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    Novel Ice Cream

    4.9 (1.3k reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Novel Ice Cream Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Novel Ice Cream

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    Today's flavors
    Shannon L.

    I was only in Phoenix for 36 hours and feel super lucky to have stumbled upon this adorable, super delicious ice cream and doughnut shop! I went on a Saturday afternoon and was able to easily park right in front and not wait in line. Customer service was excellent and since I was going to be on a plane later, opted to stick with non dairy sorbet because I am lactose intolerant and no one wants to risk a gurgling belly on a flight, even with lactaid. Anyway, they have two sorbet flavors every day and I sampled both: strawberry hibiscus and prickly pear. Deeeelicious and I opted for a double scoop of prickly pear, and a separate doughnut, which was also tasty but not like, incredible. Maybe in the morning they are fresher and incredible? I felt like I had to try the doughnut given the award hype but could have skipped it. But the flavors all sounded fantastic and I love that they also have a waffle ice cream sandwich called the Leslie Knope. What else could you ask for?!

    Francheska J.

    Novel is always a good visit. I love this location, as it's a cozy spot to grab a scoop and sit with your friends. Parking can be weird sometimes because it's right next to a neighborhood but it seems like they're fine with you parking in front of their houses. The chocolate ice cream here is a dream, it's perfectly creamy and rich in flavor. The texture is akin to some of the great ice cream spots I've been to out on the East coast, and it's no wonder they are award winning! There can be a line sometimes but they're super fast, and the staff is always so nice. Also, love that they're open late, as I am always craving ice cream after dinner!

    Madagascar Vanilla Doughnut (top) & Strawberry Doughnut (bottom)
    Kaitlyn P.

    I was really excited to try this place and it did not disappoint! Parking is limited, so you may need to find street parking. I ordered the vanilla and strawberry ice cream in a doughnut. The doughnut was fresh, soft, and warm, and the ice cream was delicious. The service was also very friendly. Overall, I highly recommend!

    Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch & Peppermint Mocha!
    Jon H.

    After going to the First Friday Night Market in the arts District of Downtown Phoenix, we had a hankering for some ice cream, but in a less crowded space. I saw there was a Novel location nearby and decided this was the place! I've been to the location in Mesa and loved it so I was excited to check it out. Pulling up I noticed the charm and character of this spot immediately, which is what I love about the Mesa location. Twinkling lights, old wooden porch and railings, surrounded by a few other shops in similar aesthetics. Both locations are very unique and have their own flare and ambience. Great spot for a date or to sit back and chill with a friend (or more). Service was fast and friendly. The line was long, most likely due to the First Friday crowd, but we didn't wait long. I went with the Bourbon Caramel Toffee Crunch & Peppermint Mocha! It was super creamy and perfect!! Love the ice cream here! On a scale of 1 to 10, yes...I would 100% come here again! Probably my most favorite ice cream out there!

    Single Scoop
    Helen S.

    Tiny, but mighty. Novel ice cream isn't novel for the community anymore, but has survived through years of people clamoring for their products: simply delicious ice cream and desserts. Summer is obviously peak season, but the love of ice cream knows no seasonality and we found plenty of people enjoying some sweet treats on the patio on a winter evening. As mentioned by others, Novel is awkwardly tucked off the busy Grand Ave and a residential road, so parking can be tricky. You also need to either climb up a ramp or go up a set of stairs to reach the shop, so may not be the most ADA friendly. There's no indoor space to sit so you'll have to decide if you're going to brave the shaded patio or just take your desserts to go. But the environs are definitely unique, with the small colorful shops making this feel more like a movie set than a real set of businesses. There's only one person manning the small takeout window, with other staff milling around inside scooping and churning out doughnuts. Current flavors are pasted next to the window, and you can try a maximum of 3 flavors per person. If you have your eye on a particular flavor - come earlier to make sure they don't scoop out of it before you arrive. Ice cream flavors are unique and delightful, and the added transformation with a puffy donut or creamy float is an option if you really want to get indulgent.

    Today's flavors
    Karen K.

    Cute little shop in a nice little shopping area just outside downtown. Our server treated quickly and offered several of his favorites. All of the flavors look outstanding and the ones we chose were great.

    Butter Pecan with Golden Grahams...
    Carina F.

