In between all your Lahaina explorations, there’s perhaps a no better place to find refreshments than the Coconut Caboose. Set right along the Honolua Bay Lookout, this little stand goes big on the coconut flavors while keeping its operations wholly sustainable. In fact, they’re well-known as the number one organic coconut producer in Maui, making it well worth swinging by for a taste of their creations.
To get the ultimate coconut experience, stop in at the stand for one of their fresh wildcrafted whole coconuts. As soon as you put in your order, they’ll crack open an icy cold coconut and slip a sugar cane straw inside before handing it over to you. All you have to do is sip on the water inside to experience the beauty of the island’s bounty for yourself.
Once you finish up the water, bring the coconut back to get it cut up for your pure enjoyment. You’re welcome to watch their handiwork, too, as they expertly slice the coconut in half with a huge machete. After that, you can snack on the rich meat inside, savoring all the light, yet rich flavors dancing across your tastebuds.
If that’s still not enough coconut for you, move on to one of their many other creations, like their decadent coconut shave ice. Unlike other shave ice spots, they make their icy treats from freshly frozen blocks of coconut ice. The coconut flavors stand out beautifully in every shave ice creation as a result, no matter what syrup flavors you choose.
Although it doesn’t get as much attention as the other sweet treats, their gelato is the true star of the show – and is what started their Coconut Caboose journey. Long before the caboose landed by the bay, co-owner, Jeremy Aganos, learned how to create authentic Hawaiian coconut gelato from his grandma. They would hand press the coconuts into rich cream and then use time-honored recipes to create the gelato.
As he shared the gelato magic with his partner, Kristy Scanland, their dreams started to take form – and the rest is history. Nowadays, the gelato often serves as the foundation for coconut shave ice deliciousness, although it’s plenty good on its own, too.
Their top offerings include:
Coconut Slushie
Coconut Slushies are a great way to go if you just want to hit the road while sipping on your sweet treats. They make this fan-favorite by harvesting the water and meat of fresh coconuts and then blending it up with ice. Raw organic fruit syrups take the combination to the next level while allowing you to customize your flavor experience.
Coconut Cold Brew
Whenever you want to kick your day into high gear, don’t hesitate to order up a Coconut Cold brew. This drink starts with Maui-grown organic coffee steeped in coconut water. Once that’s done, they put it all over ice and add your creamer and flavor syrups of choice.
Coconut Ice Cream
When you just want to enjoy icy cold coconut and chocolate flavors in every bite, you cannot go wrong with the Coconut Ice Cream. The coconut flavors stand out at the first taste and then get followed by all the chocolate infused in the mix. The texture is a bit icier than commercial ice cream, but that just means it lasts longer without melting away.
Before you hit the road, return to the order window to pick up a few snacks for your travels, like their ever-popular Coconut Jerky. To create this treat, they marinate raw coconut meat, local onions, and macadamia nuts in shoyu. Then, they dehydrate it until it’s perfectly crisp and bag it up for your snacking delight.
Insider Tips:
-Swing by early in your trip because you’re going to want to come back again and again after getting that first taste.
-If you’d like your fresh coconut to have super tender meat inside, ask for a younger one.
-There are only a couple of seats available out front, so don’t be surprised if you have to stand around while noshing on your selections.