North Shore, Oahu Vegan Travel Guide

There is nothing better than a North Shore (NS) mission trip. Next time you’re out there, please feel free to use my North Shore Vegan Travel Guide for help finding places to eat!

It’s funny to look back after living in Colorado and think the 30-45 minute drive from town to NS was considered a long trip, but I remember an NS day required waking up early and staying until sunset. The drive is and always will be my favorite, as you can’t beat the views of endless pineapple fields, massive mountains, and breathtaking scenes of the ocean kissing the land as you finally start to descend down towards Haleiwa.

The only dilemma I ever had was trying to narrow down what I was going to eat given the endless delicious options to choose from and you’ll see exactly why in a bit.

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Cafes

Beet Box Cafe

If I had to pick one place that could satisfy any and all of my food cravings, whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dessert, it would have to be this amazing cafe located in Haleiwa Town. I have yet to find a better breakfast burrito or green smoothie bowl anywhere else. Their Vegan Breakfast Burrito is loaded with veggies, tofu scramble, soyrizo, black beans, brown rice, salsa, and cilantro avocado sauce. Even better they have an amazing lunch burrito called Burrito Babe that is filled with even more veggies, brown rice, tofu with tamari, and Thai peanut coconut sauce. Finally, my favorite is their Green Bowl made with banana, almond butter, kale, spirulina, and almond milk. They have a large and amazing selection of vegan meals and treats along with a menu that even the little kiddies can enjoy!

Coffee Gallery

This cute cafe is located in Haleiwa Town and is great for a small bite to eat. I love how cozy and warm the cafe feels when you first walk inside. However, don’t let the small size deceive you, as there is more than enough seating whether you wish to sit inside or outside. My favorite items to order up are their Acai Bowl, Vegan Seasonal Soup, and best of all their Sweet Potato Haupia dessert. Their Acai Bowl is delicious and more of a sorbet texture than the typical smoothie texture and their hearty Vegan Seasonal Soup varies throughout the year based on what is in season, but both are always never a disappointment. The Sweet Potato Haupia dessert, however, is a beautiful combination of Okinawan Sweet Potato, which is 100% better than regular orange sweet potatoes, and creamy Haupia, which is a coconut flavored pudding/jello. You don’t want to miss out on this, trust me.

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Lunch

Waialua Bakery and Juice Bar

I have been getting these amazing sandwiches for over 5 years now and will always make this place my first priority when I am in Haleiwa Town. I love this bakery because they bake all of their bread fresh each day and use locally farmed produce. To make it even sweeter, they have a large selection of freshly baked goods perfectly showcased in the front along with vegan homemade ice cream! Let me do you a favor and just copy and paste this order the next time you visit and I promise you will not regret it… 1 Vegan Mango Madness, 1 Vegan Roasted Veggie Sandwich with mustard and avocado on a Pesto Wheat Bun, and 1 Vegan Cookie. If you can handle more, then I highly recommend adding on one their vegan ice creams. All I can say is that I apologize because after this meal, all other sandwiches will be ruined from here on out.

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Snacks

Sunrise Shack

If you manage to fight the traffic and make your way to the end of the stretch of beautiful well known beaches in North Shore, then you’ll reach the cutest shack sitting on the side of the road. The shack is right before you reach Sunset Beach and they are serving up some of the freshest and best snacks! My favorite is their Papaya Boat and Lilikoi Coconut Bar. Their Papaya Boats are loaded with Almond Butter, Goji berries, coconut, and so much more!

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Dinner

Elephant Bar

If you happen to be staying in the North Shore overnight or stick around after sunset, then I highly recommend making your way to The Elephant Shack in Haleiwa Town for the best vegan Pad Thai! It’s called the Ganesha Pad Thai and they pack the serving. You definitely will not be hungry after this and the flavor, veggies, and noodles are very tasty!

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Sweets

Haleiwa Bowls

At the edge of Haleiwa Town is this cute little kiosk that has been serving up some of the best Acai bowls for years! I will admit this isn’t my all time favorite Acai bowl joint, but it is a close second and conveniently located on the outskirts of Haleiwa Town, which is great if you’re trying to avoid traffic. I love ordering their Hapa Bowl or Blue Majik Bowl! The Hapa Bowl is a perfectly classic thick Acai smoothie bowl with strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. The Blue Majik Bowl was the first bowl I ever tried with spirulina and I loved it because they added banana and pineapple so it is more tangy! You’ll definitely want to beat the heat with a fresh bowl from here!

Il Gelato

This gem is located in Haleiwa Town and serves the best gelato. In fact, they even competed and did extremely well in the World Gelato competition in Italy. They always have vegan flavors available, but my favorite flavor was their Guava Basil! It was smooth, refreshing, and the flavor combination worked beautifully. I wish they had more flavor selections at their location in town, but it just makes coming out to Haleiwa even more special!

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To Do

Ehukai Pillbox Hike

Located right across the street from the iconic Pipeline Beach is the start to this easy hike featuring an incredible view of the famous North Shore beaches. I highly recommend waking up early for this to beat the crowd and enjoy the peaceful noises as you look out into the ocean at the top.

Waimea Bay

I am not a fan of crowded beaches with limited parking, but I am willing to fight this to swim the clear open waters at Waimea Bay. This was my favorite beach in North Shore when I was little because the waves weren’t too big and the water was crystal clear with sandy shores. My favorite thing to do here is rock running. There are large rocks randomly dispersed along the sandy ocean floor and it is always fun to grab them and run across the floor!

Sharks Cove

If you can’t fight the crowds of Hanauma Bay, then don’t worry about it and come to North Shore where the water is clearer. Sharks Cove is a great place to do some snorkeling and there has never been a time that I couldn’t find a vast array of fish!

Ke Iki Beach

Moving into the stretch of my favorite beaches, the first stop is Ke Iki. This beach is known for having a massive shore that is great to pitch a tent with friends and family. It’s difficult to find if you aren’t local, but that’s what keeps this beach pristine and beautiful.

Pipeline Beach

The iconic Pipeline. You know you are at a well known beach if there are showers available and this particular part of the shoreline is where many famous surfers have come for all the surfing competitions. I will admit I do enjoy coming here once in a while and it is nice to be able to rinse off at the beach, but it’s definitely not my favorite out of all the North Shore beaches.

Sunset Beach

I never really came to Sunset Beach while I was in high school because I thought it was over populated and crowded, but I recently went and didn’t realize that the water was extremely clear and the waves were gentle. It’s currently one of my favorite beaches now, but we will see how long that lasts!

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Other Recommendations

• Pupukea Grill
• Raised By The Waves
• Vland Tacos
• Island Vintage Cofee
• Lanikai Juice

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I never really came to Sunset Beach while I was in high school because I thought it was over populated and crowded, but I recently went and didn’t realize that the water was extremely clear and the waves were gentle. It’s currently one of my favorite beaches now, but we will see how long that lasts!

If you enjoyed my North Shore vegan travel guide, please let me know in the comments or on social media! If you travel to the North Shore, make sure to tag me @nuttinelli and use #nuttinelli so I can see all your fun experiences!

– Janelle