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    Novel Ice Cream

    4.9 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    Novel Ice Cream Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Novel Ice Cream

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    Troy A.

    What a cute little spot. So different and it's brings some cool energy when you're in this little hidden space eating secret ice cream in downtown. The service was good as the ladies offered recommendations and helped with ideas. I got the Honey Lavender with Ceunch Berries and my daughter choose chocolate with sprinkles

    The Leslie Knope Honey Lavender  Fruity Pebbles
    Veronica G.

    I came here Saturday 3/21/26 around 7:30ish pm and despite there being barely any parking and a long line, the staff was still quick with orders. There's cute seating outdoors and it's located next to a cute hot dog shop and a tattoo place. I love the cozy seating and that the shop looks like a little hut. Plenty of opportunities for photos and a place to relax with the company of others. I had to wait about 20 minutes because my waffles were being freshly made which is nice. My waffle came slightly burnt but my sandwich was still so good! There's a reason this place is always poppin. Novel is definitely an ice cream place of it's own. You just need to try it!

    Dough Melt (Cookie Monster)
    Caroline N.

    I stopped by on a Friday night for a mini sober adventure by myself. There is a miniature parking lot out front but ample residential curbside parking available. I was surprised how packed it was then learned that it's an award winning ice cream shop voted best in Arizona! I walked up to the main deck and waited in line to be served at the window. I was impressed by the breadth of flavors. I opted for the cookie monster in a dough melt since it's my favorite flavor but was also intrigued by the butter pecan and honey lavender. I'll probably go for those next time! I felt like the sweetness of the glazed donut unfortunately overpowered any ability to appreciate the ice cream itself. Next time I'll either opt for the leslie knope (ice cream in a waffle) or simply in a cup to fully appreciate the flavor and texture of the ice cream. There were many groups of young people hanging out, which I appreciated a lot. There is a patio seating area shared with other businesses available to hang out. Overall I wished I could say I enjoyed my ice cream more, but it's currently inconclusive for me. Definitely willing to try this place out again later to give it a proper chance to be fully appreciated!

    Single Scoop
    Helen S.

    Tiny, but mighty. Novel ice cream isn't novel for the community anymore, but has survived through years of people clamoring for their products: simply delicious ice cream and desserts. Summer is obviously peak season, but the love of ice cream knows no seasonality and we found plenty of people enjoying some sweet treats on the patio on a winter evening. As mentioned by others, Novel is awkwardly tucked off the busy Grand Ave and a residential road, so parking can be tricky. You also need to either climb up a ramp or go up a set of stairs to reach the shop, so may not be the most ADA friendly. There's no indoor space to sit so you'll have to decide if you're going to brave the shaded patio or just take your desserts to go. But the environs are definitely unique, with the small colorful shops making this feel more like a movie set than a real set of businesses. There's only one person manning the small takeout window, with other staff milling around inside scooping and churning out doughnuts. Current flavors are pasted next to the window, and you can try a maximum of 3 flavors per person. If you have your eye on a particular flavor - come earlier to make sure they don't scoop out of it before you arrive. Ice cream flavors are unique and delightful, and the added transformation with a puffy donut or creamy float is an option if you really want to get indulgent.

    Sara F.

    Very limited tight parking but love the outdoor seating area and looks like a lot of other cute cool shops right there (I went after everything else had already closed). The ice cream was delicious with good flavor options. A bit on the pricier side.

    Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch & Peppermint Mocha!
    Jon H.

    After going to the First Friday Night Market in the arts District of Downtown Phoenix, we had a hankering for some ice cream, but in a less crowded space. I saw there was a Novel location nearby and decided this was the place! I've been to the location in Mesa and loved it so I was excited to check it out. Pulling up I noticed the charm and character of this spot immediately, which is what I love about the Mesa location. Twinkling lights, old wooden porch and railings, surrounded by a few other shops in similar aesthetics. Both locations are very unique and have their own flare and ambience. Great spot for a date or to sit back and chill with a friend (or more). Service was fast and friendly. The line was long, most likely due to the First Friday crowd, but we didn't wait long. I went with the Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch & Peppermint Mocha! It was super creamy and perfect!! Love the ice cream here! On a scale of 1 to 10, yes...I would 100% come here again! Probably my most favorite ice cream out there!

    Sarah G.

