This place is adorable, and on top of that the shaved ice is so good. It's fluffy and it melts in your mouth. The flavors are perfect. They have vegan options along with options that have milk. We are vegan and got the strawberry chocolate one and the chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch one. And WOW. They tasted phenomenal! The woman who served us is the owner and she is a gem. She was very polite, made sure we enjoyed our treat. She was friendly and she kept the place clean and running all on her own. The inside of the place is clean, adorable and they have many games for all age ranges to play while you eat or wait for your freshly made shave ice. I highly recommend this establishment if you are new to shaved ice or a seasoned customer. This place is a must see, and taste for yourself. read more

Vampire Penguin - Strawberry chocolate - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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Why 5 stars? Because this is worth the drive from anywhere in Tampa Bay. --- --- --- This place is basically my dream. When we walked in, it was explained that they serve something that's basically a mix of shaved ice and ice cream. Every single time I have shaved ice, I wish it were thicker/smoother. Every time I eat ice cream, I wish it were a bit lighter. Again, this place is my dream. Easily the worst part of the experience is having to choose what to order because every item looks like it could change your life. I truly wish I had the stomach capacity to sit in here for a few hours and just order like ten of these. We ended up landing on the S'mores and the Banana Cream Pie. I could not have been happier with these choices. The entire time, I kept wishing that there was a location closer to our house. Then again, I can't complain - every other Vampire Penguin location is in California, besides the one in the Philippines. How random that they opened a location in Seminole, Florida, of all places? But I'm so happy that they did. This place is easily one of my favorite desserts spots in Tampa Bay, even after just one visit. All other shaved ice is now ruined for me. read more

Vampire Penguin - S'mores - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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This place is crazy. Honestly didn't know what to expect, we came here sort of out of curiosity. There's desert and fruit flavors and a some asian inspired flavors. It's shaved "snow", so it has the density of something between ice cream and shave ice. The flavors are great but it definitely confuses your pallet. I've literally never had anything like it. Definitely worth a shot, it's much lower calorie and sugar than you're going to get in a traditional desert, and the flavor options are really pretty great. read more

Vampire Penguin - Strawcocodew? I think. - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

Just wow! This truly is a unique spin on dessert. The desserts are a shaved ice with the consistency of ice cream when you bite into it. When you take your spoon and grab a bite full of the dessert it falls apart like sand in a sand castle. Truly unique and delicious! My boyfriend tried the Smoreos and I tried the Cotton Candy! The Smoreos was primarily a chocolate flavor with crushed Oreos mixed in the ice topped with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate sauce! For the Cotton Candy I decided to add strawberry boba in place of the whipped cream and it was a great choice. Each bite was sweet and melted in my mouth - literally! The best part is that you don't feel gross after eating this dessert, it feels fresh and satisfies the sweet tooth. I love how unique the brand is too - definitely something I haven't heard of before! A must try in Tampa Bay! read more

Vampire Penguin - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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There was a one employee on shift when I stopped in. She was both making orders and working the front desk at the same time, and there were 15+ people waiting. This worker was INCREDIBLE, friendly, and very efficient. She made sure everyone was taken care of as quickly as possible, and handled a stressful shift with a smile on her face. Thank you!! read more

Vampire Penguin - Coconut and taro, condensed milk, and mango boba - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

The taste and texture is indescribable and amazing! We tried Affogato, Milk Tea snd Smoreo. The perfect after dinner treat! not too heavy, but so satisfying. read more

Great Vietnamese shaved-ice. The staff was great and friendly and the environment was chill.

Stupendous! One word that describes this place Ever since I was brought here i have absolutely loved Vampire Penguin. They're not kidding when they call it shaved snow, as it's a unique texture and consistency that i believe is only matched to snow. My favorite thing here is the snow thaiger, as i am a huge fan of thai tea. It's thai tea flavored snow with oreo crumbs and condensed milk, so i don't see what's not to love! I also love adding the popping mango boba. I think it's killer value for the portion sizes, considering the exuberant prices that some ice cream shops around the area charge, as it's also a unique experience in of itself I've also tried the halo halo which is good as well! Don't forget to use the yelp check in for a free topping! They also have a rewards program if you provide your number, while i'll admit not the best, is still better than nothing. read more

