Overview
Lappert’s Hawaii in Wailea is a dessert-and-coffee stop rather than a full restaurant: think ice cream, coffee, bakery treats, and quick counter service in the Shops at Wailea. For travelers staying in South Maui resorts, it is the kind of place people visit for an easy treat after the beach, after dinner, or while shopping nearby.
The identity is fairly clear and matches the provided Google Places record: the Maui location is listed at 3750 Wailea Alanui Drive #B-9 in Wailea, with the same phone number and a website that brands the business as Lappert’s Hawaii. The company’s own location page also lists the Wailea shop and puts it in the same retail center. (lappertshawaii.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Lappert’s Hawaii’s lane is super-premium ice cream, flavored Kona coffee, and bakery-style sweets with a strong Hawaiian ingredient profile. The menu leans tropical and indulgent rather than broad or savory: macadamia nut, coconut, pineapple, mango, ube, passion fruit, chocolate, and Kona coffee are recurring themes across the company’s core flavors and products. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Overall menu style: dessert shop / coffee counter / bakery case, with ice cream as the main draw and coffee plus cookies or baked goods as supporting items. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Notable specialties: Kauai Pie, Kona Lava Java, Macadamia Nut, Coconut Pineapple, Maui Mango Madness, and Heavenly Hana are among the most clearly documented signature flavors. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Coffee angle: the company highlights Kona Supreme and Kauaʻi Pie coffee blends, including a “first premium coffee creation” from the mid-1980s and a flavored coffee created in 1992. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Bakery/cookie angle: the company sells cookies and bakery items, and its story page says bakery goodies are a major part of the lineup; the website also markets cookie boxes and bakery treats. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Price expectations: Google Places marks it as inexpensive overall, but traveler reviews suggest individual scoops and small servings can still feel pricey for what you get. A practical expectation is a modest-to-medium dessert spend rather than a budget snack. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Dietary usefulness/limits: there are some sorbet and fruit-forward flavors, but this is still primarily an ice cream and bakery shop, so it is not especially strong for dairy-free, gluten-free, or savory needs based on the evidence reviewed. That limitation is an inference from the menu emphasis. (lappertshawaii.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The Wailea shop is best understood as a polished resort-area dessert stop: quick, casual, and designed for walk-in traffic from nearby hotels, shops, and the outdoor retail center. It fits well as an after-dinner treat, a beach-day cooldown, or a family stop between errands and resort time. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Service model and seating: counter-service dessert shop; no evidence of table service. Seating appears secondary to grab-and-go traffic, based on the business type and review descriptions. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: relaxed, tourist-facing, and mall-adjacent rather than destination-dining formal. Secondary reviews describe it as a small shop in an upscale outdoor shopping area near resorts. (tripadvisor.com)
- Practical features: located at The Shops at Wailea, which makes it convenient for resort guests and shoppers; the company’s site lists daily hours and the shop page confirms the exact suite number. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Best fit: a quick dessert stop, a coffee break, or a family-friendly treat after beach time or dinner. (tripadvisor.com)
- Weaker fit: if you want a quiet sit-down meal, a highly bespoke artisan ice cream experience, or a place where speed and value are the main priorities. Those are inferences from the review pattern and service model. (tripadvisor.com)
History & Background
Lappert’s Hawaii has a real local origin story. The company says it began in Hanapepe, Kauaʻi, in December 1983 with a small ice cream operation; macadamia nut and vanilla were the first test flavors, and the business later expanded into coffee roasting and bakery items. The brand also emphasizes that its products are made fresh in small batches in Hanapepe and that its Hawaii locations are distinct from any mainland Lappert’s Ice Cream. (lappertshawaii.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Reviewers most often praise the ice cream flavors themselves, especially the Hawaiian-style combinations like macadamia nut, coconut, pineapple, coffee, and other tropical blends. Travelers also like that the shop is easy to pair with resort stays and shopping in Wailea, and some mention friendly staff and enjoyable coffee. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The downsides are real but mixed. Some reviewers complain about long lines, slow service, small scoops, no samples, and prices that feel high for the portion size. There are also a few complaints about inconsistent freshness or bakeries items, but those are less clearly recurring than the service and value concerns. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: Google lists 9:00 AM–9:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 10:00 AM–9:00 PM Sunday; the company’s location page instead shows 7:00 AM–9:00 PM Monday–Saturday and 10:00 AM–9:00 PM Sunday. That discrepancy is worth noting, so check same-day before relying on an early-morning visit. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Reservations: this appears to be a walk-in counter stop, not a reservation restaurant. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Crowds: expect peak demand around evenings and resort traffic times; some reviews mention long lines, though others say the line moves acceptably. (tripadvisor.com)
- Ordering tip: if you like Hawaiian flavors, focus on the signature scoops rather than standard flavors; those are the most distinctive part of the stop. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Location note: the shop is in The Shops at Wailea, which makes it easy to combine with shopping, resort walking, or an after-dinner stroll. (lappertshawaii.com)
Verification Notes
- Official Maui location page lists The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Drive #B-9, Wailea, HI 96753. Google Places uses 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr B-9, Wailea, HI 96753; this is the same address with minor formatting difference. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Official phone number and website match the provided candidate facts: (808) 879-1711 and http://www.lappertshawaii.com/. (lappertshawaii.com)
- Google Places shows the business as OPERATIONAL; no closure signal was found in the official location pages. (lappertshawaii.com)
Sources
- Lappert’s Hawaii location page —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/pages/find-us— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for the Maui address, phone, and company-stated hours. - Lappert’s Hawaii “Our Story” page —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/pages/lapperts-hawaii-our-story— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for origin story, small-batch production claim, and background on ice cream, coffee, and bakery expansion. - Lappert’s Hawaii signature flavors page —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/pages/signature-flavors— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for documented specialty flavors and flavor descriptions. - Lappert’s Hawaii homepage —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for bakery and coffee positioning, plus brand-specific product emphasis. - Lappert’s Hawaii Kona Supreme product page —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/products/kona-supreme— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for coffee background and the company’s “first premium coffee creation” claim. - Lappert’s Hawaii Kauaʻi Pie coffee product page —
https://www.lappertshawaii.com/products/kauai-pie— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for the coffee flavor’s origin date and flavor profile. - Google Places facts supplied in prompt —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=4772808005866452128— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for operational status, rating, price level, and baseline identity anchor. - Tripadvisor Wailea-area review page —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g609129-d33990900-Reviews-Lappert_s_Hawaii_Wailea-Wailea_Maui_Hawaii.html— Retrieved 2026-03-31. Most useful for traveler sentiment about Wailea location fit, walkability from resorts, and line/service/value complaints.
