As an ending note to our adventures on North Shore, we stopped by the Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck that was parked among a bunch of other food trucks on 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy to try their highly rated shrimp plate. We arrived 45 minutes before the closing time and the line was still massive.
We ordered the Shrimp Scampi and the “No Refunds” Hot & Spicy Shrimp. I would say they were pretty quick at taking in and dishing out the orders, but because of the line, we still waited around 45 minutes. The seating area was limited given the crowd, so get ready to make new friends?.
Each $14USD plate had a dozen jumbo shell-on shrimps smothered in sauces with 2 scoops of rice and a lemon wedge. The flavours were mainly in the shell. So if you peel the shell first you might not get much of the flavour, unless you re-dunk the shrimp in the sauce. I would suggest sucking on the shrimp with the shell on first to get most of the flavours and then peel them. The spice level for the Hot & Spicy Shrimp was pretty spicy but still handleable. Although I did underestimate it because I thought their name had over-exaggerated the hotness. I would say it was on similar levels as thai chili peppers. The sour and spicy sauce was appetizing with the rice, except the rice was a bit mushy for me. The Shrimp Scampi was very garlicky and tasty, everything was covered in caramelized minced garlic. However, this plate was very greasy as the shrimps and rice were swimming in olive oil. My fingers got very sticky and messy in the end and used the wad of paper napkins they gave with each plate. If you are really desperate about washing your hands after, there is a McDonald’s across the street for your convenience.
Everything considered, these shrimps were delicious, but they weren’t amazing. The reviews online had definitely hyped it up a lot, but it didn’t quite live up to its reputation. I wouldn’t go out of my way to try Giovanni’s, but if you were in the area and the line wasn’t too long, it is worth a visit.