    Yum is the perfect word to describe the Dough melt ice cream donut I had with bourbon toffee caramel crunch! Donuts and ice cream are the perfect mix of sweetness! I didn't put any toppings on my ice cream but love that the menu has so many different options to choose from. The ice cream flavors also change so hopefully the flavor I tried is there if you like bourbon caramel toffee crunch! I can't wait to visit again in the summer for the perfect sweet treat to combat the Arizona heat!

    Butter Pecan with Golden Grahams...
    Carina F.

    I can definitely tell why Novel Ice Cream has so many five star reviews! Simple, creamy deliciousness! All of their ice cream is small batch and artisan. They have 12 flavors, 8 regular and 4 rotating. You can have your ice cream in a cup, cone, floats, or stuffed in a doughnut, which I plan to try next time! Reasonably priced and a great selection of toppings. I had the butter pecan topped with Golden Grahams! Service was friendly, and the patio was hopping with everybody having a great time, enjoying quality ice cream on a warm night. Parking lot is small, and there's other businesses in the hub, so I definitely recommend going for street parking. Dough Melt, I'm coming for you next time!

    Stuffed donut with Cookie Monster ice cream and Oreos
    Vlad V.

    Well this one had a ton of hype behind it. I read an article published by Yelp of the top ice cream spots in the country. To my surprise, the top spot was held my an ice cream parlor in my own city! That was all the motivation I needed. I stopped by for a sweet treat on a Sunday afternoon with my Yelp friend. Novel Ice Cream is housed in a small colorful house, next to several other small colored houses taken up by other businesses including a tattoo parlor, barber shop, and more. There is a small parking lot that fits six or so spots, and luckily I was able to snag one of them. If there aren't any available, you can park on the side street. Novel is located on the outskirts of downtown Phoenix in a predominantly Latino neighborhood. Ambiance (3/5): Novel Ice Cream does not have an interior where you can sit. The house is small and it's only for the staff and all of the equipment. So, you can grab and go or sit outside on the patio where there is room for 20 people or so. This is great when the weather cooperates but not when it's close to 100 degrees in September. That means your ice cream is going to melt very quickly. Service (3.5/5): Pretty standard service. Not terribly friendly, but did offer some recommendations. The cashier upsold my friend with a nice sales tactic on his part. Drinks (N/A): I brought a water with me, the best drink to have when you're eating ice cream, especially in the sun. Food (4.5/5): Novel has an interesting selection of ice cream flavors. You can go the traditional route and have it served in a cone or a cup. Or, if you're feeling overly ambitious, you can do a flight where you select five different flavors. Or, if you're a fat kid at heart like me, you can get a glazed donut stuffed with the ice cream and topping of your choice. I went with the cookie monster ice cream (essentially blue-colored cookies and cream) with Oreo bits. I will say, surprisingly, I've had a ice cream-stuffed donut at another establishment and the one at Novel was much better. In large part because of the quality of the donut. The ice cream was also delicious. And it looks great visually with the blue ice cream. A satisfied treat for sure. Given that I ate my ice cream outside with the weather what it was, my ice cream started melting at the very end. Some melted ice cream was on the parchment paper I had and as I walked to the trash can to throw it away, it started dripping all over the ground. Including on my sneakers. Blue is not easy to get out of your sneakers. Hooray. First world problem. However, still worth it.

    Francheska J.

    Novel is always a good visit. I love this location, as it's a cozy spot to grab a scoop and sit with your friends. Parking can be weird sometimes because it's right next to a neighborhood but it seems like they're fine with you parking in front of their houses. The chocolate ice cream here is a dream, it's perfectly creamy and rich in flavor. The texture is akin to some of the great ice cream spots I've been to out on the East coast, and it's no wonder they are award winning! There can be a line sometimes but they're super fast, and the staff is always so nice. Also, love that they're open late, as I am always craving ice cream after dinner!

    Rey F.

    I came here after seeing such great reviews, and Novel definitely didn't disappoint! I ordered a scoop of the Cookie Monster ice cream with Reese's Puffs added in and it was delicious. Just a heads up, the Cookie Monster ice cream will turn your mouth and tongue blue but if you're cool with that, it's totally worth trying. The service was great. Although the place looks simple, a red shack connecting with other businesses and some seating in a courtyard, definitely don't judge a book by its cover. I highly recommend checking it out. I'll definitely be back to try their dough melt donut ice cream sandwich next!

    Butter Pecan, Pina Colada, and Honey Lavender
    Christy C.

