4. Restaurants

Romy’s Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp

56-781 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, HI, 96731
  • (808) 232-2202
  • Store is closed

Romy’s Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Visit below restaurant in Kahuku for healthy meals suggestion.

Kahuku Grill ( Kahuku Sugar Mill,56-565 Kamehameha Hwy )

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Janice H.

    "Giovanni's tasted better ... " *cringe* "Don't understand what the hype of this place is about." *double cringe* To all of you people who had a bad experience @ Romy's and believe that Giovanni's is superior to them: YES, YOU ARE RIGHT! DON'T COME HERE ANYMORE AND GO EAT THERE! (that way, you'll take up less space in line da next time I hit up Romy's. Tee-hee-hee-haw-haw-haw!) Giovanni's probably tastes better because maybe you've eaten the same shrimp from somewhere else? Maybe da kine frozen ones you purchase from the supermarket or Costco? FYI: A recent news story reported that some of the North Shore shrimp trucks buy their shrimp from overseas, while others refused to divulge their sources. Romy's can actually claim theirs are fresh because they own one of the last profitable farms for "consumer shrimp & prawns." (Source: kitv.com/money/24779105/… ) Romy's is the ONLY shrimp truck who can claim that they farm their own shrimp/prawns! Right in da back of dat wooden shack where you order your food! Go take a look if you no believe me. I absolutely love and adore Romy's because they can guarantee their product is fresh, and their butter sauce is to die for!! When da BF & I get our orders, we grind 'em plenny, but we ration the garlic butter sauce & save it .... dat way, we can come home, make a fresh pot of fresh rice, and pour the leftover sauce all over it! So ghetto, but das how ono (delicious) dis stuff is! :D Look, if you're gonna vacation in Hawai'i/on O'ahu, why would you wanna waste gas and 2-3 hours worth of time driving from your hotel in Waikiki to go eat shrimp at a place that had it imported in from Asia? Or purchased it frozen from a food supplier? You can go eat da same thing back home at Sizzler's! Or, at shrimp trucks located in Honolulu that are WAY closer than Giovanni's. I'd rather eat at a place that grows and harvest THEIR OWN SHRIMP/PRAWNS because that's as fresh as it gets, folks. They can guarantee the quality of their product. It makes a difference --- think the difference between sashimi caught off of Hawai'i waters vs. something frozen & brought in from Southeast Asia. Which one would you rather have? Yah, da line is long, but just remember to bring along a book, magazine, Nintendo DS, a smartphone, a chatty friend, or whatever else it'll take to occupy your attention until you're served. Romy's no ka oi! (Romy's is the best!)

    (5)

  • Jj L.

    Nothing special. Not worth the wait. We were starving for lunch and skipped a few other places with no lines to come here. Was a little disappointed about the price and when the meal finally arrived after 45 minutes even more disappointed. There's no secret sauce here butter garlic or shrimp scampi its all the same. Save time and move on the next truck spot your stomach will not regret it!

    (2)

  • Jan T.

    This is my 3rd time at Romy's and for me personally, my last. I had the fried for the first time, trying to decrease the messiness. My shrimp were not cleaned. Gross! I had to deconstruct and try to clean them. Once again, gross! They were overcooked and my corn was undercooked. I just don't like shrimp that much.

    (2)

  • Sheila Marie C.

    THE PRAWNS AND SHRIMP ARE HUGE! This place is amazing for having super duper fresh prawns and shrimp! When I first came here last weekend I ordered the butter and garlic shrimp because they were running out of prawns, but luckily my fiance was able to get his prawns so I just took one from him. Overall, the taste of the shrimp and prawns were deliciously good and fresh. The place itself is right next to a pond where they catch their shrimps, prawns, and fish every morning. Everything that is on the menu won't be guaranteed (especially the prawns) because it is all based on how much is available that day. So I guess it is best to come early if you want your prawns. We arrived at Romy's around 3:00PM and the line was kinda non-existent at that time. Even if there was a line-it wasn't that bad. Now...lets talk more about the food...my only complaint about the food is that I was expecting the butter garlic shrimp to be amazing but it actually wasn't. It was alright for me. The garlic was kinda burnt which isn't what I like. If you are into burnt, crispy garlic- then knock yourself out and get this dish. However, I will say that I am happy I got to try a pregnant prawn! haha. I know that might be gross to some of you, but I love pregnant prawns! Lol This place is kinda pricey too. If you are willing to pay about $13-$16 for a plate, then go for it! You are paying for really fresh seafood so it does have it's price! Overall Romy's is a 4 for me. I love the freshness of the seafood, but not the butter garlic sauce or the garlic itself. So far...my favorite garlic shrimp is from Macky's.

    (4)

  • Courtney O.

    This review is for all the people who don't eat garlic! Sorry everybody but I hate garlic.. it makes me sick. So if you hate garlic too... don't worry! There is something here for you besides garlic shrimp! Get the fried shrimp (#3) with sweet spicy sauce. It is soooo yummy!! I would recommend it to everybody. The shrimp is fresh and the sauce is really good. Big Ups: They have a bathroom! Well.. it's a porta-potty but it's still a bathroom! Yay! They also have a couple of sinks with soap so you can get any shrimp off your fingers that you couldn't lick off. They is a large outside eating area with picnic tables and we never have trouble finding a place to sit. Awesome!

    (4)

  • Abegail A.

    Shrimp shrimp and more shrimp. I was told that this was the place to go for shrimp when in North Shore. And so we head, we got in the car and headed for Romy's. We had the shrimp wrapped in wonton and the steamed shrimp. The fried shrimp was pretty good, a little small but good. It came with a sweet and sour sauce and some white rice. The steamed shrimp (1 pound) came with your choice of 2 sauces (I had the garlic butter and soy based sauce) and also rice. The fried shrimp was pretty good, although the shrimppies were a little small. The steamed shrimp I enjoyed more, I like being able to use my hands to eat. They were plump, juicy and big. They have a small section where you can wash your hands after eating with them. It's nice to feel clean after getting down and dirty with your food. Overall, great experience and great shrimp. I'm going to have to try the garlic shrimp next time, the couple next to us made it look so good.

    (4)

  • L O.

    Out of all the places I ate while I was on vacation in Hawaii, Romy's was definitely the best. Since my sister use to be a local, she recommended this shrimp farm. I was super excited to see what the hype was all about. When we got there the line was pretty long, we waited about 1 hour 15 minutes total... definitely longer than we expected. We were actually supposed to also stop by Givanni's to try the food too, but didn't have time... we were going to be late to the luau. So we ended up ordering the steamed prawns, steamed shrimp, and butter garlic prawns. And let me tell ya, I've never seen such huge prawns, they were super massive! I tried all three and they were so succulent and perfectly cooked. You can really taste the freshness of the local grown shrimp. My favorite would have to be the steamed prawns. I like be able to taste the sweet natural flavor and juices of the prawns. I also enjoyed eating the garlic butter ones too. The strong salty garlic taste was quite yummy with rice. They also offer a variety of dipping sauces. My top two were the garlic butter and the sweet & spicy sauce. We ordered 8 or 9 orders and devoured it all! It's so so DELICIOUS! :) Next time I'm in Hawaii again, I'll definitely be stopping at Romy's. Can't wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Kayla R.

    I really enjoyed the food at Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp Inc! Butter & Garlic Shrimp yelp.com/biz_photos/Xywd… Ling Hing Pineapple yelp.com/biz_photos/Xywd… The shrimp was really good, and it was very convent that a sink was by the tables (because finger foods really get messy.) But I must say the things I didn't like about Romy's is for one the tables are extremely dirty. I think they should try to clean it a little better because the flies were just going crazy flying all over the place, especially onto my food. Another thing is the wait, it took quite a long time to get my food, when it wasn't even busy! Lastly, I got their ling hing pineapples, it was very sweet I had to admit, but they did not taste fresh cut. It was a tad soggy. Overall I am a HUGE fan of their shrimp now!

    (4)

  • Riana S.

    Gotta give it to da Filipinos. Tanks ah Uncle Romy! Come here every Christmas and I swear, it keeps getting more expensive! But whatever, I don't really care because their shrimp is so AMAZING. Their shrimp is the real fresh deal considering they're right there next to you in the water near the eating area. I always get the garlic butter shrimp plate. It comes with 10 shrimps, I think like 3 scoops of rice with sautéd chopped garlic, ALL over the rice (my personal favorite part!) and the dipping sauce (I wanna say it's a little bit vinegar, shoyu and....I can't figure out the last part..chili pepper?). I'm so sick of watching haoles & tourists try to eat their plates with their forks and no physical contact with the shrimp/prawns. You must TOUCH the food. You must PEEL. Work for your food like caveman days! It's like cracking sunflower seeds; if you buy just the seeds, where is the fun in that?! Anyway, my family and I bring a cooler filled with our beverages because we're chang (cheap) liddat (like that). If you're local get yourself a stamp card, 10th plate is free! Hopefully there's no expiration date on it...

    (5)

  • Thanh H.

    During my one week in Hawaii, I managed to have Romy's twice despite the 1+ hour drive. The first time we had tried it on a Friday morning soon after it opened and we were able to order the deep fried fish, prawns and the garlic. The wait was roughly 20 minutes to get your food. Two days later I was craving for the prawns and the fish however we got there late and all they had was one pound of the prawns, no more sweet shrimp or the fish. The girl knew how disappointed I was driving in the rain to get there so she gave me all the prawns they had left which probably was close to two pounds :) and I only paid for one. That made me feel a little bit better once I opened the Togo box. If you are looking for the garlic shrimp, I found Romy's a little dry, I prefer Giovanni's more because it was more marinated. However I strongly recommend the fried fish and the prawns steamed with the garlic butter dip.

    (4)

  • Jenn H.

    The butter & garlic shrimp....it's so good, I dream of it. Being from the desert..New Mexico, I probably don't have much to compare it to as far as seafood goes. BUT I've traveled a lot and I did live in San Francisco for a bit...sooo...I'm not totally unfamiliar. Romy's is definitely worth the 9 hour plane ride from ABQ. I can't say I've actually tried much else on their menu besides the butter & garlic shrimp...but every time I go, I cannot resist! I know now, all the Yelper's are saying the wait is LONG, but I can say the several times I've gone, my wait wasn't more than 15 mins. Maybe I'm just hitting it at odd hours and not the lunch or dinner rush. Next visit I'll be sure to get something different on the menu AND the butter and garlic shrimp...I'm gonna need some help! :0) So my rating is based on one dish...sorry, but it's THAT GOOD!

    (5)

  • Clarence A.

    3 1/2 stars I know I will get alot of heat from other when I say this but I honestly don't know what all the hype is!!! I had the butter garlic shrimp the wife had the eggrool shrimp, tried the sauce for both, don't get wut makes this place a 5 stars, I can honestly say I've had better. maybe it is what I ordered but I did not see or taste anything out the ordinary, I did appreciate the wifes plate had a few of her eggrolls I think her plate was better then mine but still didn't deserve 5 stars. I guess a local got to take me back out here to tell me wut to get haha to prove me wrong but as of rite now Romy's still gettin 3 1/2 stars food *** 1/2 don't believe the hype service ***** they quick and friendly price $ cash only folks ambiance **** on a hot day cold day or wet day beautiful out here. cold day haha in Hawaii cold is 78degrees hahaha that is summertime in the bay!!

    (3)

  • Arturo G.

    OH MY GOODNESS is this place amazing. This love this place so much. The Garlic and Butter Shrimp are amazing. They make it easy to eat beacause they cut the shrimp in the middle for easy opening. but to me i use it to suck out the juices. So yummy. If you go during the weekend prepare to wait. It takes about 10 minutes to cook your order cause the shirmp, prawns and sun fish is fresh from their farm from the back. and the line might be long. but it is so worth the wait. I am a member of the buy 10 get 1 free club. pretty cool cause when you get your free meal they announce it. Also their Kilwawen (raw shrimp) is amazing. We brought some salt and pepper and some more lemons. It is also BYOB. This is a must stop for anybody in Oahu. Writing this review makes me want to go get some right now.

    (5)

  • Flynn M.

    We had the prawns. They were smaller than expected and fewer than expected. They also weren't succulent or juicy. Perhaps they were a bit over cooked. However, for a bit extra we got extra garlic and butter. They were very generous. The plate was covered in crispy garlic. Albeit a tad on the burned side. Nevertheless the butter garlic was amazing. I rarely eat even half my rice, but I ate it all. After the rice was gone there was still some butter and garlic for me to scoop up and savor. If you're looking for great or even good garlic shrimp, this is not the place. If you love garlic and want a tone of garlic butter rice, stop here. But don't spring for the prawns; they aren't worth the extra money. I've eaten garlic shrimp at 8 or 9 places on Oahu and Romy's is 6th in this competition. The garlic shrimp is good, but on an island with so many amazing trucks they're just far from the best. Note: they charge a couple dollars more than other places. We spent $40 for two but my wife got a full plate combo and we both had prawns with extra garlic butter. The full plate is not worth it. Only the garlic shrimp is good; she didn't eat her sides. Also, the prawns are not worth the extra money.

    (2)

  • Michael J.

    Don't get me wrong, the butter-garlic shrimp is good. But considering the length of the wait and the prices, I expected more. I've eaten at several shrimp trucks and shacks around these shrimp farms along the North Shore, and this is the one at which I always see a long line. So I tried it today. Bit of a let-down, honestly. The shrimp is no better than any other place, but I guess what sets it apart is the size of the shrimp. They are jumbo size, much bigger than any other place has to offer. But make no mistake, you will wait for your food. They don't kid you about this, so that's good. The cashier told me up front that it would be 20-30 minutes which was a nice customer service addition. Price per plate is more expensive than most places, which includes rice and dipping sauce along with about 8 shrimp, or 4 prawns. Overall? I'd go back here to try their prawns, but I'm in no rush, and certainly don't think it stands out from any of the other shrimp joints in this area.

    (3)

  • Alik W.

    First: it *is* good. This isn't a positive review, burt it's about why I personally wouldn't go again. You might like the place. Basically, my comment is that I didn't enjoy it as much as Giovanni or Blue Water, and mainly because of yum per unit time. romy's focuses on fresh. When you order it, shrimp that were in the water that day go into a pan just for you. That's the first problem.Were there five people ahead of you in line? Get ready for a half hour wait. My other beef is the sauce. Theirs is not bad, but I like the more buttery garlic sauce of other trucks better. Again: this doesn't make them bad. If you want to experience the full range of trucks, you should try here. If you have a truck you're happy with, then I say skip it.

    (3)

  • Jade S.

    4 stars? Seriously? Seriously?? If the only garlic shrimp truck people have tried on the North Shore is Romy's, then people are going to think that's what real garlic butter shrimp is. Um, no. First of all, as soon as I saw the prices, I wanted to leave. I'm sorry but they shouldn't be charging $20 for a garlic shrimp plate, any other local shrimp truck charges around $12 for a huge plate of good food. But let's ignore the prices for now and move on to the food. Let me say, that every shrimp truck on the North Shore is different, and I will say that the quality of the shrimp at Romy's was excellent. But the lack of sauce in the garlic shrimp makes the shrimp or prawns seem dry and completely flavorless. The shrimp seemed to be tossed in unsalted butter and topped with charred, burned garlic with no sauce on them at all, with the exception of a side of soy sauce. I did appreciate that Romy's offers prawns in addition to shrimp, which separates them from the other shrimp trucks on the North Shore, and I'm sure other dishes they have are good. Like maybe if you're craving plain prawns with some rice this is the place to get it. But if you're looking for some real North Shore garlic shrimp with some sauce all up in it, I wouldn't recommend Romy's.

    (2)

  • Gabriel T.

    So I came down here for the first time on independence day before heading off to a beach day and fireworks night show at Turtle Bay. My sister let us to Romy's which is conveniently located on the North Shore obviously after Fumi's Shrimp and before Giovanni's on Kam Highway or after Gio's and before Fumi's depending on which direction you are coming from. The parking gets packed really fast depending when you go. There are 2 areas with large table seating areas almost like picnic style kine benches. They have one port a potty for a restroom. When we came it was just mad hecka poppin'. The line was all the way right pass the fencing. The plates are also pricey too, cash only. It was like a 2 hour wait for our plates in which we got the special of a pound or so of shrimp, rice, and the sauces that it comes with which is spicy shoyu pepper and a couple of garlic ones. During the wait, my friend and I went down to Foodland to buy some stuff and kill time. When the plates were finally ready, it took like half an hour to peel off all the shellings from the shrimp. I wanted to take them all off before eating just to save some hassle and so that I can just eat the damn plate without any interruptions. So with all of the time spend waiting for the shrimp to be finally eaten, it better be damn worth. I have admit it was pretty damn good shrimp especially dipping it with all of the sauces. The meal was very filling and satisfying. I got like about 20 shrimps in the plate. But I don't know taking a visit to Romy's, waiting for shrimp, peeling the shrimp, etc. will probably a once or twice a year kinda thing for me. I am the kind of person that just wants to eat period no, just me the shrimp I'll boil it myself. Yelp 365 Challenge #340/365

    (3)

  • Elizabeth N.

    Alright, the battle of the shrimp trucks....I've tried 3 so far and all have its pro-s and cons and truth be told, it really comes down to individuals taste buds. As for Romy's 5 star for the freshness of their shrimp and 4 star for their facilities, but the taste of the food and service was lackluster to me so 2 star. Although Romy's is the only shrimp truck/shack to physically grow their own shrimp and catch them fresh from their pond to your plate, I wasn't in love with their garlic shrimp. Here's my recap: Pros: -Super fresh prawns and shrimp. No one else along the road can claim they have their own shrimp ponds and cultivate their products fresh. -Lots of clean, covered seating and real sink with soap to wash up afterwards -That spicy dipping sauce served with the garlic shrimp was the true standout! Cons: -The garlic with my garlic shrimp was burnt and our rice was swimming in unflavored oil. At least let my oil be butter ya know??? It was just....oil. -Service was kinda wack. The young girl behind the counter just seemed flustered or overwhelmed by too many people near the end of the day, so she screwed up our order and we ended up having to wait for our food twice and they ran out of prawns so had to settle with shrimp. Actually, I liked the shrimp better. -At closing time (6pm) they promptly turned off the Hawaiian music and literally started BUMPING club music. And they have speakers hanging all around the dining area! I'm all for Wiz Kalifa/Snoop Dog but hello there's a lot of customers still eating and not sure we all want to hear about "n*ggas" smoking weed or smackin' the hos, while eating shrimp with our children andloved ones. If this was their personal attempt to get rid of the people quickly then hey, it works!

    (2)

  • Daniel S.

    I bought a pound of steamed shrimp here. They were pretty tasty! Get the garlic butter sauce on the side. I saw people getting the prawns. They were huge! Will try those next time.

    (4)

  • A Y.

    The best find on our HI trip. We had the steamed prawns and garlic shrimp and the first was definitely the way to go. If I can rate them separately, prawns would have 5 stars whereas the shrimp would get 1 star. The latter is chinese style garlic shrimp, but way overcooked. The shell stuck to the little buggers and the meat had lost its springy texture. Prawn is an entirely different story. Perfectly steamed, ginormous, and so sweet and fresh that it gave a crunch between our teeth. It was a so good that we returned the next day but the guy say they weren't serving prawns. =( The ladies at the window were super sweet and nice. This was especially impressive as they were swamped at the time. Love Romy's! TIptiptip: I saw this tip on here but just want to reiterate it. CALL ahead. We were coming up from Haleiwa so I called when we were 10 min away. When we arrived there was a HUGE line. We didn't know we can head straight to the window so bf stood in line for a bit before i went up to ask. But for the 10 min that he stood in line, the line did not budge at all. So if we hadn't called, we would've waited 30 min in line, plus another 20-30 min for our food. By calling, we waited 15 min for our food. Fantastic! Also, Romy's website has a drink coupon. It's 1 free drink for each plate ordered. We got 2 free drinks!

    (5)

  • Tisha Y.

    This is my 2nd time here & I have plans to come back every time I visit Oahu. My boyfriend & I came here last year when a wonderful local at the hotel we were staying at gave us a list of her favorite places to eat. We drove an hour to get here & the wait wasn't too long. I ordered the garlic shrimp & my boyfriend got the 1/2lb steamed prawns. The lady said that they're currently out back retrieving a new batch, so it will be a wait. We didn't mind because now we know it's FRESH!!! We came back again this year. It took 20 mins to order & 40 minutes to pick up our food, but... it was worth EVERY minute to sit down & tear those delicious suckers apart :)

    (5)

  • AL K.

    Drove all the way to KAHUKU inspite of heavy rains just to have a taste of the famous garlic and butter shrimps. Its very garlicky and its so yummo!!! $13 for approx 7-8 pcs.

    (4)

  • K T.

    It is expensive for an order but it sure is all worth it. It's so fresh and the flavor is just bursting inside your mouth. Garlic Butter Shrimp = heaven. Sun fish = awesome deliciousness. Fair warning though-- the line gets crazy long and they always run out of prawns so you have to come in early.

    (5)

  • Mac J.

    Tasty shrimp plates. However, lost my appetite from waiting over an hour and fifteen minutes. Extremely slow customer service. This place loses customers because of the minimum 1 hour wait time. T omake things worse, some shrimp on my plate were not fully cooked. I'm not coming back to this place. Romy's niece is a good friend of mine but her uncle needs improve the quality of the food.

    (1)

  • Shao B.

    we originally stopped to get some shrimp/prawns, but opted instead for the li-hing mui pineapples...ordered 2 bowls for $5 and they tasted sweet and was pretty average. funny thing is it actually had this weird after-taste that almost tasted like the oils that they cook in and garlic mixed in with old li-hing powder...not sure if that's much of an explanation, but it was odd nonetheless... what's really weird is my kids stopped eating it after a couple pieces and they absolutely LOVE pineapple...things that make yah go hmmm!!

    (3)

  • Sam R.

    Deeee-lish-ous!! Our family of 4 shared the steamed shrimp; Sweet & Spicy Prawns and Garlic-Butter Prawns! Finger lickin' gooooood! Romy's now offers brown rice - I was happy as I prefer it! For O'ahu the prices were reasonable, shrimp & prawns are fresh - they are raised in ponds on site; and the window gal was friendly and patient with us new to the Shrimp Truck experience! Looking forward to a return visit!! NOTE: CASH ONLY!!!! **BIG THANKS to my sister-in-love Kimas for being the best tour guide... EVER!!!

    (4)

  • T W.

    We were referred by a relative. As we were driving in this general direction anyway, we decided to stop. The shrimp was tasty. Certainly better than what you get at Red Lobster or similar. Apparently they farm their shrimp in the large ponds behind their shack (fresh water). A local who was with us said they preferred another place after trying Romy's, but agreed this wasn't bad. A bit over-priced, but apparently not much different than any other shrimp seller in Kahuku.. The corn was overcooked, but flavorful.

    (3)

  • Art D.

    I promised myself that I would pass up Giovanni's and try out something new at the Kahuku trucks. In short, I should have stopped back at Gio's when I passed Haleiwa. Maybe I'm just used to Giovanni's, but I felt that the shrimp at this place was meh. We got the butter/garlic (brown rice) and sweet/spicy shrimp (white rice). I usually just eat the shell with my shrimp, but here at Romy's for some reason it was uncomfortable to eat. I had a few shrimp that still had veins/crap. The white rice was overcooked in my case but the brown rice was perfect. The spicy/sweet sauce was more of the sweet chili Thai sauce that you would put on the Thai BBQ Chicken S1 Special in any Thai joint. I asked for "spicy" and there was no heat. The butter/garlic had more flavor, but the toasted garlic was more "burnt" - that seems to be a filipino thing with the fried rice that they (we) do. Overall, an okay experience, but the long wait was not worth it. I recommend Gio's or the other truck next to Gio's that also has Korean short ribs (the best). BTW, these shrimp trucks seem to have met the prices of other tourist joints. Pricey for what it was. I would not have mind the price if the food was delicious (not just good - but delicious).

    (2)

  • Melissa T.

    We arrived at Romy's at 12:30pm on a Monday. The line was so long that it took us 50 minutes to get to the window to place our order. It was another hour after we placed our order that our food was ready....that makes it almost a 2 hour wait to get our food from the point we arrived. The garlic prawns were tasty...as always. We come to Romy's every time we visit Oahu and have filled a number of their frequent buyers card. But the wait was way too long this time. They really need to get more burners so they can cook more orders faster. 4 stars for the prawns; 1 star for the wait. We are going to try another shrimp shack the next time we're on Oahu. I search for great food like Romy's but with better service. The wait really overrode the food.

    (3)

  • Richard S.

    I don't give out 5 stars very often, but this place definitely deserve this rating. Very fair price for the portion. Taste is excellent!!! We ordered their garlic butter shrimp (out of prawn). They keep it simple and straight to the point. Shrimp, rice, dipping sauce. I think the sauce is optional. The shrimp is already cooked really well and got excellent flavor. The only downside is my commute from Waikiki. I still think its worth the drive. If I ever visit Oahu again, I will definitely swing by this place at least once (along with Matsumoto shaved ice). I like the fact that they got outdoor hand wash facility. My hands got dirty peeling the shells so I resorted to my regions way of eating rice (5 fingers....). Easier to make sure I got every grain of rice along with all the butter garlic sauce.

    (5)

  • Noa L.

    I prefer Romys over any other shrimp stand/truck in Hawaii! Why? Well, for one they're the only ones that serve Prawns (I mean did you see how huge they are?). Another plus is that they Harvest the shrimp and prawns EVERY morning unlike most of the other trucks who buy their shrimp from the store. I don't mind the wait as well , we leave after we order anyways to get Poke from Kahuku Superette and return to my Amazingly delicious 1lb Steamed Prawns with Butter and Garlic sauce ! Sooo good!

    (5)

  • Su-Lynn T.

    The shrimp here is delicious and super fresh. We got the garic and the steamed and loved both of them. The fried sunfish was also really really good. The shoyu based sauce is good because they flavor it with fresh chilies it seemed so it's a little spicy but a lot of flavor, better than just shoyu. The prices here are rather high though, and they tend to charge for every little thing, like an extra cup, or extra fork, etc. The wait times for the food are also long, but they do state that on a sign up front. Lines CAN be long too, but if you go early before lunch crowds it can be avoided. Overall, worth it for the fresh fresh shrimp. and there is a covered area for seating which is nice, but you are still open to the elements so flies etc can hover around.

    (4)

  • Gemma R.

    45 minute wait for shrimp. Not worth the wait, not worth the price and seriously, Giovanni is better. This one wasn't buttery enough or garlicy enough. I love my garlic and I expect to have indigestion after eating garlic shrimp. I didn't even suffer from bad breath, NOTHING! Lame.

    (2)

  • Sara Y.

    This is the only shrimp truck that I've been going to on the Kahuku side, for the past 5+ years. What keeps me coming back is their garlic butter shrimp with their homemade spicy, shoyu sauce. It's so delicious, that it's worth the drive out to that side of the island! When my party and I know our estimated time of arrival, we usually call in our order so that we don't have to wait in the long line in the scorching sun. BUT, I've noticed that when it is busy at Romy's, it seems that they purposely don't hang up their phone, so that when you DO call, all you get is the tone that you get when you don't hang up the phone, that annoying beeping sound. Prices have gone up a couple of dollars over the past years. I also tried the li-hing pineapple which was sweet and refreshing!

    (5)

  • Jackie D.

    Overall it was just ok in my opinion. The sauce on the shrimp was good, but not great and the shrimp was fresh water. I'm not a fan of fresh water seafood, at all, whether it be fresh water fish or fresh water crustacean. Price was way too high in my opinion, $18.50 for 8 pieces of shrimp with 2 scoops of rice. They only gave all of us 6 pieces of shrimp, but regardless we were all full. If I could price it, I would price it right around $13. Although I feel it was over hyped, I'm glad that I tried it out

    (2)

  • Gee E.

    Tried this place yesterday after a friend (local) told me it was better than Giovanni's. It was. Garlic butter shrimp was good, but the fried shrimp was a hit for us! Sweet spicy chili sauce was yummy to dip it in and the shrimp was freshly fried! Want to go back there again today for lunch just for that fried shrimp since we are staying in Haleiwa. I no longer live here (it's been 13 yrs) but I'd drive here for that fried shrimp! Gave it only 4 stars since the sautéed shrimp with minced garlic didn't taste as fresh as I was hoping.

    (4)

  • Grace B.

    Recommended by my cousin. I am vacationing on Oahu and my cousin wanted to show me the best Prawns and Shrimp place. So we came here at Romy's. ENVIRONMENT This is actually pretty cool. I have drove by Fumi's and Giovanni's and you really do not see anything straight forward of where your shrimp or prawns come from? It's pretty much straight forward where your stuff is coming from. When you see this RED shack of theirs, you see a shrimp, fish and prawn farm behind. You can actually walk around the area just to sneak a peek where your food is actually coming from. It's a shrimp/fish/prawn farm. Sooooo fresh from there. There are red picnic tables that match the shack and the place is well maintained and clean. There is a sink where you can wash your hands with water and soap. There is also an ATM machine too for those of you who need cash. The lines can be very long. IN fact I was asking myself why was I standing in line too long? My cousin who recommended this place say, "Believe me, you will not regret the wait." Sure enough......after taking the first bites of my food, I honestly can say, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT. FOOD I ordered the number one on the menu. My dish was called Shrimp cooked with Garlic and Butter. It comes with a spicy shoyu sauce and also came with steamed rice. It's good. So so so YUMMY DELICIOUS! I also had pineapple cubes drizzled with li hing mui powder. So so good! There are other stuff on the menu too. Yes I was surprised that after waiting too long for our food, I actually can honestly say it was WORTH IT! So so delicious. SERVICE Okay I will not sugar coat. It does have a long line and on top of that the service is very slow. I see that the cashier is multi tasking from taking orders and also giving the order's out. Well they do have a system going on. Looks like they are organized. I have no gripes about waiting that long. I can honestly say they make up for it with the taste of the food. VERY DELICIOUS! CONCLUSION So here is what my cousin told me. For the past 37 years, my cousin has always been allergic to shrimp, prawns and crab. She get hives and scratches like crazy. BUT HONESTLY..........when she eat's at Romy's, she doesnt get the hives or those allergic reactions. Why is that? There has got to be something good happening here. I will definitely come back.

    (5)

  • Mitch W.

    Romy's is awesome. I've eaten here a couple of times and it's very fresh, tasty and a must visit when you hit the north shore of Oahu! Four stars of the food. Not much atmosphere since you eat outside and have to make sure the flies don't eat your food too. This visit I had the one pound of steamed prawns. After a short wait, my plate came with 4 large prawns, two scoops of rice and cocktail sauce. For the one pound prawns, you have a choice of two sauces. You eat with your hands and suck out all the juice and meat from the prawn head, so if your not used to doing this, then you might not like it. The prawns taste more like lobster and ohhhh sooooo goooood! I haven't tried the other shrimp trucks, but I can't imagine they would be better than Romy's. It seems like they changed the menu slightly since I was there last, but basically the same. I've posted a few pictures. Cheers!

    (4)

  • Lydia W.

    So good! Worth the 30 minute wait. There are more items on the menu than at Giovanni's. They also offer panipopo, which comes out faster than the shrimp in case you come starving, need something to prevent your stomach from eating itself, and don't mind having dessert first! We got a garlic butter shrimp, a sweet and spicy prawns, and a pound of steamed shrimp (spicy soy sauce and garlic butter to dip). I would advise against getting the prawns. I did read on yelp that you only get around 5, but I thought it would be worth the succulence and difference in texture. WRONG. I just felt quite jipped, plus the sweet and spicy flavoring just is not as yummy as the garlic or the steamed. We truly enjoyed the shrimp! We feasted on the steamed shrimp first to taste the pure flavors. Delicious and meaty. The garlic butter shrimp is just heavenly. Plus, the rice that accompanies these shrimp is the BEST! I couldn't contain myself with the shrimp and neglected the rice until each shrimp was gone. I loved pouring the leftover juices on the plain rice and savoring the remaining oily, garlicky goodness. FYI, they give two huge mounds of rice with each order :) No need to bring wet naps, there's a sink and soap to wash your hands after feasting. Seating area gets a little bit windy, might want to bring a hair tie and light jacket.

    (4)

  • Sharon O.

    It's expensive. They don't give too much shrimp for the price and it doesn't taste amazing but it's good. The shrimp was actually pretty fresh but Still I don't feel it was good enough where I would wait half an hour and pay the price for it again.

    (3)

  • Sheila L.

    We fell upon Romy's when we had just finished up eating at Giovanni's not too far away. We were driving along and saw the sign and was like hmmm... let's try it! Good thing we had shared a plate earlier or else I wouldn't have been able to fit another shrimp in my tummy. hehe... (^ ^) We decided to go with their shrimp and prawns. Might as well since how often do I get to eat this.. The prawns was really fresh! Literally because their shrimp/prawn farm is just behind their place so you cannot beat that! The meat was tender and sweet and very plump. Definitely have to watch out for those pesky flies again. Grrr... We also tried their Pani Popo which is something new and it was delish! Very soft and chewy bun with warm coconut milk poured on top. We were told it was considered to be eaten before the main meal but we did the opposite and ate it for dessert. haha... Overall I liked it the same as Giovanni's. If I had to choose.. it's hard because it's a toss-up. Romy's shrimp wasn't as great as Giovanni's but yet Romy's prawns were delish! Either way it proves how much I love shrimp trucks!!

    (4)

  • Jocelyn R.

    This was crowded and touristy and not an especially good value. My husband ordered the shrimp and although he enjoyed it, he indicated that it was no better than shrimp he's had back home.

    (2)

  • Lannie N.

    Soooo Goood!!!!! This place is on the North shore, so the drive may annoy you a little and you may get super cranky in the car, but when you get there and finally get your food after waiting a while for it to be prepared, you're sooo happy. Plus they have a sink to wash your dirty hands (from picking and licking all that yummy shrimp or prawns). This was my first time here, after being recommended by my good friend b/c as you know there are tons of shrimp trucks on the North shore, but this is the ONE! WHY? 1. They have their own shrimp + prawn farm 2. Everything is prepared to order (negative though that this makes a bit of waiting time) I don't mind the wait (esp, since when you order they tell you if you're okay with that. They have tons of parking and seating. I ate the garlic and butter prawns while my bf had the sweet and spicy. I think my garlic butter was much more flavorful. Even though they give you a choice of shrimp or prawns, dude choose prawns they're meater and yummier. I gotta try the steams one with an extra side of sauce next time :) I love ripping their heads off hehehe.

    (5)

  • Suzanne R.

    I LOVE Romy's Shrimp Shack! I make it a must every time I take the long route to/from North Shore. It's the perfect end to a day filled with sun and saltwater! And the location is great. It's a little shack situated along the Kam Highway next to huge sprawling fields and shrimp farms. Super low-key, with a tent and picnic tables to plop down with your peel-eat-shrimp. It's messy and dirty and delicious! The shrimp and prawns are SO fresh and you can taste it. It's like they went out back, scooped some up out of the ponds and threw them in some boiling water, each time there's an order placed! Other then cleaning the outside of the little guys, there's not much else they do to them. So be prepared to peel off the heads, legs and anything else you don't care to eat. It can be a little gross, but it's worth it. I can handle the shrimp deconstruction, but not the prawns. Those things scare me! It'd be nice if they were pre-beheaded, and that is my only reason for not giving giving 5 stars. Oh and get the garlic butter! It's sooooo good!

    (4)

  • TD H.

    Excellent. Just excellent. Fresh and garlicky and FRESH. Yes, there's a wait and some order and pick up. That's the nature of the beast. Fresh will never be on par with fast food in timeliness.

    (4)

  • Justine L.

    This visit to Romy's was stop #3 (of 4) on our shrimp truck adventure this past June and it was a bit underwhelming. The highlight of this visit and what made Romy's unique in our food marathon was the fried shrimp, which were wrapped in eggroll wrappers and deep fried. The wait for our food after submitting the order was 15-20 minutes and I had the hardest time peeling the shrimp here (when compared to the other shrimp trucks we visited that day). Also, the cleanliness of the eating area left a lot to be desired. Bottom line: I would recommend checking out other trucks since they have similar/better offerings, shorter wait times, and cleaner eating areas at comparable prices.

    (2)

  • sybril s.

    Romy's was the second stop of our shrimp truck hopping. First attempt - We went there on a Sunday and it was P-A-C-K-E-D. We got in line for about 25 minutes, finally got to the window, only to find out that they're out of prawns and there's an hour wait for the food to be done. Forget that! Second attempt - We went on a weekday (who would remember what weekday it was when you're on vacation in Hawaii?). Much better, there were only 2 people in line and we got to the window within 5 minutes; however, the wait time for the food was still pretty long. I'd say we waited for 15 minutes. We got the #1 with prawns (garlic with spicy shoyu sauce). I waited with high expectations since I saw the crowd on Sunday... but to my disappointment, it was nothing special. The prawns were small and muddy. They had mud on the "legs" and they tasted like mud. A bunch of fried garlic on top but that didn't quite "cover" the mud taste. The fried gralic was good but again, anything fried is good. There's also a "prawn fishing" thing there back at the shrimp ponds. I walked over to check it out but there was no one there. It cost $35 per person to fish the prawns... hm... I don't think so. I'd go to Fumi's just down the road over Romy's. It's just overrated.

    (2)

  • Darci N.

    Delicious shrimp. Be prepared for a long wait. This occassion we waited 50 minutes for our plates and doesn't include the 20-30 minutes standing in line to place our order. They have many choices but I honestly think they could expand the kitchen a little to provide more cooking space and woks to get the food out faster. Other than that, the food is delicious and tasty.

    (4)

  • Jack S.

    Romy's was a great find that came at the right time for lunch during an island loop while seeing the sites on Oahu. We stopped first down the road at Fumi's but I wasn't enticed by any smells, there were only a few people there, just one family eating, and I didn't get a good vibe. I'm glad that we didn't just order and eat because Romy's provided all of the things I'm looking for in a roadside stand serving fresh food. Before we could read the sign, we could smell the garlic from the highway, and it was like a homing beacon for our noses! We pulled in and thought, the line doesn't look so long, let's stay and eat. First, let's get the negative that keeps this from being 5 star for me out of the way, the wait is loooong. I mean really looooooooooong. It was a Sunday afternoon granted, but their service is really slow. There were approximately 10 - 12 people/families in front of us, but it took over 45 minutes to get up to the counter to order. The line certainly didn't look like it would take that long to get orders in for the number of people waiting when we first pulled over. Second, the wait after you order is loooooong too! After waiting 45 minutes, we thought, ok, now we're set. Nope. It took 35 minutes after that to get our food! The other negative that I have was that it was pricey for being a local grown operation. I mean, the shrimp ponds are right behind you, and you want $13 for a shrimp plate with rice! When you're on vacation it's more about the experience, which overall we enjoyed, but usually when you go to the source, it's less expensive, not more expensive. Now, on to the positives. The food was excellent despite our wait. My wife and I both got garlic prawns, and they were awesome. We also liked that they had brown rice, which was fluffy and delicious. It seems like the prawns are pre-steamed or boiled, and then sauteed in a garlic butter sauce with all kinds of extra garlic and butter on top. The food is messy, because the shrimp are deveined, but not peeled, but it is worth it, and they have sinks with soap to wash up with! The dining area was nice, picnic tables under long huge shades, with the breeze coming in off the ocean, it was a nice place to sit and rest after being in the car tooling around all morning. The place was packed, and mostly made up of locals, which is always a good sign when eating out on vacation. If you're not in a rush, and willing to deal with "island time" Romy's is a great pit stop on your trip around the island. Don't even think of stopping at one of the other trucks you see, go to Romy's with the big red building and the line out to the road!

    (4)

  • Monique G.

    I am from San Clemente, California and I am visiting my friend who lives in Manoa and on our travels to the North Shore we stopped at Romy's for lunch. I have been to Oahu several times and I love Romy's. The food the service and the atmosphere is amazing! I recommend Romy's to everyone, locals and visitors... Thank you for the best shrimp I have ever had!

    (5)

  • Lynn N.

    2 years ago, we stopped by Romy and "accidentally" ordered prawns and OMG it was the best thing we ever did. This time we were so excited to drive around the island for the prawn. Unfortunately they were out. I was so disappointed. Husband and I ordered spicy shrimps instead and the size of the shrimps was way bigger than Giovanni's, rice was perfect. We stopped by Giovanni earlier due to great Yelp review and OMG I was so very disappointed. At Giovanni we ordered spicy shrimps and a house salad. Spicy shrimps were too spicy, scale 1-5, spiciness was at 7, couldn't enjoy the shrimp because the spiciness took over, make sure to bring lots of water for their spicy order, price were too soggy, house salad portion was very tiny. When the salad came out I laugh so hard because it wasn't as I expected, it was potato salad, not the green salad I was hoping for (my bad for not reading the description). Giovanni is 1 star because of "too" spicy shrimps and soggy rice, Romy is 4 because shrimps are bigger than Giovanni, spiciness is at tolerating level, perfect rice texture. I would give Romy 5 stars if they had my "prawns" ;)

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    Compare to Famous Kahuku, this place ain't that good. The reason why we came here was because I had a coupon for free drinks with each plate ordered. We ordered fried shrimp, garlic butter and sweet & spicy shrimp. Although, the shrimps were jumbo, the taste wasn't there for all that we ordered. The garlic was burnt in the garlic butter and it got stuck in the rice, so the rice tasted burnt. The sweet spicy wasn't spicy. I could only taste the sweet on couple of the shrimps. We should have tried Giovanni's. The wait is long too and there was two people ahead of me, I waited about 30 minutes for our food.

    (2)

  • Mike V.

    We waited a hour and a half for our food, and when it was ready the shrimp was overdone. I would avoid the hours of 12-2:30pm.

    (2)

  • Diamond Girl L.

    My friend and I went as we all good things about Romy's. So off to North Shore we went... We waited in line for 30mins to place our order. Then we waited...and we waited...and waited... We finally got our shrimps after a 2 hours wait!!!!!!!!!!! Were the shrimps good? Yes Was it worth the wait? No Would I do it again? Absolutely not!!!! No food is worth waiting for 2 hours.

    (3)

  • Barbara C.

    Don't stop at just any shrimp stand in the north shore, make it out to Romys. I personally love their sweet and spicy shrimp but almost all my friends swear by the butter garlic.. I've never had the prawns but I'm scared of heads haha so take your pick. If your really hungry you could finish 1 order on your own but i recommend sharing with a friend. its peel n' eat and very messy but they are prepared with a sink. The people working are also super friendly.

    (5)

  • Ro R.

    it was a lazy sunday and the weather was nice, so we decided to drive up to kahuku for some shrimp. this was our first time at romy's and the wait is no joke--45 minutes! and that didn't even include how long we stood, which was about 20 mins. i ordered the traditional butter & garlic shrimp plate. i thoroughly enjoyed it. i liked the toasted garlic and the shoyu sauce was really good. if i'm craving kahuku shrimp, i'll definitely stop by romy's.

    (4)

  • Jay J.

    This place is a scam for tourists who know nothing about Kahuku shrimp. Sure, the butter and garlic shrimp tastes okay - but what doesn't taste good soaked in butter and garlic? Fried shrimp was creative but ultimately a failure. What really got to me was that the "Kahuku" corn we ordered wasn't even Kahuku corn, just regular corn. The shrimp didn't look right either. The brown rice option was nice. Ate and felt like we were missing out so we went down the street to Giovanni's for MUCH better food - should have just started there from the beginning. Lesson learned. Btw, they rip you off too - $3 for water? They must have mistaken their place for a nicer restaurant where customers aren't sharing their food with flies.

    (2)

  • Chris F.

    Pretty ho-hum compared to famous kahuku shrimp truck. Garlic shrimp had no garlic flavor, it all falls off onto the rice. Head further down the road...

    (2)

  • Lucky L.

    Sitting on the benches, harassed by fly's the size of my fist, big monster trucks flying road dust in my hair, is all worth it when you sit down, stick the prawn in butter and suck it's brains out. Good stuff.

    (5)

  • Ian S.

    OH MY GOD AMAZING FOOD! Worth the wait 100%. Messy eating so be careful but fantastic food. I wish they had this in Los angeles!

    (5)

  • Bryson W.

    I think that I was over-hyped to eat at Romy's. When you get there, the smell of garlic fills the air as 10-20 people are already in line. It's long, but I thought that I would give it a shot with my friends because we had all the time in the world to waste, and it doesn't hurt to try Romy's and compare it to my favorite shrimp truck a couple miles down the road from Romy's. The line moved fast as one lady was taking orders, calling people out for all their orders, and she was also the designated cash register lady. As I got to the front window, there were fly's all over the place attracted to the amazing garlic smell. It's expected, so I don't mark off a star for this. I got my order, I was #42. Anyway, I thought that I would get my plate within 5-10 minutes like I would at Giovanni's, but to my surprise it took at least 30 minutes to get my plate. I mark off one star for that. Phone orders were priority when it came to the orders, so phone orders coming in after my order will still be made before I get my plate (shitty deals). I was super hungry and started to peel off the paint of the table to entertain myself as I waited for my shrimp to be cooked. When I got my plate, I was smiling because the shrimp looked so good, it looked fresh, and I thought that it would be fresh since they have their own farms right next to their shack. To my surprise, the shrimp wasn't hot, it was cold, and it tasted a bit gritty. The sauce they make is light and pleasant, and the spicy shoyu sauce compliments the shrimp well. Aside from the wait and the cold shrimp, the shrimp size is big, and you get 9 good pieces of shrimp for 12.75 + tax. It's a deal.

    (3)

  • Lisa L.

    Each time we come to visit family on Oahu, we make a point to sample the shrimp trucks on the North Shore. Several years back, I remember the first time I ate at one, one place served purple yams on the side which was GREAT. Since then, I haven't run across any that do. This was our first try at Romy's (we think). Husband, younger son ordered garlic butter shrimp and proclaimed it awesome (but so messy). Older son and I ordered the sweet & spicy shrimp. Right away, though, my shrimp was off-putting - tasted heavy, mushy, and even dirty or pond-y. Not the fresh light snappy taste you'd expect from super-fresh seafood at all. Unfortunately, later in the day our boy suffered stomach cramps due to either the shrimp or the spicy sauce. He too said the shrimp tasted "weird." It cut the enjoyment from the rest of that day. Also, I'd have to agree with a few other reviewers that the service was a bit condescending. Signs all over admonishing "this is not fast food" and charging 25c for 1 clean to-go styrofoam. Which, of course we had to toss the leftovers after realizing they were the culprit of the bad tummy. Will have to sample another truck next time around.

    (2)

  • Dee J.

    Want to treat yourself to some sweet succulent shrimp? Try out Romy's! You can not go wrong with the Garlic Shrimp, it's the best I have ever tasted. If you're expecting a nice indoor place to sit and enjoy your delicious food, think again, it's an outdoor place with many chairs and table with a sick. Not a fancy place but boy the shrimps are to die for.

    (5)

  • Keith M.

    Everyone said it would be really good and it was. A little far away, but worth the drive.

    (4)

  • John L.

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH so GOOOD!!! I probably will hate myself later for posting this up, but I would like to support this bizniz because they're shrimp is so effin delicious. Yes, they have their own shrimp right there and the wait staff is so nice and friendly. OMG. I love it, if you are into fresh shrimp, garlic, and rice, this has to be it. Sucked on those shrimp head, enjoy the oh onctuous flavor of the shrimp and not to forget the dayumm fine umame experience, finish it with forking/pinching a ball of rice into your mouth, all this while you are in Hawaii, sighs..... ROMY'S IT IS!

    (5)

  • Shannon C.

    Love Romy's! The best garlic prawns/shrimp. While I was pregnant with my son, I made my husband drive all the way to Romy's from Aiea to get me a plate of Romy's garlic prawns. Hmmm sooooo goooood. Since my son was born, I haven't had time.....but soon I will be back!

    (5)

  • Paul S.

    awesome shrimp. gotta wait like 20 minutes though. nice tables, good view, sink to wash hands. $12 - $13 / plate -- not too bad.

    (5)

  • Victor Y.

    my wife and i are very picky sometimes when it comes to eating at places. if the food is great sometimes we might over look some dirtiness, but this time we couldn't. as soon as we get to romy's it's about 15 people deep. we look around to see what people are eating and there is only one couple that we see eating and they are having shrimp with the head and everything on it. it's the big large prawns and my wife doesn't like that. never the less we stilled wanted to try it. while waiting about 5 minutes goes by and we only move up by one step. we continue to look some more since there is nothing else to do and we notice an abnormal amount of flies in the area and the tables are super dirty. i mean black, never been cleaned in ages dirty. at that moment we notice that the lines still hasn't moved and it's grown another 10 more people. we decided to leave and not eat here. unless giovanni's there isn't a line to order, but a line to wait for the food. the area is clean and there is plastic tables instead of wood tables. i definitely prefer giovanni's. i'm glad we went to romy's and hope we can try the food someday, but the dining area needs to be improved. enjoy everyone!

    (2)

  • Steven L.

    Romy's is the only shack that serves up their own harvest prawns and shrimps on this stretch of the road and they are the only one that has prawns. The prawn with butter garlic was delicous (plate w/ rice). But if you order the one pound prawns, then you get their biggest catch. You have a few dipping sauce selections. Our favorite was the soyu spicy, yum. Aloha!

    (5)

  • Jeff W.

    I would highly recommend this place if you are a lover of shrimp or prawns. I had a pound of the prawns and they were delicious....so fresh. And the price was very good, the first thing I purchased in Hawaii that was actually cheaper than in So Cal (16.99/lb. compared to 20/lb. in Cali). Throw in an ear of the grilled sweet corn and you have a meal fit for a king.

    (4)

  • Phillip W.

    I've been a loyal giovanni shrimp truck customer for over 10 years, but I was always curious about the 'other' shrimp stand. My friend and I decided to abandon giovanni's this time and went straight to romy's. romy's did not disappoint. I ordered the #1 with prawns and the first thing I noticed different from giovanni's was these were head-on. I loved it. it truely makes the scampi more flavorful. I didn't care for the sour soyu that came with it as a dipping sauce. the wait was quite long. when i was there, it took me about 20 minutes to get to the ordering and another 25 minutes to get the food. so for those who are looking for something quick, this is not the place. I will say that I am now a convert. next time i'm in town, it's romy's for me.

    (4)

  • Lisa F.

    Not as great as Giovanni's but it was still alright... The trick is probably to go as early as you can to get the fresh prawns!

    (3)

  • Joel A.

    If you are on North Shore, you have to make time for lunch here. Romy's is a shack off the highway next to a pond where you can catch fresh prawns and shrimp. The prawns are huge and fresh. We ordered a pound of steamed prawns and there were six, so you can imagine the size of those suckers. Everything is cooked to order, so you really get good fresh flavors. Also, we ordered shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic. Very tasty, but I would also recommend ordering the steamed prawns, so you can experience the natural flavor of the seafood. And at $14 a pound, don't forget to suck the heads for the extra flavor!

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    I have to say... I was a little disappointed from the last time I came. I admit it was a long time ago so maybe my memory hyped it up more than I should have, but I remember the garlic shrimp was much more garlicky and more saucy. My bf got the garlic butter prawns and I had the sweet and spicy shrimp. The garlic butter one is better. But the sweet/spicy one isn't bad either. It's a fun experience. I give it 3.5 stars.

    (3)

  • Ian G.

    As fresh as it gets There are a lot of shrimp trucks scattered along Oahu's windward coast, but none of them are as fresh as Romy's. To give you some idea, after I ordered, a man with a net walked out of the shack, down to a pond in back, pulled up a netful of shrimp, and walked back in. That is fresh! No place else is as delicious as Romy's, either. Romy's has plenty of frustrating aspects to it -- it is set up like a fast food truck, but they cook in restaurant time, so you may wait half an hour standing in muddy dirt for your order -- but all is forgiven after eating a plate full of their delicious shrimps over rice. I wish I was there right now!

    (5)

  • Tony N.

