Rainbow’s End Snack Shop

Great place to stop before or after your hike to Manoa Falls. They have different snacks to pick up to take along on your hike. Their prices are very affordable. They also have water shoes/​water booties. If you’re stopping by after your hike, you need to get a shave ice! The smaller size will be enough for two. Suuuuugggaaarrrr Rrruuussshhh!!!

Cool small snack shop in the old Paradise Park building, underneath Treetops Restaurant (supposed to have been renovated but restaurant still looks the same). The shave ice with Dragon’s Blood syrup is very good. Brown haired kind of chunky looking white dude sitting behind the cash register was more interested in watching the movie on the in-​store TV than helping anyone. Seemed a little annoyed that we were interrupting his viewing time. Didn’t even bother to say anything or take his eyes off the TV while ringing up the sale. Guys making the shave ice were very helpful and nice. Too bad the service is ruined by their cashier. Better to go to Shimazu’s Shave Ice in the Hawaii’s Favorite Kitchen location next to Rainbow Drive Inn in Kapahulu.

I came back down from a beautiful hike. Decided to grab a cup of shaved ice the long haired boy was very helpful and helped me decide on some good flavors. Then i encountered the very rude white kid with tattoos. I have only met friendly people in hawaii until i encountered him. Very rude. Bad experience.

Nothing beats perfected shaved ice post-​hike. The cashier, he was nice and approachable! Must come here after your hike at manoa falls and they have bathrooms for you to use pre/​post hike.

Prime location at the start of manoa falls trail. Really appreciated the shaved ice after our hike, but the last ¹⁄₃ did have any syrup on it. Cashier was not the most pleasant dude either

Literally, this place is at the end of a rainbow. It rained on our way back from the falls and guess what was at the end of the rainbow? So appropriately named. Service is very nice and friendly. Clean bathrooms too.

Awesome place for shaved ice and a hotdog. The people running the place are super friendly. One guy’s mission there is to get everyone to get melon flavored shaved ice.

Awesome shave ice! The kids always want to hike manoa falls because they get a giant shave ice reward after completing the hike. With the many flavors to choose from and it’s powdery texture, it can’t be beat! The small size goes a long way. One of the best treats in Manoa!
They sell other convenience items such as reef shoes for the muddy trail and all kinds of goodies.

Unilocal reviews are soo good. We went after our hike, just the 2 of us there, so no wait. When they say the shave ice is huge — NO KIDDING. Realistically, 1 serves 2 people. We didn’t know — but we each finished ours as well. Lots of syrup. Tasty.
Also… there IS a garbage can at the bus stop, so you can walk down there while you eat!

