Stopped by Wailua Shave Ice on a hot summer day, looking for a way to beat the heat…read more When we arrived there was a small line but it was clear the staff was hard at work. After placing our order, the order came out pretty quickly considering the place was packed. I got the Lava Flow (pineapple juice, coconut milk, haupia foam, strawberry puree) - also added li hing mui powder IYKYK. The flavor was light, fresh & not overly sweet. The texture of the shave ice wasn't the softest shave ice I've ever had but not a big deal. It was still the best thing for such a hot day in Kauai & hit the spot! They also have cute merchandise available & even an OG classic shave ice maker on display. I will say this is my first time coming to a shave ice place & not being able to customize my order & choose specific flavors, but I guess that helps ensure the combinations they do offer on their unique menu are optimal. Overall, I will definitely be back especially since the staff was so friendly!

For my first Shave Ice experience, I really liked it! But just be prepared to wait…read more.. The shave ice really is a special experience. We ordered the Ube and regretted not getting it with ice cream or "snow capped." But the flavor was still good! With that being said, the operations hit a few snags. The staff is really young and not super efficient. They were chatting quite a bit and I could tell it was slowing the process down. Seating is also limited during peak hours, so prepare to take it outside if necessary. For the experience, it's worth it. For the price and the wait? I'd probably skip next time.

First time checking out Familee Shave Ice and it was one of the best bingsu I've ever had. This…read moresays A LOT when I live close to Ktown. The shop is hidden behind a shopping plaza so follow the signs along the way. Service is great - Tim and Jess, the owners, are so friendly. They will come out and chat with you if it's not too busy! We ordered 4 different flavors (mango, strawberry, injeolmi, and coffee) to try but I only got pics for two of them. They were all beautifully crafted and tasted so fresh with every bite. The ice is so powdery too! Familee really does not skimp out on ingredients and are very generous with their portions. My family really liked everything we ordered and will definitely recommend Familee to everyone who visits Kauai. Mahalo Tim and Jess!

Tucked away in Kapa'a, this bingsu spot was the perfect treat after a hot beach day. The menu…read moreboasts size small and large options, small being pictured here. The flavors blend local flare and Asian influence, including matcha and ube, which we ordered. We will definitely be back on our next trip and were happy to have something a little different than our normal shave ice routine! Definitely don't be in a rush when you get here. There's lots of space to sit outside the storefront, but it does take about 5 min to make each dessert...so don't wait for your friends to enjoy if you get yours first!

I think this had to be my favorite shaved ice on the island. I got a POG, and the flavor was so…read morespot on and tasted so much like the actual fruit. The portion size was also so generous. There's a parking lot around the back and a beach a block away to enjoy your shaved ice.

We've been going to Hee Fat for shave ice for nearly two decades. It used to be our favorite place…read morefor shave ice, mostly for the high quality syrups. But it both hasn't kept up with some of the more creative offerings at other shave ice places, and the quality was lower on our most recent trip (June 2026). Here are the rankings of the shave ice places from our last trip: Kauai Shave Ice Rankings 2026 1. (Tied) North Shore Bowls in Kilauea - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, nice fluffy ice, good ice cream, flavorful syrups 1. (Tied) Wailua Shave Ice - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, delicious toppings, very good ice texture and ice cream; too light on the syrup for one of our two trips 3. Wishing Well in Hanalei - good fluffy ice and really flavorful natural syrups; downside is it's very crowded (always!) and pretty basic 4. JoJo's in Hanalei - this is a standard shave ice place; ice was a bit compact and icy, but the syrup was plentiful (maybe too much, if you can believe that, for our one visit) and the ice cream was both generous and good 5. Hee Fat in Kapaa - great flavors but the syrup was light coverage, and the ice cream seemed gummy/freezer burned, ice was decent texture; used to be our favorite in Kauai in years past, but it hasn't kept up with other places and maybe the quality has gone down hill 6. Honu Shave Ice in Kapaa - syrup was very light, almost nonexistent on one of our shave ices, ice was clumpy/chunky, ice cream was really minimal, flavors were decent

While planning our trip and going through Hawaii's best magazines to see what was ranked best for…read moreeach category and all the runner ups, Jojo's shave ice was recommended not only from Hawaii's best magazines, but also by so many people on youtube. There are different locations of Jojo's shave ice and we were lucky that there was one by our hotel! There was no line and we shared a a lilo and stitch (red raspberry and blue raspberry) with li hing mui and vanilla ice cream! The shave ice was super soft, and the syrups were not sweet! The staff were super friendly and the service was fast.

