We've been going to Hee Fat for shave ice for nearly two decades. It used to be our favorite place for shave ice, mostly for the high quality syrups. But it both hasn't kept up with some of the more creative offerings at other shave ice places, and the quality was lower on our most recent trip (June 2026). Here are the rankings of the shave ice places from our last trip: Kauai Shave Ice Rankings 2026 1. (Tied) North Shore Bowls in Kilauea - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, nice fluffy ice, good ice cream, flavorful syrups 1. (Tied) Wailua Shave Ice - very enjoyable and creative pre-designed flavor combos, delicious toppings, very good ice texture and ice cream; too light on the syrup for one of our two trips 3. Wishing Well in Hanalei - good fluffy ice and really flavorful natural syrups; downside is it's very crowded (always!) and pretty basic 4. JoJo's in Hanalei - this is a standard shave ice place; ice was a bit compact and icy, but the syrup was plentiful (maybe too much, if you can believe that, for our one visit) and the ice cream was both generous and good 5. Hee Fat in Kapaa - great flavors but the syrup was light coverage, and the ice cream seemed gummy/freezer burned, ice was decent texture; used to be our favorite in Kauai in years past, but it hasn't kept up with other places and maybe the quality has gone down hill 6. Honu Shave Ice in Kapaa - syrup was very light, almost nonexistent on one of our shave ices, ice was clumpy/chunky, ice cream was really minimal, flavors were decent read more

I think this had to be my favorite shaved ice on the island. I got a POG, and the flavor was so spot on and tasted so much like the actual fruit. The portion size was also so generous. There's a parking lot around the back and a beach a block away to enjoy your shaved ice. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I'm honestly not sure how I came across this shop, but I was so happy that I did! I got the lava flow creation, which has pineapple, strawberry, and coconut with macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom. It was $5 for the kids size and $2 to add ice cream. Since we got one of the combos that had ice cream, it was $7. The ice is so fluffy! It feels finer than bingsu. The flavors were light and went really well together. I loved the mac nut ice cream at the bottom and while I don't like nut pieces in my dessert, I really liked this one. I am actually curious to know what ice cream they use. The staff here was so friendly and I loved how you could get souvenirs and shaved ice at this spot. I'll definitely come back here for shaved ice when I am in the Kapaa area. There is some street parking and a tiny lot near by. We got lucky going on a weekday afternoon to find parking. There is a small bench outside for eating the shaved ice. read more

Hee Fat General Store - shaved ice! - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

The large shaved ice is larger than my head... that's the way I like 'em! We ordered a combo flavor of lilikoi, mango, pineapple with macadamia nut ice cream. The flavors were light together but I did like the macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom of the shaved ice. Fun little general store with different souvenir offerings. A must go for tourists! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Okay, what's not to love about this place?! The staff quickly became our buddies and welcomed my two little boys with open arms when we stumbled upon this special gem. My 5- and 7-year-old boys could hardly contain their excitement over all the neat trinkets. They had so many questions, and the ladies helping us were incredibly patient and kind. We lost count of how many times we left and came back--and every single time, they greeted us with the same enthusiasm. Our boys will cherish their sea turtle souvenirs, and we're already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

The shaved ice was good! Light, fluffy, and super refreshing. The flavors were delicious and not overly sweet. Perfect treat on a warm day and definitely worth coming back for. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Best shave ice on the island. Get the pog with coconut ice cream. Very quick service considering most things here take a lot of time. Store is fun with lots of cool merch. read more

The BEST shaved ice spot in Kauai, hands down! I tried Uncle's Shaved Ice (#2 spot), JoJo's in Hanalei Bay (skip!), and Wailua Shaved Ice (stay away) and Hee Fat was the clear winner. The syrup to ice ratio was perfection, the shaved ice texture was soft and flaky, and the ice cream added just the right amount of support for the fruity flavors. I am so sad I didn't find this spot right away but benefit from my mistakes and go here! Service is friendly and while there's no indoor seating, there are benches out front. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Hawaiian Sunrise with Vanilla Mac Nut Ice Cream - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Two stars feels generous for their shave ice. Their syrups were bitter and lacked depth of flavor. Could not have been more disappointed with it. If you're coming here for a store, it's fine, but if you want shave ice go to any of the other places around it. read more

