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YUM YUM YUMMY!
I don't know about any other shrimp trucks out there but we LOVE Macky's. Hubby got the garlic shrimp plate and I got the spicy shrimp plate. For once, spicy actually meant spicy...but it was a nice spicy, not too overwhelming. And garlic was so flavorful without being too garlicky or greasy. We LOVED both garlic and spicy shrimp. In fact, hubby loved it so much he ordered a second plate! The green salad it comes with is a refreshing change from the heavy mac salad a lot of plate lunches are served with and it goes wonderfully with the shrimp.
I did read that people were a big fan of the little sink and soap they have there. When we went there was no soap but at least there was a sink with water. Also, people were complaining about the $12 price. Hmmm...in my experience a lot of places in Hawaii are overpriced due to all of us tourists that are everywhere. So $12 in my book is a steal for the quality of the food you get. I would pay $12 for a plate of shrimp of Macky's ANY DAY!
I dont know... maybe I'm just bad luck not getting my garlic shrimps as good as it's described in other reviews.
I tried their butter-garlic shrimps, and it's way too salty. The shrimps did not taste fresh at all. I tried Romy's and I found their shrimps a lot fresher. Maybe it's because they are closing when we got there (it wasnt even 5 in the afternoon), so they made our food in a hurry and it just did not taste right. Uh.. very disappointed, wish i had spent my $12 somewhere else...
I'm a fan of Macky's. The $12 is a little high, but fresh shrimp is worth paying for. After a long day of hiking this place hit the spot especially with a some beers purchased at the 711 next door.
We tried the butter-garlic and coconut shrimp plates both came with rice, salad, and a slice of pineapple.
I think this is as good as any shrimp truck out there. They are pretty much all good in their own way. I agree that if you like butter, you might prefer Giovanni's, but if you like a more refined sauce and fresher tasting shrimp, Macky's might be your choice.
The thing that I like the most is the friendly service here, especially compared to the occasionally rude employees at Giovanni's. I like the chinese guy that says, "Aloha, welcome to Macky's!" They also have a punch card for a free plate after you buy 10. I'm on #8 already!
Seriously, there's nothing better than pulling off the road, walking up to a beat up truck, and buying some spicy shrimp! No doors, no hostess, no waiter... just a picnic table, some random chickens walking by, and a guy in a truck cooking shrimp.
The only thing I disagree on is the price, as it's not exactly cheap. However, it's definitely worth a stop, and if you don't like it, then just try another shrimp truck!
My favorite shrimp truck in Hawaii! Fan of the garlic shrimp plate!
As a resident of Oahu and now a visitor... I always make time to drive out to the North Shore and get my fill of Macky's yummy shrimp! While visiting in June, at that time of day, his truck was closed, so this month while visiting, I returned later during the day and was happy to see his truck open! He had a special that day, 2 banana smoothies for $3, so my friend and I suckered into the deal and sipped on banana while sucking on the dripping butter garlic shrimp! nice! Plate comes with 2 scoops of white rice, toss greens and a slice of pineapple.
Great location, lots of covered tables, napkins and a sink to wash your hands after making a mess. Lots of free parking in the dirt lot. Next to 7-11.
He does have a punch card! So ask for one! After so many, I believe you get a free plate! Prices are okay, considering it's Hawaii and North Shore to be more specific. But it's worth it!
If you're visiting North Shore, stop by Macky's! He's super friendly!
You're North Shore visit, is not complete unless you had a shrimp plate from Macky's!
Aloha! (^_^)
My brother and I are such foodies. He actually tried this place out before I did and it came highly recommended by him. We actually saw it in a magazine a couple years back as voted "Best Shrimp Truck on the Island", it's worth a try right?
Located at the start of the road into old town Hale'iwa! In the same space as a gas station and 7-11, it's not hard to miss. Plenty of parking and plenty of covered tables to sit down.