    This maybe one of the worst places I have ever eaten. My wife and I really excited to eat some local shrimp and the reviews were superb. However arriving there was a line, which was ok, 30 min, we figured "gotta wait for good food". We ordered and the price was ridiculous $48 for 1.5 lbs shrimp, ear of corn, and two drinks. Haven eaten shrimp in various places, panama, costa rica, new orleans, and houston, these have to be the worst. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! The rice and prawns we ordered tasted like plastic and the shrimp was flavorless. They do not compare to big plump gulf shrimp which you could $8/lbs in Houston. We didn't even finish our nasty food and went to Foodlands afterwords and got a better lunch for a fraction of the price. The only cool part of the "experience" was that I had never been to a shrimp farm before. I would recommend this place to someone who has no taste buds and has never had real shrimp before. My opinion is don't waste your time here, get something at the grocery store and enjoy your time picnicking on the beautiful North Shore beaches.

    (1)

  • Brent N.

    I've never really been a huge fan of eating the heads off shrimp, but when sauteed in Butter and Garlic the way Romy's does it, you might be inclined to eat everything, shell and all. While taking down shrimp after shrimp, I kept thinking about that T-Mobile commercial where Yao Ming yells, "Eat The Head!" I really like that commercial for some reason.

    (5)

  • Jay K.

    After 3 day straight of driving to the north shore for Giovanni's someone finally pulled the whole "why are you going to that overrated shrimp truck when Romy's is right down the street" line on us. We were spell bounded by Giovanni's so the thought of a shrimp truck with better shrimp was an experience worth checking out. Needless to say Romy's was pretty good. It is worth checking out. Is it better than Giovanni's? Not a chance. The sauce for the garlic shrimp was not as flavorful but I liked that it had big garlic chunks in it. It was pretty cool that they offered sweet corn here and it actually went pretty well with the shrimp. One thing I couldn't figure out though is why the hell they take so long to prepare your food here. They even have a sign telling you they take a long time. Waiting 30 minutes for my order of shrimp is fine if I am at a gourmet restaurant but you could get a better plate at the same price much quicker 1 minute down the road. Romy's was good but Giovanni's will always be my pick!

    (4)

  • Jasmine G.

    Hawaii has good eats... but if you want to taste and see the largest juuciest prawns i've EVER seen, then Romy's is the spot! Try it with garlic and shoyu. MmmMMmmmm my mouth is already watering just thinking bout it :P OMG I can't wait till im on the rock again at the end of this month... cus im BOUND to hit this place up!

    (5)

  • Brandon V.

    Before it was Romy's, it was a brown hole-in-the-wall shrimp shack with a shrimp farm behind it. They used to serve fried shrimp and prawns on a stick and I think tempura as well. Now, It's a red hole-in-the-wall shrimp shack with a big house and a shrimp farm behind it. Unlike Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, they have fresh (not frozen) shrimp and prawns. The taste is absolutely wonderful. The staff were wearing shirts that read, "Got Prawns?" So I stood in line and placed an order only to find out that they actually didn't have prawns during that time. That was a huge bummer. I was looking forward to that. They should've changed their shirts! They also ran out of raw shrimp. So all they basically had was garlic shrimp and boiled shrimp. I ordered one of each. The garlic shrimp tasted really good, but it was pretty oily. Had a good flavor though. They have benches outside so you can enjoy the view of their shrimp farm while you eat your shrimp fresh. It's too bad that they don't have shrimp tempura. That would be a huge seller as well. I noticed that they have a Yelp sticker posted on their window. Neat-O! I'll probably visit this shack again when I'm back in Hawaii. I'll call in advance to make sure that they do have prawns available. Their prices are moderate as well.

    (3)

  • Amity L.

    Delicious fresh shrimp! Usually I'm not a big fan of shrimp, but this place rocks. You can taste that it's fresh. Be prepared for a wait time ~10-15 min. The shrimp is worth the wait!

    (4)

  • Berna T.

    Bigger portions and a little cleaner than Giovanni's (the more famous shrimp truck). Romy's uses fresh, just-caught shrimp from their shrimp farm. It's a bit of a drive from most places on O'ahu, since there is only one road that goes into Kahuku (Kamehameha Hwy) - but it's totally worth it!

    (5)

  • Sarah G.

    Having just returned from Oahu, I also just learned of the shrimp truck phenomenon on the North Shore. Who knew? Obviously not me. Heading north, this is the last shrimp stand on the right. The sign under the posted menu clearly states that it's NOT fast food and you gotta wait for the good stuff. Damn straight! We waited nearly 25 minutes for our plates of heaven, and worth every minute. I got the sweet and spicy shrimp which was great, but my partner in crime had the garlic shrimp which I LOVED. Get ready to get down and dirty as you have to work for your meal (yes, more waiting to eat your food after you get your food). You glance at the sink attached to the "shack" and assume that the others around you must be messy eaters and you most certainly won't need to scrub down after you meal. Yeah, right! My hands were practically red and covered in shrimp juice as you tear off the shell and head and embarassingly even suck the garlic off the shrimp shell before tossing the discards aside. You'll probably find yourself moaning and even trying to pinch yourself awake. Its not a dream. A dozen huge shrimp with rice and not nearly enough napkins make for a delightful afternoon dining experience.

    (4)

  • Giselle U.

    My mouth is watering just thinking about this place. My friends and I were driving on Kam Hwy looking for Giovanni's (the original shrimp shack, I guess). I stopped at a fruit stand and asked some locals for directions. They told me to go to Romy's instead, so off we went. I think it was the second shrimp shack we saw on the left side of the highway - just look for the pinkish flags. I ordered the garlic and butter prawns...oh man. Sooo good. If you're the type of person whose eyes need to fool your stomach, go for the shrimp because obviously you get more pieces. The prawns are huge though and the head lady told me they tend to run out (it's their specialty). She also said that Romy's was the only shrimp truck that offered prawns. Anyway, the sweet and spicy sauce is also good, but you can't beat the smell of garlc and butter! You must eat here if you're in North Shore. Droool.

    (5)

  • Josie M.

    garlic and butter over rice...MMM! crunchy prawn heads....MMMMMMM! if you go around 2-3, the line's not so bad. friendly staff!

    (5)

  • A W.

    Over priced, bland food, takes forever to get your order. Do yourself a favor and go to Macky's instead. It's a bit of a drive from Romy's but it's worth it!

    (2)

  • Matt C.

    the shrimp was ok but very similar to giovannis i felt. not enough flavor and just didnt compare to macky's at all. i think it was more pricey than all of them as well.

    (2)

  • Robyn d L.

    A mandatory stop every time I visit Oahu. Everyone else has got the mouthwatering stuff down, so I'll veer off and let you know that you can get a Romy's frequent buyer card. Get it stamped 10 times, and the 11th plate is on Romy! Yes, I actually do get a free plate by the end of my trip. Yeah yeah, and the 5 lbs that come with it.

    (5)

  • Barb T.

    Ridiculously long wait & flies were swarming, plus pretty pricey. Drive to the next truck.

    (2)

  • Chris W.

    We ordered the garlic and butter sauteed shrimp. The shrimp were delicious, but the brown rice was way undercooked. The specialty desert was a dinner roll with some kind of coconut liquid poured over it. Do not recommend wasting $2.50 on it.

    (3)

  • Waynele Y.

    i'm still not convinced i've found the best shrimp truck.. i tried the sweet & spicy and original garlic and found it to be no better or no worse than giovanni's. the plusses is that they have a sink with soap to wash your hands when you're done, the li hing pineapple is really good. and it does seem to be a little better deal if you have two people eating. a plus or a minus is that the shrimps come with the heads on, so it is a little more work if you don't like to eat it.. and the guts will ooze out we actually ate the shrimp plate lunch because we got it with our prawn fishing package. i will never again make fun of people fishing out of an enclosed pond where you know they loaded with fish for people to catch... despite the abundance of prawns in the water, i did not catch a single prawn after two hours. i had a lot of bites, stolen bait and misses, but nothing to eat. luckily another group caught more than their 2/person limit, so we got to eat some of theirs. For $35 you can prawn fish, get a plate lunch, and get two freshly grilled prawns. it was a good experience. a separate guy runs the fishing, you can call romy's and they will coordinate for you. he only goes out when he has a tour booked --and he gives you a kamaaina rate.

    (4)

  • Marissa B.

    this place is the bomb diggity (who uses that term anymore?! ) but really, i was kinda skeptical bc it's seriously just a lil shack in far far away land (atleast far away from the waikiki area where we were staying.) their prawns were ginormous, they were like mini lobsters. they let you choose from all these dippings sauces to dip them in. ooooweee. i honestly don't think you can go wrong with anything you order here. the eating area were pretty much picnic tables under this tent on the side of the shack. couldn't have been a better place to get down and dirty with those huge bad boys. mmmMMM i'm going back to hawaii the end of the month and you already know where my first stop is gonna be! hollleRRR.

    (5)

  • Brandy L.

    this place is way underrated. giovannis is way overrated. why i love ROMY's: my last visit we got there right as they were closing (who closes at 5ish?) but the ladies were kind enough to make us a plate o yumminess. the meat was sweet, the heads were on...you could taste the freshness dipping sauce is chinesey, the way i like it lots o tables sinks to rinse off your hands post grub if you have to eat giovanni's, eat it before ROMY's cause if you eat Romy's first, giovanni's will def be a letdown.

    (5)

  • Bethany N.

    After a rave review from a friend and being dragged kicking and screaming (okay, actually I was just riding in the truck bemoaning the fact we passed up all kinds of food in Haleiewa including the farmers' market to go to Kahuku) I was super disappointed. Butter and garlic? Where was the butter? And the garlic was just burnt. $12.50? What, because you leave the heads on and the look bigger, you serve less? I am far from squeamish about food (guinea pig in Peru guys, seriously) but between the heads being left on seemingly to make you think you got more and the shrimp covered in roe suggests a lack of cleanliness and laziness. Additionally once you cleaned all that garbage off the shrimp weren't big by any stretch of the imagination; they were pretty miniscule. To illustrate how bad it was if I had it to do over again I'd pick a happy meal over romy's. Oh and $3 for kahuku corn, you don't even get butter or anything. Annoying.

    (1)

  • A. T.

    The shrimp seems to be better here than the other places I've visited (e.g., Giovanni's, Macky's), but I'm beginning to suspect that it's just really difficult to make a flavorful shrimp lunch box. The fried shrimp-wrapped-in-spring-roll is insipid, but no more flavorless than the coconut shrimp at Macky's. Romy's gets a few bonus points for having prawns even though that's not my thing, minus a few bonus points for the annoying bell-ringing and hooting and hollering.

    (3)

  • Adelle L.

    This place is just AMAZING! I could not get over how HUGE the shrimp were... and how tasty. Get the garlic butter, and make sure you have PLENTY to wipe off your hands and face!

    (5)

  • Eric S.

    this woudl be a 5 if it wasnt due to the wait of 45 mins for the food but illkeep in mind that next time ill call in advance which i was told to do by a waiting customer who forgot to do it and i was hearing that people were making phone orders. the shrimp was awesome but i think i shoudl have tried the prawns also with my gf we all just ordered shrimp. i ordered a side dish of corn which was mediocre at best but who cares i was gonna grab more food along the way such as dole whip and teds bakery i was gonna go get pickled mango across haleiwa boat harbor but they were sold out crap.but overall the shrimp was aweome super garlicy love this side sauce which was a bit spicy and its also a lot less oily then giovannas but remember nex tiem call in advance.

    (4)

  • C. B.

    Definitely flavorful. I'd still make the drive up towards the tip of Oahu for a plate of the butter and garlic (they must have used 3 heads of garlic on mine) but the wait can be a bit ridiculous sometimes. They also have the Filipino Kilawen (raw sweet shrimp)! The wait here + the wait at Matsumoto's Shave Ice (in Halaewa) made for a long day. Well, if you're on vacation there should be no rush right?

    (4)

  • Richard A.

    Tried the $18/1# plate lunch with garlic-butter and spicy shoyu sauces. The prawns were the size of crawdads with legs that warrant cracking them for the meat (once you get some napkins to pad your fingers from getting punctured by spines). The wait to simply order was long (30 minutes+) with another wait (10 minutes) for food delivery. As the sign in their window says: They serve good food not fast food. The prawns were tasty - I can't deny it. I just wished service was a bit faster. Not for those in a hurry, but if you can affort the time, worth the stop on the highway.

    (4)

  • Vanessa W.

    This might sound insane, but my friends and I did a taste test of a couple shrimp trucks and this was by far the best. A friend's friend also did a similar taste test and Romy's was his fav. Romy's definitely has legit shrimp. It is a hidden gem because it isn't mobbed by millions of tourists. The shrimp there has awesome flavoring it and it isn't overcooked or dry. My fav was the garlic one. YUM. I think the shrimp and prawns from Romy's are locally harvested.

    (5)

  • thea d.

    Gooood food. Got the prawns and tilapia =)

    (5)

  • Johnny H.

    expensive and the line is long but it's worth the wait. the shrimp is fresh because it has this crunch to it unlike other shrimp shacks. and sucking the insides of a shrimp head is the best part, they even chop off the pointy tip so you don't stab your mouth. they also have a sink for you to use which is very useful.

    (4)

  • B. ..

    after getting butter garlic shrimp at Giovanni's Shrimp Shack.. we headed down the street to the next one... Romy's. and THIS was amazing.. i was so stuffed after the butter garlic.. i didn't think i coudl eat anymore.. but my freinds wanted to try the next shack.. we ordered the steamed prawns at $15.00 for 5 prawns.. they come with a choice of 2 sauces out of 5 sauces.. we tried the sweet and spicy, and the spicy shoyu.. sweet and spicy was too spicy.. like REALLY too spicy . i like spicy, too.. Spicy shoyu was by far delicious with the prawns.. lemme tell you.. those suckers are HUGE!!! size of a mini lobster.. you must must eat the whole prawn.. suck the brains and eggs out:) ..the meat was soooooooooo soo sweet and so full of juice.. and my gosh.. i could have had the whole plate if i were not so stuffed from Giovanni's... check out the pictures of these suckers.. monstrous, i tell ya.. best steamed prawns i've ever had...

    (5)

  • Tim P.

    I went on a weekend day and it was not to busy. Got the #2 which was prawns with a spicy sauce. The Prawns came out hot which was great, but they had a ton of mud in them which was not good. I heard good things about this place, but was very dissapointed.

    (2)

  • Steve P.

    i love love the prawns! i go here every time when i'm in oahu! maybe not for everyone, as it great to try though. staff is not the most professional but, you are at a shrimp shack:) i still would try the other shrimp shacks if you get a chance. not the cheapest shrimp shack in town.

    (5)

  • H C.

    Got to give this place 5 stars for the huge yummy prawns. I haven't tried Giovanni's yet as i could not pass up the huge prawns at Romy's to try the shrimps at Giovanni's. Maybe i just got to stop by at both next time i'm there. They make the prawns any way you like and if you want more sauce, just ask.

    (5)

  • Linda T.

    OMG! THe food was soooooo good! Worth the drive to this place. We loved it so much, we ordered more for dinner to go. Good amount of food and absolutely delicious for very little money. A must have if you are in Oahu. We will be back! Of all the trunks out there on this street, this place seems the cleanest. Have benches out there for you to sit.

    (5)

  • Sue W.

    butter garlic shrimp and prawns are awesome...especially with the spicy soy sauce. We had ours with 2 scoops of brown rice and there was enough garlic butter and soy sauce from the shrimp to stir into the rice. This place is YUM!

    (4)

  • Melissa C.

    I liked this place much better than Giovanni's. Their shrimp tasted fresher. Wasn't as oily either. Next time we go back to Oahu, I'm skipping Giovanni's and heading to Romy's.

    (5)

  • Jennifer G.

    This was the second time we ate at Romy's. We had the #1, prawns sauteed in garlic and butter and the #5, 1 pound of boiled shrimp with their soyu and garlic/butter dipping sauces. The sauteed prawns were wonderful, especially with the garlic/butter sauce served on top of the rice. The prawns and shrimp were fresh and both were cooked perfectly. It was a huge contrast to Giovanni's which we decided to try after leaving Romy's. Giovanni's shrimp tasted like Costco frozen deveined shrimp while this was obviously fresh prawns and shrimp. I will definitely return to Romy's the next time I'm in Hawaii. It was worth the 1 hour drive from Waikiki.

    (5)

  • Allison W.

    Eeks.. me thinks not is right!!! This place was terrible- if i could give it 0 stars- i would. Prawns were msaller than regualr shrimp and had no flavor! Barely any sauce to cover te prawns let alone cover the rice- which tasted like it had been sitting in a rice cooker for 3 days drying out. Prawns were not even split so removing the shell was next to impossible and since they weren't split- u better belive they weren't de-veined- gross. They had some horrible techno music blaring and they charged tax- WTF. Threw out our plates and cruised down to Giovanni's- nothing like throwing away $12.95+tax..no mahalo!!!!

    (1)

  • Adrienne T.

    We came here on recommendation from a friend. We ordered garlic/butter and spicy prawns. Garlic butter prawns, not garlicky enough. Spicy prawns, let's just say i didn't even feel the heat. They tasted like they were dipped in the sauce filipinos use for lumpia (mini egg rolls). More sweet then spicy. Granted the prawns were enormous, but they really lacked alot of flavor. Needless we were very very sad about this and proceeded to Gio's. Very sad indeed

    (2)

  • Christian W.

    Romy's Shrimp Stand is much better than Giovanni's. You still have to wait a long time in line and for the food, but it's worth it. Bring a book to read or enjoy the beautiful, open North Shore scenery. I like ordering #1 Garlic Shrimp. I have lived on Oahu's North Shore for 27+ years and consider Romy's to have the best shrimp stand.

    (5)

  • Clara K.

    i love giovanni's but this time i wanted to try other shrimp trucks to compare, and romy's was at the top of my list. (so was fumis, but we only had time to stop at one, so romy's it was.) they were out of prawns, which was fine because i'd planned to order shrimp anyway, but i like that they (usually) have the option. i ordered the #1 shrimp scampi, which comes with the spicy shoyu sauce on the side, for $11. it takes about 15 minutes for the order to be filled, which i thought was pretty long, but i can't remember how long giovanni's took and i guess it's worth it since it's cooked fresh. the scampi was definitely garlicky with little bits of crisped garlic, and i thought the spicy shoyu went well with the shrimp (although it wasn't really spicy to me). the extra scampi sauce was delicious with the rice. all in all, i think it's comparable to giovanni's in taste, and i'd definitely go back. but first i gotta try all the other shrimp trucks. ;)

    (5)

  • freddie a.

    my family/friends took the day off and drove me to the north shore to try the famous shrimp shacks...the first place we went to was Romy"s...they ordered the garlic shrimp and prawns....when the orders arrived we attacked those sweet shrimps and prawns....WOW....the flavor was delish and the garlic made it even better....i was so glad that they left the heads on as they are yummy.....we were satisfied and happy....off to giovanni's and ordered the scampi and the one with lemon butter....it was bland and a true dissapointment...so we decided to go back to Romy's for another order of the garlic shrimp.....it was delish...highly recommended...very clean and the lady behind the counter a darling...

    (5)

  • tong t.

    mmmm so good and sooo bad. liked the garlic shrimp a lot! and the sweet and spicy sauce.

    (4)

  • vernice l.

    It is good, but not the same as Giovanni's. I must admit , it probably has less calories than Giovanni's since it is not covered in garlic and butter. We tried the sweet and spicy AND the garlic. It is tasty and you have a choice of prawns or shrimps.

    (4)

  • Amy Y.

    We are out on an adventure to Haleiwa! My friend has been wanting a garlic shrimp plate for months. Finally, this day has come. We took the bus to search for Giovanni but somehow we thought we passed that food truck so we ended up at Romy's. There was a 30 minute wait for a shrimp plate. There was a line too. But we decided to wait. We got the garlic and butter shrimp. It comes with 6-7 pieces of shrimp and 2 scoops of rice. The rice looks messy. The plate cost $14. I ate the shrimp and it tasted quite salty. Nothing special. Overall, like my friend said it was all about the experience even if the plate wasn't too good.

    (3)

  • JeFF T.

    I've been coming here ever since I found out about it 2 yrs ago. It used to be a little green shack, but they painted it red. They recently took down their sign, due to permit issues. It's located just east of Turtle Bay. The shrimp and prawns are fresh from the ponds next to the shack. Romy's is in the midst of expansion and hope to accommodate more crowds in the future. This was the first time that I had to actually wait in line. It used to be a hidden find, but word has leaked out...Giovanni's is not the only choice for a shrimp plate. Romy's does it all and you know it's going to be fresh and delicious. Choose from garlic/butter, sweet/spicy, boiled, fried, and the 1lb boiled special. Nothing too fancy...just really good. They used to offer live shrimp/prawns, but due to harvesting conditions and roadside demand, have not been able to offer it for awhile now. They hope to bring it back next year. A visit in the North Shore area, deserves a stop at Romy's...always.

    (5)

  • T T.

    Pretty tasty. We had heard that this is one of the only few shrimp shops that sources their shrimp locally, so we came here. We waited about 15 minutes in line and ordered the butter and garlic, sweet and spicy, and steamed shrimp. Then, as everyone noted, we waited 50 minutes for those three plates to be prepared. My favorite was the butter and garlic. That sauce on the rice though...mouth is watering thinking of it. They were good sized shrimp and our only regret is not ordering more given the length of time we waited. So, yes, expect a wait, or call ahead. If you don't want to wait, just get the steamed shrimp. But, you'll miss out on the garlicky goodness if you do.

    (4)

  • stephanie a.

    Ordered the sweet and spicy prawns plate. Not a fan. I thought prawns were shrimps on steroids? Mine looked like the same size than my friend's shrimp with the exception that the prawns' heads were larger but I don't eat the heads. And the sauce, it was more sweet than spicy. I actually couldn't even taste any spice. The sauce reminded me of the sweet sour sauce for lumpia. Also, note that the wait for your food will be at least 45 minutes for certain types of plates.

    (3)

  • Hana K.

    After touring Kahuku Farms, at the recommendation of a local, we went to Romy's which is literally right across the street from the farm. They were definitely NOT crowded, but when we asked, we were told any of the scampi orders would take ONE HOUR....while the steamed ones would take 15-20 min. I don't get it. There were like maybe 3 orders before us. Maybe it's just something they tell everyone whether or not it is busy..Anyways, we got scared (haha) and so ordered the #4 which was the steamed shrimp with a side of rice and lemon butter sauce. It came out within 10 minutes. We had a blast sucking out the the shrimp heads and destroying the shrimp. Yes, it was a pain trying to peel everything, but it was worth it. I definitely want to come back here to try the scampi...on another non-crowded day and see if it really takes an hour. If it does, it better be because they go out to the back of their shrimp farm and catch the shrimp upon order. LOL. I'll be back, Romy! ;)

    (4)

  • Caroline T.

    Wait time for us wasn't that long because we went on a day where it was storming. Main differences from Giovannis include: Romy's serves their shrimp with the head on (however, they do cut the top of the head off so not as "gross" as people say) and they don't have garlic rice but do have brown rice for an extra charge. The garlic butter shrimp at Romy's are sweet and fresh. I personally love the shrimp heads so that was a big plus for me. However, they don't serve as much garlic as Giovannis. We also ordered their deep fried catch of the day (Sunfish) which was fantastic! The fish was fresh, flaky, and had a light crisp skin. Served with rice and two different dipping sauces. Finished off our meal with their pineapple soaked in li hing mui, perfect palate cleanser!

    (4)

  • Mary V.

    Hands down the best shrimp truck!! The garlic texture is more on the crunchy side. The seasoning on the shrimp is just perfect! Goes so well with the rice and just add a bit of the shoyu! ! Just perfection! Also their steamed prawns are amazingly sweet and biiiig! I fly back from the mainland every couple months just to satisfy my romys garlic shrimp cravings!!! OK I want to go back now!!

    (5)

  • Corin K.

    I always have to stop here when going on a trip around the island! Their shrimp is fresh and sweet it's well worth the wait! If you don't want to wait long, call ahead of time and order that way it's ready when you get there! Just and FYI, the shrimp and prawns still have the skin and head attached so if you can't handle eating shrimp or prawns like that, I suggest you go somewhere else and miss out on the awesome food!!

    (5)

  • Leslie A.

    [Location & Parking] On your drive to Kahuku, look for an old red pickup truck that holds the sign "Romy's." Once you see the sign you can park along the fence area. [Interior & Ambience] The dining area is an outdoor seating area with red picnic tables. There's a sink nearby so you can wash your oily, greasy hands after your meal. This is off topic, but I think here has the best maintained bathroom. [Service] Before you order your food, they warn you that it can take anywhere between 30-45 mins to make your food. Fortunately, it didn't take that long to get my order. It took maybe 15 mins (I came on Saturday around 11:30am). If you're in a hurry for your shrimp plate I'd recommend you go to one of the other food trucks. [Food] I ordered their #1 which is their Butter & Garlic shrimp plate ($13.75) with 2 scoops of rice, 8 pieces of shrimp, and their spicy shoyu dipping sauce. What makes this place different from other shrimp trucks is that they leave the heads (no eyes) on their shrimp (don't forget to eat the heads so you can be smart lol). This is by far my favorite place to get GARLIC shrimp because I love how there are chunks of garlic in every bite and it's not as oily as other shrimp trucks. So if you LOVE garlic as much as I do then this is the place to get shrimp. (Warning: You'll need to brush your teeth twice get rid of that garlic breath :p) [Tips] If you come here enough (I don't), you can get stamp card

    (5)

  • Kimquyen L.

    They had ran all out of prawns when we came by to try this place out. Boo =( We tried the steam shrimps with 2 sauces on the sides (because the cashier told us we'd get more shrimps than Combo #1: butter & garlic shrimp): 4 stars Very fresh & portion was big as promised. Shrimps were fresh & juicy not frozen like other places. Rice portions was big too. Service: A Nice , friendly & helpful Decor & ambiance: C Outside benches under a tent, over looking the shrimp farm. Just ok

    (4)

  • Katrin D.

    If you're on the island of Oahu around the North Shore area, this is a place to visit and grub at! It's a small little shack off Kamehameha Hwy so look out for it or you'll miss it. Pretty good seating so you'll be able to have a seat if you're there. Order food first and pay then you sit yourself. A small downside is the wait for the food we ordered. It was about an hour long it's good if you have company so the wait goes by faster. Ordered the garlic butter scampi with the corn and also got the sunfish (fish of Hawaii). Must I say these dishes were delicious! The garlic went very well with the shrimp and it didn't have such a strong taste. The corn was very fresh and crunchy. The sunfish was very moist and fried to perfection! Only four stars because of the wait and also thought there could have been a little more shrimp with the plates. Overall, wonderful experience!

    (4)

  • Kristine L.

    This might be my favorite place to eat in Hawaii. Or Oahu at least. I always get the garlic shrimp plate and it is delicious and amazing every single time. The shrimp is fresh and there is just enough crispy garlic..never too much or too little. I think they also add hints of other seasoning to the garlic so it is not just one note of flavor. Also, it is NOT too oily at all! Huge plus for me. The garlic and seasoning go so well mixed with the rice too. On the side, they give you a spicy soy ponzu sauce that adds a little kick to the shrimp. SO ADDICTING. I always want more. I highly recommend this shrimp truck for anyone visiting Oahu. It can be a far drive and a long wait once you're there, but worth every bit.

    (5)

  • Emily Z.

    My girlfriend and I stopped by around 2PM on a Monday, and was told there would be a 45-60 minute wait. Normally I have no patience to wait for food, but all the other popular spots had similar wait times. As their sign says, it's not fast food, it's good food. The seating area is essentially a huge picnic area with benches and a giant tent. There is a sink with soap available for you to wash your hands after, and as others have mentioned, their bathroom was unexpectedly clean given the location. We ordered the #1, Butter and Garlic Shrimp plate, and it was a good sized generous portion of shrimp. Very fresh (their shrimp comes from their farm right behind the food truck), love the copious amount of garlic, and don't bother saving your dignity - it's much more delicious when you get your hands dirty! Also, you can call ahead and place your order! We didn't find out until we were there - they were taking phone orders while we were ordering, which would save you the 30-60 minutes that you'd have to wait ordering on the spot. p.s. Get the pineapple with li hing (sweet plum) powder!

    (4)

  • Katherine L.

    This place is a priority every time I come to Hawaii, it's SO YUMZ. Garlic is my favorite flavor, hands down. The garlic is browned perfectly, the shrimp/prawns are fresh, head and all, and the rice is perfectly cooked (small detail, but it makes a difference). Not to mention, the seasonings that they prepare the shrimp in coats the rice so that I literally would eat every last grain of rice in my order. The wait is typically 20 minutes or more for your order to be ready, but it is worth every second. You can order ahead, which I would recommend. A few times I've been here, they ran out of prawns but the shrimp's got all the same flavors there. Like most all the shrimp trucks along Kamehameha Hwy, there's outdoor seating and parking could possibly be a problem if you're going at peak hours. My mouth is watering just thinking about it right now, definitely a must eat!

    (5)

  • Michaela B.

    Huge shrimp!! & a lot of rice!! Also comes with a salad that surprisingly tasted great. Comes with corn too! 4 stars because it took forever!!! No exaggeration either, yes it says before your order. But 45 minutes... Really?! If you want good shrimp, come here! But if you're starving and can't wait... I would go somewhere else.

    (4)

  • BeN J.

    The food was great! After coming from the Dole plantation we headed out here to find out about all the talk about Romy's. The place is great, the shrimps were good its just something I'm not used to. I love my shrimps but cajun style. I ordered the fried fish and woooooowwww that was so good. The fish was fried just right, no after taste, nothing, just right. The fish came with 2 scoops of rice and some dipping sauce thats made of soy sauce and vinegar. It cost me almost $30 for one fish which it could have been a bit cheaper but again it was good so yeah i would come back and get it again for that price. My only problem with this place was the wait for the shrimp combo we had to wait 45mins for it and for the fish it was 20mins. Was it worth it? yes it was.

    (4)

  • Michelle A.

    I loved this place! The shrimp scampi was so delicious!! The only sad part to my meal was when I ran out of shrimp to eat! My husband is allergic to shrimp but happily found out they serve fried fish, also! It was funny to find a post on the wall to warn patrons of the long wait. We didn't mind too much. I mean, you gotta expect to wait for good food!

    (5)

  • Leslie G.

    Vegetarian options: pineapple with li hing mui powder, and sweet corn. Both are delicious. My old man got a pound of steamed shrimp, all to himself. He really liked it. We got lucky and only had to wait about 10 minutes for our food. I got the impression the wait is usually more like 30-40 minutes. They were sold out of prawns by lunch time, though. They do nickel and dime you and charge for things like extra plates or an extra lemon slice. But, I just think that's funny. Maybe fewer people will take a million plates and then waste them all. So, I'm all for it! Service was fast and friendly.

    (5)

  • Diane N.

    Go here for shrimps and prawns. Recommend getting:

    (4)

  • Amber-Lynn H.

    This place was not my cup of tea and not what I expected. We actually came here by accident forgetting the details and name of the place my brother raved about (Dat Cajun Guy). Starved & confused we pulled over thinking this was the right place. Wrong! $40 down the tube. We got the fried shrimp and a pound of shrimp with cocktail sauce & garlic butter. Now I've had my share of visits to shrimp trucks & generally they've offered similar expectations-- shrimps with no heads, mostly deveined, and drenched in whatever sauce you're ordering. NOT the case here. Our order was ready and we were so ready to dig in! Steam coming out of the cracks of the plate, mouth salivating, open the container and *WAH WOMP* BIG let down. Full shrimps with the head on, not deveined, shells weren't even cracked, steamed, no flavor, sauce on the side which didn't give it much flavor. Wasn't a big fan of the lumpia wrapped fried shrimp but it was different. The plate had two scoops of rice no option for green salad or Mac salad. I was pretty bummed out/let down and went up the road to my trusted Famous Kahuku Shrimp truck with all the Korean graffiti on it. Although Romy's wasn't horrible, it wasn't what I expected and if I knew how they served things I never would have come in the first place. Ps- cash only

    (2)

  • Francis S.

    Ordered the gsrlic scampi and i ate scampi the whole day. Though it was better than the first one we went to (Giovanni's) this place has its "meh" moments. Pros:. 1. Friendly customer service 2. A little cheaper than other places 3. Restroom available. 4. The scenic view of the farm @ the back reminds me of my home town. Cons: 1. Flavor is okay. Nothing special. 2. Their hot a d spicy was not hot and spicy at all. 3. They kinda mixed our order but i think becausd they were in a hurry to get home qe got there 30 min before closing. 4. Corn on a cob was not that good. 5. Small portio for the price. Beyond that i would still eat here if iam super hungry and iam on the same area:D

    (2)

  • Marey G.

    Two words...deliciously fresh! I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for some fresh shrimp. It doesn't get fresher than this, it is literally on a shrimp farm. Be sure to be prepared to wait about 20-30 minutes though. It is well worth the wait. Like the sign says, it's good food, not fast food. I got the #1 and it was simple, but flavorful.

    (5)

  • Rena H.

    In the past 12 years, my husband and I have been to Romy's almost a dozen times. It seems that every year the wait gets longer and longer but it is completely worth it. My husband would get the fried shrimp (wonton wrapped shrimp) with a sweet and sour sauce or the garlic shrimp. I would either get the steamed prawns which is sometimes sold out if we get there after 3:00pm and all the time the size of the prawns are not the same size. One prawn can be 4" long when stretched or 2" long when stretched. 4 stars because of the wait, it can take up to 40 minutes to get your food but I have to remember that "good food is not fast food". Also the port o potty they have behind the restaurant is not for the faint of heart. If I can think of a word worst than "disgusting and sickening" I would use that word but I don't know the worf. So at all cost, do not use the port o potty unless you can go in the bushes. OK, I'm tired of talking about it because I'm getting grossed out trying to think back my visit to Romy's.

    (4)

  • Jeelyn D.

    Ordered shrimp scampi combo plate. On the expensive side. Paid 20. Received a really tiny corn almost dehydrated with my order. Shrimp was slightly better but with the price not impressive. Sweet and spicy flavor on the other hand was a cross between ketchup and sirachi but mostly diluted. On the other hand, customer service was good and there was a very clean bathroom for both males and female on site. There was even a seperate washing station for you to use. The place is by a busy road though so be careful with your kids.

    (2)

  • Denney F.

    We got their 1 lbs of shrimp and loved it! Cooked to perfection and the dipping sauces were scrumptious. This place is a definite must visit when on the North Shore of Oahu!

    (5)

  • Chynna D.

    Romy's shrimp is AWESOME!!! The shrimp is literally cooked fresh right out of the water. If you're in the north shore area (Oahu), make sure you stop by at Romy's shrimp truck. You may wait but as their slogan says "this is not a fast food...this is good food". It's definitely worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Ann C.

    The famous north shore garlic butter shrimps! You'll see more down the road but this one is a red truck. The shrimps are fresh and come with the shell so you're gonna have to get your hands dirty! Honestly they were pretty decent but to me they really weren't too amazing, I've had better shrimps at several other places. The garlic-y sauce is the best part but once you peel off the shell the shrimp itself doesn't have too much taste. I remember it was about 13 dollars which is pretty pricey for about 8 shrimps and rice. There's plenty of semi outdoor seating with sinks nearby to wash your hands after intense shrimp peeling. However, there's absolutely no service, you just pick up your food from the little truck window when it's ready and dig in. In conclusion, I don't think these shrimps live up to the hype!! They're good, but really not that good or special. if you're passing by you can give it a try but I wouldn't make a trip for it.

    (3)

  • Charlie D.

    Over cooked shrimp, shells stuck to the shrimp, and seemed to be old and stale. This was after waiting for30 minutes to order and 30 more minutes from the order. Definitely an overrated restaurant. Avoid this place.

    (3)

  • Ariel A.

    Shrimp was ok but I think I would rather have Giovannis. Not a fan of shrimp with its head still attached. I must say the wait is ridiculous and for that reason I will NOT return. They told us it would be a 45 minute wait which turned into an hour and twenty minutes. It was a bit frustrating. Sink with soap to wash your hands after peeling garlic shrimp. Not as much oil as Giovannis (which is a good thing)

    (4)

  • Judy And Joe N.

    Back when we lived on the island, we preferred Romy's over Giovanni's because we're dirty Asians and we like shrimps cooked with their heads still in tact. Some people may not know or realize, but it helps to give the shrimp this really creamy, rich, and deeper flavor. Anybody? No? Anyway, for awhile we started frequenting Giovanni's more because their scampi is saucier. Flash forward about 4 years and on a recent visit to the island, we go to Giovanni's for the inevitable Kahuku shrimp craving. However, a rude guy working at that truck totally reminded us that Romy's was actually our first love. So on our next visit to the island, we came here and yes, the lines are long. Yes, the wait time to get your food after you order is long. However, we've never waited longer than 15-20 min to get the food - even when they say it's going to be 45 min. Like I said, the shrimps are head-on. It's not that much work to pull em off people. I have never had problems with them not being properly deveined, and I am a freaking stickler about that - just ask J. Their garlic scampi really isn't a scampi because it isn't a buttery garlic "sauce" but more like a wok fried shrimp with crispy garlic crunchies and a side of shoyu sauce that you needn't bother using. I noticed that some people complain that they only got like 4 shrimps in their order and that so and so place gives you more shrimp. Dude. That's because you ordered "prawns". Prawns are bigger and more expensive. If you order actual shrimp, you will get a fair amount for your buck.

    (4)

  • Ryan P.

    Come here with some patience, good things come to those that wait. Do you like shrimp or prawns? Do you like garlic and/or butter? This is the place for you. Like every other review is saying, you have to try this place if you are visiting O'ahu. Even if you live here, make the time to come. It is on the North Shore side of the island, and can take awhile to get out here, but worth the trip and fitting into the schedule. I prefer Romy's over Giovanni's purely on taste. Although both are seemingly made fresh as you order, I heard that Romy's shrimp is still fresh while other trucks are starting to use previously frozen shrimp, not confirmed but word on the street is. Romy's food always seems to be better tasting to me, and this has been an on-going debate between me and the rest of the family. Parking is available in front, choke seats available outside, wait and availability is dependent on when you come here, so plan accordingly.

    (5)

  • Mary S.

    Shrimp was good but we ordered garlic and got plain. The corn was so sweet that I ate it plain. I think there are better shrimp places out there and I will find them next year!

    (3)

  • Sean B.

    Recommend to me by a few people, and it was ok. I like shrimp, I dislike peeling it though, I'm kind of lazy like that. Also when you peel these shrimp you remove nearly all of the seasoning. But nevertheless I enjoyed the shrimps and watching the sunset while eating them.

    (3)

  • Kate K.

    The locals recommended us to go.. I always go Giovani when I visit. We voted and half like Giovanni another romi's.. Very close call :) Not saucy compared to Giovanni. It was less line up since we were there around 3pm. Must try.

    (4)

  • Cindy S.

    Per recommendation of our Lyft driver we decided to check out Romy's in addition to all the other trucks we already tried. What he liked about Romy's was that their shrimp and prawns are farmed right behind the truck so you know they are fresh and not frozen. He rumored that some trucks get so busy they've resorted to shrimp from Costco. While this may or may not be true we formed our own opinions based on size, flavor and type of order. We stopped at Romy's on a Saturday afternoon. A line was developing and to our surprise they said the wait was going to be about 40 minutes! The line wasn't even that long or as long as those compared to some of the other trucks. We didn't have anything else planned for the afternoon so we decided to stick around and wait. We got a little annoyed that a group of locals thought it was cool to cut in front of us. Just because 2 people in your group of 15 are in front it doesn't mean you can just cut in and join them. Also if your homeboy is standing along the other side of the rail it is not okay to talk to him and just mosey on into the section of the line like no one was behind you. I wasn't about to start anything with these people so I was glad they left after hearing there was a 40 minute wait. Anyway, our wait time ended up being less than 10 minutes. We had the sweet and spicy shrimp plate for $12.75. The shrimp were fresh and tasted good but unfortunately this shrimp spot came in 4th place for me. The sauce was savory but wasn't as thick or flavorful compared to the spicy shrimp at Shrimp Shack. The sauce didn't stand out, it seemed like something we could make at home. If we ever visit Oahu again I'd probably give Romy's another try but order something different. It seems like the majority or trucks specialize in garlic butter shrimp. Hopefully next time we don't get bullied out of our spots in line and the wait isn't as long.

    (3)

  • kathy j.

    PHONE ORDER IN ADVANCE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. if you're able to get through the lines it'd be best to phone order in advance to avoid waiting an hour to get your food. Just keep trying and trying and trying. CASH ONLY. I love this place better than the other shrimp trucks around (and yes I have tried the others). I always order the Butter and Garlic shrimp w extra sauce and lihing pineapple. Plenty of tables around to sit and also they have a bathroom in the back. I don't come out as often but I do know they have a stamp card they fill out and once it's filled you get a free place.

    (4)

  • Tierra C.

    Food was good. Loved all the crispy garlic. An hour wait and out of prawns made it not worth it.

    (3)

  • Bruno S.

    So we had to stop here because of the amazing smell everytime we drive by. The smell is much more satisfying than the food. It wasn't bad but not the best garlic shrimp plate on the north shore. Big wave definitely much better of an option. Shrimp were big and tasted good over rice and garlic butter sauce. Their seafood appears to be fresh not frozen which is a huge plus. There was plenty of seating and nice music. There is an ATM on site. Plates all average around $14 but that's all of them. Again, good not great I definitely have my preferred shrimp truck and this one didn't come close, for me.

    (3)

  • L. T.

    This place was yummy yum yum, I couldn't give it five stars because it is kind of on the pricy side even though it was worth eating but you're in Hawaii you can get plate lunches that taste yummy, right? And spend less money, value no but yummy YES! I love garlic and you need to if you order the one with garlic, it is covered with it! So good with the spicy sauce. We didn't try all the other things they had but definitely it looked all good. The wait wasn't so bad. It we went a couple other ones and we weren't really hungry we just wanted to try each one on our way back to Waikiki. We racially saw something on the foodnetwork tv and I don't think we ever found the one that we saw... Either way It didn't matter it the experience was fun, I think the kids got tired after the second one and the last one we took back to the hotel. It was still yummy yum yum.

    (4)

  • Donna L.

    LOOVE this place! I always get the butter garlic shrimp plate. In my opinion it think it's freshly cook compared to the others and I love the sauce that it comes with. It's the best compared to the other shrimp trucks. I put 4 stars because the line to order and the food wait time is really long, about an hour or so. So be prepared, But other than the wait time it's great!

    (4)

  • Frederick H.

    Best prawns and shrimp hands down. I've been coming here every time I'm home and nothing changes except more customers. I always get the number 1, butter and garlic shrimp or prawns they are both great! Can't wait to visit family again so I can get my hands on some.

    (5)

  • C M.

    One of the few shrimp and prawn spots which actually farm their own shrimp. People complain about the wait times but it is definitely worth the wait. You want fast then go to one of the other outlets along Kam Highway. If you want good then you'll have to wait for it.

    (5)

  • Joshua R.

    We all know Kahuku is the place to go for shrimp. We're always trying to find a way to fit it into our schedule. "Hey we go North Shore. Kahuku close by yeah?!" And when you do go all your family and friends are like, "bring me one plate!" And it's definitely a sure stop on an ATI trip. But there's so many trucks to choose from. All claiming to be famous and great and each unique in its own way. Romy's is my families go to place of them all. One day after hiking we decided to try the more popular and talked about one (starts with a G) and wasn't pleased. Don't get me wrong it was good but not great and not as fresh. We got our shrimp immediately upon ordering it which doesn't deem fresh to me and sure enough wasn't. I think they benefit from being surrounded by other touristy attractions. But anyways back to Romy's. Their shrimp is cooked upon you ordering. You can of course call ahead to avoid the lines and wait. The shrimp was infused with the butter and garlic even upon peeling it. I love the fried garlic that's on the shrimp. You have the option of white or brown rice. And the spicy shoyu is perfect for dipping the shrimp in. I don't think I'll stray away from this place again for other shrimp trucks. They gave me more than enough reason not to.

    (5)

  • Samantha G.

    Before my recent visit to Oahu, I never visited shrimp trucks on the island even though all my friends always rave about Giovanni's. So how did I hear about Romy's? Thanks to my friend Latifah, she told me this was the place to go for garlic shrimp. So of course I'm going to take her word (and review!) and check the place out. I thought it was so cool that they have their own shrimp farm next to the truck. I was looking around while waiting for my food...and yes they do have a long line and wait times can be long as well. Our food probably took roughly 30 min since they were cooking a new batch of shrimp. My BF and I made the mistake of sharing a plate, since we were trying to save room for shave ice. Sure, its a huge plate of garlic shrimp goodness but I could have easily killed a plate of that on my own. It hard to resist sopping up every drop of garlic sauce with the rice too. Definitely make time to stop over to Romy's when you're in the area. The wait is worth it!

    (5)

  • Aubry A.

    I remember coming here back then when my family and I used to go around the island, and I honestly think this place has the best garlic shrimp. It's about $13 for the garlic butter shrimp plate, but they give a lot! I'd keep a paper towel roll in your car because it could get really messy! The customer service is alright... while I was waiting for my food, I've seen a guy waiting to order for about 5 minutes and no one even came up to him. I was surprised he still bought quite a bit of food from them though. But either way, they sill have good, tasty shrimp!

    (4)

  • Irene A.

    It's a Thursday afternoon. This place is trippin. With NO LINE... It took them 5 min to take our order. Then after we order from their long, confusing menu.... She tells us it'll take 30-40 min to make! This isn't a sit in 5 star restaurant. They weren't even busy! Giovanni's and Mackys was waaaaaaaay busier! And that's where I wanted to go anyway but my boyfriend insisted we try Romys because they have prawns.... WHICH THEY DIDNT EVEN HAVE!!! Supposedly their known for their prawns but they're always out of it. I could have save half an hour and stayed in Haleiwa!!

    (1)

  • Sabrina C.

    We went to Romy's by suggestion from a Taxi driver after we got to port from a cruise. We went for lunch after driving all over the island. I will say that it was good but not enough to need to go back next time. We had the garlic shrimp platter for $19.99. Fair amount of food but flavor was lacking. My kids enjoyed it more than me but not enough to want more. Service was great and we got our food in about 10 minutes which is great compared to the sign that says 25-45 mins to wait.

    (3)

  • Adrian G.

    Literally one of the best shrimp places I have been to. I got the garlic shrimp plate and it came with rice and a good sauce. I also tried their corn and was very pleased with it. The wait was longer than most food places, but definitely worth the wait. All in all, it was a great experience and I would suggest it to anyone.

    (5)

  • Ericka B.

    The only Kahuku shrimp establishment I've been eating since I could remember! I'm pretty sure each shrimp place (gios, famous, etc) have their own spin on their shrimp but I just can't see myself straying away from Romy's... not even one bit LOL! Depending on the time you go the wait can be literally 10 mins to an hour or so. On most occasions we didn't really have to wait that long, but then again it's totally worth the wait none the less. So YES, be prepared to wait! Noticed alot of 1 star reviews are from people saying the shrimp is tasty but complaining about the wait... There is ample shaded seating on both sides of the shack and sinks to wash up after getting down and dirty peeling your shrimp. After all, getting your hands dirty is part of the process! :) Shrimp are nice, plump, and fresh since they do get it straight from the shrimp ponds behind the shack! I've literally had almost everything on their menu. Sweet & Spicy, Steamed, Individually wrapped fried shrimp, butter and garlic, and their sun fish (non-shrimp item). I have to say my favorite is definitely their butter & garlic sauteed shrimp! I love that they put everything on the rice so all that sauce soaks up in the rice. Not to mention the easy access to all those heavenly garlic pieces... It comes with Romy's own Shoyu spicy sauce which is a concoction of Shoyu, vinegar, and chili peppers (I believe). It really adds that spicy kick I love so much, so it's definitely a need whenever I go. We also ordered some li hing mui pineapples. Pineapple was nice and sweet. I'll be coming here more now that its literally summer time :D

    (5)

  • Chhapaya T.

    Had the garlic butter shrimp plate and it was to die for. Honestly can't think of any other places that makes it even close to Romys. Go ahead and skip all the shrimp truck hype anywhere else and head straight to Romys for that shrimp fix. You won't regret it! Well... that's unless you try anything other than the garlic butter shrimp. My buddy ordered the sweet and sour shrimp and it was whack. Stick with what works folks!!

    (5)

  • Coreen L.

    So, people say - "If you're driving out to the North Shore you got to stop off for some garlic, delicious, shrimp..." Whoa!! No kidding! This place serves it up hot and fresh - you will love it! Plus you're outdoors so feel free to use your fingers, get sauce everywhere and enjoy.

    (3)

  • Timothy J.

    This place may have been good once, but amidst all the hype I think it's gone down. We got here at around 12:30pm and waited in line for 30 min just to order. The cashier was just so slow. After ordering we waited another 15 min for the food. People ordering after me got their food first. The food came out and I was disappointed. $14 for a plate of rice and 5 prawns?! Was not even full after the meal. The prawns were ok. Definitely fresh. They are different than usual since they stir-fry the prawns. In my honest opinion, Not worth the wait or the money in any way. I was here on vacation so time is precious. Can't afford to be wasting 2 hours for lunch.

    (2)

  • shari m.

    4 stars only because they don't answer their phone. We always call ahead but never get through.. thus the long wait

    (4)

  • Mina M.

    Okay, so it's only been 3 days and my mouth is salivating at the (constant) thought of Romy's garlic & butter shrimp. Number one thing: I love food. I love seafood. I don't have a problem with seeing heads or shells on my shrimp. Some people like boneless wings, some people like bone-in wings. Okay, that was all about chicken but you get the point. After being baffled that I've never been to North Shore, my cousin, her boyfriend, her dogson, and a bunch of our friends made our way on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Parking is okay. We found one spot right away. CASH ONLY. The ATM was down. Sad. Luckily our friends covered for us. You could be safe and stop by a grocery store while you're getting drinks to pull out cash. There was a line and I'm not sure how long but the boys didn't come back for about half an hour. I didn't really keep track of how long we waited but it was noticeable. Maybe 45 mins to an hour and a half when all (8) of our orders were finished. Omg, it might have only been shrimp and rice but it was like heeeaaaavvvooonnn and so hard to resist scooping with my hands versus using a plastic fork (finger foods 4 lyf). The shoyu sauce that it comes with, I just pour it over everything, mix, and enjoy. I haven't been to the other shrimp trucks but i don't know. That's hard to top. Romy's felt like childhood food. Simplicity. Something that your aunties and uncles brought over for special occassions. But not your mom, your mom makes the egg salad.

    (5)

  • Marina M.

    First of all, they opened hr and a half later than scheduled time.... Then, the wait time for the food they told us 35minutes and it was an hr... (we were only the fourth person in line). Every time i come here, I do come prepare to wait for at least an hr for the food... but today was too much. Tables were sticky, and dirty... I recommend to bring your own wet naps or some kind of paper towels. BUT, why haven't i visited any other shrimp places in Kahuku??? Because i still think that Romy's is the best on this island if you are looking for steamed shrimp... i heard there are no steamed shrimp for other shrimp places... even they may suck sometimes, i would still come here over and over. lol

    (3)

  • Chito O.

    The food is tasty but Giovanni is better. The service is faster and it's simple. Romys menu is complicated that's why the wait is long. Workers are not working faster and they're taking their time. If they say 1 hour make them promise their word. If not just take your money back. After 1.5 hours of wait we gave up and took our money back. . The normal standard rule never wait for your food more than an hour.

    (1)

  • Dianne G.

    I don't really like shrimp but Romy's definitely changed my mind. The wait for the food was a bit much but the food was worth it. I got the garlic butter shrimp combo. Delicious! Definitely coming back when I make a trip back to Hawaii.

    (5)

  • Jhoren C.

    you know the saying don't knock it til you try it? welp, I tried and sadly was not impressed. I stand by and say that Giovanni's is better. So overall it is worth to make that extra 5 minute drive up to their shrimp truck. Ordered the #1 Garlic Shrimp plate that came with a side of sauce which btw did not even taste spicy or all that great, just an added sodium to your health! Prices are higher compared to Giovanni's (they give more shrimp too!)

