First of all, the name is what caught my attention. I had to try it out, no matter, how it would turn out. I was surprised that the ice was flavored and not added it was shaved, so every bite had the flavor of which I chosed. The decor was playful and played into the theme of having a unique name. The staff was friendly and patient since I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted. I try to go at least once a month. read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Strawberry Lemonade - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

When you rearrange the letters in "Vampire Penguin"...you get "Meaning Pure VIP"....and that is indeed the feeling I received when interacting with customer service. I had a lot of questions about the desserts and the toppings. All were patiently answered, along with some recommendations about custom creations that were, in a word, satisfying. The walls boast some interesting pictures & art. One of them is a penguin in a bowtie. I do not understand. But that penguin is clearly pure VIP. Do yourself a favor and check this place out. Whatever you decide: Get the some blueberries to complement your icy dessert. read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Place is closed down. Empty and dark on a Friday night at 8pm. We we excited to go and drove here just to find out it was closed permanently. read more

Visitor in town and what a great spot to grab delish soft sweet treats with the kiddos! Tried the halo halo and it didn't disappoint! Mung bean, jackfruit... Yum! read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Halo halo - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We got the Twix ice concoction and were pleasantly impressed. I've never had this style of dessert before and its light fluffiness was delicious. There were just enough toppings to make this sweet treat a new family favorite. I was also impressed by the kindness and attentiveness of the teenagers working behind the counter. On what was a noticeably slow night, they were playing cards together...a nice change from so many employees spending down time on their phone. We'll definitely be back for an after dinner treat and to try some of their other flavors. read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great Christmas feeling in florida! The shaved ice thing wasn't what I thought it was, it's shaved flavored ice. This is cutting edge (lol... food puns) food technology was a new adventure for me and my family. The service was friendly and very patient as we tried to figure out the large menu, it's not that big but there are a lot of options. And then explained whatever questions we had. Inside was cold and the ice machine is loud but it's fascinating to see them make this dense delicacy! Especially in the warm florida life. While we were there they had about 5 take out orders and another 3 groups of customers so it was jumping the entire time! Please check this place out for a very unique experience! read more

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We enjoyed the vampire penguin in Naples prior to their closing so it was a nice surprise to see them in Sarasota. Same concept also good.

Need cooling off or just a yummy dessert in Sarasota/siesta key? You must try Vampire Penguins shaved ice dessert. I had the strawberry shortcake. They run a block of strawberry thru a shave I've machine to turn it into fluffy snow then they drizzled caramel and topped with graham cracker sprinkles strawberries and bananas. My family tried the orange dream and pina colada all were refreshing and delicious I preferred the strawberry read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Strawberry cheesecake shaved snow - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Nice presentation however , Tasted like the frost on the outside of a gallon of ice cream ... barely any toppings ( ordered peanut butter cup ) a few peanut chips and a drizzle of chocolate. Basically a pile of snow for $10 - waste of money . read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - Shaved snow - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We've been waiting for this business to open so we could try it. We'll, it opened and it was worth the wait. You pick your shaved ice snow flavor and then you choose a topping. Really a neat concept. For sure we'll return. read more

With such an interesting name, I had to try this dessert shop. It's a tiny area, but with really wonderful haves ice treats. I've never had shaved iced this fancy so this was a unique experience, but definitely a pleasant one. The flavors were amazing while being fluffy and not too overpowering. Honestly a great spin on frozen treats, but do expect to pay a bit more than usual desserts. I would also say the overall energy of the place could be improved, but I still recommend it here! read more

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Such a unique place! Words can't really describe the flavor and texture of the dessert. It's just amazing and you have to try it. It's nice because you don't feel heavy after eating it like you would with ice cream or other desserts. The staff was super nice and explained everything to us about the menu. The place it's self wasn't anything special but it's nice and clean. Also the story about the penguin was entertaining. I will make a point to visit in the future. read more

Stopped in to check out what they had available. I knew it was a shaved ice place but the flavors they offer is so awesome'! I chose the Thai tea with whip cream. Yummy! read more

Vampire Penguin SRQ - an ice cream sundae - Desserts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Looking for something new and unique to try while vacationing Siesta Key? Vampire Penguin SRQ is your stop! Stumbled upon this gem and discovered a new favorite dessert. This shop serves what I consider a gourmet shaved ice. It tastes as if your eating the flavors of your favorite ice cream, but the texture is so light that you leave feeling like you ate air. Can't forget to comment on the creativity of the plating presentation! Customer service was very gracious and accommodating. I encourage you to give it a try! read more

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This place was way better than expected. I don't usually like shaved ice, but this is not the shaved ice we grew up with of sugar water and ice. This is snow, which is finely made, so it is really light and taste like ice cream more than ice. They offer good dairy free options, and their house designed selections are great. Austin served us, and he was so sweet and helpful. It was a perfect snack for a Florida afternoon! read more

