Wafels & Dinges

I was this many years old when I learned what dinges were, when researching a small chain of waffle shops in New York, Wafles & Dinges. If you, like me, did not know the Belgian word, it simply means ... thingamajig.  You know, a whatchamacallit. A word for generic stuff. In this case, they use it to refer to assorted toppings you can put on waffles.

"You can feel sweet buttery goodness radiating from the Wafles & Dinges truck when it pulls up to the curb. Over ten years ago, Belgian-born Thomas DeGeest set out to bring authentic Belgian waffles to the US, creating Wafels & Dinges. Spelled the Flemish way, Wafel & Dinges (pronounced ding-us, and slang for “stuff”) has taken the New York street food scene by storm. From their Liège Wafels in Chocolate Fudge or Spekuloos to the Throwdown Wafel (named after the time DeGeest beat Bobby Flay on season seven of Throwdown), these waffels do not disappoint."

Wafles & Dinges has actually been around in New York since 2008, first started as a food truck,got more famous after beating Bobby Flay in 2010, expanded to a kiosk in 2013, now with several brick and mortar locations.  They also ship nationwide via Gold Belly.

The main attraction is the liège waffles.  They do not offer American style waffles, nor the other kind of Belgian waffles.  Just liège.  The menu has some curated waffles with toppings, but you can also build your own with a selection of toppings including sauces, fresh fruit, uh, candied bacon, and whipped cream or ice cream.  I found it interesting that chocolate chips or anything like it were not an option, yet mini marshmallows were?  During the fall, they also offer a pumpkin spice base waffle.

Besides the waffles, they have ice cream, croissants, crofels (croissants, waffled), and drinks.

Extravaganza Box. $90.

"Comes with: 8 Liège wafels (large), 8 Wafelinis and 3 topping jars (spekuloos cookie spread, dulce de leche & real Belgian chocolate fudge)."

We ordered for a group, so the "Extravaganza" box seemed appropriate.  It came with the regular size waffles (on the right) plus the smaller ones dubbed "Wafelinis" for those who wanted a smaller snack. We also got the included 3 spreads, one other kind of chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.

Additional jars of spreads are $8.95, and cans of whipped cream are $12.

Wafelini w/ 4 dinges.

I started with a wafelini, and a tasting of all 4 spreads.

The spreads were fairly standard, not very memorable.  The Spekuloos was my favorite, but not on the waffle as it is pretty thick and rich, but I really enjoyed the leftovers later (on bananas, on plantain chips, on baby carrots, by the spoonful ...).  With the waffle, I probably liked the dulce de leche the most, or really, just the whipped cream (which was a large foodservice generic can, not a store brand, nor their own thing).  

The wafelini was fine. Slightly crispy and caramelized on the outside as it should be, pretty standard liège style, soft and fluffy inside.  I also had the full size wafel, and I found that preferred the smaller ones as they seemed a bit doughier and the pockets a bit more caramelized.

Overall this was all fine.  No complaints.  But not very memorable nor unique, assuming you've had liège waffles before.  I think I was spoiled by b. Street Waffles as a regular part of my life in San Francisco for years, and they just do not compare.

3.5/5, maybe, generously, as again, they were fine, but, I see no reason to seek them out again.

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Bluestreet Dessert Cafe

Dessert.  If you read my blog, you know I'm a dessert girl through and through (I eat dessert after every lunch and dinner, without fail, my blog has a label just for desserts and I review exclusively bakeries and ice cream shops on Thursday, etc).  So of course when a new dessert cafe opened in New York this May, I was going to pay attention.

"Coffee • Crepes • Waffles • Desserts. Your day-to-midnight cafe in NYC."

Note though that Bluestreet is a dessert cafe, not a bakery, a point I didn't quite realize until I visited.  The main attraction is their crepes, which they do make there and smother in Instagram worthy sauces, but most of the other desserts from the extensive lineup seem purchased from elsewhere.  Still a cute place, but not where to go if you want homemade desserts (other than the crepes and waffles).

Exterior.

The exterior was quite eye catching, with bright blue color (for "Bluestreet"?) and clear "COFFEE" and "DESSERT" signs.  In the summer, the whole front opens up, making it really quite inviting.

Inside.

Inside has table and long display cases, and an open prep area where you could watch them assemble items like crepes.

Nice Decor.

The place is really pleasantly decorated, is well kept, and clean.  I used the bathroom when I was there, and it too was aesthetically pleasing and clean.

Baked Goods / Chocolate.

The pastries looked decent, relatively glossy and flaky looking croissants, muffins with a homemade look, soft looking cookies.

They also sell several styles of $$ Dubai chocolate bars.

Cakes / Cookies.

On the bottom two rows of this case were cakes that didn't really look housemade.  I can't imagine a bakery making them in house putting in the little paper separators like that.  I suspect these are frozen and thawed, from a wholesale distributor. It was also notable that only one item in this entire case, on the middle row, said homemade (the carrot cake). The top layers were cookies and more cakes.

Mousses / Baklava. 

The most attractive looking items were here, as they carry a bunch of those fruit mousses that are shaped and colored to look like real fruits, and come wiht names like "Strawberry Bliss" (for the strawberry shaped one), "Blueberry Dream" (for the blueberry), etc.  This section also had tons of styles of baklava, and some other cookies and bars.

Dubai Chocolate Cake. $8.90.

"Rich chocolate cake layered with pistachio cream and crispy kadayif, finished with a glossy chocolate coating."

