It's a common fact that a frozen treat is always a welcomed after an exercise on a hot day. What makes this place extra special for me is that it was served with the welcoming and friendly customer service. As other Yelpers have mentioned, this place was packed with a long line when our group got there in the late afternoon on Saturday. There were three servers behind the counter, and they all did their best to serve everyone the best way that they can. I was impressed that they were courteous even when dealing with fuzzy customers like me. For that, I applaud their effort. I ended up getting the Caramel Kiss shake and loved it. Since I was craving for a milkshake, the concoction was perfect and fulfilling. If I'm ever in the area again, I'd love to try their other frozen drinks and ice cream. read more

Has lots of options for toppings, flavors, and treats. Offers different drink types (smoothies, frappes,etc.) along with ice cream sundaes to brownies and chocolate covered pretzels. Definitely has something for everyone! Service was quick when I stopped in during the day on a weekday. Atmosphere is fun and does have added seating in the back to enjoy your dessert there! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - S'mores - Ultimate Whirlwind (2 scoops ice cream) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

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Our go to spot for crepes. Such a cute environment inside. And you can get a punch card for your visits! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

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Great ice cream. Helpful staff. Easy location right on State Street. Try the affogato!! You'll be glad you did!

This is a great upscale ice cream shop. They have lots of selections, from cups and cones, to shakes, mixes, chocolate and coffee. Plenty of books by the author of the line of ZSW children books. The interior has some nice tables in the back along with a few comfortable sofas. Not the speediest service, but the workers are all pleasant. Sure, it's a little pricey, but it's Newtown. It's nice to have a family owned ice cream shop in the neighborhood! read more

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Great ambience and seating area was very spacious. Ice cream was delicious and service was outstanding.

It's literally the best ice cream! There is so much flavors and toppings you can choose! All the employees are nice, fast, and they show how they make the ice cream in front of you. There's coffee, ice cream cakes, and milkshakes! Custom flavors and every topping you could ask for! If you want good ice cream, I recommend getting Zebra Stripped Whale! (also the ice cream is kinda is expensive...) read more

I found this ice cream shop after doing some Googling while at work. I stopped in afterwards and I was glad that I did. The shop is very nice and offers ample amount of seating throughout. The noise level is moderate considering customers talking and music playing, it's not bad. The service was quick and the staff are friendly. They offer a variety of ice cream options all at a reasonable price. I would definitely return. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Ice Cream Flavor: Jersey Shore (Vanilla & Salted Caramel) Cup Size: Medium - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

The ice cream here is literally soup - the employees increase the temperature and the ice cream is already melting when it gets to you. They also don't have mint chocolate chip anymore. This place has really gone downhill. Maybe they have new owners. Go to Newtown Ice House or Owowcow close by instead. read more

This place must lose so much money as 5 minute $20 orders walk out the door so they can make plenty of 20 minute $30 waffle and crepe orders. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Line - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

We were very disappointed that the writing on this cake was illegible. It is supposed to say No Mo' Chemo and it would've been nice to have been able to read it especially for such a BIG milestone. I understand the area to write was small, but one less inner circle of frosting would've allowed a legible message. And the lettering seemed like a professional did not write it. The cake was good, no question, but presentation counts when you buy from a bakery that specializes in cakes! No Mo' Chemo was illegible and Update to the previous post: I reached out again for another cake and I asked for No Mo Radiation and the owner was so so kind! She apologized for the previous cake and offered this cake free of charge. I appreciate the effort they made to rectify the situation. Their cakes taste amazing! read more

We stopped in for ice cream after dinner. It's not open for inside eating. The front door is open and blocked with a table. On the table is their menu including the menu for their ice cream cakes. You place your order at the front door and it's delivered through the side door in the alley. I suppose this is to prevent large gatherings in the front but ultimately groups gather in the alley waiting for their orders. Although the service was slow, considering they were not busy, the ice cream was excellent. We all had Ultimate Whirlwinds. The large size was definitely much bigger than expected. We had a Chocolate Banana, a Fudge Volcano and 2 Peanut Butter Bucks (one with vegan tutti frutti vanilla which was terrific). We've been here before and will go again but only if we're in the area. read more

