Best shave ice in O'ahu! Go swim North Shore and then stop for an icy treat! Service was fast and easy with lots of toppings and flavors to choose from. It does melt fast so eat it quick! No seating inside but lots of tables and benches outside in the shopping center. Cute decorations throughout!
Todd W.
Best shaved ice ever!! The weather wasn't great so the line wasn't as long as usual which made it the perfect day to try it!! Will be back!!
Jen-Jen B.
Of course had to have some shaved ice after having some Zane's simply shrimp. Came here and the line moved pretty quick. Too quick that I had to make my choice fast. Had a tropical combination. We all enjoyed our shaved ice on a lovely warm afternoon. Always a good choice for shaved ice when on the north side of the island.
Taylor T.
If you didn't stop at Matsumoto's and get a shave ice, did you really go to north shore? This is the OG spot for the best shave ice after a hot beach day. Try one of their classics or make your own with your favorite flavors! I recommend trying all the toppings at least once (mochi balls, ice cream, red bean, and condensed milk). Service is super quick and you get to watch while they make your delicious bowl!
Christine S.
We walked up just before 1pm on a Saturday and managed to be the second people in line behind a family that ordered around 7 bowls. Everything moved really quick and then once we got outside, the line was out to the sidewalk. I assume the tour busses just dropped off their groups. I ordered coconut with condensed milk. The ice is .. crunchy? I was expecting something softer. And then I noticed a hair in my ice and just threw it out.
MS J.
One word - OVERRATED! I got in line (a very long line) hoping that it's worth it. Mind you we drove all the way from Kapolei to North Shore for this bee-infested shaved ice spot. The shaved ice wasn't fine at all. So many large chunk pieces of ice. I had a grape and orange that did not taste close to it. It was like having a bad frozen overly sweet candy. There's a lot of shaved ice places on Oahu. Go somewhere else where you don't have to stand in line and get stung by bees.
Jess L.
Love this place. Super good if your willing to wait in the long line. Parking is also always crazy so you'll probably have to walk a bit.
Patrick W.
One of the old school shave ice spots on Oahu. A very well known tourist attraction compared to some of the other shave ice spots on the island. Been coming here since I was a teen whenever I'm at the North Shore. A pretty solid shave ice spot, but wouldn't say it's my favorite. The ice is not as soft as some of the other places on the islands. Pretty decent selection of flavors. Got the lilikoi, guava, and ramune. Also got the mochi balls, condensed milk and ice cream. Parking is easy to find as there's a lot in the back. Might be full depending on the time of day.
Vinnie M.
Shave ice is a classic in Oahu, and Matsumoto does it as well as anyone. At this location you order and watch them make the treat in front of you. Quite the site. Once you have your ice you eat it outside in a bustling shopping area. There are many flavors to choose from. I had strawberry, watermelon and lemon and it was soooo good. I do regret not getting more tropical flavors as you can pick up to 3. My one recommendation is that you have to get it with the condensed milk on top. Sounds odd but it is so good. They give you a small spoon and a stew to suck up the melting goodness. Genius!!! Biggest surprise is that's put on top of vanilla ice cream, so the bottom is as good as the icy top. I ordered a small, and it was giant. Go. Here. Now.
Tatiana S.
Truly life changing shaved ice. I didn't understand how amazing this could be but it sure lived up to the hype! I'll be chasing this experience forever. I had the tropical with ice cream, condensed milk and mochi and devoured every bite. Also made sure to get a t shirt at the adjoining gift shop to commemorate the experience. Super long line but moves very fast and worth the wait. Do not skip this one!
Ah what a gem! We ordered their likiko'i ichiban with vanilla ice cream, and it was a hit! The passion fruit syrup flavor was strong and sweet and paired well with the unsweetened mochi. My kids loved the red beans with the vanilla ice cream and the waffle bowl. Prices were pretty reasonable, and the dessert was delicious! They share a parking lot with several other businesses. It was pretty packed when we came on a random weekday afternoon, but lines moved pretty quickly. Lastly, I liked that there was a public outdoor restroom nearby because our hands were all sticky afterwards.
