I'd like to say I am a huge icecream snob and have tried many of the local places throughout the Hudson Valley. Holy Cow does have great icecream, never frostbitten or too liquidy. It really sucks that you can only pay with cash, and the service isn't always the friendliest. There has never been a time there aren't customers in there, whether in the dead heat of summer or the middle of a cold April day. Definitely try their icecream cakes, they are not even comparable to Carvel cakes, they are 10x better. read more

Honestly I have given them multiple chances. I completely agree with other reviews about the staff being so unfriendly. I truly feel like I am inconveniencing them by ordering ice cream. Their menu as others stated is ridiculous and confusing. I asked for a candy topping (butterfinger) on my sundae and was told rudely "nope can't have that on a sundae you can only get that in a razzle." So you can have candy toppings stirred in ice cream but not on top of ice cream in a sundae?! Only toppings available for a sundae are liquid ones. Kind of ridiculous..... Not going here any longer, we will drive elsewhere even though we are locals! read more

The ice cream at Holy Cow is sugary and fattening, poor quality. It's an environmental out of the 80s/90s and they push the customers along like cattle. Dels Dairy Creme in Rhinebeck provides an organic options and products locally sourced at their farm in Red Hook. The ice cream is better with many more options. Beautiful decorations that make you feel like you are in the Hudson Valley. read more

We've been going to Holy Cow for many years. Best ice cream and ice cream cakes in the Hudson Valley! read more

love this spot. a must stop for all New Yorkers looking for a cute ice cream spot

Amazing ice cream came here with my daughter and hubby - plenty of outdoor benches - soft serve vanilla was a bomb! Creamy and tasty, perfect for a hot summer family outing! Will definitely come again when we drive up. read more

A classic . Been coming here since I was a kid. This is a real community minded business. The soft ice cream is thick and tasty- how real authentic soft ice cream Should be. All of their toppings are a+, the hot fudge is the best hot fudge, just how hot fudge is supposed to be. This is a true old fashioned ice cream parlor and sadly there aren't many of them left these Days. Lastly, their ice cream cakes are beautiful and deliciousl... and their home made ice cream cookie sandwiches, chocolate covered frozen treats, and classic home made ice cream sandwiches are amazing as well. A MUST TRY SPOT IF U ARE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY read more

You might say "Holy Cow" when you see the long line coming out of this Red Hook gem on a summer evening. You might also say "Holy Cow" upon tasting their ice cream. I was finally able to schedule a trip through Red Hook which allowed me to visit Holy Cow again for the first time in a few years at a slower part of the day. Even so, business was steady and turned-around quickly thanks to 3 women behind the counter serving, and a 4th decorating cakes and making specialty items. My barometer for hard ice cream is butter pecan. In my opinion, a good butter pecan should have a buttery flavor and not a butterscotch flavor. Theirs is buttery - so much so that the taste remains on your tongue. It's as if the pecans were sauteed in butter before going into the ice cream. It's probably my second-favorite butter pecan ice cream of all time. To have the best, you'd have to get into a time machine and go back to the early 1960s to the original Schuyler Farms in Schuylerville, NY. They don't have column after column of hard ice cream flavors - perhaps maybe a dozen. But it's better to do a few extremely well than to go crazy trying to out-flavor Baskin Robbins. The price is very reasonable too. A small cone for $1.80 is a very competitive price. read more

Great stop for a sweet treat! Anytime I'm in Red Hook, I have to stop here! It's cheap and there's a fair amount of ice creams flavors to choose. There is a wide array of options for a small ice cream place such as ice cream type, flavor, and toppings. We usually get their ice cream birthday cakes here too! The place usually has a line of people waiting and various seating outside. Occasionally in the summer, bands will play music in the grass next to Holy Cow. Very friendly and helpful staff, always ready to serve with a smile on their face! read more

OMG...BEST ICE CREAM EVER. I've been going to Holy Cow year after year ever since my boyfriend first introduced me to it a few years back. The ice cream is delicious and the service is friendly. No matter what time of year, you can always spot the lines out the door and wrapped around the building. Just make sure you bring cash as I don't believe they accept credit or debit cards still.. read more

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Very cute place and delicious ice cream. Definitely I will go back for different flavors

This is the best ice cream I've ever had. I don't know what they do or how they do it, but this is a place that should not be missed. Warning though, it's cash only so be prepared! read more

