Thomas Sweet Cafe

My first time-- I've been waiting for this one after always coming at inopportune times when…read morethere's too long of a line. Honestly, after having this now, I would have waited in all of those lines. Texture-- great. Firm, but still soft enough to scoop and eat without chew. Vanilla flavor was amazing and chocolate too. I usually establish a baseline on those flavors first-- and Bent Spoon knocked it out of the park. Staff here are pretty helpful despite the limited space here in the store. They were quick to serve samples, and get me helped. Not a lot of space in the store itself to linger, although there are some green spaces and benches across the street. If you'd like to eat it indoors you'll probably find yourself fighting others trying to do the same. Otherwise, plan on crowds during any evening, and all weekend. If you find a line, send one representative to wait, go walk around the area or the Princeton campus, and then come back. It's well worth the wait.

Black sesame lover - this is for you. I had low expectation, but the bent spoon delivered! It's…read morevery sesame-y, but it does not taste burnt. I did try a few samples, but most of them aren't exactly for me. I also wanted a flavor that would complement well with the black sesame. That flavor ended up being earl grey. It was perfect. They balance each other well. My coworker recommended this place. He did warn me that the line is long, but it moves fast! He was right. I do have to say I LOVE their paper cone shape for the ice cream. It's smart. It holds the ice cream. It prevents us from accidentally pushing the top scoop off the cone.

Banana Whip a la mode ($10.50) - with POG sorbet (passionfruit + blood orange + guava)

Banana Whip ($8)

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One-size cup ($8) with lemon lilac and cardamom ginger ice cream. I like the lemon lilac: it's citrusy and floral

Melba Ice Creamery

4.8(45 reviews)

8.6 mi

Love the flavors and the quality of the ice cream, must try if you haven't yet. My favorite is the…read morepistachio one!

Delicious, homemade ice cream! Numerous creative ice cream flavors. Sweet and savory options…read more Delicious and creamy. A flavor option for every type of palate. Friendly staff too. Been there 3 times and it's always delicious!! The only criticism for me is the amount of ice cream on a small could be a bit more generous. But that has no impact on the amazing taste!

Night view- lots of outdoor seating

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The Ice House

4.5(21 reviews)

6.9 mi

Excellent local ice cream place! They serve Hershey's Ice Cream and it's delicious. Their sundaes…read moreare generous - although I wish they did a Turtle Sundae (Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge & Caramel with Pecans), I manage (ha,ha,ha) with a regular hot fudge sundae & almonds. The ice cream is always fresh, no nasty ice crystals and plenty of toppings and options. The owner is super nice an his staff are always friendly and helpful.

Great ice cream and staff however, I found it disturbing that there were no prices listed in the…read morestore. They were all blacked out!

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Vegan ice cream

Sweet Parlor

4.8(61 reviews)

6.5 mi

OMG--"That's Bananas" might just be the best ice cream I've ever had! Creamy, rich, and bursting…read morewith flavor--absolutely unforgettable. They have such unique and creative flavors across the board, it's hard to pick just one! Also loved their carbonated passion fruit with lychee Pom Pom drink--refreshing, fruity, and totally addictive. The place is super clean and well-maintained, with a welcoming vibe. I'm already planning my next trip back. If you love good ice cream (and drinks that are next-level delicious), Sweet Parlor is a must-visit!

First time in the Somerville location. Firstly so clean & bright. Love the music that's being…read moreplayed on speakers. Nice to see families, kids hanging out, couples there. Car show happening tonight too. Elsa was quick to offer us samples to taste since their ice cream were unique flavors: Gooey Butter Cake, Hazel Rocs, Strawberry Lychee, Tiramisu, Sunday Morning, Ube Brownie to name a few. They had amazing looking sundaes, Lattes, milkshakes, and Bubble teas. We chose tiramisu cups and Gooey Butter cake cup. Absolutely to die for. Will be back soon. They have a frequent buyer club, sell pints to go and have fun star games for kids to play. Great place! They have locations in Princeton & Hillsborough too

Black sesame

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Inside

Us Mr Ice Cream

4.8(20 reviews)