I don't remember much of the other offerings, of course we got the garlic butter. I think there was lemon pepper shrimp, coconut shrimp, some spicy shrimp, and maybe one other offering. All offered at $12 each. A little steep but definitely worth it for all the sweet plump shrimp you're given. 2 scoops of rice, a slice of pineapple, and a side salad (which was a nice change from the usual heavy overloaded mac salad that most plate lunches come with in the islands) are included.
So I'm convinced this is where it's at. Like the over-rated shave ice spot in Hale'iwa, there is also that over-rated shrimp truck too (you know which one I'm talking about, everyone else seems to talk about it too).
I noticed tho, not many locals are into the shrimp truck thang. Lots and lots of tourists and tour buses. It's all good though, when in the North Shore, 2 things must be eaten Macky's garlic buttah shrimp and that other shave ice spot!
I like shrimp trucks, but in general, I have a hard time saying a shrimp truck is a 5 star place. But I'll tell you why this gets that extra star at the end...
I went to Giovanni's over 1 year ago and it was really good. But as it's been a while, I can't remember it well enough to judge it against that. But I recently had Blue Water Shrimp Truck shrimp.
The shrimp here at Macky's is quite large, but expensive. It's a good thing we brought $2 coupons from the Oahu Gold pamphlets we picked up (you can get this anywhere in Waikiki or Ward, not around downtown). This brings each shrimp plate down to $10 each. Seems like a lot to me. I don't know how much the drinks were since we brought our own water. We got 1 original shrimp and 1 garlic shrimp.
The shrimp are good-sized and quite large. Oh, the garlic shrimp is so good. Some of the garlic sauce is poured over the rice like most other shrimp trucks. The salad and dressing is good as well. The original is just boiled or more likely steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce which is good also. Each plate comes with 9 pieces of shrimp.
Now with each plate comes with a plastic fork wrapped in 1 napkin. Pretty chinzy. BUT, they actually have a utility sink hooked up to a garden hose with soap there! You can actually wash your hands clean! This is why I give this place an extra star! I am particular about having clean hands after eating and this was simply a dream come true. If I had a choice to eat at any shrimp truck, I'd choose this one simply because of the sink alone.
Good place for a good portion of shrimp, salad, two scoops of rice, and a slice of pineapple. Shrimp comes in a choice of flavors like lemon pepper, garlic, and spicy hot. We liked the garlic the best.
The only drawbacks were the shrimp was messy, but they have a sink with soap to wash your hands. The location is also near a dumpster so there is an unpleasant smell depending on where you sit.
I'm an "accept no substitute" kinda person, and since Giovanni's is considered the "original" I wanted to make sure it was the best around. So the boyfriend and I made it a point to try @ least 2 trucks on our trip.
It's tough to compare apples to oranges, so to compare Macky's Sweet Shrimp Truck to Macky's is the same.
But I must say, Macky's wins points for "Best Decorated Truck." It's super colorful and has a huge shrimp and Macky's name Graffiti-ed all over. Also, the real Macky wins points for his flawless execution of customer service. This Japanese man is so grateful to all the visitors who come and eat at his shrimp truck, and he lays out his menu and makes suggestions. Also, he gets even more points because his shrimp plates include salad and a slice of pineapple... while Giovanni's only has rice and shrimp. PLUS! He has a sink with soap and paper towels to wash your hands after garlic goodness gets on your fingertips.
Why can't I compare the 2? After hot garlic breath reared it's ugly head at us, we had to try something else. Macky's is different because they, unlike Gio, have coconut battered fried shrimp. We opted for this and it was $13 for a dozen.
The shrimp was sweet, but it could be since the batter itself was sweet. I very much enjoyed the plate but will possibly do a real comparison by trying their garlic scampi next time. Then we'll find out which Shrimp Truck remains supreme!
After a full day at the beach we stopped to pick up shrimp to take home. We chose the Hot, Garlic and original to snack on. They were all great and my favorite was the garlic. A must stop at the North Shore!
This place is definitely Giovanni's rival. The garlic shrimp here is mouthwatering good. What I like about the shrimp here vs. Giovanni's is that it's not as buttery and oily. While my girlfriend thinks differently, I think Macky's garlic sauce is better than Giovanni's. More flavor, less dependence on butter.
