6 New York Ice-Cream Trucks Slinging Wild Flavors
Summer in New York City brings the magical symphony of ice cream truck jingles floating through the sticky air.
But forget those basic vanilla soft-serves! I’ve spent years hunting down the most outrageous frozen treats on wheels across the five boroughs.
From boozy scoops to savory-sweet combos that’ll make your taste buds do a double take, these mobile dessert dealers are redefining what belongs in a cone.
1. Mister Softee’s Secret Menu Madness
I nearly dropped my wallet when a Mister Softee driver whispered about their underground flavor lab. Beyond the classic swirl lies a world of experimental concoctions they roll out on select trucks. Last August, I stumbled upon their Spicy Mango Habanero twist—sweet fruit puree infused with just enough pepper kick to make my eyebrows raise.
The truck parked near Washington Square Park specializes in these oddball creations. Their Breakfast Bash combines maple soft serve with candied bacon bits and waffle cone pieces. Not every Mister Softee truck carries these wild options, which makes finding one feel like hitting the dessert lottery.
Pro tip: Ask for the “monthly special” rather than specific flavors. The drivers love surprising adventurous customers with whatever crazy combination they’re testing that week.
2. Big Gay Ice Cream’s Flavor Revolution
Stumbling upon Big Gay Ice Cream’s rainbow-striped truck changed my dessert standards forever. Their Salty Pimp—vanilla soft serve injected with dulce de leche, dipped in chocolate, and finished with sea salt—sounds simple until it hits your mouth with layer after layer of flavor complexity.
Founders Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff started with a rented truck and wild imagination. Now they’ve created cult classics like the Bea Arthur (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, and crushed Nilla wafers) and Rocky Roadhouse with toasted almonds that snap between your teeth.
What keeps me coming back? Their seasonal experiments. Last summer’s Burnt Honey Rosemary cone had me stalking their Instagram for location updates. The staff remembers regulars too—they started calling me “Double Dip Dave” after just two visits.
3. Van Leeuwen’s Artisanal Flavor Laboratory
“You’re eating WHAT flavor?” my friend gasped when I offered her a lick of my Kraft Mac & Cheese ice cream from Van Leeuwen’s pastel yellow truck. The creamy, cheese-powder-infused dessert tasted exactly like the childhood comfort food—in frozen form! These flavor alchemists have mastered the art of turning the unexpected into ice cream gold.
Parked strategically throughout the city, their trucks serve as testing grounds for their wildest ideas before they hit brick-and-mortar shops. French toast, pizza, and even garlic flavors have made appearances. The planet-friendly packaging and locally-sourced ingredients help ease the guilt of my weekly indulgences.
Their vegan options blow competitors away too. The oat milk-based honeycomb flavor convinced my dairy-obsessed uncle that plant-based ice cream can actually taste good—a miracle I never thought possible!
4. Coolhaus’ Architectural Ice Cream Marvels
My jaw literally dropped when the Coolhaus server handed me two massive cookies sandwiching a thick slab of Whiskey Lucky Charms ice cream. Founded by former architects, this truck builds desserts with structural integrity that would impress Frank Gehry. Their name cleverly references Bauhaus design and “cool house” (ice cream sandwich)—genius wordplay that matches their genius flavors.
Hunting down their truck became my Friday ritual last summer. The Dirty Mint Chip with real mint leaves and the Fried Chicken & Waffles cream had me questioning everything I thought I knew about frozen desserts. Each sandwich comes wrapped in edible potato paper printed with edible ink—zero waste dessert!
The servers encourage wild mix-and-match combinations. My personal creation—Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream between red velvet cookies—earned a spot on their chalkboard menu for a week. I’ve never felt more accomplished.
5. Mr. Green Tea’s Japanese-Inspired Frozen Delights
Green tea ice cream seemed boring until I tasted Mr. Green Tea’s version—so intensely flavored it transported me straight to a Kyoto tea garden! This family-run operation has been crafting Japanese-inspired ice cream since 1968, but their food truck launch brought these exotic flavors to street level.
Their ginger ice cream packs a spicy punch that clears your sinuses while cooling your tongue—a paradox in a cup. Red bean mochi chunks folded into sweet cream create textural magic you won’t find at typical trucks. When I brought my skeptical dad to try their black sesame flavor, he ended up buying a pint to take home—the ultimate endorsement.
Look for their truck at weekend food markets and Japanese cultural festivals. The line gets long, but friendly servers often pass out tiny tasting spoons to make the wait more bearable. Their seasonal sakura flavor during cherry blossom season is worth marking your calendar for.
6. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Wandering Scoop Shop
“Holy cow!” I blurted after my first taste of Jeni’s Brambleberry Crisp from their limited-run NYC truck. The fragrant blackberries and raspberries swirled with brown sugar streusel chunks made every other fruit ice cream seem pathetically inadequate. While technically an Ohio import, their seasonal New York truck appearances create frenzied Instagram location tracking among dessert enthusiasts.
Founder Jeni Britton Bauer refuses to use synthetic flavorings, which explains why their Wildberry Lavender actually tastes like real flowers instead of grandma’s perfume. Their Everything Bagel flavor—complete with onion, garlic, poppy and sesame seeds in a cream cheese base—proves New York’s influence on their flavor development.
The truck staff hand out flavor flight cards so you can track which ones you’ve tried—I’m only three away from completing my summer collection! Their compostable packaging and fair-trade ingredient sourcing makes indulgence feel practically virtuous.