Matsumoto Shave Ice
Ice cream shop · Haleiwa ·
Shave ice institution with exotic flavors, ice cream & gift shop
Shave ice institution with exotic flavors, ice cream & gift shop
"I considered Matsumoto Shave Ice a required, quintessential treat on Oahu’s North Shore — a fun, kid-friendly snack stop." - Chelsee Lowe Chelsee Lowe Chelsee Lowe is a Los Angeles-based writer with an obsession with good eats and interesting stories. She regularly contributes to Travel + Leisure, TravelAge West, Ventura Blvd, and L.A. Parent, writing about food, family travel, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"I popped into the vintage favorite M. Matsumoto Grocery Store and enjoyed Hawaiian shave ice in every flavor imaginable." - Gina DeCaprio Vercesi Gina DeCaprio Vercesi Gina DeCaprio Vercesi is a New York-based writer with a passion for adventure, history, and conservation. Her words and images have appeared in publications including Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, AARP The Magazine, Delta Sky, Hemispheres, and The Boston Globe. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Matsumoto is a North Shore staple. They’ve been in business for going on 70 years now, and the place is still family-run, still making their home-made flavoring syrup. The kids won’t forgive you if you skip it."
"In 1951, Matsumoto opened as a grocery store, but over the decades, its shave ice became the main draw. Shave ice now dominates the business completely. In 2015, Matsumoto renovated along with chunks of Hale‘iwa’s main drag, transforming a sleepy sugar plantation town and realm of surfers and hippies into a slick tourist destination (though the town still tries desperately to hang on to its roots). The new Matsumoto is bright and shiny and streamlined, but the essentials haven’t changed: more than 1,000 shave ice are churned out every day, each one drenched in vivid colors and (artificial) flavors. If you want to order a rainbow — a classic combo of red, blue, and yellow syrups — this is the place." - Martha Cheng
"Matsumoto Shave Ice is totally set up for the tourist trade, an old grocery channeled for the sale of dripping ice cones and T-shirts. The rainbow shave ice is grainy and second-rate." - Jonathan Gold
