Aloha Ice is the only place I've found, pretty much anywhere, that has actual Hawaiian-style shaved…read moreice, complete with the macadamia-nut ice cream on the bottom! For years I've wondered why this isn't a thing elsewhere besides Hawaii. It is so good! We decided to stop here after an e-biking adventure through Oceanside. We got several of the special types of shaved ice (though you can build your own flavor selection) and they were all really good. The bigger sizes were really huge! Things were so tasty I missed actual pictures of the shaved ice but did grab a pic of the outside. They've also done a good job capturing the Hawaiian style inside and even have pog you can get! Nice clean modern ambiance overall. Service was quick even though there were tons of people in line! Overall would totally recommend for a tasty summer treat in Carlsbad!

The portion was hugeeee. I looked at the small at first and was like bruh no way they selling that…read morebut they lowk stack the ice so high. It was definitely worth the price for the amount you get. For taste, I think all the flavors are super artificial (i mean afterall it is syrups) but normally it doesnt bother me and for this it was just really strong fake taste especially of their ube flavor. I do think the sweet cream complimented it very nice and I liked it all when I mixed the ice cream in. The blend was extremely pleasant. I also really appreciated how patient the staff were when I was looking at the menu they were kind about letting me fully look through it all. Id say this is a good place to go with chill vibes and after a long summer day on the beach. Perfect cool down snack

This place is the best! Great big servings of shaved ice with generous flavor added and the people…read moreworking here are awesome!

O'side shaved ice is my go to spot whenever I'm in California for a visit. The staff are really…read morefriendly and I found out that they use the same machine that they use in Hawaii! Definitely a must stop when you're in town! I'll definitely be back on my next trip :) They feature customer photos on their Instagram too so follow them to see if you're in their next post (@oside_shavedice)

Delicious 12/10 will definitely try again!!!…read more Delicious! Get all the add ons on top, it's worth the extra money. Support small business, very hard working people here aswell! I've seen them clear a very long line quickly! Love their flavors and the beach vibe is always the move

First time trying this place and it was good. I had the Dole whip pineapple. It was amazing. The…read moreservice was great and friendly. It was located on the beach on Camp Pendleton. The ambiance is nice since it is on the beach. It was convenient if you want something refreshing and cold to eat on a hot summer day.

This place is a joke. We stopped for gas and saw this spot thinking it was going to be like a real…read moreHawaiian shaved ice the worker was eating and acting hesitant to stop eating. I paid $4 for a little ball of ice that melted in seconds. Then I asked the worker "why my bowl didn't look like the pictures they have posted on the window"? "She answered nasty and hasty ,that just a picture this is all your going to get." And she said ,she wasn't making another one. I'm offended and having an attitude like this will make a business close fast especially during the pandemic. You can't treat customers rude because you don't want to work. I'm really pissed and its not the money $4 its the ungrateful attitude people have towards consumers.

Awesome Place .. Savannah is great with customer service and answering the kids questionsread more

I was in this area of Oceanside in the valley and was looking for ice cream. Upon recommendations,…read moreI came across Ocean Rainbow ice cream parlor. Remotely hidden in the back of the shopping plaza on El Camino Real & Mission Ave, is this gem of a small ice cream shop, Ocean Rainbow. One could easily drive right past them because of their small signage on the exterior. The shop is very small and see maybe 10 people. Yeah, very friendly service that is excellent and fast to greet and offer a free sample. This ice cream shop has a very large variety of flavors that are native to Mexican culture. They have ice cream scoops, milkshakes, water-based popsicles, sherbets, sundaes, chamango, banana splits, icicles, elotes, esquites, Tostilocos, popsicles, shaved ice and a whole lot more. You can find flavors like guava, rice, pistachio, coconut, Oreo, cookie dough, rocky road, mango, mamey, cactus fruit, pine nut, MAZAPAN, chamoy, tamarindo, burnt milk, Gansito and even tequila. There most popular item is the Fresas Con Crema. Prices are very reasonable and I got a 3-scoop chocolate waffle cone for $8. They also have fresh-made aguas frescas that are made to-order and esquimales too! I highly recommend checking this spot out the next time you have a sweet tooth!

