Sweet Treats to Beat the Heat
Looking for frozen treats this summer? These local places have you covered!
When the thermometer starts its inevitable climb toward triple-digits, don’t sweat: That’s what ice cream (and its frosty kin) is for. From sno cones to gelato to popsicles to good ol’ fashioned (but totally reimagined) ice cream, these seven local businesses have everything you need to stay cool this summer.
ROSE ROCK MICROCREAMERY
502 E. 3rd St. # 35, The Boxyard
Photo by Sheeba Atiqi
How Do I Eat You? Let Me Count the Ways: Cups, cones, floats, s’mores, affogato, ice cream sandwiches, pints, flights and pies!
When asked about Rose Rock’s flavor offerings, concept creator and strategic planner Jason Decker says, “We look at our dairy like a painter looks at their canvas. Some days we just get inspiration by what we see at the store.” This approach means that Rose Rock frequently updates their menu with unique flavor combinations (olive oil and lemon, anyone?) while also keeping crowd favorites for longer periods of time.
Decker says that their status as a local small business makes partnering with similar businesses a priority, so they purchase many of their ingredients from local farms or bakeries.
If you are looking for dairy-free or vegan options, they have both. Decker says, “I would argue that we have the best no-dairy offerings you can get anywhere.”
JOSH’S SNO SHACK
71st and Garnett, 91st and Memorial, 61st and Memorial, 91st and Delaware, 714 W. Main St., Jenks, 21st and Yale (by the Golden Driller), Stillwater, Safari Joes and more!
Photo by Sheeba Atiqi
Sno Delicious: Try the Dragon Slayer, a mix of peach, pink lemonade and dragon fruit flavors! Or visit their website and hunt for their “secret menu” of staff favorites.
Josh’s Sno Shack was born out of young love and the dream of helping Tulsans create great summer memories. Josh Juarez started the business after his freshman year of college as a way to support himself and his high school sweetheart, to whom he is now married, through college. Today, Josh’s Sno Shack has over eight locations, with more to come.
To get updates on the newest flavors and locations, follow @joshssnoshack on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And, if you want Josh’s all to yourself, go to www.joshssnoshack.com/events for information about their catering options.
STG GELATERIA
217 S. Main St., Broken Arrow
1601 E. 15th St., Tulsa
STG Gelato can also be found at Omega Chocolate in The Farm Shopping Center, at Andolini’s in Jenks and Owasso and at Andolini’s Sliced in downtown Tulsa.
Photo by Sheeba Atiqi
Classic and Contemporary: Try traditional Italian flavors, such as straciatella and panna cotta, as well as modern twists, like Biscoff (cookie-butter flavored).
Close your eyes and imagine strolling along Ponte Vecchio in summertime Florence or taking a relaxing gondola cruise through the canals of Venice. While not all of us can take an actual Italian vacation this summer, at least the gelato at STG Gelateria can give Tulsans a taste of Italy.
STG’s gelato is made in-house on Italian machines using Italian ingredients and the same process used by their Italian counterparts: it is an homage to tradition from start to finish.
In addition to gelato, STG Gelateria sells pasta, Topeca coffee and espresso and other pastries.
SWEETS & CREAM
1114 S. Yale Ave.
Sandwich or Sundae?: Sweets & Cream’s menu is based on two offerings: ice cream sandwiches and two-scoop, two-cookie sundaes, but the simplicity is deceptive: guests customize their dessert by choosing from twelve cookie and twelve ice cream flavors. Without doing the math, all those options mean that someone could visit every day of the summer and try something new every time!
“Home of the $1.99 ice cream cookie sandwich,” Sweets & Cream is a tasty—and affordable—newcomer to Route 66. According to Kimberly Norman, who co-owns the business with husband Rob Norman and parents Ron and Susan Green, keeping their fare affordable is an integral part of Sweets & Cream’s mission of bringing people together.
“We want people to get out of the house, away from technology and daily distractions, look up and enjoy what is right in front of them,” says Kimberly Norman. “Our hope is that making affordable sweet treats will help in this effort.”
BIG DIPPER CREAMERY
Find them at Mother Road Market (11th and Lewis) and Decopolis (502 S. Boston Ave.)
Photo by Sheeba Atiqi
Take a dip: Big Dipper Creamery will feature 12+ flavors at a time at their new Mother Road Market location—and they encourage you to sample them all! Their most popular flavor is Okie Afternoon: sweet cream ice cream with fresh raspberry and blackberry sauce.
Sami and Brian Cooper’s dream of starting an ice cream business originated at home. “We started making ice cream in our kitchen, which led to sharing it with our family and friends—we loved seeing the joy it brought them and we wanted to bring the same joy to our community,” says Sami Cooper.
Having noticed an under-filled niche for “premium, locally made ice cream,” their dream became a reality through participation in the Kitchen 66 program, which helps kickstart Tulsa food businesses by providing important resources and training.
In 2018, Kitchen 66 expanded into the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation’s Mother Road Market at 11th and Lewis, and Big Dipper Creamery was among the first occupants.
When asked what is most rewarding about owning an ice cream business in Tulsa, Cooper responded, “We know this community appreciates quality and creativity, which is why we feel really supported here. Ice cream is a feel-good food that we take seriously, and sharing it with our patrons is incredibly rewarding.”
THE POP HOUSE
3737 S. Peoria, Tulsa
1347 E. 11th
Find them also at The Goods Bodega, Decopolis and Mother Road Market
Once You Pop…: The Pop House has two types of pops: fruity, which are vegan and gluten-free, and creamy, which are milk-based. POP-ular fruity flavors include Blueberry Lemonade and Watermelon Mint. For creamy, customers loved the Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Sea Salt last year.
If you’ve driven down South Peoria in the past year, chances are a small, bright-blue building caught your eye. Located on a green space known as The Brookside Collective, which hosts movie nights, fitness classes and more throughout the summer, The Pop House is the perfect place to go when you’re in the mood for a popsicle and some family park time.
Owner Chris Davis developed the idea of The Pop House after taking family members to a gourmet pop shop in Texas, where he was living at the time. “[We] fell in love with pops on the spot,” he recalls. “We couldn’t believe Tulsa didn’t have a fresh pop stand!” A couple years later, he moved back to Tulsa to start remedying the city’s pop-less situation.
The Pop House’s menu changes with the seasons, and, according to Davis, “We draw inspiration from everywhere! One bit inspiration is taking popular desserts and turning them into a pop.” For example, Birthday Cake and Key Lime Pie. “We also love to build flavors around other local products like Weber’s Root Beer Float and Cirque Coffee! In general, we just try to make delicious or refreshing pops that [we] would love to eat, and people seem to love most of what we’ve come up with!”
For information about year-round catering options, email info@thepophouse.net.
GAETANO’S PIZZERIA AND CREAMERY
8204 S. Harvard Ave.
12141 S. Elm St., #105, Jenks
Photo by Sheeba Atiqi
Better Together: No one’s judging if you want ice cream for dinner, but if you decide to go with something more substantial, Gaetano’s also offers quality pizza inspired by owner Doug Mitcho’s Italian heritage.
Gaetano’s is a true family business. Co-owners Doug and Jennifer Mitcho named the business after Doug Mitcho’s grandfather, Gaetano Antonio Guadagnino, who loved gardening and cooking and was known as a “uomo di respetto,” or “man of respect” by his Italian peers, and they strive to honor his memory by prioritizing responsibility, respect and relationships in running their restaurants.
Gaetano’s serves Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, a family-owned business located in Wisconsin known for its creaminess and unique flavors loaded with “extras” like Oreo chunks, caramel swirls, etc. Want more good news? Gaetano’s delivers. According to Doug Mitcho, “A pint of ice cream is a very popular choice when it can be delivered right to your front door.”
OTHER TREATS TO TRY:
The Candy Castle’s Soda Fountain, 7890 E. 106th Pl. S., Ste. V-6
Freezing Cow Thai Rolled Ice Cream, 7025 S. Memorial Dr.
Glacier Confection, now serving homemade gelato at their Utica Square (1902 Utica Square) and Bean-to-Bar (E. Archer in Tulsa Arts District) locations
Antoinette Baking Co., now serving homemade ice cream
Puopolo’s Italian Ice & Creamery, 8931 S. Yale Ave., Suite P
Rustic Gate Creamery, serving 16 flavors of ice cream as well as old-fashioned candy and shaved ice in Jenks. Available for parties.
Andy’s Frozen Custard, multiple locations
Braum’s, of course! (Multiple locations)
