Country Shave Ice

5 stars because this is the kind of Shave Ice that Hawaii should be known for. Not sweet sugary syrups with artificial flavors. Country Shave ice is real organic fruit flavored shave ice!

Right in the heart of Kaimuki among the other local culinary gems is a shave ice establishment unlike the others. Parking across the street for $ 2 on the weekends, we parked there both days and didn’t pay. No one is monitoring.
A simple manual shave ice machine and house-​made syrups, served in a heaping biodegradable cup. What more could you ask for?
We went two days in a row. First trip: Blackberry and Lilikoi. Second trip: Strawberry (no cream) and Mango Haupia.
The mango Haupia was disgusting. The mango tasted like nothing and the Haupia coconut sauce made it overly sweet and heavy. NEVER. AGAIN.
So why the five stars? Lilikoi. *mic drop*

Kaimuki is my old stomping grounds and I enjoy coming back here whenever I can. A lot has changed and man oh man there are so many places to eat here. So on a HOT sunny Saturday right after some time at the playground my daughter and I wanted shaved ice. I could of went across the street to good ol’ 7 – 11 but I knew there was something better. Duh Unilocal is the best! So since it was so HOT I didn’t want to migrate too far from where I was at the time. So I found Country Shave Ice just a couple minutes down the street. Thank you to all the Unilocalers that wrote their review of this place! I really wanted to try the Passion shaved ice but they ran out that day so I went for the Mango Haupia. This place does not dissapoint! I have to say that this is the first time spending $ 6 on shaved ice but these guys use some pretty legit stuff! I mean I have never tasted shaved ice like this before. So there was a light taste of coconut throughout and dizzles of mango purée or what ever that mango-​y stuff is and to top it off real mango, coconut flakes, and mint. I have to say it was the most refreshing shaved ice I’ve ever had. Honestly I think because it was extra HOT is was even better. I do have to say that I appreciate the time and effort to make it look tasty. But anyways if you’re ever in Kaimuki and want shaved ice check this place out!

Best shave ice in town! The texture of this shave ice is light and smooth and the toppings are made with real fruit. The flavors are distributed evenly throughout the entire shave ice so every last bite is delicious! My favorites are Mango Haupia and Blueberry, but Lilikoi is really good too.

Our made to order fresh shave ice was delightful after our hike up Diamond Head. Mango haupia and Hawaiian Orange Dream are to die for. No artificial colors and all the fruit is fresh! Worth the trip and park across the street!
Update: Had a craving for shave ice and stopped by for a refreshing treat. It’s better than I remembered! We shared another Hawaiian Orange Dream.

Went here in the middle of a week day (of course I played hookie and decided to take the day off from work) to get shave ice. Selling point was definitely the «doggy bowl» that I have been seeing circulate around online. I try to do as much things as possible with my dog, so I’m always on the hunt for dog-​friendly activities.
We weren’t familiar with the area, so we parked in THE BOH parking lot, (parking lot above that is where we were supposed to park) when we arrived we weren’t sure if we were in the right place and we weren’t sure if it was even open.
When the worker greeted us, he explained all the «local favorites»
I stayed safe and ordered the strawberries and cream as they were out the flavors I came down to try (will be heading back though!)
CASH ONLY! Luckily my sister banks with BOH so it was just a short stroll to the atm.
My dog received his doggy bowl first, which he absolutely loved, I want to say it was a beef stock over ice with a grain free biscuit (five stars because my dog is allergic to wheat and grain)
Next came ours, luckily we were the only ones there because it does take some time to make, there was a sign that was posted to let us know that, but we didn’t mind, it was a stop for shave ice kind of day, and we weren’t In any rush.
Any way, will be back again, maybe earlier in the day so we have more choices!

Aw man, this place is good! I see why there is so much hype around these shave ices
I got the famous Strawberries and Cream, which reminded me of my favorite Strawberry Milk flavor from Ailanna’s. My husband got the Mango Haupia, he said it’s his favorite shave ice flavor ever!
We also got what they call a «doggy bowl» for our dog, which is shave ice and beef bouillon drizzled on top with a little dog biscuit; he loved it! (And it’s just about the cutest thing ever.)
My only gripe is that it takes a while to wait, so it might be long on a crowded day. Luckily we were the only customers at the time.
There’s also only one size; for those that can eat a large $ 7 shave ice that’s fine, but for me it was a bit too much. Wish they had sizes!
Very good shave ice though, and presentation is beautiful. Definitely try this place out.