Right in the heart of Kapa'a shopping district Hee Fats is a great little find featuring simple shave ice combinations at the most reasonable price I have found on Hawaii. A Big Kahuna size (there is a smaller one too) is only $4.50 and adding ice cream and a snow cap takes to to just over $7.00. Most shave ice stands start at that price. The store itself is small and quaint but have never experienced a line there. At the End of the Day, in addition to shave iced, Hee Fat also has a skate shop, shirts, and Hawaiian trinkets. Great treat while your shopping and nice people to share you aloha with. read more

Really nice workers welcomed us in and explained their flavors. I made my own combo with their regular flavors and my husband order their lava flow combo. It was great shave ice, took a star off because there isn't much seating. Since it's in a general store there's merchandise they don't want getting spilled on, but outside they only offer two benches so if they're taken you're eating it standing. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Front: mango and tigers blood Back: lava flow - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We tried four different flavors, least favorite war the rainbow. It was fresh though, and melted in your mouth, the ice cream was good! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Located on the island of Kauai on the main strip in Lihue is Hee Fat General Store. It a Mom & Pop General Store with a Shave ice stand. Since it's on the Main Street in Lihue town they get a pretty number of customers walking around through the town. They have street parking or a paid parking lot in back which has a restroom, but you need to get a code to get in. read more

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Our family has been coming to this store for almost 15 years. We have always raved about the taste, value, atmosphere and the service. We would come almost daily sometimes twice a day. That was not the experience we had yesterday. We (4 adult family members) went in to get shaved ice, 2 had never been to Kauai before. We ordered, received and preceded outside to sit on the benches. 2 got what we always order and the 2 newbies also ordered their favorite flavors. Upon all of us tasting our large Shaved Ice discussed the flavor. I went back into ask if they had changed their recipe or way of making shaved ice? He said no.i said it doesn't taste the same. (I mean I know my shave ice, I love it!) This was like NO shave ice I've ever had before. NO FLAVOR AT ALL! NO SWEETNESS EITHER! IT TASTED LIKE COLORED WATER. Also the red/yellow color was about 1/2" down leaving a large snowball. I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN Hee Fat to say the VERY least. I can NOT recommend this store for shave ice ever again. read more

Great shaved ice. Service fast. Fun store. DONT GET THE LILIKOI FLAVOR. I just didn't like it. You do you

Shaved ice with house made syrups...blueberry, pineapple and coconut!!! Yes yes yessss! It was delicious and oh so refreshing! We will be back again! It was quick service and ate it on one of the outside benches winch was great for people watching! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Hee fat sized - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Nice place, you can taste the fresh fruit in each flavor of any shave ice you eat, the staff is very nice and one thing I have to say it's that even though they are super full most of the day they are very fast , don't skip this place it is also A gift shop with nice stuff and good prices read more

Idk how this shave ice was so amazing, but it was probably my favorite on the island. Ambiance is typical general store with cute souvenirs plus shave ice. Service was good. - Hawaiian sunrise shave ice (5/5): Mango, lilikoi, strawberry, pineapple, and substituted for macadamia nut ice cream. Perfect shave ice! Super snowy and fine, not too sweet, perfect creaminess with the ice cream. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Hawaiian sunrise shave ice - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Lovely little shop with great people. Friend from home recommended this place for shave ice and reviews on here were pretty glowing. It was certainly good - though I'm not sure it was full-on life changing as another reviewer noted. What stood out to me most was the staff and the neat trinkets and souvenirs... and they even had a dog section. (How can you not love a place with doggie souvenirs?) Definitely worth a stop. Thanks, Hee Fat! Will stop again at my next visit. read more

Words simply cannot express how life-changing Hee Fat was. Coming to this island, I was a shave ice skeptic, believing that it couldn't possibly be any better than your average snow cone. After trying Jo Jo's, I became a convert, but after trying Hee Fat, I am a firm believer. There are a multitude of shave ice places in Kauai, but all pale in comparison to the superior Hee Fat. For starters, they make their syrups in-house and the ice is extremely plush (almost as delicate as snow flakes as they melt upon instant contact with your mouth). The haupia snow cap is an awesome added touch and adds a savoriness to the tartly flavored ice. The symphony of sweet flavors exploding in your mouth is essentially a religious experience, and it goes without saying that I'll definitely be back. BEST SHAVE ICE IN KAUAI! read more