I ordered online in advance, so I didn't realize that the time I was picking something that didn't look homemade.  Yep, I went for the Dubai chocolate trendy cake.  I know, I know, but I really like crispy kadayif, and was in the mood for chocolate, so this sounded promising.

The cake was ok, but not really anything special. The chocolate cake bottom layer was a bit dry, not necessarily the freshest.  But the pistachio cream was sweet and creamy, I loved the texture from the crispy kadaif, and the fudge was fine.  This cake was definitely carried by the toppings, not the cake itself.

I did finish this (part I had with ice cream to balance the rich fudge) and liked it well enough, but I wouldn't get it again, and I doubt they make it in-house.  3/5, higher end.

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Ayada Thai

I knew the hype.  The viral mango sticky rice.  Michelin-recommend. Yadda yadda.  I honestly didn't pay much attention to it, despite the fact that I work right next to Chelsea Market, and despite the fact that I do quite like mango sticky rice.  I've mostly just been over mango in the United States since living in Sydney for a while and having it locally grown.  It is just so dramatically better there than anything we have here (and I'm sure Thailand and others are great too).  But when my mom recently visited me in New York, and we did the tourist thing of wandering through Chelsea Market, I had to at least get *something* out of enduring that right?  Viral mango sticky rice it was.

Ayada Thai actually has a full sit down restaurant, that I've never heard anyone talk about.  I don't think it is noteworthy in any way, besides their sticky rice. The sticky rice got so popular that they opened a second business a few doors down, a much smaller space, that is literally just for the mango sticky rice. There are a few seats but it is basically a very efficient take out spot.  Since they sell one thing only, the line moves fast (and yes, there was a line).  All you do is say how many you want, and it is handed over instantly, as the containers are all ready to go.  They have multiple staff members off to the side doing nothing but cutting mango, and someone else packaging it up with the rice and sauce, so even though not made to order, it really did seem likely made within the last 20 minutes at most.  The level of streamlining they have done is impressive.

Mango Sticky Rice. $12.

The product however didn't look very impressive.  Packaged for takeout, the rice wrapped in plastic, the coconut cream in a little container. The mango fairly pale.  I didn't think it would be anything special, and sorta rolled my eyes at myself for even caring enough to get it.

But once I got home and warmed up that sticky rice and plated it up ... well, damn.  It is the best I've had in the US.  The sticky rice itself was actually perhaps the best I've had anywhere, which is shocking for takeout that I heated up at home a bit later.  The level of sticky, the sweetness in it, all was just perfect. I have no memory of having a better version.

The mango didn't look particularly ripe or like it would be better than average, but, it was.  Perfectly ripe actually, flavorful, pleasant sweetness.  I've had much, much better mango in other countries, but I don't think I've had better here.  The coconut cream was standard.

Put it all together, and no question, the best I've had in the US.  Yes, I'd get it again.  Yes, this is dangerous knowledge as I work across the street.  4.5/5.

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O'Briens Bar & Grill

A sports bar near Madison Square Garden.  Definitely not a place you'd expect me to stumble into, and yet, I did, to O'Briens Bar & Grill.  I never would have discovered if it wasn't for the summer of Paze*, and this isn't one I'll be returning to, but it was quasi-interesting to check out.  The service wasn't particularly friendly, and my orders were never ready when they said they would be, but at least that meant I got hot fresh food.

*If you are unfamiliar, Paze is a digital wallet system (like Paypal or Google Pay) that you can use to check out with some merchants.  In the summer of 2026, when they launched, they had a promotion with most major credit cards and banks to give you back a $10 credit, up to 10 times, per card/account, if you spent $10 and paid with Paze.  One of their launch partners was Clover, the company behind many restaurant POS systems, so if you ordered online through their Clover storefront, and paid with Paze, you got $10 free (over and over, again, 10 times per card/account).  Tax, tip, it all counts towards the $10, so you could get something <$10, and just tip up to the $10 to trigger the credit.  I love a freebie, and I love excuses to check out places that I wouldn't normally stumble into, so I used Clover and Paze to go on little missions every weekend, gettings $100s in free food along the way.

Exterior.

The outside looks like basically any bar anywhere.  No outside seating, no particularly inviting signage.

Inside.

Inside was considerably bigger than I expected, with two long bars with seating, table seating, and booths on the other side.  Pretty classic sports bar setup with TVs too.

It was entirely vacant the first time I visited at 12pm on a weekend, but quite full during the week at 7:30pm.  Clearly an evening venue.

Onion Rings. $5.50.

The first time, my order was still being prepared when I arrived, so my onion rings were served hot and fresh out of the frier.  They were pretty greasy, and seemed like they were left in a bit too long (or maybe I just prefer a lighter golden color), but I liked the sizes and the amount of coating (although the batter could be more flavorful).  Basically, they were fine, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't go back for them.  Higher 3/5.

They don't have any dipping sauces available, but included a bunch of ketchup, along with a single mustard and single mayo.

Apple Crumble. $7.95.

Who orders takeout from a sport bar and gets ... the apple crumble?  Um, yeah, me.  I saw it on the menu when I was browsing a few days prior, and I couldn't get it out of my head.  I really wanted apple crumble!  I also wasn't quite sure if this would be a slice of pie with crumble topping, an actual fruit crisp/crumble, or even something more like a crumb cake.  I really didn't want a crumb cake, but either of the previous options would be fine with me.

The answer?  A crumble topped pie. I had pretty low expectations, I knew it wouldn't be made in house, or anything special, so I was quite surprised when I opened my takeout bag to find that 1) they served it warm, 2) they included several sauces, 3) they included whipped cream!  They actually were trying here.