12.3 mi

On a late-night drive home from Maryland, we still had over an hour left before getting home and…read morewere craving some ice cream. A quick search for places that were still open led us to US Mr. Ice Cream. It was a little out of our way, but we were grateful to find an ice cream spot open until 11:30 PM on a Saturday night. I didn't realize before arriving that it's a walk-up window serving soft serve only, but they offer plenty of ways to customize your order. Between cones, cups, hard-shell dips, sprinkles, candy toppings, milkshakes, and more, there are lots of options to choose from. The service was friendly and efficient, and we had our treats in hand within just a few minutes. Since I needed a gluten-free option and still had a long drive ahead, I kept it simple with a cup of vanilla soft serve topped with rainbow sprinkles. Sometimes simple is exactly what you need, and it definitely hit the spot. The portions were generous for the price, which is especially appreciated these days. There isn't any outdoor seating, and the parking lot is quite small, so I could see it getting crowded during busier times. I also would have loved to see hard ice cream offered in addition to soft serve. Overall, this was exactly what we needed: a quick, affordable late-night ice cream stop with friendly service and plenty of topping choices. While I probably wouldn't go out of my way to return, I'd happily stop again if I were passing through and looking for a sweet treat after hours.

Late night milkshake run to this place and I was shocked. It's a hole in the wall hidden gem with…read moresome of the best ice cream and milkshakes I have ever had. Not too sweet either which I like. The staff that greeted me, I think the owner maybe(?) was super friendly and just outright amazing customer service. The milkshake had the perfect consistency. If you had a picture of a milkshake in a dictionary, this would be the best example of it because of how amazing it looked.

Happy times

Dubai Sundae with mix vanilla and chocolate

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Halo Pub

4.3(543 reviews)

3.8 mi

From the outside this does not look like a icecream shop so it's easy to be missed. This is your…read moretypical go to spot for classic icecream flavors. I would recommend.

Unfortunately my son got food poisoning from a milk shake. He was the only person in the family…read morethat ordered a shake instead of ice cream so I'm assuming the milk used in the shake had gone bad. Service at this location is mediocre and does appear very clean.

Bowl of Cookies and Cream

2 scoop cup ($6.95) - Tahiti vanilla bean + raspberry peach. Neither was my fav. Vanilla one is very sweet.

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As You Like It Ice Cream Shop

4.5(46 reviews)

11.1 mi

This has been my favorite local ice cream shop for as long as I can remember. AYLI has a very loyal…read morefan base (me included) and rightfully so. The whole experience is always nostalgic and 10/10. The staff is always so kind and more than willing to give you their thoughts about different ice creams, and provide you with samples. The shop was recently repainted and it looks so cute now! I do miss the old look a bit but I also really like the new one! The inside seating definitely needed a refresh and it's great now! The flavors are still just as good as ever, the brownie smores is a long time favorite of mine. Now the sizes- I get a kiddie because it is HUGE. I can never finish the small size. The size in the pictures is a kiddie for reference. I usually get brownie s'mores and another flavor to complement it, and top it off with sprinkles. On a warm day you'll see AYLI packed and even with a line out the door, but it moves quickly and it is worth the wait. TLDR: best ice cream around. get it!

Ice cream is very good. Service was good. Nice selection of flavors…read more Was able to sit on bench outside and enjoy my waffle cone. Owner asked if my dog would like a pup cup and gave him one to enjoy. Overall an enjoyable outing

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Lynn's Soft Pretzels

5.0(1 review)

3.0 mi

This no frou-frou Amish bakery inside PA Dutch Farmers Market sells awesome soft pretzels! I highly…read morerecommend cheesesteak + sauce pretzel logs, this was better than the regular Philly cheesesteak! The gravy sauce was delicious, I enjoyed the combo of savory cheesesteak stuffing wrapped in slightly sweet and chewy pretzel, the whole combination worked so well! We tried both Cinnamon & sugar pretzel and plain pretzel and they were both equally good, so get both!! I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the peach milk shake, perfect flavor, not too overly sweet and so yummy! I also ordered honey lavender coffee out of curiosity and I was not disappointed. It's just as good as lavender latte from fancy cafe in NYC, like Maman. Please note that they close early at 4pm, by 3:45 most products are gone.

Pretzels logs

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Nina's Waffles & Ice Cream

4.3(199 reviews)

16.2 mi

I adore this place! Always smells heavenly when you walk through the doors! Always great flavors to…read morechoose from and interesting/creative rotations of flavors too! I love birthday cake when they have it. The ice cream is so fresh and good! The decor is very cute too with a whimsical feel and it's cool, clean, and inviting. Staff is nice and the products aren't mega overpriced like some other places. I will always recommend Nina's!

