During our honeymoon in July, we definitely enjoyed our fair share of shave ice. Shave ice (note: it’s called shave ice, not shaved ice) is an amazing Hawaiian dessert. It’s made of shaved ice covered in syrup and toppings, and differs from a snow cone, which is crushed ice, rather than shaved ice.

There are many options for syrup flavorings, from pineapple to cake batter. Moreover, there are numerous topping options! Many places allow you to add ice cream to the bottom. Another common and delicious extra is a “snow cap”- sweetened condensed milk poured on top.

The island of Kauai, the last stop on our amazing trip to Hawaii, has some great shave ice places. Find below our list of the best on Kauai:

Ono Ono Shave Ice

Address: 4-1292 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa, Kauai, HI 96746

Website: http://restaurantwebexpert.com/OnoFamilyRestaurant/

Ono Ono Shave Ice is actually attached to the Ono Family Restaurant, located in the town of Kapaa. Kapaa is on the east side of the island. Ono Ono is a cash-only establishment and well-worth a stop! You will often see a line, but it moves fast. We each ordered our own shave ice and discovered that the portions are absolutely HUGE! We added macadamia nut ice cream to the bottom, and a snow cap on top! 

Uncle’s Shave Ice

Two Locations on Kauai

Address: 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St, Koloa, HI 96756 (Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center)

Address: 4454 Nuhou St Ste 419, Lihue, HI 96766

Website: http://uncleskauai.com/

Uncle’s Shave Ice is a pretty famous spot on Kauai. We visited the Koloa location; Uncle’s in Koloa is the closest place on our list to the Poipu-area. This location is in the Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center, which includes other well-known food establishments like Savage Shrimp and Bubba’s Burgers. Uncle’s is a great place to stop for dessert after a meal. In addition, they also have “Shave Snow.” Shave Snow is a combo of sugar, flavoring, water, and milk frozen together. So instead of pouring syrups on top, it is all frozen as one. If you are looking for a different frozen treat, Shave Snow is a unique option on Kauai.

Wailua Shave Ice

Address: 4-1306 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaa, HI 96746

Additional Locations in Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California

Website: http://www.wailuashaveice.com/

We had heard of the two previously mentioned establishments during our research on Kauai and decided to put them on our list to try. But as we were walking through the town of Kapaa on the last day of our trip, we noticed a small food truck area. One of the trucks was Wailua Shave Ice. We read the flavors and decided to give it a try! Their flavoring is slightly different than many other shave ice places; they incorporate more toppings and also many of their flavors include coconut milk or vanilla bean milk to give a more creamy taste. We ordered the “Almond Joy”- nutella, coconut milk, almonds, and roasted coconut flakes. Absolutely scrumptious!