Rainbow’s End is literally at the «End of the Rainbow»…
Who remembers Paradise Park?
*raises hand* I do, I do!
Let’s see…
Emi H., Kelly G., Heidi P., Val Y., Big Al, Jo Y., Josie C., Li Y., Davy F., Tricia M., Michael C. (both), Brian M., Kenzie K., & all the local Unilocal Aunties might remember it…
If they were born before 1994 *cough**cough*
I remember it well because as a kid my family would make an annual pilgrimage to this «Bird Park” — of course I had one of those Aunties w/​a ton of Hawaiian Jewelry aka «Bling». She ignores the *warning* sign to «remove all jewelry» and of course the rest is history! Think of the classic Hitchcock movie, «The Birds»… Yup, not a pretty sight!
RAINBOW’S END GO UP & UP:
Okay, okay. Paradise Park (RIP 1994) is no longer here, well except the sign and building, gone are the days of the giant aviary & trillion flying birds!
It’s mainly a destination spot for Hikers interested in the Manoa falls & trails. Okay, to find Rainbow’s End Snack Shop you have to drive literally to the end of Manoa Rd. If you drive all the way up the hill on Manoa Rd.- you’ll hit it. Just keep heading Mauka! As the road narrows… You’re nearing Rainbow’s End! There’s a parking lot w/​attendant and a $ 5 fee ($ 3 kama’aina) if you plan to hike, BUT if you’re here only to visit the shop… Let the attendant know! Parking is free for those wanting to only visit Rainbow’s End Snack Shop!
RAINBOW’S END AMBIANCE & GRUB:
It’s kind of a mythical place located in a long gone «Bird Park» & a former filming spot for one time TV hit series, «Lost!»
I mean even hip hopper, «Macklemore» loves this place. So, even though it’s hidden in the Manoa hills…
A-​list celebrities stop by. Why? I mean it resembles nothing more than a tiny Waikiki Gift Shop and really has very little to sell, but what it lacks in merchandise it more than makes up with the fun stuff… Shave Ice, Smoothies (non-​healthy type lol), Nathan’s Hot Dogs & Chips, Kalua Pork Burger, Chili Bowl, Teri Burger, Vege Yakisoba, oh and of course post cards and hiking supplies! This is also where you pay for parking if you plan to hike the falls!
Also, the owner, Warren (who resembles a tanned Val Y.) is a super nice local guy who has been here, yes… Since the Paradise Park days! He’s kinda mean looking, but go talk story with him… Very, very nice! I talked story with him about my Aunty being attacked by all the birds… We just laughed & laughed about that incident, but I assure you, my Aunty wasn’t laughing back in the day! I loved how Warren corrected me when I said «Jewelry» and he said you mean «Bling»! Gosh! You had to be there! LMFAO!
Anyway, don’t expect glorious here… Think a Waikiki Gift Shop in a «Tiki Beachy» Lobby. It’s tiny, but a cute spot to chill after a hike or a drive.
I heard the Kalua Pork here is fresh and succulent. I’ll try it next time, fo sho!
RAINBOW’S END SHAVE ICE:
I’ve only been here a couple times and always for the cheap & ono unlimited flavors REAL shave ice! On my last visit I got the small which comes with up to four flavors, I chose the: DRAGON BLOOD, GREEN TEA, KIWI, PIÑA COLADA… The small was enough for me and for only $ 3 + change… You can’t go wrong. This IS REAL «old school» Shave Ice where the ice is soft, like snow. The flavors are never ending, but realize it’s «old school» type, so don’t expect homemade «Shishi» boutique kind! It just hits the spot– sugars galore!
The best part of Rainbow’s End Shave Ice is the cheapness, the seriously «unlimited» flavors, oh and just knowing «Macklemore» & «Hurley» ate it too!
Another bonus? How about a syrup guarantee! What? If you want more syrup poured on your half eaten… Well, no worry, beef curry. Just ask nicely and it’s added for free. Nice peeps.
This is a type of place locals will probably forget about unless hiking in the area. Tourists will expect more than it really is. Really!
RAINBOW’S END SNACK SHOP is a tiny «Waikiki Gift Shop» hidden in the hills of beautiful Manoa that just so happens to serve awesome Shave Ice and just knowing the celebrity history here… My Aunty’s incident… Well…
And if lucky enough, you just might encounter a RL Rainbow!
BIG KAHUNA TIPS:
–Drive straight up Manoa Rd. to get here (btw-​NOT E. Manoa Rd.)
–Parking is FREE if only visiting the shop, but make sure to FYI the attendant.
–So much flavors to choose, but next time I’ll limit myself to only two. Anything more and you got too much going on IMHO.
–You can wear all your «Bling» now, no worries, it’s safe! I think.
OVERALL RATING: 4.5-STARS!
LIVE ALOHA…
Unilocal REVIEW #215

