Coming from Florida, I've been to my fair share of ice treat shops, but this one is far and away the best. There's literally 100+ flavors, several toppings, and each size comes with "up to 2 flavors". I personally like sour flavors, and most ice dessert shops don't offer many, if any, options. However, there are several sour flavors available, as well as a sour spray which can be added to your cup. I got the sour tsunami and pomegranate flavors, and added the sour spray ($0.50 extra) on top. Man-o-man was it sour, in the best way possible. My wife and I will definitely return. read more

Yes! Super fluffy, soft, flavorful snowcones! And all the flavors one could ever wish for! Usually my expectations for snowcones is low because I'm used to those ones you used to get from your candy truck that would go around our neighborhood when we were kids but I'm pleasantly surprised with Pelican's! I got the Unicorn which was so delicious! Whip cream on top for the win! Who knew snowcones could be so delicious? I must thank my friend for bringing me to this place. I now know the perfect place for a cool snack when that summer heat hits us. Feeling ready to take on the summer! read more

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I can't believe I've lived in Durham for 6 years and never tried this! I was expecting just a regular snow cone, but this was delicious! I had a shark attack, which comes with a gummy shark on top! Warning: your lips and teeth will be blue after eating this one...but it was worth it! It's also super inexpensive, at just $3.50 for the smaller size. The larger sizes are gigantic and would have been way too much for me. They have some outdoor seating, but we made a quick stop, so we didn't hang out. read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I had the unicorn specialty. No regrets. Good stuff. Cool location. Lots of bees to sting you in your face if you mess around. Keeps things neat and tidy read more

Nice treat on a hot, sunny day. They have tons of flavours to choose from, with endless combinations to try. I loved the tiger's blood flavour the most. read more

Love love love this place! It reminds me of Big Easy's in Tallahassee. Too many flavor combinations to stay married to one. I tried the Pog which had a nice fruity balance. I always get it stuffed(ice cream in the middle) and I appreciate that they put ice and flavor at the bottom for eaven distribution. Hubby got something that was hella sour so if you're into that kinda thing just know the sour stuff ain't no joke! The outside is nice. Games for the kids to play. They could clean the tables more frequently though read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - The line on a beautiful Sunday - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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When I find the perfect combination of flavors, this will go up to 5 stars. I have no doubt that Pelican's SnoBalls can make me extremely happy, but I haven't quite found it yet. :) After some mishaps (going to N Roxboro Road instead of N Roxboro St, yikes), we arrived right in the middle of the after-school rush. Ack. Luckily, I had good company and it was very enjoyable :) I LOVE the rainbow-painted benches and the giant sign that proclaims "PELICAN'S SNOBALLS" and the list of ALL the flavors (and excellent descriptions, too!) So fabulous. On the recommendation of another Yelp reviewer, I pressured my friend to get the dreamsicle and egg custard. It was alright, but I wouldn't get it again. :x Oops. I got the POG (passionfruit, orange, guava ... and something else. Pineapple?) and praline. The praline was alright, but the POG - mmmmmmm. I fell in love. :) We both got kiddie sizes (1.50!) which were quite good. I don't think I could handle larger portions. I'm really excited to try having ice cream in the middle. :D Pelican bucks are such a good deal - pay $20 and get $25 worth of Pelican Snoballs. Niiiiice. Totally going to do this with my friends. (: The weather was wonderful today for snocones, and I'm excited to come back and sit on those benches and mingle and get to know some new Durhamites. :) read more

