Overview
Dave’s Ice Cream at Waipio is a long-running local ice cream shop in Waipahu, on Oʻahu’s central side. The current Google Places record matches the address, phone, website, and the Waipio Shopping Center tenant page, and all three point to the same business at 94-1040 Waipio Uka Street #8. The shop is operational and appears to be part of a small Dave’s Ice Cream network on Oʻahu rather than a one-off storefront. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
For a traveler, the main appeal is local-flavor ice cream rather than a broad dessert menu. The brand’s own site frames Dave’s as a Hawaii-made ice cream company founded on Oʻahu in 1982, with this Waipio location serving as one of its retail parlors. That makes it a straightforward stop for regional flavors like ube, Kona coffee, haupia, poha berry, and lychee sherbet. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
Cuisine & Specialties
Dave’s is an ice cream shop with a Hawaii-specific flavor lineup, not a full dessert cafe. The core draw is locally oriented ice cream and sherbet, including flavors that are much more tied to the islands than a standard mainland scoop shop. The brand says its product is made from scratch on Oʻahu, and its flavor list includes both Hawaiian-style signatures and familiar classics. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
- Overall menu style: ice cream parlors and retail pints centered on local flavors, plus sherbets and classic flavors. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
- Notable specialties: ube, poha berry, azuki bean, kona coffee, haupia, Hawaiian mud pie, coconut macadamia nut, lychee sherbet, and chocolate chip mochi are all explicitly listed or highlighted by the brand/site. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Traveler spend expectations: Google does not publish a price level, but review snippets and third-party listings suggest it is a casual scoop-shop purchase rather than a sit-down meal; travelers should expect dessert-shop pricing that may feel a little high for a single scoop. One recent Tripadvisor review called a single scoop expensive, though that complaint is not universal. (tripadvisor.com)
- Dietary usefulness / limitations: the shop appears useful for travelers who want dairy-free-leaning or fruit-forward options, since sherbets such as lychee and mango are listed, and a reviewer specifically mentioned liking the sherbet option when traveling with lactose intolerance. That said, the shop is still primarily an ice cream business, so dairy-free or fully vegan choices look limited from the evidence available. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
Notable Features & Ambiance
This is a practical, grab-and-go dessert stop inside Waipio Shopping Center rather than a destination dining room. The official shopping-center listing gives it a simple retail footprint, and review language suggests a straightforward ice cream parlor experience more than a designed dining atmosphere. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Service model and seating style: counter-service takeaway is the clearest expectation from the evidence; Restaurantji lists take-out, and nothing in the official sources suggests table service or reservations. (restaurantji.com)
- Atmosphere and decor: review commentary is mixed. Some descriptions call the place bright, neat, and inviting, while one recent Tripadvisor review said the decor and general atmosphere felt tired. That suggests the ambiance is functional rather than special, with at least some signs of age. (restaurantji.com)
- Amenities or practical features: it sits in a shopping-center setting with standard parking expected for that kind of location. The official tenant page lists daily hours and a phone number, which makes it easy to use as a casual stop. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Best fit: a quick dessert stop, family treat, or local-flavor tasting stop for travelers who want to try Hawaii-specific ice cream styles. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
- Weaker fit: people looking for a polished dessert lounge, long linger time, or a highly atmospheric food experience may find it underwhelming. (tripadvisor.com)
History & Background
Dave’s has a clear local origin story. The company says it began in 1982 on Oʻahu, founded by Dave on the leeward side in Waiʻanae, first by selling Meadow Gold products and then by making ice cream from scratch after learning the process on his own. The brand also says the business moved to its present production location in 1984 and later expanded into multiple retail stores and wide wholesale distribution. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
That history matters because the Waipio store is part of a broader local brand rather than an isolated independent shop. The company frames itself as Hawaii-made and Oʻahu-produced, with more than 180 restaurant accounts and several retail locations across the islands. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
Review Sentiment Snapshot
What People Love
The recurring praise is for the flavors themselves. Travelers and locals repeatedly mention the local-style ice cream as the reason to go, especially kona coffee, coconut, ube, green tea, and macadamia nut flavors. Some reviewers also like the shop as a place to try Hawaii-specific desserts such as halo-halo or sherbet-based options. (tripadvisor.com)
Common Gripes
The most common complaints are about value, portion size, and inconsistent service. Recent and older Tripadvisor reviews mention small scoops, higher-than-expected prices, rude or grouchy service, and a occasionally underwhelming experience relative to the name recognition. The atmosphere complaint appears real but mixed: it is supported by at least one recent review, though not every review echoes it. (tripadvisor.com)
Practical Visitor Tips
- Hours: the official shopping-center page and Google Places both show daily hours of 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. That makes it an easy daytime or after-dinner stop. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Reservations: none appear to be part of the model; this looks like a walk-in dessert shop. (restaurantji.com)
- Best time to go: if you want a calmer visit, earlier in the day is probably safer than evening, when a shopping-center dessert stop may get busier. That timing advice is an inference from the hours and format, not a directly stated fact. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Ordering tip: the most distinctive choices are the Hawaii flavors. If you only have one visit, prioritize flavors that are harder to find elsewhere, such as ube, poha berry, haupia, kona coffee, or lychee sherbet. (daveshawaiianicecream.com)
- Value expectation: several reviews suggest that portions may feel small for the price, so travelers who are very value-sensitive may want to temper expectations. (tripadvisor.com)
- Setting: because it is in Waipio Shopping Center, it is best approached as a convenient errand-stop dessert rather than a scenic destination. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
Verification Notes
- Name/address/phone align across Google Places, the official Waipio Shopping Center tenant page, and the brand’s own store locator. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- Website on the Google record and the official brand site both point to
http://www.daveshawaiianicecream.com// the Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream domain. (waipioshoppingcenter.com) - Operational status is consistent: Google lists the business as operational, and the shopping-center page still lists current hours. (waipioshoppingcenter.com)
- I did not find a serious identity conflict, but some third-party listings use older or noisy metadata, so the official site and shopping-center tenant page are the safest anchors. (restaurantji.com)
Sources
- Google Places record for Dave's Ice Cream at Waipio —
https://maps.google.com/?cid=10728052920976950147— Retrieved 2026-04-02 — Best for baseline identity, operational status, hours, rating, and the place’s exact Google canonical record. - Waipio Shopping Center tenant page: Dave's Ice Cream —
https://waipioshoppingcenter.com/tenant/daves-ice-cream/— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Best for confirming the current storefront, address, phone, hours, and the shop’s own “made fresh daily” / flavor positioning. - Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream official home page —
https://www.daveshawaiianicecream.com/— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Best for brand identity and the official claim that the ice cream is made from scratch on Oʻahu. - Dave’s Story page —
https://www.daveshawaiianicecream.com/our-story— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Best for founder history, 1982 origin, Waianae roots, and expansion context. - Flavors page —
https://www.daveshawaiianicecream.com/flavors— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Best for supported specialty flavors and menu-style description. - Restaurantji listing for Dave's Ice Cream at Waipio —
https://www.restaurantji.com/hi/waipahu/daves-hawaiian-ice-cream-/— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Useful for a quick read on take-out format, review mix, and third-party atmosphere/service patterns; some descriptive text is secondary and should be treated cautiously. - Tripadvisor listing for Dave's Hawaiian Ice Cream, Waipahu —
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60663-d869728-Reviews-Dave_s_Hawaiian_Ice_Cream-Waipahu_Oahu_Hawaii.html— Retrieved 2026-04-03 — Most useful for recurring traveler complaints about price, portions, service, and atmosphere, plus specific flavor mentions.