Love this place. Most ice-cream shops may have 1 or 2 non-dairy options but this place has at least…read more10 non-dairy real fruit sorbets. Watermelon, Guava, Mango, Strawberry, Tamarind, Passion Fruit just to name a few. Got the Chamango with 4 different sorbets and real fruit mango topping. For $9 its a great value. Service friendly. They sell other things too like agua frescas and popsicles and snacks. Definitely a fam favorite in the area. 5 Stars.

Tried this place for the first time & was not disappointed! The workers here were so friendly &…read morehelpful. Absolutely amazing customer service! The Choco tacos were so delicious, a little difficult to eat, but delicious nonetheless! My little brother DEVOURED the frozen chocolate covered banana, he absolutely loved it! They also have a small selection of candies & some old school Knick knacks to look at! A ton of options of ice cream flavors, shakes, malts, sundaes, you name it! The place itself is extremely small, no AC, & gets CRAMPED inside to the point you're squishing your way through people just to get out. There is some seating outside, none inside. Parking can be tough, the parking lot is kind of confusing & make sure you're paying attention to the signs as lots of the spots are for boat permits only!

This is an ice cream shop located right by the beach. Thrifty Ice Cream is already very well known,…read moreand I often see it inside Rite Aid stores. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The shop also sells a variety of candies and snacks, which makes it a fun place for kids. Since it's located next to a bar, there is often live music on Friday and Saturday nights, creating a lively and enjoyable atmosphere. Parking can be a bit difficult, and getting in and out of the parking area feels quite tight. The shop is also filled with a lot of merchandise, so the space can feel a little cramped. Overall, it's a fun spot to grab some ice cream by the beach, especially if you enjoy a lively atmosphere and live music on the weekends.

I hadn't been in YEARS. The broth is still as flavorful as…read moreI can remember! Luckily, we got there around 630ish (PM), because not too long after, there was someone coming in every 2 to 3 minutes until it was packed-this place is popular! Anyway, when we came in, we were told to just pick a seat anywhere we wanted. There are plenty of tables put together (family style) and once seated we were able to order right away. Like I said, after we came in, it started getting a little busy so the wait for our food was a little longer than I had expected (but not too bad, maybe about 10 minutes). However, we did order some spring rolls for appetizers and those came out right away..... later, when the broth came out it was nice and hot! Everything was delicious, the beef brisket and flank steak were flavorful on their own within the broth and nice and tender. Of course, the broth, like I said earlier was very flavorful and that's definitely what you want to expect eating pho. All of the wait staff were great, cheerful and happy/attentive. We'll definitely be back, as this is definitely our go to for Oceanside pho in this area.

After a long drive from NorCal and immediately going into a full day at Legoland, it was safe to…read moresay we all needed something comforting and delicious. A quick search on Yelp gave me a few decent options but Pho Oceanside won because they were opened later than the other businesses. Our party of 3 arrived at 7:45pm on a Friday night to a pretty quiet restaurant. There were only 2 other parties dining- one being a table of about 8-9 guests. The staff let us know we could pick our own seats and provided us with menus. The offerings here are very typically of what you would expect to find at a Vietnamese restaurant. Kudos for the vegetarian options for those non-carnivorous eaters. Dinner consisted of: *P14. RARE STEAK, FLANK, TENDON & TRIPE PHO (TÁI, NAM, GÂN, SÁCH) *L6. SEAFOOD (MÌ XÀO HẢI SẢN) Calamari, shrimp & fish ball *VIETNAMESE SANDWICH- GRILLED PORK [Cucumber, pickled carrot & daikon, onions, cilantro] So this is where the visit took a dive. The one male staff member cane by with a plate of veggies for the pho. What was provided had to be the worst portion and quality I had ever received. There was only one... YES, ONE!! sprig of basil and the basil was limp, crusty, and honestly just SAD!!! I was honestly ready to throw in the towel and mentally prepare myself for a poopy meal ahead. Thankfully, my guy spoke up and made a request with the gentleman in charge- he came out with an abundance of fresh thai basil. Food was surprisingly pretty good. My daughter enjoyed her seafood chow mein. The pho was alright but the broth could have been a bit more flavorful. The banh mi was my favorite of the night and i totally didn't see that coming. The sandwich wasn't aesthetically pretty on the eyes but the pork marinade was delicious. The cuts of meat were tender and the bread was soft yet crunch in all the right places. 4 stars overall. My only bit of advice is providing patrons with fresh, crisp herbs if you are going to skimp it down to 1 sprig per person.