The slice of pie was actually kinda small, I mean, it was a reasonable portion in terms of what a human should eat, but certainly not standard restaurant sized, and felt a bit skimpy for the price.  But that said, it was pretty decent pie.  It had a generous crumble on top that was sweet, crispy, and pretty satisfying, slices of well seasoned and not too mushy apples that didn't have too much goo, and a strangely crisp back and bottom crust that wasn't really standard flaky pie crust, but also wasn't a shortcrust either.  Besides the crust being overly crisp, it really was quite decent.  The crust wasn't bad, it just wasn't any standard kind of pastry crust, and the level of crunchy certainly isn't expected.  Again, I'm sure they purchase this frozen and just reheat it, but hey, it was good. 3.5/5 pie.  That is ... until I found mold.  Yes, mold.  In my pie slice.  I obviously stopped eating it when I tasted (and then saw) it.  Clearly, they have some issues with expiration dates.

 

The whipped cream was a thoughtful touch to include for takeout, and I'm sure when you get it in the restaurant it stays looking nice, but I live a 5 minute walk away, and it was entirely deflated when I reached home.  I'm sure it was standard spray can whipped cream, and that just never holds up.  It didn't taste like plastic-y Reddi-whip, which earns them another point.  I drizzled it over my pie like, well, cream, instead.  

The sauces were a complete surprise to me.  I really didn't expect sauces included, and wouldn't have expected them dining in either.  One was standard chocolate sauce, which made no sense to me with apple pie, and sorta screamed out tacky plating style with chocolate sauce drizzled on every plate for no reason.  But hey, now I have some chocolate sauce for my next ice cream sundae at home.

The other was ... I'm still not sure.  It sorta tasted apple to me, like, cidery almost, which could make sense drizzled over apple pie.  But it was sorta reddish and looked more like a strawberry sauce.  I find it crazy that I can't really tell you which of these things it was, if either, but it sorta tasted like both and neither at the same time.  I did like it though, both with the pie, and I suspect I'll enjoy it on ice cream later too.

Overall, this was a really pleasant surprise, until the whole mold situation.  For a sport's bar dessert, far, far above average, let's even say 4.5/5. If it was served a hotel buffet/restaurant, still quite a bit above average, 4/5.  If I compare to regular mid-range restaurant, about on par, 3/5.  That leaves me somewhere around 3.5/5 as a overall rating, particularly because they included the sauces.  But, they sold me old, moldy pie, and that is unforgivable.  0/5.

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Let's Bounce - Powered By Keki

Let's Bounce - Powered By Keki.  That's an awkward mouthful of a business name. I think? it is the evolution of a previous bakery, Keki Modern Cakes.

"After traveling Asia and savoring pastries, founders Moul Kim and Lawrence Wai returned to New York determined to recreate those flavors. Teaming up with Executive Chef Kevin Kim, they founded Keki, sourcing fresh ingredients from Upstate NY and Amish Country, PA.  Chinatown, NYC, with its cherished memories, was the perfect location for their flagship. In April 2017, Keki opened on Mott Street, revitalizing the neighborhood and attracting visitors from near and far."

That's all the info I can find on Keki, of either business name.  These days, they make mostly cheesecakes in several styles, and also cream puffs, which I think were their most popular items from the previous incarnation.

Packaging.

We ordered for delivery. The cakes came attractively boxed up, tied with strings.

Let's Bounce - Powered By Keki makes 3 main styles of cheesecake: bouncy (per their namesake, several flavors), basque (with or without yuzu glaze), and "fancy" (several flavors).  I didn't get to try the basque this time, but tried several of the other styles.

Bouncy Cheesecake

"Hailing from Osaka Japan, Keki’s famous bouncy cheesecakes are light and silky in texture and melt in your mouth! Made with locally sourced fresh ingredients, our cheesecakes feature Organic Grass Fed Milk, Amish Cream Cheese, and Organic Free-Range Eggs. All this fresh goodness makes our cheesecakes bounce and dance with delight!"

Their signature cake, or at least the one they seem to be named after, is the bouncy style cheesecake.  If you are unfamiliar, the name comes from the fact that it jiggles a bit.  It is a lighter style cheesecake, sorta hybrid cheesecake-cake-souffle.  Some people call them souffle cheesecakes.  I first had this style from Uncle Tetsu in Sydney when it was ultra popular (2018), and wasn't quite as wowed by it as some people, but I still wanted to give this a try, as it had been years since I've had this style.  I believe they only make two flavors of the bouncy style, I tried both.

Original Bouncy. $18.

Just like Uncle Tetsu, this came with a nearly burnt looking top, and branding of the bakery name.  

It was fine.  Yes, a sorta lighter, less dense, less decadent, somewhat cakier cake, that still did taste like cheesecake.  Certainly not too sweet.  It made me think of angel food cake, one of my least favorite styles of cake, but, an angel food cake that had been crossed with cheesecake.  I found it kinda underwhelming flavor wise, and needed to add fresh berries and whipped cream to make it really into an appealing dessert.  3/5.

Ube Bouncy. $20.

The ube one actually looked pretty unattractive on top.  Brown does not really draw me in.  But inside was relatively vibrant purple from the ube.  It didn't taste all that ube unfortunately.

I felt basically the same way about this one as the previous.  It was fine, but I'd prefer another style of cheesecake, or another style of cake.  It was just soo cakey of cheesecake, or too dense of cake. 3/5.

