When my older brother came back to Maui on his college breaks, he would often pick me up from school and we’d spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach. Many days ended with us grabbing plates of poke at one of his favorite spots, a shave ice stand in Pāʻia—which remains one of my go-to places on the island for lunch or a refreshing treat.
In the heart of Pāʻia, Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice has long been a beloved spot for domes of ultrafine shave ice doused in bright, flavorful syrups. As a kid, I’d order ice cream at the base with all the premium toppings I could afford.
But over the years, the shop has also become known for serving some of the freshest and most flavorful poke on Maui.
Prepared with just the right amount of seasoning, every piece of raw ʻahi tastes clean and well-balanced. With too much dressing, it can seem like a shop is masking the fish—but at Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice, the seasoning enhances its natural freshness. The poke is served over a bed of salad greens with a delicious miso-mayo dressing, and crispy wontons add a fun, crunchy texture.
Three years ago, Erica Gale took the helm of Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice, and she’s been focused on elevating its poke offerings and expanding its menu.
Sitting on a hot pink picnic table outside the shop, Gale recalls Auntie Tobi, who started the shave ice business in Kīhei. Gale says Auntie Tobi moved the business to Pāʻia in 1992, where she started serving poke as well. Her husband was a commercial fisherman and supplied her shop with ultrafresh fish. As Auntie Tobi started to grow her menu, she added more lunch options like shoyu chicken and even chili nachos.
For Gale, poke is a top priority, and she continues to work with local fishermen, farmers and vendors to enhance the shop’s popular plates.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
Whether you spent the afternoon surfing at Hoʻokipa or driving roundtrip to Hāna, Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice is the go-to poke spot in Pāʻia. While you can order a classic shoyu ʻahi, Gale says the most popular poke plates are the Tsunami, a spicy mayo version, and the Hawaiian, prepared with sesame oil, limu (seaweed), ʻinamona (roasted candlenut), and Hawaiian chile water. The shop now offers vegan poke, too, and other local favorites include kālua pig, ʻahi burgers, and chili and rice.
Gale also created a breakfast menu that is available all day, with options like grilled banana bread, a kālua pig breakfast bowl and acaí bowls—all of which can be enjoyed with locally sourced coffee or a fresh latte.
Of course, Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice remains a supreme spot for shave ice on Maui. You can enjoy flavor combinations like classic rainbow or tropical breeze with mango, coconut and pineapple. Or you can choose your own mix of syrup flavors. Gale has also introduced natural syrups, which are made at the shop.
Today, she keeps in touch with Auntie Tobi, who she says is “really good at making connections through food.” Gale preserves that ethos at the shop, teaming up with nearby elementary schools to treat kids with good attendance and strong report cards to free shave ice.
“There’s a good mix of locals and also tourists that come in, which is my favorite part of Tobi’s,” says Gale. The old plantation town may now be well-known for its surf shops and beachy boutiques, but it’s still a tight-knit community. “Part of the charm of Pāʻia is the old-school vibe.”
And Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice continues to look for ways to advance, from partnering with a local company to roast coffee to creating programs with concierges. And Gale says she’s looking forward to opening a second location in Kīhei—where it all began for Tobi’s—at the Kukui Mall. She anticipates that the shop will open in February 2026.
137 Hāna Highway, Pāʻia, tobispokeandshaveice.com
Grace Maeda is the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.
