Overview
Da Kine Shave Ice is a shave ice shop in South Kīhei, across from Kamaole I Beach in the ABC Center. The business is operating, and both Google and the restaurant’s own site point to the same address, phone number, and website, so the basic identity looks consistent. It is a tourist-friendly stop rather than a full restaurant: the draw is cold desserts and a quick break from beach weather. (dakine-shaveice.com)
For travelers, the main appeal is straightforward: it is a dedicated shave ice place with a strong review profile, indoor air conditioning, and a location that works well before or after beach time. The place also appears to lean into add-ons like ice cream, fruit smoothies, and dietary variants such as sugar-free and all-natural syrups, which makes it more flexible than a bare-bones snow-cone stand. (dakine-shaveice.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This is a Hawaiian shave ice shop first and foremost, with a menu built around flavored ice, optional ice cream layers, and a few drink-style add-ons. The official site says everything offered is gluten free, with syrups made from 100% pure cane sugar, plus sugar-free and no-food-coloring options. It also lists Roselani’s premium gourmet ice cream, Coconut Glen’s vegan ice cream, and fruit smoothies with optional protein powder. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Overall menu style: dessert-focused shave ice with optional ice cream, plus smoothies for a lighter refreshment stop. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Notable specialties mentioned in sources: Hawaiian shave ice; ice cream add-ins; coconut ice cream; “Kihei Sunset”; “Jaws”; snow cap topping; fruit smoothies with protein boost; sugar-free and all-natural syrups. The named flavor items come from third-party review/menu aggregation, so they should be treated as reported favorites rather than fully verified house signatures. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Price expectations: low-cost, usually a quick dessert stop rather than a major spend. Tripadvisor and Restaurant Guru both place it in the $ / up to about $10 range. (tripadvisor.com)
- Dietary usefulness: good for gluten-free diners based on the restaurant’s own claim, and it appears to have options for people avoiding dairy or artificial coloring. The site specifically mentions vegan ice cream and sugar-free syrup, though the full cross-contact picture is not addressed. (dakine-shaveice.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience appears to be casual and fast, but not bare-bones. The restaurant says it has air-conditioned indoor seating and ocean views, and Tripadvisor describes the location as being in the same center as the Texaco/ABC gas station and across from the beach. That makes it a practical “cool down and keep moving” stop rather than a linger-for-hours dessert destination. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Service model and seating style: counter-service dessert shop with indoor seating; likely walk-in oriented. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: relaxed, beach-adjacent, and air-conditioned; review language repeatedly calls out a friendly, quirky, or cheerful staff presence. (restaurantji.com)
- Practical features: ocean-view claim on the official site; easy beach access; parking is implied by the shopping-center setting, and Restaurant Guru lists parking and wheelchair access. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Best fit: a post-beach dessert, a family stop, or a quick cooling break in Kīhei. (tripadvisor.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers seeking a full meal, a quiet sit-down dessert room, or a destination with a deep backstory may find it simple rather than expansive. This is an inference from the menu and review patterns. (dakine-shaveice.com)
History & Background
The restaurant’s own site says it is a family-run business that wants to bring joy and “Maui memories,” but it does not provide much concrete ownership or founding history beyond that. It also notes a donation effort tied to the Lahaina wildfire disaster, which suggests local engagement, but there is not enough published background here to build a strong origin story. (dakine-shaveice.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Reviews are consistently strong on the quality of the ice itself: people praise how fine, soft, and smooth it is, along with bold flavors and generous syrup coverage. Add-ons matter too; several reviewers specifically recommend getting ice cream on the bottom or coconut ice cream with the shave ice. Friendly service is another repeat theme, and some visitors describe the shop as a “must stop” in the area. This is well-supported across Google-adjacent summaries and Tripadvisor reviews. (restaurantji.com)
Common Gripes
There are not many recurring negative themes in the available evidence, which fits the high ratings. The main caution is competitive rather than critical: one reviewer said another Kihei shave ice shop was better, and a Tripadvisor reviewer contrasted Da Kine favorably with a nearby place that had poor service that day. That suggests opinions are partly comparative and location-specific, not that Da Kine has a strong documented problem. Evidence for downsides is light and mixed. (restaurantguru.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- The posted hours are broad and convenient: every day from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM on the official site and Google-derived listings. Still, because shave ice shops can drift on holiday or staffing changes, it is worth checking close to arrival. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- This looks best as a walk-in stop; no reservation behavior is indicated in the sources. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- The location is especially handy if you are already in South Kīhei or headed to Kamaole I Beach. Tripadvisor describes it as being in the same center as the ABC/Texaco area, which helps with wayfinding. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- If you like richer desserts, the repeated recommendation is to add ice cream or coconut ice cream; if you prefer a lighter treat, the shop’s gluten-free shave ice with sugar-free or all-natural syrup options should work better. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Because the place is small-format and beach-adjacent, it is probably at its best as a quick stop rather than a long sit-down outing. That is an inference from the venue type and setting. (dakine-shaveice.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name and address are consistent across the Google record, official website, Tripadvisor, and Restaurant Guru: 2349 S Kihei Rd Unit 3, Kīhei, HI 96753. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- Phone number and website also match across sources: (808) 500-2205 and
http://www.dakine-shaveice.com/. (dakine-shaveice.com) - Business status is operational/open in the Google record and appears open in the third-party listings reviewed. (dakine-shaveice.com)
- No major identity conflicts found, though Tripadvisor’s street-formatting adds “Unit 3” and a ZIP+4 variant, which is normal address drift rather than a mismatch. (tripadvisor.com)
Sources
- Da Kine Shave Ice official website —
http://www.dakine-shaveice.com/— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Best source for the shop’s self-described menu, dietary claims, location context, and stated hours. - Google Places record provided in prompt —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=3583758147797630201— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Best baseline identity anchor for operational status, address, phone, rating, and hours. - Tripadvisor listing for Da Kine Shave Ice —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60632-d24881308-Reviews-Da_Kine_Shave_Ice-Kihei_Maui_Hawaii.html— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Useful for review-pattern sentiment, price band, walk-in expectations, and beach-adjacent location context. - Restaurantji listing for Da Kine Shave Ice —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/kihei/da-kine-shave-ice-/— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Useful for third-party confirmation of the address, hours, price range, and recurring mentions of soft ice, flavors, and ice cream add-ins. - Restaurant Guru listing for Da Kine Shave Ice —
https://restaurantguru.com/Da-Kine-Shave-Ice-Kihei-2— Retrieved 2026-04-01. Useful for third-party confirmation of rating, price range, and general atmosphere/service impressions.