Fancy Cheesecake

"Bottom layer of thin sponge cake, middle layer of American-style cheesecake, top layer of mascarpone mousse with a flavor."

Then there are the "fancy" ones.  These really were an adventure with three different distinct layers within.  Interestingly, these cakes are purchased frozen and requires 2-3 hours to defrost.  I actually liked them considerably more not fully defrosted.

The Fancy ones are available in original, green tea, or strawberry flavors, I tried all but the original.

Fancy Strawberry. $45.

First, visually, this didn't seem that actually "fancy".  The layers weren't even at all either.  

I actually had this after only an hour or so of defrosting time because our host didn't realize they needed to defrost for several hours.  It was rather hard to slice, as the strawberry hunks within were still very solid, but I actually liked it considerably more this way compared to once I let it properly fully defrost.

The base cake was whatever, barely noticeable, which was fine with me.  The cheesecake layer, when still pretty frozen, was just like cheesecake ice cream.  I liked it.  But the real draw for me was the strawberry top layer, which I guess was a strawberry mascarpone mousse.  It was sooo bright and fruity, and again, because quasi-frozen, it was sorta like ice cream or semifreddo.  I don't generally like strawberry ice cream, so this surprised me, but I really, really enjoyed this.  4/5 in semi-frozen form.

Once I let my other slice defrost properly, I liked it considerably less.  The mousse was almost too strongly flavored, and just an odd consistency, airy in a strange way.  The cheesecake seemed to almost melt, and didn't hold up like a regular cheesecake, even though they say it is American-style cheesecake.  So properly defrosted (but still chilled), I wasn't really into it, low 3/5.

Fancy Green Tea. $40.

"Total fanciness, now with extra pop. Kick dessert into high-gear with everyone’s favorite Asian pick-me-up and dance-about: matcha."

I also had the matcha version semi-frozen.  It was much the same as the strawberry, although easier to slice since it didn't have the big frozen strawberries within.  The bottom two layers, which made up about 1/3 of the cake, were exactly the same as the previous strawberry cake.  The green tea mousse was really enjoyable as green tea ice cream basically, such strong pure flavor, not too sweet.  I really liked this too.  4/5.   I didn't try this one defrosted properly.

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Seven Grams Caffe

Cookies and ... coffee.  Not quite the normal fill-in-the-blank choice of childhood milk & cookies, but, at least in New York it is a duo with some legit competition.  I don't mean a coffee shop that has some token cookies and mediocre baked goods on hand.  I mean businesses that focus on exactly those two things: coffee and cookies.  Such as Seven Grams, coffee roaster and caffe.

"That’s who we are, and that’s what we do: We roast great coffee, we bake sensational cookies (and cakes, and brownies, but, come on – the cookies), and we take immense pride in being a small, independent business. No investors, no suits, no big corporates. Just a dream, hard work, and a deep passion for what we do."

They have only 3 locations, all in Manhattan.  The name comes from the number of grams of espresso needed for the perfect shot.  I haven't had their coffee, but I did finally get to try one of their cookies, which frequent a slot in various "best chocolate chip cookie in NY" lists.  I rarely see them take the top honor, and they might not be as well known as some of the other common names (e.g. Levain, Culture Espresso - which, yes, is another cookies & coffee only place), but their name comes up enough that I took notice, even as someone who doesn't get particularly excited about cookies.

"Ooey-gooey, hand-crafted, and baked fresh to order. Expect a crunchy exterior, melt-in-your-mouth interior, and the best vegan cookies you've ever tasted. Crowned one of NYC's 5 Best Chocolate Chip Cookies."

They always offer a chocolate chip cookie for everyone: a classic chocolate chip cookie, a gluten-free and vegan dark chocolate chip cookie, and a vegan tahini & olive oil dark chocolate chip cookie. They have seasonal specials like pumpkin spice and apple cider in the fall, plus peanut butter dark chocolate chip and matcha white chocolate chip.  The bakery makes a few breads and scones too.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie.  $6.50.

"Our irresistible signature recipe of ooey-gooey, luscious, ultra-chocolatey cookies, packed-full of premium dark chocolate chips. Hand-crafted using only the finest ingredients and baked fresh to order, these decadent mega cookies have a crunchy exterior, a melt-in-your-mouth interior, and are packed-full of premium dark chocolate chips."

I had the simple classic.

I loved this cookie.

It was a soft cookie, not underbaked style, but trending that way.  It was thick.  It had plenty of chocolate hunks in it, but not so many it detracted from the taste of the base cookie.  I loved the base cookie flavor, butter, sugar, yes.  A cookie for cookie dough lovers. They say it is dark chocolate, but it was a lighter dark chocolate, a creamier, milkier style that I really liked.  

No edits on this one.  I really, really liked it.  My top chocolate chip cookie in NY so far ... 4.5/5.

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Aux Merveilleux de Fred

I thought I knew basically all types of desserts, and then I was in NY and realized I'd never encountered merveilleux before (I still haven't actually, but I learned about them when reading about a bakery I did have other items from: Aux Merveilleux de Fred).  "Fred", in this case, refers to the baker, Frédéric Vaucamps.  And, merveilleux, a specific kind of French dessert made with meringue, cream, and crumble coatings.  While I don't get excited about meringue (French style hard meringue that is), these still seem interesting, and I'd love to try sometime.

Fancy Box.

"Our cakes and pastries are traditionally made in each of our stores before your own eyes. You will love watching our teams in action as they make our Merveilleux cakes, cramiques and waffles. Our specialties are available in different flavors and sizes to suit all occasions and fancies, from our chocolate cramique as an afternoon snack, to our Merveilleux cakes for an unforgettable birthday celebration. Come and discover our know-how and taste our unmissable desserts!"