    I can definitely tell why Novel Ice Cream has so many five star reviews! Simple, creamy deliciousness! All of their ice cream is small batch and artisan. They have 12 flavors, 8 regular and 4 rotating. You can have your ice cream in a cup, cone, floats, or stuffed in a doughnut, which I plan to try next time! Reasonably priced and a great selection of toppings. I had the butter pecan topped with Golden Grahams! Service was friendly, and the patio was hopping with everybody having a great time, enjoying quality ice cream on a warm night. Parking lot is small, and there's other businesses in the hub, so I definitely recommend going for street parking. Dough Melt, I'm coming for you next time!

    Stuffed donut with Cookie Monster ice cream and Oreos
    Vlad V.

    Well this one had a ton of hype behind it. I read an article published by Yelp of the top ice cream spots in the country. To my surprise, the top spot was held my an ice cream parlor in my own city! That was all the motivation I needed. I stopped by for a sweet treat on a Sunday afternoon with my Yelp friend. Novel Ice Cream is housed in a small colorful house, next to several other small colored houses taken up by other businesses including a tattoo parlor, barber shop, and more. There is a small parking lot that fits six or so spots, and luckily I was able to snag one of them. If there aren't any available, you can park on the side street. Novel is located on the outskirts of downtown Phoenix in a predominantly Latino neighborhood. Ambiance (3/5): Novel Ice Cream does not have an interior where you can sit. The house is small and it's only for the staff and all of the equipment. So, you can grab and go or sit outside on the patio where there is room for 20 people or so. This is great when the weather cooperates but not when it's close to 100 degrees in September. That means your ice cream is going to melt very quickly. Service (3.5/5): Pretty standard service. Not terribly friendly, but did offer some recommendations. The cashier upsold my friend with a nice sales tactic on his part. Drinks (N/A): I brought a water with me, the best drink to have when you're eating ice cream, especially in the sun. Food (4.5/5): Novel has an interesting selection of ice cream flavors. You can go the traditional route and have it served in a cone or a cup. Or, if you're feeling overly ambitious, you can do a flight where you select five different flavors. Or, if you're a fat kid at heart like me, you can get a glazed donut stuffed with the ice cream and topping of your choice. I went with the cookie monster ice cream (essentially blue-colored cookies and cream) with Oreo bits. I will say, surprisingly, I've had a ice cream-stuffed donut at another establishment and the one at Novel was much better. In large part because of the quality of the donut. The ice cream was also delicious. And it looks great visually with the blue ice cream. A satisfied treat for sure. Given that I ate my ice cream outside with the weather what it was, my ice cream started melting at the very end. Some melted ice cream was on the parchment paper I had and as I walked to the trash can to throw it away, it started dripping all over the ground. Including on my sneakers. Blue is not easy to get out of your sneakers. Hooray. First world problem. However, still worth it.

    Rey F.

    I came here after seeing such great reviews, and Novel definitely didn't disappoint! I ordered a scoop of the Cookie Monster ice cream with Reese's Puffs added in and it was delicious. Just a heads up, the Cookie Monster ice cream will turn your mouth and tongue blue but if you're cool with that, it's totally worth trying. The service was great. Although the place looks simple, a red shack connecting with other businesses and some seating in a courtyard, definitely don't judge a book by its cover. I highly recommend checking it out. I'll definitely be back to try their dough melt donut ice cream sandwich next!

    Butter Pecan, Pina Colada, and Honey Lavender
    Christy C.

    Such a tiny and cute ice cream shop HOURS: - Tues to Sat - 12pm-1am - Sun - 12pm-8pm CLOSED MONDAY! Parking was challenging because their parking lot is very small and cramped but there was nearby street parking Service was friendly and welcoming Seating was pretty limited but there were a couple benches Menu had a good variety of flavors and there were 11 flavors to choose from. They have 8 staple flavors - bourbon toffee caramel crunch, cookie monster, Madagascar vanilla, chocolate, straight up strawberry, butter pecan, honey lavender, PB Wasted. They have 2 rotating ice cream and shorbet flavors every month and this month, it was Lunch Break, Penna Cherry, and Pina Colada. Prices were reasonable. Expect to pay $5-7 for the scoops! SCOOPS - SINGLE: $4.80 - DOUBLE: $5.80 - TRIPLE: $6.80 - Dough Melt (ice cream stuffed glazed doughnut) - $6.80 - Leslie Knope (ice cream stuffed waffle) - $7.50 - Ice Cream Float - $6.50 - Indecision (5 flight scoops) - $11 - Pint - $12 - Cone (waffle, cake, sugar) - $0.75 - Topping - $0.75 each - Donut - $3.00 There were soda and glass bottle soda available for $3.50! The Butter Pecan was very creamy and delicious! It wasn't too sweet and had lots of pecan bits. This was 8/10 The Honey Lavender didn't taste like honey at all and the lavender bits were too bitter so it wasn't enjoyable. This was 4/10 The Pina Colada was very refreshing and yummy! It tasted like pineapple and it wasn't too sweet. This was 8/10 Would definitely recommend and return!

    Double scoop, vanilla ice cream.
    Edward O.

    Ice cream is awesome, service is great. Consistent line, but never a long wait. The most famous is the donut ice cream.

    PB Wasted and toffee bourbon caramel crunch
    Jorey C.

    Went here because I saw it was rated like #1 ice cream store in the country on Yelp. It was good but #1 ehhhh. I also recognize the #1 was probably because of their dough melts and I'm allergic to those sadly. The ice cream shop is in a cute older timey, wood half circle of some other shops like a tattoo parlor. You order and sit outside and boy it was hot out when we went, couldn't stay long. There's maybe six tables outside with four chairs. We got there 7:45 on a Friday and it quickly got busy while we were eating our ice cream. I got the toffee bourbon caramel crunch and pb wasted. About $7 for two very large scoops. The toffee was my favorite!! Couldn't finish my ice cream, very rich and delicious. Nice crunch to both flavors. Like I said, enjoyed it greatly but I don't think I could name it #1. My boyfriend got the straight up strawberry and enjoyed it, he ate all of his one scoop. They changed out the scoopers for me since I have celiac disease it was very nice! All the permanent flavors are gf except for the Cookie Monster

    Thai Tea Dough Melt
    Vanessa H.

    This spot wasn't named number one nationally for no reason! What a treat to have Novel Ice Cream in Phoenix. We visited tonight around 7:30 pm. Novel is nestled besides a charming courtyard with tables to eat at after you're done ordering. There are a few other shops around as well including a tattoo/piercing shop, coffee shop and wedding planner. Novel offers a menu full of your standard flavors (think Madagascar vanilla and strawberry) and several rotating flavors (matcha and Thai tea were offered today). My partner and I both opted for a Dough Melt -- a glazed donut sandwiches your choice of ice cream. He ordered bourbon toffee and I ordered Thai tea. My daughter ordered strawberry in a cone. Service was quick. The ice creams were creamy and tasted so good! Bourbon toffee was EXCELLENT in a dough melt -- the flavors went so well together and it ended up tasting similar to a maple bar. Thai Tea unfortunately wasn't the best choice for a dough melt but alone is excellent (the donut highlighted the bitterness in the ice cream). The strawberry was very good as well. Prices were fair. We will definitely be back on our own accord but this spot is also being added to the list to take friends and family from out of town.

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    Novel Ice Cream Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Novel Ice Cream

    Any non dairy options for our milk allergy son?

    They have dairy-free sorbets. Their sorbets are also very refreshing.

    Do they fart in your ice cream?

    No. Staff were extremely friendly and professional.

    Do they have peach, pear, or mango sorbet?

    They rotate flavors every day out of their 200+ flavor catalog. But you can contact them to request a special flavor in advance.

    Are there sugar substitute options? I know maybe it defeats the point, but one can hope.

    I’ve been here more times than I can count and have never seen a sugar substitute option. But, everything is made in small batches so it is possible this is something they would be willing to try. At least one of the owners is there a lot of the… Read more

    Do they have gluten free options.... for cookies or doughnuts possibly?

    Hi Chaila! We don't currently have gluten free donuts or cookies, however we always have at least nine gluten free flavors, two types of gluten free cones (there is never an upcharge for GF cones, they are same price as our regular cones), and four… Read more

    Do they have vegan options?