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Well mercy me! This is such a charming cafe on an exceedingly gorgeous street of old shops. I came in as they were opening. I got a cappuccino and a peanut butter cup cookie. Huge and delicious and less than $3. Wow!! Nice barrista girl. Jazzy music. read more

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TLDRL: Quality ice cream makes inflated price and long waits worth it. This is by far my favorite ice cream spot in Philly. For those of you who haven't tried it before it's pretty much like a ColdStone but higher quality! They have some of the coolest flavors, like Cappuccino Crunch and the ice cream has a good amount of toppings already inside. I always get the ultimate whirlwind option which pretty much allows you to mix in a bunch of toppings. They have a huge selection to pick from. Their hot fudge(ask to put on top instead of mixing in) and brownies are a must have toppings! If you are in the area and craving ice cream definitely stop by. Just be warned the line moves really really slow. Pretty much one person takes care of your ice cream, the toppings, and the payment. Also the prices are super expensive. My wife and I always spend a little over $20 every time we go here. But of course if you wanted to go cheaper then you can get a bigger option like a Quart and pay $20 or so for it, and have it last you a long time. Anyways the guys behind the counter are super nice, we have come here at least 10 times (according to our stamp card) and have only had good things to say about them. From my end this place is definitely worth the wait and price. Cheers! :) read more

What a quaint and quirky little find! This place has all the workings for a late night sweet treat! Right on State Street with all the other action in Newtown. We travelled from Philly to nom at this joint - well worth the trip! Inside, it opens up to decent seating. Walking in, to the right is where all the ordering takes place, starting with the coffee bar, then towards the ice creams, and last to the crepe station. Once the counter finishes, there's seating of different sized stables and couches in the back. There are also small tables on the left hand side across from the ordering bar towards the front, right after entering. It was my first time there, so it took a while to make a decision (since everything looked so good), and even though the place was quite busy, the girl we had at the counter worked with us to answer all the questions. In the end, I think we ended up with a great choice! The place has options for ice cream, froyo, coffee, and of course - the sweet crepes! The portions are huge (and more than enough for two.) We ordered the ZSW Whirlwind crepe (topped with cookies and creme ice cream) - what a delight! We also ordered drinks - I ordered their chai. It was warm and had hints of spice, perfect compliment to the sweet crepe. Overall - really glad we took the trip and were able to enjoy the experience, definitely something to recommend for anyone looking for a sweet pick me up. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - ZSW Whirlwind Crepe! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

If you want to be ignored by ignorant teenage workers who will then take care of their friends who came in 5 minutes after you, come here. If you want no eye contact at all as two of the three workers do nothing, come here. Finally, if you want a mediocre $9 come, definitely come here as well. read more

Long wait, poor attitude / customer service from staff and microwaved hot fudge will have me Pass on this long time family favorite next time. It's too bad because such a sweet shop and concept. read more

great food but it tooks a long time because of the lack of workers. there was a line out the door it qas so crowded.

What is a zebra striped whale anyway? The name enough is reason to go inside and check it out. This dessert/coffee spot in Newtown, PA, is a favorite of my fiancé's niece to finish off the evening after a night out on the town. As stuffed as I was from dinner and happy hour, the delicious selection of crepes served here is motivation for you to forget that and order up! I hate desserts that are overly sweet and heavy, but the banana/strawberry nutella crepe was right on. Fluffy, light, and a good portion to share with one or two others. Five stars for the ambiance, its cozy, charming and designed to be a students ideal study area. Hey coffee, sweets and ice cream are all you need to stay motivated to concentrate on a subject you don't want to! Couples, families, visitors, and students a like, should check this place out. A very cool treasure to find in this town! read more

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ZSW is located in the heart of Newton and it's a solid pick for ice cream in the area. It's a cool little cafe. They offer candy, coffee, ice cream, crepes even some books. We stopped after dinner next door. They offer a wide variety of crepes and desserts. They don't have an over abundant amount of ice cream flavors. I went with the oatmeal cookie and my wife had the strawberry. Both were fantastic! You can tell it's house made and top quality ice cream. The sugar cones are just as good. The customer service and the prices was just as good. They also offer a nice seating area in the back. Solid 4 stars for the ice cream. Very nice place! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

