We have loved going to Tropical Dreams for many years on island. We are so happy to see it open and busy again. Our all time favorite is the vegan chocolate ice cream. We buy it by the pints as often as we can when we get together with our friends. Ashley has been the friendly face that greets us when we've come in. She is helpful and definitely exudes ice cream joy! Mahalo Tropical Dreams read more

Tahitian vanilla bean was on pointThe owner (I assume) was there working and chatting with customers. This place was really busy which we took as a good sign. I don't know what makes it Hawaiian ice cream vs regular ice cream, but it was good! read more

Tropical Dreams - Tahitian vanilla! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We've been here about six times. We've filled up a card where you get purchase ten scoops and get one free. The ice cream just isn't really all that good. There are lots of delicious (but not decadent) flavors to choose from. I chose the chocolate Reece's peanut butter. On our last visit we noticed a cute girl (perhaps ten or eleven) behind the counter. I guessed her Mom couldn't afford a babysitter. It lent a family friendly vibe. It is not professional to let your daughter sit beside the cash register as if she is breaking child labor laws. They aren't. The girl jumped down from the counter when I asked if she could take my money. Later in our visit I turned around to see the Mom/employee doubling over in silent laughter as she was terribly amused at what a tourist said. It isn't professional to mock a socially awkward customer. It is very immature and shows great disrespect for the person paying your salary. I've worked ten years in the food customer service industry and thought that was a given. read more

It's been 3 years since we were here in kauai and every timeouts a must for us to stop by at Tropical Dreams. This time around we get to bring our keiki. read more

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Came here on a Friday afternoon. Doors closed and dark inside. Temporarily out of business? Or permanently closed? Not sure.

Open late and on a Sunday. Pretty darn good ice cream for the price and compared to alternatives. The ice cream is made on Big Island. Keeping it local, Respect! read more

Yummy Ice Cream the service was 5 star! Super attentive, very polite. Love supporting these kinds of businesses who support local youth!!!

Omg Coconut gelato is mind blowing But everything is so Ono please come try an see why I recommend it aloha read more

Tropical Dreams - To many choices to choose from all of it was so Ono - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Cash only! After having my fill of Pho at Pho Kapaa, I found the Tropical Dreams Gourmet Ice Cream shop and figured, why not? Ice cream certainly hit the spot, since it was certainly a weekend for that! This nook of paradise is centrally located in Kapaa at the Kailua Village Shopping complex. The ice cream shop is small, but it has this eclectic flair that reminded me of old school ice cream parlors. I was met by - whom I assumed was - the owner. I was dismayed when they didn't accept credit cards - only after he scooped the ice cream into those half pint containers. He was friendly and energetic. We made small talk about the Kauai marathon that weekend and that personal touch made it smile. It felt great. He placed the ice cream in the freezer before I hit the nearest ATM for cash, which was located inside Longs Drugs. I made a remark about Ben & Jerry's and he gave me a sample of his own version of Cherry Garcia and that tasted exactly - if not better than Ben & Jerry's. Pretty awesome! The owner of Tropical Dreams gourmet ice cream told me that he makes everything here, only a few things are shipped in, but everything else is from Kauai. Supporting local is so awesome now! The prices here is a little steep, but the product is so good and delicious that it is definitely justified. I bought (2) 1/2 pints for about $10. I chose the chocolate fudge, since I am a chocolate whore. Nothing is better than chocolate! The ice cream itself was a little more creamy than that of traditional ice cream recipes. Smooth and delicious! The flavor of chocolate fudge was excellent, but remembering Cold Stone Creamery with its "Death by Chocolate" and its brownie bits. Still, this chocolate fudge here at Tropical Dreams Gourmet ice cream shop was one to enjoy on a hot Labor Day weekend 2014. The service was excellent, but disappointed about the credit card issue, which the owner let me know why. Still, if you are in the area and tired of prepackaged ice cream and want to try homemade variety, check this place out! You'll be glad you did. I definitely recommend this place for your next ice cream fix, although the sticker shock may surprise you. It will be worth it. Support local! B+ read more

they were awesome! They were running out of ice cream in one of their containers and decided to give away a free cup because they couldn't refill the container. They catered to their customers well and were sweet! read more

I'm the minority according to the reviews, but my second visit (I always like to give local business the benefit of the doubt) was worse than my first. The owner was patronizing with her continual "sweetie". Some customers may like it. I found it offensive and down right rude. Beyond that, the Tahitian Vanilla is mediocre at best and the wafers were stale and completely unedible. They may be the only game in Kapaa but I'd drive to the next town, hell...Lihue, to give my business to some place worthy. read more

