Overview
Hawaiian Ice Cones is a dessert stop in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island, best understood as a shave ice and cold-treat shop rather than a full restaurant. Google Places lists it as operational at 78-6831 Ali‘i Dr, and recent third-party listings still place it at the same shopping-center address, though some older directories show a different Palani Road address, so the exact storefront location has had some drift in public records. (local.yahoo.com)
For a traveler, it matters because it sits squarely in the classic Kona “cool off after the beach” lane: quick, casual, and focused on sweets and frozen treats. The strongest reason to go is not ambiance or destination dining; it is the local shave ice/boba/halo-halo-style treat stop pattern that shows up repeatedly in reviews and travel writeups. (roadfood.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
This place is mainly about Hawaiian-style shave ice and other cold desserts and drinks. The best-supported menu picture is a mix of shave ice, ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, smoothie bowls, bubble tea, smoothies, and halo-halo, with some sources also mentioning signature-style combinations and add-ons like li hing powder and fresh coconut. (local.yahoo.com)
- Overall menu style: casual dessert counter specializing in shave ice plus a wider mix of frozen drinks and sweet treats. (local.yahoo.com)
- Notable specialties: shave ice; halo-halo; bubble tea/boba drinks; ice cream; smoothie bowls; milkshakes. (local.yahoo.com)
- Signature-style combinations that are specifically supported: mango and pineapple shave ice with fresh coconut; shave ice with li hing powder; halo-halo; boba tea drinks with bursting fruit flavors mentioned in review snippets. (roadfood.com)
- Price expectations: budget-friendly snack stop, with third-party writeups placing it in the low-price range. Think dessert-shop spending rather than meal-level spending. (roadfood.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limits: there is some support for sugar-free syrups and dairy-free options, which makes it more flexible than a standard ice cream stand. That said, this is still a sweet-treat business, so it is not a strong fit for someone seeking a substantial savory or low-sugar meal. (roadfood.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
The experience is more of a compact, casual stop than a sit-down outing. It appears to be located in or near a shopping-center setting in Kailua-Kona, with practical parking access and a walk-up, made-to-order feel rather than a full-service dining room. (roadfood.com)
- Service model and seating style: counter-service / walk-up dessert shop; seating appears limited, and at least one travel writeup notes outdoor seating. (roadfood.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: casual, small, and local rather than polished or upscale. One traveler writeup describes a colorful small stand, and Roadfood frames it as a simple, local “shack” style place. (roadfood.com)
- Practical features: easy to pair with nearby Kona errands or shopping; parking is described as available in a Roadfood review. (roadfood.com)
- Best fit: a quick dessert stop after the beach, a Kona snack break, or a family-friendly treat run. (tripadvisor.com)
- Weaker fit: travelers expecting a polished café, a full meal, or a relaxed linger-longer atmosphere may find it too basic and narrow in scope. This is an inference from the source mix rather than a direct claim. (roadfood.com)
History & Background
There is modest but useful background. Roadfood identifies the owner as Lucia Caldwell and describes the shop as locally rooted and hands-on, with shave ice made to order. Buzzfile also lists Lucia Caldwell as owner and describes the business as a women-owned ice cream stand/dairy bar operating in Kailua-Kona for roughly a decade. (roadfood.com)
That said, there is not much widely published history beyond the ownership and local-dessert identity. I did not find a rich founder story, relocation narrative, or expansion history in the sources reviewed. (roadfood.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
Recurring praise centers on the shave ice and other cold treats being refreshing, flavorful, and distinctly local. Reviewers also repeatedly mention generous portions, creative flavor combinations, and friendly, hands-on service when things are going well. Halo-halo, boba drinks, and options like li hing powder and fresh fruit toppings come up as memorable highlights. (roadfood.com)
Common Gripes
The main downside pattern is service inconsistency. Multiple recent review snippets mention rude or cold staff, slow service, and occasional problems with orders or sold-out items. Some reviewers also complain that the atmosphere feels unwelcoming or that the shaved ice quality is inconsistent. This negative pattern looks well-supported across multiple sources, not isolated. (local.yahoo.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Google Places lists daily hours of 11:00 AM–8:00 PM, with Sunday closing at 7:00 PM; treat that as the best current baseline, but dessert stands can change hours quickly. (tripadvisor.com)
- Expect walk-in, counter-service ordering rather than reservations or table service. (roadfood.com)
- This is best as a quick stop before or after beach time, shopping, or sightseeing in Kailua-Kona. (tripadvisor.com)
- If you care about service quality, it may be worth going when it is less rushed; recent complaint patterns suggest the experience can depend heavily on who is working. This is an inference from review patterns. (local.yahoo.com)
- If you want the most distinctive items, look for shave ice with fruit toppings, halo-halo, and boba-style drinks rather than expecting a broad dessert menu. (roadfood.com)
Verification Notes
- Official name/address/phone: Google Places lists Hawaiian Ice Cones, 78-6831 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, (808) 322-9580. (local.yahoo.com)
- Website: no official website was provided in the Google Places payload, and I did not find a clearly authoritative official site for this exact listing. (local.yahoo.com)
- Operational status: Google Places shows OPERATIONAL. (local.yahoo.com)
- Address drift caveat: older or alternate directories still point to 75-5595 Palani Rd / Lanihau Center or other legacy references, so the public web record is not perfectly clean. The most current high-confidence anchor remains the Google Places address. (food96.com)
Sources
- Google Places details for Hawaiian Ice Cones —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=3492128384778695424— retrieved 2026-04-01. Most useful for the baseline identity anchor: name, status, address, phone, hours, rating, and coordinates. - Roadfood review: Hawaiian Ice Cones, Kailua-Kona —
https://roadfood.com/restaurants/hawaiian-ice-cones/— retrieved 2026-04-02. Most useful for menu description, owner identity, made-to-order shave ice, sugar-free syrup note, parking note, and traveler-facing interpretation of the place. - Buzzfile business profile for Hawaiian Ice Cones —
https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Hawaiian-Ice-Cones-808-895-8390— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for ownership attribution, women-owned note, and approximate business-history context. - Google/third-party review summary page for Hawaiian Ice Cones —
https://food96.com/place/hawaiian-ice-cones— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for recurring complaint signals about service speed and order quality, plus evidence that shave ice and halo-halo are recurring draws. - Yahoo Local listing for Hawaiian Ice Cones —
https://local.yahoo.com/info-217617501-hawaiian-ice-cones-kailua-kona— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for menu breadth, legacy address drift, and recent review snippets mentioning both standout items and service complaints. - MapQuest listing for Hawaiian Ice Cones at 78-6831 Alii Dr —
https://www.mapquest.com/us/hawaii/hawaiian-ice-cones-419987904— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for confirming the current shopping-center address and for additional recent review-pattern signals. - Roadfood Hawaii guide / shaved ice page —
https://roadfood.com/dishes/shaved-ice/— retrieved 2026-04-02. Useful for contextualizing shaved ice as a Hawaiian dessert tradition; used as background rather than a place-specific fact source.