Tiffany P.
Matsumoto is my favorite shaved ice spot in Hawaii! The lines are always long but move pretty quick. For a relatively cheap price of 3.75 for a small and 4.25 for a large. I always share a small with another person since I can never finish it myself. I usually get the guava, liliko'i, coconut or piña colada! I loveeee the mochi here! If you're a mochi lover like me, definitely get extra for only $1 more! I always come back everytime I'm in Hawaii and it always tastes the same if not better!
Sarah P.
Matsumoto Shave Ice is located in the small historic town of Haleʻiwa on Oahu's North Shore. It is a great place to stop by for a break from exploring the town, or if you're in the area and craving a cooling snack. The shave ice comes in two sizes, where you can choose preset flavour combinations or create your own of up to three flavours (over 30 to choose from, and all made from cane sugar). Additional toppings include: vanilla ice cream, azuki beans, condensed milk, and mochi balls. They also give you a straw to sip the liquids at the bottom of the bowl for when the ice melts a little too quickly, but I also found that they give a little too much syrup here. I ordered a small green tea, peach and yuzu flavor shave ice, topped with condensed milk a mochi. It was delicious, refreshing, and the price was good! There was quite a long line here, but the service was very efficient so the wait was reasonable. There's also a free parking lot at the back, however, it may be a little difficult to find a spot since the area can get pretty busy.
Mike N.
The line is out the door, so that is your first clue to jump in! The staff is super friendly, the shave ice and flavors are awesome! I got Lilikoi, lychee and Li Hing Mui. There is also a shop attached if you want some apparel. Picked up some Loco Moco dog treats for our pup as well! Very fun little family spot in the middle of shops!
Nikki P.
shaved ice w/ strawberry and lime (2/5): the shaved ice itself was nice, but the syrups were EXTREMELY artificial tasting. it was hard to enjoy, i ended up not finishing it and throwing it away after eating all the mochi. if you want amazing shaved ice, go to waiola instead!
Best shave ice in O'ahu! Go swim North Shore and then stop for an icy treat! Service was fast and easy with lots of toppings and flavors to choose from. It does melt fast so eat it quick! No seating inside but lots of tables and benches outside in the shopping center. Cute decorations throughout!
Best shaved ice ever!! The weather wasn't great so the line wasn't as long as usual which made it the perfect day to try it!! Will be back!!
Of course had to have some shaved ice after having some Zane's simply shrimp. Came here and the line moved pretty quick. Too quick that I had to make my choice fast. Had a tropical combination. We all enjoyed our shaved ice on a lovely warm afternoon. Always a good choice for shaved ice when on the north side of the island.
If you didn't stop at Matsumoto's and get a shave ice, did you really go to north shore? This is the OG spot for the best shave ice after a hot beach day. Try one of their classics or make your own with your favorite flavors! I recommend trying all the toppings at least once (mochi balls, ice cream, red bean, and condensed milk). Service is super quick and you get to watch while they make your delicious bowl!
We walked up just before 1pm on a Saturday and managed to be the second people in line behind a family that ordered around 7 bowls. Everything moved really quick and then once we got outside, the line was out to the sidewalk. I assume the tour busses just dropped off their groups. I ordered coconut with condensed milk. The ice is .. crunchy? I was expecting something softer. And then I noticed a hair in my ice and just threw it out.
One word - OVERRATED! I got in line (a very long line) hoping that it's worth it. Mind you we drove all the way from Kapolei to North Shore for this bee-infested shaved ice spot. The shaved ice wasn't fine at all. So many large chunk pieces of ice. I had a grape and orange that did not taste close to it. It was like having a bad frozen overly sweet candy. There's a lot of shaved ice places on Oahu. Go somewhere else where you don't have to stand in line and get stung by bees.
Love this place. Super good if your willing to wait in the long line. Parking is also always crazy so you'll probably have to walk a bit.