Tropical Dreams - Totally stale cookies with mediocre tahitian vanilla - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Yes the owner raves and raves about his product. It will wear you out to hear the sales pitch about how GREAT this ice cream is, especially if you just came in for a casual scoop. It's nice to see someone so passionate about their product, and how they derive it. I get it. I have to be honest, I am NOT an ice cream afficionado: it's either good and creamy, or icy and yucky. This was good and creamy. I didn't get the whole angellic, tabernacle choir experience the owner promised me with my toasted coconut ice cream, but it was good. It was overpriced, but apparently he grows his own products, perhaps including the cows for the milk, I don't know. Good thing: they do actually cover their ice cream containers. I think that does indeed make a different, so I'll give him that. read more

The owner was so kind and brought a step stool for our kids to be able to see all the ice cream-- so kind and thoughtful! Had the coconut storm, key lime and coconut cheese cake, Cookie Monster and the purple rain! All we would definitely have again! read more

Tropical Dreams - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Any place that has candied ginger ice cream gets 5 stars in my book. Not everyone likes ginger but for those superior individuals like myself we appreciate when someone thinks outside the box and supplies us with the ginger we need to build our immune system. The candied ginger was very tasty ....TRY IT SUCKA!!! read more

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WOW WOW WOW Get in here now and order some ice cream! The owner, while boisterous and very outspoken, claims he has a local source for the best gourmet ice cream in the world. Quite the statement, that is until you take that first taste! That scoop of ice cream was not around long enough for the heat to take effect. Pick yours with a waffle cone, and grab a seat outside to enjoy your little piece of heaven. Every time we head to the north shore this is a MUST stop! Rumor is they are opening one in Lihue so it will be closer in the future. read more

Note: We DID NOT try the scoop or gelato options, just the soft serve. Sadly, I did not notice a flavor difference between the vanilla and the banana pie flavors. Maybe it was just my palette. And the so called "sundae" was bland at best. Sorry, Dairy Queen and McDonald's soft serve got you beat at 1/2 the price. Really overpriced, but the portions are large. The service was FANTASTIC!!!! And for this alone we would be willing to give this shop another go. Next time, I WILL try the gelato and the scoop options. read more

We had the Macadamia Nut and Pineapple Gelato. They were delicious. They give free samples when asked. The cashier was really nice about it. Will definitely be coming back to try other flavors read more

Tropical Dreams - The Macadamia Nut was delicious! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We visited Tropical Dreams on July 18. What a pleasant surprise!!! The ice cream was absolutely delicious!! It was busy but worth it! We had the coconut ice cream and the macadamia nut ice cream. I would definitely make a visit. It is well worth it!!! read more

Was out with the sister and wanted to grab some ice cream and stopped by this place since it was close to where we were. It was actually pretty crowded when we went. They have some creative ice cream flavors. What we got: Vanilla Rose ($4.75): sisters choice. Never heard or tried vanilla mixed with rose before, but it was good. Very light tasting. Mango Lychee Sorbet ($4.75): my choice. I also tried the strawberry guava, but the mango lychee won me over. It was sweet, but not overly sweet. You could taste the mango and more of the lychee though, but I love lychee flavored things! Service: Crowded, but the line went by pretty quick. They give out samples of the ones you want to try. A little pricey in my opinion, but it was good. read more

Tropical Dreams - Vanilla Rose ($4.75) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Stopped in this place after grocery shopping... great idea! Thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream!! Did not know what to chose, the Tahitian vanilla bean or the Chocolate with Macadamia nuts... so I got a sample to try both which was super nice, like the lady who served us :) I ended up with the chocolate!! read more

Tropical Dreams - Ono Grinds brah :-P - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

The ice cream is really creamy and good. They have many flavors and they are unique! The woman serving the ice cream was very nice! I would recommend making a stop for some local yummy Hawaiian ice cream. read more

Tropical Dreams - Berry Paradise and Monster Cookies and Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I am a simple woman looking for vegan ice cream - not sorbet - that doesn't taste like a mistake. Tropical Dreams delivered with a divine vegan chocolate ice cream. I was told it was a coconut milk base, but couldn't taste that at all! read more

I am so happy I found this ice cream shop! I came here because next door was a Panda Express and my son loves their chow mien, anyways I just had to stop by and check this place out cuz I saw the great reviews it has here on Yelp. I saw green tea, Thai tea and lychee cream. I had to sample all three. I loved them all. I noticed that they charge $4 something per scoop, okay more on the expensive side, but we are in Hawaii and you Gatta support the local small businesses so I didn't mind. I ended up ordering a scoop of the Thai tea for my husband and two scoops of the green tea and lychee cream. OMG those two combinations are the best!! I'm craving it now as we speak. Since we've been here for our wedding/honeymoon we've come back two times. I will def be coming back again before we leave to get my fix! The woman who helped me was also very friendly. Great Aloha spirit! Mahalo for the great ice cream and wonderful service! read more