I did not have the merveilleux, instead I had some pastries and their other signature item, cramique, at a breakfast event at my office. 

Cramique

"A cramique is a Belgian brioche loaf found in Northern France.  Frédéric Vaucamps has reworked the traditional brioche with raisins. He has combined tradition and modernity with his new cramique recipes that include pearl sugar and chocolate chips. Our doughs are all made using traditional methods. From kneading, to shaping, to baking; watch as they come out of the ovens one after the other: hot cramiques baked all day long from breakfast time until late afternoon!"

These are available in plain, raisin, sugar, raisin & sugar, and chocolate varieties.  All but the raisin are round.  All are $4.95, which felt a bit high for just a simple brioche.  I tried a few to compare.

Plain Cramique.

"Plain brioche."

I started with the plain cramique.  It was ... well, a fairly plain, slightly sweet, fluffy bun.  No more, no less.  Not what I wanted to eat just as is, but I could imagine slathering it with something and enjoying it.  3/5 as there was nothing wrong with it, but it certainly wasn't interesting.

Raisin Cramique.

"Brioche with raisins."

Next I cut off a hunk of the raisin one, just to try it.  For some reason, the raison one only is a oblong shape rather than round roll.  But otherwise the same as all the others, studded with raisins.  Eh, raisins.  Not my thing, and it didn't have any additional spicing like a hot cross bun or other yeasted roll with raisins, so it still was  rather plain and simple for my tastes.  2.5/5.

Sugar Cramique.

"Brioche with sugar pearls."

The pearl sugar studded one was considerably more interesting, and I liked the sweetness, but it still was just a plain brioche, not something I can imagine wanting to just eat.  3/5.

[ Not Pictured ]

Chocolate Cramique

"Brioche with chocolate chips."

The one I picked to have a full size of was the chocolate one, which I somehow failed to get a photo of. It was studded with tiny chocolate chips.  I still found it a bit boring, better when I warmed it up so the chocolate got melty, but again not something I'd seek out.  The best of the bunch.  3/5.

Pastries

Aux Merveilleux de Fred doesn't make many other items, but I think they include croissants (and pain au chocolat) as kinda necessary elements of being a French bakery.

Croissant.

"Crispy pastry made from leavened puff pastry with butter. Our pure butter croissants are made in accordance with a traditional recipe and technique: mixing the pastry, incorporating the butter, shaping the croissant... We insist on the delicious, indulgent, authentic French taste of our croissants."

I had really mixed feelings on the croissant.  It ... wasn't flaky at all.  A good French croissant should be messy, it should shatter when you cut/bite into it, right?  And this did not at all.  But the buttery flavor was fantastic.  I think it would be good perhaps as a croissant sandwich bread, filled with meat/cheese, but really let me down as a standalone croissant, and I was surprised it was such a bready style.  3/5, carried only by the robust buttery flavor.

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Carvel Ice Cream

Oh Carvel.  A brand that had such importance during my childhood, when we had a Carvel store in my hometown, and for our birthdays, we always got custom Carvel ice cream cakes.  I remember pouring through the pages and pages of glossy images of the different designs available, and after agonizing (for a child) decision making, picked my choice for my party.  Of course I liked the cakes, but, selecting the design was is what I remember most.  I don't remember ever going to the Carvel shop for anything else, although I guess they actually had a regular ice cream shop, and were not just a place for cakes.

Then at some point the Carvel store closed.  We still got Carvel cakes for parties, but they were just the standard grocery store ones (which I've reviewed before).  They *aren't* nearly as good as freshly made cakes, and obviously come in only one flavor.

Update Review, Summer 2026

Another summer in New York, another pile of Carvel consumed.

Pistachio.

Last summer I tried to get the pistachio several times, but no location I visited ever had it.  So this year I was thrilled when the location I visited managed to have it, even though half their machines were out of order.  However I wasn't allowed to sample it, so I had to just go for it without trying.  Since I tend to enjoy pistachio things, this seemed like a risk worth taking, even though the color was very clearly artificially green.

It was ... ok.  It didn't really taste like pistachio to me.  Or I guess, it did, a tiny bit, in a fake pistachio ways, but it was fairly muted flavor.  Mostly it was like vanilla with a slight not great aftertaste.  The base ice cream was rich and creamy, so that worked for me, but meh, I would not get this flavor again.  Low 3/5.

Pistachio / Oreo Swirl.

I visited a different location and decided to give the pistachio another try, to see if it was a location issue that made it meh.  I really couldn't resist given how elusive the flavor had been to me in the past.  I hedged my bets though, swirling with the Oreo on the same machine.

The result?  Yeah, meh to their pistachio flavor.  Just too fake, and not really pistachio flavored.  The Oreo one was just mildly flavored as well, sorta vaguely chocolate cookie like, but mostly again just vanilla.  Both were very rich and creamy.  3/5.

The cone was fine, but this location had no cone sleeves.  Average size small cone.

Mint (Small).

For all my sadness with the pistachio cones, the mint made up for it.  This was a glorious cone in all ways.  It was considerably bigger than others I've gotten, and the person making it really did seem to care to swirl it pretty perfectly.  It was also the most flavorful of any Carvel I had this year, clearly actually minty. And as always sooo creamy and rich. I quite enjoyed it.  4/5.

The cone was not stale, and I appreciated the cone sleeve thingy.

Mint (Small).

