Island Snow Hawaii

Soft and fine just how I like it. Only think I wasn’t to find of was their line. But hey what can you say about a line due to good shaved ice? Duh! So be ready to wait! They have a variety of flavor a to choose from. Piece of advice: get ice cream and snow cap. Done! Enjoy

My favorite shave ice on the island. Always with ice cream and snow cap of course. Sometimes the lines can get pretty long but they weren’t bad on a Saturday around 1. I like to check out their clothing side too. Lots of local brands and styles at decent prices.

After our busy day kayaking and hiking around Kailua we stopped by to get some shave ice. We were glad the line was not that long. I ordered the mango flavor and my wife ordered the raspberry. We both got a scoop of macadamia ice cream. Overall it was good and refreshing. After we finished eating our shave ice I went back inside to look at the store. They have nice stuff. I like wearing hilife and island snow shirts. I bought some shirts and decals to take back home with us.

This is the best place to get shave ice on this side of the island. It is delicious and sooo refreshing!
What I really like about this place are their delicious locally sources syrups. It takes a little bit more effort, but it is so nice to know that my purchase of delicious shave ice helps some local entrepreneur to put his kids through college. The place is really clean, and the employees are very nice. I even got to talk to one of the owners, Brockton, who was super nice.
I will definitely continue getting my shave ice fix in here. But hey, I am not the only one. The President keeps returning as well! The place is just that good.

Let’s start by saying, I have NEVER eaten a shave ice in MY LIFETIME, that when you get to the bottom of it you have plain shaced ice NO SYRUP. It’s flavors were lacking, just a poorly made (maybe) shaved ice. I’m giving it 1 star because I was able to see a friend next door he works at Kailua kayak, so the trip from Salt lake wasn’t a total waste.
I don’t know what our president was tasting there but it wasn’t worth it!

Nice little shave snow spot and they deliver a refreshing snow treat. The line is a little weird as it goes through the island snow clothing store.
The menu is pretty easy to decipher but there are so many flavor choices it be overwhelming. All Shaved ice comes with ice cream underneath and an option for snowcap topping (condensed milk) $.50 more for Mac nut ice cream. The Mac nut ice cream is GOOD with bits and pieces of macadamia nuts.
Prices are on point and flavors are on point. Go to this place if you want something refreshing after a long day of SUP or kayaking that’s what president Obama did!

As far as Hawaiian Shave Ice goes, Island Snow is one of the best. If my review doesn’t convince you, then the line that exceeds out of the door should. I was able to pick three flavors with my small size: strawberry, orange and grape. Yummy yum yum! Of course, we have snow cones on the mainland, but I am usually not a fan due to the chunky ice and lack of syrup. Island Snow’s ice has the texture of just that, snow! It is extremely soft and literally melts in your mouth. They also do not skimp on the syrup. It is common in Hawaii to have a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the bottom so I gave it a try. Though I was not a fan of the cream and syrup mixture in the bottom of my cup, many people are so I’d still suggest giving it a try!

Well, shaved ice is new for us mainlanders, but we wanted to give this local treat a try. My husband knows of my affinity for anything Obama so he brought us here. He had gotten the 411 from some coworkers who told him to get the macadamia ice cream instead of vanilla and some sort of seeds added, can’t remember what they’re called. He then added coffee and some sort of cake batter syrup and it was to die for.
I went the macadamia route as well, but had strawberry and pineapple. Um, can you hand me a shovel so I can scoop it into my mouth faster?! It was GOOD. Aside from the ridiculously sticky floors and the pigeons that roost in the trees outside and poop on your shoulder, this was a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend people visit if they are in Kailua.

The service is great here. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. And the menu is easy to read and follow. I only wish there were small descriptions of the unusal flavors like «snawzberry». I chose that one just because it was funny to say.
After getting my regular sized shave ice with melona, snawzberry, and one more flavor topped with condensed milk… I noticed their syrup is pretty sweet. A little too sweet for my taste buds.
I would be ok to go back and maybe ask for less syrup since it was too sweet. But worth checking out if you’re in town and want to go somewhere where president Obama went!

Honestly, one of the best shaved ice treats I’ve ever had! The addition of ice cream and «snow cap» offered a new enjoyable twist for me. I got Apple, Guava and Banana and I loved them all – the flavored were all yummy! There is almost always a line and it could move faster, but the good things in life are worth waiting for. Check them out the next time your in Oahu!

Despite the chronically sticky floors, this shaved ice place isn’t too bad. It’s nice having one on the windward side too instead of the cluster of them in Haleiwa. Kailua beachgoers like a frozen treat too, and Kalapawai’s Ono pops can be expensive!
Mom and I split a large size the other day and I was quite surprised at how small it was. They need a jumbo size if this was the large! Island Snow includes a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the bottom of all of their shaved ice and that used to be a real score since you’d have to pay extra for that anywhere else. But this time I was shocked to see that their «scoop» of ice cream has downsized. It’s more like a tablespoon of ice cream now. Bummer. We got three flavors and a snow cap (drizzle of condensed milk on top) which I love. It came out to $ 4.75 and I was disappointed. I would have gotten a frozen monstrosity on the North Shore.
I understand supply and demand but this was way too little for the price and I’m not sure id go back now. Maybe it’s better to wait for the real stuff in Haleiwa!

