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    Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

    4.8 (187 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks Photos

    RIPTIDES SHAVE ICE & SNACKS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

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    It was delicious! It was the least artificial tasting shave ice that I have had! They use fresh fruit and cane sugar! And it was right by the beach.

    The vibe - so cute!
    Sarah P.

    The owner's passion is translated into her shaved ice and smoothies (we didn't try the food!). We sampled every shaved ice on the island (okay- exaggeration but we had a LOT of shaved ice!) This was up there in the top 3- I couldn't choose which one I liked best so they are all in the top Three :) . There was a little picnic table and a public restroom right by the place which made it perfect with its oceanfront view.

    What the shave ice stand looks like.
    Holly D.

    This was the best shave I've we had on the island. We're tried Jo Jo's, Wishing Well (which was my 2nd favorite) and Riptides. Major negative to some of the other places is consistency, as we went many times! And they would melt so fast and basically become soup halfway through. Riptides did not. It wasn't overly sweet, it was just right. It stayed frozen up until the very end of the bowl. Friendly staff; fast service;

    Pina colada and lychee with snow cap
    Josephine F.

    Really good shave ice! The ice was light and fluffy. Soo many flavors of syrup-- I had such a hard time choosing. I ended up picking pina colada and lychee -- pina colada didn't taste how I expected but lychee was light and refreshing. But there was also guava, li hing mui, mango, passion fruit, etc etc. They had fresh fruit syrup too, which I've never seen and also wanted to try. I got my shave ice with the coconut snow cap which was also surprisingly light. I had a hard time choosing between that and the condensed milk snow cap. I think what this all means is that I have to go back and try some more flavors! They also have some savory food that looked good, but I didn't get any because I was still stuffed from our lunch. I'm impressed by how much they offer out of such a small space! Bit of a wait, but it's okay because you get quality shave ice! And the worker was really friendly.

    Shaved ice
    Luis A.

    The best shaved ice on the island. We tried several spots and I just kept wanting to come back to Riptides. Service was exceptional and the location was fantastic. Lots of selections for flavors, get the ube or cherry. Two thumbs up. Would try again. Cheers.

    Danielle P.

    We really enjoyed this place and it was so convenient having it just steps from our condo complex. I think we went here 3 times, and would have gone more if we could have! The owner, Mindy, and staff are super friendly and cool. I was impressed Mindy remembered our faces from a couple days previously. We enjoyed talking with her during our visit. First time there I got the pineapple and coconut. I think my youngest got strawberry and guava and my oldest got lychee and pog. It was so refreshing and delicious! The second time, just my oldest ordered and she got lychee, mango and li hing mui. She even had them sprinkle some of the li hing mui powder on top and got an ice cream scoop. It was wonderful! Final time there I got the lychee and li hing mui with the powder sprinkled on top. My kids repeated what they'd ordered previously. They have all natural syrups as well as others. They also offer a lot more than just shave ice, although we didn't order anything else. It's a great little stop when you've spent the day snorkeling across the street! Love the painted Locals slippahs on the stand! Aloha!

    Noman M.

    Great shave ice, friendly service, and they were even open on Thanksgiving! Our family are big fans of shave ice and this was our first experience at riptides. We appreciated that they have both fresh fruit syrups and local made syrups. Your can see the attention to detail in how they make shave ice here, inserting holes in the ice to allow the syrup to mix throughout, even topping the Mac nut ice cream version with Mac nut on top (made my mom Mac nut ordering family a little jealous). While the line can get long, it moves and you can just turn and face the ocean which is 10 ft away, so not a bad view while you wait. Mindy the owner, was kind and friendly. If you're craving shave ice, put riptides on the top of your list. It's by far the best shave ice place on Kauai.

    April B.

    Riptides serves my favorite shave ice on Kauai, and my favorite anywhere really. The staff is friendly, the location is perfect and the food is delicious. I love to load up my shave ice with a ton of add ons and chat it up with Mindy or enjoy the views of Lawai Beach while I wait. My son also loves the hot dogs and we enjoy chowing down on their delicious Kalua pork nachos. We always stay at the Lawai Beach Resort, so I tend to make daily visits to Riptides :-) It's a must when on island!