My family and I enjoyed our experience. All of our ice cream on waffles was good. We all got…read moremassive servings for the price we payed. They blast the cold air in here, but I can't complain since it was hot outside and probably helps keep the ice cream from melting. For only one worker being there the service was good. My only complaint was that it allowed dogs in its establishment, not a service dog a regular one. Luckily it just sat there, but I believe that places where food is eaten should enforce rules prohibiting non service dogs inside cause it's not fair to people with allergies and it's gross. Love dogs, but not in places I eat

Birthday cake ice cream

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Inside

Sakrid Coffee Roasters

4.4(101 reviews)

4.0 mi

I loved this coffee place at the corner. S lot of students, as at any coffee place in Princeton and…read morenot too much seats. The cortado is great and I was offered a glass of sparkling water too, which was really nice.

I though the coffee here was just average. I bit too burnt for my tastes. I found that the small…read moreworld coffee around the corner (or served at jammin crepes nearby) was a smoother taste. Very crowded interior, was hard to navigate.

Cappuccino and home orange blossom latte

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2 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Yi S.

0

57

6

10 years ago

Visited during the past week: fresh tasty coffee best pastry ever fresh right the oven heavenly! Price of coffee is now below Starbucks. Don't miss! read more

Alex K.

149

43

26

11 years ago

Corrected the problem, and I am quite happy. Yay!

Thomas Sweet Cafe - icecream - Updated August 2026

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The Ice House

4.5

(21 reviews)

Excellent local ice cream place! They serve Hershey's Ice Cream and it's delicious. Their sundaes…read moreare generous - although I wish they did a Turtle Sundae (Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge & Caramel with Pecans), I manage (ha,ha,ha) with a regular hot fudge sundae & almonds. The ice cream is always fresh, no nasty ice crystals and plenty of toppings and options. The owner is super nice an his staff are always friendly and helpful.

Great ice cream and staff however, I found it disturbing that there were no prices listed in the…read morestore. They were all blacked out!

Bluestone Lane Princeton Cafe

3.1

(63 reviews)

Food tasted so amazing and well flavored. Amazing brunch spot…read more Xcceria one of the workers there did such an amazing job taking our order and making sure we had everything we needed!!! Love how there's outdoor places to sit at and enjoy your meal.

The Australian coffee and brunch place next to Paris baquette at Nassau park. The cafe was clean…read moreand modern. But there were only one employee in front who prepared coffee and let customers to be seated. A cup of americano ordered to go took a while to come out. Also, the coffee was very bitter.

Uncle Ed's Creamery

3.9

(45 reviews)

Great selection of treats here, not just ice cream! There are booths inside, along with stand alone…read moretables and chairs, and some outside. Even up until closing they are quite busy, I believe hours may shift between summer and fall/winter so make sure you double check. They have a wide selection of ice cream flavors and Italian ice flavors. The Ed Special is particularly delicious (vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, fudge, and pretzels). Definitely will be coming here when it's warm again in the spring and summer!

Uncle Ed has become somewhat less hospitable of late. Still the best ice cream around - but "the…read morejuice just isn't worth the squeeze" when you walk in 20 minutes before closing and he himself treats you like you're an inconvenience. It has happened twice now. Sorry Uncle Ed. Maybe it's time for you to hand off the biz to a niece or nephew who will care about the biz. Seems you've lost your heart for it.

Blawenburg Bistro

4.6

(37 reviews)

Had such a wonderful experience at Blawenburg Bistro!…read more I ordered the pesto egg on sourdough with homemade pesto, a perfectly cracked egg, fresh greens, and balsamic sauce -- and honestly, I was blown away. Everything was cooked to perfection, and the flavors came together beautifully. It's one of those dishes you instantly know you'll come back for again and again. The greens on the side were fresh and complemented it really well. My wife had the mushroom + Gruyère omelette with shallots and garlic, served with sweet potatoes -- and she absolutely loved it. She's already a fan of anything with mushrooms, but this one, with the Gruyère, took it to another level. It really hit the spot. And the coffee -- freshly brewed and full of flavor -- was the perfect finish. What truly stood out was the serving staff -- warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming without being overbearing. They made the whole experience feel relaxed and personal. Warm, cozy vibe, great food, and definitely a place we'll be returning to!

