When you think of Hawaii, iconic names like luaus, pineapples, coffee, and surfing come to mind. Shave ice is another Hawaiian staple that we should add to the list. Shave ice vendors dot Kauai like palm trees, but aren’t they all the same? After all, they use the same ingredients—ice, flavoring, and toppings. Before you yawn with boredom, we have good news for your sweet tooth! The Fresh Shave is an eatery that adds a culinary twist to shave ice, catapulting the dessert to out-of-this-world taste.
If you’re like us, when we first heard their name, we mistakenly thought they were a chic barbershop! They’re not, but they use wordplay to brand their products creatively. We’ll explain this later in our post.
The Fresh Shave is a quaint shop that serves up delectable desserts in each bite. The family-owned business is on Koloa Road in Koloa and is closed Sunday-Monday. The core values of The Fresh Shave come from three Hawaiian words: Aloha (love), Aina (land), and Ohana (family.) The Fresh Shave crafts every dessert with aloha. They start by using only organic, fresh, locally-sourced food and connect with their island farmers who practice sustainable habits (aina.) Their devotion to healthy ingredients means you won’t be slurping down artificial colors mixed with high-fructose corn syrup as you get elsewhere. The culmination of aloha and aina is that they make their syrups and hand crank the ice. Encircling these traits and tying them all together is ohana: family. Like they say on their website, ohana is the soul of The Fresh Shave. Their devotion and love of family flow outward, impacting their neighbors, vendors, and customers.
If these three values haven’t whetted your appetite, then their menu will. As we mentioned at the start, there is an intentional wordplay with The Fresh Shave. Mustache styles influenced the names of their menu items. To top this off, the straws that come with your shaved ice have a fun mustache sticker. Customers have snapped selfies posing with the faux “stash” beneath their noses. These comedic pictures are starting to flood social media. All eight of their shaved ice are delicious, but we’ll focus on four.
Favorite Menu Items Found at The Fresh Shave:
The Fu Manchu
Strawberry, banana, and cream cover the ice, and fresh strawberry purée and bananas top the dessert.
The Handle Bar
Fresh pineapple and coconut are in this icy concoction and crowned with more fresh pineapple and shredded coconut.
The Dirt Squirrel
Kauai cold brew coffee combines with cream and sugar to create something like a frozen latte.
The Professor
Berries, acai, and shaved ice have Kauai honey, bananas, and shredded coconut on top.
The Fresh Shave offers healthy desserts made with aloha, aina, and ohana. With nothing but high praises from customers, we believe you need to head to The Fresh Shave for the best-shaved ice on Kauai.
Insider Tip:
Because The Fresh Shave uses only fresh, local ingredients, the menu may change due to availability. Check their Instagram account for current specials and flavors.