11 Best Places to Get Ice Cream in Honolulu (2022)
One of the many things we think of when it comes to a beach holiday is ice cream – after all, what is a vacation by the ocean without it?! There is something about that fresh, ice-cold treat that really makes you feel like you’ve arrived!
In Honolulu, tourists from around the world flock to ice cream shops to get a taste of those tropical Hawaiian flavors. Given the popularity of this refreshing treat, there are truly ice cream shops everywhere, but knowing where to go is key. Below you will find the best ice cream shops in Honolulu and all you need to know about them!
1. Lappert’s Hawaii
Hours of operation: Daily from 6:00am – 10:00pm
⭐ RATING: 4.2 out of 5
Location: 2005 Kalia Road, Honolulu
Lappert’s ice cream shop is one of the most popular spots to get ice cream in Honolulu. It offers various island flavors such as papaya, passion fruit, coconut, and more. However, it also boasts a full menu of signature coffees and fresh pastries. Some ice cream favorites are the Banana Fudge and the Heavenly Hana, whereas, for a signature coffee, why not try their famous Chocolate Macadamia Nut?
Why we love this place: Their focus on tropical ice cream flavors is a big highlight for tourists. Also, the fruity freshness can be a great break from the Hawaiian heat! Additionally, Lappert’s ensures that ice cream batches are freshly made daily, so you never eat day-old ice cream.
Tip for travelers: Given its popularity, there can be a queue – approximately 20 to 40 minutes. It’s best to get there early and be prepared for a bit of a wait – but it’s totally worth it!
2. Banan
Hours of operation: Daily from 8:30am – 8pm
⭐ RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: 2301 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu
What started with four friends and a food truck became a large ice cream company with branches all over Hawaii. This restaurant’s ethos is to support locals – a large reason for its popularity. They receive fresh, organic bananas from local farmers and incorporate these into their ice creams.
Why we love this place: It is a purely dairy-free restaurant with an eco-friendly attitude. Its atmosphere is funky and trendy and is great for people looking for a vibey place to enjoy delicious ice cream.
Tip for travelers: While they do have many flavors aside from banana, some of their best ice creams incorporate fresh, organic bananas. I would suggest, for the first time, delve into the banana ice cream world to truly experience what they are all about.
3. Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha
Hours of operation: Daily from 11pm – 7pm
⭐ RATING: 4.7 out of 5
Location: 820 W. Hind Dr #116, Honolulu
If you are looking for homemade, Hawaii-style shave ice, then this is the place to go. This cute little restaurant is known for its natural flavors, with an all-time favorite being the Strawberry Dream shave ice. There is seating inside if you want to enjoy their ice cream out of the heat!
Why we love this place: A favorite aspect of this restaurant is the design-your-own shave ice. You start by picking a size (tiny, small, regular), and then you can select up to 3 flavors with a wide variety ranging from strawberry and guava to green tea or kalespin. Lastly, you select from an array of toppings to finish your masterpiece.
Tip for travelers: If you want to catch a glimpse of the food and atmosphere of the restaurant before committing, then watch Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix – season 4, Hawaii episode), where Uncle Clay’s restaurant makes a feature!
4. SomiSomi
Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday: 11am – 8pm, Friday to Saturday: 11am – 9pm, Sunday: 11am – 6:30pm
⭐ RATING: 4.4 out of 5
Location: 1450 Ala Moana Boulevard Ste 1075, Ala Moana Center, Honolulu
With branches all over America, SomiSomi is known for having some of the best soft serve and Taiyaki (a Japanese fish cake). Their most popular menu item and one widely shared on social media is the AH-BOOHNG, a fish-shaped waffle cone filled with a soft serve flavor of your choice!
Why we love this place: Many ice cream shops can be pretty pricey in Honolulu, but SomiSomi is known for its reasonable prices, so you don’t have to spend too much for a delicious soft serve!
Tip for travelers: There is often a long queue outside SomiSomi, but they’re pretty diligent, and it goes very quickly!
5. Henry’s Place
Hours of operation: Daily 9am – 11pm
⭐ RATING: 4.2 out of 5
Location: 234 Beach Walk, Honolulu
Henry’s Place from the outside may look like a plain convenience store, but inside they have fridges upon fridges filled with a multitude of ice cream options – sorbet, shave ice, frozen yogurt, and ice cream! There is no seating area as it’s catered towards those who want to grab and go.
Why we love this place: Firstly, all their delicious ice creams are homemade, and visitors from around the world rave about their flavor – it is highly recommended that you try the sorbet! Secondly, this is a great place to stop if you are looking for takeaway ice cream in a hurry, as they come in sealed cups so that you can take it along with you easily.