We had passed this place several times and finally decided to give it a chance. The menu can be super overwhelming with the extensive list of options. Although more is sometimes better but when you have a 4 year old it can get a bit hectic. Thankfully we didn't go in the middle of summer time for our first try. The prices are great. You should spend $2-5 for each person depending on the size you get. They have 4 different sizes. Also, they were super fast and they have plenty of seats and games for the whole family to play. My only complaint would be the mildew that is growing on the tables. It seriously looked as if if the picnic table had freckles on it due to the amount of black mildew/mold on it. I know that the tables are open to the weather conditions but this is something that is definitely unpleasant when you try to sit down and enjoy your sno cone. read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was my first time and I am very impressed! The price is affordable and there are over 100 flavors to choose from. I got the regular size w/ the Strawberry and Pina Colada flavors and added vanilla ice cream in the middle. It was fantastic. I love the outdoor seating. There is plenty of shade and the way it is set up really tops it off. Definitely want to go back again soon! read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - Strawberry and Pina Colada (left) & Passion fruit and Pina Colada (right) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great inexpensive summer treat for kids and adults alike. Over 100 flavors, so there's something for everyone! Games for the kids, ample seating! I recommend! read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Sweet. Very sweet. Ran away with the family to the area during Hurricane Irma, and Mom called me raving saying that I had to stop and get one before heading back to the house. Ehh. I think it's all dependent on the flavors you get. There are a ton of flavors though, so that's probably the down side for me as I chose the ones that were sweeter than I expected. But everyone else seemed to love it, so that's just all on my humble opinion. read more

It's getting hot in here so take off all your clothes. Or, go get a snoball at Pelican's. There will be a line. It will be worth it. My mister got the clear versions of piña colada and cherry and I got fuzzy navel and pink lemonade mixed. The little girl in front of me got tiger's blood and with great relish and a maniacal little laugh let me know that it was indeed made of "real blood of tigers". She will haunt me forever. It is rumored that if you try all of the flavors you get a tee shirt. You go girl. Let me know how the toothpaste and dill pickle worked out for you. read more

Charged for my icee then told to come back and pay more money and I never received the gummie on top paid 12 dollars for two rg. One kid and a pup I was over charged!! And boy at window super bad customer service read more

I took my kids here this afternoon for a special icy treat. My older daughter got the grape (because she wanted something purple) and I got the Fuzzy Monkey (peach and banana flavor). I loves mine and she loved her choice also. There are so many flavors to choose from and its nice that there is a huge sign in the picnic table area so you can see what you might want to try next. I spied the dill pickle flavor and got one for me and my older daughter to try because she loves pickles. It really tastes like pickles and is salty, awesome! It was a hit and a nice non-sweet treat. Check this place out if you are adventurous, like outdoor seating and need to cool off on a hot afternoon. read more

Being that I lived in New Orleans for 10 years I'm pretty much a snowball snob. Well folks this place doesn't disappoint! True NOLA snowballs with the greatest syrups with NO corn syrup!! Yay! Millions of flavors & choices. Do yourself a favor and get some flava-flave coolness. People are great. There's also outdoor games like Jenga, darts & connect 4. There's picnic tables sit and enjoy your sweet treat. By far the best snowballs I've had since I left New Orleans! Thank you Pelican Snowballs for a taste of home in NC!' read more

Pelican's SnoBalls - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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When I was twelve my family went to Hawaii, and I discovered the wonder of shave ice. After twelve years of icky snow cones with boulder-sized chunks of ice and syrup pooled on the bottom of a paper cup, shave ice emerged as the perfect icy treat. The ice was not chunky and hard, but instead snow-life, totally absorbing any flavor you wanted to put on it-and there were many. Also, those kooky Hawaiians dressed up their shave ice with fruit and ice cream. Amazing! However, I've never been able to find any ice-based dessert that lives up to my memories of shave ice. So when I read about a new ice-based dessert place in the area, Pelican's Snoballs, I got excited. Could my shave ice dreams become a reality? I was able to try it out last Sunday, after a long day of farmer's markets and Asian markets and other markets. Pelican's Snoballs bills itself as a maker of shaved ice, and their website lists an impressive array of flavors. Pelican's has a few locations around North Carolina and recently opened up a new location in Durham on Roxboro Street. We pulled up to a small blue shack on Roxboro Street at 5:30 and there was quite a line. Well, actually, there was a group of four women ahead of us who just couldn't figure out their order. The structure only has one ordering window, so snafus like this one can cause quite a back up. By the time we were able to order there were a good ten people in line behind us. A kiddie snoball size, which is plenty big, runs you 1.50. You can also combine flavors. I had wild strawberry (not sure what makes it different from a regular strawberry) and mango. Both were refreshing and didn't taste hugely of high fructose corn syrups. And the ice texture? Well, not as chunky as a snow cone thank goodness, but not nearly as fluffy as a shaved ice. Somewhere in between. So I'll probably go back at some point to try some of the other flavors (100 flavors! Including pickles and toothpaste! Ick!) and also because it is such a reasonable summer indulgence ($1.50 and 100 calories for a kiddie size? Yes please). If anyone knows where to find amazing shave ice that will not disappoint, please let me know! read more

This place is just awesome. Great prices and the snoballs are delicious. Cantaloupe and strawberry shortcake with cream are amazing. I hope this brings more cool and inventive places to roxboro rd - it needs them. Do these guys a favor and bring cash. They accept credit cards but since it's so cheap, save them the 0.75 in merchant fees. Keep this place profitable and in business! Updating my review: Expect to wait in long lines in the summer - and the yellow jacket situation is out of hand! Corn syrup and bees - oh goodness. You can barely sit down. I think they need people emptying the trash and cleaning tables more often. read more

Pelican's continues to be amazing and does not disappoint. They've added some new features this season. They have more outdoor seating and have painted the benches and tables fun, bright colors. They also have a flavor of the month. For September, it's cookie-dough. They've got a second window added which will be staffed when the place gets busy. The long lines from the first season are a thing of the past. The owners are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. If you go often enough, you will get to know them and that will just add to the experience. If you're new to Pelican's, just know that the flavors taste exactly as described. So yes, toothpaste does taste like toothpaste. Dill pickle does taste like a dill pickle. My favorite? Sour Cherry/Sour Tsunami. Pelican's is super-fun and wonderfully delicious. If you have not tried it hurry before the season is over and you miss out! read more

This is my favorite place to go on a hot summer day! With so many flavors to choose from, anyone can have a chance to get something that they will like. Go to Pelicans if you are in need of a cool treat on a hot day! read more

You mean that I can get shaved ice, any time I want? Without going to the beach or a theme park or the state fair? Yes! That's right. Pelican's SnoBalls has a few Triangle locations. This one has a great atmosphere. It's just a little shack, where you can order your shaved ice at a very cheap price (it is just water, sugar, artificial flavors, and food coloring after all--but oh so good). They have every flavor under the sun and you can make your own combination (they also have some suggested ones). The staff is friendly and there's plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy your treat! read more

This place is pretty great! I had seen Pelican's SnoBalls often when driving home from work and always noticed the long lines. One night last weekend we were near Durham so I convinced my husband to head here for some snow cones! They have so many choices and they will let you mix up to two flavors, there is a small charge for additional flavors. They have different sizes but the kiddie size was the right size for me. At only $1.50, this is an affordable and refreshing treat for a hot summer night! I ordered my snoball with tiger's blood (cherry and coconut) and fuzzy navel. It was a nice fruity combination. My husband ordered the dill pickle. I tried a little bit and it really did taste like a pickle! I am really excited to stop here more often on my way home from work to try some more of their interesting flavor selections! read more

Wow... What a great find! I had been wanting shaved ice all weekend and just happened on this place... 100 flavors- ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? Fuzzy Monkey (peach/banana) was delightful. Hubby had chocolate cream.... Yum!! How will I ever decide! The line was short when we got there and 20 deep when we left. Can't wait for our next trip south to try another flavor!! read more

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This was the best shaved ice place I've been to in a very long time. I got the princess, which was cotton candy and grape. I will be going back again. read more

I could not believe the line. But after tasting the cups of sno ice I see why the line is so long. I hope they are there to stay... Prices aren't that bad either. read more

Pros: Decent prices Tons of flavor Many choices of add ons Fun bean bag tossing for the kids Cons: Only Seasonal Tables can be sticky at times Can get super busy, super quick! read more