We came in for a late dinner while in the area. I've had it bookmarked for a while so it was…read moreserendipitous that we happened to be in Vista for a birthday party just around the corner. The restaurant is small, cozy, welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. It isn't well suited for larger parties as most tables are tables for 2 unless tables are pushed together. They do have patio seating and heaters outside, but it didn't appeal to me being so close to the street/loud traffic. Gabriel checked us in, seated us, took our order, served our food and waited on us for majority of our visit, I would give him 10 stars just on his impeccable service. The food though? The food was AMAZING!! Everything we ordered was the best we have ever had anywhere. The buns were very kawaii (and we ordered ever single one to try). The fillings were savory, but we also loved their seasonal panda bun with ube filling while the kids preferred the nutella bunny. Best chicken karaage we've had by far, the coating almost tasted like it was rolled in kinako powder. The ramen broth was "chef's kiss" with so much flavors, the crab rangoon were jumbo and the filling was delicious, but the chicken katsu was also the best we have had anywhere (including Hawaii). The breading was just top tier crunchy while the chicken was thick and juicy. There isn't one bad thing I could say about this place, from the service to the food, I would make the drive out here again. Super duper, highly recommend, don't sleep on this little place, you'll regret it!

Okay, I found out Harumama Ramen + Sushi was in my neighborhood so I had to check it out. I wanted…read moreto see if it's the same as another one I've been to about 20 minutes away. Since I'm a lover of information, I looked up "Harumama". It's a combination of two words: the Korean word haru, which means "day," and "mama". Together, it translates to "mom's daily food". The name reflects the restaurant's mission to serve dishes prepared with the same love, care, and attention that a mother gives to her family's everyday meals. How lovely is that?! Anyhow, I was able to find street parking and walked into a clean dining space with a nice atmosphere. It wasn't too busy. Again, the staff was very attentive and provided stellar service. My food came out pretty fast. I loooved how my Drunken Noodles had the right amount of chicken and peanuts. Overall, another fun flavorful time. I'm still a Harumama fan. I can't wait to try more dishes. I highly recommend this location to the Yelp Community!!

Family-Friendly Escape Near Legoland…read more While staying at the nearby Legoland Hotel, a few of us moms decided to sneak away from our husbands and kids for a quick break, and this place was a fantastic find! It features a variety of food stalls serving fresh, high-quality dishes, which was a very welcome break from the typical fried hotel food. With options ranging from pizza and fried chicken to a great selection of Asian cuisines like Thai and Chinese, it is an easy way to accommodate different tastes within a family or across multiple families. I especially loved the fresh, piping-hot dishes (we got the pad see ew) from the Thai food stall paired with a delicious cocktail from the central bar. Before heading back, we also grabbed some mini donuts to bring to the kids. The space is incredibly accommodating, with plenty of indoor seating options including bar tables, cozy booths, and standard tables. On top of that, they have several arcade games on-site, making this a highly viable and fun dining option for families with kids. Would recommend as a viable option if you're in the area.

"And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space…read moreLike the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind" (Sting) If you've ever driven on Interstate 5 (or in the lingo of the locals...."the Five") in Carlsbad you've seen the giant Windmill spinning curiously on the side of the road. Well, if you're hungry but can't exactly decide how to satisfy that hunger, just follow the windmill to the Windmill Food Hall. That's what we did and were soon face-to-face with fourteen different food vendors, ranging the ethnic gamut from Thai to Chinese to Sushi to Burgers to Lobster to Pizza to Mexican and pretty much anything your hungry little heart craves. Our party of three scattered into three directions and reunited at a table for our eclectic lunch. My wife went with meatballs from Cacio because Craft Pizza didn't sell slices, just a 12" pizza. My brother-in-law went with a Honey Walnut Shrimp plate from Secret Sauce Wok, and I went with sushi and miso soup from Rolled Up Sushi. I loved my lunch, starting with a nice flavorful Miso Soup ($5) that was served in a coffee cup! My eight Spicy Tuna Rolls ($14) were most definitely spicy. Now, since I love spicy food I was thrilled because 98% of the spicy tuna rolls I've had over the years are ho-hum on the old spiciness meter. Not these. The food hall was packed, and we saw many families having lunch there. Kids were all over, including some uniformed sports teams. The kids were also at the many video and arcade games on the premises, while bigger kids were entertaining themselves at Windmill's big bar. What a fun place for a fun food experience.