The salad, pineapple, and a sink to wash your hands were nice touches. I wish I was back in Oahu!!!!!!!!
Dam you Macky's for being so gooood! @W#*%)@#*(%
Call me crazy.....but probably not since I am a yelper....but I planned my 3rd visit to Oahu all around FOOD that I would be devouring =)
We dedicated one day to head up North Shore to taste and compare a couple shrimp trucks. Thanks to Y-E-L-P our first lunch stop brought us to Macky's.
Surprisingly based on the yelp reviews, there wasn't much of a crowd. Nonetheless we proceeded to order 2 shrimp plates for four people to share. We ordered the garlic shrimp plate and the spicy shrimp plate (which was definitely spicy). Both plates were yummy.....BUT THE GARLIC SHRIMP PLATE WAS TO DIE FOR!!!! SERIOUSLY YOU'LL WANT TO DRENCH YOUR RICE IT THE SAVORARY GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE.
For about $12, each plate came with 9 large shrimp. So each of us had 2-3 of each shrimp. You can definitely taste the shrimp was fresh and conveniently was butterfly sliced for easy access to eating it. Your hands are gonna get dirty, but no worries since they have an outdoor sink onsite.
Unfortunately the rest of the shrimp truck adventures weren't as sucessful as our first pit stop but we were oh so glad we decided to give this one a shot based on the yelp reviews. All day long and all throughout our Hawaii trip my girl friend and I were day dreaming of Macky's. This is definitely one of North Shore's gems!
A - all
D - day
I - i
D - dream
A - about
S - shrimp!!!!!!
$12= a plate with shrimp(you pick what kind), salad, fruit, and rice
We ordered the spicy shrimp. It was lip tingling hot- this was a good thing. The shrimp was fresh and large, and comes with the shell on. The salad appeared to be bagged salad, and tasted like it had thousand island dressing on it- I would have preferred something else. The fresh pineapple provided with the plate was juicy and a sweet ending to the meal.
Macky's was a fun place to stop for a late lunch after spending the day on the northshore. The bus restaurant reminded me of the taco trucks at home.
Fyi's~
* Macky's is less crowded then the touristy shrimp trucks
* Cash
* Make sure to get lots of paper towels for your hands
* There are resident roosters, chickens, and babies to watch while you wait and eat
Macky is so overrated. The location is closer to Waikiki compared to Giovanni or Romy's but it is not as good as either one of them. I read good reviews on Macky and decided to give it a try. I also heard about Macky winning some kind of shrimp truck competition because Macky's spicy shrimp is so good. Their coconut shrimps was the champion of 2005-2006 competition and butter garlic shrimps won 2007 competition. We got both the spicy shrimps and butter garlic shrimps. Maybe we should get the coconut shrimps instead, but the garlic shrimps were not a champion for me. It was still pretty good though but not good enough.
I ordered the Coconut Shrimp plate. The shrimp were huge and extremely sweet. Great customer service! I think it was worth the 12 dollars. Not the best for kids, unless they are shrimp eaters. Also, except for the coconut shrimp, the other shrimp plates have the shrimp on the shell.
It was tough to find, you have to keep your eye out for it when you are heading north after you make a left from the 99.
OMG!!! Their garlic shrimp was so freakin' good!!! My hubby and I were exploring the North Shore on our honeymoon and we decided to stop for a between meal treat. I had read about this place on yelp and was so excited when we randomly saw it on the side of the road. We parked the car and walked up to this truck/bus thing with a giant shrimp painted on the side. The owner ran up to greet us and asked if we've been here before. We said no, so he proceeded to talk us through their menu. He highly recommended their most popular garlic shrimp. We were also thinking about the spicy shrimp, but wanted to share one order. So, he suggested the garlic shrimp with spicy sauce on the side. Cool! That works!