I saw this place pop up and had no freaking clue what a snoball was. Hey, I'm a Jersey girl, and I've never been to Louisiana. Nonetheless I had to stop by and see what was up with crowd by the big purple sign on Roxboro Rd. There were tons of people from all different backgrounds--black, white, Latino, gay/lesbian couples, adults, kids, and so on. It's the meltiest melting pot I've ever seen in Durham, which was awesome. I next confronted a sign with a zillion different flavors -- some weird (toothpaste? really? ick), some exotic (Guava, Passionfruit), some completely unknown to me (J-pile? Tigers blood? whuh?). You choose which size, and you can also get multiple flavors with the same pile of ice for all sizes. I went with a half/half Dreamsicle and Egg Custard, and oh. my. gosh. Pure heaven on a hot-as-an-oven summer day. It's shaved ice, but very finely shaved--not as gritty as what you made with your Snoopy Sno-cone machine as a kid. The flavors were perfect, not overly sweet or syrupy. It's insanely refreshing and a reasonable treat for those counting calories (100 cal for a small snoball). If you want to be more decadent, you can stuff a ball of their homemade ice cream in the ice (which I haven't yet tried). I've since sampled a number of other flavors, and my other favorites include Vanilla Coke, Blackberry, and Pina Colada. Sigh. This place has become my new obsession. I can't tell you how many times I've taken a detour on the way home when driving in my hot-as-balls car, needing something to cool down my baking self. Definitely 5 star worthy. read more

The best place ever to get snow cones! These are the softest snow cones (or sno balls) that I've had and I love that the flavor actually becomes one with the shaved ice. My favorite flavors are pina colada, strawberry daiquiri and watermelon. They have so many flavors to choose from and a nice area to sit outside. Great for kids also! read more

Coconut and wedding cake are my faves plus they're clear.

Treat yourself to Durham Newsiet. Koolest New spot!! Try the Fuzzy Navel.!! Get's ne vote! 100 different favors! You can mix and match! Make your own flava!!! read more

Pelican's is always a nice treat on a warm summer night (or day). They have at least 100 different flavors of shaved ice and you get a lot for your money! I always get a small and seem to have leftovers...recently I've had cherry (excellent) and birthday cake (disappointing). I will definitely be back to try some more flavors!! read more

We love this place. It is a fun treat for the kids. Their shaved ice has such a nice consistency and there are 100 flavors to choose from! I have to admit I am a "spider man" flavor lover. My daughter likes to try a different flavor every time. When we first started going we would get the medium size, but that's a ridiculous amount of sugar for us (I don't even know how people get the biggest size called the avalanche), so from then on we have only gotten the kiddie size. It's been perfect for us. Oh, and we always pay the $20 for the $25 of pelican bucks, though I wish I didn't have to carry around the coins. read more

Really liked their clean prices (2, 3, 4, 5 dollars) You can't really go wrong on flavors. And the longer you look at the list, they all sound about the same. Just go with your first instinct. Pick 2 or 3 flavors and go with it! read more

I am from MD and have been craving an egg custard snowball. Pelican did NOT disappoint!! The kiddie size is the perfect amount. Can't wait to go back! read more

Awesome place! The guy who works there ( I don't know his name, since I am new to Durham:) is the Best. He can memorize tons of flavors that you want, take orders from a few people at the time and never made a mistake! Snow balls are delicious there! read more

Best snowcones in town! They have an amazing selection (try my favorite --cake batter), and their prices are reasonable.

These are delicious. It's also a great community meeting place where differences literally melt away as you meet with your Flavor Advisory Board comprised of perfect strangers of all types who are in front of or behind you in line. read more

i don't even understand how some shaved ice and sugary syrup could be good but it really works. highly refreshing on these 95 degree days! i loved the sour cherry on my first visit and can't wait to try other flavors. read more

Great snowcones and selection of flavored and extras. Friendly staff, although the wait time can sometimes be a little longer than you'd like. read more

Just had a mango strawberry snowball, it was great!!!

I'm surprised to see the 3 and 4 star ratings. We're talking shaved ice folks, 100 flavors (none I've tried gross sweet), cool brightly painted benches, games for kids to play (and there are ALWAYS families and kids there), and a plenty big "kiddie" size snocone is only a buck and a half. If it's not already, this place is destined to be a Durham classic. read more