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Shave ice #3 for our trip, and this one's story is the house made syrups! Hello Flavor Town! That and the option of Mac nut ice cream is the story here. Located in the back of the Hee Fat General Store - great merch, btw - and sharing a space with Makai Skate Shop, right off the main drag. Cute gift shop and skate shop. Ended up buying a hat and tshirts, too. Ice isn't ultra fine - so it holds up to their more intensely flavored syrups. I'm a sucker for the super fine ice that melts nearly instantly, so this is my one reservation. Service was quick and friendly. The POG was surprisingly tart and intensely flavored. Nice and refreshing. I didn't try the others pictured as I value my fingers and didn't want them bitten off. Would definitely like to try the other flavors and combos! I'll be back.. read more

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If you want to taste the best shave ice in Kauai, I highly recommend Hee Fat General Store. The fruit juice is fresh handmade and the ice is so soft and smooth. We tried Hee Fat shave ice due to a recommendation from one of the locals while on the mountain tubing adventure. He wasn't wrong! The portions are huge and the shave ice is loaded with juices and creme. It was the tastiest and best shave ice of the many we tried during our week in Kauai. From where ever you are staying, make it a stopping point and give it a try. You will be glad you did. Aloha! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Hee Fat General Store is the place to go for some shave ice! They have lots of syrup options, but some flavors do run out towards the end of the day. I really appreciated that the syrups weren't overly artificial tasting, but rather had a nice fruity flavor. I went with the Blue Hawaiian, which had blueberry, pineapple, and coconut flavors, with macadamia nut ice cream underneath. My favorite had to be the blueberry, which reminded me of a blueberry smoothie. The shave ice did melt fast, though, so be sure to eat it quickly! The ice cream was really creamy and was a delicious way to end the treat. One final thing to note - there isn't any seating in the actual stop, but there are some benches outside. If you don't mind walking while eating, I'd recommend heading over to eat it at the beach! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Interior - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Love the shave ice! The server is truly talented putting so much ice into one bowl. One is enough for 2 people. We ordered the Hawaiian Sunrise- Mango, Lilikoi, Strawberry and Pineapple with vanilla ice cream. Great flavors And Yes! We finished all of the shave ice. Would definitely visit this store again! read more

Best shaved ice we had on the island, and we went to 3 other places. You can customize your own flavors or choose from a menu, there are homemade syrups as well as the "mass produced" ones too. Service is friendly and the gift shop is super cute. We didn't wait in any line when we went. We always order our shaved ice with ice cream on the bottom, hee fat didn't disappoint! Note there is a bathroom in the back but not much seating to eat here. There are 2 benches in the front to eat. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Homemade flavors - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

An unassuming spot for some of the best shave ice on the island. We stopped in the town of Kapa'a to walk around and walked into the Hee Fat General Store. At the back of the store is the shave ice counter. We didn't plan on getting shave ice, but the menu enticed us. We ended up getting the Lava Flow to share (strawberry, pineapple, coconut with mac nut ice cream). It was phenomenal. The ice was fluffy and soft. The syrups weren't too sweet and tasted like the actual fruits (no artificial BS), and the mac nut ice cream at the bottom was incredible. I will be coming back here and this is a must-try if you're in the area. read more

Hee Fat General Store - lava flow - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Best Shave Ice on the island!! We've tried many at different locations. Best flavor, they give you plenty of syrup and the price is reasonable compared to many. The people are super friendly!! read more

There's a reason people say this is the best shave ice in Kapaa! Homemade syrups, complimentary snow cap, super sharp machine that makes perfectly velvety soft shave ice (no hard icy bites in this!) The house-made syrups are next level good - such great flavors you didn't know you were missing with the storebought sugary stuff. We love the P.O.G. (passionfruit orange guava) with vanilla ice cream in the middle. Super friendly staff, always happy to answer questions, get you your shave ice quick because they know you're drooling. Came here a few times during our visit. No other shave ice compared. Also a really good gift shop with unusual gifts to look at while you're waiting (I am still kicking myself that I didn't get one of the high-quality handmade ukuleles), or peruse the surf shop next door. read more

