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Categories: Grocery, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
66-087 Kamehameha Hwy.
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Shave ice is hard to resist! Made the mistake of agreeing to share a regular size ($2.50) with Guava, Pineapple, and Mango syrup flavors + Vanilla Ice Cream at the bottom! I wanted it all for myself and so did my bf. This place is pretty well known, but lines move at a decent pace and it allows you to browse their selection of kitschy merchandise.
Words of wisdom:
1) Don't share. You'll regret not being able to fully indulge.
2) Order it with vanilla ice cream for an extra dosage of yumminess.
3) You don't really need the plastic holder if you eat the shave ice fast enough.
4) Don't eat by the benches near the back parking lot - whiffs of garbage will ruin your experience quickly.
Last time I had shave ice I was probably around 5 years old. My brother and I had a Snoopy shave ice maker that ground up ice cubes into a chunky mess and liquid flavors to pour on top. Ever since then, I never had a craving for shave ice, and didn't expect things to change when I ordered my very first Matsumoto's.
The ice, so smooth and velvety, like silk! The flavor, so sweet and surprisingly rich. Who knew ice could taste so good? Didn't have to wait in a long line, but we did notice the stench emanating from somewhere around the building when we ate our ice outside. My friend mentioned it smelled of kitty litter. Hmmm..she's right. But from where? As we pulled out, we noticed like 30 cats to the rear of the store. Hello? Who's the crazy cat lady? That explains the stench.
Good thing I like the shave ice, otherwise I'd dock a star. I'm forgiving when you're in my good graces. But I'd fix that problem soon Matsumoto...people are starting to talk. And P.S. yummy shave ice + kitty litter is not a good flavor combo.
I'm not a shave ice connoisseur. But who cares?! This place is dang good!
Lilikoi with snow top. Thats where its at. The ice cream is too much for me. I guess if I chose a not-so-sweet flavor, the ice cream woulda been good too..
Yes the lines are long, but just wait. C'mon.... where else do you have to be when youre in the north shore? Yeeeahhh... thats what I thought...!
My very first shave ice! remember...not SHAVED ice but SHAVE ice.
It's softer/smoother consistency than sno-cones.
LOTS of flavor to choose from (from mango, passion fruit (lilikoi), banana, coconut...etc-you get the idea) , LOTS of flavor combination, LOTS of toppings to add to your shave ice (condense milk, beans, ice cream...etc).
We went on a Wednesday afternoon, the line was just out the door...which is pretty short than the norm. The bf and I drove by the store on a weekend and the line was wrapped around their store.
On top of their shave ice area, this place is a "grocery store" All I saw were souveneirs-shirts, shot glass, mugs...
Decent price, a definite tourist trap but gooood shave ice.
Eh, it's a'ight....It's really not bad. I'd give it 3.5 stars. Had to try because of the hype. Yes, i agree, definitely a tourist spot. Thank goodness, we hit the joint at the right time, didn't have to wait too long. Great choice of flavors, handy carrying cups.
It's just...I was expecting more I guess. For as much as all the locals talk it up. Perhaps I've been tainted. Don't get me wrong on a hot day, if you're up on Haleiwa, this is a place you'll wanna check out. But the shaved ice here will never compare to original Waiola's (over on Paani). Now in my opinion, that's the finest you can get. And what's with the stink out around the building? Do NOT inhale if you're trying to enjoy the shaved ice outside.
I been here back in 1998... and returned again a few weeks ago... took a 40 minute drive looking for the place, and it was fun and worth it. not sure if the travel partner enjoyed his first experience with shaved ice or not. he said he did. who knows if he was telling the truth. for what it's worth, i don't care, i'll still come back!
I think the line for shaved ice was still out the door back in 1998...It was out the door this time too. I think if you like shaved ice, and you've been to a lot of shaved ice places, then you have your favorites. I like Matsumoto's because it's just old school and has history behind it. It brings back memories. It is cool (in my opinion), to wait in line, look at all the bee's buzzing around, trying to find parking, etc. I like that. It brings back memories.
