There’s nothing like a cold beverage to quench your thirst on these windless, voggy days. It had become my mission this weekend on the North Shore, to find something refreshing, a smoothie even. But it took some searching. We drove from Velzyland to Haleiwa and realized there weren’t many options.
Until we got to Waialua Bakery & Juice Bar! It’s probably the second or third time I’ve been to this cute cafe in the country, but for some reason, I’ve never tried their smoothies. Parched and sunburned, I quickly scanned their long menu of smoothies before finding one that caught my eye: orange scream. It turned out to be the perfect choice, not too sweet and not too tangy with a hint of an orange creamsicle ice cream bar but way healthier. This concoction definitely gave an added truth to what’s painted on the cafe window, “LIFE IS GOOD!”
And so is everything on their menu…good tasting and good for you! It’s surprisingly uncommon to find a small mom and pop business nowadays that grows its own produce and makes (from scratch) more than 90-percent of the menu items. For the past 12 years, this family-run bakery has been fueled by fresh produce grown on the family farm in Mokuleia. This includes bananas, papayas, mangoes, coconut, avocados, sprouts, lettuce, basil, tomatoes, limes, lemons and wheatgrass. Waialua Bakery also makes the bread, cookies, pesto, hummus, veggie burgers, granola and ice cream that customers see on the menu. And that’s not all the customers see. As soon as you walk into the cafe, you see the hardworking team of bakers and cooks in the opened kitchen area.
Loaves of bread fresh out of the oven at Waialua Bakery.
In addition to smoothies, Waialua Bakery sells sandwiches, salads and baked goods. I fell in love with the turkey cranberry sandwich on pesto bread (Thanksgiving on a bun!) and the banana bread pudding. Come early for the best selection of bread and baked treats because they usually run out after lunch. Tucked between Malama Market and Spaghettini in Haleiwa, the bakery might be tricky to find. But you’ll know you’ve arrived once you see the colorful surf art and homie outdoor deck, where customers enjoy delicious Hawaii-grown food.
WAIALUA BAKERY & JUICE BAR • 66-200 Kamehameha Hwy., Haleiwa, HI 96712 • Opens Mon-Sat 10am-5pm • 808-341-2838
Photos Courtesy: Waialua Bakery Facebook