    Yes! They have vegan sorbet options and occasionally vegan cookies.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Churn

    Churn

    4.4(1.2k reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$
    Pet friendly
    Outdoor seating

    I wish I could eat ice cream every single day of my life, but I can't, so when I'm out of town and…read moreon the road I take advantage of all the ice cream places I can. After having some dinner down the street, I came across Churn and knew I needed to come and check this place out. This small ice cream shop had a pretty big line on a Monday night when I arrived but it moved quickly and the ice cream looked dang good in the glass display. I decided on getting a two scoop waffle cone with Cookies & Mint and Milk & Cookies. The ice cream tasted super rich and super creamy, both flavours were very good. Overall, Churn is a top notch ice cream parlour and a place I would probably frequent if I lived in Phoenix. The ice cream here is great, the staff was friendly, and I really wish they had some non small and medium t-shirts because I would of left with one. Great spot.

    I first found out about Churn when I visited Windsor for happy hour. They are conjoined and share…read morethe same front/back parking lots and patio. Like literally you can walk between the businesses in the same building. I tried them for the first time during a Windsor/Churn Yelp Elite Event but have since visited Churn alone on my own afterward! I really liked the seasonal flavor milk and cookies because the chocolate chip cookie included in the ice cream is one of their cookies they serve separately anyway, so you know it's good. It had a sweet cream base. My sister and I shared a triple scoop for only $7 and satisfied the both of us. The interior is pretty small, but there's at least patio seating in the back and a bench out front. I'm excited to try other seasonal and permanent flavors in subsequent visits, but for now I love the milk and cookies too much to try anything else and would definitely return for just that!

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    Churn
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    The Yard Milkshake Bar - Salted Caramel Cheesecake

    The Yard Milkshake Bar

    3.8(351 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    I was So excited to try this place out!! They are known for…read moretheir fun innovative ice cream We walked in to some fun flavors and sins amazing looking pictures of what they offer! There's so much to choose from! I got the Dubai chocolate ice cream cup. It was amazing. It came with pistachio ice cream, milk, chocolate, ice cream, whipped cream, pistachio drizzle and chocolate drizzle absolutely delicious! My husband gone butter, pecan with brownies and whipped cream, which was very tasty as well! Honestly the ice cream was good.. But for being such a fun looking ice cream shop and for being downtown Phoenix. I expected the vibe in there to be a little bit more inviting a little bit more fun and upbeat! I mean, at least some music playing! Once the other customers left, it was just my husband and I was sitting there the employees were nowhere in sight there's no music no entertainment at all inside. and outside, you can see the hustle and bustle of the nightlife which was nice! To be honest with you going to the restroom, there was music in that hall that was inviting, and there was music in the restroom that was more inviting than the actual ice cream shop! To go in get your ice cream and leave would be great. But if you want to eat inside it's just very bland very plain and very uninviting for as cool and fun as their ice cream options are I just expected the place to be a little bit more fun going. It lacked in that area for sure, but the taste of the ice cream was delicious.

    My mom and I literally stumbled into this adorable little ice cream spot in downtown Phoenix while…read morehunting for a sweet treat on vacation, and OMG... destiny!! Not only was it super cute inside, but they had an entire gluten-free menu for me to choose from. Like--an actual GF wonderland. I nearly cried. The guy working the counter was ridiculously nice and let us sample basically the whole store. Unlimited samples?? Don't threaten me with a good time. We were out here tasting flavors like we were on "The Bachelor: Ice Cream Edition." Now let's talk about the 'Strawberry Frappe'.I can't even describe the flavor because my brain still short-circuits when I think about it. Just trust me--it's different, it's magical, it's what Strawberry Shortcake would drink on her day off. I wanted two flavors SO badly, but the two-scoop cup was basically the size of my head. They should let people do a mini cup with two flavors... buuuut I asked nicely (with big doe eyes) and got away with it. Hehe They also had a chalkboard wall where we could sign our names, so of course we doodled like we were famous artists. Honestly, I'm expecting MoMA to call any day now. If you're visiting downtown Phoenix,go check out this ice cream spot!! Like... run. Don't walk. I'm still dreaming about it.

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    The Yard Milkshake Bar - Single scoop :)

    Single scoop :)

    The Yard Milkshake Bar - Cookie Monster specialty bowl

    Cookie Monster specialty bowl

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    Unicorn ice cream

    Novel Ice Cream - desserts - Updated May 2026

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