    Classic rainbow shave ice
    Megan B.

    Somehow, this is the last shave ice place we tried. And it was one of the best! And closest to us which we really couldn't believe. Riptides does shave ice right, and has both classic syrups and organic syrup options in great flavors. Dragonfruit easily became on of our favorites here which we had not found anywhere else (and we eat a lot of shave ice). For being just a small food truck across from Beach House, we couldn't believe all the other options they had aside from shave ice. All kinds of food and beach items for sale. We'll run and super friendly no matter who helps you. There is one table to sit at, but we always just went and sat on the grass in the shade. We went here twice during our 13 days and will return on our next trip!

    Menu with Current Options and Pricing
    Aaron C.

    The reason I am writing this review is because the person behind the counter watched my young son accidentally drop his fresh made shaved Ice swatting at something. Obviously he's crushed and about to cry. Without skipping a beat she got his attention and told him not to worry. I offered to pay again as it was his fault and I definitely needed to get a new one for him but her compassion bled through the job and she just took care of the little guy so he wouldn't be sad. God bless.

    Didn't get a pic this year; here's last year's.  Still awesome, and the best on the island.
    Tracey A.

    As if to make up for my prior review of a completely different shave ice experience I will tell you what I find to be the most stellar shave ice on Kauai: It's here at Riptides. In a little portable shack across from a popular snorkeling spot, Riptides has been stellar over the course of several visits over the last two years. It has never once failed to deliver wonderful flavors of quality syrups (they also offer natural flavors, if you prefer), quality ice cream, perfectly shaved ice, and service from the owner and staff that is always warm and an exemplar of the aloha spirit. You might think falsely that shave ice is shave ice and that there's little variation between spots. You would be wrong and once you try a bad spot you'll understand just how wrong. But Riptides? They're the best of the best. Enjoy.

    Mango passion with vanilla ice cream and macadamia nuts

    The shave ice toppings? Next level. Handcrafted tropical flavors that taste like the fruit! Mango and passion fruit was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy but never too much. Coconut and strawberry was creamy and mellow and just sweet enough. A must have while you're visiting!! Go see Mindy! No judgement if you make it a daily treat!

    Cindy L.

    The best shaved ice in Kauai just happened to be right next to our condo. Cute little shack across from a great snorkeling beach. I had the organic homemade syrup with pieces of fresh fruit coconut cream and cherry with macadamia nut ice cream in the middle and topped with sugar cream. Decadent and yummy!

    Unassuming food truck. Friendly staff. Great view.

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    Good shave ice in a nice easy location! We've had better shave ice around the island, but appreciate the organic flavor options.

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    Very good good flavoring service is quick has many toppings all natural available and normal flavoring

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    Page 2 of 5

    Ask the Community - Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

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    Instagram search led me here Puka Dog, few reels had this as the top 5 places on Kauai. I was…read morecurious to find out for myself what a Puka Dog is all about. hehe. Wonderful hubby added Puka Dog to our list of adventures and this was the last stop before we the drive back to our hotel in Lihue. Puka Dog has a shop shared with another business, walk to the back of store. Hmm what do I want in my Puka Dog, Puka means hole in local Hawaiian terms. Very creative idea of eating a hot dog. How do your order a Puka Dog? Pick your dog ( Polish or Veggie) Pick your sauce ( mild, Jalapeno, Hot Chili, Habanero, Pick your relish and mustard. I went with Polish, Jalapeno, and the traditional , they were busy so the wait for my Puka Dog was about 10 mins. Love the location as we walked over to the beach, took in the views, waited for Sea Turtles but no luck while enjoying our Puka Dog. & the verdict- the hubby said he would be happy with Costco's $1.50 hot dog or the classic one on Maui @ the mom and pop shop that we always make a stop for in on our way to Kula. I agreed with him. It was tasty, loved the soft bread bun and I can at least say that we got to try Puka Dogs on Kauai. Keep in mind These Puka Dogs are not cheap, they are now $13.50. & does not come with chips or drinks.

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    Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks - shavedice - Updated June 2026

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