This is a hidden gem way deep in Manoa! We took our kids on the Manoa Falls hike for the first time and of course, when my 5 year old sees a sign that shouts «SHAVE ICE» we will never hear the end of day until we make a visit! The snack shop is right before the Manoa Falls parking lot, under the Tree Tops restaurant (this is also where you pay for parking).
After a nice hike, Rainbow’s End Snack Shop is the perfect way to fill your hungry tummies. Chili bowl, kalua pig bowl, hot dogs, and of course, SHAVE ICE! The kalua pig and chili bowls were quite large and filling, and the hot dog was of the polish type which my kids enjoyed. Nothing fancy in the food dept, but definitely comfort food and for a good price.
The real star here is the shave ice! If you like Waiola Shave Ice, you will love Rainbow’s End shave ice! Rainbow’s End is smooth and they give you LOTS of syrup! Half way through they pour the syrup, add more ice and then give you more syrup so that there’s no white in your shave ice. The owner even told me that if I want more syrup, just come back. The shave ice is also HUGE! our family of 4 shared on large (my kids are 3 and 5). We tried the house specialty called «Dragon’s Blood» (a mixture of strawberry, watermelon, lychee and coconut) and it was really good!
If you do the Manoa Falls hike, you should plan to end it with a stop at Rainbow’s End. If you’re not into hiking, you should still plan on visiting to at least try the shave ice! Who knew that Manoa had some awesome shave ice deep in the valley? Happy we discovered this place!

Reasonable prices (for Hawaii) and the best shaved ice I ever had. Very convenient store for water etc for the hike to the nearby waterfall.

UPDATE:
Owner is very nice and actually answered a lot of my concerns via Unilocal.Looks like she was away when employees were slammed. Went there today with a friend for his first shave ice and with a minimal line, noticed service was much better. They still carry local goods like apple bananas from the Big Island. I think it was a combo of them getting slammed and not having the owner around that contributed to bad experience last time. Otherwise, location is continent and a shave ice after a hike is awesome.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Yes the location is convenient, but they were slammed when we got there. Had to wait 15 minutes to get my shave ice and was promised a free ice cream because of the wait but never got it.
The staff seemed overwhelmed and maybe it brought out the worst in them, making somewhat unflattering assumptions about me. When I got the shave ice, it wasn’t packed right and the flavoring didn’t really get into the bottom. It is a large size for the price, so there is that. But I wasn’t even offered condensed milk or any other toppings.
Would rather just eat at Treetops or somewhere else in Manoa. At least at Treetops you can at least see some nice crafts and jewelry on Saturdays to buy later if you want to support local business.

We visited in November 2012, and couldn’t have been happier to have patronized this gem.
If you are hiking up to Manoa Falls, Leave enough time at the end of your hike — follow the advice of your driver and be down the mountain 30 minutes before pickup.
Shave Ice=One Word — HUGE! The shave ice (made with SHAVED ice) is authentic, and giant. If you don’t know what shave ice is, check it out on wikipedia —
And their ice shaver is an antique!
We couldn’t decide on the flavours, so we asked the gentleman to make us something awesome. He did not disappoint. They have a flavour he called Dragon’s Blood — you won’t find it anywhere else he says, it’s made in house. He paired it up for us with something I wouldn’t ordinarily order. I was a little worried, but it was delicious! Flavour went through the entire shaved ice — no dead spots, no puddle of syrup at the bottom of the cup.
They also have Taro chips… my favourite in the spicy flavour. No idea why it’s so hard to find them in Hawaii.
On top of the snacks, and lunch food there are sundry items, and all the nifty little gadgets and gewgaws, as well as the essentials like mosquito wipes/​spray (TRUST ME — you NEED it for this hike!), hats, water, cameras, even towels.
Lots of Aloha here, great service, although when you are trying to be on time to meet your shuttle back to town, good things take time so no — this is not the fast food drive-​through, it’s laid back. Have patience, it’s worth the wait.
I would visit here even if I wasn’t hiking the falls. Will return on our next visit to the island.

I love Island snow, and this is as good as it gets. Plus the guys are super nice telling us to come back if we wanted more syrup. I got the Dragon’s Breath which was delicious. Large is only $ 4. Their Hot Dogs and other food menus looked really good too, but we just had lunch.

Orange!

Got to come here before you start on your hike. A small shop. The cashier has to stamp your ticket that needs to be on your dashboard. He also offered bug spray and other merchandise. As we paid, he asked if we had our state ID. Brah he knows lol. I even asked how he knew! He says he could just tell.
Other than stamping our ticket, dad got a coffee. The cups are given over the counter after paying.