THE BEST EVER! All homade and natural. NO ARTIFICIAL SYRUPS! Size is good and the price is fitting and worth it. Would highly recommend the strawberry and cream, liliikoi Haupia, or Maui vanilla raspberry. Parking however is across the street, and the parking attendants usually yell at you if you park in the bank stalls for shave ice or street parking. However, It is always worth it.

Best shave ice I have ever had! And worth the wait. They shave the ice by hand and it still comes out fine and soft. Although it doesn’t look like they put much syrup the syrup is concentrated and the flavor plentiful. Had the sweet potato and haupia, as well as the Lilikoi. Lilikoi is by far my favorite– even better if you add condensed milk!

Came here after seeing their IG and was not disappointed. It’s in a hidden spot in a back alley.
The girl was super nice and explained the flavors to us. I settled on the mango and the sweet potato. I watched as she churned the shaved ice by hand, as she explained that it gives it a better texture. She took her time with each of my order, so be patient. The mango was definitely my favorite! It was very refreshing on a hot day! The sweet potato has a lighter flavor.
Overall, an awesome spot to get shaved ice so definitely stop by!

just so you know where i’m coming from, i’m a long time fan of waiola. i think they have the technique and the flavors down (as artificial as they are). i was excited to have a new place nearby with interesting, artisinal flavors and philosophy. the space was reminiscent of a cool, minimalist/​purist coffee bar next to a warehouse.
$ 7 for my mango haupia shave ice later, i’m not really a fan of the shave ice or the experience. it’s hand cranked, which can provide a finer snow – but the resulting ice wasn’t better in my opinion. in fact, the shavista sort of packed the snow down, which made it a lot icier and rigid in the top «ball» area. i personally think the snow should be coaxed and shaped rather than packed down. within a few bites, the top of the structure fell onto the ground. the flavors were not bad (tiny bit sweet for me without compensating in other mango-​y or haupia notes), but the mint garnishment was a beautiful touch.
it took a long time to get our order – i get it. it’s hipster shave ice. and they do have a parking lot. i think, however, for me, $ 7 is way too much for one shave ice and the $ 7 attitude is not quite what i’m looking for when i’m looking for my happy shave ice break. maybe the shavista was having a bad day or he is an acolyte purist. if you’re looking for a place to post pictures on social media about a beautiful looking product with an intriguing title, though, this is a good place.

I’ve been following Country Shave Ice for a bit since first seeing them on IG. Been dying to go there because the pics of their shave ice looked mouth watering, and the vibrant colors and energy surrounding the photos looked like it was a cool trendy place.
You should know that there is no parking to be found. We needed to meter park around the corner. As you approach their building it seems very quaint, quiet, and had to make sure it was opened. There was at first no one at the front, there was an open sign however the feeling was very scarce. There was a lot of cars in the
Lot but no people assuming that they were at the bank next door or at the offices next door. The shop has no personality, no vibe, and we almost left. They were out of the flavors we came for seeing them on IG. Felt we needed to order out of feeling bad.
Glad we did because the shave ice was soft, light, light tasting, not too sweet, and very interesting. As you can see from my pic (Haupia Mango) very well put together. Our server today really didn’t engage in any Aloha and answered us with one words. No explanations of the different flavors; just silence.
There is a phrase above the register on the wall that really doesn’t have a place in the shop. We walked away loving the shave ice but missing the experience of a great time.
I recommend… Finding another venue to begin. Make the place fun because shave ice is fun and cool. You probably would get your monies worth with a better spot. The spot now is a waste of space and talent. Stick to your events and parties. I think that would be more trendy and a treat for the customer. Looking forward to seeing great stuff from you. 3 stars for a tasty treat.