We sat down at one of the picnic tables and he brought us our food. It looked really good and smelled so yummy. I could see that the shrimps were bathing in a pool of garlic sauce. There was also a side of rice and a small salad with a sweet and tangy house dressing. My hubby and I each peeled a shrimp and put it in our mouths. I thought I had died and gone to shrimp heaven! The sauce was so amazing and the huge shrimps was perfectly cooked. I dipped my next shrimp in the spicy sauce and it tasted doubly good! We didn't say much the rest of the meal, except to compliment the shrimp. We were too busy concentrating on the deliciousness of it all.
So, the place is a stop on the side of the road with picnic tables set up under a canopy. There's a latrine and an outdoor utility tub hooked up to a water pipe for hand washing. There were also two chickens running around the tables during our meal. It was kinda funny and quaint. You totally have to stop here if you are in the area, and especially if you are a visitor! Get the garlic shrimp!! It's totally YUMMO!!! (Drooling right now just thinking about it....)
One day I decided that I wanted to drive to Kahuku and try all the different shrimp shacks that I could. I was just going to go with the first shrimp shack that I saw without really caring whose it was, besides Giovanni's since I am very familiar with them. Driving through Kahuku my boyfriend and I noticed Macky's for its colorful bus and decided to stop and try it.
We decided to just sample different garlic shrimp in our hunt for the best kahuku shrimp. We ordered one plate and was pleasantly surprised with the butterflied shrimp and salad that came with the lunch. It was a very quiet time at our table afterwards as we fought over the galic on the rice and for the shrimp. Overall it wasn't as garlicy as Giovanni's but it was very delicious and fresh. I would definitely want to go back there again to have a showdown between Giovanni's and Macky's. I would rate it a very close second to Giovanni's for now.
I was going to try Giovanni's but since eating here, I've had no desire to betray the loyalty. The prawns are LARGE and highly succulent. I'm a shrimp Nazi and general dictum is that the quality is mighty good. No tank or iodine overtones in the flavor. Just freshness.
I wasn't keen on the spicy shrimp plate but I'd get the garlic shrimp over and over again.
This is a North Shore must-go-to-place and violators should be gently punished.
Carmen, I rather enjoyed the chickens clucking around the place. For some reason, they just fit nicely with the wash tub, dirt parking lot, little birds, dirty picnic tables, pimped out meth truck, and great, great shrimp.
Macky's is a great place to stop by on the North Shore. It's closer than all the other shrimp trucks in Kahuku and has more of a selection in flavors. The spicy shrimp is *really* spicy, but tasty. The coconut shrimp was a bit on the normal side, but still good. The tables are all clean and there's a nice sink with soap to wash your hands in afterwards. The only complaint I have is that it's a bit on the pricey side for a few pieces of shrimp, two scoops of rice and a salad.
I could eat here everyday for the rest of my life...
Seriously one of the most enjoyable meals I had on the island. For 12$ you get rice, salad and a mound of delicious shrimp. I had the butter garlic shrimp - amazing. They put the garlicky butter goodness on top of the rice too - AMAZING. I would pretty much eat anything if those wonderful women would just put that delightful butter garlic sauce on it. I tasted a friends spicy shrimp - they were certainly spicy - but not as good as the garlic ones.
Macky's boasts outside seating with a paper towel dispenser for extra napkins (you'll need them) as well as a sink to wash your hands in (you'll need that too).
It's a must stop if you're on the North Shore.
So I just came back from a 5 day trip to Oahu....we tried this place on day 1 right after landing. I had read the reviews here on Yelp and was looking forward to their lemon pepper shrimps. Don't get me wrong, they were really good, but for $11 you only get 9 shrimps (vs 12 for $12 with their competitors), a side salad and some mac salad. I asked the lady (who was not the most polite person, a rarity on the Islands) for a side of hot sauce and she told me "5 minutes!". She never called me back. Their garlic shrimps were just ok...not close to Giovanni's, not close at all!
So to conclude, we were not very impressed but glad we tried it once.
Macky's shrimp truck is the BEST!