    (2)

  • Lon H.

    After trying some of the other shrimp trucks on the North Shore, we just had to give Romy's a shot and we're so glad we did. Yes, the wait can be long, but I'm OK as long as the food is worth it. I think we only waited 30 minutes, so I didn't have a problem with waiting. Plus, we were in the islands, so why rush? I've read how some people had overcooked shrimp, but ours were cooked perfectly. The shells just fell-off the meat. Our garlic sauteed shrimp had plenty garlic and plenty shrimp. The shoyu dipping sauce was ono as well. We also enjoyed the sweet & spicy shrimp too. This by far was my favorite. To enjoy that level of sweetness and a bit of heat was perfect. What better way to enjoy our lunch?

    (5)

  • Beth F.

    TERRIBLE. My husband and I have tried many Shrimp Trucks on Oahu and today was a complete let down. We had a busy morning snorkeling and sightseeing so by lunchtime, we were famished. Since we hadn't tried Romy's yet, we thought we'd give it a try. (Reviews seemed fairly positive, why not?) Prawns were sold out so we tried The Garlic Scampi (where was the garlic?), Sweet and Spicy (overcooked and lacked flavor/spice), and Steamed Shrimp (small and also way overcooked) Plates. Only positive feedback I can give is the pineapple rocked. We will never come back. Extremely long wait, unfriendly staff, and high prices make this one truck we will gladly pass by and keep driving.

    (1)

  • Lillie M.

    Best shrimp in north shore, I don't know what the confusion is all about! I love the butter garlic shrimp. Although the line gets really long and it takes about 30-45 mins to get your order, it's worth it! Definitely recommending this place to all of the tourists:)

    (5)

  • Paul L.

    We came to get their prawns but they said they were sold out already. So we went to Giovannis instead to get rregular shrimp. Yelping because I was told by a source that they will be out of prawns for the next 2-3 months. But a friend who came down to get prawns a couple months ago was told they were out of prawns then. Don't get me wrong their shrimp is really good but i'd rather make the drive all they way to Kahuku for prawns instead otherwise i'll just go gios.

    (3)

  • Kristine R.

    Waited in line for 30 minutes for the lady at the window who was taking orders to tell me wait time for the food is an hour and a half. No thanks.

    (1)

  • Connie M.

    Extremely succulent, fresh and delicious! Romy's is one of the few places that actually raise their own shrimps, other shrimp places use frozen shrimps. Giovanni's tastes a bit gummy to me. I got the sweet & sour, but if I visit again, I'd probably get the standard garlic. My wait was only 10 minutes. Lots of seating and parking. There's a sink, which is so appreciated!

    (5)

  • Art T.

    Normally I probably would not come due to the extra crazy wait time. Since I came to North Shore late and it's super bowl Sunday, the crowd was very minimal. The wait time was just about 20 mins. While sitting on the bench to wait for my food, I couldn't help but smelling the offensive toilet carried by the winds to the eating area. It was a major turn-off. Romy's is the one of the North Shores Shrimp joints that actually offers steamed shrimps, and this is one of the reasons I came back for it. This time, the shrimps seemed smaller and mushier. They were as fresh as I had the first time. When my friend tried to use the restroom, he had to turn around right away because the restroom was no filthy. It's hard to imagine the sanitary of a place like this if the restroom was unusable like this. I think I will stick with Fumi next time when I come to this side of the island.

    (3)

  • Sophie L.

    Planning a round island trip? Craving something delicious? Want something better than Giovanni's? ROMY'S IS YOUR PLACE. Yes, prices have really sky rocketed in the last several years, but it's still worth a trip up to the North Shore to frequent this place. The shrimp is very flavorful and they top it with extra fried garlic and a spicy shoyu. Tips: - CALL AHEAD. There seem to be a lot more tourists that are visiting this shrimp shack, so unless you want to wait 20-40 minutes for your food, CALL AHEAD. They state very clearly on the window that "this is not fast food, it is good food". - They have coupons on their website from time to time - free soda, free lihing pineapple, etc - Ask for a punch card. Hey, if they offer it, you might as well collect your points toward a free plate Things to order: - Garlic shrimp (I've never tried the sweet and sour or plain, just because it doesn't look as good as the garlic shrimp) - Lihing pineapple (good thing to snack on while you wait for your food)

    (4)

  • Karah M.

    Thought this place was pricey for a food stand, but the shrimp was delicious. I got the shrimp scampi and the portions were very generous. My husband got the fried shrimp which was also very good. Instead of using breading, the wrap their shrimp in an egg roll wrap, makes a world of difference and has a great taste.

    (4)

  • Christi S.

    Luckily my wait time was 40 mins, but it was a lot quicker than that. I got lucky? Ordered the plate prawns garlic. Hmm, so good. I've been making my way around the shrimp truck scene to try them all. I'd have to say this is one of the top ones on my list. Another top is Fumi's. Giovanni's uses oil n garlic, and prefer the less oily type. Here at Romy's you can definitely get that. Tip: Call your order ahead of time to avoid waiting in line & waiting for your order to be ready. There are a handful of stray cats in the seating area and will beg for food if you're the only one eating.

    (5)

  • Maruel U.

    The food was good - but it wasn't any different or any better than the other garlic shrimp trucks. The line was also long as well as the wait. There was a lot of space for sitting and the parking lot wasn't packed. I got the garlic butter prawns, which were good but the size was practically the same size as the shrimp and the plate was pricier. I liked the place but if compared to its competitors, I would have chosen the latter to go to in the North Shore due to the price range and the taste

    (2)

  • Elsie F.

    This has always been my go to place for kahuku shrimp! The butter garlic sautéed shrimp or prawns is definitely the best dish to get! I like em spicy so I add that on as well. They don't always have prawns because they usually go fast, so they run out at noon. Luckily today was a rainy day so they still had when we arrived. The wait was longer than usual today, so I recommend putting in a phone order when you're on the way. Overall, I like this place more than Giovanni's! I guess it depends on your individual taste! :)

    (4)

  • Shelby A.

    I love this place because they have the head on the shrimp and the garlic that's sautéed with the shrimp gets crispy and is soooo goood on rice! Not to mention, I love the spicy shoyu sauce. So to compare this to other trucks, you honestly can't because Romy's style isn't like the others, which is why I can see how some people may not prefer it, but why I love it over the others. My next best go-to is Famous if you don't want shrimp head. I don't like Giovanni's shrimp texture.

    (4)

  • Debbie C.

    Just not good- bland - we have been here before too- super hard to peel scampi- garlic really no flavour; just hot- fried prawns better- but fried

    (1)

  • Ronnie H.

    We decided to give this place a try instead of going to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck and we were highly disappointed. This place sucked. There was a huge wait for crappy shrimp. Never again! $70 for three people and I wouldn't have paid $20. There is NOTHING special about this place other than its horrible.

    (1)

  • Greg H.

    Head on shrimps, and if you order the half pound or larger they aren't butterflies, I was disappointed the sweet and spicy sauce was store bought. I know shrimp are bottom feeders but they definitely taste like the swamp they get them from behind the place... The corn was ok and the fountain drinks were the best. :/

    (2)

  • Brian N.

    Weak. First off it was $18 bucks for shrimp and an iced tea. Really? I can go to a decent steakhouse and get a similar shrimp plate for about the same price. Second it took almost 30 minutes to get our garlic butter shrimp. And it was not busy at all. We were about to ask for our money and bounce. For a roadside walk-up window you usually expect somewhat fast service, especially with something so simple to make. Third, there was almost no butter/ sauce, it was very dry. It was as though they had just taken plain steamed shrimp and dropped some chopped garlic on it. The chopped garlic would just fall off when you picked a shrimp up, there was nothing to hold it. The shrimp itself was not bad but not great either. Certainly not enough to make up for the lack of sauce, or the high price, or the long wait. PASS...

    (2)

  • Aimee S.

    Went here for the first time ever last week or so. I usually go to Giovanni's but wanted to give this place a try. The wait was probably a good hour. But right at the order window, there's a sign warning you of the possible wait and gives you an estimated wait time. Had the "shrimp scampi". It didn't look like scampi. Didn't have the cream sauces. It look basically like garlic fried rice. With shrimp. Not that I'm complaining. The garlic was so awesome with the rice. Forget about the shrimp. Can I have an order of just the garlic and rice?? Is that allowed? I wonder if my wait time would lower if I ordered just that. My friend ordered the fried shrimp. We were envisioning this battered deep fried goodness. What we actually got was shrimp wrapped in lumpia wrapper with sweet chili sauce on the side. I liked it though and the texture of the lumpia wrapper. Not sure if I would willingly come here again though, just cz of the long wait.

    (3)

  • Dan P.

    I called in my order so it was ready when I got there. The line wasn't very long because we went on Monday early afternoon. This is my favorite shrimp place on the North shore. I got the garlic shrimp. They didn't have prawns available.

    (5)

  • Tricia M.

    The food there is okay. But not worth the hour and a half wait. It took 30 minutes to get to the window. Then to hear that the wait for the food is 40-60 minutes. Sorry, they need to upgrade their operations.

    (2)

  • Michelle N.

    I love the fact that this place has these giant prawns. I ordered their sweet & spicy prawn 12.95 its ok. i Was impress by the size of the prawn, but not the taste. It is however better that Giovanni's in my opinion if you had to pick between the two. My other ordered was #5 which are these steam prawns 4 piece for $19.95. I like them, but pretty basic. They give you two sauce to dip. Then these chilled pineapple people seem to love, but to me they were way to sweet. Taste like pineapple dipped in a lot of sugar Cash only Seatings available Parking avail Kid friendly Pretty clean place considering its in the middle of no where.

    (3)

  • Whale B.

    Not really a shrimp truck, but more of a shack with tables under patio covers on either side. Food is made to order and you will wait. Its cash only, so be prepared. When we were there the music was way too loud and it was not Hawaiian or reggie, it was melancholy pop through which the speakers were clearly being tortured. The Food: Awesome, comfort food at its finest, you must if in O'ahu try it once. We had the garlic shrimp and I still talk about it. Its a messy experience to remove the shells and dip it in the incredible sauce. Its served on a bed of sticky rice, so you can scoup up the flavor with every bite. Ono, broke da mouth maika'i ! Rogerdat ! There is a sink to wash your hands and do not try to wipe your hands after every bite, just experience it and wash hands after you eat. I want to give it 5 stars for the food and aloha, but the music has got to go.

    (4)

  • Jason A.

    After finishing up our staycation at Turtle Bay, the girlfriend and I checked out early (checkout time is 10am) in order to make it here before they opened (they open at 10am). Once we parked there was already a line of locals waiting for the wooden boards to open up. The people before us were ordering pounds and pounds of the fresh garlic butter shrimp, and the phone was going off already for phone orders, seems like a bunch of the early birds show up to grab and go to a family bbq or beach day rather than eating a plate lunch. The garlic butter shrimp is where it's at and if you're ordering more than one plate, definitely get one of the plates with extra garlic, you won't regret it and you'll be able to share with your partners in dine. If you show up later there's definitely a longer wait so try to get here early. Make it your first stop on the North Shore if you're making a day trip. It's not fast food, it's good food as they have signs posted up so the reviews talking about long wait times are oblivious to the fact that this is a small shrimp kitchen and not a mainstream venue. Enjoy the time with your friends and delicious grinds!

    (5)

  • Jennifer Y.

    This was me an my husbands first shrimp truck experience. I think I went In with higher expectations than my husband. It was very busy which is a good sign. Me an my husband split the sweet & spicy shrimp combo for $20 You get about 8 shrimp a lot of rice, corn on the cob, very very small salad, small drink ( you have to pay for refills) luckily I had my own water bottle. We waited about 30 minutes. The shrimp was over cooked an was tough an a little bit chewy. It was pretty messy. I prefer shrimp that I don't have to peel :( I only ate 2. I mostly ate the corn and rice hahaha. I wouldn't go back here. I wasn't that impressed, but I will definitely try other shrimp trucks. I told my husband I will try fried shrimp verses sauté

    (3)

  • Mir I.

    We chose Romy's over Giovannis. If we get a chance we will try Giovanni too. Butter shrimp plate was very good. Sweet and spicy dish was ok. We went there early, right around 11. Still the wait was 15 minutes! But there is clear sign that wait might be as long an 1hr or more. Kids loved it and the ambience was good with a red shack for the shop and red picnic benches for customers to sit and eat.

    (4)

  • Kirby C.

    Every time i ask someone where is a good place to eat, someone ALWAYS mentions a shrimp food truck and it was always a toss up between ROMYS and Giovanni's. Personally, I am a HUGE fan of ROMYS. The shrimp here was AMAZING. Perfectly cooked where it is just the right amount of crunchy (I do not peel the skin, mostly of laziness and the non-willingness to let my food sit) and soft. The location of this is also a little bitter than Giovanni's. It is located right in front of a shrimp farm so it is pretty cool to walk around and see the home of where the food comes from. Seating is a little limited, compared to the other places but for the goodness in taste, I would eat it in my car if I had to.

    (5)

  • Vanessa B.

    Before you go have an hour and half to spare before you can eat it's a long wait they have a sign up saying they aren't fast food they're good food as fast as they can make it. so they know lol but they take pride in their food. CASH ONLY but they have an ATM. I didn't have the garlic butter which I regret but we ordered the pound and split it between the four of us and the shrimp was really good, great texture. My brother ordered the fried shrimp because he didn't want to peel anything haha and he loved it as well. Only problem is the wait and how hot it is while you wait but it's a staple in the North Shore so you gotta go

    (4)

  • Sara H.

    Pros: good shrimp, nothing phenomenal but good. Fun experience. Cons: long wait, little food for the price, kind of a lot of flies.

    (3)

  • Ward K.

    I had visitors from Japan come over and they wanted to eat here and since I heard so much about this place I thought heck yeah why not... Let's do this! We got here around 3:30pm and it was perfect, well at least i thought it was as there was only 2 people in line and not the usual crowd during lunch time. We all ordered the garlic shrimp combo which you get around 8 pieces of shrimp, corn on the cob, salad and drink. My mouth was watering as I could just smell them shrimp being cooked and my tummy started to growl, "FEED ME!" Our number was called and I ran to get our plates. When I opened the cover, I could tell that the garlic had been a little over cooked, kind of burnt. I thought it wouldn't affect the taste that much right?!?! Well think again. Even though I like roasted garlic, it was nothing like that. I took a bite of the shrimp and it just tasted so seafoodish. I know shrimp is seafood but this taste wasn't like I would normally taste when eating shrimp. So I wasn't too thrilled. On top of that there wasn't that much garlic butter on the shrimp and rice. Wait rice.... the rice we had was like that of the bottom of the rice cooker kind. It was all clumpy and some parts were a little hard. Since it was towards the ending of the day, I might have just gotten the ends so I might just have to go back and try another plate. Until then this place gets 2 stars from me.

    (2)

  • Jonathan N.

    The wait time for this place has gotten worse over the years. They take huge amount of phone orders which don't even show up. Their phone orders are called over the speaker system numerous times before getting picked up. This causes a back log on the people waiting in line for their food!! They should just do away with the phone order system and maybe think about expanding this little shack to house more cooks. I stood in line for at least 30 minutes and waited for the good for about an hour. Yeah they give you a heads up on the wait time..but this sucks! Other than that the shrimps are a hit and miss. The last time I came the shrimps were not fresh...had a hard time separating the shell. So if you decide to come here..call in advance so you could bypass the wait!!

    (2)

  • John D.

    Big disappointment. Waited in line for an hour only to be told that it was going to take another hour and half to get our food. We walked out. Staff not very friendly. Not coming back again.

    (1)

  • Sekret O.

    What's the sense of doing a phone order if you still gotta wait 15-20min when you get there?!? I made a phone order for 2 shrimp plates, the lady that took my order asked what time I was gonna pick it up and I told her 11:45am. I got there around 11:40am and was told I had to wait 15-20min because my order wasn't ready. Seriously?!? But when I got my order my shrimp was dry and my rice was hard like it was sitting on the side the whole time. I wasn't having it and I made the lady change out my plate. We don't pay $13+ for dry shrimp and hard rice.

    (1)

  • Fredeelyn F.

    My friend is obsessed with this place. She will drive out to the North Shore just to wait an hour for their shrimp plate. I've gone with her twice and I am completely bewildered as to why so many people are willing to pay $13.99 for a plate of burnt garlic and over cooked shrimp. I'm not one to knock it before trying it so the first time I had the standard shrimp plate. It tastes fine but not worth the drive or the ridiculously long wait! Seriously can't they figure out a more efficient way to cook than two little fry pans? I just couldn't get over the burnt garlic taste. The different sauces is the best part, only 50 cents extra. So second the time I had the fried shrimp wrapped in lumpia wrapper. Delicious but sooo rubbery and over cooked. The sweet chili sauce it good, I also got spicy shoyu which tastes good on my rice. I certainly wouldn't go to the North Shore just for their food. The next time she drags me out there I'm gonna go across the street and try the Farm Cafe. Also, what's up with the secret "regular customer" deal. Practically pulling teeth to get cashier to tell us about it.

    (2)

  • Paka S.

    Waited over an hour for my food to be cooked only to be disappointed with the overwhelming taste of MSG. I rather eat at the famous Kahuku shrimp truck over this dump.

    (1)

  • Joey M.

    Thank you for your hospitality with us delegates today. Garlic Shrimp was the bomb!!! Joey and Tanya from Sacramento CA.

    (5)

  • Christine K.

    The wait is soo long! All I hear are phone orders. They need to stop that and just make it first come first serve! Let the callers wait 2+ hrs like the people who line up! And update the kitchen already! I still love the sweet and spicy prawns! Oh and the pineapple li hing is sweet right now! Yum

    (3)

  • Christen W.

    When I first started coming here I was impressed with the food and how great it tasted. After coming here over the past two years the service has slowed and gotten more rude, and the food quality is just poor. FOOD: I always get the butter garlic shrimp...the past few times I have been here the garlic is burnt and it is not appetizing, it leaves an aftertaste that lasts for hours no matter how much water I drink. Yesterday I decided to buy the kahuku corn that they offer. It tasted like dirt and it looked like it was covered in dirt. What a waste of money. SERVICE: Rude. We made a phone order and was told it would take 45 minutes, totally understandable. After 50 minutes we went to check if our order was ready, we were told it would be a little longer. We waited an hour and 20 minutes. It's understandable that they're busy so it's not a big deal about the wait, but coupled with rude service is going to make me upset. I stood at the window for 10 minutes before someone acknowledged me...there are so many people back there and no one stopped to help. The whole time I'm waiting other customers are trying to cut in front of me. When someone finally stopped to help me they got my order wrong and began arguing with me about what I ordered. The order was repeated back to me over the phone and it was correct, but they wanted to argue with me. Overall the food is not great, I can get better butter garlic shrimp at other trucks, and I can get better corn elsewhere. I will not be coming back here ever again.

    (1)

  • Laura S.

    Three of us split two platters of shrimp - 1 sautéed in butter and garlic, and 1 with the sweet and spicy sauce. The wait wasn't bad. We we're lucky to come when it wasn't crowded at all. I couldn't pick a favorite between the two, and the shrimp were just as good as I remember from years ago. I haven't had Giovanni's, so I can't compare the two... but locals that I know prefer Romy's. Also, whenever you drive past Giovanni's the wait is insanely long. If you're down to wait - more power to you. Romy's is pretty good, though... just saying! :P

    (4)

  • Angela A.

    Butter garlic shrimp is the best! This is the only shrimp shack I go to in Northshore and I am always full and satisfied when I go. The only downside is the long wait, but def worth it.

    (5)

  • Mae B.

    Tried this place out because everyone is rambling about how good it is. Merp! Not at all! Disappointed. I got the butter garlic. So hard to peel & the flavoring was just burnt garlic. Not even tasty at all. Who wants to eat burnt garlic? Mackys and Famous Kahuku is so much better than this place. Oh & it took an hour for our food. Idk what the hype is all about. I guess coz they give you a free plate after finishing up your stamp card. Who knows?

    (1)

  • Renee G.

    OH MY GOODNESS. This place is absolutely HEAVENLY. On the way to Romy's, my cousin & her now husband talked about this spot and how he had come twice in one week from Makiki while his Chicago buddies were in town just for these dreamboat shrimps. Being about a 45minute-ish drive (correct me if I'm wrong!), I thought that this must've had to have been BANGIN' shrimp to drive that far! I'm not sure what I really expected to see when I got here, but we pulled up to this covered shrimp shack. Absolutely no frills, just a little old beat down looking shack with a truck in front that housed the Romy's sign. Just beat the 6pm closing time and got our orders in. Ordered the butter & garlic shrimp and I imagined the tasty Boiling Crab flavor in my mouth, boy I was wrong! Walked to the back where the "shrimp pond" is. Eh, nothing to see except farm land! About 10 minutes later our plates (more like styrofoam to go boxes) came out. The big but do-able portions of two scoops large rice and a whole bunch of big shrimp (biggest I've ever seen!) with garlic on top were intimidating at first, but after that first bite into the butter sautéed shrimp I knew my whole shrimp plate would be a wrap! I devoured every. single. bite. It was completely unavoidable to loudly say "MMmmmmMmmm" or "OHHHH.. MY *eyes roll into the back of my head* I knew I was going to miss it already!!! So garlicky and delicious and.. garlicky and ... just that delicious! If you don't like garlic, I'd say pass. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty with all that goodness. I was chowing down straight up Kamayan style and licking my fingers in the end - sorry not sorry! I can't wait for the day I step back into the land of the most delicious shrimp in the world! I will dream of all of you who get to consume Romy's delicious prawns & shrimp! OH! And it's BYOB... (I think... lol unless we weren't supposed to bring our own beer).

    (5)

  • Tracey R.

    if I'm going to drive all the way from waipahu to the north shore to get garlic shrimp i will go to romy's. i always order the butter garlic shrimp with extra garlic and extra butter and extra of that shoyu spicy sauce (yes very fatty, but eh i don't ALWAYS eat like this so might as well go all out..and yes they'll charge extra for the sauce) i have no complaints on how they make the shrimp..never had a bad tasting experience yet..crossing my fingers that it'll never happen. they got a good big seating area so finding seats aren't that bad, if you go at a good time...which is right when they open at 10:00, after that its nuts. well, you're at a tourist area its going to be busy (especially during lunch and the afternoon)...yes the prices are cray (15 dollars around not including a drink)...again tourist area....so do have the patience. if you're a clean-freak bring wipes to wipe the tables, eh it does get a tad bit dirty because its so busy...at least they got a sink with soap so you can wash your hands after. my recommendation....try to place an order by phone so that you can avoid the lines. but call when you're at least 20-25 minutes away because you still gotta wait for the food to be made anyway...but it really all depends how busy they are...their phone lines do get busy..so plan accordingly :3

    (4)

  • Don D.

    I have to say that this place is lacks some sense. Yes, its popular. Yes, its fresh shrimp. Yes, its good, but actually....its not THAT good for me! Id never go on my own will, and when I do, there I only went because my wife insists that we go. I told her that the first time we went, it was a ridiculous wait for what we got. There is NO EXAGGERATION when we say that you have to wait UP TO 30 Minutes in line JUST TO ORDER! Then once your order is in, you have to wait another 35-45 minutes for them to make your order! When you realize what is going on, its kind of ridiculous. They have ONE person cooking the shrimp on 2 big wok pans! The locals have figured out that its easier to call your order in ON YOUR WAY up to Romy's which essentially makes them CUT IN LINE in front of everyone else that physically standing there, which in turn BACKS UP the cook! Come on Romy's.....Is it hard to hire and put in another 2 stovetops for you to get the line quicker. While the shrimp is good, stand outside in the line and see whats going on, you'll find that youre losing hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars a day on people who are actually in line, then leave because of the wait. Im not lying either, in the 1 hour is was in line and waiting on food, I literally saw about 30 people fall in line, and leave! IN ONE HOUR!!!! 30 people x $12 = $360 lost in one hour! If you paid a worker $10/hour for 8 hours, thats only $80 out of your pocket! Hmmmm.........

    (2)

  • Rebecca R.

    A recent trip to Hawaii led me on quite a few adventures. One of them to a food truck (not many of those in RI). I love seafood and was excited to try Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp. Not sure what to order I ordered the sweet/spicy shrimp with a side of brown rice. Rice was a bit gluey and I didn't eat much of it to be honest. I have never had shrimp complete in the entire shell before which made this experience one to remember. The shrimp were fresh, sweet, spicy and delicious! They weren't skimpy on the portion either! Be ready to make a mess and be okay with it! I'd definitely recommend this to a passerby in the area. There is nothing quite like fresh seafood and trust me, you will not have leftovers.

    (3)

  • Shannon M.

    If you like high fructose corn syrup sweet sauce, go for Romy's. If not, try one of the other options on the north shore. My husband didn't even get the sweet & epic option and also was not impressed.

    (1)

  • Nathan N.

    It's okay, I guess. I really don't understand what the big deal is about everyone wanting to drive all the way out to the north shore for garlic shrimp. I don't get it.

    (3)

  • Maggie T.

    Hands down, the best garlic shrimp on the island! Get the sweet chili dipping sauce on the side as well...tastes great! The staff is friendly and courteous. They are super busy so order ahead if you are able to reach them and even then expect a bit of a wait. Usual wait time 30 - 45 min. Worth the wait though!

    (5)

  • Christina Z.

    I think this place has amazing garlic butter shrimp. Every time I go back to the islands I never fail to come here when I go around the island. There is plenty of parking and lots of shaded benches. I agree with some other people that the wait may be long so go on the weekdays.

    (4)

  • Van V.

    Alohaaaa! Romy's Shrimp Truck deserves 4 reviews from me so they can receive 20 stars! But I think that's impossible, so 5 stars is the most that I can give! Not smart of me to be yelping about Romy's when I live and am in San Diego right now! I'm so craving for it! But anyway, best shrimp truck ever! Who's Giovanni's?! lol jk. My first visit to Hawaii in 2009, my friends and I wanted to try shrimp trucks. I am so glad we discovered Romy's!! we went to North Shore and explored our different options! Romy's is one of the first trucks when you go down the road of shrimp trucks after Turtle Bay Resort. Their Garlic Butter Shrimp plate is the best thing ever! It has the most flavorable garlic taste ever! From what I remembered, the garlic bits were o-so crispy and crunchy! YUM! The shrimp was phenomenal! It was cooked fresh since they scoop the shrimp from the pond behind their trucks. I believe $13 a plate is reasonable! I did live in Hawaii the year after my first visit, and am kind of bummed that I never made it up there again for Romy's. It sucked to not have a car! WHEHHH! Anyway, I definitely would recommend all tourists to go here when visiting Oahu! Guarantee that this is the best place to experience garlic shrimp from Romy's! BTW, I miss you Hawaii! Definitely, my first stop to Romy's when I come back to visit my second home!

    (5)

  • Nikki M.

    Writing this in real-time.... In moderately-long line to see what all the hype is about the only shrimp stop that farms their own shrimp. Stood in line for 30min to find out that it would be AT LEAST another 30min to get our food (at least we got the option to bail out). After already waiting a half-hour, we figured we'd stick it out. Ordered the #1 butter garlic shrimp combo ($19.95). Because we were very hungry, we also ordered 2 servings of pineapple ($5 for both). The pineapples were diced and heavily coated with that red ling mui seasoning - way too much, but we were hungry, so.... 30min mark - food was ready. Gotta stop review to take pics. Ok, I'm back. We got one order with white rice and one with brown rice, so bonus points for having that option. Corn -good, nothing fancy Salad - fresh veggies, light-handed with the dressing, ok White rice - normal Hawaiian sticky rice Garlic topping - understand the "burnt" reviews, but we think it's the cooking style, tastes good...not burnt, not overly oily but as you get towards the bottom, you notice it more Shrimp - good size, heads dont bother us, not a lot of seasoning, not under or over cooked, but just ok Overall, we prefer Giovanni's due to them having the garlic sauce vice garlic, but our favorite shrimp truck is blue water (by far...u gotta check out Chef Marcus). probably won't come back - not because it's not good, but because it's just not that great.

    (3)

  • Kelsey T.

    I will always take a drive down to Romy's whenever I am craving shrimp. Tried many other shrimp shacks but nothing compares to Romy's, the butter garlic shrimp to be exact. The wait time is between 45 minutes to 1 hour but it's all worth it for some delicious shrimp!

    (4)

  • Celia T.

    A lot of people say this is the best garlic shrimp in the North Shore area. It really depends on if you have had places like Boiling Crab, or Thai Prawns before and how you like your shrimp. Got there Saturday at 12 and waited about 1 hour from the time we got in line to the time we got our food. Our party had the 1 lb Steamed Shrimp, 1lb steamed Prawns and the #1 combo plate with the garlic shrimp. That is a long wait considering the abundance of trucks in the area. People say its good because its fresh but I thought it was similar to boiling crab shrimp so not THAT difference in taste. In fact I found them a bit overcooked on both steamed and the Garlic. The Garlic Shrimp is cooked then stir fried in garlic. It gets overcooked and dry compared to the buttery shrimps from Giovanni or even Mackys. The steamed were also overcooked for both and the Prawns did not have a sweet taste like the thai style prawns. You get about 15 -20 shrimps and about 5-6 prawns for 1 lb. Its pretty filling. Also got the corn which is just steamed ehh. For these we got the garlic sauce and the spicy and non spicy soyu dipping sauce.The garlic sauce is like a garlic paste with butter. The garlic falls to the bottom so its lot a lot for a lb. The soyu tastes like the seafood soy sauce Chinese seafood restaurants serve with steamed fish or steamed shrimp, I have had that before, for a shorter wait and a cheaper price! Location - lots of outdoor seating and a sink to wash your hands and one porter potty. BRING PAPER TOWELS and WET NAPS!! I also recommend bringing your own sides if you want and also water/drinks. This way if you do try this you won't starve to death waiting in line. Bottom line, come to try the #1 and the dipping sauces HOWEVER, try Giovannis, Mackys or some other truck first. Or better yet if you are in the states and near a boiling crab, do that instead - 1 LB Shrimp with Whole Shebang sauce for less than 10 Bucks. One regular plate here runs about $15 and one combo plate almost $20.

    (2)

  • Bertrand R.

    Heard from a local to give it a try. Rural type atmosphere. Kinda touristy but again very popular so I guess they have to accommodate. Food is reasonably priced for the amount you get. I highly recommend the #1 with big shrimp which are fresh, juicy, and flavorful. I was disappointed with the size of the prawns which were a bit dry and chewy. Then again, I'm comparing those prawns to the ones I've eaten in the Philippines and there's really no comparison. Don't go there hungry as there is a wait especially when there's a lot of patrons.

    (4)

  • Stephanie h.

    Only got to try 2 shrimp trucks, but this one was our favorite! Sweet and spicy sauce was delicious! Nice, big shrimp! Corn was nothing special.

    (5)

  • Ariana K.

    Anytime we visit Oahu and take a drive to the North Shore, stopping at Romy's for lunch is an absolute must! It's cash only and during peak lunch hours, be prepared for a long wait, but it's so worth it. You'll get messy peeling the prawns, but there's large sinks with soap nearby to clean up. Plenty of seating with picnic tables on both sides. The butter garlic prawns & the sweet chili prawns are the best in the area - I look forward to this stop every summer!

    (4)

  • Li Z.

    I cannot tell you how good this place is. This is the one locals suggest and is the only prawn truck. Fun fact, food trucks were very popular in Hawaii before it became a thing in the US and Canada (mainly thanks for the Food Network)... So Prawns - they are honestly the size of mini lobsters. 1 lb might get you 4. Get it with brown rice (I have no idea why but Brown rice is so different in Hawaii...). Sauces, get the garlic butter (of course) and then the Korean one. One platter is enough for 3 - and that goes for the cholesterol as well. When you are done, make sure to put the prawn juices and extra sauce into the rice and give it a good mix. Heavenly. Or Prawny... however you wish to see it. Oh, but it does come with the head... otherwise how will you know it's fresh? So it might be looking at you as you eat it.... but they have their own farms at the back, it's open for viewing!

    (5)

  • Ren N.

    If you want fresh shrimp, I recommend this place compared to other shrimp trunks. You know it's fresh because the shrimp tastes sweet and it still has it's head on. Aside from the food, the workers are friendly and they also give you a stamp card, if it gets stamped 10 times you get a free shrimp plate.

    (5)

  • Kahala H.

    I used to think this place was the best. I went there and was sorely disappointed this time. The 32 minute wait was definitely too long considering there was no line when we arrived. There were two small orders in front of us. 32 minutes? Really??? The garlic butter shrimp was way over cooked. The garlic was burnt and the shrimp was rubbery. The shrimp cocktail was hot. I always picture shrimp cocktail as being chilled and not served with rice. For about $6 more per plate you can get a "combo" which includes corn on the cob, tossed salad and a small drink. They charge for everything including an extra plate, cup, sauce and almost for a smile. It's safe to say with all the great shrimp places out there, I'd definitely skip this one next time.

    (1)

  • Catherine Y.

    Tried the butter garlic shrimp from Romy's and Giovanni's and Romy's is clearly tastier and fresher. Yum!

    (5)

  • Kristina B.

    Absolutely delicious! Four stars because customer service is lacking. They have signs posted about long wait times, which is fine if they are trying to get food out. They moved at a snail's pace and weren't very nice or accommodating. Having said that, I would definitely go back because the garlic shrimp were amazing!

    (4)

  • Grace C.

    Garlic butter shrimp was good. Sauce was different from Giovanni's and the shrimp still had its head on (my fav). However the wait was pretty long... I honestly don't know why it takes forever to get our food. There are wayyy more people at Giovanni's but we get our food much faster. And the lady that takes order doesn't seem too happy. Just the wait alone makes deters me away..

    (3)

  • Ashley B.

    I love Romys shrimp because of their special home made spicy sauce. All their foods are freshly made. The only downside is I have to travel just to get to Kahuku side which takes me an hour, so I always have to phone order my food to avoid waiting for a long while. Their tables also seen to be very sticky so watch out for those and beware of the flies swarming around.

    (4)

  • Thomas E.

    Friendly Service, only approx. 10 mins waiting time and most important: Fresh and delicious shrimps, obviously grown just behind the truck...thumbs up!!

    (5)

  • Anthony D.

    Yelp says it opens at 10:00am. We arrived at 10:30 and they said they were gonna open late at 11:00. We waited and at 11:00 they said they'll start taking orders at 11:30. We were the second in line to order at 11:30 and we are still waiting for our food at 12:30 to come. There is no reason for food to take this long. 1 star for terrible service.

    (1)

  • Roxane B.

    So worth the drive for the fresh butter garlic shrimp! Line is long & the wait is probably an hour, depending how busy they are, so its best to make a phone order that way you can just pick it up at the ready window instead of waiting in line. This is by far the best shrimp/prawn place I tried, in my opinion. (:

    (5)

  • Janelle D.

    Of all the shrimp trucks on the north shore, Romy's is my favorite! The shrimp are huge and sweet. We like that the shrimp are whole (head on). The butter garlic is so plentiful over the shrimp and rice. I love the spicy shoyu sauce but the sweet spicy is my favorite! I always get an extra side of sauce with my order. The plates are $13.75 which is comparable to the other shrimp trucks. They also serve cold lihing pineapple for $3- it's a lot of pineapple so I consider it a reasonable price. The only downfall is the wait. Expect a LONG wait! Even when you get there when they first open, the wait will be at least 20 minutes. If you go during the day, the wait can be up to an hour. Thats the frustrating part. Knowing how busy they get, the production is so slow. I think they only have 2 woks and 1 cook (but they have a few helpers). If you have the time, it is worth the wait.

    (4)

  • Roman G.

    I hate writing bad reviews, but i have to be honest. I will probably not come back here, they have great customer service but thats about it. The wait is 1 hour to 2 hours long, the plates are $13-$20, the portions are small, and the food I received was under cooked. The shrimp was squishy and the garlic overwhelms everything, I know it's a "Garlic Shrimp Plate" but man, that's a lot of Garlic and not enough shrimp.

    (2)

  • Anita G.

    Get the #1. Highly recommend getting an extra butter garlic sauce too. After your shrimp are all gone, don't miss finishing that last bit of sauce covered rice, yum. Soo good. Went on a weekday earlier in the day so wait after ordering was only like 20 min and they have plenty of outdoor seating so it wasn't bad.

    (5)

  • Lai T.

    I know there is a heated debate surging as to which is ultimately better...Giovanni's or Romy's. There is no doubt that I'm a Giovanni's girl but having never tried Romy's before, we decided to embark to Kahuku yesterday to have the ultimate Christmas food...prawns :p Plus what is more Hawaiian than fresh seafood? Okay, honestly the real reason is that we had no set Christmas plans and when I had Romy's earlier in the week, they said they'd be open on Christmas day. Ah redemption! The first time we decided to go to Romy's we did so on the fly after a visit to Giovanni's. By the time we realized how long the actual wait for food was-we decided to skip the real food and order some snacks (pineapple li hing mui, popcorn, etc.). So this time, we called in a pre-order of 1 lb of prawns and a garlic butter shrimp plate to share before we left our house. When we got to Romy's the crowd was not that big but it almost tripled in size when we were leaving. Oh my goodness those prawns are amazing! I haven't seen such large prawns in quite a while. The heads alone were the length of my thumb and actual body was probably the length of my index finger. They were steamed and we got the soyu spicy sauce and the butter garlic sauce (I also brought along my own special sauce of lemon juice, salt, and pepper). Out of the three sauces, I preferred my own :p 5 prawns made up our 1 lb order. But I have no complaints about the prawns. They were perfect and I am sure I could clean off a pound by my self :x I'm glad we shared though because then I was able to try the garlic butter shrimp as well. I tried to keep an open mind as we sampled the garlic butter shrimp plate, but you know-it has nothing on Giovanni's shrimp plates! The shrimp seemed smaller, the garlic wasn't as tasty, and several of the shrimps had this weird pasty soft texture going on (you know how shrimp tastes when it isn't fresh?)...which really turned me off. I'm sure they would've fixed this had we brought it to their attention, but it wasn't worth risking another wait. To sum it up, this shrimp plate left me wanting! So much that we drove to Giovanni's after our meal-unfortunately they were closed :( We had also ordered the pineapple again, but for some reason-I liked it better the first time. The lesson of the day was go to Giovanni's for shrimp plates and go to Romy's for prawns. I think Romy's was smart to offer prawns...it looks like they're the only ones who do in the area. Here are a few tips for the first timers: If you head out to Romy's try calling your order in before you leave so that your wait time for food is minimized. Also, it is picnic style benches so you can bring your own condiments or drinks. They have a frequent buyer punch card where if you purchase 10 plates, you get 1 free. And if you want a free soda with your order, go onto their website and print the coupon. My next target for shrimp plates is the curry shrimp at Fiji market (located in between Romy's and Giovanni's). Yuko A.'s awesome review had me craving some but unfortunately they were closed on Christmas.

    (3)

  • Kimberly W.

    It was okay. It definitely wasn't as good as I anticipated. I had the garlic shrimp plate which was served over rice and a side of sauce. I appreciate that they have been in business for quite some time, but running out of prawns by 11am was quite unfortunate. If my folks weren't so hungry we would've left like some of the other customers. Maybe I'll return but not a must.

    (3)

  • Waymond N.

    Best shrimp truck in Kahuku. Get here early and go often. I enjoy the sweet and spicy prawns here. Giovani's butter garlic shrimp is slighly better than Romy's but I prefer Romy's if you have a group that wants to try a few different flavors. If everybody in your group wants the butter garlic then go to Giovani's, otherwise Romy's is better in my opinion

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    They ran out of the prawns when I was there, so I can't corroborate Chass B.'s review of the prawns, but I can talk about the garlic shrimp. First off, the shrimp came with PART of the heads and the shell is already butterflied open. If you are going to tease me with some shrimp heads, let me get the juice so I can suck on the neck. Instead of garlic butter, it was more like burnt garlic. There was hardly any butter that I could see or taste, or it was more like cooked in butter but not really a sauce like Giovanni's. The corn doesn't have any flavor add-ons like the corn place near giovanni's. I'm still glad I got to try this place out, but I won't revisit. Maybe Fumi's next time just to round out the North Shore.

    (2)

  • Teresita R.

    I usually go to Giovanni but some friends recommend to try this place , so disappointed , I don't mind waiting for a long time but really this is not worth your almost $20.00 for a 4 piece of prawn, small corn and a little bit of salad, and their sauce is sweet and spicy I think that's the one you buy for lumpia. Waste money and time.

    (1)

  • J K.

    Waited 1 hr from ordering to getting my food! And I already ate at Giovanni's down the street the day before. Comparatively, since Romy's is more expensive and longer wait, I thought it would be just as good or better than Giovanni's and I was wrong. I got the butter garlic shrimp. If Giovanni's was a 8 or 9 this was about a 6 but with a side of long wait and higher prices. Go to Giovanni's instead.

    (2)

  • Michael M.

    Always a great place to stop for some great shrimp plates when driving around the island, driving family around for "tourist" sight-seeing or coming from the beach! Lines can sometimes get pretty ridiculous and the wait can be just as long or longer, but I think it's worth it. Been coming here now for the last two years.

    (5)

  • Thai P.

    We really enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. I love the big outdoor sink and huge bottle of soap.

    (4)

  • Vivian L.

    I am struggling between 3 and 4. I wish yelp can have 3.5 for the star rating. But anyway, I went there for lunch. Line was long. Serve is slow. I waited for about half an hour to get the food. Do not expect your food is clean because there are a lot of flies around. Shrimps are fresh made. I love the sauce. Price is reasonable but not too cheap. It says must try place in Oahu on their website. I do not agree on it. I think Oahu have big selection of food. Also maybe it is because I have live pawns in my town as well. So no matter how you cook them they will taste good if they are fresh and live.

    (3)

  • Trish P.

    NEW THINGS: popcicles.... mango, ube and red beans, etc... try them while you wait! they're tasty, and cool so its not so bad when its hot out. (look at my pictures) TIPS: call ahead for your order. no seriously. unless you want to wait in line, then wait forever for your order - call ahead. BUT, but advised, they leave their phone off the hook during peak hours (lunch time) heads-ON is the only way to eat shrimp/prawns..... damn thats some good eatin

    (4)

  • Brandon H.

    I've been smelling this place all week long as I'd drive back and forth to the beach, so I finally stopped today. They have amazing garlic shrimp! 8 shrimp and two scoops of rice cost about $14. A combo (corn, salad and a drink) costs another $5 which seemed a little steep. Service was fairly fast. We waited like 20 minutes for our food. I'd definitely eat here again.

    (4)

  • Colin O.

    We got there and waited in line for half an hour just to put in our order. Then the girl said it will take about 45 minutes we agreed because we waited so long already. We ended up waiting 1.25 hours for the food. No apologies, no discounts, no thanks for waiting, no caring. Spent over $60 for 3 meal deals which was a rip off. the food wasn't even that great. Not worth the wait will never go there again.

    (1)

  • Mark S.

    I've ate at a couple different shrimp trucks over the years. Heard I should try this one so we did. I ordered the basic butter and garlic prawns with rice. I don't know what to say except this was terrible. Drive by, there's plenty more trucks around the area.

    (1)

  • Tam V.

    i live in houston and i miss you.. lol.. this place is soo goooood... me and my girlfriend just ate lunch and we drove by and couldnt resist the aroma.. we had to do a u-turn to try it out....best decision EVER...the prawn now i miss it..

    (5)

  • Jostin M.

    I'm giving Romy's 5 stars for their Garlic/Butter Shrimp plate. It was by far the best shrimp I had on the island, yes better than Giovanni's. In my honest opinion if there could be a food-meld between Romy's and Giovanni's it would be the best shrimp in the entire world. What makes Romy's Garlic Shrimp much better than Gio's is that Gio's regular Garlic/Butter shrimp plate just didn't have as much flavor as Romy's. Romy's gets a lot of flack for taking so long but to be honest it's soooo worth the wait. Let me repeat, if you're reading this review don't be discouraged by the wait, IT'S WORTH IT.

    (5)

  • Christina W.

    Yes, the wait can be an hour or more, but call your order in! As soon as we got off the plane in honolulu, we called in 2 garlic prawn plates, and once we made the hour drive to Romy's, it was ready! We just paid and ate right away! As for the prawns, yum! Juicy, garlicky, and so flavorful! The rice is enriched with the flavor of the sauce also. Get ready for lots of garlic & spice; it stays with you all day! If you're lucky, you'll get a pregnant prawn with eggs inside. One plate is enough to share, FYI!

    (4)

  • Kebrina M.

    Disappointing. As someone else mentioned, the smell of the food is better than the actual taste. The line to order was so long, you feel like, "oh for sure, this place must be worth the wait!" Wrong. Get out of the line. It's full of tourists (like me) anyway. For the most part, they don't know better and are taking a chance here. I've had some really delicious, out-of-this-world good shrimp on my tours of Oahu and even Maui (try Geste's! It's amazing) and this was the worst I've encountered. I waited over 30 minutes in line (a wiser person would have left but my husband was so excited to know what the hype was about) then an additional 30 waiting on the food. The shrimp heads were still attached and upon breaking them off, I discovered a slight ooze on top of a soft mushy top of the body - meaning that these shrimp have been out (and not on ice) for some time before being cooked causing them to start going bad. The seasoning also left much to be desired. We had the butter garlic and asked for it to be spicy. We just got a load of minced garlic and chili flakes. The shrimp retained no flavor except for the slightly spoiled taste. Just so BLEH and gross. I've had way better even in my own kitchen. Can't describe how anticlimactic the feeling was as I left the stand. Like I wasted 2 hours of my precious vacation. I spent the rest of the day trying to get the taste out of my mouth, completely turned off by shrimp altogether. Thanks, Romy.

    (2)

  • Bradley Y.

    Try the shrimp shack they said. It's really good they said. It was okay. Honestly the shrimp plate is way to overpriced, it tasted okay (mostly a burnt taste), I can get better tasting/similar shrimp plates in California for a way cheaper price, it was not worth it waiting in the long line. We wasted 2 hours of our vacation.

    (2)

  • Leslie A.

    Every time we've gone to Oahu we always stayed in North Shore in Turtle Bay. We even got married there. But beside the point, the biggest plus about staying in this area are the close by shrimp trucks. Romy's in particular is our definite favorite!!! OMG we've had everything in their small menu and everything is . Fair warning, there will be weekdays when they won't have prawns dishes. I was told when they are low, they sometimes they save their prawns for the weekend when they are the busiest.

    (5)

  • Amy F.

    Not worth waiting an hour for, but delicious and fresh if the wait is reasonable.

    (3)

  • Carol B.

    Attempted to make a phone order and failed. Line very long....I know the meal will be good....portions of shrimp seemed less. Did not have fried shrimp but the Sun Fish was good. ...service needs to improve to reduce frustration.

    (1)

  • Wayne H.

    I tried both the garlic and the spicy shrimp here and they were both disappointing. You only get 8 pieces of shrimp and it's the most expensive of all the trucks. It's the worst tasting and the most expensive. That makes no sense at all? Why do people come here? Their garlic shrimp scampi recipe had no flavor at all. The staff is not friendly here either. Why waste your time or money here when there are better shrimp trucks in the vicinity. My mother, sis, and I went on a shrimp truck taste test. We tried both garlic and spicy shrimps at each place. Here is how I rank them: 1. Famous Kahuka Shrimp Truck (Great, Best hot and spicy shrimp) 2. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (Great, Best garlic shrimp scampi) 3. Macky's Sweet Shrimp Truck (Good) 4. Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp (No Thanks) 5. Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp (No Thanks) Note: These shrimp trucks are cash only.

    (1)

  • Bridget G.

    Please don't waste your money here. Ordered two shrimp plates took 45 minutes and the garlic was soo burnt it was inedible!!! I was back in haleiwa or I would've returned them, who serves obviously burnt food... Neverever returning.

    (1)

  • Gigi J.

    Every time I come home to visit, Romy's shrimp is a must have. Love love love the shrimp scampi, aka #1 on the menu. The fried garlic on top of the shrimp is so delicious I could just eat that and rice. The shrimps are big and juicy...yum. Don't forget to bring cash because they do not accept any cards. Definitely worth the trip to Kahuku. Happy eating!

    (5)

  • Alex S.

    Horrible long wait. Stop I had to take a star away. other than that one if not the best shrimp shack I went to this trip wish I could have came here more often.

    (4)

  • Lisa S.

    Shrimp and prawns, farm raised! Prepared to get messy. The buttered garlic and steamed are delicious choices! Very happy.

    (5)

  • Laurie V.

    Never a disappointment this trip around. Altho...instead of the 5 prawns, they gave me 4 because they were on the larger size. That can't be a bad thing. Can it??!!!

    (5)

  • Cheryl-Ann S.

    We ordered 13 shrimp plates and waited nearly 2hrs. Most definitely it was worth the wait.

    (5)

  • T.C L.

    Busy place but price is overprice !! Cost too much and gives very little... burnt garlic sauce. They say their shrimp are live and fresh which is fake because they use frozen icy cause the shrimp doesn't taste fresh at all!!!

    (1)

  • Corey D.

    We took a drive up to the north shore for the day on June 8th, 2013. Mainly to go see the Polynesian Cultural Center. Knew nothing of the roadside stops. But a few were lined up and Romy's looked clean. So we pulled in. Thankfully about 5 mins before 30 other people pulled in. We ordered and it took about 15-20 mins to get your order, but not too bad of a wait. The Shrimp and Prawns were huge! Taste was good and they were fresh. Definitely worth the stop. You know it's good when it's messy, good thing they have hand washing stations there for you!

    (4)

  • Mindy D.

    So worth the drive for the fresh butter garlic prawns! So apparently, they are EXTREMELY busy on weekends. I just happen to go on Labor Day, which turned out to be their busiest day EVER in their ten years since opening, per the announcer at Romy's. All the tables under the tent were filled but I crossed my fingers that the line wouldn't be line. Boy... wishful thinking. It wrapped around and took us close to an hour just to place the order for 3. After ordering, it took another 45mins-1hr to get the prawns. It's okay though... I did not mind the wait, though I'm normally a very impatient person. I've been here before and know how good the prawns are. I made sure to get a stamp card this time! They made announcements every so often, apologized for the long wait, but thanked new comers and returning patrons. They reassured everyone that it's not "fast food" and that they were fully staffed, but that it just takes a while. That's understandable, since every order is made to order. I hear their competition is Giovanni's down the road but I've never tried that. I've had Fumi's, which does not even compare to Romy's. I don't think I can ever betray their butter garlic prawns and li hing pineapple. So messy, so garlicky, so damn good. I can't wait to get 10 stamps on my card and get a free plate! Bahahaha!

    (5)

  • Sheila G.

    Truth be told, I have never gone up to Kahuku to eat their famous Kahuku shrimp. I wish I had gone a while back because they recently increased their price. The garlic shrimp plates increased from $12.xx to $13.xx . I was surprised to see Kilawen on their menu and I immediately knew Filipino's had to be working there. They do offer sweet Kahuku corn, li-hing mui pineapple and pandi coco as well Anyway, my bf and I ordered the garlic shrimp plate, sweet and spicy prawns plate and one cob of sweet Kahuku corn. You have a choice of ordering either prawns or shrimp but if you order prawns, you will get less. We waited in line for about 15-20 minutes. The cashier told us that it was half an hour of wait time but we got it within 20 minutes. It wasn't a big deal because they had a lot of picnic tables to sit on. So the garlic shrimp was good! The butter-garlic flavor was really delicious! As for the the prawns, they were humongous! Too bad we only had six. Flavorwise, the sweet and spicy plate was ehh. Nothing to rave about. As for the corn, a big disappointment. It wasn't sweet at all. It would have been better to buy the li-hing mui pineapples instead. Overall, I would return.

    (4)

  • Daniel K.

    I am so sad that i have to write this review. I really like Romy's, until today. I am usually willing to wait the hour, if it IS an hour. I understand that, but Don't tell me that, then after the hour tell me it will be another 30 minutes. And not an ounce of compassion! If it is so busy at the counter you can't meet your obligations DON'T Take any phone orders. It just infuriates the people who were willing to drive up and order, and wait. It's not the food that deserves the one star, it was the service. Actually the lack of service. They definitely proved today that common sense isn't common. Nor that customer service is a priority or a goal they work towards.

