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    Wilson's By the Bay

    4.6 (80 reviews)
    InexpensiveShaved Ice, Desserts
    Closed 12:00 pm - 5:00 PM

    Wilson's By the Bay Photos

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    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)
    D W.

    Found street parking down the block. It's a small place that's painted green on the outside. No seating inside but two long benches outside. The lady is super sweet and friendly. Regular size was huge (almost as big as Oahu's Shimazu shave ice portions) and $5. I paid $1 more for cream (aka condensed milk). Limited flavors but enough options. They gave A LOT of syrup. For my rainbow shave ice, I had a choice of banana (typical fare) or pineapple. The pineapple syrup was nice and tart. At shave ice places, the ice texture is key. This one is really fine, no crunchiness as you eat it. It also didn't melt too fast, even during this hot summer season eating it outside. Even at the bottom of my cone, it was still ice and not liquid. For some reason, the syrup colors didn't mix at the bottom. It was like slurping up a unicorn! Would come back here for sure next time I'm in Hilo!!!

    Hawaiian Rainbow special (Li hing mui, pineapple, blue hawaiian (?)) I forgot what the blue was but nonetheless was really good!

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    2 years 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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    3 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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    2 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 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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    6 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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    5 years ago

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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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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 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 2

    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
    $$

    This place is a must stop if you are in Hilo! I will usually pick up their pre-packaged sets from…read moreKTA also but when I want their fruit mochi, I order ahead and pick up at their location. The strawberry mochi is always a favorite but we love the nectarine, pear, and melon ones too. Whatever is in season, I recommend getting! It is worth the price! Order ahead if you can, then you won't have to stand in line. And I always eat these up so fast that I forget to take photos!!

    Don't do what I (tried to) do. They do not take same day orders…read more In Hilo for the day, and my awesome BIL agreed to take me to 2LK to get some mochi. Hubs has a sweet tooth, and I like the sweet mochi myself. The line to place my order was completely empty! All the folks standing around were waiting for their orders. I stepped in the tiny storefront and placed my custom order and then grabbed a tray of buttermochi that was ready to go. After paying, I asked how long was the wait time and the cashier said 20-30 minutes. Instead of standing around, I went back to the car and hung out with BIL and watched for the people who were before me to get their orders and leave. I waited outside for about 5 minutes before they called my name and my mochi order was ready to go. There were some tourists who came by who didn't want to wait for 30 minutes and were ready to turn around and leave, but I told them there were ready made packages that they could grab and go, the rest of us were waiting on custom orders. They were really happy to hear that and they bought their mochi and headed out. I will definitely call ahead next time I go to Hilo, the wait is small kine humbug, but the mochi is oh so ono! (translated: the wait is an inconvenience, but the mochi is very delicious).

    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
    (126 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!

    I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

    Photos
    Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe
    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

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    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

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

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