Well in all honesty, I don't have much to compare it against. It was the only shrimp truck I went to in Oahu and I'd avoid any trucks selling shrimp in the city like the plague; nevertheless, it was great!
The Garlic Butter Shrimp is the superior dish. Don't listen to anyone here who tells you otherwise. Just order the Garlic Butter Shrimp... but that's coming from a REAL shrimp eater. What?! You prefer skinless shrimp? Pfftt. You don't eat the heads? Get outa here. All you posers can just order the Coconut shrimp.
I digged the artwork on the bus -- it appears to be a local artist as I saw a large mural several miles down done by the same artist.
What's up with the chickens? I don't get it.
Macky is a cool guy. Except he kept bowing to me as I was leaving... it was in a bit of an awkward fashion, kind of like when a non-Asian comes up to you and says Ni Hao to you when you're American born and not even Chinese. Except Macky is Asian.. and so am I... so maybe it's okay? All the reason to love Macky and his Sweet Shrimp Truck all that much more.
We were looking for Opal Thai Food but he wasn't out that day. So we ended up at Macky's.
Macky's is a bus with outside seating only.
Be prepared to see chickens running around under your feet. They won't bother you. So just ignore them.
Watching the people is a lot of fun. Especially the Japanese Tourist that stop to eat lunch there.
We had a bottle of wine with us and shared a garlic butter and lemon shrimp plate. Very good.
Go to Matsumoto shave ice for dessert.
So I had the garlic and the lemon and they were both good, but overall this place is a bit over-hyped. The garlic is not as buttery as Giovanni's but it seems a bit more fresh. The lemon is tart as heck (my mouth is watering thinking about it).
A few things to note:
1) Some foreign Korean women manage it now, which makes it less of an authentic experience, in my opinion.
2) It's a bit difficult to find because it's around the bend and my GPS did not accurately reflect where it was.
3) The plates are not cheap. Though tasty, they are worth about $4 / plate.
3) Down the road is such a cute area of the island.
I tried this shrimp for the first time since I always went to the other original garlic shrimp lunch truck, but I fell in love with this Macky's shrimp this summer! It is less greasy and comes with a little bit of salad and pineapple. I always avoided this one out of respect to the original shrimp truck, but this one might be better. Shrimp is huge here! You get less shrimp than the other place, but still so good. The lady who takes the order is a little scary and seems like owned by chinese and not locals, but still enjoyed the local favorite.
The best. My boyfriend and I tried shrimp trucks (lunch plates) up and down the North Shore (and one in Waikiki)... this was our absolute favorite!
The coconut shrimp and the garlic shrimp took the best out of me. This was the first place that i went to when i first arrived in Hawaii. Apon my arrival i was wondering what was this place. The costumer service was wonderful. The owner was nice and very hospitable. The bathrooms are decent and the sitting area is nice with shade. It was worth my money of 11 dollars. My plate was full of food and i was satisfied with what i got.
We came here on our way out of north shore and we had 2 other shrimp trucks already that day. We ended up getting the lemon butter and hot and spicy and both were really good. The lemon butter had a really good lemon buttery taste to it and the juice on the rice was veryyyy good. The person behind the counter was very enthusiastic and greeted us as soon as we got out of our car and walked towards him.
not as famous as giovanni's but i think is close to perfection.
i've tried 3 different kinds and they were all awesome including the coconut, garlic, spicy and but i think my favorite is garlic. the shrimps are huge and generous.
the outdoor atmosphere is nice, of course! and it's less crowded than other spots so that's a bonus too.
The best of the 4 shrimp trucks I ate at on the North Shore. This is right at the start of Haleiwa town. I got the garlic butter shrimp and enjoyed them with a rooster strutting under my bench
This was my first Oahu North Shore shrimp truck experience, and I must say, we chose wisely. I went for the coconut shrimp plate. These are nice shrimp because you don't have to de-shell the shrimp, so you're pretty much good to go to get your munch on. Nice place for lunch.
Oh, and watch out for the herd of chickens, one of the little buggers picked at my ankle!
I LOVE SHRIMP!