Shaved ice, Large, with Ice Cream, Azuki beans, and coconut flavor...with condensed milk. Yum. Can't beat that.
Really good shaved ice. The whole family shared one but we couldn't eat fast enough so the syrup was very overwhelming at the end! SUGAR RUSH!!!
The store was absolutely mobbed. Must be an acquired taste.
If I could rate this 3.5 stars... I would. But I'll round up because I'm in a good mood today.
I think the ice itself is better at Waiola Shave Ice in Honolulu. The ice is finer there, almost like foam. Love that. The ice at Matsu's is a little harder.
But Matsu's flavors are awesome.... better options. I dig it. I just wish Matsu's offered asuki beans and mochi. Don't think they do.
Still tasty as. I got the 'hawaiian' which had 3 tropical flavors. It's basically flavored liquid squirted on ice.
It's a North Shore icon and worth visiting. Tshirt selection is really good if you want to be like Adam Sandler in 50 first dates.
Truly, honestly......not the best Shave Ice.
My #1 choice in this immediate area is Tropical Rush Shave Ice. My #2 would be Aoki's.
Tim and I had been to Matsumoto's maybe 8-9 years ago and we definitely wanted to try it again since we love Shave Ice. Waiting 45 minutes for it isn't gonna happen for me though. We had to hit this place at 10am to get in with no wait. Even at that......with it being totally chill at that time......the girls working here were just miserable to deal with. Bummer.
I'm impressed with the selection and prices on their T-Shirts $15. each.
So, if you want great Shave Ice served with a little Aloha you gotta go elsewhere. If you want to sample Shave Ice from a place that IS world famous now.....get here early or be prepared to wait and WAIT and wait.
i was in oahu this past september & one of the things i was looking forward to the most was getting real hawaiian shave ice (soo hard to find any good shave ice places here in cali). we found out about matsumoto's & instantly had to try it. i am extremely picky about my shave ice; i only eat pure cotton candy flavor shave ice. i was ECSTATIC that they had it on the menu (not many places do!) and it was everything that i wanted it to be! it was so good we visited hale'iwa two days in a row, JUST to get my cotton candy shave ice!!another really good shave ice place in hawaii is at brennecke's in poipu beach, kauai.
Matsumoto's is probably the most famous shave ice place on the planet. Unfortunately it seems the quality and service has gone downhill as their notoriety has gone up up up!
When in Hawaii we make it our goal to stop at every shave ice place we pass! Can't get enough of it!
I was looking forward to being back on the north shore to go to Matsumoto's again... what a let down.
The shave ice just isn't all that anymore. What happened to this place?
I was there three times in a week. I couldn't believe me eyes when i saw a line of people out the door... that is so NOT Hawaii.
We went early before all the tourists made it over and there was no line.
It seems like they shave the ice in such a hurry now that it is more like a snow cone. Not very fine or snow like.. bigger chunky ice. And they have definitely lost their "aloha", maybe from waiting on hundreds of people a day? Don't know, but the girls there now aren't very friendly.
The shop is cool and all the t-shirts are great... definitely worth checking out once to say you have been there, but for really GOOD shave ice, go across the street to Tropical Rush or next door to Aoki's. Both are better.
P.S. I'm not a total Matsu hater. I did buy a t-shirt! =)
A trip to the north shore is definitely not complete without shave ice from Matsumoto's. As I learned, there are definitely a few things to know before you go:
1. Get a holder for your shave ice! It's only a few cents more, and it will save your outfit.
2. Try some of the more adventurous flavors like green tea, lychee, and guava. You won't be disappointed!
3. Condensed milk on top makes it better, and I have no idea why.
4. You also have the option of getting ice cream and/or red beans. Definitely not as important as the condensed milk, but why not try something new?
This is really delicious and super cheap! There's a reason Matsumoto's has so many good reviews!
