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Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

4.8 (191 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago
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Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks Photos

RIPTIDES SHAVE ICE & SNACKS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

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Angelina I.

Best shaved ice we had in Kaua'i! They make fresh fruit syrups and lots of other options for a cold treat right near the beach. We got the sunrise smoothie, coconut, passion fruit and pineapple shaved ice. You can sit and eat at the picnic table there or watch the surfers at the beach across the street.

The vibe - so cute!
Sarah P.

The owner's passion is translated into her shaved ice and smoothies (we didn't try the food!). We sampled every shaved ice on the island (okay- exaggeration but we had a LOT of shaved ice!) This was up there in the top 3- I couldn't choose which one I liked best so they are all in the top Three :) . There was a little picnic table and a public restroom right by the place which made it perfect with its oceanfront view.

Arash R.

The best shaved ice I have had on the island. Go for the fresh fruit options rather than the syrup. $10-12 per person which is normal for shaved ice most places on the island. Unbeatable views and very helpful staff.

Pina colada and lychee with snow cap
Josephine F.

Really good shave ice! The ice was light and fluffy. Soo many flavors of syrup-- I had such a hard time choosing. I ended up picking pina colada and lychee -- pina colada didn't taste how I expected but lychee was light and refreshing. But there was also guava, li hing mui, mango, passion fruit, etc etc. They had fresh fruit syrup too, which I've never seen and also wanted to try. I got my shave ice with the coconut snow cap which was also surprisingly light. I had a hard time choosing between that and the condensed milk snow cap. I think what this all means is that I have to go back and try some more flavors! They also have some savory food that looked good, but I didn't get any because I was still stuffed from our lunch. I'm impressed by how much they offer out of such a small space! Bit of a wait, but it's okay because you get quality shave ice! And the worker was really friendly.

Danielle P.

We really enjoyed this place and it was so convenient having it just steps from our condo complex. I think we went here 3 times, and would have gone more if we could have! The owner, Mindy, and staff are super friendly and cool. I was impressed Mindy remembered our faces from a couple days previously. We enjoyed talking with her during our visit. First time there I got the pineapple and coconut. I think my youngest got strawberry and guava and my oldest got lychee and pog. It was so refreshing and delicious! The second time, just my oldest ordered and she got lychee, mango and li hing mui. She even had them sprinkle some of the li hing mui powder on top and got an ice cream scoop. It was wonderful! Final time there I got the lychee and li hing mui with the powder sprinkled on top. My kids repeated what they'd ordered previously. They have all natural syrups as well as others. They also offer a lot more than just shave ice, although we didn't order anything else. It's a great little stop when you've spent the day snorkeling across the street! Love the painted Locals slippahs on the stand! Aloha!

Noman M.

Great shave ice, friendly service, and they were even open on Thanksgiving! Our family are big fans of shave ice and this was our first experience at riptides. We appreciated that they have both fresh fruit syrups and local made syrups. Your can see the attention to detail in how they make shave ice here, inserting holes in the ice to allow the syrup to mix throughout, even topping the Mac nut ice cream version with Mac nut on top (made my mom Mac nut ordering family a little jealous). While the line can get long, it moves and you can just turn and face the ocean which is 10 ft away, so not a bad view while you wait. Mindy the owner, was kind and friendly. If you're craving shave ice, put riptides on the top of your list. It's by far the best shave ice place on Kauai.

What the shave ice stand looks like.
Holly D.

This was the best shave I've we had on the island. We're tried Jo Jo's, Wishing Well (which was my 2nd favorite) and Riptides. Major negative to some of the other places is consistency, as we went many times! And they would melt so fast and basically become soup halfway through. Riptides did not. It wasn't overly sweet, it was just right. It stayed frozen up until the very end of the bowl. Friendly staff; fast service;

Shaved ice
Luis A.

The best shaved ice on the island. We tried several spots and I just kept wanting to come back to Riptides. Service was exceptional and the location was fantastic. Lots of selections for flavors, get the ube or cherry. Two thumbs up. Would try again. Cheers.

April B.

