Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Maui Shave Ice

Maui Shave Ice is a food truck roaming various cities in Colorado. They usually can be found in Denver, Boulder, and Lyons, among other stops. One of the last things I expected to see in Colorado was a Hawaiian shave ice cart. It was a no-brainer: I had to stop here. What would I think about this place?


Jill Lubeke and Laura Marshala run Maui Shave Ice. It's not surprising that they close up shop for the winter months, but with amazing weather in Denver, it was only fitting to start the year off at the Denver Food Truck Festival at South High School. Maui Shave Ice joined nine other trucks for a wildly successful event.


"Prices" at the Denver Food Truck Festival by South High School
2 tickets = $1

Growing up in Hawaii, I've seen my share of good shave ice. A couple of food carts in Oregon manage to do it right. But in both states, I've also found some subpar efforts. This truck would face a stern test.



Ooh, Tiger's Blood! No actual tigers were harmed here. Just a way of promoting a red syrup with predominantly strawberry and coconut flavors.

Thus, the #3 sounded good: shave ice with Tiger's Blood and Vanilla flavors. Add some vanilla ice cream on the bottom. Around $2.50 or so for a small, a very good deal.

Tiger's Blood and Vanilla
Gotta have vanilla ice cream on the bottom!
(Maui Shave Ice)

Shave ice should be just that: finely shaved, as opposed to its snowcone counterpart featuring a more granular ice. And I must say, this was very good. Shaving the ice provides a more melt-in-your-mouth experience, and I savored every bite I took. Adding the vanilla ice cream adds an extra creamy dimension, heavenly on a sunny day.

Sure, I've been to places that shave the ice even finer, but the great overall quality here must be praised. The girls inside the truck are awesome people to chat with. To find this food truck in Denver, of all spots, I feel like I struck gold and oil at the same time. Check this food truck out, add some ice cream to your order, and thank me later. 8.25/10

2 comments:

  1. I know Laura, and her trips to see her Aunt Sue in Kailua, Hawaii are to thank for her introduction to Shave Ice. Glad to see a local favorite make its way to Denver. Laura and Jill are great and I encourage you to try one of Hawaii's best treasures. Best of luck & Aloha!

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