My next visit, to a different location, I got the mint again.  Um, again, please acknowledge the extreme difference in size of these two cones.  Both the same size, same flavor, different server.  This was the smallest one yet (and the most expensive location!).

The flavor was also fairly muted, making it fine vanilla soft serve, but not really mint.  Boo.  3/5.

Vanilla / Chocolate Swirl
(Small).

Another day, another totally different looking cone!  This one was really packed in, she sorta pressed down as it swirled, which you can see in the pattern, so it had considerably more ice cream than the others.  I forgave her for the off-center alignment, as she really loaded me up.

This was a very simple, classic, enjoyable cone.  Both flavors were rich and creamy.  They went together well.  I added my own chocolate sprinkles, and really was happy with this.  Cone not stale, and I love the ice cream catcher.  4/5.

Vanilla / Coffee.
(Small).

This was the day I learned you could do side-by-side at Carvel. I'm not sure why I never asked before.  The woman in front me asked for coffee & vanilla twist, when they weren't on the same machine (vanilla was with chocolate, coffee was with Nutella), and I was surprised when the worker didn't even bat an eye.  And then she made her a side-by-side (so not really a twist, but, still).  I quickly copied.  I don't know if this server was just very generous, or if the side-by-side is harder to portion, but this was one of the biggest small sizes I have gotten, and I wasn't mad about it.

Both flavors were rich and creamy, again, just nice quality soft serve.  This was my first time ever having the coffee flavor.  It was a milkier style, like most Carvel flavors more vanilla than the flavor it is supposed to be, but still enjoyable.  3.5/5.

Vanilla.

This location had only vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and the seasonal toasted marshmallow (that I sampled, it was fine, but kinda overly sweet), so vanilla it was.

I loved how rich and creamy this ice cream was, but the vanilla flavor wasn't actually very strong, and the mouthfeel got to be a bit much after a while, almost too high fat content (I know, I can't believe I'm saying this either).  Good, but not as exceptional as my past memories of Carvel.  3.5/5.

Vanilla (Small).

Another classic vanilla, not the most generous serving. It was fine.  3.5/5.

[ No photos ]

Toasted Marshmallow: Very sweet, sorta I guess tasted like a gooey marshmallow.  It wasn't offensively cloying sweet, but, close.  Likely too much to have a full cone of, likely great on top of a brownie. Low 3/5.

Strawberry: I tried only because I know people who adore this flavor, and every Carvel seems to have it (along with chocolate and vanilla).  I'm not a strawberry ice cream person at all, but, I was genuinely curious.  I did not care for it much, but it was creamy and, well, strawberry flavored.  2.5/5.

Fudgie the Whale
(very melted).

"Our famous whale of a cake with layers of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, separated by a layer of chocolate crunchies then covered with fudge, crunchies and whipped topping."

I grew up with Carvel ice cream cake.  However, my family always just had the classic ice cream cake, not Fudgie, although most people I know that grew up with Carvel have him as their birthday memories.  I think this may have actually been my first time trying Fudgie!

The cake is made mostly the same as the other ice cream cakes, with the layers of vanilla and chocolate ice cream and crunchies in the middle, but this one comes covered in fudge instead of just the fluffy sweet whipped topping.  I adored the crunchies as always, and honestly didn't mind the melty ice cream as the crunchies stayed crunchy and did not get soggy, but I wasn't that into the fudge.  I think it made the whole thing too sweet, and it dominated.  But I also am not a big fudge person, and I'll admit, I wanted *my* memory of nostalgic Carvel cake, not this!  

I did enjoy (my first?) Fudgie, and was reminded of how great Carvel crunchies are.  3.5/5.

Update Review, Summer 2025

I spent the summer again on the east coast this year, land of Carvel ice cream, and it happened to also be my birthday while I was there, and thus, plentiful free birthday ice cream for me (it is usable every day for two weeks around your birthday)!  I'll admit the allure of Carvel has worn down for me - it is still better than any other fast food style soft serve, or better than most soft serve I can get in San Francisco, but in New York, the land of fantastic ice cream, it doesn't really measure up.

Lemonberry Crumble (Seasonal, early Aug).

"Swirl into summer with Lemonberry Crumble—where lemon and blueberry come together for the perfect creamy soft serve."

This was a seasonal flavor when I visited, so I asked to try it.

The base ice cream was good, exceptionally creamy like all of their soft serve.  It tasted to me like a more mild black raspberry, with notes of lemon to it, but not a particularly strong flavor.  It was sweet, but not too sweet. I think my mother would really like this, as black raspberry and lemon are her favorites.  For me, 3.5/5.

Toasted Marshmallow (Seasonal, late Aug).

A few days after I had tried the lemonberry crumble, I actually returned intending to get it, but alas, the seasonal flavor had just changed to toasted marshmallow.  I tried a sample first.

It was very sweet, and, well, yeah, did taste a bit like a toasted marshmallow, but pretty artificial.  I wasn't into it. The server loved it though, she said it reminds her of those soft caramels stuffed with a little cream center.  But for me, just not the right kind of sweetness.  Still wonderfully creamy premium ice cream of course.  Low 3/5.

Nutella.

"Decadent, rich and single. The flavor of your dreams. The decadent taste of chocolate hazelnut in a soft serve ice cream."

I was craving something a bit chocolately, so asked to sample the Nutella and Oreo, neither flavors I normally gravitate towards as I don't care for either ingredient all that much individually, but, I thought might be decent in soft serve.  First up was the Nutella.

This is definitely the most decadent of their flavors, particularly nutritionally.  A small vanilla (or most others) cup or cone is 350 calories/18g fat/22g sugar, where this is 420 cal/22g fat/31g sugars (Oreo is fairly close behind with 400 cal/20g fat/27g sugar).  The reason of course is that they do indeed use real Nutella, but a small soft serve cone being 420 cal (compared to say, Burger King's 190 calories / McDonald's 200 / Dairy Queen 220) is indeed more decadent, just as they say.

It was very creamy as is all Carvel ice cream, and yes, did taste a bit like Nutella, although it was fairly muted.  It was fine, but not a flavor I was really excited by.  3/5, probably 3.5/5 just given how creamy it was. 

Oreo.

"You don't need any milk for this OREO®. Eat your favorite cookie in the smooth swirls of Carvel® soft serve."

The Oreo looked nearly identical in color and little flecks, but she was careful to keep them separate as I tried them.  It too was nicely creamy, and used real Oreo inside of it, not just vague Oreo flavor, again making it a more decadent (higher cal/sugar/fat) option.

It did taste "cookies and cream", but was still a fairly muted flavor to me.  Since I don't actually love Oreos, this was totally fine, but if you want a lot of Oreo flavor, this is not it.  For me, it was good enough, and I think would be absolutely fantastic with their crunchies on it.  3.5/5.

Vanilla/Chocolate Twist.
(Small).

Vanilla: "The original classic. We've been improving our vanilla for more than 80 years. Yes, 80 years."

Chocolate: "Chocoholics dream of this. This is why chocoholics become chocoholics. Rich, creamy, fresh chocolate that's made especially for you."

Twist: "The best of both worlds. Why settle for one classic flavor. Get the yin and yang of ice cream together in perfect harmony."

This was my first time ever having Carvel chocolate soft serve (and maybe having their vanilla?) but I visited a very small location (inside Macy's near Times Square), with only vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and the seasonal flavor and I decided to just be basic and try the twist. 

It wasn't exactly made with love, and frankly looked pretty homely, but it was fine. Truly exceptionally creamy rich soft serve, pretty standard vanilla and chocolate flavors, neither was overly pronounced, and it was sweet but not too sweet. Basically, just a classic very good vanilla and chocolate soft serve, high fat content base, classic, indeed.  3.5/5.

Vanilla. (Small).

"The original classic. We've been improving our vanilla for more than 80 years. Yes, 80 years."

Chocolate: "Chocoholics dream of this. This is why chocoholics become chocoholics. Rich, creamy, fresh chocolate that's made especially for you."

A few visits later, I was struck with tragedy.  The location was cleaning their machines, at 12:30pm on a Sunday, and had only chocolate and vanilla available.  I specifically picked that location because they have mango, mint, and birthday cake!  Sigh.  Dejected, I settled on a vanilla cone.

This was the smallest "small" I have received at any Carvel location, although at least it looked like a reasonable twirl.

It was fine.  Average.  Creamy.  Better than fast food vanilla, but actually not as good as the vanilla at other locations.  I don't think this was a very good location in terms of quality control (East Village, Manhattan, for reference).  3/5.

Oreo.
(Small).

"You don't need any milk for this OREO®. Eat your favorite cookie in the smooth swirls of Carvel® soft serve."

Wow, what a difference a different location makes!  When I got my second cone it was from the West Village location, and the staff here were so friendly AND seemed to actually put a bit of thought into making my cone.  This one looked considerably better, and was much bigger.  I settled for the Oreo, not wanting basic vanilla or chocolate again, or Nutella or toasted marshmallow, my other options.

It was unchanged in taste in full cone form (which isn't always the case!).  Very creamy, decent flavor, but not tons of Oreo came through.  I again thought it would be spectacular with their crunch coat added, I settled for chocolate sprinkles I brought with me.  3.5/5.

Mint.
(Small).

"Minty fresh. No matter the weather, it's always a good time for refreshing, creamy mint. Try it with fudge on top. A-maz-ing."

This was the biggest small yet!  Now, maybe a dish you just get more than a cone?  But the volume of ice cream was definitely considerably higher here than any of my cones.

Anyway, the flavor, mint, always a favorite of mine, and absolutely best with chocolate crunchies, sprinkles, fudge, or chocolate shell.  I got it plain, so I could add my own toppings - who wants to pay $1-2 extra for $0.05 worth of toppings!  This also gave me the opportunity to try it without chocolate elements masking the flavor at all.

Like all Carvel ice cream, yes, very creamy, very rich.  And, it seems, like all Carvel these days, just not a very strong flavor otherwise.  Another one that was an enjoyable vanilla-like flavor, with a hint of mint, but the flavor just seemed so muted.  I still liked it, the sweetness level was good, not too sweet, and the texture/consistency are top notch, but, come on, I wanted more actual mint flavor.  3.5/5, but again, just as a slightly interesting vanilla, not as a real mint flavor.

Cake Mix.
(Small).

"Better than licking the bowl. The taste of birthday cake any day of the year."

Another bowl rather than cone, and yeah, at least based on my sample size, you definitely get more ice cream in a dish than a cone.

I think in the past year Carvel changed their birthday cake-esque flavor, as I previously reviewed one called "birthday cake", and this was called "cake mix".  Anyway, this was a slightly sweeter flavor than the others, although not cloying sweet like cake batter things can sometimes be, and yes, sorta ... yeah, cake flavored.  Cake/frosting flavored, in that non-specific way.  It was good, standard Carvel creaminess.  It paired well with some leftover cake I had :)

3.5/5.