    Such a tiny and cute ice cream shop HOURS: - Tues to Sat - 12pm-1am - Sun - 12pm-8pm CLOSED MONDAY! Parking was challenging because their parking lot is very small and cramped but there was nearby street parking Service was friendly and welcoming Seating was pretty limited but there were a couple benches Menu had a good variety of flavors and there were 11 flavors to choose from. They have 8 staple flavors - bourbon toffee caramel crunch, cookie monster, Madagascar vanilla, chocolate, straight up strawberry, butter pecan, honey lavender, PB Wasted. They have 2 rotating ice cream and shorbet flavors every month and this month, it was Lunch Break, Penna Cherry, and Pina Colada. Prices were reasonable. Expect to pay $5-7 for the scoops! SCOOPS - SINGLE: $4.80 - DOUBLE: $5.80 - TRIPLE: $6.80 - Dough Melt (ice cream stuffed glazed doughnut) - $6.80 - Leslie Knope (ice cream stuffed waffle) - $7.50 - Ice Cream Float - $6.50 - Indecision (5 flight scoops) - $11 - Pint - $12 - Cone (waffle, cake, sugar) - $0.75 - Topping - $0.75 each - Donut - $3.00 There were soda and glass bottle soda available for $3.50! The Butter Pecan was very creamy and delicious! It wasn't too sweet and had lots of pecan bits. This was 8/10 The Honey Lavender didn't taste like honey at all and the lavender bits were too bitter so it wasn't enjoyable. This was 4/10 The Pina Colada was very refreshing and yummy! It tasted like pineapple and it wasn't too sweet. This was 8/10 Would definitely recommend and return!

    Madagascar Vanilla Doughnut (top) & Strawberry Doughnut (bottom)
    Kaitlyn P.

    I was really excited to try this place and it did not disappoint! Parking is limited, so you may need to find street parking. I ordered the vanilla and strawberry ice cream in a doughnut. The doughnut was fresh, soft, and warm, and the ice cream was delicious. The service was also very friendly. Overall, I highly recommend!

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    2 months ago

    Best ice cream and sorbets in Arizona. Love their collabs and flavor rotations. They also have a really cool ice cream truck!

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    2 months ago

    Rated best ice cream in the country for a reason. Love Novel so much! Best way to know what flavors they have is instagram.

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    3 months ago

    Best ice cream in AZ! Great vibe in the area. Try the Cookie Monster then head next door for Shaka dog.

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    Page 2 of 34

    Novel Ice Cream Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Novel Ice Cream

    Any non dairy options for our milk allergy son?

    They have dairy-free sorbets. Their sorbets are also very refreshing.

    Do they fart in your ice cream?

    No. Staff were extremely friendly and professional.

    Do they have peach, pear, or mango sorbet?

    They rotate flavors every day out of their 200+ flavor catalog. But you can contact them to request a special flavor in advance.

    Are there sugar substitute options? I know maybe it defeats the point, but one can hope.

    I’ve been here more times than I can count and have never seen a sugar substitute option. But, everything is made in small batches so it is possible this is something they would be willing to try. At least one of the owners is there a lot of the… 

    Do they have gluten free options.... for cookies or doughnuts possibly?

    Hi Chaila! We don't currently have gluten free donuts or cookies, however we always have at least nine gluten free flavors, two types of gluten free cones (there is never an upcharge for GF cones, they are same price as our regular cones), and four… 

    Do they have vegan options?

    Yes! They have vegan sorbet options and occasionally vegan cookies.

    View All 7 Questions

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    I like Nami and am a frequent customer, mostly for the soynami. Each time I've gone it's been a…read moremixed experience, sometimes the service is good, sometimes it's not. Ultimately this doesn't matter to me as I just want the ice cream. Today I was on my way to work and decided to treat myself to a coffee. Knowing that they're vegan, I thought non-dairy milk would be included. Nowhere was I able to find which milk was included in the price- so I asked for oat milk. I was charged NINTEY CENTS (.90) for an upcharge. Rather than saying oh it comes with soy milk, or hey it's a .90 cent upcharge, the barista just added it on no questions asked. I had reviewed the menu online and in the extras it does not include oat milk, which is why I assumed it came with it. My coffee ultimately came out to $9.16. What a joke. I will definitely not be coming back here for anything besides ice cream from here on out and even that is a hard maybe. I wish more places had pricing integrity- their website doesn't reflect it and neither did the barista. *edit to add the coffee is extremely sweet and milky, tastes more like sweet milk than a latte :(

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    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.

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    Do it yourself banana split - vanilla ice cream, mint chocolate, double hot fudge, almonds

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