I was only able to have their donuts that are offered every Friday. They usually try to have four…read moredifferent ones every week I believe. They also have a casual breakfast and lunch menu. The service was friendly while the ordering was done. All four donuts were tried. My thoughts on each are below. Vanilla Cruller ($3.25) - This was very light. The texture reminded me of a bread pudding, and crusty bread. It needed more of a vanilla flavoring. Filled Caramel Corn ($4) - This had sweet corn custard, caramel topping, and caramel popcorn. The custard was great. It appeared heavy when picking up, but that was not the case at all. The caramel topping reminded me of a crème brulee. The popcorn pieces were a little stale, but not a big deal. I liked the donut texture as well. Banana pudding ($4) - This was very tasty. It tasted what I expected it too and there was a nice feel on the donut. Mango Raspberry ($4) - The raspberry flavor combined with the mango was appealing, but I was expecting more mango actually. It appeared very light too. Will I go back? Probably.

Paris Baguette

3.4

(30 reviews)

Love this place - I'm a big fan of Paris Baguette in general and their Nutella collection has me in…read morelove. The only issue I have with this location is that they are VERY slow at check out. I waited almost 15 minutes just to pay for a single croissant with only five people ahead of me, which is a bit crazy in my opinion. I really wanted a coffee but at that point knew it was going to take another 15 minutes so I just ran next door to blue lane. Overall worth it for a little treat as long as you aren't in a rush on the weekends! I really recommend the nutella cronut:)

Made an order for birthday cake days in advance only to be told on the pick up date itself that…read more"they no longer make this cake". Could have told me way earlier so that I can have alternative plans. Now I have a birthday coming without a cake. Thanks Paris Baguette Princeton for the thoughtfulness! P.S. they did promise me a refund, but reading through some previous reviews I'd better check my credit card to make sure that the refund does come through. :/

LiLLiPiES Bakery

4.4

(112 reviews)

My hubby and I came here two weekends ago and it was just lovely. It is like a bagel shop, but with…read moreEnglish Muffins. Just delicious. There are also croissants and other baked goods. The service is friendly and very efficient. The atmosphere is very chill. I would love to cone here again.

I recently tried LiLLiPiES Bakery for lunch over the weekend. I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese and…read morean iced mocha. The bacon, egg and cheese was quite yummy and I loved how they have English muffins made in house. The everything English muffin was unique and just right. The iced mocha was solid and did the job, but didn't stand out to me. For how busy it was, my food and drink came out relatively quick. I took my order on the go, but they do have a bit of seating as well. My only complaint about this place is that they are quite pricy. Besides that, I do look forward to trying some of their pastries in the future.

Cowabunga Cones And Sweets

5.0

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We just had the BEST experience at Cowabunga Cones and Sweets! I had the Minty Moo shake with mint…read morechip ice cream, mint cookies, chocolate crunchies, and chocolate syrup. It was delicious! My friend had a peanut butter chocolate shake. The staff Lisa and Rebecca are so friendly and sweet. We will definitely return soon!!

Sweet Parlor

4.8

(61 reviews)

OMG--"That's Bananas" might just be the best ice cream I've ever had! Creamy, rich, and bursting…read morewith flavor--absolutely unforgettable. They have such unique and creative flavors across the board, it's hard to pick just one! Also loved their carbonated passion fruit with lychee Pom Pom drink--refreshing, fruity, and totally addictive. The place is super clean and well-maintained, with a welcoming vibe. I'm already planning my next trip back. If you love good ice cream (and drinks that are next-level delicious), Sweet Parlor is a must-visit!

First time in the Somerville location. Firstly so clean & bright. Love the music that's being…read moreplayed on speakers. Nice to see families, kids hanging out, couples there. Car show happening tonight too. Elsa was quick to offer us samples to taste since their ice cream were unique flavors: Gooey Butter Cake, Hazel Rocs, Strawberry Lychee, Tiramisu, Sunday Morning, Ube Brownie to name a few. They had amazing looking sundaes, Lattes, milkshakes, and Bubble teas. We chose tiramisu cups and Gooey Butter cake cup. Absolutely to die for. Will be back soon. They have a frequent buyer club, sell pints to go and have fun star games for kids to play. Great place! They have locations in Princeton & Hillsborough too

Melba Ice Creamery

4.8

(45 reviews)

Love the flavors and the quality of the ice cream, must try if you haven't yet. My favorite is the…read morepistachio one!

Delicious, homemade ice cream! Numerous creative ice cream flavors. Sweet and savory options…read more Delicious and creamy. A flavor option for every type of palate. Friendly staff too. Been there 3 times and it's always delicious!! The only criticism for me is the amount of ice cream on a small could be a bit more generous. But that has no impact on the amazing taste!

Thee Ice Cream Parlor

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