[ no Photo ]

Mango

I also sampled the mango.  I was so excited to see mango!  But like many of the flavors, it was just very muted.  I loved the base ice cream, but mango really didn't come through.  3.5/5 as a slightly more interesting vanilla.

Original Review, Summer 2024

This past year, I re-discovered Carvel ice cream shops, when I visited New York, and they had several locations.  It happened to be my birthday month as well, which was double great, because they give a free cone for your birthday reward (with sign-up).  I love a good freebie.

"Each of Carvel's handmade items starts with The Original Soft Serve™, created in 1934. Today, our delicious treats and classic ice cream cakes are a staple at birthdays, holiday parties, or any occasion worth celebrating."

Although they carry hard ice cream, I had eyes only for the soft serve.  Yes, I like all ice cream, but I'm a soft serve ice cream girl to the core.  

Carvel (inside Macy's)

I had no idea that Carvel has so many flavors of soft serve at Carve!  I thought they just had vanilla and chocolate.  But they actually have a slew more, depending on your location of course, including seasonal specials (like birthday cake, pumpkin, etc), and basics like strawberry, cold brew coffee, and chocolate hazelnut, along wtih coconut, pistachio, mint.  This is in addition to some "Carvelite" flavors and Oatly non-dairy flavors.

In Manhattan, the location inside Macy's (pictured here) had only 4 flavors, but the standalone store just a few blocks away had 6 (or 8? I forget).  The Financial District store had only vanilla/chocolate though, so, plan accordingly.

Mint.  Small.

"No matter the weather, it's always a good time for refreshing, creamy mint. Try it with fudge on top. A-maz-ing."

I went for the mint without trying to first.  I know, such a rookie move.  Now, it was good.  Don't get me wrong.  It was rich, creamy, great quality Carvel soft serve.  I really do like their soft serve.  But the mint flavor wasn't quite as strong as I was hoping it would be.  It was a good mint flavor, not medicinal or anything, and the sweetness level was nice, but, just slightly lacking in powerful mint flavor.  I suspect it would be great with chocolate sprinkles or chips . ***+

Birthday Cake. Small.

"A rainbow sprinkled cake-flavored take on The Original Soft Serve™ made in honor of our 90th birthday."

It was my birthday when I visited, so the birthday cake flavor seemed most fitting, right? Available in hard scoops or soft serve.  I asked the staff how sweet the soft serve was, and he immediately just handed me a sample cup.  It wasn't cloying sweet as I feared, and the taste was instantly recognizable: Carvel blue frosting!  It tasted *exactly* like their blue frosting, although it was a off-white color (missed opportunity!).  I do quite like that frosting, but, I don't think I'd want a full cone of this.  In the small sample size though it was enjoyable, and the consistency was excellent, very rich, smooth, creamy. ***+.

Update Review: 

Well, I returned and DID get a full cone of it.

This wasn't the prettiest cone, and it started falling over nearly immediately, but I quite enjoyed it. The birthday cake flavor tastes instantly recognizable if you are familiar with Carvel ice cream cakes. It takes exactly like their blue frosting, which I absolutely love and is my favorite part of Carvel cake (besides the crunchies of course).  Very rich, high fat content for soft serve, and shockingly not cloying sweet.  Best with sprinkles of course, which I added on my own.  Fresh tasting cone.  It turned out to be my favorite flavor. ****. 

Horchata.  Small.

"Traditional horchata flavoring (a mix of sugar & cinnamon with notes of rice flour) blended with vanilla soft serve."

This was really, really good.  Super creamy and rich, proper sweetness level (not too sweet), lovely cinnamon notes, hint of vanilla, hint of rice ... yeah, it was pretty perfect.  I wish I had gotten a full cone of it, but I was too tempted by other flavors.  ****+.

Update Review:

I tried this as a sample on my first visit, but got excited about the mint flavor and got that instead. But I kept thinking back on how good the horchata was so I returned a few days later to get it. It was again quite good- very, very creamy and rich soft serve, some light rice flavor, and mild spicing. I thought I remembered the spicing being stronger, more cinnamon, but it was still good and more interesting than your basic vanilla. ***+.

[ No Photos - Samples Only ]

Pumpkin Cheesecake: 

"A flavor-fall take on The Original Soft Serve™."

It was mid-august, and Carvel launched pumpkin cheesecake flavor, definitely a bit too early for pumpkin spice season if you ask me. But I couldn't resist trying a sample, even though I'm not generally one to love pumpkin spice things as I'm not really into nutmeg, and way too many pumpkin spice items are just far too heavy in the nutmeg. This however, was not too spiced.  It had nice warming spices, but it certainly wasn't aggressive. There was also a light pumpkin in the flavor. I can't say I really tasted any cheesecake though, I expected a different tang or something from that component, and I just didn't detect any of it. So I'd consider this a very mildly flavored pumpkin with a little bit of spices, fairly muted flavors overall. ***.

Chocolate Oatly:

"The Original Soft Serve™ you know and love, made with Oatly. Non-dairy deliciousness. Will be able to get in a variety of flavors based on your shoppe's availability."

I visited one Carvel location when they had the machines offline for cleaning, and only had their Oatly flavors available.  The staff member offered a sample, so I tried it, opting for the chocolate flavor.  It was actually very good - rich and creamy texture, nicely melty, good milk chocolate flavor.  There was a slight oat milk taste to it, but I like oat milk, so this didn't bother me.  Considerably better than expected, and a wonderful offering for those who want/need to be dairy free.  ****.

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