Any place that has a Nutella Latte on the menu gets 5 stars in my book...thankfully everything else about ZSW is just a awesome! My beau and I came here a random Tuesday in search for a decent coffee place and probably put on a good 5 lbs thanks to their captivating menu. As soon as you walk in, the place is all earth tones, towers of chocolate covered pretzels, glossy kid's books and friendly attendants behind the counter. We ordered a White Mocha Latte (deliciously piping hot white morsels that have melted into a liquid serum of love) and I decided to be adventurous and try the Nutella Latte. I gave the girl behind the counter some grief because I was suspicious it would be overkill nutella or too thick or just plain crappy.....and boy was I wrong! This was like a thick hot chocolate/coffee mixed within layers of fluffy delicious nutella. I really could have left the place with just this coffee and would return for the rest of my days, but my fiance had to go and sucker me into a Apple Pie a la mode crepe. The crepe was ginormous! We definitely should've never ordered it, much less at 9 pm, but since we are over 30 now, this is us living on the wild side. The crepe was well made, lots of ice cream. The ambiance of the whole place is so friendly. Surrounded by art and fun furniture, it makes you want to sit here all day and get fat on nutella lattes and then work your debt off as a crepe maker. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Apple a la mode crepe! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

First of all, any shop with a name as whimsical as "The Zebra-Striped Whale" will immediately grab my attention. Once we finished our meal at a nearby restaurant, we knew we wanted to try this place and headed over. The line was to the door but it was 100% worth the wait once we finally got our ice cream! The shop is very cute and cozy with a plenty of seating and a wide array of merchandise including various children's books. The staff was so friendly and did an amazing job getting everyone's orders taken. I had the Cake Batter Craze Ultimate Whirlwind and it was just as good as I imagined it to be. I love that everything is served in a container that makes it easy to take home. Will definitely return next time we are in Newtown! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Ultimate Whirlwind - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

We hadn't meant to stop here, but as we were driving back to Jersey from Philly, we decided we needed an ice cream stop. We yelped nearby places (after deciding that fighting Friday night new hope firework traffic wouldn't be worth anything there) and saw that this was vaguely on our way. I'm SO glad that we did. As much as I love Moo Hope in New Hope (and their birthday cake flavor cannot be beat), this was a find I'm glad we went to instead that night. I didn't know if I was in the mood for a sundae or for a cone... it turned out that I didn't have to choose. They do a thing like cold stone creamery where they mix in tons of toppings and create sundaes which can then be put in a giant waffle cone. Yes. Please. I got the birthday cake one, which was sweet cream mixed with sprinkles, cake batter (didn't really taste at all tbh), and brownies (which were definitely homemade and fresh, and given in very awesome large pieces. No skimping there! Loved the brownies even though I'm not usually a brownie person). I added M&Ms too, and I'm VERY glad I did because it wouldn't have had enough in it without them. They then topped off my cone with more sprinkles and brownie pieces, and I was a happy camper. The server was SO nice, and she made the experience truly awesome because she was encouraging for me to get as crazy as possible with my order. No judgement at all. Thank you! My one friend got another one of their mix in creations, a mint-brownie-fudgey one which I got to sample a bite of when he got full. I think his was actually better, so next time I'll do one with a more interesting base. My other friend got a (very comparatively small) pretzel cone with one scoop of ice cream (not a mix in thing) and our other two friends got smoothies. Everyone was very happy with their order for sure, but I think those of us who got the crazy mix in sundaes were happiest. They also offer healthy super low cal (like 50 cal) fruit sorbet options as well as crepes and chocolate covered pretzels and fancy coffees. If I had one wish, it would be for them to have better ice cream flavors. I don't know that I could ever come and not get something with tons of mix ins because the plain ice cream was so boring. Plain chocolate, plain vanilla, moosetracks, but eh nothing too special. I would love to see a peanut butter base or birthday cake or red velvet. Cause even the cookies and cream looked like it was about 1% cookies. All in all, GREAT service, awesome mix in menu, great waffle cones, and it's in a darn cute town. Worth an hour drive to go back? I think maybe... read more

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Excellent ice cream with great combinations. Could use some outdoor seating. The service is extremely slow.

we were there about 3:30 pm this afternoon. (Sunday....) We waited in line patiently until it got to be rediculous ! 1 young boy was the only one waiting on customers, although there was an adult male he was just standing there watching the boy while at least 6 or more people waited ... .... Did he think we were there for the heck of it..... read more

The customer service is good, but they don't have a sample of ice cream to try. They need to have more staff to serve the customers.