    (1)

  • Aimee L.

    Sooooo good and sooooo fresh! My sister's friend is a local and recommended this place to us on our little North Shore drive. It is situated on a shrimp farm and I believe the shrimps are harvest daily. Totally believable because they are very fresh. I love garlic and boiled shrimp so we order the sautéed butter and garlic prawns, and the steam shrimp. Maybe I'm a noob, but I couldn't really taste the difference between prawns and shrimp. However, they were both delicious! My only problem was that I didn't realized that this place can take 20-30 minutes to get your food out and I didn't realized the price was as high as it was. Seeing that it was a food stand, I expected cheaper prices and faster service. Don't plan to make this a fast food stop because like they say, "we are not fast food."

    (4)

  • Lapino 7.

    Not Bad at all , fresh shrimp, simply prepared , very long wait , it's very popular place , sort of a stand in front of Shrimp farms.

    (3)

  • Leanne P.

    Romy's was highly recommended to me by a friend that went to Hawaii a few months ago. She told me to skip Giovanni's and go straight here. So after G and I finished at Kualoa Ranch, we decided to keep trekking up North Shore and stop here. I should've known... it took us almost 30 minutes just to order, and it seemed kinda pricey. It was I think $18 for G's plate of garlic butter prawns and $14 for my order of garlic butter shrimp? When the food finally came out (and they're not kidding about that sign that says "this isn't fast food, but good food" or whatever the sign says. Our order of 2 plates took an hour and twenty minutes to come out!) I couldn't tell which was which?!? I don't know if that's me saying their shrimp is big or their prawns are small... but regardless, it shouldn't have had that big of a price difference. Thankfully we also ordered the Liliha pineapple, which was a great appetizer. The corn was very bleh, and I was bummed that I had spent extra money on that (instead of ordering more shrimp). I have to admit, the shrimp with garlic butter and garlic butter on my rice was pretty amazing... but I was near starvation by the time I got to eat it. I just don't think it was worth a 2 hour wait. Sorry Romy's.

    (2)

  • Lydia J.

    Driving back home from a tasty lunch at Giovanni's, my family decided that we wanted shrimp for dinner as well so we went to Romy's for takeout. We wanted to try the prawns but ordered garlic shrimp since the prawns were already sold out. It took a pretty long time for our order to be done. After eating the shrimp, I was pretty disappointed. I felt that even I could make garlic shrimp and it would taste the same, and it was not worth our time waiting. I couldn't understand why there was so many people at Romy's when there was nothing special at all about their shrimp. Sure, they grew their own shrimp at a shrimp farm and the shrimp itself was actually pretty good, but it did not reach my expectations of what I heard about Romy's shrimp. If you want to eat at a good shrimp truck, just go to Giovanni's.

    (3)

  • Heather M.

    This place is a must do. Not fast food but excellent food and super friendly service. This place is what Aloha spirit represents. We come back every time we're here and are never disappointed. The one thing that could be improved is cleaning the tables more often.

    (4)

  • Michelle T.

    uuhhh.. Went here yesterday with my boyfriend to see if it was anything like people said it was.. Unfortunately, it was honestly, okay?? I don't see what the hype is about? It really was just okay.. Not anything that'll change your life or anything.. We went on a Sunday afternoon, around 2pm. There was a small amount of people and though that we just missed the crowd.. Took a look at the menu and decided on the Garlic Butter Shrimp combo. It came with a small tossed salad, buttered corn on the cob and of course the Garlic Butter shrimp on rice. It took about 30-35 minutes to prepare was a total bummer! I guess it was alright compared to the wait time other people had shortly after us (30-45mins?!) The gentlemen that took our order just took our names, gave us our order number and told us to pay when our order was ready. While waiting for our food I paid close attention the the cooks in the kitchen through the window. I notice that one of the cooks was wearing a glove on one of her hands and thought, 'that must be for when she has to grab shrimp out of the cooler' (cooler?? who stores raw products in a cooler? cant you get sick?) As I was watching her I notice that she wore the same glove to touch other things in the kitchen area as well? UNSANITARY! Isn't that some kind of violation?! I was grossed out! Luckily for me, a gentlemen was making my order! When the woman at the window called out my name and number I went to the window. She repeated my name and number and began to open the container to show me my order.. At that time I wanted to just get my food and go.. That is until, she mentioned the price.. $45!?! For two combo's you got to be kidding me right?! But, starving and cranky I just payed her and went to our table. The 35 minute wait for shrimp that was pretty much, okay?! I dont know about that. I guess I'll stick to my usual place in Kahuku to get my Shrimp fix.. HAHA I think it true when they say your a "Giovanni's or a Romy's" person when it comes to a usual Shrimp Shack in Kahuku & I'm declaring that I'm a GIOVANNI'S gal!

    (1)

  • Hannah L.

    Romy's was recommended by our airport shuttle driver so my husband and I checked it out while driving around the island. We arrived around 11:30am and I was expecting a long line (given others' reviews mentioning the long waits). However, there was only one couple in front of us. We still had to wait about 20 minutes for our meals (they have a sign warning guests that they cook everything fresh to order and are not a fast food joint). I ordered the garlic butter prawns... they were satisfying and met expectations. The sauce had chunks of garlic in it, but it was not overwhelmingly garlicky. My husband ordered the fried shrimp... the shrimp were wrapped in what looked like an egg roll. Not what we were expecting, but delicious nonetheless. Overall, we were pretty happy with our meals and would return again.

    (4)

  • Jon W.

    Wife and I went here on our day off. We were considering this or Giovanni's and should have gone with the later. Food was eh.

    (3)

  • Bettina D.

    GARLICKY BUTTERY shrimp over rice and perfectly fried, moist sun fish - DELICIOUS!!! the wait was long but def worth it. in the 3x times i've visited oahu, i've gone here 2x. consistently good and eating picnic, family style, getting your hands dirty while eating makes for great vacation memories.

    (3)

  • Iris K.

    When my mainland-visiting friends about Kahuku garlic shrimp, most people would say "Giovanni's". And normally I would too, except I got a great tip from someone about Romy's and decided to check it out. Boy was I glad since you could get the standard Kahuku grown shrimp (or prawns if that's your thing) along with a nutritious helping of Kahuku sweet corn and a salad to help the garlic assist in cleansing the arteries of butter. The prices are most likely the same as Giovanni's. And yes there is a wait time for fresh, made to order batches of awesomeness, but the shrimp were the real winners since they were much larger, sweet, juicy succulent bites of garlic butter shrimpy goodness in your mouth. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. Plus the lines are short and there are plenty of new picnic tables under a shaded tent with a sink with real soap to wash up after you've showered yourself in garlicky goodness. There are other sauces too if you prefer, but lets face it. The only reason you drive out there at all is to give yourself time to air out from the garlic before you rejoin the ranks of city folk. To find this place, drive along Kamehameha Hwy until you're close to Fumi's. It's the place with the red stand and red picnic tables under the tarps flanking both sides of the stand. I went on a weekday (a Wednesday to be exact) and my wait time was approximately 20 minutes from the time I ordered and paid, and there was no line when I got there around 11. Go during off-peak times and guarantee yourself no lines, just delicious food. Thank you Romy's. I am a convert.

    (4)

  • M L.

    Romy's has the best garlic butter PRAWNS hands down. The other shrimp stands on the North Shore either don't always have prawns, or don't offer them at all. The prawns are much bigger than shrimp, and much tastier to me. I especially like the part that I think is the hepatopancreas, that orangish part between the head and body. The staff there told me they get their prawns directly from their own farm. They even have a small pond behind that stand that you can catch your own prawns from, and someone will grill them for you. Cool, but I think it's overpriced, hot and somewhat gimmicky. Yes, the lines and wait can be long. You used to be able to call in advance and pick up, but they don't answer the phone anymore. But isn't it best to go to busy restaurants, so you know the food is fresh? And good prawns trumps a longer wait. One weekend, we drove to the area from the Haleiwa side, instead of the Kaneohe side, and mistook Fumi's for Romy's because it looked the same. We sat there eating our food and wondered aloud why it wasn't so good anymore. It was only when we finished our meal and drove past Romy's did we realize our mistake, lol.

    (5)

  • Mary R.

    We heard this was the place to go for fresh shrimp. And it was good but the wait was very long and I didn't get a lot of good. I got the plate which only had about 7 prawns on it, half of each was the head. I got the garlic and my husband got to sweet combo. R got a lot more prawns than I did. Next time I would definitely go for the combo so I wouldn't be starving in a few hours. BRING CASH!!!!!! And be prepared to wait.

    (3)

  • Pearl A.

    I WISH I COULD GIVE IT NO/ZERO STARS!!! SERIOUSLY!!! I took my family there this past weekend (Sunday 5/19) as a treat since they have not eaten their prawns for a really long time. There was no line when we got there, which was perfect; we thought we would wait only 15 mins for our food. WRONG: the cashier girl told us it would be a 45 minute wait for out food; which my family were ok with. We ordered 4 butter garlic PRAWNS plate, and 1 butter garlic SHRIMP plate. And one Haupia ice cream bar; TOTAL $77.00. OK not too bad about it since we don't go to north shore alot. About 15-20 mins later, the lunch crowd came...over the PA system they said the food wait is 45mins - 1 hour. I don't think people mind since I saw no one leaving. So when they called out name/number; I went up with my husband to get our food. The girl hands to me 1 PRAWN PLATE and 4 SHRIMPS. I told them "NO, I told HER (pointing to the cashier) 4 PRAWNS and 1 SHRIMP. The cashier they said "OHH I ONLY CHARGED YOU ONE PRAWN PLATE. Of course the other lady giving our food tells me if I want my correct order i would have to wait 45 mins more! I did NOT want to wait even longer...I just told her NO NEED, We took our plates and before I left, I said, "THIS IS WHY I DON'T COME EAT HERE." I made sure they heard me as well as the others in line did. I walked away and even said, "it's BS that they messed up our order." And yes I said it around the crowd. I did NOT get a SORRY or even offered a rushed order. I would have shown my receipt but I couldn't find it at the time. Other than that the food isn't great; the garlic tasted BURNT! I rather go to the first shrimp truck, FUMIS. Their service is better and they have 2 sinks and 2 portal potties. ROMY's only has one sink and one toliet, which is odd because they are so busy. I just don't understand why it would take 45 mins to cook shrimp when I can cook it at home and its a shorter period. I WOULDN'T GO THERE AGAIN.....SERIOUSLY.

    (1)

  • Jeanne L.

    I prefer this to Giovanni's shrimp truck (less than a mile away). Why? FOOD: -- Shrimp is much larger and meatier, but you also get fewer in quantity as a trade-off (~8 shrimp versus 12). The price is approx the same. -- There's also an option for prawns instead of shrimp -- Butter Garlic sauce is amazing. The sauce isn't heavy, and it doesn't drench/overwhelm the shrimp. -- There's fried garlic chips! -- More generous servings of two scoops of rice. -- They also sell ice cream!! Ube + chunks of red bean!! AMENITIES/AMBIANCE: -- The line is much shorter -- There's multiple sinks on site for you to wash your hands -- After you place your order, they give you a number, and then announce your number via an overhead system. (No crowding around one area like at Giovanni's.) -- Background music/radio -- Shrimp farms are right behind the restaurant

    (5)

  • Al M.

    There should be a no star option for places like this. I was hearing rumors, that they were the best garlic shrimp on island. That was just a rumor! The garlic shrimp was the worst I've ever eaten. The garlic burnt, shrimp mushy, not cleaned well, oil all over the rice, overpriced for 8pcs($15) and a forever wait. Last time I'll be eating there. Giovanni's & Famous is way better! Heard Mackys is good too...so will have to check it out!

    (1)

  • George G.

    There are a few of these shrimp trucks on the way to North Shore, but this is the one I always go to (three times, mind you, I'm almost a regular) because it has the longest line of them all. Yep, in my mind, busy lines can mean good food. Of all the times I was here, this joint hasn't proven me wrong yet. Sauteed butter and garlic prawns is always my choice, but I've also tried their sweet and spicy shrimp. They're both seasoned just right, juicy, and taste really fresh. I think they harvest these goodies in the pond right next to the joint, which explains the freshness. There's outdoor seating, where we all sit down on one of the benches within a big tent, zero in on each shrimp/prawn with bare hands, and occasionally smile at each other and wipe our mouths with paper napkins. Not much talking here, just serious eating and a lot of giggling. Then we clean up our greasy hands on the sink provided for at the tent area. More smiles. On to the beach.

    (5)

  • Mark S.

    Whether you want shrimp or prawns, garlic butter or sweet and spicy, Romy's will hook you up! The wait for your food to be ready can run about 30 minutes and the cost could range from $13 to $20 depending on what you order.

    (4)

  • Kristine C.

    I went to this place for 2nd time. This place never seems to get me down. I've always ordered their Garlic prawns. It's always perfectly made and just rightly seasoned, not over bearing. The wait is always worth it about 15-45 mins depending on how busy they are. There are plenty of seats for family's. I would definitely not miss Romys if coming to Oahu for vacation. Reminder: The wait for this place is pretty lengthy. The shrimp is definitely bigger and juicy. Bring cash as they did not take credit cards at the time.

    (5)

  • Raymond P.

    My most favorite restaurant to visit while I'm on the island. I've been here two or three times already within the past few years and somehow have never remembered to give credit where it's due. I always order a pound of shrimp with steamed rice, lemon wedges, and some butter dip. What I get in return is perfection. You can bring your own drinks, eat at the picnic benches, and even wash your hands at their sinks after you're done eating. I absolutely love Romy's!!!

    (5)

  • Lindsay P.

    The garlic and butter prawns were fresh and amazing. The price is high, but its completely worth it. It was $13.95 for 3-5 prawns with 2 big scoops of white rice. The service was friendly. There was a nice picnic area, but a little bit crowded on a Thursday afternoon. Cash only, but there's an ATM on the side of the building.

    (4)

  • Stan L.

    meh. i don't know whats with all the rage. The food was quite expensive for what we got. shrimp size was decent, but the flavors didn't pop. i got the fried shrimp, spicy garlic, and one more. They were just ok. glad i went, but probably won't come back. They want to charge extra for extras...you are making a killing on your shrimp shack with 0 overhead, 0 service...weak. ill let someone know about this spot, but won't take them.

    (1)

  • Jenny S.

    After renting a car, the boyfriend was fixated on finding Romy's Prawns & Shrimp. After spending the day driving along the coast and stopping at various look out points and beach spots, we grew an appetite. We got there mid-afternoon and obviously the line was long. This is so to be expected so nothing negative to say about that. If there was not a line at his random shack along the side of the road, I would have questioned the boyfriend's intention at eating here immediately. We waited in line for at least 30 minutes. We ordered their garlic butter shrimp, which comes with 2 scoops of white rice and YUM! It was delicious; the garlic flavor is strong definitely, but not overpowering. The way they sauté the shrimp gets them to a perfect crisp state. I wish I was hungrier, but I'm sure the boyfriend was perfectly fine finishing off the rest of the plate as he devoured every single bite. It is a big mess to eat this. There is no clean, proper way of eating these shrimp, so just drop right in and enjoy them. The entire thing was a great experience, making the drive out and enjoying the scenery on the way and finally being able to wait in the long line and to enjoy the delicious meal.

    (4)

  • Carolyn P.

    After a recommendation from a friend my family and I decided to try Romy's while on Oahu. The drive getting there was gorgeous. We quickly spotted the bright red shack on the side of the road. There were tons of full picnic tables and plenty of open ones too. We discovered that this place was cash only but they do have an ATM on the side of the building.( a definite plus). When we got there at 3pm on a weekday they were all sold out of prawns so we all got the garlic and butter shrimp. We waited about 20 minutes for 4 shrimp plates. I was excited that they offered a choice of white or brown rice. Since this was our first time ever getting shrimp from a shrimp shack/truck I was a little put back that I had to rip the heads off the shrimp. I didn't mind peeling them but be prepared to get very messy. The flavor was outstanding and the portion sizes were great. My only complaint was that there was nothing for little kids to eat. My toddler wouldn't touch garlic butter shrimp. I wish they had even one little thing for kids. Since it is outdoor dining be prepared to have flies swarming all about you. I don't know if I'd go out of my way to have Romy's again. I'm not a huge fan of being super messy while eating. We came, we saw, we tried.. end of story

    (3)

  • Arash S.

    The quality of the shrimp trucks have really gone down. This place isn't even a truck, it's an actual stand with pools of prawns in the back. Pro's: The view behind was cool Con's OVERPRICED! $15 for 8 pieces of shrimp with garlic They treat locals better than tourists. I ordered before 2 locals, and they got their food first. RUDE! The garlic and butter was overcooked and tastes burnt I dunno... Everyone I asked loves this place. So I don't wanna ruin your experience. I wasn't impressed at all and felt like I spent a lot of money for not a lot of food. Shrimp are cheap in general. These guys make you pay an arm and a leg for shrimp!!! over it

    (2)

  • Sally C.

    Strong fragrance while queuing from the shrimps, that's make my tummy even more hungry. It took us 45 minutes to wait for our meal, friend is smart to make a call while lining up. Minus another star based on the rice, is it all stick up together, a plastic spoon given was not useful.

    (3)

  • Michael C.

    Maybe it was an offf day for them. They had no prawns since according to one of the ladies the harverster was out sick, they were short staffed and they didn't know when they would have prawns. The Pani Popo i would give 2 out of 5 stars. Too airy. Was like they grabbed a bun and poured coconut on top. Just average. The Li hing mui pineapple i would give 0 out of 5 stars . It had way to much li hing (see photo), so it over powered the pineapple and gave it to much of a sour taste. You could tell that the pineapple itself was sweet and just right, but as I said the li hing overdid it. We ended up throwing it away after couple of bites. Maybe the normal cook was also one of the workers that called in sick too. Because the garlic was over cooked a bit and had a burnt taste (see photo).

    (2)

  • Jay T.

    There's a war waging on the North Shore of Oahu.... In the last decade, Kahuku has become a battleground for shirmp! I've been to a few of them, and based on my experience and judgement, I rank their Garlic Shrimp as follows: 3rd Place: Giovanni's For the longest time, I've been a fan of this shrimp stand. I love the idea of everybody being able to "leave their mark" on the truck. It makes you want to come back to either write more, or see if your old doodles are still visible. But that's just a gimmick. The nitty-gritty lies in the food & service. Lately, the garlic shrimp has been getting greasier and greasier. The rice that it sits on is totally saturated with oil, making it almost impossible to eat. Also, just because it's located in Kahuku, it doesn't mean that they use 'fresh' shrimp. Some people are unaware, but they use frozen, imported Tiger Shrimp. Also, the staff treat customers like they were a nuisance. On several occasions, one of the girls were witnessed yelling (yes, no exaggeration; YELLING) at the customers. Absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior. Rating: 2 stars 2nd Place: Fumi's Staff was pleasant, ample parking and dining space, and the garlic shrimp was tasty! Problem is; the shrimp and portions were a little small. Of all the shrimp shacks, they're the only one who offer tossed green salad as a side. But hey, lets face it.... We're here for shrimp. Cost / Value unfortunately came into play here.... Rating: 3 1/2 stars 1st Place: Romy's You can't miss this bright, red building in the middle of nowhere. Ample parking, lots of picnic benches, and the shrimp are very sizable! Not overly oily, these are by far, the best of the three. Minus point comes from the wait. On a slow day, you will wait 20 to 30 minutes. If you're unlucky, the wait is about an hour. I've learned to work around that, and stop by Malama Market in Haleiwa town and get a plate of chicken (on weekends only) and Ted's Bakery for a slice of Chocolate Haupia Pie to help make our wait a little more bearable. They seriously need to hire more help, and add a few more burners to speed up service. Rating: 4 stars The gap between 1st and 2nd place is very small in my book, and can switch places at any time. I may be updating this in the future, so be sure to check back again!

    (4)

  • Jennifer C.

    You HAVE to try the garlic shrimp. TIP: shell all the shrimp at once, go wash your hands, and then enjoy. Don't get intimidated by the line... There will be a line at any shrimp shack, but this one happens to be one of the best, plus the line just guarantees everything is fresh.

    (5)

  • Christine E.

    I love this place. The food is always delicious, there's plenty of parking, plenty of seating, they have soap and sinks to wash your hands, its really quite accomodating. PLUS, the food, oh god, the garlic butter shrimp with the spicy shoyu sauce on the side? and all that crispy crunchy garlic goodness! I Loooooove it. The only thing that sucks is the WAIT. Weekends, expect an hour wait (and that's an hour AFTER you place your order, which depending on the line, could take an hour). Which means, you may spend 2 hours waiting for shrimp :/ I would give this a lower review for the wait alone, EXCEPT, while we were there (on a holiday mind you) waiting for 1.5 hours for shrimp, they were really interactive. They played a game and had people win free Romy bags, they announced on their loud speaker their appreciation for our patience and the reasoning behind why their shrimp takes forever long (because they are an agriculture facility or something, they cannot add more burners or do alterations to their kitchen to make it larger), and finally, they even auctioned shrimp plates at half-price when people didn't come to pick them up. Overall, service here is good, food is good. And if you got a free day (which you must if you are driving out to Kahuku just for shrimp) then accept the wait, bring a bunch of killer friends, a game, an ipad, and just relax.

    (5)

  • Meghan J.

    Paid $15 for 4 prawns in a spicy sweet sauce, which was just a mildly spicy duck sauce (terrible). The dish was loaded with rice to make the plate look full...just filler to make up for the small quantity of prawns. The line was long and the wait could get up to 30minutes. Not worth it!!!!

    (1)

  • Umed L.

    This place is run by kids who don't know what they are doing nor care about customer experience & food quality. Very unfriendly too! The garlic topping was burnt and gave the shrimp scampi a bitter and unpleasant taste. When we told the young chaps about it they literally said "we know" and didn't seems to be bothered or even offer an apology. It was so bad that we just dumped our food and went a mile down the road to eat Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. Completely different experience and very caring staff who actually cared about what their customers are putting inside their bellies. Just skip this place and go down the road for a tastier and friendlier experience at Giovanni's!

    (1)

  • AJ D.

    Bomb ass shrimp, but they ran out of prawns within the first hour of opening. We also waited 45+ minutes for our food! Deducting one star for the ridiculously long wait.

    (4)

  • Gene B.

    Per my cousin and sister's recommendation, I thought I'd check this place out. The great thing about this place is that you can bring your favorite drinks with you. I brought a cooler of beer when I should've brought much more. Perhaps hard liquor next time? The only thing that stops me from giving 5 stars is that the prawns were a bit overcooked. It wasn't bad, but a tad bit overcooked. Also, we got the hard cooked rice that they scraped from the bottom of the rice pot. Perhaps it was just the timing we stopped by or I am just picky. Also I wanted to have some kilawen, but wasn't available that day. I will surely stop by this place again.

    (3)

  • Casey O.

    Thought I'd try a shrimp truck besides the Kahuku one and Giovanni's. My friend always comes to Romy's and we were in the area. It's the one with a barn red color right in front of the shrimp fields. Lots of covered seating on both sides, and they apparently put some benches right in front of the water, which I thought was cool. Decided to go with the prawns since I've never had them before, and got them steamed. 1lb. steamed prawn plate with a drink, $21. My wallet was hurtin after. The wait was about 20 minutes, which was better than the 30 minutes we were told. Opening my plate I found 2 scoops of rice, the sauces I asked for, and 4 GIANT prawns. I was a little overwhelmed at first, but then dug right in. Had no idea what to do, but I saw other people twisting the heads off and eating the tails, so I followed suit. Had a real subtle flavor, which was to be expected...and combined with the garlic butter sauce, it was great. I would only recommend getting stuff steamed if you really dislike the garlic, fried, or sweet chili taste. Quality: 3.5 stars Price (relative to amount and quality): 2 stars Ambiance: 4 stars Taste: 3 stars Still think that Giovanni's is the best truck there, but have yet to try a lot of the other ones out North Shore side.

    (3)

  • Philippe R.

    Went on vacation with my family. The shrimp was absolutely fresh and fantastic. The ambience of the shrimp pond farms in the outdoors to the back of the eating area is the best way to enjoy the food!! Its simpke perfect and the people are friendly. I very much recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Sharon O.

    Expensive! Garlic Shrimp?. I can make it 100x better at home. shoulda just stayed home and cooked instead.

    (3)

  • Jaz H.

    I always order prawns with butter garlic and large steamed prawns because they are super delicious. Come early for prawns because they always run out of prawns by 5 pm or sometimes earlier. This is the place I always come to eat every time when I visit Oahu. Yum yum!

    (5)

  • Chelsea A.

    Romy's is a nice little restaurant in Kahuku that has a shrimp farm right behind the restaurant. Food takes about twenty minutes to make; it's a wait but worth trying. Portions were big (in my opinion) and they give lots of rice ladled with their secret and special sauce. Shrimp was slightly overcooked, and the garlic wasn't as pungent or fragrant enough for my liking but the pieces were big and plentiful, which I really liked. I was a little disappointed when I couldn't taste the butter but it was good for what it was. Eating is extremely messy as you have to peel the shrimp but if you're not into peeling, you can order their fried shrimp which doesn't require any peeling. There is outside seating full of picnic tables in tents to protect you from the rain and sunshine. Tables seemed to be recently painted (or repainted) and well kept. It was clean when I went. There was also a sink conveniently located near the picnic tables with a large bottle of soap, which came in handy. It's not my favorite garlic shrimp restaurant but Romy's is good for what it's worth.

    (4)

  • Cherie T.

    I've heard much about these garlic shrimps placese in hawaii.. so when i was in oahu..of course i have to make a stop at one of these places. My friend's mom recommended Romy's because their shrimp farm is just right behind the restaurant. for $13 you get about 10pcs of prawns (they're not shrimps.. they're PRAWNS) on a bed of white rice or brown rice (your choice). I ordered the Butter & Garlic prawns and another order of Sweet & Spicy. The prawns are good. Fresh and plump! The butter & garlic flavor, it was good.. but i've had better (my parents make better butter & garlic shrimps) teh garlic was over done, it was more burnt than it's suppose to be.. so burnt that it just became bitter so it wasn't that appetizing. If it wasn't as burnt, it would have tasted much better. The Sweet & Spicy plate, the taste was pretty good. It seriously got a kick to to it. One problem i had about this place was the hardness of the brown rice. It would have been better if the rice was softer. And personally i think the prawns go well w/ the white rice more so than the brown rice. They don't accept credit card, so bring cash. Next time.. i'm definitely doing a shrimp crawl so i can compare all the different trucks along North Shore.

    (4)

  • Linh H.

    I prefer Giovanni's. 2.5 stars if I could. Don't get me wrong, the shrimp was fresh and it tasted good, but it doesn't deserve its hype. I really wanted to try the prawns, but unfortunately they ran out. Why can't they just stock up some more if they know they run out that fast? The butter garlic shrimp tastes like a simple Chinese flavored dish I can prep up at home. It's not worth the drive or $14. It also takes about 30 minutes for your order to be ready. Ehhh The air around it smells a lot better than it tastes

    (2)

  • Lauren J.

    Note: This review may be biased as I have never tried the other shrimp trucks in the area (: I love this place. Every single time I come home, I cannot leave without going here at least once! I would go every single day during my visit, but the drive is a little far (: The garlic shrimp is heaven! Its cooked to perfection and poured over your choice of brown or white rice. I love this as the shrimp juices are soaked up into the rice! They also give you sauce that compliments the shrimp nicely! On their website they offer coupons such as a free drink with your plate. They also have a punch card where the 10th plate is free!..or something along those lines. The only downsides to this place is the long wait! I suggest coming in before the lunch rush to avoid the long lines and long wait! The food does take a while to prepare, but for me, its worth it when I get to enjoy my tasty dish! I've never left here disappointed. I love this place so much, that I haven't had the heart to try any other place. I can't wait to come here again!!

    (5)

  • Michelle L.

    I prefer Giovanni's. The wait was brutal and the prices were higher than the other shrimp trucks but you get 9 pieces of big shrimp. Maybe that's where the extra $.75 goes to. The rice was mushy too :( The shrimp pond/patty in the back where they catch their own shrimp was pretty much a koi pond since you can't really see anything. Shrimp truckin' is a once a year event for me so I forgive them for the high prices and give them 3 stars :)

    (3)

  • Joan A.

    My fiancé and I usually go to THE FAMOUS KAHUKU SHRIMP TRUCK! But I convinced him to try this place being that they've been on the food channel. He ordered the garlic shrimp which was the #1 and I ordered the same thing but requested them to make my shrimp spicy and wanted extra garlic as well. The wait was about 40-45 minutes which was okay thinking and hoping it was going to be worth the wait! So we get our plate and weren't completely satisfied because we were expecting it to be better than THE FAMOUS KAHUKU SHRIMP TRUCK! One thing I was happy with was their dipping sauce that they give with the plate... Now that was some good ass sauce! Lol ANYWAY.... IF YOU WANT REALLY TASTY & SATISFYING SHRIMP...go to "THE FAMOUS KAHUKU SHRIMP TRUCK!" You won't be disappointed I can guarantee it!

    (2)

  • Victoria C.

    Romy's garlic butter shrimp was one of the best meals I ate while on Oahu. It's fresh, it's savory, it's filling, it's flavorful, and yes, it's messy. So what if you have to peel the shrimp out of their shells? So what if you have to tear off the heads and all its associated ickiness? So what if your hands get dirty? Working for your food is good. It makes you eat less overall. Each bite was so delicious and so satisfying and so worth it. PROS: 1. The shrimp are huge. 2. The shrimp are flavorful. 3. The shrimp are plump and tender. 4. They have sinks to wash your hands post-chow. CONS: 1. Cash only. 2. Typically long waits/long lines (expect to wait at least 30 minutes on a busy day). 3. A little expensive. $14 for 8 shrimp and white rice.

    (4)

  • Jason Y.

    Lets keep this one simple. Of all the shrimp places in this area this is the one to go to. Here at Romy's they cook the shrimp with the head on and adds so much flavor to the final product. Don't get me wrong, the other places like Giovanni's are good but this one is spectacular. This is unlike any shrimp you have tried. YOU MUST GO when you're on the island of Oahu, worth the drive. Tip: Call ahead, about 30min-1hour before you arrive. It beats waiting in line to order then waiting again for your food.

    (5)

  • Kristine M.

    DAMN. This place don't need no stinkin' reviews. I would drive to Kahuku right now if it weren't 8:30 at night. These delectable garlic shrimpies are the most delicious little ocean aliens if I've ever eaten an ocean alien. I sucked out the brains, devoured the bodies, chewed on their crispy tails, stuffed my face with shrimpy-garlicy rice, and ate the styrofoam container... because it had garlic shrimp residue. There's nothing else to say really except... DAMN, I hungry.

    (5)

  • Alice C.

    This place is always mad busy. Throughout the day it got lines stretching to their tents! You can't miss this red house/truck. Located right after Fumi's & Its bright red. Must be red because their most popular item is the $13 spicy garlic plate. I must admit. The sauce is pretty darn good. It must be the garlic. I always fall for the "something-garlic" sauce. If you have the time, then this truck is worth the visit. The wait for your food can be quite long so bring something to keep yourself entertained. Or walk around on the side, they got a fresh water pond. I thought it was a shrimp pond but they got Kois & cichlids in there.

    (4)

  • Jacie T.

    I've been to Romy's nearly a dozen times in the past few years. My friends and I first "discovered" Romy's while making the trip to the North Shore for some "shrimp truck and shave ice," as we'd call it. After our first time there, we decided to give Giovanni's a try to see what all the hype was about. We NEVER went back to Giovanni's. I've only had the butter garlic (#1) shrimp at Romy's, and that's all I ever plan on ordering...it's THAT good. I don't need to try anything else on the menu...I've found my worthwhile reason to make the journey to Romy's. I LOVE the crunchy pieces of garlic that are piled on the shrimp and over the rice, even when its slightly burnt, it doesn't bother me. This particular plate comes with a spicy shoyu sauce which i LOVE. I tend to peel all of my shrimp first to get the messiness out of the way so I don't need to pause much while devouring my food. Putting some of the sauce on the rice covered with garlic is sooo good. I've been disappointed only once when going to Romy's, but it had nothing to do with the shrimp. I went there around dinner time and the corn I ordered was overcooked...nearly popcorn. Just kidding, but it was hard and not edible. Soo disappointing because I absolutely love corn and usually eat it as a snack on the ride back home. Other than that, Romy's has never disappointed me. In fact, on several occasions they actually gave me 2 pieces of corn when I only ordered one! They explained by saying that their crop was small that time, so they're giving me 2 instead of 1. What?!? Who does that?? And to be honest, the corn didn't even look small to me! As many other reviewers have mentioned, the wait is usually long. I'd recommend having a small snack before you wait in line. If you find yourself hungry while waiting in line, order yourself one of their fruit bars or li hing pineapples to hold you over until you get your food. I can't knock Romy's for having a long wait, after all, they tell you up front what the wait time is like when you order. I've never had to wait longer than they said and the time usually passes quickly because I'm with friends. I've always thought that eating at shrimp trucks are all about having an experience. It's about making the drive out there and enjoying the scenery. I think Romy's is a great example of the shrimp truck experience. The ponds that surround them provide a nice, relaxing atmosphere in an otherwise busy situation.

    (5)

  • Your M.

    Good shrimp, consistent quality, long wait times and ok pricing. They need to offer a kamaaina price, because $30 for two plates is kinda pricey.

    (3)

  • Ashley G.

    Nah. Not my fav. I did like the fried garlic or whatever on top but my shrimp was overcooked which ruined the texture. And I won't hate but I like some mac or green salad with my garlic shrimp.

    (2)

  • Roo M.

    in a matter of minutes, Killer and I tried out the Big Three Kahuku shrimp trucks/shacks. here's how I rate them: Giovanni's - 1 Fumi's - 2 Romy's - 3 flavor-wise, I'd have to give the edge to Fumi's and Giovanni's BUT, Romy's does have some notable pluses going for it. Namely: - Fresh Fried Sunfish - Pineapple with Li Hing Mui - Kahuku Red Raiders for Life!

    (4)

  • Josh C.

    There was a line when we got there and ended up waiting an hour to get food. Although it is slow it is worth the wait! Delicious.

    (4)

  • Ashley O.

    I'm not a shrimp truck expert, but my experience at Romy's had its good and bad... that being said, I would come back, but not until I've tried the other shrimp truck vendors first. First, the good: - The prawns were huge and meaty! - Yummy! - Delicious garlic shrimp! Veeeeery fresh! - Ono sweet chili sauce! - Lots of seating & clean picnic tables! Now, the bad: - Long, long line. - Sub-par customer service (we waited at the register for AT LEAST 5 minutes before the worker even acknowledged us -- this was between her answering the phone and taking down an order and allowing someone else who was picking-up an order to pay before even saying hello). - No permanent bathroom. - Long wait for our food. Not kidding. - EXPENSIVE! ( we ordered 3 plates and paid $48, day-um!) And then, the so-so: - It's not like we are out on that side of the island all the time, so this is how I justified spending $48 on lunch outdoors. Plus, it *was* yummy. - No permanent bathroom, but at least the port-a-potty was very clean. - They have a sink so you can wash your hands after getting down and dirty in shrimp and prawn shells. - Pretty easy parking. Yes, our lunches were yummy and I would definitely come back, but my experience wasn't so stellar that I would skip exploring the other options first.

    (3)

  • Brian B.

    Soooooo not worth the wait. Smelled delicious when I drove by a few days ago so I decided to check it out. I was really excited and even willing to wait the 45 minutes I was warned about when I ordered. However, it was well over an hour before I got my food. We got the garlic shrimp and the sweet & spicy shrimp. Neither were very impressive, especially for the price. Both seemed overcooked and the sweet and spicy sauce seemed mostly sweet, though I ordered spicy. I'd take Giovanni's or even Blue Water Shrimp truck over this place any day. The highlights were the cool background of a shrimp farm, and the shrimp had the heads on. I wanted the prawns but they were sold out, so maybe that would have been a better bet. I'd suggest calling ahead if you really want to try it. No food to me is worth waiting almost an hour and a half for, and $14 is way too much for a few shrimp and 2 scoops of rice.

    (2)

  • Steven T.

    Shrimp - Seemed fresh from the ponds behind them - good taste - 4 stars Butter Garlic sacue- tasted like a mix of margarine and butter but at least they weren't trying to pass this off as scampi as Giovanni's does - 2.5 Stars Sweet and Spicy - meh, nothing special again but I'll buck the trend and say it was better than the butter garlic - 3.0 Stars Service - very nice girl warning us of wait times - 4 Stars Value - 2 Stars Random Comments We arrived and there was no line and less than 25 people sitting down but the wait was quotes at 45 minutes WTF???? However it was much less than that, more like 20 minutes. They were out of prawns (bummer) but a local said they usually are (double bummer) so we had shrimp Ordered a balsamic vinaigrette for my side salad and got a cup of cheap balsamic vinegar???? OVERALL: 3.1 stars - doesn't live up to the hype but better than Giovanni's

    (3)

  • Jeanne L.

    We were on a shrimp shack rampage because we had a late start heading to North Shore that day. We literally had about 15 minutes before Romy's closed and they close at 6pm. And of course, we were stuck behind the guy driving 10 miles an hour with no way of cutting him off. Anyways, when we finally made it and put in our orders. Me and my 3 other friends all order #1 which was the Garlic and Butter Shrimp. You have the option of shrimp or prawn and I chose the prawns. The meal was about $12 and the shrimps came with 2 large sccops of rice. How this works is you pay, cash only and get a ticket. Then you hang out or take a seat in the patio until they call your number and you pick it up in the front window or the back door. We picked up from the back door because they were ready to close. I think it took them about 10 minutes from the time we ordered so the wait was not bad at all. When I finally got my order I have to admit I wouldnt know where to find something like this back at home. It was flavoral, delicious and had the perfect kick from the spices. I love it! They also gave me two dipping sauces. This meal tends to get a bit messy since we have to use our hands to de-shell the shrimps but go ahead and get messy. There was a sink right outside the patio area where we sat with soap. If I knew about that sink earlier I would have stuck my face in my food and licked my fingers too! Yup, its just that good. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Melissa B.

    If you are ever on the North Shore, you have to skip all the yummy smelling shrimp trucks and hit this one up! It's worth the wait!

    (5)

  • Sandy C.

    Not really sure what the fuss is about...went there because the locals we met on our trip recommended Romy's over Giovanni's. I say save your money and drive a little more to Giovanni's!! It's so much better!!! At Romy's, the line was ridiculous and the food took more than 1 hour to show up. We ordered the prawns plate with side of corn. The prawns lacked flavor even though it was cover in overly fried burnt garlic and butter. The corn was oversteamed to the point that even the flavor of corn was gone. I am from Iowa so I know my corn...and that did not taste like corn at all. Very disappointed overall and will for sure go to Giovanni's for all my garlic shrimp cravings from now on!!

    (1)

  • Kerry n Tony L.

    Definitely not a fan of Romy's. Yea, they have fresh shrimp, but it stops there. We came at around 3pm and they ran out of prawns. I ordered the sweet and spicy shrimp plate (two scoops of rice) that was $14 (combos come with salad, drink, rice and a corn on the cob that costs $20), and my hubby ordered the fish combo, even though he only wanted a plate, and that was $20. My brother ordered the garlic shrimp combo $20, but he wanted the plate and the lady said that that shrimp didn't come in a plate, only a combo. How is that possible? The wait is 30+ minutes to get your food... Why? I have no idea... It wasn't busy when we ordered.... Anyways... 30 mins later we get our food. I was famished. Found out that the shrimps are boiled and then sauced. I did not like that. At. All. I like my boiled shrimp cold and plain with a nice dip in cocktail sauce, not hot with sauce on it. Yuck. The sweet and spicy shrimp that I had left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. Other notes: - no macaroni salad here - $1 for soft drink refills - cash only (ATM on right backside of building) In conclusion, if you like boiled and sauced shrimp and don't mind paying a steeper price, go to Romy's. You'll find me at the Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck!

    (2)

  • Tait J.

    So the first thing you see when you drive up is a sign that says Romy's is not fast food Romy's is good food expect to wait 20-30 min. I wouldn't have had an issue if that was the case. When I showed up there was no line and the place was not very busy at all. It took 45 minutes to get our food on a slow day. I feel bad for those who come here on a busy day I couldn't imagine the wait. Now to the food........ In my opinion it's not worth the wait. It was good but not anything special in the least bit. I had the garlic shrimp and my brother had the sweet and spicy shrimp. I will not be coming back. Especially when there are better shrimp stands just down the road. Hopefully I just had a bad experience and this was just an off day but if your willing to risk it be my guest.

    (2)

  • Anh D.

    On our way down to North Shore from the airport, my uncle says we HAVE to eat at this shrimp farm. So, we stopped by for lunch. The shrimp are fresh here, and the butter garlic shrimp are TO DIE for. So delicious. The garlic is sweet and roasted/almost burnt on top of the shrimp and rice. Pretty generous portions but the prices are more expensive than Giovanni's. The butter garlic sauce is delicious. I would definitely come here again, but this place is hard to find and is out of the way. Realistically, I would only come here on the way to North Shore. One thing that is annoying is that the whole dining area is outdoors covered by a large tarp that does not help protect your meal from dust blown up from the wind. This place is still worth a visit though and was the best shrimp truck we went to on our trip. TIP: They have prawns in the morning, but be sure to show up at 10:00 am when they open if you want a chance to get some of these prawns! TIP: Cash only.

    (4)

  • Gian I.

    Food quality is probably around a 3.5, but the ridiculously long wait for mediocre food is frustrating. The service is not great and they treat you like tourists, banking on the fact that you will wait for their food. Maybe it's my fault for continuing to try this place (been here about 3 or 4 times), but it was definitely not worth it. Boiling crab, kickin' crab are so much better. They are always out of prawns...

    (2)

  • Savannah P.

    Getting away from town and going North Shore, means standing at a shrimp truck after frolicking in the waters of Waimea and grubbing down! I ordered one shrimp plate, about $13.25. About 10 shrimp in your plate (with dipping sauce and rice), a long wait (average about 20-30 minutes and not in the order of people ordering food either). This is the second shrimp truck I've tried up North and tend to stick to garlic butter; there was a LOT Of garlic, but it seemd to be seasoned relatively outside the shrimp, or better yet just thrown on like salad dressing. Who doesn't love garlic? But this garlic was just mere burnt. +'s about Romy's: - exceptional, clean and sheltered outdoor seating - good, friendly customer service - shrimp itself are large, plump and juicy - more menu items and plate types to choose from then other shrimp trucks (i.e Romy's has some awesome.com ice cream popsicles; not sure how they taste because I was too full after my plate) Because this is a shrimp/prawn truck I'll have to make it a point to visit their truck for some prawns. Go early, there's only so much parking space and the wait is long here.

    (3)

  • Misty P.

    I've always passed by Romy's when doing my rare, once in a while drive around the island. I've always read reviews about it and was very curious so I popped in this week to try it out. The service at the window is fast and friendly, however once your order is placed, you can wait about 30 to 45 minutes for your food to come out. I really don't understand this concept, and as a cook I know it does not take that long to prepare shrimp unless you are cooking the thing to death! All that aside, once I got my food, I was pleased. I ordered the garlic prawn plate (#1). When ordering you can choose between shrimp or prawns. The prawns were definitely fresh and plump, with the heads on. I like that the heads are on. Makes it more juicy! There is a prawn pond in the back so you know they harvest their prawns and shrimp fresh each day. The garlic and butter sauce it is cooked in is like any other sauce that the other shrimp trucks use, but it's Romy's dipping sauce that makes it unique. The sauce is a soy sauce base with what tastes like vinegar, garlic and chili peppers. I know that sounds like a weird mix with the butter and garlic that the shrimp is cooked in, but it tastes amazing! They give you a whole load of rice as well. Unfortunately, there is no other side such as salad, etc. I was pretty satisfied and full with my meal, though. The price is really expensive. I think it was almost $14.00 for a plate of only 5 shrimp/prawns. I do like this place, but you definietly need to not be in a rush when coming here, and I'd only come here once in a while as a treat to myself.

    (4)

  • Terry F.

    Stopped for lunch yesterday, ordered the garlic shrimp and sweet & spicy prawns. We didn't know about the thirty minute wait. It turns out the best thing to do is call the order in, didn't know that either. The garlic shrimp was my favorite. My mouth did garlic gymnastics! Excellent! I was a little disappointed with the prawns. The sweet and spicy sauce was great, but I felt the prawns didn't absorb the flavor the way the shrimp did, and I felt the shrimp were a better value when you looked at the two plates. Glad we stopped, great food, fun experience.

    (4)

  • Lily N.

    Wow the garlic shrimp plate is so tasty! We absolutely loved it! make sure to call and place your order to avoid the line :) clean and yummy! we will be back for sure!

    (4)

  • Jonathan Y.

    Went around the island with some friends and decided to stop here. My friends usually like to go to Giovanni's but this was the first one we saw on the way. I usually don't eat shrimp, but this one changed that. It was so good! You have to wait a little, but it is well worth it. Portions were big. We got a plate and just shared it because it was so big. So much better to avoid the crowd and come down to Romy's. Can be a little pricey, but it's farm raised shrimp and good sized portions.

    (4)

  • Manda Bear B.

    *********************** 649 ************************** I love it here too as much as Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp is in Kahuku. The garlic prawns is my FAV here, licking-fingers-good! They serve larger prawns than other shrimp trucks, but less in QTY! Cheap eat, perfect for the island weather and a day out in North Shore!

    (4)

  • B M.

    I can't believe how much they've raised there prices over the course of a year. This is my usual stop for shrimp when I return home and hit Waimea for a swim. However, my last visit may potentially be my LAST visit. They nickle and dime you for EVERYTHING. Yet with a smile on their face remind you that the utensils and napkins are free. Plates will run you about $13.75 for ABOUT 10 pieces of shrimp that have become more flavorless as time goes on. The plates include JUST shrimp and rice. They also advertise a "new" combo plate which offers rice, shrimp, mac salad, and corn on the cob for $19.95. Drinks are about $2.50 each! SERIOUSLY! You can drive down the block to Giovanni's or Kahuku for more flavor, options, food, and a much smaller price!! Sadly I won't be visiting Romy's the next time I'm in town and by the looks of their slim line I doubt many others will return as well. I went mid-day and passed Giovanni's and Kahuku where the lines were wrapped and when I pulled up to Romy's I thought I scored but was sucker-punched with outrageous prices.

    (2)

  • Brian N.

    Decided to try Romy's since Giovannis had a long line/. big mistake. they were so slow. how slow? well the couple in front of me ordered, ate and left just as I was getting my order. to make it worse, the shrimp was way overcooked. don't think I will be back.

    (1)

  • Cynthia L.

    Stop #3 Kahuku Shrimp Crawl This was our last shrimp truck that day as we ate so much shrimp! Shrimp overload! Fumi's was going to be our final destination, but our stomachs couldn't make it. Harvested daily, Romy's shrimp was by far the best. Each shrimp was served easy peel style with the head-on. I plucked each head off and sucked out the last bits of meat and juices. Each shrimp was plump, flavorful, and juicy. The order: #1 Sauteed butter & garlic shrimp with spicy shoyu dipping sauce #2 Sweet & spicy shrimp (made extra spicy) with sweet spicy dipping sauce Each plate was $12.75 with an extra charge of 50 cents for brown rice. The brown rice was a nice change from eating mushy white rice at the other two shrimp trucks. The shrimp sauces were okay. The sweet and spicy shrimp was mainly covered in chili pepper flakes, while their sweet spicy dipping sauce was more like sweet and sour sauce with even more chili pepper flakes. It was good, but lacked originality. On the other hand, Romy's spicy shoyu dipping sauce went well with the garlicky shrimp. The sauce was slightly salty and spicy, giving the shrimp some added flavor. I should have poured some of the sauce on my brown rice. That would have been even better! Romy's had a good setup in regards to their location. I was fascinated to find their shrimp farm right behind the kitchen. Fresh farmed shrimp awaited us! Vy N. said it right: "If I could take Giovanni's sauce and eat it with Romy's shrimp, that would be perfect." Next to try: Prawns and deep fried sunfish!

    (4)

  • Dan N.

    This place is definitely worth the hike. The shrimp is some of the best I've ever tasted and at $13 you can't go wrong. The prawns were too intense looking for me with their big black eyes but I bet they were delicious too. The shrimp is farmed right in back of the restaurant so it's definitely fresh. We went at a not that busy time and it took about 30 minutes from ordering to eating in the shaded picnic table area. Japanese tourists were everywhere, shrimpin' out with us. Sweet & Spicy and Garlic & Butter were both great to try. Brown rice was very good too, especially when mixed with pieces of garlic from the shrimp. Definitely takes awhile to peel the shrimp.. if that kind of thing grosses you out I'd suggest you get the fried shrimp which is pre-peeled. Parking was easy and this place was no problem to find- it's right off the highway. If you want to get in and out of there faster call to order ahead and go straight to the pick up window! We will definitely do that next time.

    (5)

  • Emi H.

    "This is not fast food. This is good food as fast as we can make it." That's what the sign read when I walked up to the counter as Romy's. I knew right then and there that this was going to be good! My Samoan mother came from American Samoa where my Grandfather was the village fisherman, so a love for seafood is in my blood. I remember growing up and watching my Mom plow through plates of shrimp and eat an entire crab. Guts and everything! That's right, we're hard core so you'd better recognize! LOL It had been quite awhile since I'd had the chance to visit the North Shore for some garlic shrimp and we were long overdo for some garlic breath! After reading a few reviews about Romy's I decided that I would take a leap of Yelp faith and try something new. I don't know if you understand how hard this was for me to do because I am a die hard Giovanni's fan. You just can't go wrong when you smother those little creatures in butter and garlic. To die and to be eaten in a garlic shrimp plate lunch, is to die a noble death! But I felt that it was my civic duty to do a taste test comparison. I know, I know, the things I sacrifice so the world can know which shrimp truck to go to! We ordered the garlic shrimp and spicy shrimp plate and with a soda our total came out to $30.57. Our soda was $2.50 which I thought was pretty pricey but how can you not have a Coke with your shrimp plate! Bygones. Thankfully Romy's was not crazy busy because it was a weekday so we only waited about five minutes for our food. My BF was on a work phone call and rather than wait for him to finish I decided to whack my garlic shrimp plate. I love him, but shrimp waits for no one. I don't care if you're Oprah or Obama, don't get in the way of me and my shrimp. I have to say that the garlic butter sauce at Giovanni's is much tastier but Romy's is good in a completely different way. The shrimp is grown locally at the farm right behind Romy's so you're eating really fresh seafood and it's not fishy tasting but very sweet. I thought the flavor of the shrimp, which was accented with garlic, was wonderful. I didn't try my BF's spicy shrimp but I if it's not my shrimp, it's none of my business. I'll definitely be back to Romy's again for some sweet, fresh shrimp and thank the Lord for the sink & soap they have by the tables! Man are those shrimp messy as heck to eat!

    (5)

  • Michelle Q.

    My friends and I always come to Romy's whenever we are heading to the North Shore from Kanohe side which i highly suggest because the view is much more beautiful than coming from Haleiwa side. It is so delicious! It is about $14-15 for a plate with 2 scoops of rice and shrimp. Be prepared to get down and dirty with the shrimp since you will be peeling it, but don't worry! They have a sink with soap to help you clean up after you are done. The portions are decent sized and will keep you full. Just make sure you're not going to be kissing anyone for the entire day because you will reek of garlic for hours. Haha. Seating is outdoors so it can get windy and the flies might get to your food. They can get really busy so a tip would be to call in your order ahead of time like when you are driving there. If you are coming from the Kaneohe side call them when you hit Chinaman's Hat and it should be done by the time you arrive. If you do not call ahead of time just be prepared to wait for awhile since they cook everything as you order. Also, bring cash with you! If not, they have an ATM right there.

    (5)

  • Corinne M.