I was already super stuffed after dinner but we were in the area and I noticed there was a Tropical Dreams nearby so I had to try it. Tropical Dreams is made on the Big Island and we first had it in Hawi. It's super creamy and absolutely one of my favorite ice creams. The Tahitian vanilla is really yummy. When we were on the Big Island last week we found a place in Kona that sold it but it didn't have the same consistency we were remembering. It wasn't as creamy, maybe a little icy. So I think it must be the way it is stored. This place in Kapaa serves the ice cream and it's just as creamy as the place in Hawi. In the display refrigerator they cover all of their ice creams with clear covers so maybe this preserves the creaminess? Idk, but it's amazing! Also, they have so many flavors at this location. read more

Tropical Dreams - Tahitian vanilla - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Not only do they have rich, creamy ice cream, they have tropical flavors you won't find outside Hawaii. They also have tropical popsicles. The store is newly redecorated and is spotless. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and will provide free tastes if asked. In addition to paper cups, the have cake and waffle cones. The store is tiny so there is limited seating, but many people get their ice cream to go. Prices are what you would expect from a gourmet ice cream store in Hawaii. read more

Friendly staff, good diversity of flavors, and tasty ice cream! It's a fairly minimal place with only a few tables outside to sit at, but they serve good ice cream and will let you try all the different flavors. They offer a discount for checking in on Yelp too, which is nice! read more

you go in and you're kinda put off guard by the super perky man/owner who is like a walking commercial. And then you wonder "do they offer samples? is this the ice cream nazi parlor? why are all the ice cream boxes covered by a white lid?? why can't I see the colors and swirls of the ice cream?" Turns out there is some logic to this madness. He says "lemme ask you somethin. Do you store your ice cream in the freezer with no lid?" so the ice cream tastes fresher. True...anything stored without a lid is gonna taste more dry at the top, or frost-bitten, right? brilliant logic and surprised it took this long to occur to me, but it doesn't solve the whole issue of oohing and aahing at the pretty swirls, which to me is part of the ice cream parlor visit. There's an aesthetic to ice cream visits that is just not comparable to grabbing a pint and bringing it home. My husband loved loved it and he's the ice cream fan. I liked it. I don't have a sweet tooth and got the "dark cherry" flavor, but bc I couldn't see it, I didn't realize it was dark chocolate with cherry. I thought it was dark cherry. anyways, the interesting news is they're supposed to open in San Francisco by end of year. All ingredients are made by them in Kauai. read more

I was craving ice cream after dinner and looked to Yelp for help. Tropical Dreams was within walking distance from my hotel (about 2 blocks) so I headed on over. After I sampled three flavors, I chose one. I don't remember the name of the flavor, but basically it was Rocky Road with macadamia nuts, instead of peanuts. It was delicious. I love that they use cream from the Big Island to make their ice creams and stay as local as possible. If you sample more than three, you have to wear these sample glasses, which I regret not asking for a fourth sample and getting a picture with the glasses. If you check in with Yelp, you will get 10% off. This might only apply to your first visit though. read more

It was a busy icee cream shop and owner was very friendly. Great Service!! Yummy coconut and coffee

Our favorite ice cream shop on Kauai. Always clean, quick and friendly service. Prices are very reasonable as well.

Premium ice cream with amazing local flavors. Like a special episode of "Ben & Jerry Do Hawaii" on prime time TV. From lychee and ube to Tahitian vanilla with macadamia nuts and toasted coconut, every flavor was expertly crafted to satisfy local and tourist taste buds alike. Everything was so ono that I couldn't decide between two flavors (I was only getting a single scoop). The person serving me saw that the struggle was real and let me do a split scoop single even though he technically wasn't allowed to. That's island hospitality for ya. read more

We tried the Kona Coffee & the Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreos. Dang, this is really good ice cream! Both flavors were great, the ice cream is smooth & creamy, and the scoops are huge! I also love that this amazing ice cream is made on the beautiful "Big Island", so it's semi-local. Employee was nice & helpful. Place was clean. Not cheap, but like I said, at least the portions are large! They also have sorbets & gelatos in addition to ice cream. The only bummer was that there wasn't a single "sugar-free" option (sorry, diabetics), but hey, on vacation, who cares? read more

1. Over priced 2. Not open during posted hours 3. Owner is RUDE!! 4. Ice cream tastes good (not awesome but good) 5. Cash only read more