In the coconut shopping area, there is a little hut with icy desserts. We came over as the shopping…read morearea is close to our hotel. It has many gift shops, a grocery and restaurants. The center also has some entertainment, and our main reason for the visit was the hula and fire dance that was put on by a local hula school. Jojo's has many shaved ice options with ice and ice cream and many flavor syrup options. We had the tropical breeze, and it had tropical syrups and ice cream covered by shaved ice. Two sizes available. We shared a large for the show. Quick service and nice treat location.

Going to be in Kapa'a soon and can't wait to visit Tropical Dreams Ice Cream Shop! It's been 8…read moreyears since we've been in Kapa'a and my husband and I found this gem when it first opened and like to visit it frequently whenever we're there. It's the best ice cream you'll ever taste and the owner is incredibly kind. Can't wait to see you again in a few weeks and enjoy your ice cream. Thank you so much!

Really good! Not super sweet! Very creamy and great customer service! Cute shop! Very clean and…read morecute signs

The Thai ice tea shave ice was one of the culinary highlights of our trip to Kauai. This is a…read morecompetition grade shave ice on creativity, execution and taste. Super friendly service was an added bonus.

This place was pretty disappointing. Based on the reviews, we were expecting much better. I would…read morenot recommend this place, when there are tons of better options on the island, including just a short trip south to Wailua. Our entire family of four got different things in our one stop at Honu Shave Ice and all were a bit disappointing. The ice quality was mediocre, the ice cream was barely there, and two of our shave ices had almost nonexistent syrup, to the point where it was just clumped ice chunks. I suspect that they don't train there staff well, given that our experience was pretty different than the reviews. Here are the shave ice rankings from our recent trip to the island (June 2026): Kauai Shave Ice Rankings 2026 1. (Tied) North Shore Bowls in Kilauea - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, nice fluffy ice, good ice cream, flavorful syrups 1. (Tied) Wailua Shave Ice - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, delicious toppings, very good ice texture and ice cream; too light on the syrup for one of our two trips 3. Wishing Well in Hanalei - good fluffy ice and really flavorful natural syrups; downside is it's very crowded (always!) and pretty basic 4. JoJo's in Hanalei - this is a standard shave ice place; ice was a bit compact and icy, but the syrup was plentiful (maybe too much, if you can believe that, for our one visit) and the ice cream was both generous and good 5. Hee Fat in Kapaa - great flavors but the syrup was light coverage, and the ice cream seemed gummy/freezer burned, ice was decent texture; used to be our favorite in Kauai in years past, but it hasn't kept up with other places and maybe the quality has gone down hill 6. Honu Shave Ice in Kapaa - syrup was very light, almost nonexistent on one of our shave ices, ice was clumpy/chunky, ice cream was really minimal, flavors were decent

My husband grew up visiting his family on Kauai every summer, and having shave ice here was a key…read moredaily event. We incorporated Hawaiian Blizzard shave ice as a part of our wedding reception and it was a lovely way to beat the heat and share a treasured family memory together! Best on the island! ​

Hawaiian Blizzard shave ice is the best! Aaron's homemade…read moresyrups are the best. Aaron's shave ice stand outside Big Save in Kapaa is the best. Aaron is the best.