This is a tourist place. It has good shave ice, but a huge line. If you want the same shave ice, with less of a line, try Aoki's. If your from out of town, it might be worth it though.
This is the spot, very worthy of all 5 stars. The root beer flavor is so good!
Awesome. A must for a Oahu visits. The best shaved ice, every flavor, and crazy stuff like beans… Read more »
Shaved ice so good that my guy who doesn't like sweets finished my cone and insisted we go back for seconds before we left the North Shore. Matsumoto's shaved ice is similar to the crunchy textured pieces my little Snoopy Shaved Ice Maker made back in the day. They pour generous portions of syrup on the cone leaving with you with a mixed flavored sugary concoction to slurp up once your ice melts. Frankly, I think what's left at the bottom of the cone makes this place tops on my list. The vanilla and coconut with beans was delicious.
Splurge and get the 25 cent cone holder if you don't want syrup on your feet.
Shaved ice texture: 3.5 (crunchy bits)
Non-touristy store: 1 (tourist trap!!)
Cleanliness: 1 (Is there even electricity in the store?! Its so freakin' dark!! But they do provide benches outside)
Syrup: 5 (thank u for the generous pours!)
Service: 1 (So sloooow even with 5 girls behind the counter. How many people does it take to make shaved ice? Apparently 5 is the bare minimum)
Best. Shaved. Ice.
I don't know if I even have to say more, but I will.
We ordered a banana, pinneapple and coconut with ice cream on the bottom and condensed coconut milk on top.
It was sugary, but i think that's the whole point. The ice was shaved perfectly and that milk on top was the best.
Will be dreaming of the next time i am in Oahu.....
Tried the shaved ice here and all i gotta say is.... time to change that blade baby! i
still delicious but the ice was bigger and didn't feel or taste all that special..... we were on vacation so we picked up one at Aoki's next door too... and Aoki's was definitely better. soft and fluffy .... like freshly fallen snow. . . lol.... seriously though. all good stuff, but Aoki's was a better choice. Buy both, either way you gettin some yumm in ur tumm.
The shave ice isn't that good when you have to stand in line for 20 minutes in the hot @%& sun, sweating like a cow for ice and some syrup.
Yes, it is a landmark with every possible famous person stopping by but definitely hit up Aoki's then make your decision.
Typical shave ice. Get some ice, syrup and a cup and you've got it.
Prices are normal.
Flavors are pretty good.
I absolutely adore the N. Shore of Oahu. It's a lot less crowded than Honolulu and you get a chance to interact with the locals more.
Sure there's some controversy on this side, about how the locals don't want "mainlanders" on this side, but if you're nice they don't heckle ya.
Matsumotos shaved ice is legendary. And no trip to the N. shore would be complete with out it. It's located inside a grocery store and wait can be long, but once you get the delicate pieces of ice filled to the brim in a paper cone, you are brought back to being a kid in the midst of summer vacation. They have all kinds of flavors to choose from and mix and match to your hearts content.
A colleague recommended coming to Matsumoto's and I am so glad he did. This was my first time having shaved ice with ice cream. Now I don't think I would have it any other way.
I had the Hawaiian - banana, coconut and pineapple with ice cream and it was delicious. The ice cream mixing with the syrup and melting ice was pure shaved ice heaven. It's like nothing I have ever tasted before.
There was a line out the door when we arrived and when we left the line was winding around the side of the building. Don't get discouraged though if there is a line, it's well worth the wait!
We tried three different shaved ice places while on Oahu and while Matsumoto is by far the most popular and probably the most profitable (that could be seen with the mile long line outside of the place on a Saturday afternoon), they got totally blown away by both Waiola and Shimazu. The primary difference is in the quality of the shaved ice where, for whatever reason, Matsumoto's ice is just not as soft and fine. Maybe it's because they have so many customers that they don't have time to upgrade their machines.
