A Nostalgic, Must-Visit Dessert Destination in Old Town Scottsdale…read more Our party of six visited the Sugar Bowl for dessert following a friend's birthday dinner. Upon our arrival, we were accommodated immediately and seated without any delay. The parlor features a wonderful, nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of the late 1900s. Its menu is remarkably expansive, offering an impressive variety of options that goes well beyond what one might typically expect from a traditional dessert establishment. The service we received was patient and polite. While one of our table's orders was initially overlooked, the staff corrected the mistake instantly as soon as we brought it to our server's attention. As the name implies, the menu leans heavily into decadent, sweet treats; those looking for lighter or tart options like yogurt variations will find limited choices, but the indulgent selections are perfect for traditional dessert lovers. The surrounding neighborhood adds significantly to the appeal, offering an excellent Old Town atmosphere filled with art galleries, historic shops, and artifacts. If you are visiting the nearby Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), enjoying dinner in the area, or simply taking an evening walk, I highly recommend stopping by the Sugar Bowl for its unique historical charm and experience.

Down to the last 4 restaurants on my America 250 series, representing Arizona, I decided to go with…read morean iconic local business where I'm from in the Phoenix area. I considered several options in Phoenix area to review, but I decided to go with the iconic Sugar Bowl in Old Town Scottsdale. It's been in business since the 1950's and has been a staple for 7 decades in Old Town. The inside is 1890's decor of pink & white wallpaper/decor like an old fashioned ice cream parlor. They have a bar area and standard seating. I remember I first went here when I was in high school in late 90's/early 2000's. Ice cream was always top notch. I used to get the Buster Brownie, which was this big brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, goeey marshmallow topping, whipped cream, & cherry on top. It was awesome! I loved that way back then. I got lunch there once or twice; pretty good sandwiches, but the real highlight is the ice cream. My most recent visit was in Jan. 2022 with my dad. We decided to pop in for ice cream. It was as delicious as I remembered.

Loved Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams! The store was bright and inviting, the staff was friendly, and…read morethere were so many flavors to choose from. I love that they let you sample as many as you'd like before deciding! Service was quick, but we never felt rushed while trying flavors and figuring out what we wanted. The waffle cones taste SO fresh because they literally are!! Someone was making them right there while we picked our ice cream. Such a nice touch! We shared a Double Dough and Darkest Chocolate together in a fresh waffle cone and it was so, so good. Did not get a picture because we ate it so fast! Easy parking, great service, delicious ice cream, and fresh waffle cones. Definitely 5 stars!

3.21.26 - Had dinner with my friend in the area and we wanted dessert afterwards so came here. I've…read morebeen but didn't order anything last time. It gets really busy on Saturday evenings. It was 8pm and there was a line but I feel like it moved pretty quick. There was a line last time too. I got a scoop of the Gooey Butter Cake and a scoop of the Brambleberry Crisp in a waffle bowl. My friend got 2 scoops of the Gooey Butter Cake in a waffle bowl and also purchased 2 boxes of the single serving Gooey Butter Cake to take home. Those 12 packs are pretty expensive. I think our total for everything was between $80-90! Highly recommend the two flavors I got though if you come try this place. You won't be disappointed.

I love sweet republic! I got dinner nearby and was craving a sweet treat and realized I was just a…read moreblock away. I've gone to the central location a bunch but this was my first time at the old town spot. It was pretty quiet and there's a bit more seating inside at this location which is nice. It's really bright and colorful inside. The current limited flavors include black sesame and ube which is incredible! I tried both and it was hard to pick but I went with a single scoop of black sesame as I never see that flavor anywhere. It was so creamy with a nutty, coconut flavor and not too sweet. The staff was very helpful.

I'm not much an ice cream eater but if friends wanna go, I'll happily join if I can find something…read morethat won't entirely aggravate my lactose intolerant demons that live in my tummy. A friend suggested this place for an after dinner meet up and I took a look at their menu and they have a nice selection of non dairy options so I agreed. What caught my eye was the mango sticky rice and I love this Thai dessert and was pretty excited to try it. We met up here around 8pm and the place was pretty quiet. Lots of seating inside and some outside too. Staff very friendly here and I got to try the coconut sorbet (which was super yummy) and also the mango sticky rice. I chose the mango sticky rice and enjoyed this treat. Next time, I might get half coconut sorbet and half mango sticky rice as I absolutely love coconut! Fun place to check out and its located in a great part of Scottsdale! Would be fun to come back, grab a cup of ice cream and go walk about Old Town Scottsdale. I see why this place is an Arizona favorite. I enjoyed it too! I'd definitely Come back!

Every time we walked by this little ice cream shop, it was a ghost town. People are missing out!…read moreThe flavors are inventive, the ice cream is delicious and you can sample 'em all to your hearts content. I appreciate the "Lab" flavors. When we went there was a pumpkin spice, huckleberry and blueberry goat cheese. There are a few nearby tables to enjoy your ice cream at- get here and enjoy it!

Stumbled upon this shop while strolling in the neighborhood and since it was very hot, we happily…read moreobliged. Delicious ice cream!

