I Went To The "Mystery Scoop" Ice Cream Shop That People Can't Stop Talking About, And For $10 A Scoop, I Was Expecting...Not This
At one viral New York City ice cream shop, scoops are served with a big surprise.
Surprise Scoop is the "world's first flavor roulette ice cream shop" and has been blowing up on social media because it only has one item on its menu — "surprise" ice cream. Flavors are randomly selected and there's no option for choosing the flavor you want.
Online, reactions to various taste-test and review videos have been mixed overall. Comments on TikToks run the gamut from those who can't believe the price to those who just can't imagine leaving their ice cream choice up to chance.
TikTok
Oh, and the other thing I should mention: Apparently, you won't see employees in the shop. The ice cream is served out of an anonymous, "mystery" window.
So many questions immediately came to mind, so as an ice cream lover, I felt it was my journalistic duty to go to the shop and see what it was all about. Here was my experience from beginning to end:
I arrived at the shop at 2 p.m. on a Saturday, and lo and behold, it looked completely empty.
Jen Adams
As you can see from the picture, the storefront has a bright purple awning with tiny white letters that spell out the shop's name and address. From far away, you can't even tell that this is an ice cream shop.
Right in front of the entrance, there was a sign that laid down the rules.
Jen Adams
Just like I saw on social media, the shop was pretty small and completely empty. On one wall, there were two touch screens to order from and a giant mirror on the other.
In the back of the room, there was a pickup window and an empty screen.
When I ordered on the screen, these directions appeared:
Jen Adams
Basically, I needed to tap the screen, input my allergies, pay, watch for my order number to appear on the pickup screen, and then head to the pickup window to grab the ice cream.
Per the screen, I learned the ice cream was "handmade," which made me more interested in what kinds of flavors they were dishing out. For those with food allergies, there was also an option to exclude whipped cream or fruit and disclose if you are gluten-free.
I also had to acknowledge a "consent" box that confirmed I couldn't ask for a refund or an exchange.
Since I wanted to try more than one flavor, I ordered two scoops, which came out to a whopping $20.53. (Broken down, that's $9.18 per scoop, plus $2.17 for tax.)
Immediately after placing my order, my name appeared on the screen with an estimation that my ice cream would be ready in four minutes.
I heard noises behind the wall, so there was definitely at least one person back there making the orders. After four minutes, the sliding door of the pickup window opened and a hand placed two different scoops on the counter.
In true, mysterious fashion, the person behind the sliding door was completely concealed so you couldn't see anything except for their hand placing the ice cream on the counter.
Oh, and may I add, there's another level of mystery to this shop. Even after you receive your ice cream, you still might not know which flavor you got. Right next to the pickup window, there was a sign that encouraged customers to post their guesses of their flavors on social media and if they guessed correctly, the shop would tell them if they were right.
Now, I was really curious about what this ice cream would taste like. I called up a friend to join me in the taste-testing process, and here's what we thought.
Both scoops were pretty standard in size, comparable to single scoops at Ben & Jerry's or Van Leeuwen.
If I had to guess what flavor this was, I'd say it was Hot Cocoa.
Jen Adams
This scoop tasted exactly like the ice cream version of hot chocolate, so I wasn't complaining. It was really just...okay. Not great, not terrible. It was fine.
I was also a little surprised about the quality of the ice cream. Since it was homemade, I was expecting a smooth, creamy texture, but this had the consistency of a generic, grocery-store ice cream brand. It was nothing to write home about, which was pretty disappointing.
I was hoping the other flavor would bring me better luck. At first glance, I thought this pink scoop with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry had to be strawberry-flavored. Boy, was I wrong.
Jen Adams
To be honest, I still have no idea what flavor of ice cream this was. It definitely didn't taste like strawberry, and it was pretty bland, with a *hint* of something I couldn't place my finger on. I was pretty thrown off too, because it also tasted a little savory. Safe to say, I did not like this one at all.
I was so curious about what flavor the pink scoop could have been, and it turns out the shop has some pretty wacky flavors. After looking at Google reviews, several people guessed they got a Hot Cheeto-flavored scoop.
Google
I guess we'll never know for sure if I got a Hot Cheeto-flavored scoop, but maybe that's for the better.
If you're looking for a fun, quirky thing to do in a big group, this might just be the perfect place for you. Otherwise, save your $10 and go to the gelato place down the street.
Craving some creamy, dreamy ice cream in the comfort of your own home — and for way less than $10 a scoop? Download the free Tasty app and search for "Cookies 'n' Cream Ice Cream" for our foolproof three-ingredient recipe. No subscription (or special equipment) needed!
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