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    Wilson's By the Bay

    4.6 (81 reviews)
    InexpensiveShaved Ice, Desserts
    Closed 12:00 pm - 5:00 PM

    Wilson's By the Bay Photos

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    two benches in front of a store
    Charmayne H.

    Wilson's by the bay was right outside of a restaurant where we ate lunch. The lady who helped us was very friendly, the orders came out pretty quick & the sizes were decent for the price we paid. I ordered the keiki (small) Lilikoi and pineapple shave ice. The flavor and texture of the ice were okay. I'm very particular about the way the ice melts into my mouth and this one didn't quite cut it. If I were in the area again and it was within walking distance, I would swing by again to try another flavor.

    a person holding a cone of food
    Lydia O.

    I ordered grape, lemon, and lilikoi. The lilikoi is like a passion fruit flavor and it was really good. Probably my favorite. All three were good together. The cup that it was in made it fairly difficult to eat and our little one had a really hard time with it. I tend to like softer ice better, and theirs was a bit hard. Customer service was good though! Very kind and friendly. Also good prices.

    Pineapple and lilikoi flavor with vanilla ice cream on the bottom!
    Lisa B.

    Old school kine shaved ice. Huge! Keiki (kid size), is bigger than some regular size ones elsewhere. Pretty cheap too! Lots of syrup (not organic), but plenty kine! Good w/ a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom (only $1)-- do it! Also nice selection of crack seed for cheap. Needs a garbage to throw away after, but nice to have a few benches and visit with the locals and tourists. Met a nice older couple-- 3rd generation Hilo resident. That's what fun about these local places-- rubbing shoulders with the locals :)

    the regular size
    Avery J.

    perfect amount of syrup, large portions, good prices. my favorite shave ice on this side of the island!

    Wilson's is the real Hawaiian Shave Ice that you have dreamed about . it never disappoints. True Hawaiian Aloha and Inter gritty. Thanks so much Wilson's for keeping the real Hawaiian tradition of shave ice going when so many others do not. You will not be disappointed with your visit here. After Farmer's market or dinner at Pineapples come to Wilson's to make your day Big Island perfect

    Outside.
    Benjamin K.

    Doesn't look like super nice from the outside... but definitely check it out! $3 ice shave for keiki's. Sirups super good. Glad we visited! Super nice service.

    "Ice shave" hahahaa
    Krysten I.

    While on the big island, I had to get some ice shave. This is the same thing as shave ice, which is that the syrup flavored grated ice is called on all the other Hawaiian islands or snow cones, which is what mainland people call this local treat.... ice shave... haha! On Oahu, shave ice can cost $4-$10 depending on where you get it. On the big island, apparently it's normal for shave ice to cost $2!! TWO. Ok, well my shave ice ended up costing $4. No tax, just straight up $4 because I got a regular size (which is huge) and topped it with cream. Still, the $2 Keiki size is generous and there are 10 or so great flavors to choose from. The ice quality is great, not exactly as soft as wailoa, but it was fine with me:) no complaints. They even have a nice bench outside, perfect to take selfies on next to their window sign. In addition to shave ice, I mean "ice shave", they also sell a few lihing seeds and t shirts. The service was friendly, it is centrally located in downtown Hilo near the farmers market and there is lots of parking. Definitely a must-stop!

    Brenda S.

    Oh my gosh!!! I absolutely love this place for so many reasons!! First of all, the service was AMAZING!! I didn't catch her name, but I believe she's the owner; she was so patient, kind, and caring with her customers. Before helping me and my husband, she helped an older woman, and even helped her walk her shaved ice to her car! Who does that nowadays! Guys, and she did this with the sweetest smile! I can't help but talk kindly of her because she definitely left an impression on us! Second, the shaved ice was delicious! We got a large with ice cream! Definitely refreshing on a humid day in Hilo. Lastly, it's a total "mom and pops". I love supporting small businesses, they make me feel at home and welcomed. Go check it out today! That is, if you're in Hilo.

    Lemon lime with cream.
    Nigel B.

    This pina colada shaved ice is like heaven in a cup, and just up the block from the Hilo Market, and not busy at all.

    Regular sized rainbow with cream (condensed milk)

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    5 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Best shaved ice I've had and the staff was great. The smaller size was enough for two people. 10/10

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Wilsons by the bay has wonderful views, music, fries and piña colada's. The hostess and waiter were friendly and nice.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very good Shave Ice! The only drawback was there was only 1 young woman working on a Sunday with 12-15 customers waiting.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Call before going there. The business hours listed is incorrect. Wasted a trip for shave ice

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This is our must-stop when we visit Hilo and the shave ice that all others are compared to. Big time ono.