Total random find, we saw a bunch of people sitting outside with their ice cream so we gave it a shot. Delicious ice cream with hot fudge on top! Tons of flavor options and friendly service. Grab something cold and grab a seat outside! read more

Holy Cow - so good, the hot fudge is an added bonus - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Red Hook, New York

Holy Cow is our absolute favorite place for ice cream! It is always delicious, the staff is great, and the prices can't be beat. The owner is always giving back to the community and holds an annual breakfast to raise money for St Jude's (non Covid years.) We love Holy Cow!! read more

Wholesome place for softserve ice cream. My favorite is the coffee and cream ice cream they sell in pints. They also do sundaes, ice cream cakes milkshakes and cones dipped in good flavors. read more

I grew up in Red Hook, and have been going to Holy Cow my entire life. To this day I've never had a better ice cream at such a great value. The exterior is a very unassuming storefront in a strip mall, but you know it's good when there's a line out the door on every single evening in summer. There are park benches outdoors for seating The flavors are very basic but locally made, which is nice. My favorite is the hard serve cookie dough ice cream, but they also offer a wide variety of toppings, milkshakes, razzles, etc. I usually order the brownie sundae which is around $5 as opposed to the outrageous prices of NYC sundaes, which start at $9 and go up. They even have home made ice cream cakes and ice cream sandwiches for sale. A definite must if you are visiting the Red Hook area. read more

We do love this place and it was our date spot when we lived here. However not realizing it was cash only. No one says it is cash only. And then when you have no cash, no one says to go to the mt bank for an atm. Or even better yet was the woman's attitude. Mind you it is 95 degrees outside and she was yelling at me to keep taking it to my husband. Like I get that but I'm in the food service industry myself and her tone really got to me. Don't get mad at the customer and tell them it happens all the time. Let the customer know when they're getting ready to pay or before that it is only cash. We will be going to joes dairy barn from now on and not coming back. read more

NOT A ANIMAL FRIENDLY BUSINESS, even due our K9 is a service dog we were given the look! This was our first time visiting this place the atmosphere is just a typical store with an old register and a sign on the front door "CASH ONLY" the floor was sticky and after the unpleasant and unwelcoming interaction with a older lady that seemed like might be the owner, we decided to walk out. No sweet there are many other legit, welcoming businesses to prospect, CASH ONLY businesses are a bit shady anyways. read more

Great quality They often don't have vanilla frozen yogurt Shame they don't take credit cards read more

Ice cream here slaps. They have a ton of options to make your wildest ice cream dreams come true.

Best ice cream in Dutchess county. Enough said. There's always a crowd there and then get them in and out fairly quick and with a smile. They do a great job there and their ice cream is the best. read more

Saw a very long line on a Tuesday evening. Didn't think it would be worth it. It was worth it! Very delicious ice cream.

Among the BEST soft serve ice cream I've ever had. My 3 year old agrees and he's a soft serve aficionado. Feels like an old timer place too. Serve was very friendly, will definitely be back. read more

The long, always moving lines outside the Cow tell you how good and popular her ice cream and the folks who serve it are. I have friends from out of town who never fail to stop there when visiting me. The Beloved Bovine is a decades old Red Hook institution known to every child, and most adults in town. read more

Best ice cream in town! Don't get discouraged if there is a line....it moves fast and well worth the wait!

I'm not gonna lie I only been there 2 times and now recently. They still have really good ice cream. I came from Bergan county nj and obviously took about a hour to get here. Yes I am the person who will go somewhere when I want something that's good and will travel long distances for something so small. Place is a bit dirty. But I am very happy with the service and will always come back when I can. read more

Based on all of the reviews, I tried the soft serve, hard serve, and whipped cream. My favorite was the soft serve twist, by far and wide, and that's the only thing that I would get coming back. Tastes are obviously a very personal thing. The place is cash or local check only, but is fairly inexpensive. My entire selection was five dollars. They also gave a little bowl for my dog. read more

I suppose it's unfair of me to say 5 stars for the whole place when I've only ever had their Root Beer Floats - but ooooh, they have the BEST root beer floats! So, when I find myself in the area (other than rushing to Red Hook Curry House), I just have to treat myself to one. I can only imagine if their vanilla is so good that the other flavors/items must be great... and one of these days I'll force myself to branch out and try more. But it'll be hard not to get this float! read more