Wailua Drive In is a popular Hawaiian restaurant in Kapa'a, Hawaii, known for its fresh, local…read morecomfort food like plate lunches, burgers, and katsu. Popular menu items include ahi katsu 10/10, chili pepper chicken 9/10, and Hawaii's own- loco moco (not a huge fan in general). They offer a variety of other options, including poke, ramen, and sandwiches, with convenient takeout and delivery available. It's definitely a local favorite due to its generous portions, authentic Hawaiian cuisine and friendly service. We ordered the fried chicken and poke combo with wonton chips and the ahi katsu (my absolute fav). The ahi was fried to perfection- crispy on the outside while rare and tender on the inside. The sauce on the katsu was absolutely fire!!! So good! Macaroni salad was creamy and delicious. And the rice was perfect. Obviously, you cannot visit Hawaii without having some of their poke- always fresh and delightfully tasty. The marinade was savory and packed with flavor.

First time to Kaua'i and I'm looking for some local eats. From the reviews I've read, this seems to…read morebe a popular place. GETTING THERE: It was extremely easy to find. Its right off a main road and you cannot miss it. Parking lot was a bit small, but there was plenty of parking. AMBIANCE: When I went there was plenty of seating. A bit dead, but I also did go pretty early. There were a bunch of decor of older American pop culture like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc. But also Hawaiian themed decor (obviously). SERVICE: You gotta walk up to the front to order. I was approached almost immediately as soon as I walked up to the menu on the screen. The girl working was super friendly and welcoming. I made my order and she gave me a pager for when my food was ready. FOOD: I ordered the chili pepper chicken, which was recommended from the girl at the counter. My friend ordered the ahi katsu. The chili pepper chicken was good! It was crispy and extremely flavorful. It was slightly too salty for my taste, but luckily the rice does help balance it out. Some of the crispness was sacrificed for the sauce, but it was overall still pretty crispy. I loved that they used boneless chicken thigh. I was expecting bones or lots of breading but it actually had a perfect ratio. I wasn't much a fan of the mac salad. It was like a mix of mac and potato salad, but more like a potato salad. I'm not big on potato salad, so that makes sense. My friend's ahi katsu was alright in my opinion. The sauce that's on it was good and enjoyed all the flavors. The tuna was just a bit overcooked to my liking, but idk how else one would make a katsu without overlooking it too much. Maybe bread the fish and freeze it before frying? Idk man, I'm not a chef lol but the tuna would definitely be better if it was less cooked. OVERALL: Honestly, I would still come here again. I still enjoyed the meal and the service was pretty quick. Both items were both worth trying. All the flavors were there and the little things I didn't like were just personal preferences. Its a great place to pick up a lunch plate and enjoy it at the beach.

A new venture for this truck business and they're doing it up right! Super friendly service…read more Delicious shave ice at half the price in Lihue. We shared one with lychee, pineapple and watermelon and of course added on vanilla ice cream with cream topping. Can't wait to return to try the melona.

Was looking for shave ice after spending the day at the beach and came across this little truck…read morelocated in what looks like a food truck parking lot. Husband and I ordered a shave ice each and the price was good as it seemed the same as other spots around the island. One thing different is that the portion is much much bigger than other places we've tried. Also the scoop of ice cream I asked for wasn't just a tiny scoop, but a large portion of ice cream. We each asked for 3 flavors and it was also drizzled with coconut cream. One of the flavors that I had was Melona (melon), which reminded me of the Melona ice cream bars at the Asian Markets. Was hot the day we got it, so it was melting fast, but not to worry, we had the straw and it because a nice slushy drink. Highly recommend stopping by here to try. Park in the little lot next to this food truck lot. We parked across the street and it was hard to cross with all the traffic.

The price is really incredible considering you get a choice of unlimited toppings and 2 bases for…read morethe 12oz! The woman who served us was very kind and gave great suggestions for alternatives since some options were out of stock for the day. It is our first Açaí on the island during this visit and it did not disappoint. Great flavor and texture! We enjoyed them outside under covered benches and it was a beautiful day to be enjoying them!

Customizable acai bowls. Lots of toppings and bases to choose from…read more Slight freezer burn taste in one of the bases.