Yum! First time visitor. Decent selection. Opted for 6oz 2 flavors Pistachio and peanut…read morebutter/chocolate. Very good but sweet. I was appreciative that when I asked for the Pistachio the employee asked if I had had it before because it tasted different than what most people expect. The small taste made we want more and so I ordered it and enjoyed it during my stop walking around Scottsdale Old Town.

Date of visit: June 6, 2026…read more This was the final stop on our Arizona Food Tour and was a great way to end the tour. We tried two different flavors and I have to say that both of mine were delicious--really hard to pick which one is better! I went with the chocolate peanut butter cup and the dark chocolate, the two really complimenting each other very well. After hearing the backstory of the family that started the business, I would definitely put Cimmino alongside some of the gelato that I tried in Italy. Staff was friendly and while the space is unassuming, it was a perfectly fine place to hang out until venturing out into the desert heat. So why four stars instead of five? They don't do shakes and that's always my favorite way to enjoy gelato.

I have been coming here for 11 years now and it's always a 10/10. Their main thing is a fatty daddy…read morecup which is gelato, macaron, and toasted marshmallow on top! So good!! The service is really good as there's not many customers :( there should be more! The shop is adorable and has indoor and outdoor seating!

Stopped here for a quick sweet treat and we're glad we did! It's a small place but we were in and…read moreout quick and the ice cream was such a nice treat to end our vacation!

Visited this location for a post dinner sweet treat!! The store was clean and the employees were…read morekind and quick despite some commotion from a large group of teens. I ordered a midnight cookies and cream (my favorite) milkshake and it was delicious.

I hate to do it, but it needs to be done...1 star for this Häagen-Dazs location. The reason, "we…read moreno longer have hot fudge". At first I thought maybe they were just out but, no, no hot fudge here only chocolate sauce. I checked and this in not an H-D wide change, just this location. When one of your signature items is Classic Hot Fudge Sundae, how does this location not have hot fudge!? Yeah, I know, first world issue and I simply went across street to Sugar Bowl.

He wanted to have a sweet treat after going to the Improv so my friend suggested this place. She…read moresaid we can get our own ice cream sandwiches with fresh cookies when I walked in and saw the flavors. I was blown away that they had thrifty ice cream and my all-time favorite chocolate melted crunch. Selected two cookies, scoop of chocolate malted crunch, and had the best ice cream sandwich ever.

Mmmmmm. This was a delicious dessert after a mediocre ramen next door. Several different cookies…read moreto choose from, multiple ice cream flavors, and a friendly employee! I got chocolate chip cookies and they were soft and delicious. The salted caramel ice cream was the perfect combo. Make sure you grab a spoon because there's just so much ice cream! You'll need a few bites before you can eat it as a sandwich

Oh my gosh! I am not the biggest ice cream fan. It's good but by way of desserts I typically go for…read moresomething else. We stopped by Shakes and Cones after dinner and despite being full, have no regrets! I ordered Jake's Cake Dish with chocolate soft serve. The soft serve was so creamy and full of chocolate flavor. I never would have guessed it's soft serve if I didn't know. It was topped with homemade whipped cream which was also so delicious! The people who helped us were so friendly and made great suggestions as well. They had heaters on for the cool night for the few tables they have outside and it was comfortable and welcoming. We enjoyed our experience and treats and will happily be back!

Stopped by Shakes & Cones in Old Town Scottsdale and it did not disappoint! I ordered the Nutty…read moreBuddy and it was yummy. I love peanuts with ice cream so this was perfect. Portions are very generous, so definitely come hungry (or ready to share). The ice cream stand itself is a walk-up, with fun little touches in the décor that make it feel extra fun. Staff were friendly and welcoming too, which makes the experience even better. If you're in Old Town and craving a sweet treat, this is the spot. *Keep in mind, there is only outdoor seating available.

Always a delicious, refreshing sweet treat; especially when walking around and shopping in Old…read moreTown, Scottsdale. The workers are nice and the frozen bananas are my favorite. You can shop for resale, luxury purses simultaneously, making it a full, fun experience!

I honestly almost walked right by Luxe Bar, totally unaware that they were an ice cream spot. Their…read morevery "luxe" logo and sister concept a luxury/designer resale shop. The two shops are joint and definitely scream luxe in every way. A super modern and beautiful space with all the designer puns and cute offerings from trinkets, to clothes, house goods and of course ice cream bars. They offer chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, cheesecake or a banana for dipping. You can build your own or select one of their speciality bars - both coming in around $9. I opted for the Neverfull of nuts. A vanilla ice cream base, dipped in chocolate, rolled with peanuts, a Reese's and Nutella drizzle. It was very good and definitely enjoyed during the beautiful sunny day in Old Town. The service was great, friendly, quick and helpful with suggestions. My grandparents who were visiting from out of town, loved it. Overall, it was a delicious treat, beautiful store and hit the spot. I do feel the price point is a tad steep and they didn't have any children of small offerings, but I suppose that goes hand in hand with the luxe vibe. I would definitely return, but also a few other local spots that equally hit the mark.