I went in after waiting on line for 15 minutes. I had my little PomChi dog in my bag on my side - she goes with me everywhere. As I was getting ready to order the lady behind the counter exclaims "Sir - dogs are not allowed!" So I said fine and turned around and left - and I will never go back! I had my dog over a year now and she goes everywhere with me for emotional support and this was the 1st time I ever had a problem. She is always quiet and friendly in her pouch! And by the way - the window was not open for business which I would of gone to 1st. What a bad day trip for some ice cream !! read more

Holy cow has the best ice cream at the best prices and prompt service people come from miles for the ice cream read more

Great ice cream at an amazing price! Outdoor seating is plentiful and parking area is huge. Love the atmosphere and the sweet staff.

We found this gem while visiting the area. They were open a little later than other places. You need to bring cash. We enjoyed dipped cones and soft serve with sprinkles but they had a lot of icecram options and cakes to choose from. read more

Great little mom and pop ice cream shop! Went here early on a Friday night and the line was already out the door! The size of the cones are huge! I got a small and as soon as she brought the perfectly swirled ice cream up I knew I should've gotten a kiddie cone! They have a lot of toppings and they also have the dip available! They have a nice seating area outside so you can enjoy your ice cream! read more

Delicious ice cream. Both hard and soft, sprinkles, toppings, candy coatings - the works. Very reasonable prices too. A kiddie cone is just $1.25. We used to get ice cream cakes for all the birthdays in our family too. We love them! They are always busy and don't seem to have the best system down when it comes to ordering/paying. Could use some more organization the that department. read more

I can't believe no one else has written about Holy Cow yet...WTF? This place is magic. It's open YEAR ROUND. I've seen lines out the door with people buying ice cream in January... I kid you not! read more

I love holy cow ice cream ! They are one of the best places to get ice cream , always clean and yummy I really recommend this place they a also have a variety of choices to choose from. read more

A local gem that locals do not want you to know about because it is arguably the best ice cream shop around. Simple, inexpensive, and delicious...you cannot beat that. There always seems to be a long line even during winter nights (you know its good if its busy even during that time!) so I suggest going when you are not in a hurry. Although I really do like Holy Cow, I honestly never went back after one customer service faux pas. I was not having a good week and just wanted an ice cream cone, even if it meant driving 20 minutes down the road to get one. I made a mistake with the order (apparently I ordered a child's cone when I meant to order the smaller sugar cone) and as such was not allowed more then one scoop. When I asked the young lady attending to me for two scoops she refused to get me a new cone because she had "already scooped it" (what?). I didn't want to make a big fuss because people were waiting in line behind me, but I ended up paying for something I didn't completely want. I didn't go back after that because I didn't want to spoil any of the pleasant memories I had of the place. In the end though Holy Cow still receives 4 stars from me. P.S. If anyone knows how to obtain Holy Cow paraphernalia please let me know so I can pass the information onto one of my friends who had tried for years to get a Holy Cow t~shirt; but never succeeded to get one or anything else with their logo on it for that matter...no matter how much he tried to make friends with one of the counter girls (lol). Thanks. read more

Go here when you want ice cream in Rhinebeck or Red Hook. Other places are pretty good, but this is top quality ice cream at amazing prices.

I just got back from the sacred bovine with the dog and was struck by the perfection of their strawberry banana milkshake. The thickness of their shakes is pretty damn remarkable. Every time I order a shake, it's always just a hair shy of being too thick to fit through a straw (you know, unless a rogue banana piece finds itself lodged in the straw, then you've got bigger problems). For three bucks, Holy Cow offers pretty much the PERFECT shake. This place sports people out the door in the middle of the winter rivaling the lines outside of Barnes & Noble the night before the 7th Harry Potter book hit the shelves. Don't even get me started on the lines in the summer. It's cheap. It's delicious. It's a goddamn Red Hook institution. read more

I'm not sure what's so special about Holy Cow, except the name. We have been going for years, mainly because it's quick and right by Route 9. Very disappointed with the prices and service lately. The line goes fast, but the toppings (hard shell) was not applied evenly and the server refused to fix it (in a bowl, so it wasn't like they had to dip the cone again). Ice cream is nothing special either. read more