The Fresh Shave

Drove out of our way to go to the Great Shave on Kauai because of a great recommendation by a food truck operator in Koloa. My daughter and I don’t usually like shave ice. The owners are the most lovely couple following a dream. We got the Fu Manchu and it was so fresh, light, flavorful, and just the best dessert for a hot day. The whole experience was what a vacation outing is all about. When you drive by this tiny nondescript patch of gravel and dirt and you’re sure it not the place it is. Today they were hidden behind a closed food truck. Good luck to them.

Yum. We are regulars here during our stay. We can’t get enough. I don’t usually like shaved ice but the ice here is on another level. Tasty and fresh fruits incorporated into their recipes and all their flavors we have tried have been tasty! I recommend the coconut pineapple!

Incredible shaved ice with delicious local and handmade syrups and fresh fruit! We’ve already been twice on our trip to Kauai this far and can’t wait to go back. The owners are so sweet too!

The Fresh Shave was such a cool little spot inside the parking lot in Poipu that you can’t not help but check it out. In getting The Dirt Squirrel, I was super excited to try something that incorporated another local company in Hā Coffee in Lihue. I am a HUGE fan of Hā, so in combining my favorite coffee spot on the island with shave ice was a big win for me. The combination of cold brew, cream, and sugar makes for a luxurious combination and another fun add-​on with the mustache straw! Definitely check this out if you’re in Poipu!

Best shave ice ever! Reasonably priced. I had Orange ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ and my hubby had Fu Manchu which is strawberry and banana. I wanted to eat mine and his too they we’re both so good! We stopped at many shave ice places and this was the only one that had orange and added bonus *no funky artificial coloring. Nice hard working couple trying to make a living with a cute marketing idea! I just love it! Try it out and make it a must see on your visit!

Randomly found this place via Instagram and we went there two days in a row and all four flavors of shaved ices we got were delicious and fresh. The owners were super nice and are obviously doing what they love. Price is great and the portion is large. Definitely seems healthier than other shaved ice I have had and also the best tasting. I got the cookies and cream and chai and my husband got the cold brewed coffee and strawberry/​banana. They have benches in front to enjoy your shaved ice. I can’t wait to try other flavors when we go back. Definitely take the time to find them when you are on Kauai.

OMG this place is freaking delicious. Try the chevron, try the fu manchu… come back again and try two more. From what I gathered, the owners went to U of O, which means that they were exposed to the Oregon food scene = quality over quantity and creative ingredients. Best shave ice I’ve ever had (I’ll admit I’ve only had a few). Please come to Portland and open up shop!

We tried four different shaved ice places and unfortunately we were disappointed with the fresh shave since our last visit. The ice was really crunchy, not soft like uncle shaved ice.

One of my favorite places. Creamsicle was just like a
⁵⁰⁄₅₀ bar. Hit the spot! Definitely go,
Check though where they are actually Unilocal takes you to the parking area where they leave the trailer. We called and easily found it.

You can spot this cute, silver food truck (looks kind of like a mini Airstream) parked off of Koloa Road next to an abandoned warehouse, that has now turned into a little food truck gathering. The shave ice is made the old school way, with a hand-​crank machine, which doesn’t produce the fluffiest shave ice, but I appreciate the traditional ways of shaving ice. Other than that, the shave ice is more new school than old. The syrups are made from fresh fruit, with not a lot of sugar, and definitely no artificial colors. The hubby and I shared the Fu Manchu, which has strawberry and banana syrups, topped with strawberry purée and fresh bananas. Delicious and not too sweet. There are a couple of picnic tables outside and more seating inside the old warehouse. This spot seems popular with tourists and locals alike. Not the best shave ice on the island, but it’s pretty darn close!

This truck is worth the drive if you are literally ANYWHERE else on island.
They shave the ice fresh for each cup. Get it? Fresh shave… and it’s true! There are so many places with «best shave ice on Kauai» and then some don’t even shave the ice! Ridiculousness. Fresh Shave shaves it AND THEN puts fresh fruit and scrumptious flavors to make a monstrosity of heaven in your mouth.
I really like the coffee one. I feel like it’s dessert but it’s really just coffee and ice and cream. So very good.
Bonus: you get a cute mustache sticker on your straw. And then take cute and or embarrassing photos of your friends… Well played people.

My girlfriend and I ran into this place purely by coincidence as we were in the area for a different reason. Being connoisseurs of shaved ice (joking…just big fans) we had to try it. The service was good, friendly and the gimmick was cute. I ordered the Fu Man Chu and it was very tasty, fluffy and did not have that cheap syrupy taste to it, topped off with real fruit. Not the best shaved Ice I’ve ever had but definately the best I had in Kauai!

AMAZING!!!
The best shave ice ever!
Differently our favorite place…
When in Poi’pu, make this one of your
stops!!!