Excellent ice cream. The girl working was super sweet and helpful! Would definitely recommend

If you believe that food can be made with love, this is your place. You will be hard pressed to find a more exuberant man than Dan, the owner. Dan is joyful behind words and is clearly excited about life as well as his gourmet confections. And there is good reason to be so pumped-- this is yummy stuff! Apparently many of the ingredients found in this creamy, rich ice cream are grown by the company. There are loads of traditional and seasonal options. If you have issues with lactose, there is an option for you too. Gelato fans you have not been forgotten, as they serve up both ice cream and gelato. Yes, it's $4.75 per scoop PLUS the cost of a waffle cone (essential, IMO) -- but you ARE in Hawaii and how can you put a price tag on JOY?! PS: look for Panda Express in the Safeway shopping center. read more

Tropical Dreams - We were so happy to meet Dan and his wife -- such Aloha spirit!!! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I've visited Tropical Dreams quite a few times, even though Kapaa is quite a ways from where we stayed, and there's good ice cream available in Poipu too. There aren't a lot of restaurants on Kauai that compare to our part of the mainland, but the ice cream is great on the island. That makes ice cream a good choice of vacation indulgence. This place offers a lot of flavors of ice cream, and rotates them through the two dozen or so spaces in their freezer counter. That includes various flavors of sorbet (which is vegan) and gelato. They offer taste samples. A sign on the wall says there's a three-sample limit, but they sometimes bend that rule if it's clear that you're not just trying to score a free ice cream meal out of the samplers. There are also an assortment of sprinkles and other toppings, but I don't usually indulge in those so I can't say much about them except that it looked like there were quite a few. The ice cream is really good stuff. Their web site says that it's 18% butterfat, from dairies on the Big Island. I don't know the difference between Big Island cows and other cows, but this is good ice cream. The people in the shop have mostly been very friendly and cheerful. Service is good even when the place is busy. It's a nice touch that they have a place to recycle taster and regular spoons. Back home, I'd be disappointed that they didn't have compostable plastic, but I'm not sure Kauai has any compost infrastructure, or whether most tourists would separate compost, recycle, and trash properly properly anyway. - - - I thought I reviewed Tropical Dreams on a previous visit to Kauai (early 2017), but this is showing up as a new review. I guess I must not have. Back then, the web site included a story about how the owners had visited Kauai, loved the island and the ice cream at this restaurant, and decided to move to the island to buy the place. My impression was that it was outstanding ice cream, great people, and a generally wonderful experience. This month I was a bit less impressed. The ice cream was still delicious, but fell short of what I remembered from two years ago. Has it declined under the new ownership? Did I choose better flavors then? Was my impression back then exaggerated? Is the competition tougher? I'm not sure, but although it's still a four-star ("Yay! I'm a fan.") place, it doesn't quite reach five-star ("Woohoo! As good as it gets!") greatness. read more

The specialy ice cream is made on the big island and barged to Kauai weekly. The lychee cream, the Oreo with Graham crumbs, Purple Rain was ube with white chocolate and mango cheesecake were all so rich and satisfying. Auntie Gabbie serenaded our 92 year old mother with a birthday blessing song. The whole experience memories will last a long time. read more

Tropical Dreams - Awesome ice cream with lots of flavors plus a happy birthday blessing song by Auntie Gabby. Great experience. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Let me start by saying the owner and the ice cream are impeccable. Seriously! You can taste fresh, real ingredients. It was truly decadent. Why only 4 stars then? Price. Those blasted stars are for overall satisfaction. It was $19 for my husband's and my 2 scoops each. To be honest I was so busy going nuts over their ice cream, I ordered without reading the menu. But $4.75/scoop when the ingredients are a fraction of that. Please don't let the price stop you but realize that single $ sign on Yelp is misleading...BTW, the Tahitian Vanilla is to die for. read more

Tropical Dreams - Ok, ok, this should be a pristine picture of perfectly scooped ice cream but it was so dang good! Mmmm, Tahitian Vanilla - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We had the raspberry guava sorbet and chocolate gelato. This was among one of the best ice cream places I have been to! Amazing taste! Tip: Go with the cups as the cones (regular and waffle) come directly out of a box, which has Walmart's 'Great Value' logo written on it. read more

You have to stop here if you have a sweet tooth! Homemade ice cream with local ingredients. I had the mango sorbet which was like eating an iced mango. Really good! My dad's not a sweets fan but when the owner had him try the chocolate macadamia nut, he had to get some! This has become a daily stop for us while we're here. read more

Tropical Dreams - Storefront - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii