Haleiwa town is where you go after a day watching the surf on the North Shore. Here you can browse galleries of surf paintings, try on tshirts at surf shops, and eat at casual restaurants.

Haleiwa is hard to navigate because of the roadside parking and few sidewalks but you should still walk around because it's awesome!
Kua Aina Burger is a North Shore tradition with mouthwatering burgers and Mahimahi sandwiches. The food is fresh and delicious- pay at the counter and then sit outside on the pretty patio in the island breeze and enjoy!
Spaghettini is also a guaranteed pleasure. Sit outside on their sweet little patio watching people walk by. They have the best pizza on the island, plus excellent pasta as well. And you can order pizza by the slice, which is perfect if you have hungry kids waiting.
There's a homemade ice cream place called Scoop of Paradise that has delicious creamy icecream and some tables outside. If you're looking for a toy store, come to Scoop of Paradise- they have a huge collection of quality Melissa & Doug toys. Another good place to find toys (and island souvenirs) is Longs Drugs.
A fantastic spot to hang out is the magical square called Haleiwa Store Lots, under a large old tree by Matsumoto Shave Ice. Here there's a ton to do! There's a great souvenir shop called Haleiwa Fruit Stand. Island Vintage Coffee has nice seating by windows looking out on the street. T & C Surf shop is here. At night, the square looks lovely, and people gather to eat food on picnic tables under the giant tree. There are also clean restrooms in this development.
While in Haleiwa, make sure you stroll along and see Wy's Gallery. It is impressive, with its dark wood interior and tree trunks reaching to the ceiling. The art is pretty incredible, and you will leave feeling happy and inspired!
There is a nice development on the edge of the taro fields called North Shore Marketplace with plenty of parking, a coffee shop called Coffee Gallery, and Breakers Restaurant (so-so food), where you can sit outside under grass shack umbrellas. Cholo's Mexican Restaurant has the best food- delicious chicken enchiladas! SoHa Living is my favorite store there, with home decor and children's toys and games. Wyland Gallery and Waimea Blue North Shore are fantastic ocean-themed art galleries to browse. 
Haleiwa grew in the 1920s when Japanese sugar cane field workers held a strike and were subsequently evicted. To make a living they created stores in Haleiwa and these are the rustic woodfront and tin roof structures that you see along the road now. The Japanese store owners lived behind their stores. You can see some of the Japanese names as you walk around, e.g. Matsumoto Shave Ice.
At the northern end of Haleiwa town you will come to Rainbow Bridge, a narrow white bridge that heads over the Anahulu Stream. Here some Japanese made a living fishing out of Sampan boats. You will pass Lokoea Pond, a manmade lagoon that dates back as far as the 1650s. The ancient Hawaiians created it to farm fish, making small slats to the ocean so that clean ocean water could wash in but large fish could not escape. Queen Lili'oukalani built her summer palace on the banks of the pond where she could see the glistening pale green waters of the pond and the deep blue ocean beyond. She frequently entertained over 150 guests on her huge balcony and often walked to the lavish Haleiwa Hotel (which used to stand where Haleiwa Joe's Seafood Grill is now located).
Check out Haleiwa Playground and Beach, a good spot if you're looking for a playground for your kids to let off some steam. A really gorgeous beach, Police Beach, is just north of Haleiwa- enjoy the tidepools, rock spires, and the campground set of the TV show "Lost".
If you head left on Haleiwa Rd instead of crossing Rainbow Bridge, you will come to Haleiwa Alii Beach, a perfect spot to learn to surf, and a pretty beach for a long stroll.

Directions

Haleiwa Town is well marked as you head north toward the North Shore beaches or south from the beaches. Just follow the signs! It is located on a stretch of Kamehameha Hwy that is now bypassed by Joseph Leong Hwy.
Kua Aina Burger, 66-160 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa HI 96712, call (808) 637-6067.
Matsumoto Shave Ice, 66-087 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712, call (808) 637-4827.
Wy's Galleries, 66-145 Kamehameha Hwy #3, Haleiwa, HI 96712, call (808) 200-4678.
Spaghettini, 66-200 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712, call (808) 637-0104.

Click on map for interactive view