Every winter from November through February, the North Shore of Oahu comes alive, that means right now is prime time on the Seven Mile Miracle! The North Shore is the ultimate gathering place where the world’s best surfers, tourists, surf fans, groupies, surf industry peeps, hippies, outer island legends, photographers, and fringe big wave psychos all looking for a thrill. The waves can range from flat-day-fun to death defying madness and can go from one-foot to twenty foot in a matter of hours! If you’ve never been to the North Shore during winter, you’re missing out on a true wonder of the world! There’s really nothing like feeling the beach shake beneath you as you watch surfer charging aquatic monsters live and in person. Most of you reading this know about the waves, like Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, but do you know where to eat, stay, relax, or watch football? If not, no worries, we got YEW! Here’s a simple guide to the North Shore of Oahu.
Where To Eat:
Pupukea Grill
59-680 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
This permanently parked food truck is the go-to lunch spot for some of the world’s best visiting and local pro surfers. On any given day you could find yourself eating a healthy Hawaiian plate lunch (grilled chicken or fish, rice, salad, and macaroni salad) sitting next to the likes of Jamie O’Brien, Makua Rothman, John John Florence, Coco Ho, etc. The food here is excellent and the vibe is all aloha.
Sandy’s Sandwiches
Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
This little food trailer moves around a fair bit, but you’ll always find it somewhere between Pipeline and Waimea Bay. The trailer is tiny, but the sandwiches they make are big and tasty! The menu is simple with sandwiches, salads, a kid’s menu, sodas and water. The roast turkey with brie cheese is a favorite, perfect meal for between surf sessions.
Ted’s Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
Ted’s Bakery has you covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. The local style meals like garlic shrimp, loco moco, and fried rice specials, are big and hearty. And for dessert. Ted’s World Famous, chocolate-haupia pie and pineapple macadamia nut cheesecake will destroy whatever plans you had to diet or cut down on sugar—they’re too good.
Breakers Restaurant and Bar
66-250 Kamehameha Hwy, Ste g-120, Haleiwa, HI 96712
Breakers is a bar and restaurant in Haleiwa, owned and operated by pro surfer Benji Weatherley and is awesome mom, Barbara. This breakfast, lunch, dinner spot has great food, cold drinks, and a good vibe. Part sports bar, part family friendly restaurant, but all aloha. The menu is packed with favorites like the pulled pork sandwich, Kahlua pig quesadilla, coconut shrimp, fish and chips, and so much more. Need a spot to watch football on the North Shore? Breakers is it!
The Sunrise Shack
59 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
The Sunrise Shack is a MUST on any visit to the North Shore. This little slice of paradise in paradise serves Organic Coffee, Bulletproof Coffee, Papaya Bowls & Superfoods sourced from around the world. The menu is incredible with items like Almond Coconut Bullet coffee, to Papaya Bowls; to Brain Tonic teas that will kick start your day the right way. Pro surfers and health nuts, Travis, Koa, and Alex Smith started this spot, tell em, “YEW!” when you visit and get your superfood fix.
Lei Lei’s
57-049 Kuilima Dr. Kahuku, HI 96731
Lei Lei’s is where surfers go when they win World Titles or any of the big surf contests that go down on the North Shore. This is the go-to spot for date night or dinner with friends. The prime rib is ridiculously good, crab dip is a must, and the chocolate chip cookies and ice cream dessert is the greatest thing you’ll ever eat. Fine dining in a casual atmosphere, yes, flip-flops are welcome at Lei Lei’s.
Where To Stay:
AirBnB.com
There are hundreds of house rentals ranging from baller mansions to backyard shacks and most of them are available on AirBnB.com. Our best advice would be to stay somewhere between Sunset Beach and Sharks Cove, all the houses in this zone are less that a block or two from the beach (or beachfront) so you’ll be able to get to the sand in a matter of minutes from anywhere you stay.
Turtle Bay Resort
57-091 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, HI 96731
What Else To Do (besides surf and eat):
The Pipeline Skatepark
59-460 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712
There are a million things to do on the North Shore from hiking to horseback riding, but if you ask us, if you’re not surfing, you should go skating. Located right up the street from the world famous Banzai Pipeline, the Banzai Pipeline Skatepark is a concrete dream! This is where you go when the waves are flat and you’ve got energy to burn. You may not think about bringing your skateboard to the North Shore of Oahu, but trust us when we say bring it, this park is fun.
