I've been visiting Bresca with my family for a couple years and they always knock it out of the park! The flavors are homemade and always rotating. I've never had a bad flavor! My favorite regular flavor is Cheesecake w/ Raspberry & Graham Crust, but I'm also crazy about the vegan Coffee w/ Chocolate Cookie Crumble + Caramel Swirl. I like to boat over and have ice cream at lunch time on the weekdays, so hopefully at least one of those will come on the rotation before I head home! They used to have an option where you could get your ice cream on a brioche--it would be cool to see that return someday. Remember to bring cash as they are cash-only, and bring your patience as there are often hordes of children trying to figure out what they want (and what they can afford) while they order. read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - Affogato - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

See all

Five star ice cream and one star ambiance. This is a "if you build it they will come" kind of a place in rural New Gloucester with some of the best home made ice cream Maine has to offer. Creative, delicious flavors, creamy texture, and tons of vegan options. I had a scoop of their signature Honey Bee and a scoop of Cherry Pie (vegan). Both were amazing. I ordered it on a sugar cone and was told no--they only serve two scoops on a cake cone so I got a dish, which used to come with a little pizzelle, but doesn't anymore. These were just the start of the "NOs" at Bresca and The Honey Bee. This place is *loaded* with signs telling you "NO"! A lot of it is what you would expect: NO smoking, NO vaping, NO open flames, NO going to the beach without paying, and also NO using the paddle boats without paying. Some of it is appears to be in response to specific, and infrequent bad behavior: NO throwing rocks, NO feeding the ducks, NO pushing on the dock, NO jumping off the slide, various rules about diapers on babies, NO unaccompanied children under 16? (this is an ice cream shack and swimming hole?), etc. Either way, the visual bombardment of the posted "NO -----" signs makes this place seem like they've missed the mark in creating a welcoming place people go to have fun and enjoy delicious ice cream. The signs with dozens and dozens of "NO" messages makes the place seem hostile. Despite feeling like we might somehow slip up and they might kick us out or call the cops, we did enjoy our ice cream and then upon throwing the cup out, were confronted with a "small trash only--NO pizza boxes" sign on the trash. What the heck?! read more

See all

The street parking is difficult but there are some business spots near the takeout window. I had a cone with 2 different flavors of raspberry. One flavor was a sorbet and the other kind was an ice cream. There some picnic tables next to Sabbathday lake. It was an enjoyable spot read more

Beautiful hidden gem! My apologies, we were so taken with this heavenly nostalgic spot and of course the flavors of ice cream to choose from, I did not even think to pull my phone out. We were met with a welcoming smile of service and off we stepped into the last day of this summer dream. We chose and immediately devoured Black Raspberry w/drk chocolate & Strawberry, the fruitiness like none I had tasted in ice cream before, just summer scooped up into a bowl of deliciousness! Had to get the vegan Blueberry w/drk chocolate chips to take home. We will be back next season and certainly in time to try all the 40 flavors offered. read more

Ok. Hear me out. This place looks unassuming. But I am telling you, and I don't say this lightly, the vegan ice cream is amazing. If I did not know it was vegan, I wouldn't have known. It is that good. I had one scoop Toasted Hazelnut with crispy praline and caramel swirl and one scoop Coffee with chocolate cookie crumble and caramel swirl, both vegan, both so good. read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - Ice cream menu - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

I was searching for good ice cream (not a chain) and this came up. What a find! I have been by it many times (my Dad was from New Gloucester), and I did not know they made their own. Very different flavors. I tried Tiramisu and Olive Leaf with Raspberry and Plum. Both were excellent and very creamy! My sister was thrilled that she could order any flavor as they are all gluten free! The staff were great explaining the flavors and allowed some tastes. Well worth getting off the beaten path and sitting by the lake with a delicious ice cream! read more

We got vegan strawberry ice cream and mango peach sorbet. Super tasty! We had to come back the next day because we wanted to try the blueberry ice cream bar with crumbles and vegan whipped cream with blueberry compote ! It was out of this world !! read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - Vegan, gluten free blueberry delight ! - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

Is this the best ice cream in Maine? Yes, yes it is. I really could just end the review there and say make it out there. But this is a review of sort of a few things. So what makes this place unique is that there is also on private sandy beach (Outlet beach fyi) next to it. To get to the beach part you do have to pay to go over to it. And the parking situation can be tough to deal with there might be 15 parking spaces. And of course it is a bit of hike from Portland. And it's cash only. But the Ice cream. It really is some of the best. It's airy, pillowy, creamy. It's flavors are out of this world good and things you don't see at like sea salt and olive oil argumato (olive oil pressed with lemons). Holy crap that is good. Wife had the birthday cake batter and my kid got the Tahitian vanilla. Great and great. It is the best ice cream in Maine. read more