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Would love to have given a thorough review, but after showing up at 7:55 with our two littles in tow, we were told "sorry, already cleaned our machine" by the young lady at the front. What is this, McDonalds?! Totally bummed since it was a birthday treat for our oldest. The entire dining room and patio was full of customers still eating. She was not kind in the slightest, so total bummer. Next time, be sure to turn off the open sign if you're closing early. read more

Stopped at Vampire Penguin since I was visiting the area. Looked really interesting so I had to try it out. It's probably the most unique dessert I've ever tried. I read that it's even dairy free from what I understood which makes me wonder how they get it so creamy tasting. It's kind of like shaved ice and flavored based on what dessert you order. The shaved ice though melts in your mouth and has a creamy feel to it, so it's not like a snow cone by any means. Try it out! read more

Vampire Penguin - Dulce De Leche- Small - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

We were looking for a shaved ice place when my wife came across this. The name alone was enough to draw us in to see what it was all about and let me say we still werent ready for it. They have a build your own option but we all chose to go with their specialty builds. I got the Vampire Penguin which was a green tea flavored with strawberries, sweet red beans and sliced almonds (i opted out of those). My son got the Smoreos, which is what exactly it sounds like. My wife and daughter split the Sweet Tooth, a cotton candy flavored snow with whipped cream and marshmellows. First off its not just slapped into a bowl and served to you, they take the time to plate it and make it as visually appitizing as it was flavor wise. Being a professional chef I always enjoy to see a good plating served to me rather then just carelessly thrown in something like a lot of places similar to this seem to do. The texture I have to say reminded all of us of kinetic sand and it was creamy and melted in your mouth. All flavors were good, however personally I didnt care for the Smoreo but I was alone in this opinion, shown by my 4 year olds dive over the table to steal another taste of her brothers. I also have to mention that Gregory (appologies if its spelled wrong) was fantastic, and not just because he like the shirt I was wearing. He was extremly knowledgable about the menu and even the history of the namesake when my wife asked about it. All and all it was an amazing way to end the evening and we are hoping for another chance to try it again before we head home from our vacation. read more

Vampire Penguin - Vampire Penguin(Bottom Left) Smoreo (Bottom Right) Sweet Tooth (Top Center) - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

The Mrs and I almost always shoot for ice cream as our dessert option when we do date nights. When I found this spot, it reminded me of the shaved ice spot we went to on our New Orleans trip a few years ago. The first thing the attendant told us was "if you love ice cream, you'll love our snow!" She did not lie. Flavored shaved ice takes this dessert to the next level. So much fun too. The story of the vampire Penguin (and it's friend Walrus!) is so fun but sad at the same time. Either way Mr. (Mrs?) Vampire, your dessert options are delicious. They have a menu of flavor options like peanut butter cup, cookies and cream, dole whip! I got the red velvet shaved ice which came with crushed Oreos, condensed milk and whipped cream. Very good! Not overly sweet but enough to calm that sweet tooth. We left with the expectation that we will be back! read more

Vampire Penguin - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

Found this place here on Yelp and it did not disappoint. This is flavored snow! Absolutely delicious anyway you want it. Staff were friendly, service was great. The prices were decent and the environment was clean. Parking is in a plaza so parking is slightly limited but free. read more

Vampire Penguin - Tuxedo - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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We tried four different flavors and everything was so unique, refreshing and so different and tasted really really good read more

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Super fluffy. Almost like nitrogen powder. My kids loved it too. We will be back. Friday night was very busy. Shop is small. Outdoor seating. read more

This place is pretty cool. It's an interesting desert. It's like eating shaved ice yet it's less dense and more creamy like ice cream but it's not ice cream. It comes out in a crazy dome/volcano shape. You can get a large (too big for one person) or a small volcano. They have multiple flavors to choose from and lots of topping options as well. You can build your own or you can choose from many different standard concoctions. I picked a regular one, I think it was vanilla with caramel and bananas. My wife picked one with watermelon and a Mexican candy spice. The dessert itself is very light so you don't walk away feeling full like you can with ice cream. The atmosphere in the shop is okay but, its a bit cramped inside so be ready to be involved in everyone else's conversations or have some crazy weird eye contact with the table outside while you are inside or the one next to you. Overall: Cool idea and great dessert item. Will for sure go back and I will be taking people here for an excellent and different dessert. read more

