Kaua’i Shave Ice Review #4: Wailua Shave Ice

Posted on by Laura
Wailua Shave Ice's little red trailer is located on the makai (ocean) side of Kuhio Highway in Kapaa, on a vacant lot between two storefronts.
Wailua Shave Ice’s little red trailer is located on the makai (ocean) side of Kuhio Highway in Kapaa, on a vacant lot between two storefronts.

Blink as you drive by, and you might miss the little red trailer tucked between two storefronts in Old Kapaa Town. If you do, you’ll be missing out on some very, very tasty and refreshing shave ice.

The staff at Wailua Shave Ice is super friendly!
The staff at Wailua Shave Ice is super friendly!

Wailua Shave Ice’s offerings are huge, all made with natural syrups, and come in some unique flavor combinations. Although WenYu and YaYu had sampled their offerings before, our visit last month before taking WenYu back to college was the first time for both Brett and I. We loved every bite and vowed to come back again.

The shave ice menu - all cost just $6.50
The shave ice menu – all cost just $6.50

On this visit I ordered a Lava Flow (pineapple, coconut & strawberry), Brett and WenYu each had a Kauai Orange Dream (orange & coconut milk topped with haupia foam), and YaYu tried a Wailua Sunrise (pineapple & orange). There’s a generous amount of seating in back, and although there were others waiting in line, it didn’t take long for our order to come up. Because Wailua Shave Ice does not come with ice cream, I was very surprised by how big the servings were. All shave ice at Wailua Shave Ice, no matter the flavor, costs just $6.50, a very reasonable price considering how much you get. Each shave ice is also topped with fresh fruit (or crushed Oreo on a Cookies & Cream shave ice, or chocolate sauce and toasted coconut on the Almond Joy shave ice). You can ask for a snow cap, but many of the recipes come topped with haupia (coconut milk gelatin) or coconut milk foam, so ordering a snow cap might be sort of redundant for those flavors.

Looking inside a Kauai Orange Dream - you can see how huge the serving is!
Inside a Kauai Orange Dream – you can see how huge the serving is, and how fluffy the ice is! All the serving cups are recyclable paper.
The Lava Flow. The cap on top is made with coconut milk
The Lava Flow. The cap on top is made with coconut milk.  The straw is so you don’t miss out on a single drop.
YaYu's Wailua xx. It looks plain, but was VERY tasty. Wailua Shave Ice natural syrups are DELICIOUS!
YaYu’s Wailua Sunrise. It looks plain, but the flavors were very rich and tasty. Wailua Shave Ice’s natural syrups are DELICIOUS!

WenYu and YaYu enjoyed their shave ice from Wailua so much they went back again the next day for another. Brett and I’ll be going again too – Wailua Shave Ice has earned a spot near the top of our favorite’s list.

YaYu ordered a Cookies & Cream shave ice when she went back.
YaYu ordered the Cookies & Cream flavor when she went back.

Wailua Shave Ice is located at 04-1306 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa. They’re open daily from noon until 5:30 p.m. and accept debit and credit cards. Parking is available on the street or in back.

Published by Laura

Traveling the world with forty-four pounds in our suitcases, full backpacks, and a sense of adventure!

3 thoughts on “Kaua’i Shave Ice Review #4: Wailua Shave Ice”

  1. Believe it or not, we’ve never tried shave ice when we’ve visited. This is going to change! My only concern is if there is cross-contamination with any nuts or almond milk, as Jim is REALLY allergic.

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    1. I think as long as he stays away from ice cream (which could have nuts) he’ll be OK. My favorite so far is Tege Tege, but Wailua is really, really good too, and both are close to our house and where you’ll be staying – we’ll have to go!

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