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Da best shave ice in town! Excellent service and great location. Consistently great flavor, portions and texture.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Wilson's By the Bay

    Review Highlights - Wilson's By the Bay

    Old fashioned ice shave, that takes one back to small kid time memories and you can't forget all their homemade syrups.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Two Ladies Kitchen

    Two Ladies Kitchen

    4.6
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Finally got to try Two Ladies Kitchen and they didn't disappoint... there's definitely a reason…read morepeople line up to buy! I knew there might be a line so I planned ahead and placed a phone order. There's a separate line of phone orders too which was really nice. But if you wait in line they do come out with samples - just saying. Also they have pre-packaged mochi packs - which make great gifts. I bought a bunch of mochi to take home to mainland (I froze it after buying) and took it to my parents house where we cut 10 pieces into 3 pieces to do a mochi tasting. Honestly all of them were great, but top 3 were: - shiso - I didn't know what to expect, but the flavors works so well together. Such a unique combo, with subtle shiso flavor! Highly recommend. - kamato - I didn't know if I'd like it so only got one piece.. after trying I wish I had more. - peach - this is my perfect mochi. The white filling just works and it's not too sweet. I know the strawberry is their #1 seller so I tried it and it's really good, it was maybe my 5th favorite of the mochis tried. All in all a great mochi shop that's I'll definitely visit again!

    Never have I ever tried mochi with a fresh fruit filled center so if you haven't either, then Two…read moreLadies Kitchen is a must stop if you're visiting Hilo. The mochi is made fresh daily, and it's highly encouraged to place an advance phone order prior to pickup so the shop can manage the high demand. The space at the front counter is very limited, so expect a wait outside to order and/or pickup. Their fruits menu changes seasonally, so we just had to try 1 of each item: - Strawberry - Mandarin Orange - D'anjou Pear - Bing Cherry - Green Grape - Cotton Candy Grape - Nectarine - Strawberry Short Cake We also had to order their Peach and Lilikoi flavors. Everything was so pillowy soft and mochi-licious!

    Photos
    Fruit mochi - Cherry Mochi, Rainier Cherry Mochi, Mandarin Orange Mochi, Grape Mochi, Peach Mochi, Strawberry Mochi, Li Hing Mui Apple Mochi
    Fruit mochi - Cherry Mochi, Rainier Cherry Mochi, Mandarin Orange Mochi, Grape Mochi, Peach Mochi, Strawberry Mochi, Li Hing Mui Apple Mochi
    For a limited time their new li hing mui apple mochi!
    For a limited time their new li hing mui apple mochi!
    Butter Mochi, Lilikoi Mochi, Kamato Mochi, Nantu Mochi, Shiso Mochi, Azuma Yaki Manju, Furusato Manju, Okinawan Sweet Potato Mochi

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    Butter Mochi, Lilikoi Mochi, Kamato Mochi, Nantu Mochi, Shiso Mochi, Azuma Yaki Manju, Furusato Manju, Okinawan Sweet Potato Mochi
    Puna Chocolate Company

    Puna Chocolate Company

    4.5
    (127 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

    Apparently I was wrong about the service! Lol. The owner angrily ranted at me about how there…read morewasn't any AI in his shop, despite the fact that when I visited, nearly every single poster on the walls advertising events either utilized AI generated art or was wholly generated by it. You'd think that as the owner of a small business, he'd want to support the many local artists to create promotional material and consider customer comments with some grace and humility, but I suppose this isn't that kind of place. Genuinely embarrassing for the owner and the company he's representing.

    Photos
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Seating Area at Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

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    Seating Area at Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    The Big Island Bakehouse

    The Big Island Bakehouse

    4.9
    (67 reviews)
    7.6 mi

    Open only 3 days a week, this has become one of my favorite stops on the way to Volcano (from…read moreHilo). In fact, except Madam Pele does NOT necessarily keep to the same schedule as the bakery, would try to time my Volcano drives to coincide with Friday, Saturday, or Sunday! Hahah. Today got a sampling of Mediterranean scones (savory with olives and delicious seasonings), croissants, danish, and my favorite... the ube cruffin. Holy Moly Batman... that one item was worth the drive alone! Since there really wasn't any real estate in our tummies, we split everything 3 ways... over the course of the next few hours. Two weeks later, still thinking about that ube cruffin! Would definitely do a repeat on that as well as the Medeterranean scones while trying other items. And as the nice couple infront of us in line mentioned, will have to return for the sister deli across the parking lot. Heard it was featured in Guy Hagi's food vlog. And if its good enough for Guy Hagi its where I want to be my next mealtime!

    The ube croughnut is the greatest thing on this planet earth that I've ever had the chance to…read moreexperience. It looks so sweet but it's not, it the perfect amount of sweetness. The cream on the inside MY GOD, IT IS PERFECTION. The ladies working were super sweet also. I'm so sad I discovered this place the day before leaving the island. This place is truly a gem. Thank you for making such an amazing pastry.

    Photos
    The Big Island Bakehouse
    The Big Island Bakehouse
    Raspberry Almond Croissant

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    Raspberry Almond Croissant

    Wilson's By the Bay - shavedice - Updated August 2026

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