Craving shaved ice, but don't want to bite into chunks of ice? Then this is the spot for you. Their shaved ice is very fine and melts in your mouth as shaved ice should. You have the option of customizing your shaved ice or going with one of their specialities. They had so many options that we went with their flight where you can choose any four flavors. The shaved ice came decked out in toppings and looked too pretty to eat. We got the halo halo, vampire penguin, peanut butter cup, and snow tiger. Our favorite one was easily the halo halo. We would totally come back to just get a big one of just halo halo and try out some other flavors! read more

Vampire Penguin - From left to right, Halo-Halo, Vampire Penguin, Peanut Butter Cup, Snow Tiger - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

Shame on me for waiting so long to review Vampire Penguin. This was an outstanding dessert! My friend Brett N and I disagree all the time except on two things we both love: frozen sugar and Disney parks. When he was raving about Vampire Penguin I knew I'd be making the long drive over to Seminole. In the past I've had snow cones, Italian ice, Hawaiian shave ice, snow, etc but this ice dessert still managed to be unlike anything I've ever had before. It's so light that it almost melts instantly in your mouth while still being quite flavorful. It's not a heavy dessert either. I got the s'mores because I love chocolate and enjoyed it so much. They have a wide variety of interesting other flavors such as Thai tea, taro, Mexican candy, and cotton candy. I wish this place was closer so that I could try all of them. Please open a location in Tampa! read more

Vampire Penguin - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

Delish!!! Staff is great and always offers suggestions! We love the orange/ vanilla .. Twix ... s'mores ... all are yummy read more

Amazing dessert light, fluffy and not too sweet! Truly something special! My fav dessert!

Highly recommend. The kids love to build their own. Clean place. Will be going again! read more

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Yummy!! Finally something fun and big city unique nearby! Very flavorful and light on the tummy yet very satisfying. Ice cream creativity! We shared the large mint chocolate and went back for more to share the small orangesicle, perfect dessert. The main attraction is like an sno-cone in texture but robust with flavor like your favorite ice cream. A must try. Super friendly staff and quick service even with a line out the door. Highly recommended! read more

Vampire Penguin - Mint chocolate - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

I love shaved ice but shaved snow was a new concept. The employee was patient explaining while confident and enthusiastic about the shops product. And - wow! Yum! And the vampire penguin theme was embodied in the fun decorative touches in the simple but more than adequate seating space. Recommend! read more

I heard about this place when I was out of town and couldn't believe I hadn't found it sooner! I love shaved snow and had been very sad when the cafe I used to get it at years ago stopped selling it! Super happy I found this place and I appreciate the efforts they made to keep the staff safe and still be able to sell their product! I got the Almond Joy which was super delicious! Already scoped out the next two I want to try as well and I can't wait to go back to try them! read more

Vampire Penguin - I was so happy when I noticed they layered! - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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Oh YES!! I even could get something vegan style. I'm not sure exactly what was in the bowl because I forgot to write this. :) But it was delicious and I've had this twice. First time we had it delivered. Way cool to have shaved fluffy snow delivered!! Second time I just had to go and try it in person!! Yep it was great!! Very friendly and delicious. Yellow bow ties!! read more

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Great food, great service. We've been several times and each time was a wonderful. Will certainly continue going back.

Disclaimer : I've held on to my man card since I came out of the womb. In no way shape or form will going to this store cancel any benefits with owning one. It's a very fun, small, and cold place to go to. It's shaved ice and I'm assuming it's kept cold in there for the dessert. It's small with comfortable seating as well as board games. The shaved ice was very fun to eat. The family next to us with kids where in awe saying things like "it's so fluffy" "The texture is different" The texture is different? Who in the world talks like that when they're 8 years old? There are pre made choices or build your own. We went with the premade choice cause it would have been a little too confusing for us to choose all the toppings. We ordered the halo halo. It was banging! I want to return and try all the flavors and pre made choices. Yes the texture is different. It's shaved ice and fun to eat. read more

Everyone in here is super nice. The snow is amazing top five dessert ever. Not super sweet but plenty of flavor. I won't lie we had it three times in one week! The only bad side is they turn off the online ordering after 4 or 5 so you can't get it delivered. Worth the drive though read more