    Ate the butter garlic shrimp and tried the sweet and spicy shrimp. It was all delicious. The portions were big and filling. I preferred the butter garlic because you can mix the topping in with the rice for a yummy combination. Great find. I will be back.

    (5)

  • Larry G.

    You haven't touched Hawaii if you haven't had the farm-raised garlic shrimp at Romy's! It is so worth the drive! Once you get there, don't worry about the other stuff on the menu. Just get the shrimps which comes with steamed white rice. Now, some people will eat the entire shrimp, head and legs. Uhm, not me! Peel off the outer shell and then enjoy! It's a mess but a good mess! You can't ask for a better enjoyment of your meal with the beautiful weather!

    (5)

  • Anie May B.

    Came here to eat some amazing shrimps. Sadly they ran out of prawns but it was all good. I don't really see the whole rave about this place. But I am no shrimp addict so I may not be a valuable opinion.

    (4)

  • Kim D.

    I've been coming here for about 9 years. This time was a disappointment! We waited 45 minutes for our food. It was cold and the rice was lumpy!!! I honestly think it was frozen shrimp they used. I wouldn't wait people, save your time and money.

    (2)

  • Pam S.

    Not busy late afternoon. Went to the counter and waited and we were ignored. Thought they might be getting orders out so waited. Another guy came up to the next window and they took his order without ever being acknowledged so we left. I'll stick with the other shrimp truck.

    (2)

  • Alice C.

    My stomach was BEYOND satisfied after a garlic butter infested meal at Romy's. I've never had such good stir fried shrimps before! I'd give it a 5 star if it wasn't for: - Farmed shrimps (You'd think an island would have plenty of shrimps in the sea to go around??) - Swarming flies while dining. I don't like to have to battle flies and protect my shrimps from invaders. Other than that, HELL 'EFFIN YEAH TO THE SCRUMPTIOUS FAT JUMBO SHRIMPS LAYING OVER WHITE RICE!

    (4)

  • Sandy K.

    I think I ordered the wrong thing. Or maybe this place sucks, because shouldn't everything be edible? I shared a plate of sweet and spicy prawns, and I may have finished one. The prawns were not appetizing in the least. Through the shell, one of the prawns looked like it had eggs in it. It was so disgusting I don't even want to write about it anymore. Not sure if this is the norm at Romy's, but I am not willing to give them another try.

    (1)

  • Yav A.

    So disappointed in the food. People were raving about this place. I ordered the sweet n spicy prawns and my family ordered the garlic butter prawns. It was $13 a plate which was not bad. However, the prawns were still in their shell with the legs attached and the flavor was missing. It tasted like steamed prawns. Totally a waste of time and money!

    (1)

  • Jonathan E.

    I'm sorry, but I don't understand why people chose here over Giovannis. The wait is twice as long, they give you four less shrimp, and you have to pay for a lemon wedge. The garlic is borderline burnt and there was not much flavor IMO unless you dip it in extra garlic butter sauce. The cashier was. good, but I think they need another cook and helper. Only one cook to take order that is why it took us 30mins to get plate after ordering. And the cashier has to step aside to call numbers and pass out the orders. Hope this helps on making someone's decision of where to choose. Bottom line is that I rate Giovanni's 1st, famous kahuku shrimp truck 2nd, and romys 3rd.

    (3)

  • Hayden N.

    I heard a lot of raves about Romy's from co-workers and friends. I decided to give it a try when my friend came to visit me. We were highly disappointed! I got the butter & garlic shrimp and my garlic was very burnt that it wasn't appetizing. My friend got the sweet & spicy shrimp, it was not spicy at all but lacked in flavor. Once you peel the shell off the shrimp, it just taste bland and rubbery. Our bill for two lunch plates and two teas came out to about $36, expensive for non-tasty food. Cash only.

    (2)

  • tall m.

    Went between lunch and dinner and it wasn't busy at all (December). Ordered the garlic butter shrimp and loved it. They put SO MUCH garlic on top of these. I'm not a huge garlic fan and assumed i would be avoiding eating most of it, however... It was fried up so crispy and delicious that I ate it all! Love that the shrimp are head-on instead of be-headed like at Giovanni's. I like to slurp out the brains! Price was high, but so is Giovanni's. I'd go here over Giovanni's if i were you.

    (5)

  • Cheech M.

    Came here after the beach, excellent, fresh, very polite service, and a sink in the back to wash your hands! Awesome, haha. Had the #1, and it was delicious. The outdoor seating is a nice touch, on a not-too-windy day, it's a great place to go. I don't eat shrimp that often, and this was a nice change. Will definitely come back!

    (5)

  • Joson P.

    We went back to Romy's this past weekend. Before ordering my usual, the garlic shrimp plate, I asked if I could order the Kilawen (raw shrimp plate). I was expecting to get shutdown, but to my surprise, they had it! They're usually sold out, but that day I got the last plate. The lady taking my order said that they usually sell out of Kilawen early in the day. As I mentioned in my first review of Romy's, they have a sign that says, "This is not fast food. It is good food, as fast as we can make it." Hmmm, how long does it take to plate a bunch of raw shrimp and two scoops of rice? Really? I mean, there's no cooking involved?! Anyway, I didn't mind the wait so much since I was finally able to order it. I was happy when my number was finally called and even happier walking back to the table with my plate. I swear it weighed about 5 lbs! I opened up the plate to see a HUGE amount of shrimp, which was good! But they were all half the size of regular shrimp, which was bad. I feel like they should have let these shrimp mature a bit more. They weren't shrimp babies...more like shrimp teens. It was still good. The dipping sauce was tasty. The small size of the shrimp made them a bit difficult to peel, so it ended up being too much work for not so much reward. Oh well, at least now I can say I've tried it. Next time, it's back to garlic shrimp. I also tried the Pani Popo which is pretty much a sweet bread dinner roll drenched in a sweet coconut sauce. It's ok if you have a sweet tooth, but not a must have.

    (3)

  • Joraine C.

    THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT!! Closed 20 minutes early, no website, and inaccurate info... thanks but no thanks. 1) I'm racing over to North Shore from Waikiki to give Romy's a try and per Yelp, they are supposed to close at 6:00p...not 5:55, not 5:50, not 5:45, so imagine when I arrived at 5:40 doing the happy dance thinking "Yess I just made it in time" only to find their front window closed, however there were lots of people on the benches eating their Romy's shrimp plates (shooting jealous glares to them) so they couldn't have closed THAT long ago. Plus they were still cooking food and calling orders to be picked-up over the intercom however they were closed to customers with new orders. 2) Their website domain has been sold and no longer valid so don't intend to obtain info that way. 3) The other location per Yelp is inaccurate. When I arrived at their other location it was nowhere to be found. I really wanted to give this place a try but I was able to try 3 other shrimp trucks including Giovanni's and I don't think I missed out at all.

    (1)

  • Bernadette M.

    Cash only.... We actually wanted to hit up GIovanni's because my friend raved about that place. But it was already closed so we headed to Romy's, another recommendation. A little red shack on your left as you're heading east. Lots of picnic tables to eat at. Like everyone else said, it's a long wait maybe 30 minutes (and we were even there close to closing!). So I don't recommend going here starving otherwise you'll want to gnaw your hand off because it smells so good. So this is my first ever shrimp truck so I don't have anything to compare it to. We ordered the regular garlic and butter shrimp and it did not disappoint. Around 14 bucks, the portion was bigger than I thought it would be, the two of us were full. The flavor was great, shrimp is big and they give you a lot of rice with it.

    (5)

  • Tara C.

    I don't know what it is...I get a special thrill from eating at places like this. I mean, seriously. I stand in line for 30 minutes to order only to be told it will be 45 minutes before my order..and you know what I say? "Ok! Awesome! Thank you, sir, may I have another?!" Where else am I going to get butter/garlic prawns like this?! I've tried making them at home. Really. I have. Forget it - I'll just make the drive, it's so worth it..plus, I don't have to do the dishes. One thing I really like about Romy's is the fact that there is a tent to sit under. Sure...its near the trash. Sure..it is still hot. I just consider the tent a small favor and the food worth the wait. My punch card there is almost full again...so now I have ANOTHER excuse to go up to the North Shore and wait for my favorite dinner. Yes, the whole experience is one of self-flagellation: a drive, a wait in line, and a wait for food. Truth is, I've waited longer for worse food...and I am at the North Shore..how cranky can I REALLY be? In short: nothing here is short. The wait, the prices, the drive. But I don't care.

    (5)

  • Wayne K.

    I love Romy's finger lick'n good Garlic Shrimp. It is so damn good that you just don't want to share. The last time we went there, we were cutting it short and made it just before it closed. Don't try to get over there from Waikiki in the late afternoon cause the commute traffic is bad. Go mid-day and you'll be happy you did. I watched them cook up the shrimp in a hot wok with lots of butter and garlic. I was thinking, I could do that. But when in Hawaii, let Romy's do it. They do it mo betta.

    (4)

  • Steve B.

    The corn was bland and the shrimp was good not great.

    (3)

  • Hodie K.

    On our way to Turtle Bay Resort, we saw Romy's off the side of Kamehameha Hwy and a long line. That usually means it's pretty good. It took us a couple days to get there, and when we did, it was Sunday. The line was even longer. We decided to wait it out. There's a sign that says "This is not fast food. It is good food, as fast as we can make it." I thought it was a little pretentious but usually a bold statement like that means you get served up some scrumdiliocious pood. I got the #1 and Em got the #2. It came in a styrofoam to-go plate, which made Emily think the overhead on this place must be pretty cheap. My overall impression of this place (after seeing the lines, signs, and waiting in line and waiting for the food) was, ehhhh. I've had better prawns in Cali. I thought the portions for #1 were a little skimpy but maybe it's because I'm a pig. The sauce I'd say is better than the prawns, which is what saved it for me. Don't get me wrong, the food was good and I enjoyed it. The experience (as a tourist) is what made me give this place 4 stars and not 3. I've added some pics.

    (4)

  • Trisha T.

    Actual rating = 3.5 stars I love any and all shrimp shacks on Oahu's North Shore area, but this one was a LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTLE less than what I was expecting. I ordered the butter garlic shrimp, and while it was tasty, it was a little too...what's the word...not butter garlicky enough for my taste. I normally would hate to have to peel shrimp, but I let it slide while eating at the Shacks. Digging your nails through the shell is all part of the experience. No points taken off for that. However, I did hit a blood clot while peeling one of my shrimp. Yes, I know that every shrimp once had blood in it, but it was just super disgusting. I was afraid to lick my fingers after that, and everyone knows the best part of eating at the Shrimp Shack is getting to lick your fingers. I'm still shivering, FYI. So between the lacking in flavor and the blood clot, this place lost 1 and a half stars from my rating. Still good though. But I'd try other places first. My favorite is the shack with the "Peel, Dip, Eat" tables. I think it's Giovanni's.

    (4)

  • Belinda T.

    On our vacation trip back home to O'ahu, we knew we were going to drive around the island. That was a must. And we also knew we were going to have some of the best grindz that the North Shore has to offer...Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp! That was a double-must!! To our pleasant surprise, nothing has changed, as with the rest of the isles! Romy's Butter & Garlic Sauteed Shrimp is absolutely a "MUST-HAVE!" when you visit! No. Seriously! Giovanni's Shrimp Truck has NOTHING on Romy's! Like everyone else raving about Romy's, I have to concur. The way that they saute` their garlic is sooooo mouth-watering tasty!!! Crispy, garlic-y goodness all over fresher than fresh shrimp! That's why they have Giovanni's beat, well at least in my opinion. Giovanni's garlic and shrimp is a little too oily for my taste. So, here's to Hawai'i and Romy's for their laid-back approach to never changing a good thing! Can't wait for our next trip back! ALOHA!

    (5)

  • Jocelyn L.

    I've Never had to wait for food as long as i had to @ Romy's- a shrimp shack. It took them 45 mins to get our 3 orders; and that palce wasn't even that busy. They literally cooked everything plate by plate. SLOW, (INCREDIBLY SLOW), completely disorganized, bad service and inattentive staff. They don't seem to understand simple orders. WTH? The prawns were OK, but NOT 50 mins wait good. I was completely disappointed and very unimpressed Do NOT go there unless you'd rather spend time waiting for mediocre food than laying out on the beaches

    (2)

  • Pichoudam P.

    This place was allright. It took long to order well I guess because we went in a group of 17. The shrimps/prawns here are suppose to be home grown in the lake in the backyard. It tastes no different than the prawns that you get from the supermarket. This place has a really nice sauce that goes with the prawns. A plate of rice and 3 prawns cost about 10 dollars. The atmosphere is relaxing. You eat outside. There is always breeze going by. The ice cream here also taste pretty good.

    (2)

  • Jojie R.

    I love this place! Everything here is delicious!

    (5)

  • Daisy M.

    Yumm!! Totally worth the wait! The best shrimp shack in kahuku!

    (5)

  • Li B.

    Meh...Honestly, the only thing I appreciated about this place was the size of the shrimp (gigantic) and the fact that they had sinks so you could wash your hands. The spicy garlic shrimp was spicy (which I can appreciate), but the garlic sauce left something, I'm not sure what, to be desired. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't stellar. Overall, I recommend Giovanni's...they don't disappoint!

    (3)

  • Chad G.

    TOURIST TRAP ALERT...TOURIST TRAP ALERT... Over priced and over cooked. My wife and I heard wonderful things about shrimp on the North Shore so we figured we better get over there to see what it was all about. We ordered 1 soda (no free refills), a bottle of water, 1 plate of butter & garlic shrimp, and 1 dessert. Total cost was just under $22. Took about 30ish minutes to get our food. Shrimp was so over cooked that you could barely peel the shells off. Even the garlic that was in the sauce poured over the top of the shrimp was burned. Flavor was bland at best. Imagine our disappointment! This place is cash only so don't need to bring your credit card. On the plus side, the staff seemed nice and they offered a sink outside by the picnic tables to wash you hands afterwards (it's a bit messy). We will not be going back, but if we do, I did hear that the spicy shrimp was pretty good. (Then again, I heard the same thing about the butter & garlic shrimp)

    (1)

  • H. Renee R.

    I jut got back from Hawaii 3 days ago and Romy's Shrimp Truck was highly recommended. I love shrimp and I love garlic...win win. Wrong! I found them to be rubbery, smothered in oil and the sauce not tasty at all. The brown rice was so nasty and stick I could not stomach eating but one bite. Not to mention how overpriced it is! Save your money!

    (1)

  • Therese P.

    I loooove Romy's! went around 5 ish and luckily there's no line! we ordered the garlic shrimp and it was sooo good :) i also tried giovanni's - it was okay - i'd still go for romy's :) im coming back for more! :)

    (5)

  • Gabe H.

    Fast Tip: Look for the RED Shack, NOT the blue one!! Once a every month or so I find myself making the trek to the North Shore for the VERY ONO shrimp plates in this tiny little shrimp shack in Kahuku. The tourists can go to the "Shrimp Trucks" all they like, the REAL DEAL is at Romy's. LOVED: First things first, the shrimp they use here are the REAL stuff. Not the small cocktail, Costco, mass produced, tiny shrimp that everyone else uses. The shrimp you get are fresh and locally grown right behind the shack!! Romy's uses a special sauce that makes your mouth water!! The sauce is so good, that you want to save some shrimp from your old plate, make some rice, mix it in, and have a whole new meal!!! Great stuff!! Oh and the Panipopo dessert is a bit steep in my opinion but oh so good. DID NOT LOVE: Even if the line is short, the wait will be a bit. As the sign there says "This is not FAST food, its GOOD food as fast as we can make it." So plan to chill out under the provided tents on a bench, or heck, go prawn fishing right behind the shack. OVERALL: Versus all the other dozens of "Shrimp Trucks" in the North Shore, Romy's is the REAL DEAL when it comes to delicious shrimp and prawns. The value, flavor, and freshness of the shrimp plates are second to none!

    (5)

  • Mike S.

    The sweet and sour, the garlic, and steamed shrimp were amazingly plump, sweet, and tasty. The sun fish was crispy, moist, and definitely worth the wait. There was a line and orders were made to order, I watched as they made each order in the wok and deep fryer.

    (5)

  • Sandy H.

    My family & I were on our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center and decided to try this place since it was on the way. Originally, we wanted to try Giovanni's Shrimp Truck but couldn't find it. When we arrived, there was a long line but it was definitely worth the wait. There was a sign that apologized for wait, etc & through the window, you can see the live & fresh shrimp/prawns jumping around. We ordered the butter/garlic shrimp & the prawns with rice. It was hands down the best shrimp/prawns I have ever tasted! Maybe bc they were actually fresh. There were tables/benches outside and a couple sinks for you to wash your hands afterwards. There's also a shrimp farm behind the place that you can walk along and check out. This place is a must try!

    (5)

  • Jenny C.

    Before we even got to Honolulu, I keep hearing about the "kahuku shrimps" from my aunt and how good they really were. Not to mention she showed us pictures of her devouring this big plate of shrimps. When we got there, I was pretty excited to try Romy's. A long line is a good sign that seafood lovers flock to this place to indulge in some fresh catch. My plate of butter garlic shrimp did not disappoint. The brightly colored ginormous shrimps were covered in buttery fried garlic goodness which seeped into the bed of white rice it was resting on. I liked that half of the head was already cut off giving me easier access to the delectable part of the shrimp. After wiping my plate clean and getting my hands all messy peeling the shrimp, I was very satisfied and happy. I wish there was a Romy's back in CA!

    (4)

  • carol a.

    Hawaii is a favorite vacation spot of ours so Romy's is a tradition for us and going there is something we always look forward to. I had the Sunfish for the first time when we visited a few week's ago. It was super fresh and flavorful, I just wish it had more meat and less bones. My husband had his favorite, the garlic shrimp. Tons of garlic and great flavor. The portion sizes are large and it's always worth the wait. Romy's, we love you and will keep coming back again and again!

    (4)

  • Kimberly S.

    Nah, nobody beats Giovanni's! Went here to try out the food. Ordered the place's favorite based on the waitress's recommendation (forgot what's the name but I think it's the Giovanni-like shrimp). The garlic is kinda burnt; well, I like burnt garlic, but not this one because it's too burnt for me. The pro side of it is being that it isn't as greasy as Giovanni's. After eating here, just realized that I should have tried Fumi's instead of here, lol.. I chose the place because of the GPS and that it has a nice outdoorsy setting overlooking to a lake that seems to be a shrimp farm.

    (3)

  • Eric C.

    expect too much....

    (2)

  • Jesse S.

    Excellent shrimp, bad service, and a bit pricey. We ordered two plates of shrimp with a small soda and a plastic cup (which they charged 50 cents for). The bill was $30.81. The plate included 10 fresh medium shrimp fried in butter and garlic and served over a bed of brown rice. At the order window, the servers were curt and impatient. I guess when you have good food, service can suffer a bit.

    (3)

  • Mike L.

    I've been having Romy's since my first trip to Hawaii and I always come back to it. Recently we tried Macky's and it just couldn't hold a candle to Romy's. Next time we'll try the other ones but I don't expect much. Pros: - monster shrimp - very very very generous with the garlic/butter mixture Cons: - they keep raising prices... I think the plate is now $12.75 - big markup on canned sodas ($3) I don't think they need to do the markup on drinks. Macky's didn't. That's what takes 1 star off. But if you're judging by the shrimp alone, this is an easy win for Romy's. They keep part of the head on for that awesome shrimp flavor. They now slice down the backs for ease of peeling + flavor seepage. The garlic/butter mixture is amazing and getting their spicy dipping sauce on the side is a plus... they mix well together. I'm a Romy's fan4life now... this trip sealed it.

    (4)

  • Kim l.

    FYI don't look for a truck because this is a stand. Bf and I shared a Prawns plate: 5/5 all the way! Amazing garlic sauce, tons of meat on the prawns. Soooo delsih! The coconut bun is nothing special, it just Hawaiian bread soaked in coconut sauce. Total $17. Next time we are each gonna get our own plates, screw sharing says my bf. P.S. porta potties are stinky, but they have outdoors sinks for you to wash your grubby hands after eating your shrimpy shrimps.

    (5)

  • Jeff D.

    If you love shrimp AND if you love PRAWNS, then this place is definitely for you! Yes, they may not have the famous garlic-galore shrimp scampi that the white truck has, but they do have, in their arsenal besides garlic shrimp, dishes such as Steamed Shrimps, Steamed Prawns and Fried Fish! Yes, a whole damn fish...fried! Having all of these options in one place at Oahu's famous North Shore has gotta be good!!! Comparing Romy's and Giovanni's is not really fair in my opinion because each are awesome on their right! Either way, you won't go wrong.

    (5)

  • Li L.

    little expensive,its ok the shrimps were fresh but sauce they were cooked in were not impressive, sweet and sour was like sweet thai chili from the bottle, garlic were almost burnt and no sauce, spicy was no better, sorry to say it ranks only normal since I live have foods from all over world, I was disappointed because there was 4 n 5 stars raveling how good it is, I like sauce to suck off the shrimp but where's the butter? just to stir fry? putting any of the sauce over rice is just nasty. if you want butter and garlic sauce to suck off your shrimp and eat it with your rice , i would go with G truck, it might not be fresh shrimp but it taste good,

    (3)

  • Ted D.

    I was very excited to try Hawaii's infamous garlic shrimp, and from reviews I read in advance, Romy's is supposed to be one of the best. I can't say that it lived up to the hype. The tented seating area around the stand smelled heavenly of garlic, as my wife, familia and I patiently waited. They did have a sign posted by the cashier that this is not fast food and everything is cooked to order. I am not knocking them down for this at all. when we got the order, I'll admit it did look delicious. The big issue is that my father and I ordered prawns and everyone else ordered shrimp. All the dishes came out as shrimp. When I took the 2 wrong orders back, they blatenly said the orders are correct, even though they were obviously marked "P" for prawns and were filled with shrimp. I was starving and was not in the mood to get in an argument with the staff. despite, this complete eff up on their part, I am still giving an honest review of the food, instead of a straight one star. This was the only shrimp stand I went to on my visit, so I have no other to compare it to. The shrimp on it's own were rather bland, but I think this is because they are fresh water shrimp, as are all the stands as far as I know. So I would probably be disappointed with all of them. They would be much better if they were saltwater shrimp. I've had freshwater shrimp in other countries and they are just as bland anywhere u go. The only thing that makes this a 2 star for me is the dipping sauce. the sauce is addictive!! after I finished the shrimp, I poured the leftover sauce on my rice and ate every last bite. due to the horrible customer service I would certainly not recommend this place to anyone.

    (2)

  • Leena C.

    We came here on a recommendation from someone who grew up here in Kaneohe. He's not a typical local, speak japanese, married a japanese woman from japan (very different from all my family here)...anyways, he swears this place is the best on the island. He says that they farm their own shrimp and it's the freshest. The few things I didn't like is that they take a really long time making your food. I ordered the butter garlic and it was more like spicy garlic with chinese shoyu. You only get shrimps and rice. At Macky's shrimp truck at least you get a salad and a slice of pineapple. This place does have a stamp card and we saw a local bus driver stop at this place to pick up his dinner. It's ok in my opinion but I would rather go to Macky's.

    (3)

  • Erika M.

    This was definitely one of the highlights of our Hawaii trip! What can I say? I love garlic and butter! And they use LOTS for their shrimp. The shrimp are fresh, juicy, and huge. The bad thing is, since it's a truck next to the shrimp farm, there are no proper bathrooms, however, there is a sink to wash your hands. Also, this shrimp truck is very popular, so be prepared to wait. I will definitely come back here on my next Hawaii trip!

    (5)

  • Ida C.

    It was the last day of our weekend Oahu vacation and I was hell-bent on eating my way through the North Shore area's shrimp shacks/trucks before spending a late and lazy afternoon sunbathing at Lanikai beach. WHAT AN IDIOT I was for thinking I'd have time for the beach given this was July 4th weekend and everyone/every local had the Monday (July 5th) off. Giovanni's was swamped when we drove by and a few blocks later, we caught sight of Romy's. Note that I had not even heard of Giovanni's or Romy's prior to embarking on our drive towards the North Shore so I wasn't aware of the ratings, what the locals prefer, blah blah blah. Romy's didn't appear to be as busy so we parked and got in line. We waited in line for what seemed like an eternity - 1.5 hours, to be exact. @(#*&$^@#($&*#^@*(&#$^@*!!!!!!! Thank goodness I wasn't hungry (yet!) but my idea of "Let's have a late lunch snackie!" became "I guess we're having dinner here". Yeah, we probably should have cut our losses and left but 30-mins into it, I felt we had invested enough time in standing in line that I couldn't bring myself to leave. During our wait, one of us had to use the port-a-potty and well... it wasn't me. Upon return, I was informed that I should avoid it at all costs. He didn't even dare describe to me the condition of the port-a-potty so my conclusion is that it is filthy. Thankfully, I didn't drink a ton of water during our drive so I was saved from having the same experience. 1.5 hour wait in line + 20 or 25 min wait for food after ordering. /SIGH/ Don't attempt to dine here when it's a national holiday or during the weekend (is what I've learned after reading the Yelp reviews during the 1.5 hours I was standing in line). Man. Was it worth it? It would have been worth it had my wait totaled 1 hour. 2 hours? Meh. Anyway, here is the breakdown of plates ordered between TWO people (yeah, eyes bigger than stomach): * Pani Popo - We ordered this dessert so that we'd have something to nibble on while waiting for our seafood. Bun with what seems like coconut condensed milk, but not as viscous. After a 2 hour wait, anything will start to taste good. * Butter & Garlic Prawns - My favourite of the dishes ordered but they had the heads already chopped off. I THINK only the steamed prawns have the heads still attached and while we were in line, they ran out of steamed prawns. They weren't as large as I was hoping for them to be; the garlic sauce was great over the white rice. We eated this one first. * Butter & Garlic Shrimp - Don't you judge! I wanted to compare shrimp vs. prawns cooked with the same ingredients. Shrimp weren't deveined and the suckers were overcooked, resulting in it being rather difficult to peel the shells off. Most of this dish became the leftovers we took back with us. * Steamed Shrimp (with Soyu Spicy sauce and Cocktail sauces on the side) - The slight sweetness of the shrimp came through and I enjoyed this with the spicy shoyu sauce. Not the absolute best steamed shrimp I've ever had despite (maybe) being some of the freshest I've ordered. * Sunfish - This came out to over $20 (cost or whatever per pound) and we found out later they charged us for the weight of TWO sunfish, not one. Business savvy or sneaky? Sunfish was fried and very bony; while I wouldn't order this type of fish again, I'm glad I tried it so that I know to steer clear of sunfish in the future. 4 plates, 1 water = roughly $85 'snack'. CASH ONLY. Go here on a weekday and get the prawns. Don't bother with the sunfish. 2.5 stars, maybe a 3 or 3.5 if it weren't for the sunfish, long wait and yuck port-a-pottys.

    (3)

  • Cynthia L.

    Great food but slow staff and inefficient, causing slow lines and irate customers; please train your staff better and work efficiently, like moving the line along and calling out orders so people can get their food. The process of taking orders to order pick-up needs more organization and made the experience less than pleasant. MINUS a star. Come in Terry!!! Always, super nice, always asking everyone if they had one of your stamp cards, even tho we always forgot ours. Consistently greeting everyone with a friendly smile. Of course, we always got Terry when we called in our orders. *sigh* So we drove from Waikiki and tried to call in our order. Alas, the phone was off the line for well over several hours. Stuck in traffic for one hour and another hour getting there from Waikiki. So,we must have called over 95 times!!! Why take your phone off the hook?!?! Finally, called our number but they want $1.50 b/c they forgot to charge us for the rice and then to give us sass about it. Tsk. Tsk. As if, it was our fault. Unfortunately we put our wallets back in the car, so we have go back to the car. MINUS another star for the sass.

    (2)

  • DASYHRD D.

    I have been a fan of Romy's for some time now. I used to get plates from Giovanni's but after being introduced to Romy's from a friend I never turned back. The kiliween and the sweet and spicy shrimp plates are the best ones IMO. The only thing I dont like about Romy's is the wait time. Be prepared to wait at least 25-30mins for your order. I am surprised with all the $$$ they are bringing in at least they could hire 1 or 2 younger workers that can move. I mean, nothing wrong with the filipino nanas but they move VERY VERY slow.

    (4)

  • C E.

    Fresh shrimp/prawns that is well worth the wait. The Butter - Garlic shrimp was fantastic. The Sweet and Spice Prawns were just as good. The Chilled Pineapple was refreshing. Well worth the drive!!

    (4)

  • 2 N.

    YUMMMM!!!! Everyone in our party LOVED the Garlic Shrimp and we ALL agreed that Romy's is better than Giovanni's!! Shrimp/Prawn are large, and fresh. Served with garlic that is "fried" but more burnt than anything.....if you dont like burnt garlic then this may not be the dish for you. We love garlic so it was ALL GOOD!! No complaints about the food at all. We also got an order of chilled pineapples with li hing mui and it was so refreshing....a good way to end our shrimp truck experience! As with many places in North Shore this is cash only. There was an outdoor sink available to wash you hands. Plenty of picnic tables to enjoy your meal. This will def be the first stop we make if we ever go back to North shore.

    (5)

  • jeannine s.

    Shrimps and prawns are the draw here. Except for rice to accompany your shrimp, everything is sold a-la-cart. This is a bit atypical for Hawaii. Service is surly and could sure use improvement. Also, if you plan to make the long drive to this N. Shore shrimp shack, refrain from hydrating yourself; otherwise, you will end up additionally disappointed by the disgusting port-a-potty. If I could give Romy's 1-1/2 stars, I would.

    (2)

  • Cster x.

    Our cousins who live in Honolulu took us trekking up to the North Shore. We knew we wanted to try one of the shrimp-shacks, we just didn't know which one. Romy's wasn't too crowded, but it wasn't empty either (empty at lunch time is never a good sign). We had a steamed shrimp plate, and a sweet-spicey prawn plate. Both were SO good! So flavorful, fresh and sweet. This is definitely going to be a regular stop on our annual trips. The other review says that that everything is a-la-carte, maybe they've changed the menu since their visit. When we were there, they had several combination plates. And, as typical Hawaiian style, all "plates" come with rice. They even offer the option of brown rice. Both of the plates we ordered came with two big ice-cream-scoops of rice.

    (5)

  • Jordan S.

    I'm not a real big fan of shrimp...especially when I have to peel them myself. But in this case I had to make an exception. Romy's had some of the best garlic butter shrimp I EVER ate. It was worth all the effort I put in to peeling the half pound of literally finger licking good shrimp. They also had a few sinks around their establishment which was convienent for all the mess I made. Prices were decent for the amount of shrimp they give. It also was one of the cleanest shrimp shacks around. I think romy's actually changed my thoughts about shrimp.

    (4)

  • CalBear H.

    Hm...seriously?? I don't understand what the hype is about. We ordered the butter and garlic shrimp (would order more but they ran out of prawns by 1:30pm). The flavor is pretty good, but the quality of the shrimp is almost nasty. There is no way on HI and on earth that they serve fresh shrimp. The shrimp meat tasted and felt like it was at least a day or 2 day old shrimp. Also, the food is not freshly cooked here, probably because of all the locals and tourists flocking here. I peeked at the kitchen and saw multiple containers of shrimp already cooked and ready to be put on the plate. No surprise the food was just luke warm when we got it. It was such a disappointing experience we decided to yelp for a better shrimp truck in the area, and Macky's down the road was WAY BETTER!! I recommend Macky's instead.

    (2)

  • SPRY T.

    Love it..shrimp is ONO! but way to pricey for a plate of Shrimp...Their shoyu spicy sauce makes the shrimp even better...

    (4)

  • Erika W.

    SOOO freakin' good! 10 jumbo shrimp fried in butter and garlic with rice on the side - I was stuffed and incredibly satisfied. I found Romy's to be MUCH better than Giovanni's shrimp truck, which is saying a lot because Giovanni's was pretty good too! I highly recommend making a pit stop at Romy's as part of your North Shore tour. One word of advice - call ahead and place your order as you'll likely be waiting 30+ minutes otherwise. Either way, you're in paradise...so who cares? :)

    (5)

  • Alvin D.

    Excellent prawns! The garlic prawns are awesome! I don't know what was in that dipping sauce, but it was just spicy enough for the "spicy lover" and not too spicy for the "spicy novice." I loved it so much I put what was left on my rice and finished off the plate! I would've given it a 5-Star rating if I had maybe 2 more prawns. I really love shrimp and I just needed 2 more (I'm not sure how much they gave me initially, I'll have to go back).

    (4)

  • Jenny C.

    Wait a minute! I haven't reviewed Romy's yet? Where have I been? I've been coming to Romy's for a few years now....and it's worth the drive every time. Honestly, I used to drive out to Kahuku just to get the shrimp...at least every month. They offer different shrimp plates, but I prefer the number 5 with prawns. Something you should know, the number 1 with prawns is completely different from the number 5 with prawns. It's a bit confusing, but the number 5 with prawns include the BIG prawns with the big heads connected. THAT'S THE BEST PART. Sucking out the brains...and then eating the jumbo shrimp...oh so ono. I always get it with the butter garlic sauce which is also awesome...yum yum yum. It's about 16 bucks for that plate...but you can't beat it. I've also tried the number one and it's great. If you want to get shrimp, make sure you get out there early. The earlier the better, the line gets LONG. And just like their sign says, don't expect the food fast...they are there to make good food. I also notice a LOT of tour groups that come here, so that adds to the wait. The line takes long and the wait for the food is also quite long. What's good about Romy's is that they have tent covered tables...and you overlook their own shrimp farm. Can't beat that! Note: Might wanna bring some extra napkins for yourselves, it can get a bit messy. I also bring my own drinks...and their sink with soap is so convenient! Hands down Romy's is better than Giovanni's.

    (5)

  • Raquel R.

    Romy's is one of my favorite shrimp shacks on the North Shore. After a hike or a relaxing day at the beach, I like to end my day with eating one of my favorite foods. Plate #1, Garlic shrimp with the Spicy Shoyu Sauce is delicious. If you have no plans to be anywhere and don't mind the wait (The wait can be 30 min due to long lines.), the shrimp is worth the wait. While you are waiting, you can also snack on their fresh pineapples with li hing mui.

    (4)

  • JoAnna G.

    Delicious garlic butter shrimp! Incredible sweet and spicy shrimp too! The wait is always at least 15-20 minutes so don't expect to eat right away. Absolutely worth the wait though. A little pricey but when I'm up on the north shore, it's always a lunch must-have. Love Romy's! :)

    (5)

  • Kenneth C.

    We were pleasently surprise with the garlic butter shrimp bit were blown away with the prawns. The prawns were so fresh and was cooked perfectly where it was just cook but still extremely tender and juicy. The only negative part about Romy's is the wait cause we waited 30 mins just to place the order and another 15 mins for our food to be ready, so if you are not hungry when you get there, you will be very hungry by the time you get your food.

    (4)

  • Jamie M.

    Really?! Compared to Blue Water Shrimp Truck, Giovanni's, and Honos, this place does not come close to the caliber these other shrimp trucks. In fact, I will down right say, I prefer Blue Water Shrimp Truck than any of these. At least at Blue Water, it comes with an assortment of goodies. Not to mention the sauce that goes along with the shrimp is to die for. You get a bread stick, pasta, rice, and an ample amount of shrimp. While at Romy's, I thought the wait was pretty long considering there wasn't a lot of people. And the sauce on the prawns was not very appealing. You get about 6-7 pieces along with rice. I can't even remember if it came with anything else because it was just that non-memorable (is that even a word?) for me. haha. I do remember getting a Dr. Pepper and it tasted spectacular. I guess that was the most memorable part of my meal. That's my take.

    (2)

  • Slick V.

    Allll good! Shrimps and prawns! Sooo delicious!

    (5)

  • Danville P.

    Tastiest shrimp meal I've ever had. I love food and if I get dissapointed, I write a bad review. This is the only shrimp shack in Oauhu that serve fresh shrimp from their farm (according to a local review). The service was excellent. My only gripe would be the wait. Then again, good places usually have a long wait. I would pay double, it's that good.. Too bad we will be vacationing in the Big Island next. We will miss Romy's

    (5)

  • Janice F.

    We decided that if you want the best Shrimp its best to go to the truck that farms their own shrimp. That way you know your shrimp comes out of the water and straight to the pan. I prefer Romy's over any shrimp truck because of this reason. I can taste the difference and me knowing this makes that big of a difference. The wait is a bit long but its not a fast food drive through and its worth it. I'm not to hot on their choice of flavors but just fresh shrimp alone is good for me. I have had the other shrimp trucks and its pretty good but I don't like the frozen shrimp disguised in garlic.

    (4)

  • Gwen S.

    Wow, this place sure knows how to work with flavor and fresh ingredients! The garlic shrimp plate was absolutely amazing! The garlic, shrimp, sauce and rice worked so well together.. I still think about that delicious plate of food since I came home from my vacation in Hawaii! The corn was also AMAZING! So sweet!

    (5)

  • Dan Y.

    Giant prawns would be my only reason to visit. Garlic shrimp was over cooked and under seasoned. Nothing special and more expensive than there competitors. Add to that the long wait time and the discourteous service and you go from 3 to 2 stars.

    (2)

  • Christie P.

    Get ready to eat with your fingers, kids! We're going to Romy's! Currently on my annual family trip to Oahu, and did my normal trip to the North Shore. Other than watching the waves and getting some Ted's chocolate haupia pie, it is all about this place! It must have been my lucky day because there was a very short line! I got the shrimp in butter and garlic. ::stomach still doing happy dance:: Romy's is still super yummy! Every time I burp (yes, girls burp), all I taste is delicious garlic! Remember to bring cash-ola!

    (4)

  • Glenn L.

    Well Super Bowl Sunday in da Islands, and My Niner's weren't in it! :-( So why not take mom and go holo holo round the island, So get in da Ka'a and drive 1st stop Haleiwa Farmer's Market and get fruits and Veggies and snacks. Okay when out this way Romy's has been our go to place since there opening. First of all, let's set this straight, Hello people "Wake Up" if a biz is near the source it will be the freshest! Duh, Maybe because they get the shrimp and Prawns every morning, There is a time element, also They must Clean these buggahz! Hello, if you've ever cooked shrimp with the heads on, plenty work. So this explains the long waits. So get over it, Trust me as with other's their trump card is the Prawns. steamed straight up or Garlic/butter is our favorite. Did you ever wonder why some of these "Shrimp Trucks" are so fast? Well Like Mcdonalds when you use IQF Frozen butterflied shrimp from God knows where from sure you can be cheaper and give more, Well not me brah, I first want to support the Local business ventures like these shrimp ponds. So If I wanted frozen or store bought defrosted shrimp I'd just go to Costco and buy their shrimp and Do the Garlic/butter thing myself.(Which I do from time to time), but definitely not the same as Fresh product. Ask yourself do these other trucks sell live/fresh shrimp and prawns to take home to cook? NOT! Also do they offer Kilawen/KinilauShrimp( Filipino version of Ceviche). NOT! So must not be fresh. Anyways I digress. Now on this Super Bowl Sunday surprised how crowded it was considering the roads were nicely void of too much traffic except for Haleiwa.(Normal). Anyways We got our normal Prawns in garlic/butter, and btw we got the last order for the day(Lucky). So also this time we decided to go off script and get the fried shrimp, well let's say over cooked psuedo lumpia thing, Not our favorite. We would have given them 5-stars even with the 25-30 min wait! The taste is worth the wait for the butter/garlic prawns, but I might pass the fried shrimp and we will go back to the big buggah steamed prawns. Their the only place that you know their fresh, because once in a blue moon you get a prawn with it's Row/tobiko attached and like getting free caviar or wot! But they get a 4 this time from us because of the "tude" we got from one of the Pinay's in the booth, after we were pau, I went to the booth because we forgot to bring our "Romy card". 10 plates and get one free card. so I had asked if we could get a new card, and the girl tells us normally if you leave we can't stamp your card, I told her no one reminded me and besides I forgot it at home. Anyways, she give me this smack like it so much drama to stamp the frickin card. Wow Really I just drop nearly $40 bucks and your going to go all Pake on me. Really well maybe it's because they were busy, but the tables also need to be cleaned more often their was sauce and grease on the tables, but like I said both sides of the shack were filled with chock tourists and locals. So it is what it is, you either wait for the real deal or go down the road and get the fast not from Kahuku prawns. I go for the "wait" cause isn't the saying is that "Good things come to those that...." You get what I mean!

    (4)

  • Eddy H.

    Compared to the more popular Givoannis (I dont know why though), Romys is a much better experience flavor wise. It doesnt hurt that their menu has a bit mroe variety (even though I have yet to try the variety). I've gotten the sweet and spicy shrimp, extra spicy every time and it doesnt disappoint. Plus, being able to order brown rice is an extra plus. Compared to the hot and spicy shrimp at Giovannis, Romys wins hands down.

    (5)

  • Maggie C.

    When you go to Oahu you HAVE TO GO to Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp Hut. Circle the island and you'll find many shrimp trucks and my favorite is Romy's. I asked the locals and most of them picked Romy's over other shrimp trucks so that confirmed my choice. The other ones are good but Romy's is better. Romy's serve prawns and others serve shrimps so Romy's is much bigger and juicier. I always get its butter & garlic sauteed shrimps for $12.75 ( I guess they raised the price). They also have sweet & spicy, fried shrimp, steamed prawns/shrimp, raw shrimp and sun fish (new menu?) I always make sure I go to Romy's at least twice whenever I go to Oahu. I don't remember paying with credit card so bring cash when you go. Easy parking on the street and you will be dining al fresco. We have our taco trucks here in CA and Hawaii has their shrimp trucks =P

    (5)

  • The Next Time O.

    Ever wait with anticipation growing by the minute after you have ordered? then while you are eating the food, brain starts ringing, FOOD not worth the wait, add this place to the list. Shrimp and Prawns fresh, yes. But this is why cooks are more important than the ingredients. The Garlic sauce just does not penetrate the shrimp and prawns the way it should. But around Kahuku, with little else, I think this place will have to do whether it's for lunch or as a snack while driving thru. The wait, food, price for drinks can all be improved. I know of no place that can overcome those 3 issues, price/wait/taste for extended period of time so they will have to either improve or there just won't be a line next time I visit...I will find out on my next visit. The Next Time: I definitely want to have fresh kahuku prawns & shrimp, where? I am not sure yet. I will have to check Yelp to see who's preparing it right.

    (3)

  • Anna W.

    Meh.... can't say I loved this place, but it was OK. During my trip to Hawaii, we were told we had to try one of the shrimp trucks on the North Shore. We had three to pick from (Fumi's, Romy's and Giovanni's) and decided to go with this one on a recommendation. First of all, there seem to always be long lines there, and the order takers are slow. We only had three people in front of us, and it took us 15-20 minutes to get to the window. I ordered the garlic and butter prawns. Since we had a pretty large order (8 dishes), it took us about 20 minutes before our number was called. My dish was around $13 and included seven prawns and two scoops of white rice. The prawns were a decent size, but the flavoring was a little off-balance -- way too much garlic, and not enough butter. Plus, my one gripe about in-shell shrimp/prawns is that as soon as you remove the shell, all the flavoring is gone (someone please explain to me the logic behind cooking shrimp in their shells -- the meat doesn't get flavored!). However, they do include a form of spicy soy sauce with your order, so you can use that with your meal. The price seemed a little steep for me for the amount of food I got. Though I was full when I finished, I think someone with a bigger appetite would still have been hungry. There are picnic tables located on both sides of the shrimp truck, and they are tented, so it's a good place to sit down with your friends/family, shade yourselves from the sun, and enjoy a little bit of North Shore breeze. There is a sink with soap by the tables too, so you can wash your hands pre- and post-meal. The shrimp farm is located right on the premises, so you know the shrimp and prawns are incredibly fresh. All in all, it was OK, but I think the next time I'm in Hawaii, I'll try Giovanni's next!

    (3)

  • Keoni U.

    I really wanted to give this place a good review but I really can't. Romy is a distant relative of mine (same town in PI) and my aunt knows him well. The only other shrimp place I've been too is Giovanni's so I'm comparing Romy's to them. The price here is more and you get less shrimp than Giovannis. I ordered the garlic shrimp and the wait wasn't too bad at 20 min. They usually call 3 orders out at a time. The garlic was burnt and had a bitter taste. There was not much flavor to suck because it's not greasy like Giovannis. The plate comes with a shoyu sauce which is ok. I'd rather dip my shrimp in butter. They also serve some big ass prawns here compared to their competition. If you're looking for a healthy shrimp experience come here. If you want the greasy tasty stuff go down the street. Next time I'll try Fumi's for better comparison between all the shrimp places in the north shore.

    (3)

  • Hashim A.

    This was my final stop of my shrimp truck hopping. I decided to order the prawns because I don't see how anyone can eat shrimp that aren't deveined. If not eating shrimp poop makes me a shrimp snob, then I guess I am one! Anyway, back to the prawns. They had good flavor, and the sauce was fantastic. There was a 20-minute wait, but they told us that ahead of time. Prawns were slightly overcooked though. Bonus points for serving Coke. The other shrimp trucks I stopped by only had Pepsi. I'll stop by Romy's again next time go shrimp truck hopping.

    (3)

  • Jana A.

    The BEST garlic shrimp I've ever had! During our whole trip, their butter and garlic shrimp was my most favorite meal I had in O'ahu! Totally recommend them!!

    (5)

  • Elaine C.

    Out of all the shrimp joints, Romy's is the only one who farm their own shrimp. This is the reason why their shrimp is much tastier and larger. I'm not a huge fan of their sauce since the garlic flavor wasn't as pungent and the sauce was just super orange. I like the shrimp here better and the sauce at Giovanni's better. Other things good on the menu are the prawns and the pani popo - hawaiian coconut bread, soooo good. The lady at the window was really nice. Asked us what we were doing in Hawaii and we told them we were here for our anniversary. She rang the bell outside and gave Rob and I a shout out and we all started laughing. Like I said in my review of Giovanni's, if Romy's and Giovanni's could mate and have a baby that would be great because Romy's prawns are definitely fresher, larger, and better while Giovanni's sauce is better.

    (4)

  • Alvin C.

    Overrated...not a knock on Romy's in particular but I think all the shrimp truck places on the North Shore are all overrated. The places are too crowded, the wait is too long, and the food is over-priced for what you get. I can buy Kauai prawns from COSTCO for $10/lb. and do a better job of sauteing them in butter and garlic. The trick is not to overcook the shrimp. At Romy's, I found that their deep-fried shrimp was overcooked. Again, people should go just to say "I tried it" but I think it's overrated.

    (2)

  • Katherine C.

    We wanted to try out all the shrimp trucks in this area of North Shore. The wait at Romy's was extremely long! We waited for at least 25 minutes for two orders. The sign had said that it's not a fast food place and that it takes a long time because they want to make sure it was the best tasting. Uhmm... I think not! Not only did you make us wait for HELLA long, but the shrimp was a totally disappointment! We ordered the sweet and spicy shrimp and garlic prawns. So the sweet and spicy sauce on the shrimp tasted like it came out of one of those Vietnamese bottles that you can get at the grocery stores and was just dumped on some boiled shrimp. The prawns were the exact same size as the shrimp and again, it just looked like it was boiled and topped with some crunchy garlic. One star because the shrimps and prawns came with heads (which I like a lot) that had a lot of meat in it, and another star for the crunchy garlic. Sad thing is that I think I enjoyed eating the garlic with rice alone more than the shrimp itself. Save yourself the wait and disappointment, just drive a minute or two for Giovanni's!

    (2)

  • Smelly C.

    This red food stand is on the side of the highway. They keep their shrimp in ponds by the shack so they can serve you fresh shrimp. There's a line to order, tons of picnic tables on both sides of the shack to sprawl out, even a cleaning station with a sink and soap-- it gets messy peeling saucy shrimp. There's a sign to forewarn all that there's a wait. It's a wait in line to order but it's also a wait to receive them. They'll call your name and/or number. If you have a common name like John.. come up with something else to tell them because man, we were excited thinking it was our turn and it was a different guy with the same name with an order ready before ours. Boo! The shrimp was good.. It's like $12.75 a pop and they fill the styrofoam box with scoops of rice and shrimp.. I feel like I should have ordered more. We had an order of the garlic butter and the sweet and spicy between four of us. If only they'd lay off a scoop of rice and bestow more shrimp there instead.. I would love that. Truly, I wanted one of each plate lunch offered but that gets pretty expensive not to mention gluttonous. It just gives people a reason to return if not for the love of what you've already had. The North Shore is full of shrimp trucks and spots like this. And although it was good-- I want to see what others have. This spot is cash only.

    (4)

  • Shannon L.

    I wasn't a big fan of shrimp before coming to Romy's. But the garlic butter shrimp got me hooked. The shrimp are HUGE and very clean and yummy. I was one of the last people in our group of 11 to get my meal, and the first one done. Granted, it did take about 30 minutes to get my food, but the line was non-stop because it was lunch time, so that's understandable. It confused me a bit to see koi fish swimming around in a shrimp pond, but that was a fun way to pass my time. I'd say the downsides to this place is how far away it is, it's pretty expensive, and the restroom is a port-a-potty. But other than that, I really enjoyed my experience at Romy's. Definetly going to go back if I can.

    (5)

  • Mia G.

    This place will rape your wallet and is not worth it. We paid $40 and waited close to 45 minutes for our food. And you would think that paying $20 for each plate would at least entitle you to a free refill since they gave us the small cups while everyone got the large ones, but let me find out they actually cost $1! Only reason this place gets 2 stars from me is because the food was actually pretty good. Fresh shrimp, corn and salad. Rice sucked though. You're Asian! How dare you fuck up the rice!

    (2)

  • lani h.

    Giovanni has nothing on Romy's. Here's the breakdown: - Selection: @ Giovanni you can only get shrimp. @ Romy's you can pick shrimp, prawn or fish. And you can get shrimp/prawn cooked or raw (shashimi style?) - Quality: Romy's is a shrimp farm so it tasted fresher than the ones @ Giovanni. - Cooking method: @ Romy's, everything is cooked to order hence the long waiting time. @ Giovanni, it seemed that everything is pre-cooked. I got my order w/in 5 seconds. I'd rather wait for a perfectly cooked shrimp than ones that are overcooked (nothing is worst than that). - Sauce: it's a matter of personal preference. I prefer Romy's.

    (5)

  • Kymberli C.

    3.5 stars The line here is always super long. We waited about 10 minutes just in line before we got our shrimp. We wanted the prawns but they didn't have any the day we went :( We got the garlic shrimp, kuhuku corn and pani popo. The garlic shrimp was just okay, I think other places do it a lot better. The kuhuku corn wasn't as sweet as most places and was pretty bland. The pani popo, we got just to try since we've never seen it elsewhere. It is a hawaiian sweet roll covered in coconut milk. It is just exactly that and everyone just took a bite and that was that. I think this place is probably more hyped up for their prawns, and maybe I would come back just to try them.

    (3)

  • Nadia L.

    OMG anyone who knows me knows how much I absolutely ADORE shrimps and when I had a chance to try out Romy's after we tried Giovanni's I jumped at it. At Romy's we decided to order the garlic prawns instead of the regular shrimp when the lady told us that the prawns tended to be juicier than regular shrimps and closer to lobster (another piece of seafood I love). After we placed our order and got a small drink, it came out to approx $15 per person with a drink, eeh not bad...and preceeded to wait for our order. There is a sink right by the tables so I suggest washing your hands before you eat for you are guaranteed to get dirty and messy when you start on your shrimp plate. In terms of a bathroom, the only one I saw was a green porter potty but luckily it didn't smell like @$$, regardless, Giovanni's actual bathroom was better. Now back to the shrimp...When I got my prawn plate and smelled the aroma of fried garlic and saw the large prawns I was super happy. The prawns still had their heads on it so I got to get all the goodness out of those, then the meat on the prawns were definitely juicier and very flavorful. I devoured the plate in no time and now dream about those yummy prawns. I must thank my local friend for recommending Romy's to me for without him I probably would never have known. To me, Romy's is better just because of the prawns and the delicious garlic that topped the rice...ALSO when I don't have to wait forever just to order and get my plate...I am a happy girl ;)

    (5)

  • Jermel-Lynn Q.

    It was ok. I usually go to Macky's because it is closer to the local shave ice spots. the wait is crazy and so if I were you, i'd call the order in at least 30 minutes to your arrival. 808-232-2202. The only think that you get with your $12.75 order (price as of Sep 2010) is rice and shrimp. At other places that I have been, they give you other stuff with the plate. their cold pineapple with li-hing is good and their panipopo (samoan coconut bread) is ok. you get to see the shrimp/prawn farm right there though.

    (2)

  • Cathy D.

    During our search for the original 'Giovanni's Shrimp Truck', we decided to try out this spot because one of our friends said that they serve phat a$$ PRAWNS and since we figured it was on the way anyway to Giovanni's. Based on appearance this is probably one of the cleanest and largest shrimp truck venues with two big large awnings and lovely red benches picnic tables that can accomodate large crowds. We soon learned that the Giovanni's shrimp truck (normally just down the road) was not operating that day due to maintenance which is why there was such a big crowd here. I WAS SO BUMMED ABOUT MISSING OUT ON GIOVANNI'S but still had hopes for this place. Unfortunately by the time we got there that day, they ran out of the big phattie prawns....already a little bit of a let down. Nonetheless we gave this a place shot and ordered 3 shrimp plates to share among 4 people. We had the garlic shrimp, the sweet and spicy shrimp, and the shrimp egg rolls. Each plate came with two scoops of rice and 9 shrimp. - I really did not like the sweet and spicy shrimp.... so definitely stay away from this one. The sauce tasted weird and messed up this whole plate. After 1 shrimp from this I plate, I gave away the rest of my shrimp. - The fried shrimp egg rolls were good fried yumminess but nothing that special since I know where to order these back home. - The garlic shrimp was definitely the best place of the three. I would only come back for this plate.....The garlic is fried until crispy which makes for a crsipy yummy taste. Some people complained about not tasting the garlic as much in comparing other trucks...but I still liked it. Since we did have Macky's earlier in the day, we definitely all like Macky's a bit better. I'd also like to come back to try their humugus prawns. They also have two sinks to wash off after a messy meal and a porto potty for the public use. One other big plus is when you are dining, outdoors under the shade a cool breeze comes from their shrimp ponds and makes for a more enjoyable atmosphere. I assume this is where they raise shrimp and I am assuming where they get their shrimp daily. For some reason, the shrimp still didn't taste that fresh which is one of the main reason I'm giving this place only 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Adam R.

    YUM. I didn't get any recommendations from my friends about which shrimp truck to eat at, so I just picked this one. AND this is the only truck I've tried so far. I'll go out on a limb and say it was great, cause it was. I wish Stockton's taco trucks had shrimp like this! On second thought, maybe not. It probably wouldn't be the same.The "shrimp ponds" the truck pulls the shrimp from would be from the nasty Delta.

    (4)

  • keith y.

    We traveled a few years ago to Romy's after seeing a show on the food channel about HI shrimp shacks. We drove around the island and this was the first but not last shack that we visited that day. The food is really really good, I still think about it. Think we ordered the langostinos?? She said they're larger than other shrimp. Uploaded some pics, the food is messy to eat but great. The shack/restaurant is located on a shrimp farm so I'm assuming they get their ingredients there, very fresh. So we drove around and came across another shrimp shack that was actually on the food or travel channel. Ordered another plate of garlic/spicy shrimp to compare and it was really disappointing, go to Romy's.

    (5)

  • Jen S.

    When my brother and I drove around the island back in 2005, I don't remember the shrimp shacks/trucks being around there....perhaps, I just didn't pay close enough attention....-_- but I was excited to try one of the shrimp. My brother said that all of them are pretty much the same but one my brother's friends said that the red shack was the best. We stopped off at Romy's at 2 p.m. and it was still pretty packed. Not so much of a long line but a LONG wait. You can't miss Romy's because 1, it's a literally, a red shack. There's tables off to the side. Their shrimps are huge. My brother, grandma, and I shared two plates of butter and garlic shrimp and sweet and spicy shrimp. Whoa Mama! These shrimps are friggin' humongous for being farm raised! I wished I had gotten the shrimps with the heads b/c I usually like sucking the juice from the head. Don't judge cuz you know you do it too! And don't be so prim and proper eating shrimp with a fork. My brother eats the whole shrimp, shell, tail, and all but if you're hoping to get the shell off with a fork, don't count on it! Get down in there and rip it off with your fingers! Don't worry about being messy because there's a sink with lots of soap and water to wash off the garlic, butter, and other juices you've accumulated on your hands. It's an experience you'll surely remember!

    (5)

  • Kristen C.

    My friend said this place would be better than giovanni's, but the plate she ordered for us couldn't compare. I think she had meant to order her old favorite, but the menu had changed so drastically since she'd been back, that instead of finding the spicy shrimp, she could only see the sweet & spicy. It was decent, but it would have been better if it was just spicy. The sweetness of it was just a little too much. I'm willing to give it another try, but I definitely will only order the garlic butter next time!

    (3)

  • First Name L.

    Romy's blows away every other shrimp truck on the island. Do yourself a favor and skip Giovanni's, they don't come close to Romy's. The butter and garlic shrimp is awesome. Prices have inched up to $13 a plate but it's a must stop for us every time we go to North Shore. We've even driven to North Shore just to eat at Romy's. The shrimp is fresh, not frozen, very large shrimp BTW. Butter and garlic... yummm! Expect to wait 5-10 minutes to order and 10-15 minutes to get your food. Well worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Michou N.

    I love Giovanni's for their garlic shrimp, but I always come to Romy's for the spicy garlic prawns. The prawns are big, juicy, and deliciously garlic-y. I also always get the li-hing pineapple, so delish! Although the food is really good, the service is slow and it's not the cleanest place to eat. However. they've opened up a bigger (and cleaner) seating area. The prawns are so good though, I'd recommend taking them to go!

    (4)

  • R O.

    Comparing to Giovanni's------- Romy's shrimps come off as better quality. I noticed Romy's cooks the shrimp better, meaning not overcooked. So more tender and crisp product. Flavor wise Romy's is also milder on the taste side and milder does not mean bad. There is a wait for your food. On the other hand nothing wrong with Gio's. They have more aggressive flavors and a slightly more well done product. Romy's for a better quality and cooked product. Gio's for better flavor. Try em both, you can't go wrong

    (4)

  • Los H.

    Pretty effin' badass shimp (I'm just not much of a prawn person). That being said, the garlic butter sautéd prawns are deeeeelectable! When it gets busy wait gets longer, of course, but Romy's definitely good for what can get to a 30 minute wait.

    (4)

  • Teresa P.

    Best shrimp shack in Hawaii! The staff is wonderful and the picnic style seating by shrimp ponds makes for a great, relaxed lunch. Besides the garlic butter shrimp, the fried sun fish is phenomenal (check if it's available as they run out). Can't wait to go back. Beats Giovanni's any day and is the real deal!

    (5)

  • Lynn K.

    This is one of the gems of the shrimp trucks. We were there this Fourth of July and it was so crowded we had to come back the next day. We went early the next day right before the dinner crowd. We still had to wait for our meal which is fine because it is prepared fresh. We got the shrimp and the scoops of rice. The rice was nothing to talk about but the shrimp was the best I have ever tasted. They came with their heads still on. I had to take a pix of that. We selected several sauces but the garlic sauce and the hot and spicy were our favs. You have to pay with cash but they have an ATM there.

    (5)

  • Rose V.

    Romys never disappoints me! I have been coming here for the past 7 years and everytime I visit Oahu I have to take a trip to to Kahuku for some Romys! Garlic butter prawns and shrimp are the way to go. Cash only and their ATM can be out of order, so prepare accordingly ppl!

    (5)

  • Chelsey V.

    I never go a Christmas break without stopping by Romy's. Even though it is pricey ($14 a plate-get a stamp card because you will go back guarantee) and they greet you with "are you okay with a 30-45 minute wait?" you cannot beat the taste and quality. Always a winning addition to a trip along the North Shore.

    (5)

  • Jessica L.

    Why did I betray Giovanni's to go to Romy's? WHYY???? I was highly disappointed that they give you less than a dozen shrimp (I got 9) for almost the same price at Giovanni's. The shell isn't cut as much so it makes it harder to peel. I tried the Sweet and Spicy shrimp...which was basically shrimp covered in lumpia sauce (Asians, you know that sauce!). Not impressed. The boyfriend tried the fried sun fish at $14.95/lb. You get to choose what size fish you want...small, medium, large? It's fried so you can't really go wrong there. But $2.50 for a small cup of soda?? UGh...maybe the garlic and butter shrimp is better? Maybe.... One good thing about this place: sinks to wash your hands. I appreciate that. Other than that, there are no reasons for me to come back here. I left disappointed and still hungry. Tip: keep driving and just hit up Giovanni's. Enough said.

    (2)

  • Omar S.

    We stopped by on a saturday afternoon and it wasn't too crowded. There were 4 of us and we each tried something different. Biggest choice you have to make is prawns or shrimp and I didn't even know there was a difference. When I asked what the difference was I was told the prawns are larger and taste like lobster. Well some of the prawns are down right huge! Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong here. All the items on the menu are great. When you are done eating, there is an outdoor sink and soap which makes cleanup a snap. I'm going to have to go back in a few days :-). BTW, bring cash, they don't take credit cards. Each "plate" runs about $13 for the prawn option.

    (4)

  • Todd S.

    We heard about Romy's from one of the front desk agents at the Royal Hawaiian, and when the bartender at the Mai Tai Bar also recommended hitting up one of the shrimp shacks while we were on the island, we decided to do it. They cook everything to order, so the wait is a little on the long side, but still worth it. I read another review where they had to wait over an hour, which I'm not sure it is worth that long of a wait! We ordered a plate of the sweet & spicy shrimp (extra spicey) and a plate of the sweet & spicy prawns (mild). Both were good. If you don't mind peel and eat shrimp, then I recommend Romy's!

    (4)

  • Olivia D.

    My mother went through a period two years ago where she was obsessed with one food item at a time for months at a time. At one point, it was nacho cheese Doritos. I'd go over to her house, open the door, and trip over giant Costco-sized bags of Doritos. On the couch would be my mother, all 5 feet and 97 pounds of her, working her way through yet another bag. It was disturbing. I was very relieved when she turned her attention to the North Shore shrimp shacks. This was an endeavor I could join her in. Plus, I could force her to rip all the heads off and eat them for me! Romy's turned out to be my mom's favorite shrimp shack. It's a family-run farm--the only shack that harvests it's own shrimp from their ponds on the premises. I think plates cost about $12. You get a mass of steaming hot shrimp on a bed of rice. I liked the scampi style; it had loads of garlic. The sweet and spicy was good, but it was very sweet and not very spicy. Best of all, they gave me the option to have the shrimp beheaded before it goes on your plate!

    (4)

  • B W.

    Great garlic shrimp. Long wait. Update. Prices have gone up a lot 20$ for a combo.

    (3)

  • Nia I.

    OMG! best garlic shrimp. EVER! I'm drooling just to think about it now. Definitely will come back here again if I visit Hawaii. Sweet jumbo shrimp with delicious butter garlic sauce. Worth to try even tho the line pretty long.

    (5)

  • Ferdz G.

    Giovanni's shrimp truck gives you more shrimp (12 pieces) for the same price you pay at Romy's (8 pieces) for the scampi or garlic-butter plate. Soda is much more expensive at Romy's as well. These 2 trucks are less than a mile apart so I would go to Giovanni's.

    (1)

  • Joyhan S.

    Yummy food! Messy hands afterwards ....

    (4)

  • Joey L.

    O Romy, Romy, wherefore art thou Romy? Romy's Kahuku Prawn is the BEST place to get the freshest Prawns in all of Oahu. The Seafood are fresh since they harvest their own Prawns and Shrimp daily. So Fresh and So Clean CLEAN! I usually get the 1lb Steam Prawn w/ the Butter and Garlic dipping sauce for about $17. In the words of Usher, "O M G, Baby let me LOVE you down, There's so many ways I want to EAT ya!" The Prawns are Large, Succulent and Savory. At Romy's, you'll spot a small sign in the window that says, "This is not fast food; it is good food, as fast as we can make it." Remember to RELAX and enjoy the weather and sights. Your food will come EVENTUALLY and it is worth the wait! So I usually kill 2 birds with one stone when I'm out towards the Northshore...Romy's for the Prawns and Giovanni's for the Shrimp since they are practically next to each other.

    (5)

  • Jamie T.

    We usually go to Giovanni's but decided to try another shrimp shack to compare. Romy's did not even come close! To start with, we stood in a line that barely moved for 45 minutes and swatted huge flies the entire time. When we finally got towards the front, I took a look at the menu -- $12.75/plate...okay, that's on par with G's. But $0.20 for an extra plate? $0.50 for a lemon wedge? $0.25 for sauce? I felt like I was being nickeled and dimed. We skipped the $2.50 soda (brought our own cooler) and ordered the butter garlic shrimp (plate #1). We were told it would be a 20-30 minute wait for our food. !@#!@# I understand that this is not a fast food joint (as is explained on a sign by the window, no doubt because people get anxious waiting so long), but I thought the wait was ridiculous. We came this || close to leaving before we even ordered because it was taking so long. It's not like there aren't other shrimp trucks just down the street. When we finally got our shrimp, we inhaled it...mostly because we were so hungry after the 1 hr drive + 45 min wait in line + 20 min wait for food. It was not as buttery or garlic-y as G's, but I did like that the shrimps still had the heads on so I could suck the juice out. The one plus Romy's has over Giovanni's is the stamp card. When you get 10 stamps, you get 1 plate free. However, not sure if I'll be back to fill it up. I prefer the taste of Giovanni's...which is where we went right after to get our fix...

    (2)

  • Erika C.

    Kahuku shrimp was the one and only thing i was dreaming about eating.... SHRIMP SHRIMP SHRIMP.... YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Big. Juicy. Succulent. Garlicky. nuf said. =)

    (4)

  • Shea H.

    So disappointing. Was recommended by a friend. Got so grossed out by the taste and appearance of the food I couldn't even force myself to eat the rest of it after a few bites. For what they charge you would think they would make more an effort to clean and split the shrimp better making it easier to peel. Definitely not returning.

    (1)

  • M.J. L.

    Long long loooooooong drive! Great place to take the visitors from the mainland or when you feel like driving an hour just to eat shrimp =P! Sometimes you'll wait 45 minutes to get your order so we recommend getting the pineapple with li-hing mui as an "appetizer" while you wait! one pound shrimp with garlic sauce is yummy! We've never tried the prawns there but those suckers are HUGE!!!! And bring lots of cash! No CC accepted

    (4)

  • Ben F.

    Heading up to the North Shore practically requires you to stop at one of the shrimp stops. We passed by a couple before settling for Romy's. I ordered the #2, sweet and spicy shrimp. They give you an option of mild, spicy, or extra spicy, i decided to go for the spicy. My friends got a #1, Garlic and Butter, and the 1 and 1/2 lb. Sun fish plate. I think my plate was probably the least flavorful one. On the one hand it was good but i sampled the other two dishes that my friends had and it tasted better than mine. Suffice it to say next time i come to Romy's i'm getting the Sun fish plate because that was really flavorful and fried just right. Had i ordered one of their plates i would have given them four stars but ohh well, next time.

    (3)

  • Jojo L.

    The first time knowing the difference in terms of the taste between shrimp and prawns. Their signature garlic prawns were delicious. But I consider it as a one time off thing. It located in the mid of nowhere, so bascially I would say, you should defn try it if you are around that area. Otherwise not to worry, you wont miss that much anyways. :0

    (4)

  • Jay M.

    Your food is fresh! Literally alive then cooked for you! It doesn't get any fresher than that! Definitely a place to go to when in hawaii. Its so freaking good! I wish we had one here!

    (4)

  • Claire M.

    Mmmmmmm..... $13 for a giant plate of shrimp and rice that easily feeds two. The peel-and-eat shrimp is drowning in garlic and butter, and I wanted to jump right in and rub myself in its tasty goodness. Your hands will get dirty...your face will be covered with butter...and it will be so worth it. We went on a Friday afternoon around 4:30 -- no wait, and only five or six minutes for our food to come out. Eating at senior citizen hours is the best!

    (5)

  • Jennifer W.

    So I heard all the hype, and one thing I HATE is being let down by snotty businesses that have let all the popularity go to their heads. This is not one of those places! We were actually on our way to the famous Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, but family that we were staying with in Hawaii HIGHLY recommended this place. We could tell it was so popular that the lines on Labor day was more than 1 hour long. Anyway, needless to say, we came on another day due to time constraints. First off, even with such a super short line on a Wednesday afternoon, it was still quite a wait. But I like the sign they put up "This is not fast food, it's good food." Ha! That was a good one. We still waited about a good 15-20 minutes to come out and it was DELICIOUS. FRESH, and GARLICKY and YUMMY. My boyfriend and I were trying to compare it to Giovanni's. I'd say, the overall package is better than Giovanni's because I personally like that they offer brown rice, and that they put MASSIVE amounts of garlic on top of the rice. Their sauce is also really good with the prawns/shrimp. However, Giovanni's shrimp is better on it's own (sorry Romy's) - they're flavored well so that they don't need sauce. Also, I liked Romy's in that they had a little sink off to the side for you to wash your hands afterwards. That's kind of nice!

    (5)

  • Jenn L.

    It was an interesting experience to have steamed shrimp off the highway... but it was quite pricey for what we got and the garlic butter sauce looked a scary orange color that I'm pretty sure it was fake butter? either way... it was my first and last experience. If I really wanted to do this again, I'd just do it at home.

    (2)

  • Lucy C.

    Romy's is OK. Other shrimp trucks have more of a selection. The people were not the friendliest - they rushed you through when you're trying to order. There are so many flies in the eating area, pretty gross. No soap to wash your hands with. The shrimp are large but not as flavorful as what you can find elsewhere. Overall, I'd recommend skipping this one and hitting up one of the other shrimp trucks nearby... If you must go here... try the number 2 sweet and spicy. That sauce on that one is really good! Makes up for the flavorles shrimp.

    (3)

  • John B.

    Our hotel concierge recommended this place. Very impressed. We ordered steamed prawns and the fried shrimp wrapped like lumpia. I can only rate the prawns as I ate the shrimp about an hour after I got it (got the food to go). At that point the shrimp was cold but ok. However,... The prawns, even after a bit of a drive, were outstanding. So flavorful. And that's without sauces. I can't compare to the others nearby because it's the only one I went to. But it's a safe recommendation.

    (5)

  • San F.

    I came here right after a trip to boiling crab in the South bay..so the taste of garlic-licious shrimp was pretty fresh to my palette. OOHHMMYY this was good...so much better than what I ever had. The prawns are huge and super juicy..with rice..I could eat this all the time. You are able to see behind the scenes where they farm the shrimp which was semi cool but kind of a turn off for me..I don't like meet and greets with the food I eat. This was the last stop of our north shore food excursion..so I couldn't finish my entire meal..although I easily could if I didn't overly stuff myself with Zippy's just 2 hours prior. This is a must try!!

    (4)

  • Yuko K.

    What made Romy's more special above Macky's, Fumi's or Giovanni's for me was smokey, charred bits of garlic. Also, I liked that shrimp come with heads to suck that tasty shrimpy/garlic juice. I still would take Fumi's because I prefer saucier, buttery garlic shrimp over rice. Also, I was annoyed that their "sweet & spicy" sauce I paid extra is a cup of gooey sweet sauce that you get at Asian grocery store ( suspecting Mae Ploy), hence taking out one star.

    (4)

  • Ed P.

    North Shore shrimp shacks? They are about a dime a dozen. But if you want fresh, delicious, and ONO prawns and shrimp - Romy's is your destination! What sets this apart from other shrimp shacks, especially the likes of Giovanni's? Well, for one - the price. One lunch plate will cost you around ~$12 and is enough to feed a couple! It comes with two scoops rice, and your choice of either shrimp or prawns. What makes this tops? They leave the heads intact! Suck the juice (i.e. garlic, butter, sweets & sours, etc...) out of the heads and its OHSOGOOD! Trust me! And if that ain't enough, you have a choice in dipping sauces. Good food always takes time. Anything good actually. And you should live by that mantra when you are in Hawaii. With that being said, don't expect to be served at lightning speed. But fret not, its not that slow. You'll get your food. And when you do, you will thank me when you are sucking on that juicy shrimp head, dining outside...in paraiso.

    (5)

  • Linh T.

    OMG!! This place is DELICIOUS! and i mean delicious! Came here after hearing from a local that it's a must try. Originally I wanted to try Giovanni's but was told that this place was better, although i haven't tried Giovanni's and can't say if its better than Romy's or not but i will say that Romy's is spectacular and now one of my favorite places! Came here on Christmas day and i thought the line was already long but after we placed our order saw that there was a line all the way to the road. The menu was simple which made it easy for us to make up our minds quickly on what to order. I ordered myself Garlic and Butter Sauteed prawns that came with a spicy soy sauce for dipping and brown rice, my bf ordered steamed shrimp with sweet and sour sauce for dipping and another sauce but i forgot what it was and a side salad. The entire cost was approximately $21-$23. We waited about 17 minutes before our number was called to pick up our food but you can call in ahead and place and order. Garlic and Butter Sauteed Prawns - had fried garlic scattered all over the top of the plate and it was salty enough and there was really no need for dipping sauces unless you like extra flavor. The sauteed of fried garlic or however they prepared it was so good my bf enjoyed eating that and rice alone. Recommended for garlic lovers. Steamed Shrimp - was fresh, sweet, juicy and flavorful which went perfectly well with just lemon and once again was really no need for extra dipping sauces. These are no dinky shrimps/prawns either they were full and fat and I'm sure its because they have there own shrimp farm. A must try if you're in N. Shore!

    (4)

  • Samantha Marie W.

    this place is absolutely delicious! the wait was pretty long but like their sign says "it's not FAST food, it's GOOD FOOD" and I believe it was totally worth the wait. got their butter garlic sauteed shrimp plate & my mom got the fish plate. (i forgot what it was called) but it was all very yummy. would definitely go again or try to replicate at home :P

    (5)

  • Keri F.

    I lived in Kahuku, and graduated from Kahuku High School, but had never tried any of the shrimp trucks! So when I had to go to O'ahu for my grandfather's funeral, my fiance and I made it a point to try one of the shrimp trucks. I was thinking of going to the Giovanni's truck, since they were the original, but a family member reccomended Romy's, so we went there instead. The prices, to me, was outrageous, considering they dont even have to transport their shrimp and prawns! My fiance and I both ordered the sauteed prawns with butter and garlic, and two drinks. Which came out to over 30 bucks! We waited forever, and they treat you kind of like school children while you are there, the way they make you stand in line, and get refills from the receiving counter. And the wait was for FOREVER. The drinks were so tiny, and the refills were 2 bucks a piece, and it was guaranteed you would need a refill because the wait for the food was about a half an hour long, and Kahuku is HOT! It was only about maybe 5 or 6 prawns on each plate, which was covered in some seriously burnt garlic. I am Hawaiian, and I felt like I was in a tourist trap. I really wouldnt eat there again, because it was rediculously expensive, and the food wasnt really that good. Maybe because on the Big Island we can go to the river and catch our own prawns, and for sure cook them better ourselves. All in all though the best part of this experience was being able to eat your prawns, right on the prawn farm, and it made for cool pictures to take home. Push come to shove, good food is more important than atmosphere, so next time, we'll try Giovanni's and hopefully, the food is better.

    (2)

  • Raquel U.

    My first shrimp shack experience in Hawaii and like my shave ice experience, I'm thankful that I came here before Giovanni's. My take is that Giovanni's is to shrimp trucks as Matsumoto's is to shave ice - overrated. I ordered the garlic shrimp and li hing mui pineapple. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the shrimp. After waiting a bit for them to cook, the order was finally up and I could begin my shrimp peeling process. Some people may choose to peel as they go but I didn't want to bothered with stopping and peeling. I peeled every last shrimp and while it was torture not to be able to devour immediately, I was glad to be done with it and just eat, eat, eat. Holy crap, it was worth the wait. The combination of the rice and garlic and butter and shrimp was so freakin' good. It was tons of food but I felt like I had to finish it all just because. Then to top it all off, I had the li hing mui pineapple to enjoy for dessert. My mouth is watering. Besides the food, I like how they have plenty of covered picnic tables and sinks to wash your hands. I appreciate how they actually put thought into the comfort and cleanliness of their patrons.

    (5)

  • Diana Y.

    NOM NOM for reals. This was the first shrimp truck place I tried but I'm a fan. Ordered the garlic butter prawns with rice; definitely not very big considering the price and if you're starving but I think it's worth a try. We got about 7 prawns but they're big so I guess that's a good thing. The taste was DELICIOUS! Very fresh and flavorful. The rice was a good pairing too with it. We were lucky and got there right before a big crowd did so we only had to wait about 5-10 minutes for our order to be ready. I can definitely see why shrimp trucks have the appeal that they do. In fact, my bf and I thought it was so delicious we drove down the street to try another shrimp truck right after we finished eating at this one. Yes, we had a lot of time on our hands.

    (4)

  • Diana N.

    Romy's Prawns and Shrimp are delicious!! After a long day of wandering along the beaches of the North Shore, hop on a bus or into your car and drive up Kamehameha to find the "red building" that is Romy's shack. I recommend the prawns -- they are slightly chewier than the shrimp, but more flavorful. I got the sweet and sour prawns with white rice and also a side of corn on the cob. YUM. One of my friends got the butter garlic prawns and my other friend got the fresh shrimp steamed (1 lb.) -- it was all very delicious. We told everyone to look for the red shrimp shack. So fresh and so good.

    (4)

  • mike n.

    If i could give this place no stars i would. I ordered the shrimp, i got prawns. full body, no head and not even split down the back or de-veined. NASTY! I ordered the sweet and spicy sauce, no flavor at on the "prawns" it smelled like nothing good and tasted like card board. wifey and i got two different plates, had three bites, threw it out and went to Giovanni's. It's only .5 miles down the road and it was 100 times better. I hate to waste food to so for me to throw food away is huge. Don't even bother, just drive .5 miles further and have the best shrimp!

    (1)

  • eshwar k.

    100% for sure the best shrimp plates on Oahu. I used to make the 1.25 hour drive from town every Tuesday on my day off for dinner, grab um then drive over to Sunset Beach and eat in paradise...then drive back to town (punishing). I've tried all shrimp trucks on isle. Many times. As long as you stick to plate #1, you can do no better. BTW, GET READY TO USE YOUR HANDS-- have to get dirty, but there is a good sink/soap to clean up real good afterwards. Don't miss the corn when available, and the pineapple is great too. oh yeah, if sticking around to eat at the picnic tables, bring some sort of bug spray because there are flies (that's why i drove elsewhere to eat), and there may be a cat or two can't blame 'em.

    (5)

  • Kym H.

    We were told that if we go to North Shore we MUST visit the shrimp / prawn trucks. There was 4 major ones on the route and we decided to go to Romy's for the Prawns. It was great! They are HUGE and is sold by the pound. They have different dipping sauce but my favorite has to be the butter garlic. If you are going there you have to try out the shrimp trucks and taste for yourself. It was sweet and fresh! I just loved it! Just be prepared and bring extra wet naps in case their water line breaks (which happened to us while we were there).

    (5)

  • Angel D.

    The drive out to Kahuku is so worth it for Romy's. But if you go, GO EARLY. When we got there, there was no line when we went to order, which was a good thing because the line can get pretty long. We waited about half an hour for our food, and thats when the line started growing. Got a good amount of shrimp for a decent price.

    (4)

  • Pedantic S.

    Awesome garlic shrimp - one of the best shacks around! Try their natural ice creams afterwards - yumm yumm yumm - we sampled the mango and coconut and they were amazing!

    (5)

  • Bailey Z.

    Romy's shrimp shack would probably make Forrest Gump himself ashamed that he ever went into the shrimping business. Deliciousness. They even have their own shrimp farming pond. One of the only reasons we rented a car in Hawaii was to drive all the way out to the middle of nowhere to try the shrimp. And the shrimp were huge, but too bad when we got there, they didn't have any prawns ready. We saw the prawns later and they were the size of a small lobster. Also do not wear anything nice because it is quite windy out there on the North shore and it will get messy with all the dipping sauces. They don't really have sinks or anything so you only have a watering hose to rinse off your hands after you're done. But why would you? Just savor the shrimp and garlic juices off your fingers.

    (5)

  • Tim C.

    Best prawns I ever ate... They have a shrimp farm on-site, so the prawns and shrimp tasted very fresh. I arrived just after 10:30am on a Tuesday and they had sold out of prawns and shrimp before I left. Not sure what they do then, since prawns and shrimp are the main attraction... Perhaps they have to get someone to go out to their ponds and pull out some more. When theynsell out that fast, you know it has to taste great.

    (5)

  • Trish G.

    This is a bomb-a$$ place to eat prawns and shrimps. My auntie and dem made reservations on Mother's Day during our visit from the mainland. There was a hella long line, but my other relatives were lucky enough to arrive before us and save us a table. While we were waiting for our order, my cousins and I helped our relatives prepare the "picnic area" (which really is a picnic area w/ benches on both sides of the restaurant.) You can bring your own drinks and other foods/desserts and amenities to this place that can go along w/ your shrimps. OMG! The sunfish was so crispy and on the outside and tender on the inside! The two trays of garlic butter shrimp was so good! Who cares if your hands are greasy..these shrimps were pure heaven! And gosh were these things fresh! Even though the wait was long..you can watch the chef catch the shrimps from the tanks and put them straight into the pot. How fresh can you get!! I'm unsure about how much the shrimp trays cost since my auntie's sister owns the place..so check the web on that info! But for all locals and visitors to Oahu..forget the other shrimp joints along that road...Romy's place is it!!

    (5)

  • Scott L.

    What says Hawaii more than a shrimp truck? I like underdogs, so I'd recommend trying Romy's. Might be a bit more per shrimp than Giovanni's... If you have time on North Shore, I'd recommend trying the main ones (Giovanni's, Fumi's and Romy's) and see which you like better. Same strategy if you're in Austin, TX and are open to a drive out to Lockhart! This is east of Turtle Bay...

    (4)

  • Jessica H.

    Heaven on a plate! Back in 2005, now hubby (NH) and I took a trip out to Hawaii. After reading about the famous shrimp trucks of the North Shore, we decided we had to try them. I asked one of my local friends which one to go to and she suggested Romy's. So glad she did! We shared one order of the hot and spicy and one order of the scampi. The prawns were HUGE and so amazingly good! look at the picture in my profile and I dare you not to drool... They have their own pond where they harvest shrimp and prawns, so you know they're fresh. I've been trying to recreate the recipe at home, but nothing will be as good. Man, I want some for lunch...

    (5)

  • ted c.

    I was impressed to see a shrimp farm back of the red shack, and it was down hill from there. I arrived at 3 pm, an ordered 1 lb of steamed shrimp. As you may already know, crustaceans must be well chilled or it will perish rapidly... and this place does not know how to keep their seafood fresh. I had some really, really bad shrimp. Other people there agreed with me, they were equally disgusted. Honestly, they are way over priced (i.e. $2.50 for 12 oz of coke with ice) and I felt sick afterwards. And I also ordered the bun with the coconut glaze (also $2.50)... and the homemade bread tasted like it was day old!! Tip: go to another shrimp truck.

    (1)

  • Mike R.

    Incredibly delicious!!! I got the #1 with shrimp and it was totally worth the wait...

    (5)

  • Linda W.

    What can I say about Romys?! It makes my tastes buds dance! It was my first time in Honolulu and my friend Jay, who's a local, took me and some friends up to North Shore. He told me we HAD to try this shrimp shake and it was all that and some more. This place only takes cash! Jay and I got the garlic shrimp with brown rice plates. He told me not to get the prawns because they were huge and the smaller shrimps have more flavor. Indeed it did!! The garlic was simi burnt but in a good way. It kinda of reminds me of the shrimp at Crabzone in Stockton but less liquid and it's better. It's kinda pricey. It ran around $11-$15 a plate. I will be back next time for sure!

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    We were out on that side of the island, right by Giovanni's. But another friend has been talking about another place that's pretty good. So we asked the family we visited, and they said it must be Romy's if not G's. So stopped by, and there was a decent line. I like the variations over G's. I had the garlic prawns, and my gf has some sweet /chili shrimps. My gf liked that sweet sauce, I wasn't a fan of their garlic. It seemed like they had 3 people working, counter/cashier, cook +1 other guy - not sure if he was a cook or just overall help. But peeking in, it seemed like they were only cooking 1 dish at a time. I doubt that's right, but at G's they have like a ton of burners going. Then again, it's easy for them to do that when their menu is boring/bland. Will probably return to try the sun fish / raw shrimp. hopefully a better experience

    (3)

  • Huy H.

    The prawns are big and good but nothing special. Don't listen to the hype. If you drive around the island, then stop by but don' t just drive there to taste their food.

    (4)

  • La L.

    Our New York manny wanted to try Giovanni's today so we humored him and bought one order of garlic shrimp from Giovanni's and then headed to Romy's for a head-to-head competition. My husband and I ate separately but came to the same conclusions: the hands down winner was Romy's. Giovanni's is more garlicky (which could be a preference for some) and the shrimp tastes like it was frozen. Romy's garlic butter sauce is tastier and the shrimp are fresh. Our manny is a Romy's believer now, too. Romy's now serves brown rice for all you brown rice fans.

    (5)

  • K K.

    I've always liked Giovanni's until my ex-bf & his friends decided to eat shrimp one day. I didn't wnat to try it at first but I was told that it was better then the rest. Now when eveeryone says let's go eat shrimp in Kahuku, I tell them that Romy's is the best. :) I like the sauce that it comes with & all the garlic that they put. When it gets busy, it can take longer than usual. But I do LOVE this place very much & I haven't had it for a while. Looks like I'm headed there soon with a group of friends :)

    (5)

  • Scott M.

    $13 bucks for two small scoops of rice and a handful and a half of unpeeled shrimp. I should have ignored the tourists and gone with the locals to a truck instead of this finer dining shrimp shack experience. The lowdown: Romy's garlic shrimp are tasty. Their sweet and sour shrimp are fishy. And then there's the peeling.... I'm not a food snob but the last thing I want to do when paying for food is spend 15 minutes yanking off heads and ripping out guts, tiny shrimp feet exploding all over my shorts. With about 25 or more similar trucks parked all over Oahu's north side next time I'm trying somewhere different than Romy's.

    (2)

  • Moritz H.

    Disappointing dishes. The sweet and sour shrimp was way overcooked. The shrimp were a spongy mess. The garlic shrimp were ok but also overcooked. All that after waiting for 45 minutes to get the food after ordering. You might have better luck not going during peak time...

    (2)

  • Jonny Bobby G.

    So word on the street is that Romy's is the it place for Kahuku shrimp. I hit the place up literally minutes after stuffing my face at Fumi's Shrimp Truck (a little further up from Romy's) and must say I wasn't as impressed. It was definitely more packed and everything seemed to be slightly more expensive. Maybe I was just imagining that part. Regardless, we ordered 2 lbs. (yeah, we're pigs) of the big headed shrimp. They were good but a little lacking in flavor. While I wasn't wow'ed of the bat, I'm definitely going to do the shrimp tour down Kamahameha again and stop by both these places.

    (3)

  • Derek N.

    Shrimp was only so-so (much like the other shrimp trucks on the island). The wait is considerably better than Giovanni's Shrimp (40 min wait for me) and on par with Fumi's (no way but then again I didn't even stop). I think all the reviews sound the same (either you like it or you don't) but I didn't think there was much value (wait vs cost vs how the shrimp tasted). I think this shrimp restaurant is better than Giovanni's because they have a running sink in the dining area and an actual bathroom for patrons to use. Oh yeah, you can buy corn on the cob here too which was unique (1 for $3 or 2 for $5).

    (2)

  • Dijon Y.

    For 12.95 its a ripoff just like the other shrimp shacks on the north shore. Had to wait maybe 30 minutes it seemed to get some generic shrimp plate which doesn't make sense as that's all they sell and shrimp cooks pretty quickly. Got the spicy and sweet sauce shrimp. It tasted fresh but the shrimp isnt as large as expected and not quite as flavorful as everyone raves about. Its good but I can make better shrimp or prawns at home using fresh frozen shrimp with garlic and butter really. I guess its convenient as there's not that many places to eat right off the road on the north shore. Not worth the wait or price. Shrimp is damn easy and quick to cook. I can make better shrimp than this with just garlic, butter, salt, pepper, maybe some cayenne pepper. I'm giving all these shrimp shacks 2 stars, starting with Romy's since I haven't tried and have no desire to try the others.

    (2)

  • Aj P.

    Ya know, all these shrimp shacks are more or less the same. Yes, they have their own ponds, but I'm not sure it translates into quality. Across the board, I've found that all these places overcook the shrimp, use so-so quality rice, and live on the hype of a garlic infused oil. You get a choice between shrimp and prawns, technically the same thing, but here shrimp are salt water and prawns are fresh water. Maybe the prawns are a little bigger, head on, but they basically taste the same. There isn't too much else on the North Shore, so if you want your shrimp shack experience, this is as good as anywhere. Upside about Romy's is that they have plenty of tables in the shade.

    (3)

  • Justin A.

    Apparently they get a ton of phone orders. We got there early in the day (around 11) and we had to wait 40 minutes for food. It was pretty pricey. $18 for their garlic shrimp combo. Also, they serve the shrimp with heads on and only about half of them were deveined. We ended up only eating half and it was not good. Lots of other options for shrimp trucks, Try them. We will not be going back.

    (1)

  • Remeca A.

    This place vs. Giovannis' I like much better. More shrimp and more flavor for sure. The wait gotta go tho and so do the high a** prices! Man its too overpriced and I actually found a way to make them from home and $13 per plate is a rip-off! But not really compared to real seafood restaurants but man its still a rip off. haha But food was real good, I had the infamous garlic shrimp plate.

    (4)

  • Erica T.

    I had heard about Romy's from family in Hawaii for years and just had my first opportunity to eat there. Simply put, it was awesome. Next time we are on Oahu, we'll go there for sure.

    (5)

  • Jim S.

    WOW- can you say fresh! We shared a number 1 and was outa this world ONO!

    (5)

  • Christine T.

    Love Romy's! Best shrimp shack in Oahu! The garlic shrimp is a must try! The flavor profile is amazing. They put plenty of sauce on the shrimp and over it. The sauce drips onto the rice and it tastes amazing! The 20 minute wait is so worth it!

    (5)

  • James R.

    Been to Romy's a few times and have enjoyed the food each time. I prefer the butter garlic shrimp but can't complain about the sweet and spicy. Not the biggest fan of prawns but will oblige when they run out of shrimp, a testament to the popularity of the establishment. Romy's is one of last, if not the only, shrimp shacks that cultivates their own shrimp from the shrimp farm located behind the picnic tables that can hold at least a hundred shrimp/prawn lovers. They do have fish if that is your fancy. The pineapple with li hing mui is a nice refreshing snack after a hot day on the beach. Stop by Romy's and skip all the other lesser shrimp shacks because Romy's no ka oi!

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    We ended up getting the butter garlic plate and shared it as a snack and it was plenty. Full of flavor and taste. The shrimp are a large size and it's a generous portion with rice. Loved it. We also ended up getting some steamed shrimp and prawns to go for dinner with friends and they were great as well. The prawns are extremely large. They only give you two sauces to dip them into and it's not enough. It's out of the way and you could drive right by it if you aren't looking. It's worth the drive up north for some good grub.

    (4)

  • Melanie C.

    I've tried Giovanni's and Macky's but if you want the best garlic shrimp and/or prawns, Romy's is the place to go. It iss so tasty and it's not as oily as Giovanni's.

    (5)

  • Nga T.

    Dang best shrimp place! I've tried them all! Been to this island 5 times and I have to keep coming back to Romy's. Brave the traffic, brave the wait, make sure you have enough cash! And by all means, come early! I always order two orders of the garlic shrimp/prawns. Some days they run out of prawns, so you are stuck with the shrimp, but same family. Now the reasons why Romy will only get four star, the wait is so so long! I know your motto that you are not fast food, but good food, but really, it's shrimp. Put more woks in there, hire more cooks, concrete over the floors, cuz pebbles on the floor are not at easy to clean. Just some suggestions from your loving fan.

    (4)

  • Dave L.

    Awesome place to get steamed shrimp! We went there 4 times in 2 weeks in the North Shore. We loved the sweet and spicy sauce. Steamed shrimp will be the freshest you've ever had. It comes with two scoops (cups) of white rice and 2 containers of sauce. The line can be long and they move at Hawaiian pace but it's worth it. Get some pineapple for while you wait. You can call ahead order.

    (5)

  • Sugar B.

    This place is a waste of time and money. $70 for a family of four for what? I ordered the prawn, six overcooked stringy prawns and two scoops of rice. Plus I got to wait an hour for it. The only way that I would eat there would be if I were on death row and was requesting my last meal. That way I could live a whole lot longer. This place was the lowest point of not that vacation but any vacation that I've been on. If you send me $5 and don't go there you would be eternally grateful. This place sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

    (1)

  • Cassie C.

    Ok... I've got to give my honest opinion... and I hate to, because I REALLY LOVE THE OWNER!!! I would give 5 million stars to the sweet lady that owns this cute little roadside joint ANYDAY! The ambiance, farm, and people are THE AWESOMEST, but as for the food... here goes: I'll start by saying that I am a Diet Coke fiend. The almost $3 one I bought was flatter than a pancake and really watered down. I felt bad for asking for another one because the lady behind the counter was such a doll and I figured I could just suck it up. I even mentioned that I'd hoped that it wasn't a sign of how the food was. If you like getting down and dirty, and into cracking heads and seeing shrimp eyeballs fly, then this is the place for you! I, personally, enjoyed peeling and cracking, but my princess friend was making the experience less enjoyable (she is from LA and not into her meal watching her while she eats). Peeling prawns doesn't bother me so much as having about 8 of my 15 or so prawns being pregnant and full of eggs... which kinda turned me off from sucking all the good garlic-y bits off the shells. I'm not sure why, but the bottom of my styrofoam box was FULL of orange grease, and I didn't use any sauces that would have created such a BP spill. I was also charged $.25 for each extra lemon SLICE, and even though I bought three, never got one. Also, I was the first customer that day (even waited about 15 minutes for it to open) and I gotta say, my rice was a lil overcooked and mushy. I could probably overlook the egg thing... but nobody messes with my Diet Coke and rice!!! All in all... I had experienced Giovanni's several days before and I gotta say, I'd probably go there again before Romy's. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but the flavor profile was just a little more my speed. BUT! I encourage you to try it! The owner (not sure if her name is Romy or what - but she is the wife and owner) is SOOOOOO AWESOME!!! I would go over and over just to talk with her and high five. Swing by! They are a great family and a cool operation!

    (3)

  • Huey K.

    I have an Auntie who always claims her favorite foods are better than anything else in existence, so when she told us about this shrimp shack they visit every new year, I was obviously skeptical. This is the same woman who thinks Tony Roma's is an awesome place for ribs. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised when we came here last week. While you shouldn't expect the cleanest/fanciest dining experience, at least there's a sink for washing hands. Also, it's not fast food, it's just good food from a shack. So don't expect a quickie. Oh yeah, and the garlic chili shrimp were off the hook. We had a large group, so we did the "Buy 10 Get 1 Free" deal.

    (5)

  • Lance T.

    Prawns and shrimp were good.

    (3)

  • Rita L.

    Hated waiting! the wait is long! i prefer Giovannis over these guys. But I have to admit that the prawns are huge! i don't know if we would eat here again, the wait was a turn off!

    (3)

  • TJ T.

    Our cab driver took us to this spot and mentioned it was very popular with the locals. Close to the Polynesian Center. The shrimp was good but we thought he fish was awesome. Our nephews (7 and 10) enjoyed the food as well.

    (5)

  • Ro C.

    After two nights and three days of camping we decided to stop by one of the shrimp shacks on the way back home. You can't miss Romy's. Painted in a muted red color, there's a huge sign that said "Romy's Prawn's and Shrimp" "Cooked or [ ]" -- that was a piece of tape that I believe said "Live" but I guess they don't offer "Live" shrimp anymore. Sis and I shared two plate lunches. We had to try the fried shrimp and garlic and butter prawns. Both were great however the garlic and butter prawns were so good and so fresh. I put some of the garlic butter over the rice and wow, that was seriously really good stuff! Now I need to work out.

    (4)

  • BOOYAA P.

    Ok, two things took away from this being a five star must stop for the North Shore. First off why all the styrofoam? Plastic and styrofoam are out and green is in. The long wait warning was appreciated but don't tell us 30 min when you know two Japanese tour buses are coming in and they are given priority over those orders you have already taken. Now that I'm done with the negatives of the place I would defiantly come back if the styrofoam was replaced and a 15 min wait opposed to an hour 1:30 min. We hap the fried shrimp, garlic shrimp and the sweet and spicy shrimp and they are all good but my favorite was the sweet and spicy extra spicy.

    (2)

  • Mi B.

    OMG sooooooo good =) Messy but they have a sink for you to wash ur hands after =) I dunno... I liked it!! I've had other good garlic butter shrimp dishes and I must say I think I make a pretty good one myself , but I still think this is good, too. Shrimp super fresh bc farmed like literally right there, and then they're pretty big. Sauce was good too. Everything was good when I went. Awesome =) 5 stars!! woohoo!

    (5)

  • Roger K.

    Way overrated!!!! Blue water shrimp and fish in international market in Waikiki was much better. We got there on a long drive touring the north shore. Was a very long line. Took us 1hr to get to the window. They were out of prawns so we ordered the shrimp. All it was was butter and sauted garlick with paprika and then fried shrimp. It took 45 min to get our plates...it was underwhelming. Just good...not great. Not worth the 2hrs it took to eat. If there's no line stop but otherwise...not worth it. Would not stop again. Tourist trap.

    (3)

  • May B.

    This place is off the lava rock! Pass by once to gander all the shrimp trucks/shacks available to eat. Did a u-turn back and stop by this place cuz it seem the most promising. (a lot of customers) Got the 1 lb. steamed shrimp since they ran out of prawns :( It did not dissappoint! It was sooo fresh since the farm is just right behind. Got the shoyu sauce and sweet and spicy. Be patient cuz the wait can be up to 20 mins (to order/ to pick-up order) or more but it's soooo well worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Milica N.

    Ok...so... My friends and I went on a shrimp truck crawl on North Shore. It was a fabulous day, of course, but I am forced to write this review for Romy's. I thought they were awful. The wait time is ridiculous, first of all. I know they have lots of people who seem to love them (*although I am not sure why with all the other fabulous shrimp trucks out there). I was so hugely disappointed. Besides wait time (waiting over an hour just to ORDER!! And I think they just have one little wok in there - I certainly hope that isn't true, but It seems to be the case, from what I observed), the food was just a disappointment! We ordered the butter garlic shrimp and hot shrimp, along with pani popos and corn on the cob. The shrimp was ok - it was...almost adequate. It was just, eh, in my opinion. Like, ok whatever. The poni popos were just store bought buns with some coconut sauce - nothing noteworthy. And the corn on the cob was just not the delicious juicy goodness I had hoped for!! It was my LEAST favorite of the trek. I DEFINITELY prefer Fumi's (just a LITTLE down the road from them.) I have to review the other trucks, but let me give the results of the day here: The best place - per vote - was Giovanni's. It still is rather fabulous. I've been there a few times, and it's very very good. Other noteworthy places: Tony's (in Hauula) PLUS we loved Tony because he was SOOOO sweet!!! Came running up to the car to greet us and the service was RIDICULOUSLY fast!! I mean, it was almost as if we blinked and the hot delicious food was there!! (Ok, it took a few minutes, but I'd say only like 5 and we were being served. We ordered Garlic shrimp and lava shrimp. OH! And coconut shrimp!! It was an excellent place to start the journey! But back to Romy's...AVOID!!! Try another place. Not worth it, in my opinion.

    (1)

  • rachelle t.

    The BEST IN THE WEST AND THE EAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!! My absolute favorite place for Shrimp and Prawns!!!!!

    (5)

  • Ryan T.

    If I reviewed this place after the first time I've been there, I would have given it 5 stars, but not anymore. I dunno, I think all the flies fighting to get through the screen into the cooking area gross me out just a little. By all means try it. Their garlic shrimp is actually really good. I would not recommend the sweet and spicy shrimp because that sauce is like that sweet chili sauce that you can buy at any asian market. Oh and bring hand wipes. And extra plates if you plan to share. They charge you for anything extra. Total suckage.

    (4)

  • Gina A.

    Awesome!!! My family and I drive out usually on a Sunday and get there about 5:00 and the wait is not so long. We get the garlic butter. We normally go about once a month. Worth anyone to go and try!!!

    (5)

  • Tim H.

    The shrimp tastes fresh, but the wait is terrible. It is not worth throne hour wait when in line for 15 minutes (at least) followed by an hour cooking time when big tour groups get special orders to come and go its no wait. Call your order in to avoid waiting in line and you won't have to stand the rotting smell coming from the kitchen

    (2)

  • Christian G.

    Wow, this place sucks compared to other Shrimp Trucks. It was my dh first time and he was unimpressed. I like the multi-colored bus in the parking lot that's been converted to a shrimp truck much better.

    (2)

  • diane g.

    1st time to Hawaii for a weeks vacation and we ate at Romys twice! Loved the garlic shrimp and the ladies taking our order! Will be forever grateful to friends that hooked us up!

    (5)

  • danica p.

    The best shrimp truck in kahuku! we come here each time we're in oahu when we're making our way through to north shore. we love it so much that we eat one plate and get one to go. I suggest the shrimp over the prawns though. DELICIOUS!! :)

    (5)

  • George S.

    Great place, super food, captures the spirit of the North Shore

    (5)

  • Leo S.

    One my favorite places to eat on the island. There's always a long line to order, but it's worth the wait because it's cooked fresh and tastes great. Garlic butter and sweet/spicy shrimp are my favorites.

    (5)

  • Melody A.

    The garlic prawns were delicious and very fresh. Their serving sizes are quite inconsistent, though. I was told the order came with a lb. of prawns. It seems I was shortchanged because I had much less shrimp than the others in my group. I had 5 while the others had 8! The size were pretty much standard so I do not know why I HAD SO MUCH LESS. The fish we ordered was pricey. $26 for 2 small fried fish and forgettable. I would come back for the prawns.

    (4)

  • Bobby T.

    A must hit on the north shore for delicious and FRESH prawns and shrimp.

    (5)

  • Mark O.

    #5 extra scoop rice and one red stripe!!!! Winnaz!!

    (5)

  • Joelle K.

    The best shrimp shack on the North Shore! The eggroll fried shrimp are awesome! Every time I visit I have to go here.

    (4)

  • Noreen M.

    This not-to-miss red shrimp shack located on the east side of Oahu was highly recommended from a friend of mine who grew up on the island. My friends and I shared the garlic & butter prawns, fried prawns, and the sweet & spicy prawns. I like the garlic & butter prawns the best! Fresh, tasty, and simply delicious! We also ordered the sweet corn which was boiled to crunchy perfection! This shack is busy for a reason and is definitely worth the wait in line. Warning: Eating the prawns can be messy and may leave your hands a bit sticky, so be sure to wash your hands afterwards in the outdoor sink provided.

    (5)

  • Mimi C.

    After a long day at Kualoa Ranch, me and a group of friends decided to stop by Romy's for some fill me uppers, it was a little late so we were the last customers, I guess you can tell how good a place is, by the amount of supplies they have left at the end of the day... we wanted prawns & they were completely out of it!!!! we settled for for the famous Garlic shrimp and fried sun fish, It was different from all the other shrimp trucks I've ever tried, instead of the buttery, juicy, sauce most place simmers their shrimp in, at this place, the shrimp was fried and the garlic was crispy, I was glad because my fingers usually look like prunes after a trip to the shrimp shack but this was different and I like it allot, the sunfish, was moist and cooked to perfection, just the right amount of seasoning, I've been craving it since. After we headed back into town, I realized, my wallet was missing, I was so bummed, I could not sleep that night, one of the staff, his name was Rusty, he found my wallet in the parking area. I had a business card in there so he was kind enough to call my office and left a message with one of my colleague. this really shows how decent an Establishment is, when an employee goes above and beyond for their customers, Thanks Rusty!!! anyways, what more can you ask for good food from people who cares.