Riptides serves my favorite shave ice on Kauai, and my favorite anywhere really. The staff is friendly, the location is perfect and the food is delicious. I love to load up my shave ice with a ton of add ons and chat it up with Mindy or enjoy the views of Lawai Beach while I wait. My son also loves the hot dogs and we enjoy chowing down on their delicious Kalua pork nachos. We always stay at the Lawai Beach Resort, so I tend to make daily visits to Riptides :-) It's a must when on island!

It was delicious! It was the least artificial tasting shave ice that I have had! They use fresh fruit and cane sugar! And it was right by the beach.

Classic rainbow shave ice
Megan B.

Somehow, this is the last shave ice place we tried. And it was one of the best! And closest to us which we really couldn't believe. Riptides does shave ice right, and has both classic syrups and organic syrup options in great flavors. Dragonfruit easily became on of our favorites here which we had not found anywhere else (and we eat a lot of shave ice). For being just a small food truck across from Beach House, we couldn't believe all the other options they had aside from shave ice. All kinds of food and beach items for sale. We'll run and super friendly no matter who helps you. There is one table to sit at, but we always just went and sat on the grass in the shade. We went here twice during our 13 days and will return on our next trip!

Menu with Current Options and Pricing
Aaron C.

The reason I am writing this review is because the person behind the counter watched my young son accidentally drop his fresh made shaved Ice swatting at something. Obviously he's crushed and about to cry. Without skipping a beat she got his attention and told him not to worry. I offered to pay again as it was his fault and I definitely needed to get a new one for him but her compassion bled through the job and she just took care of the little guy so he wouldn't be sad. God bless.

Didn't get a pic this year; here's last year's.  Still awesome, and the best on the island.
Tracey A.

As if to make up for my prior review of a completely different shave ice experience I will tell you what I find to be the most stellar shave ice on Kauai: It's here at Riptides. In a little portable shack across from a popular snorkeling spot, Riptides has been stellar over the course of several visits over the last two years. It has never once failed to deliver wonderful flavors of quality syrups (they also offer natural flavors, if you prefer), quality ice cream, perfectly shaved ice, and service from the owner and staff that is always warm and an exemplar of the aloha spirit. You might think falsely that shave ice is shave ice and that there's little variation between spots. You would be wrong and once you try a bad spot you'll understand just how wrong. But Riptides? They're the best of the best. Enjoy.

Mango passion with vanilla ice cream and macadamia nuts

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1 year ago

I love the vegetarian chili with rice for a quick meal! The ice cream sundae was amazing, too.

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2 years ago

Good shave ice in a nice easy location! We've had better shave ice around the island, but appreciate the organic flavor options.

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2 years ago

Very good good flavoring service is quick has many toppings all natural available and normal flavoring

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Ask the Community - Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks

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Uncle's Shave Ice

Uncle's Shave Ice

3.7(504 reviews)
0.4 mi
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My first shaved ice experience on the island of Kauai, so I can't compare it to the others on the…read moreisland, but it was better than anything I have ever gotten in the states FOR SURE. The shaved ice was so soft and melted in your mouth. The flavors were great and lasted the whole time. Here, they shave ice in one layer, then add flavor, then add more layers of ice, then top off with more flavor. All my experiences in the past with shaved ice is that there is always just plain ice at the bottom, but not here!! Pricing is on the higher end, but the sizes are very generous. I would share between at least one other person or even two. I shared with my husband and we barely could get through it all. Staff was friendly when we were there, but felt a little rushed since the location we went to was so small and there was a big line. It very much a take and go kind of place. Keep that in mind when you go!

Located in the heart of an outdoor mall with plenty of parking. They limit the number of people…read moreentering as the place is small and without indoor seating. There are benches outside. Staff lethargic. Unwelcoming. No smiles. Not a good first impression!! Shaved ice underwhelming, overpriced, and flavor of Mango or Taro undetectable. Served in small bowls that allows shaved ice to spill over. Won't recommend and will look for other places serving shaved ice when back in Kauai.

Photos
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Tiger's blood & Pina Colada with Mac-nut ice cream and snow capped! Delish!

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Riptides Shave Ice & Snacks - shavedice - Updated October 2026

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