Cute shop that serves a desert that is a snowcone of ice-cream, it melts very fast but it feels lighter than an Ice cream so you will want to eat more than you should haha. The four of us ordered two different ones, the strawberry one and a chocolate one. Cute shop, fun idea, we have these in Texas and they do pretty well, def worth checking out read more

Great experience! My girlfriend and I have been trying to make it out here and when we finally did we were NOT disappointed! I had the coffee and vanilla snow and my girlfriend has...something with banana. Both of them was such a nice light dessert! Definitely will have to come back. Excellent service and hospitality! read more

Vampire Penguin - Coffee and vanilla snow - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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This was delicious and I'll be back definitely. The flavors are perfect and it is the type of ice cream that doesn't weigh you down after u eat it. This was very light but with awesome flavors. I am very much addicted to this place. I love the set up too the way it's decorated and such it's a fun place to go read more

Delicious. The snow just melts in your mouth. The flavor combos are plenty and you can pick whatever craving you're in the mood for. The lady that helped us was very nice and explained everything to us. I watched her interact with everyone there and she was so friendly! Plenty of seating and the interior is cute. I got the s'mores (chocolate snow ice) and my son got the snow tiger which was a thai tea snow flavor. So yummy! Presentation also on point and makes for insta and snap worthy pics! Will definitely be back even though this isn't in our neck of the woods. It's different from the other dessert places in the area for sure. read more

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Yessss this place! California has sent us the coolest, guilt-free dessert joint EVER! From the hip offbeat decor and chill tunes, to the sweet-as-their-cotton-candy snow owner ... I can't boast enough about this little gem planted in somewhat snoozeville Seminole. Great little date spot for first encounter Bumble hopefuls looking to make a lifelong connection to parents celebrating with their kids after a successful or even not-so-successful soccer game. Vampire Penguin breathes new life into a strip mall some may have never even noticed. Get there, soon! read more

Being that fiancé is all about Penguins she saw this little shop in Seminole so we decided to try it. I was thinking...shaved ice so I was expecting my order with tiny ice pieces in a cup or bowl. I was very surprised, I ordered Coffee toffee and my fiancé ordered the Halo halo flavor and there were no tiny pieces of ice. In comparison the shaved ice was like a very fine snow almost powder like that's shaped into mound out yummy, goodie deliciousness. My fiancé's Halo Halo order tasted better than how I make it. It was YUMMERS!!! It was not too cold where it gives you a brain freeze when you take a bite. I would recommend you visit this place. The staff is friendly and very helpful should you have any questions on what to order, they'll even try describe the taste in comparison to what you are familiar with. Well def visit again! read more

Vampire Penguin - Coffee toffee - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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Value 4/5 Taste 5/5 Service 5/5 Presentation of food 5/5 Appearance of the establishment 5/5 read more

Vampire Penguin - Pina Colada - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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OMG! So yummy. It is more like ice cream then a snow cone. Try the Polar Affrogato. You won't be disappointed! read more

Vampire Penguin - Polar Affrogato - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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I have been wanting to try this place for a while but waited until after the first COVID lockdown to give it a go. I find it funny that it's located next to a Crunch Gym, but I guess it's a bit "healthier" than ice cream? I couldn't tell because it was delicious! I had their version of the Dole Whip as I wanted something refreshing. It was vanilla ice cream with pineapple shaved ice topped with pineapple pieces and whipped cream. Super yum. The young woman who helped me was super friendly and walked me through the options. I'll definitely be back! read more

This place is so cool, quick service and everything is delicious. The girl that took our order was very kind and personable. We will be back! read more

Vampire Penguin - Coffee toffee - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida

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I can't really give an opinion on the product because we did not get to try it. As soon as we walked in the door our feet were sticking to the floor and there was a big pile of dirty dishes in a basin on the counter right under the sign that list all of their flavors and sizes. This place was FILTHY and nobody seemed to care. No one acknowledged us in anyway. The two employees were too busy standing behind the counter yakking. Never again. read more

I saw their sign when we were driving to the beach so we excitedly went back for dessert Friday evening. I had the Banana Cream one and my husband had the Strawberry Shortcake one. It was amazing. They told us about the sampler plates while we were enjoying our desserts so we had to come back on Saturday evening. We each got a four sampler plate and they were all amazing. I especially liked the butterfinger one. Next time we are in town I will get a full size butterfinger one. read more

Vampire Penguin - Desserts - Desserts Near Me - Seminole, Florida