    (5)

  • Doris H.

    Seriously, the main reason Mr Bear and I drove all the way to NorthShore was because of the Garlic Shrimp. We drove past the famous Gio-shrimp but Mr Bear decided he wanted something fresh, so we headed to Romy, where they have the fresh prawns and shrimps (according to one of the guidebooks we have). It wasn't as crowded as the other shrimp trucks but there's still a short line when we got there. Besides garlic shrimp with rice, you can also order just the shrimp. And you can pick either shrimps or prawns. They also offer brown rice! Yay!! There's a sign on their window saying they arent fast food... i.e. it's freshly made and we need to wait. We ordered the garlic shrimps and it was the longest 10-15 minutes wait in my whole life and the food finally came. It smelled GOOD. Garlic + Butter = YUM. The shrimps were BIG and they definitely tasted fresh. They have a pond behind the truck so I am assuming they get their supply there. The shrimps by themselves were a bit of the salty side but they went well with the rice! We also tried the corns, Mr Bear thinks it's nothing special but I found there's this unique subtle sweetness that made it different from others. I have never tried Gio-shrimp before but I'm very happy with Romy's.

    (5)

  • Amber C.

    Just ate at Romy's with some of my favorite people ever. We like to share so we all tried the fried shrimp, garlic butter prawns, sweet and spicy shrimp and a 1/2# of prawns. Everything was amazing--if I had to pick one I'd say the garlic butter is the winner. It's a tough call, though. Yum!

    (5)

  • Michelle B.

    Do be aware that the appetizer that they serve at this place is called "Decapitation." This is where you have to savagely rip off the heads of recently boiled alive shrimp and prawns. These dead animals prove to be formidable opponents. First they intimidate you by looking at you with their buggy little shrimp eyes, and then tickle you with their long shrimp tentacles, and then they squirt a horrid looking bright orange juice at you when you do finally manage to ruthlessly twist their wet slippery heads off. Have you lost your appetite yet? I almost did. However the shrimp and prawns were fresh, I even saw the pond they came from! They were tasty but due to a guilty conscious I had trouble happily devouring them. Steel yourself and stop by here for some darn good shrimp!

    (4)

  • Cari B.

    The shrimp is yummy here but I gave it four stars because the wait is sooooooo long. The last time we visited we had to wait over an hour to order and get our food. The sign does say that it's not fast food so what could we expect. Someone called in an order and they said to come get it in 20 minutes. Maybe that's the route we'll go next time. We shared a plate but now i'm wishing we got our own :). We'll be back soon.

    (4)

  • Mike V.

    My girlfriend lived in Oahu for a year and raved about this place. We made it out there not once but twice. This place is awesome. The prawns are HUGE and the shrimp is fresh and delicious. Since everything is fresh, they give you a wait time of 45 minutes but I never waited that long. About 15 minutes tops. If you are a garlic lover, you will enjoy the garlic shrimp as you can smell it once you get out of the car. We had the fried shrimp and the sweet and sour. Also, try the Lihing pineapple!

    (5)

  • Angela L.

    The best garlic shrimp on the north shore hands down! Yes the best out of the three main contenders. Very fresh shrimp & fragrant crunchy garlic sauce served on a bed of rice.. Spicy shoyu to dip the shrimp for a boost of flavor! Heavenly! The only downside: wait time.. But hey I would wait for FRESH food .. GOOD food

    (4)

  • Kenleigh U.

    Nothing really special, especially since the food takes 30-45mins. I'm Filipino and very aware that most of Filipino cooking is very oily. This is how the shrimp is cooked. Very oily to the point your rice is kinda soaked with oil. I'd recommend eating at Giovanni's Shrimp. Cooked with technique, flavored but still retains that seafood taste. If anything if you know a Filipino person, I'm sure they can cook you shrimp just the same.... Oily.

    (1)

  • Janet M.

    I ordered the garlic shrimp and loved it so much, I came back for seconds when heading back home. It was so garlic-ky and butter-y and I loved it. I got the combo which cost about $20 and it comes with rice, corn, salad, and about 12 pieces of shrimp.

    (5)

  • Latifa S.

    Best Shrimps EVER! In the land of Kahuku & Haleiwa~ you'll find oodles of famous shrimp trucks. But Romy's the best!! They have their own massive shrimp farm in the back- check! Lines out the door- check! Offering of few yet super delectable yet simple Prawns and shrimp dishes- check! I'd eat here everyday if I could. And those steamed prawns tho- blow my mind every time! Mmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

    (5)

  • Claudia C.

    My first time in Hawaii, (Oahu) our tour guide recommend a few places in the North Shore area, this being one. Saturday afternoon 3:30 pm they had run out of Garlic Shrimp and also of good customer service. The presentation of the headed shrimp was unappealing unless you want to see and eat a headed shrimp. I recommend to try Mikes Huli Hulu instead, you will not be disappointed.

    (1)

  • Sparkles H.

    This place has been my favorite shrimp shack for over 10 years! I love the sweet and spicy prawns AND shrimp. The line-up is often quite long because of how popular they are but stick it out because you won't regret it. During some times of the year, they don't have prawns and they will put a notice up on the front of their shack. However, the day I went, they just happened to get some prawns so I was lucky - ask and double check! The shrimp is also very good and tasty. I didn't LOVE the pineapple with sauce so I probably wouldn't get that again. TIPS: You can call in your order if you don't want to wait so long (the line-up to order could be 20-30 mins and the wait for your food could be 40 mins). There are bathrooms and hand washing facilities on site. You can also find coupons online for free drinks.

    (5)

  • Lia W.

    Gio who? Let's go to Giovanni's! Oh Giovanni's?! Yeah, we saw it on the Travel Channel or Food Network and wanna go try some north shore shrimp. This is the conversation we almost always have with out of town guests. Debate then ensues between whether we floor it past Giovanni's and take them to Romy's and say they're conveniently closed, wink wink, therefore we're going to Romy's. All kidding aside, we usually get a couple of plates from Giovanni's and a couple from Romy's to let them try other options. And while Giovanni's sauce is killer, the shrimp itself is meh. Romy's has farm raised shrimp and prawns, caught daily from the ponds behind their stand. We always get the #1 butter garlic shrimp which is fantastically garlicy, and the steamed prawns. They slightly char the garlic too and pour the sauce over the rice. Mmm, sitting here drooling just thinking of it. There are other options too like spring roll wrapped fried shrimp and sunfish. The bad thing about this place is that service sucks. There can be a long line to order, depending on the time of day, then a good half hour to 1 1/2 hour wait for the food. It's not fast food. And by now you must think, wait, they're crazy to wait so long. But it's good because the shrimp and prawns are awesome since they're fresh. Wanna know a secret? I hesitate to say this then it may be even harder for us to do this. Nah, but if you call in your order you won't have to wait in line to order and wait for your food. Granted you need to call at least an hour in advance and they don't always take phone orders. Cash only, but they do have an ATM machine. Plenty of picnic tables for seating under a tent. Sinks and soap off to the side to wash your fingers of the stinky mess.

    (4)

  • Jessie-Brian M.

    Driving along North Shore second day decided to try this spot out, unfortunately they had no more prawns so we ordered sweet and spicy shrimp, the shrimp were nice but this dish was basic, next time we would order their garlic/ scampi shrimp or visit Giovanni's again instead.

    (3)

  • Johnny G.

    Why is this place rated lower than Giovanni's? I had both and this place was definitely better. The wait for the food is LOOOOONG so if you're in a rush, do yourself a favor and find some place else. I waited about 15 mins to order and another 40 minutes to get my food. On to the food, the shrimp was DELICIOUS! The garlicy flavor mixed with the rice is just orgasmic. MUST try if you're in Oahu for vacation. Definitely worth the wait if you ask me. The only problem is this place is FAR from waikiki (where I'm assuming most vacationers stay at). It's basically at the other side of the island, about 40 miles (1-1.5hr drive since speed limit is 45 here). My advice would be to come here after a day of snorkeling somewhere at North Shore. The only thing keeping this place from getting 5 stars is the price. It's $13/plate for about 8 shrimps and rice. Parking: Parking out in the front. Cash/Credit accepted.

    (4)

  • Ralph R.

    Sunfish and Sweet/spicy prawns da best. Won't get shrimp or prawns any where else. Phone ahead your order if you can get through.

    (5)

  • Eric C.

    We decided on Romy's because the line was shorter and we wanted the non-traditional "head on" shrimp. My family ordered the butter garlic and I had the sweet and spicy. The wait was a bit long but as expected, with the posted signs. The food was fresh and plenty. I don't know if this is the norm, but my sweet and spicy shrimp was drowning in the sauce. Flavor was good, but there was so much sauce it was overwhelming. The butter garlic was much better, and I stole a few shrimp from my fam just to neutralize my palate. The chilled pineapple also had too much sauce, but the corn was super sweet and a good way to end my meal. Altogether, good and bad, I give 3 stars. Aloha!

    (3)

  • Kathleen G.

    Definitely some good shrimp to eat here but I learned I should only go on the less busy weekdays but even the weekdays can have long wait times too. 4 stars for taste but knocked off two stars for the loonnng wait time. I finally came here again after a long hiatus on a sunday. Ordered only two plates after waiting in line for 25 minutes then finally got our food 80 minutes after placing our order. One family ordered 20 plates--they should really have a limit. Lots of tables with Hangry (hungry and angry) people with no food! Had to use the portable bathroom, only one stall with no toilet paper-at least there is a sink with soap nearby to wash. Too bad they don't bust out a couple of huge woks and hire more chefs to cook more shrimp for the crowds during the weekend. Sorry but I think I will try fumis down the street next time.

    (2)

  • Tracy S.

    WE LOVE THIS PLACE! Bring cash! ATM available. This place really treats to the garlic lovers! Oh...yum! I always get the pound of shrimp w/2 garlic butter dips. A tip I wanna share...as good as lemon is on the food- you should SAVE the lemon wedge for after u wash u hands...then soap up & wash again. Your hands will not smell like seafood. The soap alone doesn't take the smell away - no matter how many times u wash. I also brought my own soy sauce, Sriracha sauce & 5 spice Asian seasoning for the plain white rice that comes w/the pound of shrimp-made it the best meal eva! I'm not sure what other people order that takes 45-75 minute wait....we're always told the wait us that long but our orders never take longer than 20 mins.

    (5)

  • Brittany C.

    The shrimp is the same as always. Food is really good. Not the best, most amazing thing I've ever tasted but definitely a solid 7/10. Just wish I got the extra sauce I ordered/was charged for or realized they forgot it before arriving back to Honolulu... There's always a massive line. And an unnecessarily long wait time (shrimp is fast cooking and rice can be made in large quantities). If you have time to waste it's a good place to stop, but I just don't understand the lack or organization and efficiency there. I just think they need more business savvy management.

    (3)

  • Jeanette Y.

    On the left corner with the Red cabin is Romy's, and on the right corner with the infamous white truck with sharpie writings is Giovannis. Let the games begin! I'm a Hawaii girl at heart but have recently moved to California (post graduation plans) so it is ALWAYS a must to go to Kahuku for shrimp. And for me, it's either Romy's or Giovannis. At this particular time, we went to Romy's. Parking: I have never had an issue finding parking because it is usually on the left side or right side of the establishment. There are no designated parking spots (white marks), but majority of the time you can find parking. (*Note: you are parking on dirt or grass). If it is just extremely busy, I'm assuming you can park across the street or you can park more on the grassy area. Service: So it is self-serve. But you have to be REALLY PATIENT if you want the shrimp. Luckily, we got there with 2 people in front of us (usually it is about a 30 minute line wait). But in general, you basically order, they give you a number and you wait 30-40 minutes until you hear them shout your name or number and you pick it up. They open up each of your orders so you can confirm if it is correct. The only thing I worry about are the flies. There are so many FLIES! And I know that if they land on your food for even a few seconds, they are able to lay their eggs (Source: Animal Planet) on whatever they land on. Food: Ummmmm, it was okay. I ordered the Butter Garlic Shrimp ($13.75) and was excited to devour it all. In order to enjoy the full taste of the shrimp, you have to suck on the shrimp (shells on) to get the juices out, then proceed onto the peeling. After a while, my friends and I realized that we were down to 3 shrimps left and I don't know about you, but it wasn't that great. I sat there looking down at my remaining shrimp and I have no clue if it was because I ate really fast, but I felt the shrimp was just out of taste after a while. The rice is nice and soft, but overall the food was just like the star rating - just A-OK. Before I leave for my trip, I am definitely going to try to go to Giovannis so I can compare the two shrimp locations, but as of right now, I'm okay with this (not quite satisfied).

    (3)

  • Lance H.

    Love the shrimp and love the atmosphere. Had the #1 & #2. Don't really care about the long wait. Relax.

    (5)

  • Steve V.

    The line at this place was ridiculous. I think it was because it was raining. We waiting about 45 minutes to order and then found out they were out of the #1 Garlic Shrimp. I feel as though they could have put up a sign or announced it over their loud speaker that they use to call out order numbers. Nevertheless, we got the garlic prawns and it turns out these were pretty awesome! They are grilled, not steamed like the other ones that you may see people with all the heads and tenticles still attached. We did get steamed shrimp though and those were good. They come with the shell on and two dipping sauces. We got the garlic and the spicy sauces. We also got the pineapple which is coated in goodness. The food took about 15 minutes to come out. This is one of the popular ones that use shrimp actually farmed there on location, so be patient and enjoy the wait! CASH ONLY.

    (3)

  • Christine M.

    I love their shrimp, but their customer service is horrible!! Since it's a popular place eatery many come to romys so theirs a long line and they give you numbers but when they call your number it's not in order. Meaning the person after you can get their food first even if you were before them when you ordered also we had to wait 1 hour and 30 min for our food. The workers are Filipinos and I could understand their language, when people ordered they would talk crap about their customers!! Like wth . I LOVE THEIR FOOD BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKED

    (3)

  • David G.

    I am giving this review without eating the food. But still deserves mention. My family and me went to the truck while on the North Shore and the line was long but expected. We waited for about 30 minutes, just for the surprise of reaching the front and being told that the meal will take 45 minutes to be ready. WOW! We had to leave since we didn't have that much time. I am sure the food might have been good and maybe someday when I have time I will try it. My only beef was if there is going to be a long wait after the long wait in line, they should have put a sign up or something letting people know.

    (3)

  • Josh N.

    North Shore staple for many years. If you are in a hurry to explore the North Shite call ahead of time and place your order. It's all served the same in a to go plate. You can expect a 45min to 1 hour wait if you order at the window.

    (4)

  • David D.

    Went to Romy's for shrimp. It was later in the day and they were out of prawns and fried shrimp so our selections were somewhat limited. We settled for garlic shrimp, although it is messy because of having to peel the shrimp, it is very good. Would give five stars if they hadn't ran out of some of the menu selections.

    (4)

  • Briezen V.

    There was no customer in line and the wait time is still 30 minutes and the menu was only limited to 3,4&5 only. They're not even closing yet. The workers are lazy, bad customer service!

    (1)

  • Eunice P.

    My husband and I came here during our honeymoon trip. We stayed in Waikiki, so the driving was about an hour. **If you can, please call ahead** We called ahead about 40mins before, but they said wait time is about 20-25min, So I would recommend call at least 20min ahead. When we finally got here, we just picked up our food (you don't need to wait in a line) and ready to eat. The service! Ok, there are numbers of people standing in a line, but there was only one cashier with 2 windows. That's ridiculous. they need at least 2 cashiers for pick up and order. I felt sorry for people who were standing in a line since the line was just frozen. Food.. Hmm.. Maybe I had too much expectation. It wasn't good as to drive an hour from Waikiki just for this shrimp truck. I live in LA, so I felt like there are much better cajun style shrimp plates in LA. I've tried much better, so It was very disappointing. However, the shirmp itself was fresh and good. But the garlic butter sauce was just not good as I expected. Since I didn't wait in a line, it didn't make me go mad lol but I think this place is NOT worth it to wait in a line for a 30-40mins.

    (2)

  • Sage T.

    Ono as always!

    (5)

  • Reed B.

    My in-laws raved about the garlic shrimp at Romy's so I ordered the fried shrimp with the spicy dipping sauce. The fried shrimp was tasty but the garlic shrimp was fantastic. Lucky for me, they shared! Don't be a dummy like me, order the garlic shrimp. I also tried the sun fish and it was arguably the best thing I ate there. There are a couple of things you should know about this place. 1. You order at a window. Be prepared to wait in line for a few minutes. 2. You'll wait for your food at the covered picnic tables for awhile. Use this time to visit and people watch. 3. I wouldn't wear your finest duds here cause it can be a little messy with the shrimp, fish, and corn on the cob. 4. There are a couple of sinks to wash your hands and face after you eat. 5. There's a port-o-potty if you need it. If you're on the north shore and aren't in a hurry, check this place out with your friends or family.

    (4)

  • G R.

    Romys has 10 shrimp with partial head of the shrimp (which is awesome). Many times the head of shrimp are delicacies in many cultures. My mouth agrees. About 1 hour wait for the deliciousness? Golly.....I'd love a quicker meal but why rush yumminess? My family went to Giovannis to pick up shrimp to compare. By the time they came back (30 minutes later) I was still waiting for Romys shrimp.... The difference? Romys quality of shrimp ia surely present. Warm shrimp dripping with sauce. Delicious. Although 2 less shrimp than Giovannis...I say they make a pretty tasty shrimp plate! *bring appetizers while you wait for your shrimp.

    (4)

  • Jane A.

    SUCK THE HEADS!!! (5 stars and a meteor shower) So many shrimp trucks to choose from, tourists say Giovanni's, locals say Romy's FOOD, delicious PRICES, fair SERVICE, 20-30 minute wait AMBIANCE, truck with tents and outdoor seating Go where locals say is the best. Forget what you see on the Food Network, keep driving and you'll see Romy's. Something in Romy's sauce the other trucks don't mount too. HEFER STATUS FAT PLATE OF HUGE PRAWNS ($14) - butter, garlic, and lemon. It's SO good. Never ever had prawns that tasty in my life. I don't ever suck the juice out of shrimp heads (find it gross) but found myself doing so because it was THAT good. Everything was ridiculously good. Will I be back? Everytime I come to NorthShore!! JABA APPROVED. Until the next review.

    (5)

  • B M.

    Woke up extra early to make it here so I could get some prawns which I know they sell out quick. First one in line n feeling ready to demolish some shrimp n prawns. I place my order only to find out THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PRAWNS TILL NEXT FUKKIN YEAR!!! Waste of my time. They need to take that shit off their menu till then if that's the fukkin case. False advertisement as ho's!

    (1)

  • Michelle T.

    we love romys and would go no where else for north shore shrimp but here. the wait is about 45 min or longer. so if you don't want to wait, order take out. if you don't mind the wait, make sure you pack a cooler with snacks and drinks and enjoy the big ponds and scenery. hands down our whole family, all 7 of us, always order the garlic shrimp. mine being the only plate with extra garlic butter. just writing this review makes me want to go back again

    (5)

  • Janine D.

    pros: this place is good. the garlic shrimp scampi is very tasty and big. the customer service is good as well. the cons: it's a bit expensive for a combo plate. i paid $21 for a combo plate that includes a salad and a 1/4 corn cob.

    (3)

  • Rod U.

    Why five stars? This: yelp.com/biz_photos/romy… or yelp.com/biz_photos/romy… What a difference going early makes. 10:15AM. No line, food up in 10 minutes instead of the usual hour. Not going all primal animal on your lunch from starvation somehow makes everything taste better. Romy's is the only stand that raises their own Kahuku prawns and shrimp then serves them freshly culled from their aquaculture ponds. Two basic preparations: (1) Sautéed: High heat sautéed then finished in a pool of flavoring sauce. Shrimp shack standards. The garlic, like at most shrimp stands and trucks is previously peeled and has a slight oxidized taste. What's special? Uber freshness and a prep that captures the flavor and goodness of the shrimp. 1. They take care to only clip the beak and antenna from the head and cut off the "legs". 2. The shrimp is cooked from LIVE, no chemical preservatives meaning the shells are thin, in some places crispy and always filled with flavor. Eat everything (except the shell on the tip of the tail that can be a little hard). The head fat is such an added bonus. (2) Steamed: Steamed from live and sprinkled with old bay seasoning, the cleanest tasting, creamy head fat, plump. sweet, firm, juicy tails. Incredible. Dipping sauce, yes but who needs it. Tip: Go early, prawns sell out within an hour. Phone orders accepted. For shrimp, freshness at this level, it's as good as it gets anywhere.

    (5)

  • Grace Y.

    Was originally going to order the butter garlic prawns and the butter garlic shrimp plate but they were sold out of the prawns. Ended up going with the butter garlic shrimp plate and a side of sweet corn with butter sauce. There was no line when we got there. We waited for about 15 minutes for them to make it. The butter garlic shrimp was very flavorful. Definitely recommend it. Eating the shrimp was a bit messy. It was nice that they provide a outdoor sink with soap for you to wash your hands afterwards.

    (5)

  • Dorian S.

    They post a sign that... "They are not fast food"...but a 45 minute wait for garlic shrimp or 20-25 min for boiled prawns at 3pm in the afternoon (no lunch time lines) was excessive. We left and went to Fumi's down the road. Prices cheaper and 10 minutes from kitchen to table. Have always loved romi's but so many more options available in the area. We respect l

    (2)

  • Jed D.

    Shrimp was ok nothing special. The guys closed the store (early) while we were waiting for our food and did not tell us beforehand they would be giving our food on the back of their store. They gave our food all bagged up and as tourist we did not know which was which and so we asked them as we thought they got it wrong but they just packed it wrong.

    (2)

  • Shayne G.

    Eh wasn't too impressed when I visited there. Too pricey, took forever and wasn't even that good drive down to the next building! It's called fumi's!! So much better more filling and $13 a plate with tax already!

    (1)

  • Outofthebox24 7.

    Don't get me wrong, I do like this place but I wish they had more variety of flavors. Normally we like to get two plates and share. being the flavors are pretty similar, we go to the other food truck on the same street and get one plate there and one place here.

    (4)

  • Jeff A.

    Been coming here for the last 5 years and seems like the service is getting slower every time I come here. The dining tent is full but no one has food? Looks like everyone waiting in the unemployment line... They told me 45-1 hour wait. Well I waited 1.45 minutes for my food. The sad part is they claim it's good food and not fast food? My order was cold and the shrimp was over cooked! Defiantly not worth the wait anymore! Sorry cause you had a good thing!

    (1)

  • Kimberly H.

    BEST SHRIMP ON THE ISLAND!! so freakin good.. Everybody talks about other shrimp trucks on the north shore but Romy's is hands down the best! This is my go to place when i come to hawaii

    (5)

  • Josephine G.

    I loved eating here during my vacation! The shrimp is definitely amazing. I love how they sprinkle garlic all over the shrimp. I like their garlic butter tasting shrimp better than any other part of the island. Their shrimp was freakin delicious!

    (5)

  • Angel H.

    I'm only giving Romy's 3 stars because the shrimp didn't taste very fresh. Fresh shrimp should have a nice firm texture and give a little bite back when you bite into them. You can tell a not so fresh shrimp that is mushy and falls apart in your mouth. So I have to only give Romy's 3 stars. I ordered the garlic butter shrimp for about $14 a plate. It includes a ponzu sauce and 2 scoops of rice. I came here around 1015 am and waited about 20 minutes for my order. The garlic was delicious - sautéed to make it nice and crispy on the rice. I ate the entire shrimp per other reviewers' recommendations. Yes, the shells were soft but the shrimp just mushy. Great flavor though. I can imagine these would be great with some fresh shrimp. Tip: they only take cash! They do have an ATM though.

    (3)

  • Nina G.

    Me and my friends always stop by here whenever we go to north shore side. We usually wait 30-45minutes, but it's always worth the wait! We always order the garlic shrimp scampi.

    (5)

  • Greg D.

    Out of the 3 major shrimp trucks a the North Shore, Romy's is the favorite in my book. I love the large bits of garlic that is on the shrimp, Its messy but so good!! The wait here can get insane, I went around 4pm on a Sunday and took 30 min to place order and another 25ish minutes to get the food. So glad the food was amazing to make it worth it. I highly prefer this over Gio or Fumi

    (4)

  • Grace M.

    Expect an hour wait, if not at the least 40 min. Understandably the line was long to begin with, even on a Friday so of course our wait was at the least hour. Now coming from someone who's grown up on the famed north shore shrimp and being used to Giovanni's, I expected it to Romy's to be just as good... Sorry but it wasn't. We had the garlic butter shrimp plate( the shrimp wasn't deveined properly, it was overcooked so pretty much all of it was a bit tough. And the only garlic that was on it was the semi garlic chips. They give you an extra sauce which is pretty much sweet chili mixed with shoyu.. So all in all. You could say, it was a disappointment. Oh and another note, there's no speaker system in the tents so you literally gotta stand there by the counter waiting for them to call your name

    (3)

  • Jennifer L.

    Better than Giovanni's shrimp truck. Less oily and less FLIES!! Yes lots of flies at Giovanni's. Romy's is way cleaner. Reason for giving a 4 star is because of the wait time. It takes about 20-30 mins for your food. But the wait is worth it. You can also phone in your order.

    (4)

  • Yen C.

    Having to wait over 1.5 hours, you would think the shrimp would be out of this world. WRONG!!! Would pick Giovanni's over this place anytime. Don't waste your time here. It's almost like they purposely take a long time to create the illusion of a popular establishment with long lines. It's either that or the staff is really inefficient.

    (1)

  • Danny B.

    Didn't eat here. Wait is too long. Sign on the side of the restaurant says 25-45 min wait with NO line... I saw one person get food while we were there waiting before we left after 20 mins of being in line.

    (1)

  • Ezra G.

    #1 butter garlic shrimp scampi all day everyday. Wait is always about an hour. I do recommend phone ordering. Stop to use the bathroom some where before getting there, they only have a Porto potty and it is DISGUSTING! I love their shrimp & their dipping sauce. Their corn is really sweet as well. This has to be on your travel check list.

    (5)

  • Katelyn M.

    I liked the garlic shavings on top of the shrimp but I thought this place was OK... shrimp wasnt as juicy and it wasnt' cooked as well. I was expecting more because they were advertising that they werent fast food and that we may have to wait longer for our food. They had run out of prawns the day we went by and maybe that's why? Maybe prawns are much better? Aside from the fried garlic shavings, I left feeling good but not quite satisfied. I am not saying that the portions were small at all. they were generous... it was more of the flavor of the shrimp... I still enjoyed the fact that they had running water to wash your hands and the picnic tables looked so clean.

    (3)

  • YajJen Y.

    Food is good but waited an hour for my food.. The pineapple is a must try. I wanted to get their fish plate but they ran out of it. I think this place could run better if they have enough people working so people don't have to wait so long.

    (4)

  • Claudia G.

    Shrimp is fresh and is flavorful. I'm from TX and always eat Romy's, but decided to try Giovanni's today. Huge mistake!

    (5)

  • Trookie N.

    We research many favorite places to eat on the island. Romy's was one of them. The line wasn't that busy and they said the wait is 1 hour. We decided to come another day so today was the day. Today wasn't busy at all and it still took 35 min. I didn't mind waiting this time. But when we got our order? The shrimp didn't taste fresh and it was all soft and doughy. The Garlic scampi flavor was good but too bad the shrimp wasn't. And the sweet and spicy was terrible! Nothing special about it. They just pour the Thai Sweet and Spicy Sauce over it. I was so disappointed. To think we drove far for this and the Travel Channel raved about it. Sometimes they can be off and it was this one time we followed them. I would not recommend this place. Giovanni's is better and faster service.

    (1)

  • Kimmy A.

    I love shrimp and never had a problem eating it before but eating here, I couldn't finish it. I just felt so sick and that's never happened before. Besides that sickening feeling, there wasn't any flavor, I had to keep dipping and dipping into the sauce. The wait was not worth it for me

    (2)

  • Kevin H.

    Don't order anything steamed. Have to de-vein shrimp yourself. Not worth the wait for food or worth the money. There's better quality at restaurants for better prices.

    (1)

  • Krysten I.

    Yeah, Romy's probably has the best garlic shrimp in Kahuku. It's not perfect (sometimes the shrimps are a little over cooked), but it tastes fresher than the other shrimp trucks. However, the wait for food is a little ridiculous. At least they warn you when you order that the wait for food will be long (30-40minutes), but when you end up waiting an hour or longer, it starts to get frustrating. I mean, they know they're popular, why not expand a little? On to the food. This heavenly shrimpy concoction is pretty expensive. Fourteen bucks for a shrimp plate? Ehhh, I guess it's reasonable, but I don't really have a conscious choice in the matter--I find myself always turning into Romy's every time I drive by, like autopilot. All I can say is that Romy's is a must when you take a trip to the North Shore. But get your garlic shrimp AFTER your beach outing unless you want to be smelling like a garlic for the entire day. The only problem with this is that you'll have to drive the 1.5 hours back to town reeking of garlic. Just pack some car fresheners and lots of gum and you'll be fine. Also be prepared to wait a heck of a long time for your food, you might want to pick up some snacks (there were plenty of trucks on the side of the road selling freshly pickled mango...YUM!!) .

    (4)

  • George C.

    Crazy long line and wait, took over an hour total. Great shrimp, especially garlic flavor! Sadly prawns were sold out, we got there around noon. Next time will try to phone in order if possible.

    (4)

  • Don W.

    There were two parts of the meal that were solid, the first is chilled chili pineapple I ordered for the wait, and the second was the way the crispy garlic butter drained into the rice. Otherwise, this is not something I would make a return trip for. The wait was something like 20 minutes to order and 30 minutes for the food. This stop was not a highlight of my trip to Honolulu, but worth a stop if there isn't a line, if the weather isn't too hot, and if you haven't tried a shrimp truck yet.

    (3)

  • Anthony N.

    R ight along the row of Kahuku shrimp trucks lies this gem O nly come here for the Steamed Prawns M onster-sized prawns are juicy and tender Y ou peel, dip, then bite into the heavenly pieces S uck up the prawn head if you're game -- it's delicious! P rawn plates come with a choice of sauces R espect to the other flavors, the Butter Garlic is the best A s for the garlic shrimp plate, it's just decent W here Romy's excels is the steamed stuff N ewbies to shrimp truck can't tell the difference though S o bring your visitors here and grab yourself some prawns

    (4)

  • Erin M.

    We hit a couple different shrimp spots on our trip to the North Shore, and Romy's is our winner by far! Perfect portion, amazing flavor! You may need to wait a little bit, but honestly, it's worth it!!!

    (5)

  • Stefanie M.

    Giovanni's or Romy's...that has been the on going debate between friends and myself for many years. For the most part, I have been partial to Giovanni's but I have always been open to Romy's because at the end of the day shrimp from a truck and is just shrimp from a truck. To be completely honest, I've had better-cooked shrimp at restaurants and heck, even from some of my friends homes. A shrimp truck to me is more of a must do experience in North Shore. There is nothing more exciting for tourists and locals alike than eating an above average meal from something that doesn't look quite sanitary. As for the food itself it was okay. We ordered butter garlic shrimp, sweet and spicy, side salad and corn. We wanted to order prawns for at least one of the dishes but were told they were still harvesting. Granted we went early (about 10:30) I couldn't help but to feel a little disappointed as I was looking forward to ripping off the heads...sigh. Which brings me to another subject--types of shrimp eaters. There are two type of shrimp eaters in the world 1) Persons that are revolted by shrimp heads 2) People that are thrilled by shrimp heads. If you are the first described, Romy's is not for you. They do not clean the heads off, not because they are lazy but because people like later described and myself are delighted by shrimp heads. As disgusting as that may seem, there is something delicious about ripping off the head and sucking whatever is inside of it out. The butter and garlic shrimp we had was very much overcooked. So overcooked it made it very difficult to take off the shell. The garlic was also very burnt which I'm unsure about how I felt about it. I'm not sure what is worse, the very over cooked garlic Romy's or the undercooked version served at Giovanni's. For me personally, the garlic shrimp at Giovanni's is better to me. However, I definitely prefer Romy's sweet and spicy shrimp. This dish was well cooked and the flavor was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. As for our sides, I'd say don't waste your money. The side salad was uber tiny for three bucks, and our ear of corn wasn't very cooked and lacked any flavor. Another down side is the wait. In their defense, they do have a disclaimer by the window that says "this is not fast food" but 30 minutes for shrimp when we were the third couple there is a bit ridiculous. Okay, so I'm no master Chef, but even my knowledge tells me that it does not take very long to cook shrimp. I understand that they make it to order, but do they not believe in multi-tasking at all? So if you go, expect a loooong wait. So when I average it out, they definitely deserve a three star rating--2 stars for the wait and sides, 3 stars for the garlic shrimp, and 4 stars for sweet and spicy.

    (3)

  • Cindy S.

    Sigh, I wish people would give reviews based on reason. You are going to a shrimp shack, not a fine seafood establishment. The shrimp here are awesome, huge and tasty. It is excellent to me that these huge awesome shrimp do not contain huge not awesome poopy intestines. I love that half the heads are left on the garlic butter shrimps. They make the rice extra buttery (orangey) and garlicky. I would gladly be sticky greasy and orange all day everyday if I could, but alas it was not meant to be. I'll be back! Shrimps will cry when they see me coming next year!

    (5)

  • V V.

    Way better than mackys of course and Giovanni's. Better sauce and they give more plus they leave the head on which is a plus cause that's where the flavor at. I also come here when I get my Benz serviced and have a loaner Benz. Drive for me is about an hour which I don't mind because it's worth the drive and wait!!! Only down side to this is I wish they serve mac salad with their plate! Last time I came here a local guy got pissed because a white guy from the mainland cut him off in line. If you have a problem with tourists and mainlanders, call him out on it not everyone around who is either from the mainland or from japan which was I bet about half of them from Japan who didn't speak or understand English. That guy was ranting on saying "mahalo" in a taunting way and saying welcome to the aloha state! Where the fuck is the aloha. That's Such a disgrace to locals here. If you were a man you should confront him not the whole same visitors. Last time I check that dude didn't even look Hawaiian he looked mixed Japanese with like white or something. Who knows? Who cares? Anyway this place is bomb. I choose this place over the dry ass shrimp that is frozen shrimp and the lack of garlic sauce from Giovanni's.

    (5)

  • Erin O.

    Kahuku shrimp trucks are an institution. I remember driving by these when they were actually trucks, the first of the gourmet roach coaches really. I fear that it's gotten too big for its own good. I go in expecting a little wait... 15 to 20 minutes to get my product after I order. It takes time to make great shrimp after all. I waited 45 min- an hour. They said it would be half an hour, and it was at least 45 minutes. This is not okay. We got there after two small tour bus groups pulled in. At that point, if they said, it's going to be a while, plan for an hour, I would have acknowledged they respected my intelligence, and then either chosen to wait, or moved on to someone else. I wasn't given the chance to make an intelligent choice. So, for the shrimp itself, it was EXCELLENT. Kahuku shrimp are white shrimp that are ridiculously sweet, and have a good texture. Me and my husband got the garlic butter, and it was very tasty. Their salad and corn options actually were crap. It's not worth the price to get the combo. So, why not more stars? 1 star off for weak time management. 1 star off for value. There used to be more product for a lower price. They can't say it costs too much to truck it in...the raise the shrimp just behind the shack! They skimp on refills on the soda (they offered us free refills because it was double the wait they promised, and I look local) which are normally paid for, and they had run out of prawns by 12:30, and only had shrimp. Now, I wanted shrimp, but a lot of people come to Romy's because they have prawns. If they have to wait that long, and have no differentiator, what's the point?

    (3)

  • Tinna H.

    We'll never look at prawns in the same way. Expect a wait because it's not fast food. While you wait, why not run down the road to Giovanni's for a shrimp plate? :) That's what we did! You can call in ahead of time, but good luck getting an answer! The prawns are juicy, large, crunchy, and delicious! I normally don't deal with the heads of shrimp very well, but you'll not want to waste the juices inside these prawn heads. You'll also want to lick your fingers afterward, but don't worry, there's a sink with soap you can use. If you frequent the shack [it's so not a truck], you can get one of those frequent buyer cards. Buy ten, get one free! Cash only!

    (5)

  • Melissa L.

    A drive around the island is not complete without a stop at one of the shrimp trucks. Although most people stop at Giovanni's, we decided to give Romy's a try, mostly due to their wider variety of menu options. Our order included the sweet & spicy prawns, the plain steamed prawns, the butter & garlic prawns and the li hing mui pineapple. The prawns were large, fresh out of the water, sweet, tender and very well cooked. Of the three, the plain steamed prawns with a dipping sauce on the side seemed to be the crowd pleaser but all dishes were really good. Half the fun is sucking the sauce off the shells! The menu at Romy's has a range of options, with one fish dish and the quite a few shrimp and prawn dishes prepared in a variety of ways with a variety of sauces. There are combo options with scoops of rice, salad and corn on the side. The prices may seem a bit on the high side, but the food is worth every penny! Be prepared to wait as your food is cooked when ordered and be prepared to make a mess with your hands. There is a sink with soap (but no towels) on the side of the buildling that was being heavily used. We had moist towelettes but even that wasn't quite enough to get all of the bits and pieces of the sauces off our hands. Covered areas with picnic tables are available on either side of the building. It's simply amazing to be eating really fresh, well prepared seafood outside with a warm breeze blowing gently around you and the smell of butter and garlic in the air.

    (4)

  • Kate G.

    I will drive to Romy's from Hawaii Kai any day, any time. Even in traffic. Butter garlic shrimp is not super difficult to make, but mine do not turn out like Romy's at home. It's probably the fresh (fresh from the back yard fresh) prawns and shrimp that make it. OH AND THE SPICY SHOYU SAUCE which I cannot seem to duplicate either. The cold pineapple is pretty super as well, especially after a hot day at Shark's Cove. The line is long and the wait is even longer, but pleeeeese don't complain. There have been too many times where people (probs tourists) complain for half an hour in line in front of me and I just want to push them into the gravel. You complain? YOU NO DESERVE SHRIMP!

    (5)

  • Tena D.

    Very unimpressed. Very expensive for not good shrimp. Won't be stopping here again.

    (2)

  • Lissete D.

    I think we have tried all the shrimp trucks & huts in the North end. Romy's was good but with a few faults. The Good: ~ Very large, tasty shrimps ~They have a sink to wash up when you're done. The Not So Good: ~ The wait. OK, they say that this is not fast food. I get it. But over an hour to get your food with so many other options in the immediate area? Not good. We figured out that the tour buses pre-order and have their food ready when they arrive. In the meantime, this holds up everyone elses orders. ~The garlic was burned and tasted burned. Not good at all.

    (3)

  • Rosemarie T.

    This place was ok, but I've had better nearby shrimp stands/trucks. I had the sweet/spicy which seems to be just fried shrimp swimming in sweet chili sauce & my friend had the garlic but it was kind of dry, plain, & garlic was overcooked with a bitter taste. There was no wait but were told it was gonna be a 20-30 min wait due to them having to make a "new batch" but we waited more than that.

    (3)

  • Justin L.

    we go here ever time we are in oahu. the prices are going up up up, but i think the portions are the same.... they ran out of prawns the last 2 times we've gone. so we had to settle for the shrimp, but still good... expect a line, enjoy the wonders of eating outside on the side of a road in hawaii.. it gets windy, but its worth the effort.

    (4)

  • James W.

    NOT FRESH! To keep it short and usefull, dont bother going here. I dident mind the hour long wait untill I saw the food. Plain white rice with tiny, bland, overcooked, previously frozen shrimp. They have shrimp ponds in the back but they harvest when they are to small and freeze them. Its sad that we get bigger, fresher shrimp that are not previously frozen from an Iowa farm. The shrimp they serve are 40-50/lb at best, even though they have live "display" shrimp at the checkout that are easily 25-30/lb. False expectations! Extremely dissapointing for how cool the place could be.

    (1)

  • Scott H.

    Made the big mistake of going to Romy's instead of Fumi's...BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER!!! Romy's SUCKS!!! Shrimp is over cooked and thrown together with some burnt garlic and papricka! Horrible! Order some Kahuku corn that was absolutely flavorless AND undercooked... To make matters worse...it took 45 minutes for order of two plates to be finished!! Do not make the mistake of going to Romy's!!!

    (1)

  • Shirley N.

    My first shrimp truck experience was here at Romy's! Although the shrimp and sauce was fresh and good, the hour and a half wait was not worth it. They also offer brown rice which is a plus! I'll probably come back but avoid lunch time rush.

    (3)

  • David R.

    Excited to try shrimp in Kahuku during our vacation, and had already picked Romy''s from our guidebook. Husband had the butter garlic shrimp: toasty, nutty garlic, not so much butter but a nice flavor. I had the sweet & spicy shrimp: not quite as flavorful (too much sweet, not enough spicy, and the sauce cooked with the shrimp did not seem to cling to the shrimp itself (dipping sauce helped). Also, my shrimp was cooked a bit too long for my taste. Dipping sauce was a nice blend of spice and sweet, so all in all not too bad. We did have issues with the service. When we arrived, there was only one person waiting to order, and one group of 3 behind us. About 5 minutes after placing our order, there was a line of 10 people, which really seemed to impact service. I understand that popular trucks like this get busy, but the staff seemed to lack a good process for handling larger numbers at the window (only one person at the window and one cook, and a couple of other people wandering in and out in the back). As we and others watched, the cook finished several batches of shrimp which sat waiting while the one other person kept taking orders. I decided to relax and be patient, but it took 20 - 30 minutes for our food to be ready, which surprised me a little. It may have been an off day, or maybe totally normal (and I should keep my mouth shut!), but a it seemed a littler organization might be called for. We would go back our next time through and order just butter garlic, but would be open to checking out Fumi's the next time through.

    (3)

  • Jes L.

    number 1 is excellent! i love the shrimp here, however the drink situation forces me never to return. my bf drank his coke, removed the lid and found tons of ants in the crushed ice.. we were all disgusted and brought it to the attention of the guy working in the window. we showed him the cup with the ants and he asked if we wanted a refill?! we said no and demanded a refund for the soda. he made us wait about 5 min while helping a whole bunch of customers, hoping none of them heard our complaint and gave us our money back. they did nothing to fix the ant problem, nor did they check the ice machine to make sure no other customers were getting ice with ants. bring your own drinks!

    (2)

  • Nick S.

    Got an order of the butter & garlic shrimp and a pani popo the other day for lunch. The shrimp were fresh, but they weren't very flavorful. I love garlic, and I was hoping for more from these, especially given how good they looked and smelled. The pani popo was pretty tasty though. All of the shrimp shacks and trunks along the road seem to have similar prices and reviews, but I'd be interested to try Giovanni's or one of the others and compare them to Romy's. One upside - they must have changed something since a lot of these reviews were written, because my order was ready in under 10 minutes. One big downside - no refills on the drinks, and a small soda cost $2.50, a more-than-usual rip off. If you do visit Romy's, just make sure you have enough napkins on the table before you dig in. Eating shrimp here is like eating ribs, and after a dozen shrimp your fingers will look like you ate an entire bag of Cheetos.

    (3)

  • Joe O.

    I don't even love shrimp but this place is good. Giovanni's may get more people but take it from a local when I tell you it's all marketing. Romy's is WAY better, less crowded and don't mess with anything but the garlic stuff.

    (4)

  • Ed K.

    During a recent trip to Oahu's North Shore we did a tour not only of the beaches but the local shrimp truckeries as well. While Romy's is more a shrimp shack than truck, its one of those roadside treasures that only a local could tell you about. Still it must be pretty well known because we saw ton's of japanese tourists pouring out of tour vans just to sample this place. Their menu is simple yet diverse, including not only shrimp, but prawns and sunfish, yet I suspect most people go for the shrimp or prawns. You can get your crustaceans served a variety of ways including the ever popular butter&garlic sautee, sweet&spicy, fried or raw. Not feeling too adventurous we went with our lolo friend's recommendations and ordered several plates of the butter garlic shrimp with sweet n sour sauce on the side. I found that much of the garlic and butter flavour gets stuck on the shell as you're shelling the shrimp and i was scooping it back by hand onto my shrimp and the rice to capture all of that garlicky goodness. Messy but good eating. Also tried some pineapple with li hing mui topping, not really my thing but seems to be liked by a lot. Romy's is definitely a place for any shrimp lover to check out if you're ever visiting the islands.

    (4)

  • jesse g.

    another one on the list of the famous kahuku shrimp stops -like the majority of shrimp stops they have the popular flavors such as garlic butter, steamed, and spicy. served with 2 scoops of rice -they offer side dipping sauces for the shrimp compared to the other shrimp stops: the good: -they offer brown rice as an alternative to accomodate the health concious customers -they have a lot more seating. shaded benches. nice and cool/breezy -it's alot quieter than the other busy shrimp stops. -they leave the shrimp heads on for those who like that part of the shrimp -intercom so you can hear when you're order is ready clearly -they give you the option shrimp/prawn -they have corn on the cob -they have ice pops the bad: -price is a little higher and they charge tax -like the other stops it's a cash only business

    (4)

  • Bernard V.

    I heard this place was great, but I don't share the same feeling. First off, why does this place take so long to cook shrimp? The clerk is pretty arrogant about stating how long the wait is too, like she tells it as a badge of honor. The customer in front of me kindly asked why so long and the lady said "we're usually busy 30 minutes to an hour, holidays we're really busy at least an hour, but we ARE THE BUSIEST [shrimp shack]". At least the clerk was nice to me, I thought the customer before me ticked her off for asking that question and I'd have to face the aftermath. So we waited about an hour for the garlic shrimp. The portion that they give is reasonable. There is a hefty serving of rice. Taste wise, eh, I've tasted better. The only thing going for them is, the sweet Kahuku shrimp. What a bummer of a trip out to Kahuku. Here is a tip, if you plan on going here, go way before you get hungry, because you will get hungry waiting for your food.

    (2)

  • Leah B.

    My last day on the Island and traveled all the Way to North Shore from Kapolei that day to complete my trip. When we arrived there was a long Line..but you know what they say "Long-Lines are a Sign of Good Food" All the other Shrimp Shacks were Empty as we passed them up. Menu was basically simple to choose from: Fried Garlic Butter, Sweet & Spicey, Kilawen Style (Fresh), Fried (Shrimp Lumpia) or Steamed. You hoose Shrimp or Prawns. They also had a Fried Sun Fish on the Menu...All Dishes came with White rice. Seems like they have their own Shrimp Farm..There was a Pond in the back and also what may have looked like a Party Area. Way COOL :) The Good: Li-hing Pineapple: Very Juicy Garlic Butter Prawns...Really Yummy over Rice! Fat & Juicy...Reminds me of how my sister in PI makes them..I could tell Immediately the Cooks were Filipinos and probably ilocano! Good Portion I thought for $12.75 a Plate. Dis-Likes: The Shrimp..we had it for the Sweet & Spicey Sauce. It didn't seem Fresh to me. They were sticking to the shell when you peeled them! A sign they might have been Frozen before. The Sweet & Spicey Sauce was hecka simple..Basically that sauce you use for Lumpia or Chicken Wings that's Hot & Spicey Sauce Stuff that comes n a Bottle. So it wasn't like some special made sauce. Haha...They didn't give enough Napkins..Wassup with that! Usually an Over-Sea Thing!!! Line was Long & then a Wait for the Food! Needed a Better System! But I'm glad I got to try them out :) Definitely completed my Trip!

    (3)

  • Stan L.

    I've tried Macky's, Romy's and Giovanni's. Macky's was the better of the three. Tasty, well balanced flavor, friendly service and clean tables. Romy's was my next favorite. Tasty and the shrimp were fresh. Only downside was they took a long time to make it. Giovanni's was the worst. The spicy shrimp were overcooked, mealy and way too sour. Service was indifferent and the tables were dirty and sticky.

    (3)

  • Betty P.

    Everyone must go to North Shore when their in Oahu, especially hit up Romy's Prawn and Shrimp. Their garlic/butter prawns over rice is very delicious and sooooo fresh! Every bite is very tasteful with lots of garlic and butter. Although you might have bad breath for a few hours or even half a day but its totally worth the bad breath. Every time I come over for a visit, I always make a drive over to Romy's just for some good ol' prawns! They give you about 7-8 prawns for about 12 or 13 bucks. Its not bad but we don't have any sort of plates like this so I've give up my clean breath for garlic and buttery breath for a half day anytime.

    (4)

  • Mike L.

    My g/f and I ate here this last week while staying at Turtle Bay and the food was good. She got prawns and I got fried shrimp. Be warned there is a lot of garlic on their food, which we love, but it can be a little too much even for garlic hounds like us. It also took about 30 minutes for us to get our order, so if you know what you want (there are only 8 items on the menu), I would recommend calling ahead.

    (4)

  • Audrey L.

    Romy's!!! So my relatives brought me here saying that I'd like this place, cause I kept bugging them about Giovanni's (Giovannis?). I have to say that I'm glad that they had brought me here. The shrimp, prawns, and fish were amazing. I had the garlic shrimp and they cooked it in garlic butter then put everything over rice- giving the rice the flavor. It was so good, that I had to buy a t-shirt! You eat in the outdoor picnic table like area, where they have a sink set up. They don't have a bathroom but a porta-potty on site. It's def. a place to check out though, you won't regret it! Def. Happy Eatings! =9

    (4)

  • Jeffrey C.

    My girlfriend and I tried Romy's after trying Giovanni's on the same day ~3 hours apart. And after comparing the two, there are definitely pros and cons that I noticed of both. Therefore, this review will be written as a comparison of the two than reviewing at each one individually. Romy's Pros: Shrimp head was left on shrimp. We Chinese people love this! I love sucking out the juices from the head. I also really loved the spicy soy sauce for dipping that they provided us. I generally don't eat spicy because I'm not good at handling it at all, but this spicy was bearable. Cons: The wait to get the food was almost 1 hour long! Ridiculous, though at least the lady at the counter told us that. Apparently there was 3 big orders before us. Giovanni's: Pros: Scampi shrimp was definitely good and I enjoyed this flavor better than what Romy's provided. The shrimp also seemed juicier and plumper and the wait was definitely much shorter. Cons: No shrimp head, like i said, we Chinese people love shrimp head. Don't get the lemon butter shrimp, not worth it.

    (4)

  • Triple C.

    The shrimp is good tasting but the average rating is for the following: 1. Only 8 shrimp. You get a comparable quality meal at Giovanni's down the road and get 12 shrimp. 2. The order took 25 minutes. Maybe they had just run out of supply but that is excruciatingly long for a hole in the wall type setting. 3. Expensive, more expensive than Giovanni's and you get less shrimp. Why pay more when you can get equal or better quality for less?

    (3)

  • Jessica M.

    If you're fiending for PRAWNS, this is the place to go. DO NOT eat their SHRIMP. WHY? FUMI's is right down the road, literally 2 min driving distance. While the quality of the shrimp is essentially the same, THE SAUCE, the most important part of the whole thing, is WAAAY BETTER. Drastically better. SO much more sauce is given (@ Fumi's) and the flowy butter, hundreds of pieces of garlic, and spices TRumps Romy's whose taste old and under seasoned and just whatever. After I had Fumi's, I tried Romy's and I was PISSEd that I ordered a whole plate and had to get full off of it when Fumi's was sitting just a stone throw away from me.

    (3)

  • Dawn L.

