I just went there for the first time and wow! The service is great they are so kind the product is actually so good I definitely recommend for people who like Rita's read more

Neighborhood Ices and ice cream. They have a system. The ice cream is excellent. Not creamy like gelato but flavorful and plentiful. Prices are reasonable. Perfect for post hike at Lake Roland. read more

See all

My family is full of diverse tastes and sometimes ice cream nights can be difficult decisions. My daughter wants soft serve, my son wants a milkshake. I need something vegan. My wife just wants fresh squeezed lemonade. Tropicool is one of the places that make ice cream night easy. Tropicool has soft serve (vanilla, chocolate and twist). They do old fashioned milkshakes. They have an extensive list of Italian Ice flavors. They do lemonade. They also offer smoothies and gelato. The big draw, for me, is the extensive amount of Italian ice flavors that Tropicool has in stock. Since these are just ice and flavoring they are dairy free. They have quite a few fruit flavors which is what I tend to gravitate towards. The Mojito has been a favorite of mine because it is not overly sweet, it has a nice tart taste. The prices seems reasonable here. We can order something for each of us and not feel we are breaking the bank. The service has always been quick. Even when we show up and the line is seven or eight deep, the line moves quickly. The one downside of Tropicool is that it doesn't offer much area to sit and enjoy your cold treat. It is more of an order and go place. If you are with a group with diverse tastes who are wanting Italian Ice, smoothies, gelato, soft serve and/or milkshakes, Tropicool is the place to go. read more

Black cherry, watermelon and mango with marshmallow ices at Tropicool Italian Ices on Falls! I am not an ices fan, but our manager treated us as a thank you (we sat in the shade). I knew I wanted watermelon and marshmallow as childhood flavors. Then I asked the young man (as the ices professional) what two other flavors he recommended as "complementary" to it. Nor am I a mango person. However, the sweet mixture was the best! Nice staff and many flavors plus soft serve, as well. Might be the best ices around here! read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - Black cherry, watermelon and mango with marshmallow - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Tropicool reminds me of NY's Italian Ice, its smooth with rich flavor. Ginger & Black Cherry are my absolute fav's (real ginger & black cherry pieces) Very reasonable prices, the staff are young adults that are very polite & respectful. The owner of this amazing place is wonderful!!!! If you try Tripicool you will say "Rita's Who" Hands down the best Italian Ice I've ever had in the state. read more

The absolute best place to get italian ice and soft serve ice cream, even on a rainy day! The lemon ice is by far the best ever and the soft serve is truly unmatched. The consistency from both the ice cream and italian ice are unique and delectable! There is nothing like it! Additionally, the staff are always nice! read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - lemon ice - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I took my students here Tuesday afternoon after a hike. For the amount of students we had, we got quality treats for an affordable cost! The owner is theeeeee sweetest!!! She took her time with our kids and had so much patience. The ladies assisting her were working extremely hard and ensured everyone's items were correctly made. Due to stopping in early it wasn't too packed as this place tends to be a neighborhood favorite. We sat outside and enjoyed our frozen treats! We will forever be a fan of Tropicool! Thanks again for your kindness and patience's with our youngins. We will be back soon ! read more

Awesome ice cream and Italian ice no doubt about but the customer service was iffy... I am young and I understand people have low patience but it did come off a little passive aggressive as the woman taking my order was a older white woman. It was making me not really want to order here by myself as I am learning. I thought she would give me some leeway because I am young but it came off as she was talking to me like I was slow or incompetent. But other than that the ice cream is delicious. read more

By far the best Italian ice around! Can't beat the flavors of the price. Rita's is nonexistent in my book.