This location is so cute! It has a lot of seating further back in the store. The employees are also super friendly and helpful. We purchased a scoop of mint chocolate chip, one scoop of strawberry, a large mint moose tracks milkshake, and large Oreo milkshake. It was delicious! They also have a loyalty program where after that 10 purchases, you get a free ice cream!! They also sell t-shirts and mugs!! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Mint Moose Tracks Milkshake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

I have come here on several occasions and honestly as cute as the place is I'm always a bit disappointed. Mainly, everything is just too sweet! I tried a flavored latte concoction and it was undrinkable. The ice cream is all very sweet. The kids love it though!!!! And if you love your sweets sweet then you'll love it here...but if you're looking for dark chocolate or naturally sweet products, brace yourself for sugar overload or go elsewhere read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Kid size (one scoop) with sprinkles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

Delicious ice cream and amazing cakes! I love going. I got the chocolate I with M&Ms. Delish!

Historic downtown Newtown is one of those cool towns with beautifully well kept buildings and homes and so many awesome shops to browse. The Zebra Striped Whale Is a gourmet ice cream and coffee cafe, located directly across the street from the very historic Temperance House, http://www.yelp.com/biz/temperance-house-the-newtown I have never walked into a shop that has smelled so good, I wanted to bottle the wonderful scents of the chocolate and coffee brewing and take it home with me. When I had commented on the fresh aromas the young gal and guy working there giggled and said it is the first thing everyone says when they enter the shop. After that it is a visual pleasure of rich dark polished wood, bright colors covering the walls and table tops, beautifully polished marble stone counter tops and cases of decadent desserts, like chocolate flour less cake, chocolate covered pretzels, frozen yogurts, sorbets and ice cream! Jars of such a large variety of teas which include any that your little heart desires, bags of fresh ground coffee or beans, and any kind of cone to hold that ice cold tasty treat. They have a variety of frozen coffee combinations or any hot coffee concoction to put Starbuck's to shame. The Zebra has frozen granite slabs to mix in anything from broken pretzel pieces to gummy bears, sundaes, banana splits, shakes, smoothies, floats and warm brownies topped with two scoops of ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream or marshmallow sauce. And any choice of ice cream comes in a cup, cone, as an ice cream cake or a crepe! How cool is that? Surely you are asking yourself how they came up with the name of this wonderful shop, which by the way has won numerous awards. The cafe's unique name is derived from The Zebra-Striped Whale with the Polka-Dot Tail, a hardcover children's picture book written and illustrated by founder, Shari Faden Donahue, published 2001 by Arimax, Inc. And she also owns Arimax, and she has also opened up franchise opportunities, quite an accomplished woman! Shari has since written several more children's books, plus a cookbook of Philly favorite recipes. The cafe has an area for children to read the books, they display local artists wall art work, they have t-shirts, coffee mugs and baby clothing for sale. She also has a foundation which provides for writers who do not have the funds to publish their own children's books. They hold children's birthday parties in the cafe or anywhere else you would like to have it and poetry reading groups! So all of this and what did I have? We had just stuffed ourselves silly at the Temperance House, so belly space was pretty well limited, but I was able to force down a double dip scoop of coffee ice cream that was laced with nice sized pieces of dark chocolate and topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream inside a pretzel cone. The coffee ice cream was outstanding, I've had much better chocolate ice cream. Summer has just started, so I will eventually try many more items, although they are open year 'round, so I'm sure a chocolate dipped almond biscotti with a steaming hot double espresso will come into play at some point. read more