    I'll start by saying that I'm a die-hard fan of the Famous Kahuku Shrimp truck. That being said, we love shrimp, garlic, and spicy food so we really were hoping to enjoy this. Surprisingly, there was no one waiting in line in front of us. We were afraid they weren't open. BUT, it took them awhile to get someone to the window to take our order even though there were probably 5 or 6 people working and no customers... Still, when they finally did get there, the service was super friendly and helpful for us first-timers. The food however, fell short of our expectations. At $12.95 a plate, we were served about 9 shrimps each. I ordered the garlic butter, which I was told was the most popular selection AND though it's not on the menu, she said I could have it spicy...Music to my ears. My hungrier half had the sweet and spicy shrimp which is, in essence, shrimp covered in sweet chili sauce. The big faux pas in my opinion: they used minced garlic out of a jar for the garlic butter shrimp. No self-respecting cook would do so. The difference in flavor is noticeable and obvious versus using fresh diced garlic and the most defining difference between Romy's and the Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck. When we left, we were both not full and were contemplating the short drive to get a plate at the Kahuku Shrimp Truck to satisify the emptiness. But we didn't. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't fulfilling. We have no reason to return, though...

    (2)

  • Jillian P.

    I think my expectations may have been TOO high, because I wasn't impressed. :( Don't get me wrong, I definitely loved going here just so I could say that I've eaten at one of the North Shore Shrimp Shacks... But eh, I've definitely had LOTS better for a WAY SHORTER wait. (Oh! And incase you're wondering, I got their garlic shrimp!) I did think it was pretty cool/awesome that they had their little prawn pond in the back and sinks/soap for hand washing. :) FYI: It's cash only and their ATM looks WAY ghetto! So, maybe try to get some cash before you come. :)

    (3)

  • Janet T.

    Honestly it wasnt that great. ive herd it was the best on the island. so i went with high hopes. i ordered garlic shrimp and my husband got garlic prawns. It was ok.

    (3)

  • Skye W.

    Recommended by the bf to try this shrimp shack. He said it was the best on the island and since I didn't have enough time to try others, this is the only one I ate at. The line on Sunday afternoon was ridiculously long, About a 45min wait. The food came out way faster though, so that was very nice. I got the butter and garlic prawns, Maddie the butter garlic shrimp, and Theresa the sweet and spicy shrimp. I definitely preferred the butter garlic to the sweet and spicy. The latter was barely spicy and the saucy was all watery. I also liked the shrimp more than the prawns. The flavor got into the shrimp more and there were also a ton more on the plate. I seriously only got 6-7 prawns. AND, they took the heads of for me. Why? This place was good and I was famished. But my grandma makes butter garlic shrimp similar to this, so it was nothing super amazing, although still delectable.

    (4)

  • Jason A.

    This was the best! A must go when touring the island. Garlic Shimp and rice is awsome. The fried fish was awsome too. Kinda crowded too but hey! What can you do when they are the best?

    (5)

  • Ted P.

    OK, the food tasted OK, but wasn't anything special. The service is attrocious. They said it would be 25- 30 minute wait, which we hoped would be worth the wait, but 45 minutes later we were served and it was pretty so-so. It was also VERY expensive for what you get - and they nickel and dime you for every condiment and normally complimentary item. I also got extremely sick the next morning - although two of us ate from the same two boxes, so maybe it was something else, but it only takes one bad shrimp to make one person sick. The wait wouldn't have bothered me as much if they had been absolutely swamped and working to keep up. But we could seem them preparing the meals through the screened in kitchen - and literally saw at least 8 complete meals with rice and shrimp lined up in the kitchen - and no one's name was called for another ten or fifteen minutes. I think the staff was busy getting ready to leave and not paying attention to what needed to be served - and the cooks were just cranking out meals - and not getting anyone's attention to actually serve them. The place was filthy too. We ate in a couple other places nearby that also had outdoor dining areas with wooden picnic tables, but they were cleaner and not quite such a mess as here. Ugh. I would have given it one star, but since only one of us got sick - and the food was about as good as we could have prepared ourselves, I guess two ill do - two stars with a down arrow.

    (2)

  • Lorraine B.

    Was there Oct 20, 2012. The #1 was delicious with tons of sautéed garlic with choice of white or brown rice. Low rating is for the ice in the soda cup. After drinking the soda with a lid and straw and getting ready to eat the ice, we noticed the bottom of the cup was full of ants. Yuck!!! This was brought to their attention. They asked if we wanted another soda! Why would we want another one when their ice has ants? We asked for money back which they gave us.

    (1)

  • Kelly L.

    Was junk ... They burn the garlic... Totally not worth it . And there was a caterpillar in my corn.

    (1)

  • Janet K.

    If you decide to come here over all the other shrimp trucks/shacks, then at least get the prawns. I came here twice and both times I got the #1 (once with shrimp and once with prawns). The prawns are what distinguish this place from the others. The shrimp doesn't hold the flavor in as well as the prawns do. Giovanni's is still my ultimate favorite, but on a recent visit, the shrimp looked a little smaller. Romy's shrimps/prawns are more visually appealing in color, but Giovanni's has that rich garlic flavor that I'm looking for when I drive 60+ miles roundtrip for that GARLIC shrimp. There's a lot of tour buses that go to Romy's and that seems to be when they're the most busiest. I do like their eating area and there's even a sink so you can wash your hands. ***TIP*** Do not get the pani popo dessert. It's basically a sweet bread roll with haupia syrup on it. You can make it at home. It wasn't even warm and it tasted like crap. We took one bite and threw it away.

    (3)

  • Judie H.

    HEEEEEEEEEEAVEN hey...look up Romy's Shrimp Shack Dance on youtube...now that's how good it is youtube.com/watch?v=7RxP…

    (5)

  • Merry C.

    Waited so long IN LINE that I left without eating anything. Stood in the hot sun for at least 30 min, the line barely moved! and it took so long to only to take orders. It seemed maybe 1 order was taken every 10 min. I looked in the kitchen, there were rows and rows of shrimp plates- so why would it take 45-1 hr to cook 1 PLATE of shrimp?! Shrimp cooks very quickly and the restaurant only has 1 thing on the menu. If you cooked the shrimp for an hour it would shrivel into nothing. I'm guessing that the shrimps in the kitchen are just decorations and they are deliberately making people wait an unreasonable amount of time. There were at least 15 people who left behind me, and it was 4:00pm already- what kind of way to make business is that? And the shrimp I saw people eating were NOT the decorations in the kitchen- it was smaller and not impressive. C'mon it's just shrimp with rice, the whole experience made me feel like I was one doing THEM a service- I will never come back here again.

    (1)

  • Kristine K.

    The the butter and garlic prawns were freaking delicious! My husband says it was the best meal we had on our vacation on the North Shore, and I have to agree with him. We stepped out of the car to the wonderful smell of garlic. I was watching them cook, and they had a huge wok just full of the butter and garlic mixture. Heavenly! It costs a little more than other shrimp shacks/trucks, and the wait is a little long, but my cousin told me to call ahead. Such a great idea. Mmmm, I'm going to be dreaming of this shrimp for a very long time.

    (5)

  • J B.

    My partner and I decided to go to Romy's instead of the usual Giovanni's because of the long line. We ordered the garlic & butter shrimp and a side of the sweet kahuku corn on the cobb. I thought that the plate was very over priced, which is to be expected. But they even charge for 1 lemon wedge. I thought the shrimp plate was very dry and although the taste itself wasn't too bad. It wasn't anything special. The corn was good but anyone can serve corn on the cobb. I've decided that the wait at Giovanni's is worth the shrimp plate. Or perhaps it would be fun to try all the shrimp trucks on Kamehameha. But I won't be going back to Romy's again.

    (2)

  • Julie Y.

    During my trip I tried 4 shrimp trucks within the span of 24 hours. Romy's was the worst by far! 1) Garlic butter flavor cannot compare to other trucks 2) Shrimp was hard to peel - bad sign 3) More expensive than other trucks. They charge for everything and a soda for more than $2.50 when it's $1 at other trucks is just wrong. Go to Fumi's which is just a few minutes away or Macky's in Haleiwa. Tastes so much better and costs less.

    (1)

  • Ranell L.

    The food is awesome! I love their stamp card reward program. The wait is long but for freshness, it's worth it. Worth the drive but it sucks when kam hwy has hella traffic! I wish I could eat here at least once a week! mmmmm, I'm craving romys even as I am writing this review!

    (5)

  • Jamie B.

    I was skeptical that another shrimp place could be as good as Giovanni's, but thought the killer line in the front had to be saying something. Well all those people definitely weren't waiting for nothing!! I ordered the garlic butter shrimp and it was DELICIOUS! I had to wait half an hour for those suckers because it was Saturday and packed, but it was soooooo worth it. The shrimp were big and juicy and the garlic butter was scrumptious. I sat there sucking the shells, my fingers, whatever I could do to get every last bit of that garlicky goodness.

    (4)

  • N G.

    Horrible. Gross. Disgusting. Shitty. Waste my money! Unless you like barely cooked, bloody, dirty shrimp. This place is fkn nasty. And you have to work way to fkn hard for your food, its ridiculous. And the butter garlic sauce is packaged separate and it sucked. after peeling all the shrimp, we took about 2 bites and threw the whole plate away. what a waste of my $20.00!!! :( Not to mention there was a big ass cockaroach floating around in their shrimp/prawn tank. And flies everywhere. And it was super windy. It doesn't even deserve a star. This place makes me not even like shrimp anymore.

    (1)

  • raechelle v.

    Um....waaaaayyyyyyy over rated! I mean the shrimp itself is good....you can't go wrong with sweet Kahuku shrimp. The dipping sauce was pretty good. The garlic sauce was okay....but geez...nothing worth the looooong drive from town or the looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong wait for the food! At $13.00, it's a pretty steep price. It just comes with shrimp and rice and the dipping sauce. I'm a petite person standing tall at 4'11 and I was still hungry. I can imagine the kanak attackers who can pound some serious grinds leaving hungry. This Filipino family that was sitting next to us must be regulars. They packed a cooler with drinks and Chun Wah Kam Manapua and Chow Fun. Now that's a warning right there if you have to bring more food to fill you up. Macky's Shrimp Truck is still hands down the BEST on the island. At Macky's the plates come with shrimp, tossed salad, and a pineapple and the prices are cheaper at Mack'ys. The real downer is that the super long wait! Like seriously, why does it need to take 1 hour or longer to cook? I mean all you need is a huge wok to fry up those bad boys. And shrimp doesn't take that long to cook. Macky's does it like 10 minutes on a busy day with the tour trucks and all! What's up with Romy's? And Macky's manages to taste better than Romy's! The only reason I can think for the long wait....maybe they harvest their prawns/shrimp from the pond on demand and cook them while their still alive like how the good sushi places do it in Japan.

    (3)

  • William S.

    Very bad service! Long line! Wait for one hour to order and the other one hour wait for cook. Not worth it!

    (1)

  • Anna R.

    i have to say that I've passed up Romy's on Kamehameha before just because it wasn't a name brand like Giovanni's or Macky's that I recognized. Tsk, tsk. I should have been coming here all along! It's true. They have their own shrimp farm. Their shrimp are sweeter and huge! And from what I heard, the other trucks use frozen shrimp? Whatever the case maybe, Romy's is much better tasting. I stopped going all the way up to Kahuku for the shrimp trucks because I was no longer impressed and tired of peeling shrimp. Needless to say, Romy's has given me a little attitude adjustment. I WILL be coming back!

    (5)

  • Super J.

    The good: The food was decent. Nice chunks of garlic and the steamed shrimp was great. Generous rice portions. The bad: However.... The shrimp was over cooked as the shells were sticking to the meat. Bathroom is an outhouse that was FULL at 11am. FULL of NASTYNESS!!!! Tables were sticky and disgusting. Took 30 min to get 3 plates and the place was empty!

    (2)

  • Ina T.

    They close 20mins before actual closing time so if you come at 5:45pm expect to come to them closing down and not giving a rats that you just came..... I unfortunately had to watch that today :(

    (5)

  • Jenn R.

    Romy's the place for pawns, but come early because they run out and you're stuck with shrimp. Shrimp is still good too. My favorite is the garlic prawns... They're to die for. First time I'm here and no line, but always a wait for it to get cooked. Well worth it though. They are cash only and now they have a ATM machine. They have tents for shade to enjoy your food. Everyone has to try Romy's at least once. You'll want to come back.

    (4)

  • Owen G.

    Here is where my wife and I ordered a 1 pound shrimp plate (boiled) with Garlic/Butter and spicy shoyu sauce. It was good. Nothing fancy, but fresh. Save the leftover dipping sauce to pour over your rice. Price: $19 and change. Literally right next door to Fumi's, the other famous shrimp place.

    (3)

  • Marc A.

    Garlic shrimp is the way to go. And ill eat Romys even though I have a mild shellfish allergy. Worth coming here from Chicago...yup. Worth eating the shrimp even though service was slow. Yup. Worth eating it knowing the next day my joints would burn....yup. I rank Romy way up there.

    (5)

  • Nyjah P.

    This honestly was one of the worst experiences I have had... Customer service wise. Me and my group of friends decided after our hike we were famished and wanted to stop by Romy's to grab some epic shrimp; I've heard people rave about. I honestly can't say how the shrimp tasted, because we waited for 20mins with no service, what's so ever. Mind you, we were the only ones standing in line. They would walk past us, make eye contact, call out other customers numbers to pick up there orders, and even picked up the phone to take an orders in front of us. Since when does a phone order take prominence over a customer standing dead in front of you? Was so pissed, we left and went to Fumi's up othe road, and was damn sure glad we did, service was WAY friendlier, quick and prompt and they serve shrimp tempera . No complaints there!

    (1)

  • Chass B.

    I can't believe I never wrote a review yet! Well, here it is: This is an understatement when I say it's the best garlic prawns in the North Shore hands down! Well....I haven't tried any other shrimp shacks...BUT, why would I!?! I am a loyalist and as long as you are good to me and feed me well no since in trying anything/ anyone new! My fiance and I will make the 45 minute (sometimes an hour if theres a surf comp, which is almost all the time) out to Kahuku just to get out of the norm and city and have a good, slash that, delicious lunch! We also love that the food is fresh, because they are pretty much the only one that has their pond right there. You may not see anything in the water though, its murky LOL! We get super excited when we start passing the windmills, the fruit stand, and Turtle Bay, it means we are getting closer - yahooo!! Between the two of us we will get two #1 - Butter Garlic and with PRAWNS, thats the key, prawns, sooo good! But, if they run out, which 90% of the time, they will, the shrimp is also fantastic! Hold on now, along with our two plates, we will get one #3 - Fried Shrimp. Shell free shrimp wrapped up in a wonton/ lumpia type wrapper. OMG, yummay! These two plates are prawn and shrimp head free, in case you are just NOT into looking into their eyes. The place has a sink with soap to wash your hands before and after you eat, cause unless you have the fried shrimp, you will be using your hands to peel. So worth it though! Theres lots of picnic table seatings, so don't fret when you're standing in the line (which sometimes can be super long), you will find a seat. There is a bathroom, but if you are not into portable setting...well, thats what you'll get. Atleast you can wash your hands =) Don't forget to bring cash, there is an ATM, but, it's not specified to a bank, and all around it's just better to know that there is a guarantee there is money in the machine. Oh, and watch your food, there are a lot of flies, but cmon you are in the countryside... Happy Eating!

    (5)

  • Leah P.

    Everytime I venture out to north shore stopping at a Kahuku shrimp truck is always a must. This time it was romy's. Everybody raves about romy's. I normally go to fumi's because I'm a creature of habit but the boyfriend wanted to try something new. I was surprised to see such a limited menu. Basically you can get anything with either prawns or shrimp. I got the butter garlic shrimp combo plate ($19) and it came with 8-9 pieces of shrimp, 2 scoops of rice, salad, corn and a small fountain drink. Overall, it wasn't worth it. The shrimp was really good and came with loads of garlic but my corn was hard and the salad was nothing special. My boyfriend got the peeled shrimp wrapped in wonton wrappers. The shrimp was okay. Not much flavor. He had to dip it into the the spicy shout sauce I got with my plate. The wait time was around 30 minutes which isn't that bad since it was a Tuesday. Ample parking but could get tight on weekends. I don't think I'll be coming back here. Too expensive and not enough options.

    (3)

  • Holly B.

    This shrimp stand is very popular in Kahuku, in the RED building at the side of the road beside the prawn ponds near Kahuku Farms. Their shrimp is covered with crispy garlic pieces and comes with a spicy soy sauce for dipping! And the li hing pineapple is cold, refreshing and a sweet complement to finish the meal! Lots of seating under the roomy tents on the edge of the ponds, cool and comfortable! Winner!

    (5)

  • Paul C.

    Friends from out-of-town came back to the islands for the holidays and we're all foodies and was telling them about this place and how much I was craving to come back here again. There were 5 of us and 3 ordered butter garlic shrimp w/ DOUBLE GARLIC and the other 2 ordered the deep fried sunfish. Upon ordering, we were advised there is a 30min wait but it didn't bother us. After ordering, we noticed several parties left as they didn't want to wait that long. I also bumped into KHON's Ron Mizutani and his family as they were also eating here. I worked so hard to bring down my cholesterol naturally from a record high 296 to 186 but decided to reward myself today. The shrimp shells were so soft that I decided to eat the shrimps whole, heads and all!!! As a word of advice, I don't think the combo meals (comes w/ corn on the cob, salad and a 16oz drink) is worth it. The salad was what you'd get from Costco (Nalo greens) and the portion was small. Next time I'll order the garlic butter shrimp w/ DOUBLE garlic and a large cup of soda! I tried some of the deep fried fish and it was good! The tail and fins were deep fried to a crisp and I was able to chew on them like potato chips. Very good but their shrimp plate rocks. I was hoping to try the prawns this time around but they didn't have any. Next time....... My 2nd time to this place and they delivered. Sorry Giovanni's but Romy's get my vote.

    (5)

  • Debi V.

    I had their Shrimp Butter Garlic Scampi plate. It was good with rice. There's lots of garlic and it is cooked rightvthere and then. Be prepared for at least a 30-40 minute wait as there are lots of people who frequent here.

    (4)

  • Byron M.

    The shrimp is the best on the North Shore, hands down. The sunfish is amazing. Not so good is the wait! Or the lack of civilized facilities. For the money these guys are stacking everyday, you'd think they could afford to at least install a decent restroom. So here's how to handle this place: Make sure everybody relieves themselves at Turtle Bay, which is just a mile up the road. Get someone in line, and someone to find a table, and someone to head down to Kahuku Superette for the amazing poke and drinks while waiting in line. Now you can enjoy your wait, because until these guys decide to expand, which will never happen, that's what you 're going to have to do.

    (3)

  • Joe P.

    we went to romy's last sunday for lunch, we stood in line for about an hour, we gotto the front of counter and ordered our meals, the cashier told us that we have to wait another one hour and a half (1 1/2 hour) for ur meals to come out..wtf! that is ridiculous. my 4 year old daughter was complaining that she's starving... butter,garlic and shrimp and aloha,thats all you need. doesnt take 1 1/2 hour to cook. yes, thtere is a small sign stating how long to cook the meal,but come on. the sign is by the cashier. so bythe time you stand in line for one hour, thats the only time you will see the sign. they should make the sign visible to the people waiting in line.

    (1)

  • David N.

    I gotta say I was really disappointed in the shrimp trucks on the North Shore. I went to a bunch of the more popular ones including but not limited to Giovanni's, Romys, Fumis and Big Wave... and wasn't super stoked on any of them. Romy's was by far the most disappointing spot of them all mostly because of the price. The wait wasn't as long as everyone hyped it up to be, but maybe I just happened to be there at a good time? The food was decent but the overall flavoring of the food was insanely bland. We ordered 3 lbs of the head on shrimp, fried shrimp, the fried fish, shrimp scampi, and a few more items. All in all it was decent but IMO didn't live up to the hype. That is probably what was wrong with this place was that everyone that I talked to about North Shore, really hyped up all the places I went to. Not to say this place was bad and I would never return, but the bar was set so high by other people, it was possibly nearly impossible for the romy's to ever meet those expectations. Pros 1. Presentation 2. Shack instead of a typical food truck 3. Lots of seating 4. Not too far from everything Cons 1. Price 2. Flavor was lack luster 3. Price 4. Price

    (2)

  • Val B.

    Everyone loves this place. It's ok. You walk up to the counter and order. There was a weird scenario. I thought I would order and pay. But I ordered first. And maybe 10 mins later I paid. The food took a long time to serve. We got our food. It's was delish. Ordered the garlic shrimp. I loved that the heads were still on. One of the only trucks that have the heads. Numms. Beware if you have acid reflux, sensitive stomach, heartburn etc. I was in pain all day. I couldn't burp. I had to drink bubbles to help aid in the alleviating the pain. My stomach was in gurgling.

    (3)

  • alan q.

    This is by far my favorite place to eat on the island. I always order the number 1 which is the shrimp with hot spicy garlic sauce over rice. There's always a line and that's the reason I stopped here originally. On this trip , i purchased my 10th plate and I received a free plate. 50 people cheered after. If you see this review romy's, open a location near waikiki.

    (5)

  • Bella L.

    Made the trek to the North Shore and chose Romy's to end my innocence of the famed garlic shrimp & rice. We arrived at noon and were happy to beat the long line. They were out of shrimp on the day we went so we ordered Butter Garlic Prawns and a Sunfish. I could smell the yummy food cooking in the back and was excited about my upcoming feast. When our food arrived, I tore into my container to find a freshly-prepared, glorious mound of perfectly browned garlic and prawns over a very decent amount of rice. The problem is that there were only 5 prawns in that large container! Huh? I paid $16 and change for this?? It tasted good enough, but I wish there were an even half dozen at least! Sunfish was freshly fried and really delicious. Overall, order more if your hungry. Quality and taste is great. Portions should be larger for the price.

    (3)

  • Emersonn C.

    Always a must stop for me when I come to Oahu. Get there early to get the prawns otherwise the garlic shrimp is still amazing! You can even eat the shell and all!

    (5)

  • Marcie C.

    The driver of a shuttle told my husband about this place. He said it was well worth the drive from waikiki. We dedicated to hit it after the dole plantation. There was quite a bit of traffic, so it took over an hour to get their from dole. We passed about 4 shrimp trucks on the way but we were determined to get to romy's. Each of the prior shrimp trucks had just a handful of cars out front. Romy's had a full lot, which I took as a good sign. Once we ordered it was an hour wait to get our food. They have signs up saying it isn't fast food and there will be a wait. I had the garlic prawns and they were yummy! My husband had the spicy and sweet ones and the sauce was super tasty. My mom got the fried shrimp and they were also tasty. I would definitely come back. We did snack on wasabi peas on the drive, so we weren't starving when we ordered. It was a bit of a tease to smell the food and see others eating while we waited, though.

    (4)

  • Aline T.

    Even Ono Kine Grindz doesn't think this place is great. onokinegrindz.typepad.co… This place is completely overrated. The garlic shrimp plate wasn't very garlicky...they don't cook the shrimp in the butter and garlic. They have cooked shrimp beforehand and put garlic on top, so the flavors don't really meld and sink in. What's worse...they make a one batch of the garlic sauce and that one batch is split amongst 6-8 waiting plates which means....you barely get any (unless you're lucky!). Their "Kahuku Corn" isn't even Kahuku corn unless you count buying frozen corn from Sam's Club and driving it to Kahuku the same as "Kahuku Corn". The Pani Popo sounds all fancy but it's really just a sweet bread roll with coconut milk on top. Woop-di-doo! The wait is unbelievable. You wait in a long line to order (15-25 min in the HOT SUN) THEN you wait even longer for the food! For that long of a wait, I was expecting AWESOME but what I got was sore disappointment. If you're in the Kahuku area, I guess, hey why not? but don't go out of your way for this place. Not even if you're in the North Shore. If you want to go once for the experience, go ahead, but I'm just trying to save you from regret. My friends and I decided to try it because of the positive yelp reviews...man, what a waste. All of us were disappointed. Never again.

    (1)

  • Royce Y.

    OVERALL RATING = 9 / 10 The EATS: Butter & Garlic Sauteed Prawns = 9 Rice = 8 The ATMOSPHERE = 7 The SERVICE = 6 ---COMMENTS--- Went w/ wife. I read enough reviews and received many recommendations of this truck and others to not be influenced by any hype. I tried two different shrimp trucks during our visit to North Shore: This truck, and Giovanni's. I preferred this one. The prawns were plump-er and juicier. They provide a side of shoyu dipping sauce that went well with the prawns. The rice was perfect. Plenty of hand washing stations w/soap! Great job, Romy's. The APPEAL = 9 If I'm ever back in Oahu... This is a sure stop. Gonna order at least two plates!

    (4)

  • michele k.

    i can't decide between 3 and 4 stars. maybe if i had ordered the garlic shrimp they would have gotten 4. in my attempt to not gain 20 lbs during my 2 week trip to hawaii, i ordered steamed shrimp for dinner. this place deserved a review, b/c i saw someone else order the steamed prawns which they ran out of by the time i ordered. even as a shrimp lover, i had no idea what the difference was btwn shrimp and prawns. i asked them and they said that prawns were closer to lobsters. OMG! the prawns were crazy big. the leg was as long as my arm. i've never seen a shrimp/prawn this big. i'm wondering why they don't have them in aquariums. is it b/c these are grown in shrimp farms, so they wouldn't be this big in the wild? check out my pic...

    (3)

  • Kim F.

    My cousin & his fiancee are visiting from California and wanted to try some shrimp trucks. I told them to avoid Giovanni's shrimp truck because the line is long and the shrimp is ok but not worth the wait. I met my guests at Romy's and we ordered the butter garlic and sweet spicy shrimp plates. Knowing that Giovanni's prided themselves on the amount of shrimp they served, we counted the shrimps in our plates. There were 9 shrimps in the butter garlic plate and 13 shrimps in the sweet spicy plate. The butter garlic shrimp was tasty and not greasy. I enjoyed the cooked garlic bits on the shrimp. It was served with a shoyu sauce on the side that was light, not too salty. I preferred the shrimp alone, without the sauce, because of the light garlic taste. I definitely enjoyed this shrimp over Giovanni's. Also, they have a stamp card! Buy 10 plate lunches, get 1 free. What a deal!

    (4)

  • Diana B.

    I'm so glad that my friend advised me to check out the shrimp shacks in the North Shore and recommended Romy's. Lunch at Romy's after driving through the North Shore was one of my favorite memories from Oahu. My boyfriend and I went on New Year's Eve and, hearing that it's a long wait but worth it, luckily got to the red shrimp shack when there was only one group ahead of us. A line formed after we ordered our food. We took a table near the pond where they were fishing the shrimp, and they called our name over the loud speaker in 15 minutes when our food was ready. Deshelling the prawns (and removing the stomache sac) was a messy job, but the butter garlic prawns were delicious! I only wished that the rice was softer. yelp.com/user_local_phot…

    (4)

  • Alicia A.

    I expected more from this place. It's kinda like boiling crab, but not as good... Definitely overrated.

    (2)

  • P M.

    I can't believe the glowing reviews given here. This place is a HUGE tourist trap ripoff! For $15 you get a pathetically small amount of shrimp. They tried to charge me $2.50 for a bottle of water (25 cent Costco water). On top of all that I had to wait for over half an hour to get my tiny portion of food. My mainland visitors were really turned off. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to this place let alone take any more visitors. I've lived on Oahu for 30 years and have seldom seen such a crappy deal. Save your money, go somewhere else- somewhere real and get a plate lunch. If you go to this place you'll go away hungry and with a much lighter wallet. Strictly for ripping off tourists.

    (1)

  • Marshall L.

    Loose money! Figured i try here because had long lines! Should have checked here first.. Keep heading down the road to the first and real shrimp truck Giovannies. Its the best! Makes it look big by leaving the head on Over cooked Shrimp the bugga all stuck to da skin Burnt garlic! Kahuku corn is fail! They surely are not a FAST FOOD JOINT! They are not even a Shrimp Shack!

    (1)

  • Damon A.

    eeeehhhh......not that great, looks good in pics but taste wise, not so good. When we pulled up, no line. Just people waiting for food. It says "not fast food, it is good", well not really . Waiting to order, I noticed tons of files going all over the place, kind of a turn off but whatever. Placed our order, then wait....and wait....and wait even longer......and longer. I was like what the hell, can't even keep up with a very small, not so busy time. Finally got out plate after waiting 20 min+ (and the line grew like crazy after us), took a look at the person on the wok, AAAAHHHH!!!! I see now the cook needs a lesson from a chef from a Chinese restaurant, to learn how to properly use a wok. The Chinese chefs use high heat, like an afterburner on a fighter jet, and stir frying like crazy. The guy at Romy's, low heat and putting a cover on the pile of shrimp to steam a little. Back to the shrimp, looks good, even had partial head on so I suck um. The head tasted good. Suck the body (what I do at Giovanni's), and not really tasting anything special. Kind of weird, the head had flavor but the body, not so much. Where's the garlic flavor? It is separate, and fried on the side, not so much infused with the sauce or shrimp. Peel the shrimp, taste bland. Next shrimp, dunk in the sauce, it's ok that way. Next one attach garlic, taste ok. If you combine everything, then it taste ok. But if the shrimp stands alone, no tasty garlic. Sorry, I'm a garlicholic, if I can't tasted it, there is not enough garlic in it. But eh, whatevas...in my opinion GIOVANNI'S greater than (can't use greater than sign? wth?) romy's. Gotta try Fumi's next.

    (1)

  • Joanne H.

    9 shrimps, two scoops of rice and side of sauce. It was delicious, except why does it take 20+ minutes??? I wish they would give more rice! Fiance and I agree it's better than Giovanni's, however it cost more and you get less shrimp (~9) but better quality!

    (5)

  • Alex R.

    Went here because of the good reviews on yelp and we wanted to try something different. Since my family and I were in the area we decided to stop by. This place was good, at least my plate was good. My sister got the garlic shrimp plate and it was okay, however my sweet and spicy shrimp was fantastic. Since I live in Texas and will most likely never come back here, I have to say with the plates, they are really a hit or miss. I still remember my awesome sweet and spicy plate, and it was wonderful. If I do someday go back, I already know what I will be ordering.

    (4)

  • Eeeeestar T.

    Maybe I'm just a total tourist sucker, but the idea of eating seafood fresh outta the water is just awesome, so I was totally into this place. Nothing was especially earth-shattering, but BOY were those prawns enormous and sweet, and the shrimp tender and flavorful!

    (4)

  • Rachie P.

    First time here, my mom and I decided to leave from kapolei early so we could get there early... 1hr drive! Then even with a line of 15 people, it took 45 min to get to the order window, and another 45min wait for our names to be called to get our shrimp plates. Mommy got some corn to hold her off for a bit and I bought some chips at island before we got there so we were prepared. Even with the hour and a half wait, those shrimps were Worth it! Finger lickin good! I ate the heads and all, I've heard of some eating the shells too. Looks like they harvest their own shrimps/prawns right behind the shack in the mornings. So you know they're fresh and you can taste it! Parking is just right in front on the side of the road and not really bad... but now when we have shrimp shack cravings we wake up extra early, call our order in when we leave so by the time we get there we just pay, grab the order, and chow down!

    (5)

  • Lani B.

    I will probably get a brick thrown at me for this...but I thought Romy's was just okay. We stopped at Romy's since the line was shorter than Fumi's. Waited 45 minutes for our butter garlic shrimp plate, corn on the cob and pineapple. The shrimp was good and fresh but I've had better versions of it, corn on the cob and pineapple were nice and sweet. As far as service, I do understand that they are not "fast food" but having one cashier that works both the order window and pickup window is pretty crappy on a Sunday. The cashier herself did her job well and did it with a smile. There were two other people in the back making food so I understand they could not help. For what ever the reason was that day...management should have stepped in. I did like that they offered hand washing stations. And, if needed a portable potty *cringe*. My overall experience was okay but will not go out of my way for it.

    (3)

  • Aisha C.

    I believe Romy's is the only place where you'll get the best, freshest, juiciest, spicy, flavored to perfection prawns and shrimps ever! tried Giovanni but i still think Romy taste so much better!

    (5)

  • Kara K.

    I liked the idea that they have their own farm raised shrimp, but the price and the flavor were disappointing. They don't have many options such as mix and match or even an ala carte option for the shrimp with the sauces. $12.75 for the shrimp plate. Expensive, but I was willing to try it. The shrimp is served with the head on, kinda different from other shrimp trucks I've visited. The sauce was just okay, and the garlic and butter wasn't really strong tasting. Maybe I should have gotten the spicy and sweet shrimp. Overall, I like Geste's on Maui and Macky's Sweet Shrimp truck better even though they don't raise their own shrimp.

    (2)

  • Dave L.

    Your standard shrimp truck/hut. Honestly, I don't really get the hype of the shrimp truck/hut. I'm not even sure if the shrimp is fresh -- I asked if they sell live shrimp, and they said no. Maybe it's because Chinese people have been frying up garlic shrimp for a long time. My momma and my momma's momma makes this stuff. That being said, it's still pretty good. Haha! Tips: Definitely worth checking out. No need to try out all the shrimp vendors.

    (4)

  • Kenny F.

    Alright. So a couple weeks ago I had a few out-of-town guests visiting from California. Normally, we take a day out of our week to embark on the drive to North Shore to enjoy the beautiful sun, Haleiwa town, and of course the shrimp in Kahuku. 100% of the time we will stop at Giovanni's and grab their classic garlic shrimp plate and devour the plate in about 1 minute until we smell of garlic from head-to-toe. However, this time we decided to try Romy's as we've heard many great reviews of this place and the "sauce" they serve their creature of the sea with. On our drive back into Kaneohe we make our pit stop at Romy's. It's pretty empty, maybe one or two people either ordering or waiting for food. My friend and I order 2 plates; the classic garlic shrimp and 1lb of their steamed shrimp cocktail. "Please move aside and wait for your number to be called" Okay. 2 minutes goes by and I start reading the signs posted on the window "THIS IS NOT A FAST FOOD JOINT! It is good food as fast as we can make it" Well shit. 10 minutes goes by... 15 minutes... 30 minutes...ok seriously? Where the heck is the bar--they need to be serving alcohol at this joint if they are going to be taking this long. 32 minutes..."Number 234" YES!! We grab our plates...open the styrofoam plate up...GASP! All I see are tiny heads with HUGE eyes gazing back at me with crazy ridiculously long eyelashes that need some serious trimming! Couldn't they at least take the heads off these guys? Not only do I need to peel the shell off--but now I have to decapitate the head!? Too much. The taste was mediocre--but the whole experience just ruined it for me. The long wait. The crazy eyes. The ripping of the heads. Next time, GIOVANNIS!

    (1)

  • Lo L.

    I usually get the prawns here. The prawns are HUGE and defenitely worth the price. It's nice, succulent and sweet but they ran out of prawns last time I went. I had to order the shrmp instead and we got it steamed with cocktail sauce and garlic butter on the side. Their shrimp are bigger than Giovanni's and the garlic butter sauce is a little bit different. Both places are good if you ask me which is why i go to both.

    (4)

  • Jade Q.

    i want to give a try, shirmp not really fresh,, went back wanna get pics of lime, the lady in the front tokd me, the lime doesn't come with it, $.25 each. omg one pics lime?. did i hear it wrong. and she doesn't sounds good. ,i am not going back again. Giovanni's are much better.

    (1)

  • jacko l.

    Shrimp 4 - real fresh shrimps and prawns Sauces 2 - had sweet n spicy - too sweet, unoriginal sauce, right from the Thai sweet spicy bottle from market. Garlic - bland, needs more salt and garlic Corn 2 - blah, not sweet or juicy, lacks flavor Not worth 45min wait. Would not return. Back to Giovanni

    (3)

  • Angelo C.

    YUmmmmy!!!!! Man. I miss this place!!! Best garlic prawns ever!!!

    (5)

  • Racquel S.

    Shrimp truck battle begins when you head down to Kahuku! First major shrimp shack you see is Giovanni's which I personally haven't tried since I took my out-of-towners there and I deeply regret it. Romy's is always our stop right before Matsumoto's Shave Ice, it goes together like PB & J! I like how they have a cleaner outdoor seating and is also under the shade because you really get all the sun bathing while you are in line. They have a sink to wash your garlicky sticky slimy hands after peeling those shrimps/prawns! I usually peel all of it before I take my first bite! Sometimes the wait can be decades but it is well worth it, I usually get my usual the garlic butter shrimp (#1), Li Hing Mui Pineapples, and Sweet Kahuku Corn. O-m-g the shrimp is always garlicky and my mouth is just salivating while I see others dig into their plates! Quick Tips 1. If you are going with a group share one stamp card so you can get a free plate. 2. You can phone order 30 minutes before you pick up 3. B.Y.O.B. (bring a cooler with yah next time)

    (5)

  • Jen C.

    Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp, Inc needs to open up shop in the back of my yard ASAP. First-time experience: Long, long trek of an never-ending road, beautiful scenery, but did I mention a long, long trek? It was about 1 hour both ways, and my stomach was complaining, rather loudly the whole way there. Nestled deep into the country, the big Romy's sign was like the first ray of a light at the end of a really deep tunnel. Im pretty sure I heard the angels sing simultaneously with the halo crowning. The line was about 8 people deep. The line moved slower than what I had expected. 15-20 minutes later i was at the window ordering a #1 (garlic and butter shrimp plate) with extra garlic and butter sauce on the side. The actual wait for the food itself took about 20 minutes, but oh my. THIS WAS THE BEST SHRIMP IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. honestly, my mind was blown. Thoughts like "Why havent I eaten this sooner?" or "Where have you been all my life?" came to mind. The 1 hour drive seemed pretty ridiculous at first, but after the taste of heaven, It is weeeeeeeeeeeell worth it. I will eat here again, if i could eat here everyday, I so would.

    (5)

  • Stacy H.

    I went on the busiest day and time of the week, lunchtime on a Sunday. Parking is limited if there are tourist buses taking up a lot of the space. If you can, try the garlic and butter prawns. With the #8 you also get rice, salad, sweet corn and a drink. Its not bad and the flavor is great. Go early though since parking is hard during lunch hours and the wait for food could be over 30 minutes. There is shaded seating and a sink to clean your hands after you dig into the prawns and/or shrimp.

    (4)

  • Vina Y.

    Yes, believe the hype. The shrimp is is extremely fresh and nothing beat the garlic butter sauce! Yes, the lines are long but you can call ahead to pick up. You can call while you're in the back of the line too, haha.

    (5)

  • Diana A.

    Having stopped randomly at Romy's, having failed to check Yelp for where to go, I now know exactly where I want to stop EVERY time I am at the North Shore! Love love LOVED our shrimp. We had an order of the Butter and Garlic shrimp and an order of the sweet spicy shrimp, extra hot. We ordered no rice with one of them, and brown rice with the other. The Garlic shrimp were served with the rice and a side of soy sauce, and the sweet and spicy ones were served with a side of additional hot sauce, and Man oh MAN was it good. We happened to get there shortly before closing time but we had great service and delicious food. NO LINES! We found it funny that a guy who had already received his order and took it back to the service window asking "Can you take the shells off of these for us?" He was seriously upset that the shrimp were served with their shells on!! Poor guy. He sounded like a whimpering child when he squeaked out "I can't eat it these like that! Please?" The gal behind the window was flabbergast, but she didn't tell him what a ding dong he was. She instead treated him with the utmost respect and said "well, that is how they are served, but I can show you how to peel them." At which point she put on a pair of gloves and gave the man a proper lesson in how to peel his own shrimp. I was really impressed with her professionalism. My husband and I were struggling not to laugh out loud at him, and we could tell she was aghast at him insisting his shrimp had to be peeled for him. So yeah, as many others have stated, the food is amazing, and I was equally, if not more impressed with the service. For anyone who dinged them for slow service, I'd like to remind you that there is a sign clearly posted "This is not FAST FOOD. It's good food served as fast as we can." Good food needs to be cooked to order and if you're in line with 25 other people, you're going to have to practice patience!!

    (5)

  • thinzar n.

    One order of butter and garlic shrimp with brown rice for me please. Actually, make that two ... please. Whenever I get to the North Shore, I make sure that I go out of my way to get my garlic shrimps at this Kahuku's shrimp shack. I will sit through traffic of surfers and turtle gawking tourists just to get here. This place is worth the trip and wait. I haven't tried the other shrimp shacks in the area so my opinion maybe biased but I cross my heart and hope to tell the truth that the garlic shrimps here are simply heaven! One: this is not fast food. They have a sign saying that good food takes time. Two: this is not your first date kind of place. The only way to eat the shrimps is to get down and dirty. They have water and soap available for cleanup afterwards. Three: it does get windy here (hence the windmills) so don't plan on sitting in your bikini to pig out. The picnic benches are available to enjoy your meal and you can bring your own drinks. Lastly, enjoy! The special sauce that comes with the garlic shrimp perfectly complements the shrimps. You can get prawns instead of shrimps for no extra charge but the shrimps here are not tiny little ones. They can pass as prawns on the mainland. They give you frequent customer stamp cards and stamps them with each visit. You can get a free plate on the 10th purchase. I have been frequenting Romy's since 2007 and I am already on my fourth card and looking forward to many more. Note: Cash Only!

    (5)

  • Nina N.

    My husband said it was good but he got food poisoning when we flew back home..............................................­............ that's the only thing he ate so it had to be romy's. Just saying the shrimp was spicy and undercooked! wtf!!! why are all the shrimp undercooked?!!

    (2)

  • Sandra Y.

    GARLIC. BUTTER. PRAWNS. RICE. CRACK-INFUSED SAUCE. I was sold at first sniff. I became obsessive at first bite. AND. they have li-hing pineapples. love love love.

    (5)

  • Glenn D.

    Going to hawaii for the 4th times, wanted to try romy's shrimp first and wanted to try giovanni shrimp for my second stops, ordered the butter garlic shrimp delicious.

    (5)

  • Richard B.

    Took my Girl to Hawaii just because we missed Romy's Prawns soooo much!!! You can take a walk out back and watch your shrimp swimming around before being sauteed with garlic :) we love you Romy!!!!!

    (4)

  • EJay D.

    Excellent shrimp. Butter and garlic is the best! The prawns are huge !!!! Get them buttered garlic style ...fried. It's the best way to eat them. With 2 scoops of rice; you can't go wrong. No frills place. They do shrimp well.

    (4)

  • Hiro S.

    I love their butter garlic prawns! Sauteed chopped garlic is crispy and the rice with the sauce tastes so good, too. I know it's not that cheap, but I think people go there for the experience...eating outside near the shack, shrimp pond, etc. :p

    (4)

  • Lori M.

    The wait in line and wait for your food can be long, but it's so worth it. I ordered prawns and they were perfectly cooked and oh so delicious. They offer combination plates with shrimps or prawns and with two scoops of rice. I had the butter and garlic prawns combo which also came with a side of soyu spicy sauce which added a kick to the prawns. Yummy! I devoured my plate in minutes. If possible bring a poncho as you will get the shrimp sauce all over you. Or maybe that was just me. They also have a sink so you can wash your hands after a messy meal. There's lots of seating and a shrimp farm behind the shack. I wish they had some shrimp trucks closer to Waikiki where we were staying because I only had the opportunity to come here once.

    (4)

  • Brendon D.

    LOST meets Vietnam meets pink fingers! If you find yourself "deep" in the North Shore, you may come across Romy's. It's a shack in front of a shrimp farm. It's replete with down-home picnic tables, an efficient staff and fun tourists and locals. It's crazy because the area looks like Vietnam: lush lowlands with tons of water tanks that look like rice paddies w/out the rice. Crazy, but trust me. This place is about as simple as it gets. Forrest Gump anybody? I have to say that I love when a place can keep their menu so minimal and focus on what their good at. Shrimp is what they've got and they do a darn good job. It's worth stopping off and getting your fingers pink for. Don't half step. Make sure to save a few cool ones in the ice chest for your trip here.

    (3)

  • Pete T.

    Call in your order ahead, always busy, sometimes you could wait up to an hour to order and get your food. If you are a shrimp fan (steamed or garlic), this place has good food. Plenty of room for a group as well. You get so messy eating here, they have a large industrial sized kitchen sink to wash your hands when you are done.

    (3)

  • Alvin L.

    If you are in the area and have an hour to hour half to spare, this place makes amazing garlic butter shrimps. You have the choice between shrimps or prawns; since prawns are larger you'll get less but I personally like the taste of prawns better. There are other flavors but if in doubt, you can always count on garlic butter. The plates are not cheap; $13-$14 per plate and a pound of steam shrimps or prawns are $18-20. Depending on the size of the steam prawns you can get as little as 4 pieces. The shrimp plates has 8-10 pieces. The items are cooked fresh so it would take at least 20min upto 45min; much longer if you have to stand in line to order. Have patience as the ladies at the cashier are not nice. Absolutely no Aloha! Therefore 4 stars.

    (4)

  • Wen C.

    I have to say that I agree with Brian who is also from San Francisco. Come on, personally I think it's over priced and over-hyped. We stopped by a fruit stand and the old woman told us about Romy's, and said that they have "shrimp farm" tour. Out of curiosity (plus we did hear about the shrimp truck stuff, etc.) so we went there. We were among one of the first customers there, but still waited for like 30 minutes to get our food. I ordered half pound of garlic prawns, which equal to only like 4 small prawns, and that's like $17 (or $18) right there. Ge, I guess everything in Hawaii is expensive, but at least not the Costco or Walmart which is really close to Waikiki shopping mall. Anyway, at least for me, we will pass next time. I wish I had read the review here before we went there. Probably should have chosen something else for lunch....

    (2)

  • carmie t.

    waited a good hour for our food and I must say it was "ehhh" wasn't worth the drive and the wait. on top of that they ran out of prawns just when it was our time to order :(. there wasn't anything special about the food. I prefer kahuku's famous shrimp.

    (3)

  • Doris D.

    Romy's is WAY too crowded at lunch. It's so popular that the Japanese tourist buses dump their tourists here for lunch and the kitchen gets slammed with their orders. Unfortunately we got to Romy's right at this 12pm lunch rush and had to wait an hour for our food! I will definitely remember to avoid Romy's at noon and come later in the day - the shrimp is really to die for. Ok I had the whole fried sunfish which was awesome but I would get the shrimp if I didn't have to die from eating it.

    (3)

  • Paul H.

    OMG! So good! I wanted to go to a garlic shrimp truck one time at least before I left. Giovanni's had more reviews, but after talking to many locals, I decided on Romy's. So right on. Giovanni's is more butter than Romy's. All the locals told me that if you're looking for more asian flavor vs Scampi flavor go to Romy's. Also, the fact they have their own shrimp farm right next door is AWESOME! I love the fact they leave the head on the shrimp! The garlic sauce on mixed in the rice with a bit of the shoyu on the side is heaven on earth! It is about 3-4 miles straight shot from Romy's to Polynesian Cultural Center, so I suggest going to Romy's as soon as they open at 10am to have late breakfast and early lunch. Stuff yourself full of shrimp and rice and then head to PCC to walk it off when they open at noon!

    (5)

  • Lina T.

    If you're in the North Shore area, the shrimp shacks are a must! Romy's is one of the many shrimp shacks and it's hard to miss because of it's vibrant red sign. If you know where Giovani's is, it's a little past it. I'm not that big on shrimp but theres something about garlic buttered shrimp that I crave soooo much. Romy's has a few selections of plates and you can choose between shrimp or prawns. I always just go for the good ol garlic buttered shrimp. I won't lie, the plates are kind of expensive. Corn is $5 for two. And it's not that big! The food is going to take a while. Straight up had to wait around 45 minutes. That's because theres so many people here and they don't make it ahead of time. It's freshly made! Romy's has a shrimp farm behind the shacks so their shrimp is extremely fresh. You can taste the sweetness in the shrimp. They come shell and head on so you're gonna have to get your hands dirty! They also include two scoops of white rice (additional fee for brown rice) and a dipping sauce (which I use to mix with the rice). Although it says garlic butter shrimp, its not heavy on butter and they don't skimp on the garlic! Vampire breath :D Some would consider the garlic to be burnt, but I would consider it to be just on the verge of being burnt but not yet. It's crispy~ Parking is limited so that may be a problem if you're planning to visit on the weekends. They have tents on either side of their shack and under it are a good amount of picnic tables for you to enjoy your food on. Be aware that sometimes they get a little sticky. They also include a nice outdoor wash bin so you can wash your hands before and after stuffing your face with shrimp :P Don't forget to bring cash! They don't take card!

    (5)

  • James C.

    long line and employees seem irritated by the customers. they don't answer the phone if you want to place an order. and the food is ok. for a social gathering with friends its great because you will wait a good hour before your name is called .oh most of the time they don't even have prawns lol.....but my girl likes it so yeah.

    (3)

  • Amber B.

    Oh man, we love our food trucks and local dives but this place is a joke!!! Worst shrimp ever.... It tasted worse than the frozen kind at the store. Not worth the money or the wait..... BUT, do go to the farm across the street.... THAT place is worth writing about!!

    (1)

  • Emil C.

    I love garlic butter shrimp! I love shrimp in general. My friend really hyped up this place, so when I finally had them, I was not all impressed by their shrimp. I was expecting much better. But still it was good shrimp. I inhaled that plate in a matter of minutes. You can dip the shrimp in the spicy soy sauce. We got here at about 5:30pm and they were already winding down and starting to close down shop since they closed at 6pm sharp. When our order was ready, we had to pick it up from the back door since they had already shut down the front for the night. Bring cash. They only accept cash. I do believe they have an ATM machine on site. There's a sink with soap in the eating area in case you peeled your shrimp. I ate the whole shrimp, shell and all.... mmmmmm yummy!

    (3)

  • Jackie T.

    I would give this place no stars, but I don't have that option. In 30 minutes I became annoyed, irritated, grossed out, disappointed and insecure, and all in the same place. I was annoyed to have wait in line for such a long time (20 min) and then when I order my food to be told I will have to wait an even longer time (30-45 min). I became irritated, because of all the flies flying around me and my food, there wasn't a second that I was left in peace. And I could not go to the restroom, beca use it was a porta potty and considering the conditions of it, it was only going to make my situation worse. I was grossed out by the messiness of the shrimp! They took a half an hour to give me my food and I honestly don't know why. The only thing the shrimp was, was cooked It was not clean, peeled or seasoned. It took me forever to peel the shrimp and It was a very gross process even my little son who is into to gross thing was disgusted. The shrimp had no flavor whatsoever and I could not eat it without sauce. Also the smell and aftertaste of shrimp stated on me like a burden. The worse thing I like feeling is insecurity and that is exactly what I felt being at that "restaurant". There was a man ( only wearing shorts) walking suspiciously around the parking lot, so I told my husband to park the car closer, because I had the feeling this man was out to rob something. The man started dancing around the cars and being very disruptive, I suspected he was a homeless, but no he was a customer. To make things even more uncomfortable the man started to inappropriately move his pectoral muscles to the beat of the katy perry song playing, I had to cover my children's eyes. My point is I do not recommend this restaurant. My family and I were happy to get back to the Kahala hotel take a shower and wash our mouths. Don't be fooled by what people say, even my kids said they would never go back.

    (1)

  • Randall S.

    Ok I have been here several times and each time I leave happy. The lines are always stupidly long, the wait is almost always an hour, and the tables are usually sticky. So what's good about this place?! Oh how about the FOOD. Fresh, well cooked, nothing fancy delicious shrimpies. If you want short waits for food go to one of the other stands. If you want the best shrimp then sit your butt down and wait those couple of minutes, and please remember, you are in Hawaii with beautiful weather and great views, keep the aloha.

    (5)

  • Amber T.

    Romys Romys Romys, my second runner up to Giovannis lol. Been trying to find a shrimp truck that beats or compares to Giovannis, and I was soooo close with Romys! Their garlic butter shrimp/spicy shoyu plate is good, and different. Eating the garlic shrimp with the shoyu sauce is tasty. Also too, tried their steamed shrimp with garlic butter & spicy shoyu sauce as well. I enjoyed this better than their normal garlic butter shrimp plate because steaming brought out the natural sweetness of the shrimp. This was good! If coming back I would get it steamed and split this with another person since its $18. Romys does beat Giovannis with their shrimp size and natural flavor of the shrimp itself. But Giovannis garlic butter sauce is better. Take your pick on which one you like better.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :10:00 am - 6:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : No
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street, Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : No

Romy’s Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp

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