Do you like soft serve ice cream? No? WHY THE HELL NOT?! What is wrong with you? Oh, you do? ARE YOU CHANGING YOUR MIND BECAUSE I YELLED AT YOU? Doesn't matter. If you like soft serve, or even if you don't and pretend to: this is the place for soft serve. Sure, sure, there are other places that have soft serve in the Baltimore area, but none of them are Tropicool. They don't even come close to being as cool or tropic. Staff is friendly! They see to know their regular customers really well. I hope to be one eventually. Ice cream: tasty, and exactly what I want when I am craving the soft serve. You can get sprinkles or not. You can get it in a cone or not. Or a waffle cone. Just a few options, but enough to make you think about what you want. Sometimes in the afternoon, the line is 10 people long at the right time. Other times it's 1 person long...and sometimes you're that person. The ebb and flow of customers in line is a science I have no understanding of yet when it comes to Tropicool. But I do know waiting in line is worth it so I can get my hands on a cone filled with chocolate soft serve. read more

I always look forward to TROPICOOL - opening up! I have been going to this company for DECADES and love the varieties of the Gelato toppings. I usually get a milk shake every year for my birthday. The Head Manager is very nice, she remembers her customers and service is smooth. I can't wait for this place to start the new year soon. read more

I love this place! Owner knowledgeable & has a huge amount of flavors. I always buy lemon & ginger together. The ginger has pieces of real ginger. Plenty of parking, cheerful & friendly young servers. A-one! read more

Yum! Great taste and great value for 20+ years. From spring to late fall, great dessert stop. So many flavor choices and combinations. Cherry and lemon combo is my go-to favorite but my daughter is much more adventurous - recently ordering Egg custard with cotton candy gellati. Carryout Only but pizza shop (Pepe's) next door if you want a quick lunch/dinner before Tropicool dessert. read more

Tropicool is our go-to place for flavored ice. I especially like half-ginger&half-lemon. The folks who work there are always nice.

Perfect....Perfect... and Perfect. If you are familiar with Philadelphia Water Ice... this is as good as it gets on this end of I95!!! Philly may have Cheesesteaks and Water Ice on lock-Down. But Baltimore cant be challenged Koco's Pub Crab Cakes and Tropicool Italian Ice ( a perfect pairing read more

Had some family visiting who wanted ice cream and water ice. This establishment had been on my radar for a while, so it was the perfect time to go. Among the three of us we ordered a strawberry water ice, pineapple water ice and peach gelato. Everyone loved their desserts, except me. I had the pineapple water ice and it was freezer burnt. The flavors are more natural and less sweet than Rita's, which is why it was on my radar. The consistency is much thicker and it lasted a long time before melting, so you really can enjoy your treat before it becomes juice. read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

My favorite snowball stand in Baltimore. So many different flavors. I'll travel to thos location before trying another one. Shaved ice!

The owner is nasty and impatient. I can choose from multiple snowball stands and receive better tasting Gelato and respectful customer service read more

I've been going for many years, just can't get enough. I've had Rita's and tried many italian ice places, but the flavor options and quality here is the best. The ice is always a good texture and the creaminess of the soft serve balances everything out. My go to is half and half strawberry/egg custard with vanilla. My partner's favorite are the chocolate milkshakes which are thick and very chocolatey. Over the summer we can't seem to stay away, sometimes we go a few times a week. Our dog really loves getting frosty paws. When we're on the highway, he can tell where we're going and gets super excited when we near the parking lot. We're kind of embarrassed, but we're also met at the window with smiles and they always remember our order! We just have to keep going for the dog, he really needs his fix sometimes. read more

Having never visited beforehand, my young son and I went twice this week. Holy Hanna, the older lady (most other employees are young, cute, and super polite) at the counter was laughably rude. On our first visit, after placing an order with a younger member of the staff, the older lady shewed the employee away (to prepare the order?), then asked me if I wanted anything. I asked if she were aware of the order I just placed with the now embarrassed younger employee, in order to avoid confusion. She barked back "IN ADDITION TO YOUR ORDER, SIR!" in the most condescending way. Giving the place another chance, our second visit was met with even more wrath from this lovely older lady. I was told to wait under a red umbrella. Two nano seconds later she yelled "RED UMBRELLA", pointing wildly at it like a crazy person. While still waiting for my order, I went to the counter to grab a few napkins. I suppose she thought I had disobeyed her "umbrella" commands and said "WAIT OVER THERE, SIR!". She must own the joint, since she'd otherwise be a highly fire-able employee. I shan't be making a third visit. read more

Ommmmmmmmmg my new favorite place ! I had the birthday cake Italian ice was sooo yummy like I was mad it was gone! Great flavor and prices ! read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - Birthday cake remix - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Tropicool is a viable option for a spur of the moment run for something sweet...if you don't exactly want to travel that far to get it and/or are willing to compromise on the experience. I'm usually all for local joints but I've found that there are quite a few more misses than hits here. First, the positives - they offer unique ice flavors such as Starlite and Watermelon and they have Frosty Paws on the menu for your four legged friends. On to the downside - their product quality is not consistent, the ice is icy rather than creamy but more importantly, the service is mediocre at best. The kids that work there are friendly, but when the boss is there, it's a whole other story...and she is there more often then not. Again, Tropicool is fine every once in awhile - but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way for it. Especially not when you have Taharka Bros. just across the way...or even a Rita's up the road. read more

This my families goto place in the summer. Their ice is smooth not chunky and filled with ice bits. So much better than a snow cone....or what Marylanders call snowball. read more

Tropicool is a family owned little ice cream stand. They have gelati, Italian ice, soft serve ice cream, smoothies and more. I've been to Tropicool many times over the years. If you go on a hot summer day expect to wait in line. The ice cream is well worth the wait! The raspberry gelati with vanilla soft serve is my absolute favorite. If unsure about which flavor to choose just ask for a sample. The servers are helpful and informative. Note: they have a tiny parking lot that they share with a pizza place next door. If the lot is full park across the street. read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - Raspberry Gelati with vanilla soft serve. - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The woman who was working there was rude to me without her even acknowledging it. She asked what I wanted I wanted a strawberry and chocolate water ice mixture. This mixture has chocolate chips in it so I ordered a chocolate chip with strawberry. Now this place has a mint chocolate chip too so she was confused and so I repeated to her my order. As soon as I repeated my order she fired back at me like I was a child that I needed to know that her place had both on the menu. I had said under my breath get over it lady I mixed up. Then she said in an aggressive tone of what did you say? So I let her have it I told her I did not appreciate being scolded so rudely. She had no response because there was nothing for her to say. She just looked at me. I told her her to keep it, I didn't want it! People should remember how to talk appropriately! This is a business the customer is always right. However, she never apologized! She probably does think she did anything wrong. I hope she doesn't treat the girls that work there this way. read more

I tried this place for the first time last week, at the recommendation from a friend. The Italian ice (gelati) and the custard (soft serve) was sooo good! I've never tried it mixed but I was pleasantly pleased. I tried the black cherry and it was super sweet - great flavor. I'll be in the area today so I'm stopping by with the family. Glad to find an alternative to the Rita's. read more

The ices here are awesome; however, the owner is grumpy and snarky. She is far from helpful, giving sharp, sarcastic responses when I asked about dairy free options. Every time I go there, I always seems to forget how horrible she is till I have to run into her. It's a shame because the gelati is amazing. read more

Customer service is bad. I went there once, thought I'd give it another try. The girl working the window is nice but I think it's the owner who's not that nice. I got reprimanded for stepping over the line at the window but to get your drinks you literally have to lean all the way over. Drinks decent, service sucks read more

Tropicool is a great place to hit in the city. They have excellent italian ice (got the new flavor Ginger last night, yum yum) and even better soft serve. My guys often come for the soft serve with sprinkles. The sizes are generous, and the long lines are a testament to how good it is here. Pretty much, there will always be a line, but the staff moves fast without making you feel like you're being rushed. They've even got doggie ice cream for your best friend. All around good times for the family. read more

Tropicool is absolutely amazing, I went 4 days ago & I found myself there this afternoon. Lydia the owner is so very nice and attentive, she honestly appreciates her customers!!! I love this place, I've told everyone I kno about Tropicool Italian Ice. This place reminds me of the water ice in New York, the Hispanic ppl pushing the freezer carts through out the parks in Brooklyn. No spoons, just a napkin and movement of your hands pushing the ice up to eat if from the small Dixie cups. 4 flavors for $1.25 boy do I miss that. But Lydia and Tropicool is the next best thing!!! This place needs 10 Stars read more

Delicious! The service was friendly for me. The watermelon ice and banana smoothie were great. I'm happy to have an Italian ice spot nearby!