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Much like the zebra's stripes, there are contrasting facets about this parlor. And if the term "ice cream parlor" can ever be accurately used, it is definitely here. Such a cute shop, and even the seating area looks like you are in a friend's living room. I've been wanting to visit this place for more than 6 months, a dinner nearby on a very warm early spring night made it possible. There were a few flavors that appealed to me, but based on other reviews I had to try the graham slam paired with gold medal ribbon. The graham was very good with chunks of what seemed to be a crispy marshmallow thing. It made me think of the texture of the marshmallows in "bad" cereals. I loved the contrast of textures. The medal flavor is a mix of dark chocolate and French vanilla with a caramel swirl. I enjoyed this too. Both choices had great cream content, but perhaps a tad bit too sweet. That said, I would happily get either again, a really great combo. Once we both got our choices we had to wait over 5 minutes to pay. It was not a case of them being overcrowded, but maybe just not being efficient. I wonder if this problem arises and is worse when they are very busy. Then came the bill, over $8 for my 2 scoops and my aunt's 1 scoop. It turns out that the single scoop is only $1 less than a 2 scoop. When I am nearby I will most likely return, maybe to try one of their crepe creations or one of the several custom made cones or waffle bowls. They also carry a few baked goods and candies that are not made in house, the peanut butter cups were calling out to me. This shop really fits this town well, just avoid the single scoops here. read more

Giving 1 star because there is no option for a negative star rating. Had to ask to be waited on although it was not busy at the time. Tables were dirty. Ordered a crepe which took 35 minutes to prepare because they "forgot to turn on the grill". Substandard service and overpriced, mediocre food. Won't be returning to the Zebra Striped Whale! read more

Zebra-Striped Whale, named after the children's book of the same name and authored by the owner of this pleasant ice cream café, is an Alice in Wonderland place to disconnect from the outside world and kick back for a while. Sitting on State Street in Newtown Borough, it is a center of activity most warm evenings. It is necessary to make reservations for the bench out front - it is that popular. The ice cream is very good, and the coffee is too. The back of shop seating area is comfortable and eclectic; a great place for a small meeting like I had this afternoon. It is quiet on a weekday afternoon, and no one comes back to ask if you need anything else. Walk up to the front counter if you want a refill or another scoop. While ZSW is not my favorite ice cream emporium in Newtown's creamy rich population of chill zones, it does possess the best options if you like to mix your SCREAM on cold marble with Reece Cups or Mason Mints. To my tongue, Goodnoe's and OwWowCow taste better, but our Zebra is a whale of a place for the kids after dinner or weekends, and for us business folk during the day. Glad they are here and successful. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Mix your own - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

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Great service and delicious ice cream!!! We will definitely be back! Highly recommend.

Really good ice cream, facilities are great- staff is always short-handed, making it a bit slow on service. But if you're in a hurry for ice cream, you aren't doing it right. It's also pretty expensive for a smoothie or their other items which are mediocre at best. You're paying for the ambience which is nice. read more

Super friendly staff! Ice cream was fab! Long line but I guess that is what happens when your good! Flavors were delish!

Wonderful customer service- tried many flavors of ice cream and they were all delicious. Opted for a pint to go and an iced americano. Beautiful and clean space, and truly such a friendly staff! read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

Well for starters, I used to love this place when I lived local. It's expensive, but Newtown is affluent so that's a given. Staff always was and still is friendly, I never had a problem. Except once a girl was having a conversation while mixing my ice cream add-ins and it looked like she was spitting when she talked. That was gross. But... Anyway, I was told by a weird guy outside that they use Jack & Jill ice cream now. I was always told when I asked if it was her made by the staff that it was made by somebody else, but I didn't think it came in on a JACK & JILL truck labeled as NSW and priced so much. Please guys, You have such a cute little story book I got for my cousin when he was a baby. Go back to the real homemade thing, if you ever had it? I definitely can say I do taste a difference. read more

This... Is... Good... Definately worth a visit to this local shop. The portions and menu of various ice cream flavors is great and they had a fast, courteous staff that helped us. Make this one of your top ice cream places in Bucks County. read more

With many ice cream competitors around I think this place is the Crème de la crème!! The ice cream is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! It's so creamy and bursting with flavor in every bite. The Graham Slam will make you scream HOT DAMN! It's that amazing, you'll thank me later if you take my recommendation. The downside is that you will wait fooorrrevvver for your order! It'll have you wondering if there actually milking a cow back there to make fresh ice cream. But I guess good things come to those who wait. We ordered my daughter's birthday cake...hands down best ice cream cake ever. read more

The Zebra-Striped Whale - Birthday cake was out of this world delicious. Of course with their famous Graham Slam flavor. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newtown, Pennsylvania

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