And speaking of cleanliness, the refrigerator machine only inches near where they shave the ice is rusting like crazy and we saw one of the workers eat some greasy chips and slip back on his glove to mold together more shaved ice for the crowd of ice-hungry customers. For a place that is in such great proximity to the beach (probably why they get so much business), Matsumoto really needs to clean up its act.
Famous for the tshirt that was seen on Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates...
I'm not really a fan of shaved ice, but the shaved ice with beans and ice cream is REALLY GOOD. Anything is good with ice cream actually. It actually reminds me of halo halo (famous filipino desert). Anyway, this place pretty good and cheap. It's a good spot to enjoy desert on a hot summer day.
The downside is that this place is always packed. I remember waiting for a long time to make an order. But if it is always packed, then you know this is a place worth trying.
I've tried different shave ice places and this is definitely the best. Got their rainbow shave ice and it's so good! Texture of ice was perfect (finely shaved) and portion was generous (it's firmly packed unlike some other stores in waikiki..) I like it with my beans too... tho they are a bit too sweet... next time will try it with ice cream..
The only complains is the 25cents for the plastic holder? what?! anyways I had mine without the plastic holder.. so I guess as long as you eat it fast it should be fine!
Got the root beer, and wished I got the ice cream to go with it!
Wow! Maybe we got a bad batch of flavors but the flavors in their rainbow shaved iced tasted like stinky flowers instead of strawberry, pineapple and lemon. I kept eating it thinking it was going to get better but my husband thought the same thing and after a few bites we threw them away and left disappointed. I did like the texture of the ice but come to find out our hotel had he same ice machine and their shaved ice flavors were amazing.
I was so excited about trying this place because of all of hype. Sad.
Matsumoto's is the epicenter of the shave ice world. It is the shave ice everyone compares to afterward. For me, it's good shave ice, 'nuff said. Parking is usually pretty brutal because this is such a popular place with a little less famous Aoki's shave ice right next door. Additionally, it gets pretty hot sitting outside and there at times can be tons of bees wanting to get a piece of your icy goodness. The store is a classic local general store. Living down towards Waikiki I'm not about to trek it up to Haleiwa and battle the tons of tourists. One side of the store is dominated by their cool t-shirts with various designs on the Matsumoto name. It's good shave ice though.
TOTALLY worth the trek over to get the shaved ice. It's a NORTH SHORE institution... so WHY NOT!?!?!? If you're heading out that way anyway...
Get their newest flavor: sour li hing mui. Mix it with whatever makes your tastebuds tingle.
O
M
G
Make sure it's over the azuki beans and doused in condensed milk. It's the BEST sugar high EVER. Who cares if you get brain freeze. WORTH IT.
This place is great!! Old school shaved ice in the cool town of Haleiwa. I love these old school local hangouts (Tourist hangout now)
that were started years ago......as hole in the wall dives.
We waited about 20 minutes, and ordered the rainbow ice with beans and ice cream........
Yummy, esp in that, hot, humid heat!!
Also, cool shirts, magnets and all that tourist stuff!
Thank you Matsumotos! You satisfied my post-beach all-day-in-the-sun thirst and cravings for shave ice. To find this little joint, just look for the long line of people waiting.
I ordered the guava shave ice with condensed milk and beans, both which are HIGHLY necessary IMO. The boyfriend got the pineapple flavor...who knew pineapple = blue colored? Anyway, we opted to not get the cone holder, which was only 25 cents but we survived just fine. The ice was smooth and powdery...no chunks here! Tons of flavors to choose from too! Be aware though...it melts quickly so use your straw and suck up the melted shave ice juice. YUM.
FYI...Tom Hanks has been here...it's just THAT good.
Seriously, matsumoto's is a must when you come to hawaii! I loveeee their azuki and li-hing moi flavor shaved ice with ice cream! I know weird combo but it really tastes good!
They have this certain technique that they use everytime they shave the ice and pack it in the cup.
I love this place! You can see framed photos of the cast from 50 first dates here and in the movie they sometimes wear matsumoto t-shirts. SO CUTE!