I had some trouble actually getting to try this place because their hours of operation are a little strange (Wednesday through Sunday) plus the holidays, so it wasn’t clear when they were open! But since they have a convenient location, my boyfriend and I happen to drive by and they were open!!! It’s a very cute and modest little shop with a simple menu. We tried the pickled mango because this isn’t a usual flavor you can find at a shave ice place!
When we got the shave ice, it looked like there was hardly any syrup on it because it looked mostly white. But when we took a bite it was packed with flavor just like pickled mango! There were chunks of picked mango between the shave ice and it was so yummy. I want to try all their flavors now and I was especially impressed that their shave ice machine isn’t electric, but is operated by hand! This is a great mom and pop shop that I hope sticks around for a while.

Super good shave ice! Can’t wait to try other flavors. You have to park in the lot across the street.

What a sweet little hidden gem right off Waialae avenue! Blink and you might miss this little shave ice spot right behind Bank of Hawaii, next door to a jujitsu studio.
I felt like I was I Maui or in the country somewhere. Hence the country shave ice name!
All their shave ice is organic, so the flavors are super yummy and natural. I ordered the mango haupia shave ice and it was so creamy and delicious. Patience is key, as there is one person shaving the ice old fashioned style: by hand!
It’s hard not to leave here happy. The ambiance is relaxing, and for being right off the main drag, you’d swear you really were eating country shave ice! Check them out!

Went here recently with my family on our first trip to Honolulu. This place is tucked away behind a large building but is worth the treasure hunt. There’s an hour of free parking in the lot across the street.
The place is tiny – it should be a beachfront place. Hopefully they move soon. Great vibe, friendly staff and small menu. They make all their syrups themselves. It is cash only.
The only reason for the 4 stars – it took FOREVER. Granted, we were a group of 7 but it took at least 30 minutes for the poor gal to hand crank the machine for all of them. It’s cute and rustic but inefficient as hell.
I got the raspberry vanilla and really like. Another in our group got the Strawberries and Cream and that was unbelievably fantastic.

Country Shave Ice is a pure hidden gem that you would never stumble upon unless you knew it was there. It’s behind the bank of Hawaii on waialae and since it’s not on the main street, it’s not as easily accessible.
I had lunch with a few friends at earl of sandwich and we came over here after because he insisted that it was pretty good.
The menu is very simple with a long list of flavors offered that day. They don’t do the standard «rainbow» flavors so come prepared knowing that they just offer exactly what is on their menu. If it’s busy the wait can get a bit long but if you’re not in a rush it’s definitely worth checking out. Also there is no parking here so you can park in one of the paid lots across the street or behind via gelato or koa pancake house.
My friends got the sweet potato haupia and mango haupia. I opted for Lilikoi. The Lilikoi was tangy but not overpowering and still sweet enough to eat. Unfortunately I didn’t think it was special enough to be worth $ 6.50. It was good but I’ve had pretty good lilikoi at other places too. Also, the ice wasn’t completely covered so some bites were too strong and other bites were too plain. The sweet potato haupia was pretty good and I would likely order that next time. It’s something different and since it’s not something you can get anywhere, it’s definitely worth trying. The mango haupia was pretty good as well but I personally felt it was relatively standard and the tropical shave ice at your kitchen hits the spot.
I’ll have to come back and try the other flavors on a less crowded day so I won’t have to wait as long. The servings are pretty big and I couldn’t eat one by myself so if you’re not a big sweet tooth, one should be enough to share.

I stumbled upon this hidden gem on a Saturday around 3:30pm. (was looking for the publishing co. Found it.)
It being so darn hot and humid out, I decided I needed additional help cooling off. I opted for the Organic Lilikoi, and lemme tell you, it was great! Not too sweet, not too tart. (Some shave ice places serve syrup that’s artificially flavored and can taste like something resembling a melted piece of 6 month old Halloween candy. Not here.) Everything’s organic and hand mxied.
The four stalls fronting the shop are reserved, so be wary if you decide to chance it. You may get towed.
If you’re out and about on a hot and sticky day and need something to cool your jets, Country Shave Ice & Snack Shop is the place you want to get to! Look for new and special flavors on the menu board.
Aloha!
P. S. They can also be found at some farmer’s markets, Eat the Street, and in a wagon on the North Shore.

