Philly has its cheesesteaks. Chicago has its deep-dish pizza. And the north shore of Hawaii has its garlic shrimp. To get a taste of this savory local classic, you don’t have to get fancy. You just have to get yourself to Tita’s Grill. Tita’s has two locations in and around La’ie. One is a hole in the wall a little north of La’ie on the Kamehameha Highway. The other isn’t in a building at all. It’s a truck, parked outside of the Polynesian Cultural Center in La’ie.

Operated by local resident and retired football hero Junior Ah You, Tita’s is as local as it gets. Originally, the only way you could get a taste of Junior’s cooking was at small fundraisers around town, but so many people told him he should open a restaurant, that he finally decided to do just that—but on his own terms.

So he created a place as easy-going as he is, where people can enjoy garlic shrimp, garlic chicken, kalbi ribs, mango fish, and a bunch of other tasty choices, served up in hearty portions that encourage sharing. After all, what better way is there to demonstrate the aloha spirit than through delicious food that brings people together to enjoy the North Shore’s signature dish.