I heard a lot about the shrimp trucks in OAHU. Specifically everyones recommendation to actually stop by Giovanni's. I did and I was a little disappointed. I wanted to be able to compare it to another shrimp truck so I decided to go to Macky's. I am glad I did.
I ordered the spicy (hot) shrimp, I forgot what it was called. There was a lot of shrimp on a plate so I was able to share. The shrimp here had an abundance of flavor. I can't really explain how great it tasted. If I wasn't full from eating other shrimp trucks I would have eaten more. I can't wait to go back and get some more!
The place had outdoor seating and a place to wash your hands. Also, has a 7 Eleven right next door.
When I came to visit my cousin in Oahu, I knew that I needed to get some great food from mom and pop shops on the island. She recommended Mackey's to us and we fell in love.
The roadside service, outdoor tent, and modest trunk gives the place a chill atmosphere but a focus on the food. So i don't care about sitting on benches and washing my hands in the outdoor sink. The shrimp was just theee best. I'm from California, and I swear, you cannot find shrimp that scrumpcious!! I don't care about peeling the shrimp because it's all about the experience! I say, out of all the shrimp trunks.. definitely check this one out.
Shrimp comes with rice, pineapple and salad, but the shrimp is juicy, HUGE and of course full of flavors. It's gonna suck when I crave it because I'll be miles away!!
It's an outside truck... so... it's like eating with the flies and chickens! I mean real live chickens! DUDE!!! Why are all the chickens running around???
The shrimp was good. I got no problem with peeling them... actually I like eating it with shell sometimes...
But the chicken... real live chicken...
I wanted to try one of the shrimp trucks on the North Shore of Oahu during our recent trip to Hawaii and there was a colorful ad for Macky's on the North Shore map that we got from our concierge and so that was the one we picked. The truck is in a dirt lot just at the entrance to Haleiwa and is very brightly painted. You cannot miss it. Macky greeted us very warmly outside the truck. The food was delicious. Tasty shrimp, with a little side salad and some rice. I had the coconut shrimp which was nice and crisp on the outside, tender and tasty inside and not at all greasy. My friends had the garlic shrimp and the lemon pepper shrimp which I tasted too. Both were also good and I would probably order the garlic shrimp next time to try something different. Around $12 a plate. Not cheap, but reasonable enough.
We sat in the lot and ate at picnic tables near the truck under an awning. Since it was a warm afternoon it was a pleasant experience. There is an outdoor sink set up near the truck and a portable bathroom. I'd certainly stop there again on my next trip through the area.
If your on the North Shore, you have to stop here. I love the original shrimp. They taste like little lobsters. Very good, we have been here three times.
The fruit plate was good, probably not worth the price but fresh and tasty. We have shared the coconut shrimp and I thought they were some of the best In this style I have ever tasted. My son and wife had the garlic butter shrimp and although they were a little messy they enjoyed them immensely.
Love, love, love! The Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Garlic Butter Shrimp and Coconut Shrimp were all scrumptious. They were all big and plump, not like the shrimps you would find at a place like Bubba Gump's. If you are visiting Hawaii, this is a must. And if I lived in Hawaii, I'd eat there practically everyday. I didn't care for the chicken running around though, so I kept my feet off the ground. lol.
Yum! Worth the trip. Had the lemon butter and spicy shrimp. Good sized shrimp, forget the rice. Go next door to 7-11 for an iced cold beer to wash it all down.
THIS PLACE OWNS EVERY OTHER SHRIMP TRUCK. HANDS DOWN.
not as far north/east as giovannis and romy's and 1,000,000,000 times better. From the shrimp they use to the sauce it's the best around. We tried all in 1 day and i felt everything after macky's was a total disappointment.
the sauce, shrimp, and salad were all great. i highly suggest to everyone.
Kahuku, HI
Category: Hawaiian
Kahuku, HI
Category: Seafood
Haleiwa, HI
Category: Bakeries
Haleiwa, HI
Category: American (Traditional)
Haleiwa, HI
Category: Hawaiian
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