Hawaii’s shave ice landscape has been slowly shifting from sugary sweet syrups to ones that incorporate more fresh and local fruit flavors. Country Shave Ice is definitely one of the local shave ice shops spearheading this movement!
After a tough Sunday morning Sculpt class, Steph C. and I found ourselves at Country Shave Ice in desperate need of something cool and refreshing. With just one employee to work the cashier and make the shave ice, we had to wait a while to be helped, but it was definitely worth it! I ordered the Unilocal-​recommended Lilikoi while Steph ordered the Pickled Mango. The menu is somewhat limited, but it didn’t prevent us from spending way too long mulling over which flavor to try! It seems like every flavor is a crow favorite, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you choose!
After we had paid (CASH ONLY) and received our shave ice, we decided to enjoy our sweet treats on one of the wooden benches outside. We slurped, sipped, and devoured our shave ice until we had brain freeze! Like most other Unilocalers, I found the lilikoi to be as true to the fruit flavor as possible! Sweet, slightly tart, and oh so yummy! While I love that you get a HUGE serving for the $ 6.50-$ 7 price, I do wish that Country Shave Ice offered smaller sizes. We made the mistake of eating not one, but two Earl Sandwiches before we got to Country Shave Ice and it took all of our willpower to finish our dessert. Sometimes you just want a small treat to end a good meal. :)
I’ve got my eye on the Mango Haupia Shave Ice for next time and can’t wait to return!

I love organic and natural shave ice places! They use real fruit here too! They use the old school ice block shaver here and they also use eco friendly cups! It’s located right behind Bank of Hawaii in Kaimuki right off of Waialae Ave. I def wanna come back and try their pickle mango and mango flavor shave ice. This place is cash only!

I tried really hard to find Country Shave Ice’s retail location one day only to give up because I realized they were closed that day anyway. Disappointment. However, I was lucky enough (hmmm, or was I?) to come across their stand at Eat the Street.
I ordered a Mango Haupia Shave Ice that, after tacking on an extra 50 cents for condensed milk, totaled a whopping $ 7.50. But no matter if this were an amazing shave ice, right? Too bad it wasn’t.
The ice was more crunchy than smooth and not very flavorful. I didn’t taste any haupia nor condensed milk, so that extra 50 cents I spent was definitely a waste. I’m all for all natural, but ultimately if flavor isn’t there, what’s the point?
Really wanted to like Country Shave Ice, but it was clearly a bust. Onto the next shave ice spot!

I wish they’d do a few things differently here. Starting with the heat this place gives off, I practically suffered sitting inside that one fanned store. They’ve got potential, but their syrups (which are made with real fruit) lack flavor. I’ve been to a few places that make their syrups with real fruit that give a nice punch of flavor, however, this place makes you wanting to dump sugar filled syrup all over the place. Not to mention, they have one self-​cranking machine so if there is someone in front of you, expect about a 10 minute wait for it to be your turn and then another 5 – 10 minutes for yours to be made. I’m giving them a 2 star instead of a 1 because I think this place can do better and I’m hoping to return sometime in the future to see it. Also, its really pricey (about $ 7) for the amount of syrup to ice they give you. It’s all ice and little syrup or taste.

ORGANIC shave ice??? YES and it is BADASS!
My husband stumbled upon this little gem behind the BOH in Kaimuki. He was so excited for me to try this place, he called me and offered to prepay for a shave ice, before he went back to work, if I would go right then. I opted to wait for my daughter to get out of school, so she could have one too. Haha
My first time in, I had Mango Haupia. So fresh, it tasted like they picked it while I waited. I just tried Blueberries and Cream, again to die for. Such a light, fresh sweetness; perfect for this 90 degree weather! My daughter is in love with Lilikoi with condensed milk. She describes it as, tangy, sweet and a little sour, creamy and totally addicting! I don’t even blink at the $ 6-​$ 8 price, It. Is. Worth. It.
Bonus* There are bags and hats, made by local
Artisans, for sale