Tip for travelers: Henry’s only accepts cash – so make sure you have some on you!
6. Waiola Shave Ice
Hours of operation: Daily 11am – 6pm (closed Tues)
⭐ RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: 3113 Mokihana Street, Honolulu
Opened in 1940, Waiola Shave Ice is one of Hawaii’s longest-standing shave ice shops. It’s known for having some of the thinnest shave ice, making it fluffy and light. They have an array of flavors, so you have the option of going for classics such as chocolate or being adventurous and trying some of their Hawaiian specials!
Why we love this place: There are an endless number of flavor and topping combinations – over 1000! You can pick some exciting things to put under your shave ice, such as coffee jelly, mochi, ice cream, and more.
Tip for travelers: You do not want to hold up the queue at Waiola. Therefore, it is a common courtesy to check out the menu beforehand so you’re ready by the time you get to the front of the line.
7. Samurai Inc.
Hours of operation: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5pm; Closed Sundays
⭐ RATING: 4.6 out of 5
Location: 738 Umi Street, Kalihi, Honolulu
Samurai Inc. is a soft-serve takeaway and tasty goodies convenience store. They have a wide range of snacks, such as candied popcorn and spicy arare rice crackers. Every day they select flavors of the day for their soft serves, such as blue vanilla, honeydew, and strawberry.
Why we love this place: Samurai Inc. is one of the only places you can find the rare combo of shave ice and ice cream – called the Hawaiian frost. Additionally, they have a well-organized and detailed website which gives customer’s a chance to check out what’s on offer before arrival.
8. Wing Ice Cream Parlor
Hours of operation: Open Tuesday to Saturday: 12:00pm – 8:30pm, Sunday: 12pm – 6:00pm, Closed Monday
⭐ RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: Entrance on, 1145 Maunakea St, N Pauahi St #4, Suite 4, Honolulu
Wing Ice Cream Parlor is a cute, understated little ice cream shop in Chinatown. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it has some of the best homemade ice cream and shave ice. Flavor favorites are the Pasticcio Rocca and Mango. They also have dairy-free options such as coconut-based ice creams and sorbets.
Why we love this place: Their ice cream flavors change frequently and can be quite unusual – a nice break from the typical flavors. One such flavor is the Violet-Beauregard, a mixture of blueberry and lavender.
9. Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream
Hours of operation: Daily 11:00am – 10:00pm
⭐ RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Location: 1777 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu
Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream is a funky, fun place to get ice cream, with the inside decorations representing that of an old-fashioned American diner. They have around 50 different flavors to choose from, some of which include their own creations, such as Chocolate Chip Mochi and Poha Berry.
Why we love this place: Dave’s place is a must-go when visiting Hawaii, as it has been recognized countless times as having the best ice cream in Honolulu. It is even featured in a book called The Very Best Ice Cream.
10. IL Gelato Hawaii
Hours of operation: Daily from 10am – 10pm
⭐ RATING: 4.4 out of 5
Location: 2309 Kuhio Ave, Honolulu
IL Gelato Hawaii is an authentic Italian café with gelato freshly made daily from a combination of local and Italian-grown ingredients. They pride themselves on their healthier “ice cream,” as gelato has less sugar and fat than normal ice cream. They constantly have new and exciting flavors for customers to try, so you can never get bored!
Why we love this place: Aside from their yummy gelato, the shop’s decor is a mixture of blues and pinks, giving it a fun and summery atmosphere. Importantly, they are also an eco-friendly company and do so in a variety of ways but one being that they use solar energy to produce their ice creams.
11. Monsarrat Shave Ice
Hours of operation: Friday to Sunday: 11:00am – 4:00pm
⭐ RATING: 4.6 out of 5
Location: 3046 Monsarrat Avenue, Honolulu
Monsarrat Shave Ice is home to delicious shave ice with organic and homemade syrups made from a combination of 100% real fruit and cane sugar. Their syrups come out a bit thicker than other syrups, but this is due to their natural composition. Their most popular flavors are strawberry, mango, and coconut.
Why we love this place: Monsarrat Shave Ice is a must-go if you want a healthier shave ice option. The majority of shave ice stores use synthetic syrups that are packed with sugar. Monsarrat offers a delicious but healthier alternative with less sugar.
Tip for travelers: Monsarrat is closed on rainy days, so if it looks like it will rain, best not make the trek!
The Wrap-Up
There you have it – our list of the best ice cream spots in Honolulu! Make sure to try out some or all of these delicious spots next time you’re in the area. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!
Mahalo for reading our post!
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