Dude, and the PRICE! it was like 2 bucks for it! The best 2 bucks I've ever spent in Hawaii. LOL!
I feel so bad for Aoki's which is another shave ice place on the same street because there is always a looooooooooooooong line of people in front of Matsumoto's. Even though you have to wait 15-20 minutes to get inside, it's worth waiting.
The choice of syrups is great and it's hard to choose three out of 30 + syrups. But, don't forget to add condensed milk. It's only 50 cents and it makes the shave ice so much better.
I wonder if they ever run out ice...
In one word.....overrated. We spent about 15 minutes waiting in line to sample a large strawberry/coconut shave ice. This was more snow coneish. It was decent but not mind blowing. The price is right though and it tasted pretty good for a hot day. I wouldnt wait in line for it again though. It was a good thing to do one time just for the experience of it all.
Folks are right: it's worth the wait, and you should definitely spring for the ice cream at the bottom and the fancy schmancy plastic holder. Now if only they had better seating...
The infamous Matsumoto Shave Ice - go big or go... back to the mainland.
No holds barred, I went the full mile and piled on the three flavors, ice cream, and red azuki beans. It was a refreshing mountain of powdery ice drenched with sugary syrupy and colorful flavors of litchi, coconut, and guava. Perfect stop on a hot a sticky day while driving through the North Shore. The .25 cent cup holders were essential, since my icy treat turned into slush quickly.
Me and the fiance sat on a nearby bench to enjoy our treat, surrounded by a flock of other tourists discussing amongst themselves which flavor combination to order. I loved it, but it did get way too sweet towards the end. Sadly, neither of us had the stomach to finish an entire one.
Tourist attraction? Yes.
Awesome shave ice? No.
Worth the 20 minute wait in line? Maybe, if you happen to be in the area anyway.
Worth the drive if you're not already on the Windward side? Probably not.
If your preference is for coarsely ground ice, then you'll love this place. If you enjoy fine powdery goodness, then avoid it. You also may not want to come here if you're allergic to bees, or make sure to have your epi-pen handy. There were swarms of bees around the trash cans outside the last time I went. Most others didn't seem to mind, but I like my shave ice without a side order of bee sting. Thanks.
We couldn't resist!. Our sister-in-law had loaned us her convertible while we were in Oahu visiting her. We had decided to drive around the island for the day. I had a few places that I wanted to go, and Matsumoto was on the list. There is nothing more enjoyable than a snow cone on a warm sunny day while a salted breeze blows through your hair.
As you can tell by the pictures posted, there is always a line out the door. And yes, this is a tourist place, but there were plenty of local kids waiting in line too. It takes me back to the days when I was young, and went to Seaweeds on Tybee Island Georgia.
I got three flavors with ice cream on the bottom. Sticky, sickly sweet, messy and a T-shirt to remember it. What can be better?
Don't miss this place if you are at the North Shore. It is worth the wait. It isn't always about the hi-brow food. It's also about the moment.
Loved it!
EHHHH OVER RATED...sooo over rated... but its cool looking at all the celebrities that have come here
perfect for a hot day
nice benches outside for enjoying your shaved ice
Sorry, but I don't get the hype. First, they charge you a quarter if you want that bright little cone saucer. Then, the ice is hard.. snow cone hard to the point that I needed an ice pick to try enjoying my strawberry shave ice w/ vanilla ice cream under. While picking away, the ice cream below was melting, and and thus the whole thing was a mess... a hot, hot mess.
Instead of trekking here, stay in Waikiki and walk down Kapahulu and go to Waiola. I had to go back there just to redeem this poor and disappointing experience. Waiola is melt in your mouth soft, something i can never replicate at home. It's tops in my book. Matsumoto's is totally subpar
Ever notice how all the 5 star reviews are from out of state? and all the local ones are very poor? there's a reason. There are places that BLOW Matsumoto out of the water..
I'm not going to mention names..
do a little more research and find the REAL stuff..
man if you guys think this is good, you REALLY don't know what you are missing!
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