The coolest place to be on a summer night in Brooklyn might just be Ample Hills Creamery. I’d heard about this NYC ice cream spot for years but never been until this past weekend. I showed up to their awesome Gowanus location (complete with rooftop seating) at 10pm on a Saturday night expecting to get an easy scoop.  I was shocked to find a line out the door and wrapped all around the ice cream parlor!

Ample Hills Creamery in Gowanus, Brooklyn

 Ample Hills ice cream opened their first shop in Prospect Heights in 2011, you’d think the hype would have died down by now. Nope!  Since then they’ve expanded to 7 other New York locations (I’m counting their Jersey City shop in that number) and become widely regarded as the best ice cream in town. They have grand plans to expand outside the NYC area, but so far to get Ample Hill you must be in New York or Disney’s Epcot in Florida. Yep, this ice cream meets the extremely high standards of both New York and Disney.

Like any New York cliché I haaaaate waiting in lines. This Ample Hills situation gave me painful flashbacks to shopping at Trader Joe’s when NYC only had the one location at 14th Street.

 

 

The thing is, it takes pretty much exactly the length of the full-store-epic-line to chose what flavor(s) you want. Ample Hills is known for rivaling Ben and Jerry’s with their imaginative flavors and oh boy do they not disappoint!

What are the flavors at Ample Hills Creamery like?

Here’s a taste of some of the sweetest of their offerings:

Baby, I Was Churned This Way: “Salted hazelnut with chocolate-covered rainbow sunflower seeds

It Came From Gowanus: “Salted dark chocolate ice cream with hazelnut crack cookies topped with white chocolate pearls and orange-scented brownies”

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake: “The creamiest vanilla ice cream made with cream cheese and gobs of St. Louis-style ooey gooey butter cake

I tried the Ooey Gooey, because I can’t resist a name like that andI had to see if it lived up to it’s “creamiest” claim. I also tried Peppermint Pattie because there’s nothing like mint in the summer! With over 20 creative flavors, I was glad I could pick 2! Even though I ordered the smallest “kids” size!

That right there is the kid’s size. Sure, sure, you can call me a wuss for getting the smallest size but I really couldn’t have handled more! Ample Hills ice cream is extra creamy and incredibly flavorful. They’re very generous with tastes before you commit to a cone or cup! If you love chunks in your ice cream, you will fall in love. The patties in my Peppermint Pattie flavor were even made in-house. You’ll even find “out-of-the-carton” mix-ins like saltines and Ritz crackers. Ample Hills isn’t afraid of ice cream risks! That said, I don’t think everyone will adore this place. Those who like their frozen treats fruity (they have one slightly interesting lemon sorbet and one basic strawberry option – that’s it for fruit) and smooth (seriously – CHUNKS) would do better at a gelato shop!

All milk is pasteurized on site which allows for maximum flavor creativity. It would be easy to call them the Ben and Jerry’s of NYC, but Ample Hills is really it’s own unique thing. The company prides themselves in using the best ingredients to make the best ice cream, but also in making every shop a really fun place to hang out. The Gowanus location has  tables covered in images from vintage ice cream/soda fountains, a kids’ play corner where they can play with ice cream toys, and best of all, roof access!

Ample Hills Creamery wants people to hang out at their shops like you would a cafe or bar. It really elevates the whole experience. Also, knowing all other patrons had survived the same harrowing line we did, it especially felt like a place of community. 

Ample Hills now has locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Jersey City: find them all here. If you’ve ever been to any of the locations, I’d love to hear your thoughts and what flavors you tried!