Sweet Action Ice Cream

Sweet Action is kind of a big deal, and everyone I know has been telling me this for months now.

So it finally came time, on an insanely hot summer day this past weekend, for me to check out what exactly the big deal was.

Sweet Action is known for delicious ice cream, but it's even better known for a constantly changing array of unique flavor options. Think Horchata or Strawberry Balsamic. Or Biscuits and Jam. Flavors change on a weekly-ish basis and are difficult to pinpoint at any particular point in time without walking into the store. Their website is sparse on flavor details in any form, but their Facebook page divulges new flavors regularly. Vegans will be happy to know that they offer several vegan options at any time.

After all the excitement building up to my Sweet Action visit, I was surprised to see the complete lack of decor both inside and outside the shop. It's like someone took an insanely clean car repair garage and turned it into an ice cream parlor. The interior has only a few tables, and a garage door that gets retracted on searing hot days like the one when I visited.

This is just part of the flavor list for the day:

Flavors offered the day of my visit - some of them

Life has been a bit hectic lately, so I had to suffice with grabbing a couple pints for later enjoyment between Mr. Oyster and myself. I selflessly picked out two flavors I thought the husband would love - Red Velvet and Crunchy Peanut Butter - before rushing out the door. At $5.25 each, I thought it was a bit pricey, even for an avid sugar freak like myself.

Flash forward a few hours later, back at the house, spoons in hand, and we went to work:

The red velvet had a white ice cream base that tasted like regular vanilla, with small pieces of red velvet cake mixed in. The texture was perfectly light and fluffy. My first few bites, however, were disappointing. The base ice cream and red velvet pieces lacked punch. It took me several spoonfuls before I finally found what I was looking for: cream cheese frosting.

Red Velvet Ice Cream Pint

Cream cheese frosting is the amazing component that makes a red velvet cake not taste like nothing, and I wish there was more of it in this ice cream. The flavor was decent overall, but didn't quite provide enough tastebud excitement to live up to my beloved Ben and Jerry's Red Velvet Cake.

The Crunchy Peanut Butter flavor had a peanut butter ice cream base, with salted peanuts interspersed throughout. The ice cream had the same wonderfully fluffy texture as the Red Velvet, and a light peanut butter taste. I enjoyed the salted peanuts, but wished there were far more of them, and I would've preferred a stronger peanut butter taste to the ice cream base.

Crunchy Peanut Butter pint. More peanuts please.

My husband, the peanut butter fanatic, was only lukewarm about this flavor. I liked it alright, but slightly preferred the Red Velvet.

I'm obsessed with the flavor options at Sweet Action, and want to go back to try more of their varieties.  I didn't fall in love with either of the two flavors I tried, but I hope my ice cream soulmate lurks among their other zillions of flavors.


Everyday Dining

(7 of 10)

Pros: Endless flavor options, excellent texture, clean store
Cons: Not enough taste to some flavors, expensive (in pint form at least), lack of parking

Website:
http://www.sweetactionicecream.com/