One of the old school shave ice spots on Oahu. A very well known tourist attraction compared to some of the other shave ice spots on the island. Been coming here since I was a teen whenever I'm at the North Shore. A pretty solid shave ice spot, but wouldn't say it's my favorite. The ice is not as soft as some of the other places on the islands. Pretty decent selection of flavors. Got the lilikoi, guava, and ramune. Also got the mochi balls, condensed milk and ice cream. Parking is easy to find as there's a lot in the back. Might be full depending on the time of day.
Shave ice is a classic in Oahu, and Matsumoto does it as well as anyone. At this location you order and watch them make the treat in front of you. Quite the site. Once you have your ice you eat it outside in a bustling shopping area. There are many flavors to choose from. I had strawberry, watermelon and lemon and it was soooo good. I do regret not getting more tropical flavors as you can pick up to 3. My one recommendation is that you have to get it with the condensed milk on top. Sounds odd but it is so good. They give you a small spoon and a stew to suck up the melting goodness. Genius!!! Biggest surprise is that's put on top of vanilla ice cream, so the bottom is as good as the icy top. I ordered a small, and it was giant. Go. Here. Now.
Truly life changing shaved ice. I didn't understand how amazing this could be but it sure lived up to the hype! I'll be chasing this experience forever. I had the tropical with ice cream, condensed milk and mochi and devoured every bite. Also made sure to get a t shirt at the adjoining gift shop to commemorate the experience. Super long line but moves very fast and worth the wait. Do not skip this one!
Restaurantji Recommends
Ah what a gem! We ordered their likiko'i ichiban with vanilla ice cream, and it was a hit! The passion fruit syrup flavor was strong and sweet and paired well with the unsweetened mochi. My kids loved the red beans with the vanilla ice cream and the waffle bowl. Prices were pretty reasonable, and the dessert was delicious! They share a parking lot with several other businesses. It was pretty packed when we came on a random weekday afternoon, but lines moved pretty quickly. Lastly, I liked that there was a public outdoor restroom nearby because our hands were all sticky afterwards.
Matsumoto is my favorite shaved ice spot in Hawaii! The lines are always long but move pretty quick. For a relatively cheap price of 3.75 for a small and 4.25 for a large. I always share a small with another person since I can never finish it myself. I usually get the guava, liliko'i, coconut or piña colada! I loveeee the mochi here! If you're a mochi lover like me, definitely get extra for only $1 more! I always come back everytime I'm in Hawaii and it always tastes the same if not better!
Matsumoto Shave Ice is located in the small historic town of Haleʻiwa on Oahu's North Shore. It is a great place to stop by for a break from exploring the town, or if you're in the area and craving a cooling snack. The shave ice comes in two sizes, where you can choose preset flavour combinations or create your own of up to three flavours (over 30 to choose from, and all made from cane sugar). Additional toppings include: vanilla ice cream, azuki beans, condensed milk, and mochi balls. They also give you a straw to sip the liquids at the bottom of the bowl for when the ice melts a little too quickly, but I also found that they give a little too much syrup here. I ordered a small green tea, peach and yuzu flavor shave ice, topped with condensed milk a mochi. It was delicious, refreshing, and the price was good! There was quite a long line here, but the service was very efficient so the wait was reasonable. There's also a free parking lot at the back, however, it may be a little difficult to find a spot since the area can get pretty busy.
The line is out the door, so that is your first clue to jump in! The staff is super friendly, the shave ice and flavors are awesome! I got Lilikoi, lychee and Li Hing Mui. There is also a shop attached if you want some apparel. Picked up some Loco Moco dog treats for our pup as well! Very fun little family spot in the middle of shops!
shaved ice w/ strawberry and lime (2/5): the shaved ice itself was nice, but the syrups were EXTREMELY artificial tasting. it was hard to enjoy, i ended up not finishing it and throwing it away after eating all the mochi. if you want amazing shaved ice, go to waiola instead!