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Island Style Ice Cream
Category: Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
3829 34th StMount Rainier, MD 20712
(301) 927-0066
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Jason Y. said: "As a froyo junkie who has had frozen yogurt from almost every place in DC, I can honestly say Red Mango is the best place for the frozen stuff. Even when you're not jonesing. Whereas other froyo can be heavy or too sugary, Red Mango…" read more »
21 reviews for Island Style Ice Cream
Review Highlights
"Island Style - the perfect digestif apres-Hitching Post."
(in 4 reviews)
"Flavors: Grape Nut, Rum & Raisin, Guava, Mango, Sour SOP..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Pancita, the owner, is a real gem, and her sweetness shines..."
(in 6 reviews)
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Cathy B.
Hyattsville, MD
7/4/2011
I have been stopping in to eat ice cream here for the past 3 years. The owner is pleasant and friendly. She personally makes the ice cream. The community in which she has set up shop loves her.
The ice cream is delicious and there are many flavors from which to choose. I almost always get a combination of strawberry and pineapple. -
Review from Lyric J.
Washington, DC
10/30/2010
The Caribbean flavors are the best and they are hard to find in the DC area.
Flavors: Grape Nut, Rum & Raisin, Guava, Mango, Sour SOP, Coconut and Reggae Ginger.
I have lactose problems and this is the only cream, I have had without any wind breaks, bubble guts
I'm hoping they come up with a coco bread flavor ice cream. -
Review from Jeff W.
12/27/2008
I feel like a jerk breaking up the perfect score party, but I have a hard time getting over the disproportionately high prices here. $11+ for a small milkshake and two scoops of ice cream is very high. Ice cream quality is excellent and flavor selection is very good, focusing more on tropical fruit flavors than the usual place serving chocolate flavors, and typical dessert fare. In fact, I'm not sure that I even saw plain chocolate here.
The rum raisin was especially delicious, and the mango was very smooth. Of the other flavors I sampled, none were that flavorful, but I think that's a very common issue with fruit flavored ice creams. Consistency varied from batch to batch, and many of them were icier tasting than I'd care for. It tastes like a lower butterfat ice cream to me, almost like Breyer's, but better.
Comparisons to York Castle in Silver Spring are very obvious, with the nod of flavor selection and consistency to York Castle and with the nod of taste and friendliness going to Island Style. It's a one woman show here, and you'll be hard pressed to find friendlier service. A definite must for anyone near Mt Rainier, but not the definitive ice cream place in the grand scheme of things.Listed in: My favorite frozen dairy
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Review from PC W.
New York, NY
12/27/2008
The owner, Pancita, is every bit as sweet as the frozen treats that she handmakes and serves. As other ice cream shops have witnessed before, the Carnie Crew likes to keep the feeding frenzy going after the main event. A caravan of carnies left Hitching Post for Island Style, just a few miles down the road.
While most ice cream servers would buckle at the sight of a crew of sweaty, salivating carnivores, Pancita was up to the challenge - she was so friendly and easy going. Serving samples generously in between taking and fulfilling orders. Once everyone had their treats in hand, we weren't rushed to pay her at the register.
I got the waffle cone with the chocolate and french almond. The cone fit about a pint of ice cream in it - it even came with its own protective plastic cone holder with an edge going the entire circumference of the cone to catch drips. This ice cream must be kept at an abnormally cold temperature because it did not melt - nary a drip was found on the cone holder. Granted it was a December day but it was 68 degrees out. I eat ice cream very slowly and usually half of it ends up on my wrist and the floor. Not at Island Style - it's super thick, creamy and cold. The flavors are excellent. I've had better chocolate ice cream but the french almond wowed me. The flavor was subtle but enhanced by the slices of almond that were mixed into it.
Island Style - the perfect digestif apres-Hitching Post. -
Review from Michelle P.
Fairfax, VA
12/29/2008
So in trying to be a good girlfriend after my boyfriend just sprung for bunch, i offered to pay for his ice cream. He got a large cup and i got a small milkshake. When i went to pay, i pulled out my $10 and was ready. Then she gave me the total .... 11.25! It was 5.99 just for my milkshake! I could not believe i drank $6 of ice cream in like 3 minutes.