It was love at first bite. I first had Country Shave Ice at the Prince Lot Hula Festival at Moanalua Gardens this summer, where they had a stand. I tried the strawberry with condensed milk. The shave ice is hand cranked and has a unique flakey consistency that tends to hold their organic fruit syrups well. This shave ice was so good that I returned to the hula festival for the second day to try the blueberry flavor.
After my bf did some research online, he finally found this Unilocal page for the actual storefront. There’s a bunch of listings of the same business under different names, such as Ha’aha’a, and different locations (they’re at various farmers markets and events throughout the week), so it was a bit confusing at first. It took us 2 weeks to find you, but so glad that we did!
With this crazy summer heat, we’ve been coming here once a week. Here’s my favorite flavors in order.
1. Lilikoi
2. Strawberry with condensed milk
3. Mango
I have also had blueberry and pineapple, which were good but not ranked up there with my favorites. I didn’t care for the pickled mango flavor shave ice.
They also have seasonal flavors with fruits that are in season, such as mango haupia, sweet potato haupia, and they experiment with flavors like vanilla + bacon. Be sure to follow them on ig @countryshaveice to know when they’re open, what events they’ll be at, and what special flavors they have.
I love that they use local, organic fruits and keep their syrups true to the flavors of the fruits.
The owners are local and good fun to talk story with. You know we’re hooked and we’ll be back!

To keep up with all the Organic, all natural fruit syrups shave ice places popping, you have to distinguish yourself from the rest. This place has caught my attention. My favorite thing in the world on shave ice. Yes, Pickled Mango! Brilliant, why hasn’t anyone thought of this before. It was so perfect sweet, sour, salty with actual slices of pickled mango. Honestly the best shave ice i ever had.
It takes awhile to get yo ice, as the dude hand cranks the machine and adds syrup after every few cranks so you will have flavor all the way to the bottom. But when you get it… HEAVEN. Plenty parking across the street.
Heard the do a pop up at the Waikiki Beach Walk farmers market every Thursday 4−8p. Right next to work… YES!

Lilikoi is one of my favorite fruits. Cutting open a lilikoi fresh off the vine and slurping the seeds is possibly one of my favorite things to do. Some may say I’m obsessed about fruit; I don’t care. I know how to distinguish between the two varieties I’ve come across and know which one I prefer. I ordered a passion fruit cocktail in Indonesia once that came with fresh lilikoi. It was from the variety I don’t prefer. Luckily for me, country shave ice uses the better type to make their fresh sweet and tangy lilikoi shave ice.
I knew from my research before I stepped inside that I was going to get the lilikoi flavor, however, the strawberry cream, blueberry and green tea flavors all sounded delish too. The worker even made some small samples of the different flavors for another customer who is obviously not as decisive and me. And that’s saying something.
For $ 6.50, this is one of the pricier shave ices I’ve had in my life. The ice is shaved thin enough, but I guess because the syrup is a little thicker, it doesn’t seep into the ice very well. It’s ok though because the shave ice makers here are excellent layerers:)
It’s also kind of hot inside, but they have some fans blowing humid air at you :) they also have a few benches outside and free 1 hour parking across the street (uphill of the bankoh lot).

BEST SHAVE ICE EVER!
I stumbled upon Country Shave Ice at the Mo’ili’ili Summer Fest, skeptical of their claim, and was very pleasantly surprised. I like them so much that we looked them up and went to their store soon after. Favorite flavors so far are the lilikoi, lime pie and strawberries ‘n cream, while the wife loves their sweet potato haupia and the kulolo. All flavors are all natural and organic. They’re also well balanced. The lilikoi is refreshingly tart, but not overly so. The strawberry taste like really strawberry. Even the sweet potato has a bit of that real sweet potato texture too!
If you do visit, remember, parking is across the street and is a paid lot. This is also a CASH ONLY business. The shave ice here is very much a manual, artisan product, so please be patient… it’s worth it! And if you think the prices are high when you order, you won’t be thinking that after your first bite.
It’s worth it. I love Ululani and even Island Vintage Shave Ice, but Country Shave Ice is my FAVORITE.