Being a clueless mainlander, I stupidly walked up to two different doors because one section clearly looked like a clothing store when I really just wanted some shaved ice. It made sense after I walked in. So HA, joke is on you, Island Snow!
I went after a beach/​hike day in Kailua, and really wanted something cool and refreshing. It looked like I came to the right place at the right time because there was no line on a Saturday afternoon.
I got the regular size sans condensed milk. I knew I wanted coconut but couldn’t pick out the other two flavors so the staff recommended vanilla and coffee. It turned out to be delicious and I couldn’t get over how cool the employees were! They seemed to be having a good time and they treated me as if I were a distant cousin who came to visit the island!
I didn’t know this was a chain but I would totally come back when I’m back on the island.

The servers were nice enough, but this was not a good experience. The syrups were far too sweet (and I almost never make that complaint); our friends actually threw theirs away.
To make matters worse, the prices were… well, let’s just say that it was more than I thought it was worth. Waiola and Uncle Clay’s are further from where we live, but worth the drive, IMO.

Perfect texture on the ice. Not too fine and not too gritty; they’ve found a good consistency right in between. The home made flavors are great; really impressed that they had sugarfree and tart flavors as well to accommodate different preferences.
Come try this spot. Even President Obama has graced the halls of Island Snow, so if it earns the presidential seal of approval there must be good reason!
Parking is easy and there is a private lot. Excellent accessibility after a swim at Lanikai beach.
PROTIP: Ice cream on the bottom ALWAYS.

Really tasty shave ice. I recommend visiting here after a nice swim at Lanikai :)
Parking: Private lot

I always drop by here when I’m in Oahu because the shave ice is delicious. The flavors stand out and the ice is smooth. Can’t go wrong with this place. Also, I saw a sick Hundreds x Island Snow tee so I had to cop haha.

I came here roughly two-​three years ago before it blew up and became a big thing. I was dying to come back but just never got around to it. Well, I finally got around to it yesterday, and it’s just as amazing as I remember it being.
This place has everything you could ever ask for from a shave ice spot. They offer a TON of flavors (even sugar free ones). Anything from your basic strawberry, grape, and pineapple flavors to the more unique ones like passion fruit, lychee and root beer. They give you one free scoop of vanilla at the bottom of your shave ice if you want it, if not just let them know! They aren’t cheap with the flavors or the amount of ice they give you regardless of the size you order. The large size is about $ 4 and you certainly get your money’s worth considering you can get half the amount of shave ice in Waikiki for $ 6 – 7. You can also add toppings to your shave ice for a small extra charge.
It’s such a fantastic little place to stop after a hot day at the beach. They have a new location opening in the main Kailua shopping village, but this one is such a local gem. It’s a must visit if your vacationing here. If you live here, go check it out next time you hit up Lanikai beach!

What’s a snow cap? It’s condensed milk. Doh! Lol
HYPES:
This shave ice place is just hella good. The flavor stands out, the snow is smooth like real snow and the workers are upbeat and casual.
I got the piña colada with macadamia nut ice cream, azuki beans and snowcap. Yummmmmmmmm!
It’s also connected to a surf shop and my friends bought a few shirts there.
GRIPES:
They forgot my ice cream at first but caught their mistake before the flavors were on, which was cool. Not really a gripe… but make sure they have everything you ordered on there!
Overall, it’s simple and yummy and there’s not much more you can expect from shave ice! And small side note, apparently Obama loves it, too. Lol

Just took a stroll here with my wife as we vacationed in Kailua. Nice, clean, and cool shop with such friendly employees. This was my first shave ice experience on Oahu, and it was a delicious endeavor. We went with the macadamia nut ice cream and condensed milk atop a luscious mountain of ice, bearing the flavors of lychee, melona, and my personal favorite, POG (Passion fruit + orange + guava).
Island Snow; a delicious treat that combines creamy sweetness, fruity freshness, and cool refreshment.

This is a very popular place to come to! *ESPECIALLY* after frolicking at the beach!
Parking lot is a hassle at times, since it is high traffic for the tourists, and locals.
They have a frequent flier punch card, so after purchasing 10 shave ice, you get one free. It only applies to the large portion though, not the keiki size portion. So many times I see everyone buying and no one uses their punch card! They have signs of it all over and some employees even ask if you have it! Just get it folks if you are local and go here!
Everyone is spot on this so why do another review? Over 200 reviews and a solid 4! ENOUGH SAID! Just go get some!
Everyone has their personal tastes so let me lay down the law:
1) Pick your size (keiki, regular, large)
2) Pick your fixings — (ice cream, azuki bean, condensed milk — gotta pay extra though)
3) Pick your flavors — this one is up to you. Everyone has different flavor mixing styles.
There ya go — get your shave ice. :)
Oh do watch the syrup — sometimes they don’t put enough in, but if you go back in, they’ll fix it right for you. Lines can be long — but it goes quick!