We were shopping at abc store and saw some people at this General Store. We walked across the street and decided to try out the shave ice. There were a lot of flavors to choose from. Some of the flavors were unique and handmade the same day and others were already pre-make. We tried the unique flavors were tasty. The guy that made us shave us was very nice and patient since there were too many flavors to choose from. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Very tasty and affordable shave ice. The ice is nice and fluffy, and local fruit flavors taste fresh. Free snow-cap and li hung nui if you want. One of the highlights of our trip to Kauai. Far better than JoJo's. read more

This is the best Shave ice on the island. Instead of skimpy syrup and a few fruit on top of ice. This place gives you plenty of fresh juices on top of flavored icecream. We have the Lava Flow, and so worth every penny. A must have!! The Macadamia icecream was so delicious with chucks of the nut that was very easy to chew. The service went above and beyond, so kind and helpful. The shop inside had a little of everything, including, puzzles, games, treats, and clothing. Worth noting: they also provide the code to go to the public restroom which is behind the building. Honestly one, if not the best public restroom we went to on the whole island. Very clean and stocked. read more

Get your shave ice here! Excellent gift shop stop between north and south island. Good tips from server on how to order shave ice flavors-but you gotta eat it outside (no indoor seating.) read more

Fantastic shaved ice. The flavors were terrific, the mac nut ice cream was delicious, and the staff were kind and helpful. I can't wait to get back to Kauai to get another! read more

YUM!! Come to Hee Fat for some great Shave Ice! My biggest recommendation is to get the Hee fat flavors! They're natural and don't have the fake sugary taste like a lot of syrups do. They have so many flavors to choose from even in the organic flavors. My favorite was probably the pineapple! It was a subtle flavor that wasn't too overpowering. The Mango and coconut were great too. Passionfruit was a bit too tart for me. The large size is huge, so it's great to share! Glad we found this place. read more

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MY FAVORITE SHAVE ICE PLACE ON DA ISLAND. You probably won't find this shop unless you're told about it or look closely because it's hidden in a general store. Their price, their portion, their flavors, their mac nut ice cream. Everything is 10/10! Workers are always so sweet. I will always recommend this place compared to Jojo's, Wishing Well, etc. read more

Hee Fat General Store - a hand holding a donut - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Best shaved ice north of Lihue. We also tried on in kapa'a and wishing well. They make all their own syrups and offer the macadamia nut ice cream center and the cream topping. We had the lychee + lilikoi, guava + lilikoi, lychee + coconut. Don't miss it! read more

We looooooved HEE FAT!!!!! I'm not a big fan of shaved ice but they had some really good ones! I ordered the Hawaiian sunrise. The flavors brought me back to childhood. Andy says he cooks all of his syrups himself. Pro: -Great customer service -Flavors we're delicious -Serving was big read more

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They serve some solid shave ice yo. You get to choose real fruit syrups or traditional. I chose lilikoi, mango and pineapple in real fruit syrups, and it was sweet yo. Bonus: everyone gets snow cap! They have some really cute things that make nice gifts. Most important of all - you can get coconut peanut butter. COCONUT PEANUT BUTTER IS THE TASTIEST THING ON THE ISLAND YO! read more

Hee Fat General Store - Shave ice so ono - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I've come back again to buy an additional tote bag... More like soft sided luggage. My second one! They zip into a pocket and fit In my luggage about the size of a small hanging cosmetic bag. The beauty is that they open up to for a cubic yard if goods, treasures you've found on vacation... or the winter coats you would need for traveling. The sales lady was very helpful. Thank you!!! read more

We were just doing some general shopping and it was pretty quiet in the store, so the person working the shave ice asked us if we were interested. He indicated that they used all hand made syrups so we decided to go with the POG special, which include a bottom layer of vanilla ice cream. It was all really good - not over the top sweet, but with strong fruit flavors. read more

Hee Fat General Store - Pog special - Shaved Ice Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii