty awesome, too, right at the edge of the beach.

Why is it we always end up craving seafood when at the beach? We spent the entire day driving around the Island and soaking up some rays on multiple beaches. By the time we got to Lanikai Beach we were starving and were so happy to find this truck at the entrance! The menu isn’t huge but the fish tacos with seasoned fries were our first choice — and around $ 6 for two tacos it didn’t seem like a bad deal.
It was after 5pm and we were the only ones in line to order. The guy was nice enough — but took awhile to get our food. I think the grill was off by then so that may have been part of it and also he was working alone.
The tacos itself were decent — keep in mind living in the Bay Area I am able to get some amazing authentic Mexican food so in comparison these tacos weren’t the best I have eaten but was taste worthy — and the Sriracha sauce he suggested we add on to the tacos definitely added that extra kick that was missing! Apparently the tacos are served with Mexican rice but being late in the day they had run out so we got some plain rice instead. The fries on the other hand were really good. Loved whatever seasoning was on them.
Took our food and grabbed a spot on the beach and just enjoyed the ocean waves… all in all totally worth it :)

Great shrimp for an embarrassing wait.

Us Philadelphians hold a peculiar pride for our food truck scene. We like our fried fish tacos, cupcakes, and falafel dispensed from a steel truck parked on a city –sidewalk as quickly as a fast food employee could ask, «Do you want fries with that?»
So when looking for a swift shore-​side snack, Lanikai Shrimp Shack seemed the perfect option. A short line meant that parking in a handicap stall wouldn’t be too treacherous as long as the hazard lights were left blinking and we remained vigilant.
Not so much.
Time spent at the Lanikai Shrimp Shack
12:47 — 1:01: 3^rd in line for food; at 1:01 p.m. the first-​in-​lines were served, and the delicate air of garlic braised shrimp wafted past our noses. Our lips moistened as we watched them douse their rice in Sirracha, grab a fork and head off to consume their 6 shrimps each.
1:01 — 1:13: 2^nd in line for food. The couple before us was prepared and served 3 mahi mahi tacos each. Our stomachs rumbled as we stepped up to order our food.
1:13−1:15: A brief conversation with the man — and only man — manning the truck ensued. We’d like a order of 6 garlic shrimp and 2 fish tacos. We didn’t care what order they came in — and would just like to please be served as the dishes are prepared… oh and an Arizona Green Tea would be lovely.
1:16 — 1:18: The duo behind us orders Hawaiian pulled pork and something else.
1:18 — 1:27: I crane my neck into the truck and watch as the man prepares the shrimp. Garlic crispified? Yes. Shrimp added? Yes. Sticky rice plated? Yes. Shrimp sautéed? Yes. 8 pieces of shrimp emerged… an error in our favor. No worries.
1:29: Pulled pork makes its way through the window.
1:27 — 1:35: Shrimp is consumed. Some require de-​shelling, but that’s fine because the crispy garlic that adorns the fresh shellfish permeates the very depth of the meat. It’s moist, succulent, juicy and requires very little spice. The rice is sticky, and slightly sweet.
1:35 — 1:38: Discard scraps behind the truck. The fish tacos, one either side of yet another succulent pile of sticky rice, meanders its way from the Shrimp Truck. We return to the car, which has since been relocated to the middle of the parking lot — less illegal but more of a pain for other drivers, drive 50 feet and park beneath a tree.
1:38 — 1:45: The fish chunks are charred, crisp and juicy. Topped with a slightly sweet corn infused salsa, fresh cheese, and slivers of crunchy iceberg lettuce, these are best consumed with a drizzle (or more) of Sirracha. The tacos are double wrapped in griddled corn tortillas with a slightly garlicky after taste.
Lesson learned for me: Island time applies to food trucks.
Moral imparted for you: The Lanakai food truck is good and serves freshly prepared meals with fine ingredients, but if you’re in a rush, you’re out of luck. Is it worth the 45 minutes? Well that just depends on how hungry you are and cranky you get when you don’t eat. Honestly, it’s fine, but it’s doesn’t necessarily merit another jaunt. After all, if you’re in Hawaii, fresh seafood abounds, and you don’t need it dispensed out of a truck for it to be enjoyable.

Most shacks don’t roll away every night, but this one does. Look for the truck (or trailer) in the parking lot by the beach. If you can’t find it, ask around. There are three parking lots in the park.
The food was delicious. I had fish tacos and I liked it so much, I came back for more the next day. My friend had the shrimp which I sampled. It was pretty good too, but I preferred the fish tacos.
One more thing. Expect to wait. Even if there is no line, everything is made fresh to order so give the cook a little time. It’s worth the wait. Grab your food and go sit down by the beach for the best view in town.
Only two minor issues otherwise this would have been a five star review; The guy in the truck (from CA.) handled my money with his vinyl cooking gloves still on. Since I’m not sure whose g-​string my $ 20 bill was tucked into before it found its way into my wallet, I’m not keen on mixing money handling with my food. He said he works for the owner (who we met on our second visit) and I noticed *that guy* was meticulous about handling money separate from food. The other minor issue was the wait, but if you’re expecting that, no biggie.

We got there late in the afternoon (had just eaten) and saw the truck which looked like it was going to close up for the day but decided to walk the beach first. Well, when we got back the truck was still there so we decided to order the garlic shrimp… it is after all the «shrimp shack». I actually kind of felt bad because I think he was done for the day and of course we decided to order but he was said it was okay and not to worry… he was super nice.
We got the shrimp plate in 5 mins and it was huge. not only did it come with the 12 pieces of shrimp (I think it was more) and tons of garlic in a butter sauce (that was not too saucy) but with 2 heaping scoops of rice as well. The shrimp weren’t the super jumbo size but they were still a good size with the shell on and I just loved all the garlic. Mind you some people don’t like a whole bunch of garlic but I certainly do and they were big enough pieces that you could scrap it off if need be. We also got some nice firm, chilled watermelon that was chopped up, soda and water to boot!
The shrimp shack had other items on their menu (hamburger, hot dogs, tacos, etc) if you so incline not to try the shrimp and they are reasonably priced. Overall, pretty good shrimp and easy on the wallet. I’ll be back!

Amazing fish tacos. Amazing shrimp plate!
Wayyyyyyy better than giovannis– just had it yesterday, so I can compare… the staff was super nice and it wasn’t all hyped up…
Idea for lunch for two: get a 6 or 10 plate of shrimp and a two taco plate and split the happiness…

Fish tacos are awesome and reasonably priced for what you get!!!
1 taco for $ 5 or two for $ 8. Fresh mahi mahi fish served with two soft tortillas and topped with crisp lettuce, salsa, cheese and a chive sour cream! Served with a side of red rice, Cajun style.
It’s a huge portion, so two tacos is enough to split.
Truck is usually there until 6 pm.

Really really good fish tacos!!! Quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. They have a huge selection of food compared to other shrimp trucks, which was nice. I was excited to try their shrimp plate because others had rated it #2 after Macky’s. It was pretty good but I’m not sure if I’d put it up there next to Macky’s…
The shrimp wasn’t quite as buttery as I had hoped but the garlic was amazing. They also have kahlua pig and hot dogs. Definitely different from other shrimp trucks known for their seafood.
It was also fun to sit on the beach eating our food too. It’s definitely located in a nice location though parking can be tough and seats outside the truck are limited. Prices are reasonable but the truck can be hard to spot. They don’t really have a sign that says they’re the Lanikai Shrimp Shack, you just kind of have to go with your gut and check out the white trailer truck that looks like a food truck. That’s what I did.

I hate to buck a trend, but my experience here wasn’t all that great, though I may have just had an off day. Apparently I popped over when they had just set up, and the guy was completely overwhelmed. There were 5 or 6 people waiting for food and it took me about 45 minutes to get a shrimp plate. I’m a pretty patient guy but that was really pushing it, he really seemed like he needed some more help in the truck.
As for the food, the shrimp were good, however by the time I got it the rice was cold and the shrimp were room temperature. Tasty, yes. It’s a tough call on this because if it were not for the wait time and the cooled down food I’d probably rate it much higher. As it was though, I can’t say that it was an overall good experience.

No doubt my fave shrimp truck on Oahu. Something about the garlic shrimp with pieces of almost raw pungent garlic made me want to weep from joy.
You can share this dish, but I wouldn’t! The plate comes with 2 scoops of rice and oodles of shrimp. I couldn’t finish my rice but ate every shrimp.
$ 13 bucks only!
YUM. This place is an absolute must when visiting Oahu.

Seriously… Guy Fieri (Diners, Drives and Dives) will be rolling by this food mobile pretty soon… you just watch… (but maybe I don’t want that cuz the lines will be around the block and the beach will become super crowed)
Anyways… just got out of the water… after like 5 hours of snorkeling… can I just tell you… GARLIC SHRIMP HERE IS HEAVEN… 10 huge pieces with amazing garlic sauce and… two scoops of rice and a big juicy lemon.
Seriously I have been to «established restaurants» and their shrimp ain’t even this good! actually it is El crapo compared to this place! Hey Joe go burn your shack… pertaining to Joe’s Crab Shack… hahahahahahaha
Cool white guy working in there… laid back… now that is my kinda restaurant… :)

Yummy shrimp and fish tacos! Cheap too. It came out to 13 $ for a 6 piece shrimp plate with rice and 2 fish tacos. Great beach meal.

Ranked #2 on my list of shrimp trucks visited in Oahu.
The garlic butter shrimp was delicious! Very buttery and very garlicky. I rank Lanikai Shrimp Shack second to Macky’s based on the shrimp, since they weren’t as jumbo as the shrimp at Macky’s. But Lanikai Shrimp Shack’s sauce is more buttery, and the garlic isn’t as cooked down as Macky’s, so it has a bolder garlic flavor.
I tried their fish taco as well, which was super flavorful and the fish was very fresh and tender.
A day at Lanikai Beach and garlic shrimp at Lanikai Shrimp Shack for lunch … I can’t think of many more ways I would want to spend a day.

Yet another food truck. It’s the only one at the Kailua Boat Ramp so understandably, they get a lot of foot traffic.
My friend and I were pretty hungry after frolicking in the ocean for nearly an hour. They sell hot dogs, fish tacos, shave ice, and of course shrimp. We opted for the 2 fish tacos for $ 7.00. The tacos hit the spot! They were pan fried with spices and laid out on tortillas with shredded lettuce, cheese, and mayo. They give you salsa to pour on the fish tacos and we gobbled them down in no time. Their shave ice is catered towards tourists. They would be more appropriately called «snow cones.» My friend said he felt like he was chomping on ice cubes. LoL. It’s $ 3 and quite large. You can choose up to 3 flavors. I got mine with pineapple and lemon-​lime with li hing powder. That was the first time I had li hing powder on shave ice and it was delicious!
They are open daily from 10:00am to 6:30pm.