Overview
SODABOMB is a small drink stop in the PCC Marketplace area of Lāʻie, on Oʻahu’s North Shore. Based on the current Google record and supporting secondary sources, it operates as a soda-focused food truck/stall rather than a full restaurant, with a menu built around custom mixed sodas, tropical lemonades, boba-style drinks, and a few snack-style specialties. (mapquest.com)
For a traveler, the appeal is straightforward: it is a quick, distinctive stop near the Polynesian Cultural Center that sells the kind of novelty drink you are unlikely to find everywhere else on the island. The Google listing describes it as a “funky food truck” making unusual mixed soda flavors to order, which matches the recurring theme in outside coverage. (mapquest.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
SODABOMB’s lane is specialty drinks first. The most consistent evidence points to made-to-order mixed sodas, often with fruit or cream flavor combinations, plus tropical lemonades and some coffee or boba-style options. The concept is more about playful customization than a broad food menu. (mapquest.com)
- Overall menu style: custom soda shop / drink truck; novelty flavored soft drinks, tropical lemonades, and some coffee and boba-style drinks. (mapquest.com)
- Notable specialties supported by sources: “Honeymoon” soda, “Crouching Lime” soda, Orange Dreamsicle drink, coffee drinks, pebble-ice drinks, and mixed sodas with sugar-free add-ins. (restaurantji.com)
- Signature positioning: one source says the shop serves “one-of-a-kind” mixed sodas and tropical lemonades, and also claims a reputation for banana bread and pebble ice. That banana-bread detail appears only in one listing-style source, so treat it as less firmly verified than the drink menu. (mapquest.com)
- Price expectations: traveler reports suggest small drinks around $4 as of August 2024, though prices may have changed. In practical terms, this reads as a low-cost snack stop rather than a sit-down meal. (restaurantji.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: sugar-free flavor add-ins appear in review text, which may help some visitors customize drinks. Beyond that, there is not strong evidence of robust dietary accommodation; this is mainly a beverage stop, not a place with a broad food program. (restaurantji.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a quick-stop setup inside the PCC Marketplace/Hukilau Marketplace area, so the experience is casual and functional rather than leisurely. The setting matters: it sits in a busy visitor zone near PCC, which makes it useful as a refreshment break during shopping or before/after a PCC visit. (blog.polynesia.com)
- Service model and seating style: counter-service food truck / stall; no strong evidence of full table service or a dining room. Outside sources emphasize takeout-style use. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: described as a “super cute truck” and a “funky” soda stop; the broader marketplace is a themed retail area with a retro Laie feel, independent vendors, and a mix of kiosks and buildings. (mapquest.com)
- Practical features: located at PCC Marketplace with free parking in the marketplace area; the place is close enough to be used as a stop before PCC activities. (blog.polynesia.com)
- Best fit: a hot-day drink break, a family stop, or a novelty treat while visiting Lāʻie and the Polynesian Cultural Center. (mapquest.com)
- Weaker fit: anyone looking for a full meal, a quiet sit-down space, or a place with extensive savory food options. The evidence points to a beverage-first operation. (mapquest.com)
History & Background
Meaningful background is limited but consistent: SODABOMB appears to be a local North Shore soda-truck concept that opened in March 2017, according to one listing source. A separate legacy profile on the PCC blog says it is a popular truck known for mixing soda with exotic flavors and frames the concept as taking a favorite soda and making it better. (mapquest.com)
The available background also suggests a small-business, entrepreneur-led origin. A 2018 Medium profile identifies Kalin and Kiana Uluave as the owners of Soda’Bomb and describes them as North Shore Oʻahu operators connected to BYU–Hawaiʻi and early-stage entrepreneurship. This is useful context, but it is older and should be treated as background rather than a current operational fact unless re-verified. (medium.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
The dominant pattern is very strong enthusiasm for the custom drinks themselves. Review snippets and listing summaries repeatedly mention friendly staff, fun flavor combinations, refreshing results, and memorable items like Orange Dreamsicle, Honeymoon, and custom sugar-free mixes. The tone is not just “good for a soda place”; it is often framed as a stop worth seeking out on a North Shore trip. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside signal is mild and practical rather than severe: some reviews note that drinks take a few minutes to make, and one source says the truck can close early. That suggests a small, made-to-order operation where timing matters. Evidence for negative sentiment is otherwise thin; complaints do not appear to be a major recurring theme in the sources reviewed. (restaurantji.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Current posted hours in Google are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 AM–9:00 PM; Wednesday and Sunday: closed. A secondary listing matches that pattern, but one older PCC page for the broader marketplace shows different hours for the area overall, so verify before a special trip. (mapquest.com)
- This looks like a walk-up, quick-service stop, not a reservation place. (restaurantji.com)
- If you want it at a busy time, plan for a short wait because drinks are made to order. (restaurantji.com)
- The location is tied to PCC Marketplace / Hukilau Marketplace in Lāʻie, so it pairs naturally with PCC sightseeing or other North Shore errands. (blog.polynesia.com)
- Free parking is noted for the wider marketplace area, which is useful for self-drive visitors. (blog.polynesia.com)
- If your trip falls on Wednesday or Sunday, do not assume SODABOMB is open; the current record says it is closed those days. (mapquest.com)
Verification Notes
- Google Places identity anchor: SODABOMB, PCC Marketplace, 55-370 Kamehameha Hwy Bldg 5, Lāʻie, HI 96762, phone (801) 709-3395, website currently points to Instagram, status OPERATIONAL. (mapquest.com)
- No major identity conflict was found, but there is some naming drift across sources: “SODABOMB,” “SodaBomb,” and “So’Da Bomb” appear interchangeably. The place and address still line up. (mapquest.com)
- Hours appear reasonably consistent across current sources, but the broader PCC marketplace has older hour information that does not exactly match the current listing; treat the Google hours as the best current operational signal. (mapquest.com)
Sources
- Google Places details for SODABOMB —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=15749602271058629435— retrieved 2026-04-02. Most useful for current identity anchor, address, phone, hours, status, rating, and the baseline description of the business. - MapQuest listing for SODABOMB —
https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/sodabomb-377283666— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for corroborating the location, phone, and traveler review snippets about the truck setting and drink quality. - Restaurantji listing for SODABOMB —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/laie/sodabomb-/— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for menu-style clues, hours corroboration, price hint, and recurring comments about custom sodas, pebble ice, and quick made-to-order service. - Polynesian Cultural Center blog, “Hukilau Marketplace: Eating International on the North Shore – Part I” —
https://www.polynesia.com/blog/hukilau-marketplace-eating-international-north-shore-part-1— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for the marketplace context, the claim that SodaBomb is a popular truck known for exotic soda mixes, and the broader visitor setting in Lāʻie. - Polynesian Cultural Center blog, “Hukilau Marketplace Shopping” —
https://blog.polynesia.com/hukilau-marketplace-shopping— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for the physical setting, free parking, the marketplace’s vendor mix, and the broader PCC/Hukilau context around the business. - Medium profile, “Behind The Scenes Of A Young Entrepreneurs Life” —
https://medium.com/%40ltgunnels/behind-the-scenes-of-a-young-entrepreneurs-life-8a57947addec— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful as legacy background on ownership and early business history; treat as older context, not a current operational source.