See all

I'm conflicted about this place, so I'm gonna make an old school Pros/Cons List... The Cons: 1. The parking is EXTREMELY limited, especially in the summer when families are coming here to swim and have all day outings. 2. The staff isn't the friendliest. 3. They're cash only. 4. You're not allowed to cross Royal River to get near Outlet Beach (apparently it's a "privately owned traditional swimming hole since the 1920s") without paying extra ($5 per person, $3 per child). 5. It's definitely not cheap; and it's definitely not "Maine" sizes (y'know the joke: our smalls are usually large!); it's Portland sizes. The Pros: 1. The views are just very, very Maine. There's a bunch of (free to use) picnic tables in the woods overlooking Sabbathday Lake. 2. This is artisanal ice cream. 3. They have gluten-free and vegan options. 4. The ice cream is usually served in a dish with a pizzelle, but you can also - for an extra charge, of course - get it in a sugar cone, cake cone, GF sugar cone, GF cake cone, or brioche bun. 5. This is some *really* good ice cream. I wish they let you sample flavors, but my vegan options the day I came were Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip, Coffee with Praline, or Fig Leaf with Blackberry. I chose that last one and it was nice: creamy and quite sour, but hit the spot for a hot summer afternoon. The non-vegan options were far more impressive in their creativity, and I think I also noticed a 21+ only "Sea Breeze" Sorbet. For your planning purposes know that they're open daily - when the weather permits - from late may/early June to Labor Day, 9a to 5p. read more

See all

I saw a post from @portlandfoodmap on Instagram reminding me that I needed to check this place out immediately, since they are closing likely this Saturday. They've already started to run out of flavors, and will close as soon as all the ice cream and sorbet is gone. I chose the Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blueberry Compote and Brown Butter crumb, my husband chose the Cheesecake with Rasberry and Graham Crust, and my daughter chose a scoop of the Tahitian Vanilla and a scoop of Root Beer ice cream. We sat in the car overlooking the peaceful Sabbathday Lake and savored our creations. Mine was creamy goodness with a bit of crunch from the toppings and a nice sweetness from the fresh blueberry compote and it went down far too quickly. My hubby's ice cream was a similar experience to mine, except with strawberries. Didn't get to try the root beer ice cream because my kid wanted it all to herself. Thinking I may need to go back tomorrow to try another creative flavor :) read more

See all

Amazing ice cream! Well worth the drive or effort to find it. Pretty stop as well. Wish they were open year round!

This was the best vegan ice cream my daughter,husband and I have ever had. We do love ice cream and this was impressive in the flavors that were offered, so creative, so delicious but the ice cream base was phenomenally creamy and succulent. Truly impressive. We stayed a week on the lake and rowed over an hour to earn our ice cream, twice. We have been home in MA for a day and can't stop thinking about that ice cream shop. We tried a local place tonight- it was icey and moderately flavorful. My daughter used to work at a Boston based gourmet ice cream shop- Bresca and The Honey Bee is far superior, particularly the vegan options. read more

We made a special trip to this DIAMOND IN THE RUFF, Chef Krista Kern does not disappoint. We both got large size 2 flavors each. I got Birthday Cake with Rainbow sprinkles and dark chocolate and my wife got Artichoke with pistachios and candied citrus and passion fruit w carmelized chocolate . The best flavors she had 18 flavors and 6 vegans flavors and 6 sorbets. The vegan flavors are so so good tried a sample Dark chocolate with chocolate cake and Carmel ripple so so good can't taste any aftertaste like ground cashews. He vegan is superior over anyone's !! This place is on Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester and has a great swimming area. Last year we came to swim and have treats. She makes her cones and sprinkles from scratch. This place rules. Thanks Chef read more

After years hearing about this place, I took two guests to Bresca. What a disappointment!!!!! Unless you want to try Artichoke ice cream, don't bother. The place is a dump, the setting requires tripping over tree roots to sit at a picnic table, the ice cream didn't impress. One caveat: I like "ice cream" better than gelato; perhaps that's why I didn't care for it? I don't know what all the fuss is about; it's not worth the trip or the $. read more

Amazing ice cream with really fun flavors! Also, my niece is gluten and dairy free and they had great options for her too. She said it tasted like real ice cream! read more

Stopped for ice cream and wish I had tried it sooner. I got 1 scoop of earl grey tea with amarena cherries and 1 scoop of creme fraiche key lime pie. The earl grey was spot on. SO much tea flavor packed into the ice cream. This is professionally crafted ice cream. Can't wait to go back! My boyfriend got the Allagash 16 Counties ice cream and it was BOMB. Next time I will get a scoop for myself. Heads up! There was a sign up stating they are only doing ice cream this year & it's cash only. read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - 2 scoops is served in a cup with a waffle cone piece on top. Yum! - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