So good I love it I am my mom's little reporter The s'mores is really good the piña colada is really refreshing I love this place but it's not really Kona ice taste like ice cream read more

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Great refreshing dessert to satisfy anybody's cravings !! Just the right amount of everything !!! Hard to pick a favorite !! All four desserts were incredible. We had the sweet tooth,dulce de leche,piña colada, and s'mores and all where great !!! read more

Everyone from SARASOTA should try this dessert , they have different flavors for all corbers of the globe . I personally like the HALO HALO. This dessert " MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH NOT IN YOUR HANDS" read more

Honestly, this place is great. Im surprised more people don't come here. The food is quite good. It's like if you made shave ice into an ice cream- like desert. They have some cool decorations inside too. read more

Ok, the name of this place is really strange but it was recommended by a friend. We loved it! Such a different refreshing desert! It's like frozen cotton candy, so light and flavorful. Can't wait to go back and try more flavors. We had the peanut butter chocolate and the orange cream, both were amazing. Highly recommend it! read more

I had my doubt about this place since it's called Vampire Penguin but it exceeded my expectation. My hubby is hard to impress esp when it comes to dessert but he gave this place a 5 star. Our dessert was served exactly like in the picture. It taste good and beats the FL heat. Friendly service as well. read more

Craving An ice cream sundae but don't want the gut bomb feeling afterwards? Get a snow sundae instead! Stopped for lunch at the Deli next door and we're intrigued by the concept of shaved ice desserts. We ordered the S'moreo and created one of our own from their extensive create-your-own options. Two larges was perfect for a family of 4 to share for just a bit of sweet after lunch. The snow dessert concept was genius and perfectly executed! We are already planning our next snow creations. Friendly staff and a clean store made this a great experience! We will be back! read more

Overall always a fantastic experience!! I love to come here after a heavy dinner/lunch for a light yet creamy delicious desert. Or just for a little pick me up of course. Favorite snow recently has been the strawberry lemonade (a special flavor they only offer during summer months) so light and refreshing- perfect on a hot day. Boyfriend is a huge fan of the smoreo and twix menu items. I just cant explain the sensation in your mouth when you taste the snow oh my gosh. To die for. Every time I come in the owners seem to go above-and-beyond to ensure everyone in the group is enjoying their experience. From start to finish, Austin and Lucas are exemplary and diligent in their practice, knowledgeable and accommodating on all fronts. Recently I've had the pleasure of gracing their younger employees. Both are so sweet and attentive, you can tell they enjoy the work environment and atmosphere almost as much as I do. Looking forward to my next visit as always. Cant wait to see what flavors they come up with next! read more

We didn't know what to expect but we the 4 of us were AMAZED how wonderful it was. The owners were Very Friendly and explained to the whole process. The place was super clean and the presentation was 5 star. We wish the owners he very best. We have told several if of friends there only go there. Super experience!! Keep up the great work. read more

One of a kind! My family was finishing up lunch next door and a nice young man offered my daughters a sample since they had just opened. We were all shocked with how delicious this stuff is. It's shaved ice but creamy like ice cream, but not as bad for you. Tastes like the real deal and even better. Must try! We bought a sharing size of the tres leche flavor. Very good read more

Such a delight!! Truly a unique business!! Love it all from it's name and the concept behind it to the amazing flavors!! Worth trying!!!!!!!!! read more

Great customer service, very friendly, helpful with suggestions. Feels very welcoming. Me and my girlfriend go there after school every Wednesday:) read more

This place is amazing, my girlfriend, her mother and myself all got different items and we were all blown away, absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. Will be returning very soon read more

My boyfriend and I absolutely love this place and always rave about it to our friends and family, however, we were completely dissatisfied with our service when arriving tonight with our 2 younger family members. We walked into the store and was immediately greeted with a snarking look and hateful attitude. We began apologizing as we did walk in 15-20 minutes before closing time, however there is absolutely no reason for such bad behavior. Both girls sighed as they took our orders and mentioned how they had already cleaned up everything for the night. We apologized again for the possible inconvenience but did drive 20 minutes just to enjoy our favorite shaved ice! The one girl then proceeded to ask if we could take it to go, keep in mind it's at least 10 minutes till closing. As someone who works retail I have complete empathy for wanting to close early and get a head start home, however I would never treat paying customers with such sass. After making our 4 TO GO orders, she slams our spoons onto the table, tosses the dishes into the sink, and then whispers something into the other girl's ear. Immediately after, the other girl speedily walks outside, packing up the tables and chairs to insure that we wouldn't be staying any longer! I'm not one to write reviews and actually had to download yelp just to let everyone know how disappointing our experience was. I have loved my service from other workers in the past and always felt welcomed and cared for. I know the owners would be absolutely mortified at the service provided by these two girls. Finally, I really hope these young ladies remember that taking their personal anger out on paying customers isn't the way to act in life, but in the mean time I can assure my family, friends, and I won't be eating there anytime soon!! read more