The hype for this place is real! I’m from Kauai but I’ve been away at college for a while. When this place first opened I remember seeing everyone post about it and today I finally got the chance to try it. This place isn’t JoJo’s or Uncle’s, that’s for sure! There’s a set menu that you choose from instead of picking your own flavors. I was really hoping to try the Chevron because the chia seed topping sounded great, but that was already sold out when we got there (around 12:30). Another flavor was also sold out, so if you want the most variety it’s best to get there early!
I got the Fu Manchu which is strawberry + banana + cream. It also has strawberry purée and apple bananas on top. If you don’t know what apple bananas are (besides one of my favorite fruits), they’re firmer small bananas with a tart taste compared to regular bananas. But omg they pair perfectly with this shave ice!
I thought the flavor was perfect. It’s not overly sweet and syrupy like traditional shave ice. You can actually taste the fruit and I thought the texture of the ice itself was nice as well. It’s $ 6 for shave ice which may seem like a lot, but honestly it’s so worth it especially when you consider that it’s not just sugar syrup and ice like most places. Real fruits and natural flavor are what makes this place so great (also the aesthetic if you’re like me and have to post everything on snapchat/​instagram lol). If you want a sweet treat that you can feel a little less guilty about, definitely check this place out!!!

This place was a’ight, but people should know this is «craft» shave ice, not your typical shave ice. It’s good, but there is a limited menu of flavors and the flavors aren’t as sweet, but more… cultured? …grown up? My orange creamsicle was sweet but just the slightest bit bitter. Worth a try for sure, but it’s not the shave ice flavor experience I look for in Hawaii (go to JoJo’s for that!).
I like that the straws have little mustaches on them!

Tasty shave ice. I was expecting a little bit more «traditional» shave ice when I rolled up here, but there is a set menu instead. Everything was tasty, but don’t walk up hoping for tiger’s blood and macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom and a snowcap haha.

The best shave ice on the island! My judgement may have been clouded because it was ridiculously hot that day & we just left the beach sweating and craving something cold… but it was so refreshing!
A bit hard to spot — it’s a very small/​cute little truck in a parking lot. They don’t have too many fruity options but we just wanted anything. I got the Chevron (coconut & lime, topped with chia seeds) and it was spot on! It tasted fresh & the presentation was adorable.
Must come if you’re on the island — super close to Poipu beach!

The best shaved ice on the island. Fresh ingredients, and honey instead of sugar. Creative options.
Melts fast :)

Love this shave ice place! We try to go here every time we’re on Kauai so a couple of weeks ago we went to check it out at their new location by the Kukuiula Local Market. We were so glad to find that there was no line when we went. We ordered the Fu Manchu because my daughter LOVES strawberries. It’s a good thing my husband and I only wanted a couple of bites because she ate most of it! This is definitely one of our favorite shave ice places on Kauai and a place that we frequent whenever we’re on island.

On a hot summer day, nothing is more refreshing than a huge bowl of shave ice. While staying in Lawai over Admission Day weekend, I was lucky enough to give The Fresh Shave a shot and it did not disappoint!
The Fresh Shave operates out of a small cart-​like stand, and if you blink you might miss it. If you are heading towards Waimea on Kaumualii Hwy, take the left on Koloa Road as you see Kua Road/​Lawai Valley Estates on your right. The cart is parked on the right side of the road in front of a large warehouse-​like building, which you’ll pass within a minute after turning off the highway. Parking is either next to the warehouse or on the opposite side of Koloa Road in the grass.
We went around 1:45pm on a Friday, which also happened to be a state holiday. By the time we got there, they were already out of the Fu Manchu (strawberry/​banana) and the Chevron (coconut/​lime/​chia seed cream) which were the two I wanted to try the most. That’s ok though, because all of their other options were available! Keep in mind that unlike old school shave ice stands (aka Waiolas on Oahu), the flavor and topping combinations at The Fresh Shave are set… you won’t find any sort of Rainbow flavor here!
I opted for the Professor, which is an acai/​berry flavor shave ice with apple banana toppings, and my friend got the Caterpillar, which is an orange and cream flavor shave ice with orange fruit toppings. Each shave ice is $ 6 which is a little steep but well worth it! We placed our orders at the window in the cart and only had to wait a few minutes for our shave ice.
Both flavors we tried were amazing, and I can’t wait to try more in the future! The Professor basically tasted like an icier acai bowl… I was surprised at how strong the berry taste was (which is a good thing!). The Caterpillar was also delicious… it was basically a mashup between a creamsicle and shave ice, and I especially loved how juicy the orange toppings were! I also loved the cute wooden spoons and the mustache sticker that came on the straws. The straws made for awesome pictures! I’d suggest sharing one shave ice if its really hot… I am a huge shave ice fan but couldn’t eat fast enough and unfortunately I ended up with a lot of melted shave ice soup in my bowl!
For updates on flavors, specials, and hours, follow @thefreshshave on Instagram! I follow them and would fly over to Kaua’i from Oahu in a heartbeat because their photos always make me crave their shave ice and want to go back!
TL;DR — go early for more flavor selections, cute mustaches, and amazingly fresh shave ice!