Super rude owner! I almost never write reviews but I must say that I have never met someone so unprofessional in my life. She got my order wrong and when I corrected her she yelled "That's what I said!!" It wasn't. She misspoke and was too embarrassed to admit it. So instead she got nasty. My young children were appalled by her behavior. Even they knew she was being inappropriate. Please avoid this place at all costs. read more

Decided to treat my 2 year old to some ice cream and just picked this place out of random since it was down the street from the house. We got two small cones with the swirl frozen yogurt it was about $6 all together. The ice cream was good. Only negative is I wish they had some outdoor seating to enjoy the ice cream because I didn't want her to have it in the car. We may sat on the steps to enjoy. read more

Tropicool Italian Ice - a truck and a sign - Desserts Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Have been going to this place for several summers because they have sugar free ices. Went there today and the ice I got was terrible. It had no flavor and looked like it was about 2 years old- the ice crystals were even turning white. When I returned the product, I was told too bad, they could give me a sugar ice (not an option ) but could not refund my money. The ice was so bad, I left a jumbo size with them having taken only 2 bites. I will not be going here ever again. The drink was absolutely horrible and had no flavor at all. To top it off, the little girl that worked there was very rude. read more

I went for the first and only time today. They got BOTH of my orders wrong. My first order was missing marshmallow so I told the cashier. She gave me the option of having it on the side or them making it over and I chose to have it done over. I ordered a regular sized ice 10 oz, my new ice with marshmallow was in a large cup 20 oz. HALF of the 20oz cup was marshmallow! There was SO MUCH marshmallow that I had to come home and empty the marshmallow in a new cup to even get to the ice. For my second order, the flavors were wrong but they swore to me that they weren't. I'll never patronize this place again. Do better! read more

Excellent in every way. I'm going back tomorrow for more. I told the owner we were visiting from out of town and had read some great reviews on the place. I had the Egg Custard which was quite delicious, and the kids had the chocolate soft serve with M&Ms. The owner came out and chatted with us for a while. She told us about some great local places to check out on our trip. The info really helped because we had no clue where anything was. Thank you very much. I highly recommend this place. Great treats, superb service with wonderful hospitality. The parking lot stayed packed. As soon as one car left, there was another waiting to pull in. You gotta try the Egg Custard! read more

This place is the bomb!! Puts any gelati to shame. It's one of our favorite stops in the summer! They have so many flavors and you can do half & half! My favorite is half mango half ginger. And the custard!!! To. Die. For. Check this place out! read more

The mango vanilla gelati is AMAZING!!! Seriously the best refreshing tasty treat you can get! During the summer we go at least three times a week lol!!! read more

one word, banana, the most delightful flavor at Tropicool. Went there yesterday and got a cotton candy/ Banana icy. It was delicious, I was in another world with my taste buds on overload. If you haven't been here you check it out, its good, cheep, and everyone there is friendly. read more

First of all, I love that this place is Italian ice instead of sno cones. Instead of syrupy and sickly sweet, it has a subtle flavor that tastes more like actual fruit. I also love that their smalls are actually small. I usually have to throw away half my frozen dessert, but these are just the right size. I got half pineapple, half coconut, both flavors were amazing. They also have freshly squeezed lemonade, which they ask if you want tart, sweet, or middle of the road. I think our total was something like $3.50. I said, "we're together," -- it was the price for both our orders. Awesome! read more