Houston’s Best Summer Restaurants

In Houston’s brutal summer heat, there’s nothing more satisfying than cooling down with an ice-cold, frozen dessert. Whether you’re craving a scoop of gelato or a liquor-infused ice pop, these 12 Houston spots are sure to keep you cool and your sweet tooth satisfied all summer long.

B Pop !

If you’re searching for a sweet treat with a healthy rep, look not further than b Pop! The Houston-based brand is promising 100 percent organic and dairy free frozen pops touting creative flavors such as blueberry banana pancake, P B & fig, and cranberry chai.

Snag a pop at select locations including Nourish Juice & Smoothie Bar, Big Power Yoga, and Axelrad; or hit up your local Whole Foods to purchase a full box. bpopbetterpop.com. 

Cloud 10 Creamery

If you find yourself in Rice Village, a visit to Cloud 10 Creamery is a must. While the shop’s inventive ice cream flavors make for a tasty frozen treat, the true star is Cloud 10’s epic banana split.

The monstrous frozen dessert is starts start with three scoop of vanilla , chocolate , and nutella ice cream enhance with marshmallow . Next come the sauce — a decadent fudge sauce , a berry jam , and a milk chocolate magic shell are squeeze atop the ice cream scoop before being top with whip cream , candy pecan , and nutella powder .

And the star of the show — a duo of banana slice sprinkle with sugar and torch to perfect caramelization .5216 Morningside Drive , cloud10creamery.com .

Dolce Neve

crave authentic italian gelato ? look no further than Austin import Dolce Neve . The Heights gelato shop is serving is serve up both traditional and unconventional flavor feature everything from coconut milk and raspberry jam to whiskey and pecan .

Also on hand are gelato bar and sandwich , italian shave ice , and affogatos .4721 North Main Street, dolcenevegelato.com.

Juice Box

A trip to Chinatown is in order for the sweet, frozen creations being churned out at Juice Box. While the menu showcases an array of frozen treats, we’re partial to the shaved ice. Top it with fresh fruit and condensed milk, or go wild and finish it off with extra scoops of ice cream. 9889 Bellaire Boulevard, facebook.com/juicebox. 

Juice Girl

enjoy the essence of ice cream san the dairy with Juice Girl ’s vegan juice cream . indulge in a bevy of flavor include strawberry , vanilla chai , rocky road , green apple’ade , flame lip zinger ( made with faux butter finger ) , and fun fruity punch .214 Fairview Street ; 238 West 19th Street , txjuicegirl.com .  

Lee ’s Fried Chicken and donut

Donuts and fried chicken aren’t the only things cooking at Lee’s. You can also cool down with a few scoops of Lee’s Creamery ice cream. Of course one can enjoy it solo, but we recommend slathering it between one of Lee’s glazed donuts for the ultimate ice cream sandwich. 601 Heights Boulevard, leesfriedchickendonuts.com.

Moody Ice

It’s all about that ice, ice baby at this frosty shop. Try Moody Ice’s fruit-packed shaved ice, which is created in-house with all natural ingredients. Flavors include everything from hibiscus and lemon & lavender to vegan chocolate and Piña Coloda. Just sprinkle with toppings and devour.

Guests is try can also try Moody ’s popular hawaiian – style shave ice , which can be top with natural , house – made syrup and juice .1919 north Shepherd Drive , moodyice.com .  

poptail

Take your frozen cocktail on the go with poptail, a liquor-infused ice pop. Whimsical flavors like the Hennything Can Happen, a blend of cognac and peaches; the West Alabama Slamma, a fruity mix of strawberry, peaches, and vodka; and the EaDolicious, a frozen blackberry margarita on a stick are sure to have you hooked.

And if you think these sweet treats aren’t capable of generating a buzz, think again. Each pop is the equivalent to one full cocktail. Place your order now via instagram.com/poptailshtx.

Smoosh

It’s hard to resist a scoop of ice cream smashed between two, expertly baked cookies. Smoosh food truck, which will soon open its first brick-and-mortar location in The Heights, is making dreams come true with one of the most sought after ice cream sandwiches in the city.

In fact, Buzzfeed just named the frozen concoction one of the best ice cream sandwiches in America. Head to the Rice Village food truck to load up on cookie sandwiches and toppings, or partake in Smoosh’s waffle ice cream sandwiches on Wednesdays and churro ice cream sandwiches on Fridays. 5505 Morningside Drive , smooshcookies.com .  

Stacked Ice Cream

If you’re willing to make the trek outside of the Loop, get ready to feast on decked out macaron ice cream sandwiches at Stacked. As the name implies, these frozen creations are stacked to the brim with outrageous toppings, sprinkles, cereal, and anything else you can imagine.

2211 North Fry Road , Katy ; 1226 Museum Square Drive , Sugar Land , instagram.com/stackedicecream .  

Steel City Pops

inspire by mexican paleta , these whimsical ice pops is are are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth . Get ready for unconventional , seasonal flavor like chocolate chili , buttermilk , avocado , lavender lemonade , and sweet tea .420 East 20th Street , steelcitypops.com .  

Tiny’s Milk & Cookies

If you’re a fan of Tiny Boxwoods famous chocolate chip cookies, brace yourself. Now you can experience the essence of the restaurant’s beloved dessert in frozen form with the brand’s milk & cookies ice cream served at sister concept Tiny’s Milk & Cookies.

Patrons can also indulge in additional flavors of Tiny’s ice cream including coconut milk chocolate, Aaron’s horchata, salted caramel, and lemon sherbert. 3636 Rice Boulevard, tinyboxwoods.com/tinys-milk-and-cookies.