Decided to do Manoa Falls and the extension trail as a late afternoon second workout. After coming down around 5:30, I was definitely looking to refuel. I remembered that there was a snack shop that opened at the base of the trail and decided to give it a go. The guy working there was nice enough, though I’m sure he’s more friendly with the tourists haha.
Went with a small shave ice with banana and passion fruit. I’m gonna break down my star rating from here. They get 1 star for being so convenient, especially for those tourist hikers that may not have brought enough food or water, or if you forgot stuff. 1 star for their selection, lots of stuff there, in terms of variety of drinks, snacks and meal items. 1 star for price, I expected a place that caters to more tourists to be more pricey, but no, they keep it fair and low, which is great for everyone. 1 star for quality of ice, they use an original crank shave ice machine, so their ice comes out very fine and it was great. 1 star for the seating and bathrooms and ambiance, right outside the shop are a lot of chairs and tables, great place to relax with your refreshments and reflect back on the great hike. And sadly, –1 star for their flavors. Maybe I just chose the wrong ones, but their syrups were not that great, very plain and tasted like chemical sugar.
Normally, I would give a place like this 3 stars. But I’m being more fair to a small shop that caters to the life blood of Hawaii, and that is the tourist industry. This place is very convenient for any people that need some food and drink and I love the service they provide to them. So thanks Rainbow’s End, I’m glad you’re helping out all the people that frequent Manoa Falls.

I love this snack shop! It’s right next to Manoa Falls which makes for the perfect destination after a nice beautiful hike! This is honestly the best shaved Ice that I’ve ever had… which I’ve only been here and Matsumoto’s… but the family and I enjoyed it so much that we made another 30 minute trip the day before our vacation ended just to come here.
The shaved ice is so delicate and smooth. It’s perfectly delicious by itself but if you feel like indulging a bit it’s wonderful with condensed milk (+ $ 00.50) and a scoop of ice cream ($ 1), yum! They have plenty of syrups to go with it as well! If you’re in the area or you’re looking for something to do I don’t think you’ll be disappointed at all in a trip down this direction at all (=

Whenever I hike up the Manoa Falls trail, I always wished there was a place where I could get some nourishments, either as a last-​minute addition to what I already packed for the journey, or as a reward for completing the trek.
Well, Rainbow’s End Snack Shop is finally here to answer those needs.
After our trek up the ‘Aihualama Trail, my friend and I were famished. We weren’t expecting to get any food until our ride on the number 5 bus to Ala Moana Center, but then there it was; A brightly lit rainbow sign that said «Now Open! Rainbow’s Snack Shop.» As there were never any snack-​food establishments in the area in recent memory, I got excited and just had to check it out.
It was almost 7pm, but luckily for us, the people that worked there decided to stay open a lot longer than their normal hours. After scoping it out, I decided to ask them about the «Kukui Dogs» on their menu. Apparently, it’s a hot dog that’s «like a Portuguese sausage on a stick, but BETTER.» It sounded really good and it seemed like their specialty, but unfortunately they were already sold out. The people there were nice enough to sell me their regular hot dogs for half-​off, though. Even though the hot dogs were obviously leftovers, which even they acknowledged, I was pretty happy to eat it and it tasted just great.
Other than hot dogs, they also had saimin, chili, sandwiches, some pretty standard selections of candy bars, bottled sodas and juices, fresh fruits, and pastries. At the time of my visit, they were also working on shaved ice flavors, so that should be on the menu soon.
I didn’t know this at the time, but according to their Facebook page, they also offer hiking supplies that include trekking poles, mosquito wipes (OMG; definitely needed these!), rain ponchos, and reference books on birds and plants.
I’ll admit, I was hoping for more than just a little gift shop/​break station, but considering the hike, it’s something that was long needed, and for my appreciation of them, I offer my 4-​star rating.