This place is a cute little ice cream and sandwich shop on the beach of a lake. If you want to sit at a picnic table on the beach it's $5 per adult to enter. Cash only for both the shop and beach. There is very limited parking. The menu is exciting to read, especially since most everything is gluten-free, and the flavors are adventurous and creative. We had fun deciding which flavors to get although we were both disappointed that there weren't any available flavors with a chocolate base. I thought I ordered Cheesecake with Raspberry and Graham (gluten-free) Crust. I had asked if that was gluten-free and the employee checked and said yes, but it only had a few crumbs of graham, no raspberries and tasted like lime so I'm pretty sure I was given the Key Lime Pie ice cream instead. When I ordered I specified I wanted the fruit ice cream with graham so I think there was a miscommunication. I do not like key lime but I ate in anyway since I think it may have been my fault in not being specific. There are just so many different flavor names swirling in my head I couldn't recall the exact name! I paid seventy-five cents extra for a gluten-free cone on top. What they didn't tell me is that they would withhold the gluten-free pizzelle which I really wanted! It's so rare to have that offered gluten-free! I asked why I didn't get one and I was told because that's not how they do it if you buy a cone. That really seemed weird and cheap given that it normally comes free and I paid extra to add a cone. I was having flashbacks to the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. No pizzelle for you! Before we left I asked if I could have one because I really wanted to try a gluten-free version! They acted like I was making a major request, had a talk amongst themselves in the kitchen and finally said ok and handed me one. It was good but would have preferred to have it with my ice cream and without feeling like I was begging or breaking a perplexing pizzelle policy. I would have paid for it if they asked but wasn't offered that option. My husband's ice cream came with pizzelle and edible flowers. It was a very pretty presentation unlike mine. He had a scoop of the Artichoke with Candied Citris (sic), Toasted Pistachios and a scoop of Passion Fruit with Caramelized White Chocolate. I took a taste of each and the only thing I could taste was overly sweetened yet tart fruit. Neither of us could discern any chocolate or artichoke flavors. Obviously they are a hit with many people based upon their popularity, many positive reviews and recent feature in the Washington Post. But sadly it's not a hit with me given my experience today. read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - Heads up! If you pay extra for a cone on top they will withhold the pizzelle that you would have received for free with your ice cream! - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

See all

Creamiest, innovative ice cream, we loved it. Parking is minimal. Pick a cloudy day and avoid the crowds.

What a treat! This was recommended to us by someone local. The summertime lakeside business provides really delicious thoughtful creations of the otherwise mundane hot dogs and ice cream that are both innovative and unique. Apparently the menu changes as new ideas and recipes emerge. If you are a visitor to the nearby Sabbath Day Lake Shaker community of just in the area and want to try something enjoyable, unique and delicious I highly recommend it. It's been several summers since we visited and we still talk about it. read more

Four of us spent the afternoon at Outlet Beach ($5 entry per adult, $3 per child at this time). We made multiple trips to the snack shack to try different flavors (baby scoops are enough to share for tasting). Passion fruit with caramelized white chocolate was incredible - heavy passion fruit flavor did not disappoint. Olive oil sea salt was the all-around favorite - subtle, but the flavors came through nicely. Blueberry was also a winner - bold, true flavor. Strawberry cremolata was sweet but fairly balanced by the cream on top. My least favorite was the salted caramel, but my mom felt differently and went back for a second scoop. My favorite moment of the afternoon was at about 1 when all of the different families settled in for snack time... I looked around and every kid had ice cream smeared all over their face. A lovely Maine spot. read more

Amazing ice-cream. We made it a tradition to go there when we are camping nearby. Tried peach basil last year and plum (sorbet) this year. Delightful!!! Definitely check them out if you are in the area. read more

Wow. My wife and I with our 7 month old daughter in tow, pulled up to the little yellow shack. There were tables and chairs for outdoor seating along with picnic tables. We had trouble choosing what to order because everything sounded so good. I ended up going with lamb sausage with field greens and my wife went with the Canuck (hotdog). We chose to split the shaved Brussels sprout salad. Our food came out quickly as we sat at our picnic table in the sun. Everything was phenomenal. The thing we both noticed about our food was the attention to detail. The egg on top my wife's hotdog was carefully browned. There was a sweet rub on my sausage with a pesto like substance on there as well. It was the most luxurious meal we had ever eaten out of French fry boats. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting take on classic dishes. The beautiful lakeside scenery only adds to the experience. For an extra 5 dollars per adult you have all day access to Sabbath Day lake. read more

Bresca and The Honey Bee - Our delicious meal! - New American Near Me - New Gloucester, Maine

This place has the best burger on the planet. The chef won some big time chef award at a resturant she previously owned. Like a Pulitzer for writing. She had kids and down sized to this hole in the wall on the beach. Being a professional chef she is a food Nazi and won't allow ingredient substitution. Beware of the unusual hours and they close on inclement weather. Plus next year she is getting back into the resturants business full time having purchased a building in North Yarmouth. So without her in the kitchen the food quality may diminish. read more

A hidden gem. Probably the best meal I've had in Maine. My fiancé had the honey bee burger and I had the pork belly. Enough said. Both were made to order and were just full of flavor!! We had homemade ice cream for dessert ( think Rosemary, goats milk, peach) omg. Do yourself a favor and come here!! read more