BUT, the ice cream is really good. Flavors are strong and tasty. I was in heaven while i slurped down my cookies and cream milkshake, even though it was chocolate based... and i detest chocolate ice cream! But full of organic milk... well it was delicious.
The owner was so nice and the atmosphere fun. But i just can't believe that my shake and Jeff's ice cream cost almost as much as our whole brunch at Hitching Post, and i cant seem to justify paying that cost again.Listed in: I scream, you scream, we all…
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Review from Chris M.
Alexandria, VA
7/17/2009
I made a special trip to Mt. Rainier just to check out this hidden island paradise just steps away from busy Route 1.
Normally I trek across town for a meal, and dessert is an afterthought. In this instance, the opposite was true. Well, the trip was worth it!
I was spotted as a first time customer, and Pancita was ready to take my order. I told her I knew I wanted the coconut ice cream, but I wanted her recommendation on the second scoop. Without hesitation she offered the pineapple. I'm not a big pineapple fan, but I figured if she was that certain, I should follow her lead.
In a word: Delicious! The pineapple was perfect with the coconut, and the two big scoops served in a sugar cone really hit the spot.
5 stars: Excellent ice cream - worth the trip - I can recommend this place without reservation. -
Review from Maggie M.
Hyattsville, MD
5/4/2011
Yum-O! The ice cream is creamy and delicious! We tried the Almond and the butter pecan and both were awesome!
The man working was delightful!
We'll be back! -
Review from Molly R.
San Diego, CA
3/28/2008
This is my favorite ice cream shop in the world.
Ingredients are organic and bought locally, the flavors are delicious and unique, and the Jamaican woman who works there is really friendly. The ginger ice cream is my all-time favorite, but mango is a close second. My boyfriend loves the guava as well....basically every flavor is great.
Why you should go here: the ice cream is better for you than any other dessert you'd find around here without sacrificing taste AT ALL. It's tasty and refreshing without leaving that heavy Coldstone feeling like you just swallowed a pound of butter or something.
One thing to remember: the credit card minimum is around $10 so make sure you have cash if you're just getting something for yourself. -
Review from Tony P.
12/28/2008
A little bit of paradise in a gentrifying neightborhood, this ice cream parlor is decked out in simple decor with a jamaican island motif. Inside is a good selection of organic ice cream with some really unique flavors. I opted for guava and mango and both were very good and refreshing. The guava had a subtle sweetness and the mango was really evident. You could taste both distinctive flavors without any sugary overtones.
The other yelpers who came from the Hitching Post UYE were equally delighted by their selections. If this was in my neighborhood, I'd be a regular patron throughout the year. -
Review from marsha s.
Washington, DC
7/8/2008
It's been a while since I've indulged, but I wanted to give this place a review because it truly is special. I lived in the West Indies for 22 years so my little neighborhood in Mt. Rainier can, at times, make me feel very much at home. Island Style Ice Cream has "Ting" and ginger beer in the cooler, for one. Both of these soft drinks are quite refreshing and sold all over the Caribbean. My daughter loves "Ting."
The most important aspect of this review is the ice cream. It is hand made by the owner , who is Jamaican. The ingredients are so high quality that you taste it from the first bite. It's not too sweet or heavy. My favorite is the ginger. As others have suggested, try the tropical flavors. It is like eating fruit off the tree, but it's more sinfully delicious.
They also carry Jamaican pattys. I'm not sure if she makes these or not. -
Review from Nathan C.
Mount Rainier, MD
5/29/2009
Gotta agree with Su K- Pancita is like the Jamaican aunt I never had. She tells me I haven't been around to see her enough, asks how my projects are going, gets my girlfriend's name wrong and then plays off like she remembered it the whole time...
I love dropping in here. Strawberry is my personal favorite, as this is the best strawberry ice cream I've ever had. Friends and family say the same about the chocolate, but it's more milky than dark, so won't get my "best ever" prize. As good as the strawberry is, though, it's still a struggle to choose it over the stout (a surprisingly crisp flavor made from Guiness) or Grape Nut (yeah, it's what you think, but a great, subtle woody flavor).
The place is NOT gourmet, as the giant light-up palm tree outside may indicate, but the ice cream is up to any standard you care to set.
The prices are a bit high, but not inconsistent with anything else that's all local and all organic. -
Review from Su K.
8/29/2008 2 photos
Hi everyone. My name is Su K. and I have a problem. I drive under the influence...of Yelp. That's right. I Yelp while I drive. I can't help it. When I drive on my own I have time to think, and inevitably, I start to think about food. Yesterday, I'm on my way to a meeting and I suddenly start thinking about ice cream. I get stuck at a red light and I open up the Yelp iPhone app and search for Ice Cream near me. The first listing, w/ 5 stars and 4 reviews, was Island Style Ice Cream. *Honk!* Crap, green light. I come to another red light and peruse the reviews. Hmmmm, Marsha "paintermamma/no, that's my daughter and no, you can't have her number" S., Molly R., and two other avatars I didn't recognize reviewed it. Hmmm...interesting. This place sounds really goo..*HONK!* "Crap, another green!" Next red, I give them a call and hear my favorite words, "Yes, we are still open." They close at 8 and it was a little before 7. Excellent! Next red, open up Google Maps cuz the map on the Yelp app is some butt and search for Island Style Ice Cream and come up w/ 'Island Style.' Map it out: take Rte 1. and make a right on 34th St. "Simple enough."
Halfway down Rte. 1, I get stuck on another red (all the traffic lights on Rte. 1 hate me, btw). So I read the reviews more thoroughly and I see Molly R.'s statement: "One thing to remember: the credit card minimum is around $10 so make sure you have cash if you're just getting something for yourself." *thinking thinking* "Can I eat $10 worth of ice cream by myself?" "Wrong question dummy," my brain shouts, "The question is, should you eat $10 worth of ice cream by yourself?" This is why my brain and I aren't very good friends. Then I realize that I don't have any cash. So I give them a call and see if they have a credit card limit. Sure enough, $10 limit. I ask them if they have an ATM inside, but they don't. They told me that there should be one at the liquor store down the street.
At this point, most normal people would turn back, but I am no normal person - I am a foodie. I park across the street at a meter and walk up 34th to some convenience store. "Our ATM is out of cash," the clerk replies. 0_o??? I ask him where the nearest ATM is, and he says the Sunoco down by the fire station. Aw crap! That's a good 2-4 blocks. But I was undeterred. Thankfully, there was a liquor on Rte. 1 that had an ATM w/ a $1.50 ATM fee. I walked back to Island Style triumphantly with cash in hand. Was it worth it? YES!
Food stuffs - The ice cream here is handmade by the owner, Pancita Brydson, and it is magnificent. There are 21 flavors made with organic ingredients consisting of nonfat milk, cream, sugarcane syrup, and the flavor specific ingredients. I love me some ice cream, but like most indulgences in life, you feel guilty afterwards. But that's not the Island Style, mon. I had a large ($4.80) w/ coconut and Jamaica me nuts, and it was refreshing, creamy, and delicious, but after finishing it, I didn't feel guilty at all. The coconut was delicious and though the Jamaica Me Nuts was anatomically incorrect (it had 3 nuts), it too was fantastic. I also tried the ginger (good but different) and mango (better than any I've ever tried. Would be amazing w/ sticky rice), and the grape nut flavor was completely gone. The scoops are average in size and at nearly $5, it is rather pricey, but it's worth every penny.
Note: she also sells prepackaged pints and quarts.
Location - it feels like you are visiting the Jamaican aunt you never had to get some ice cream. There's a nice long ramp for handicap access. She also serves Jamaican beef patties, which I decided against since I just had Jamaican food two days in a row, and there are tons of sodas and bottled drinks I'd never heard of. $10 min for credit cards and the meters are 30 min for $0.25 and are enforced until 7pm Mon-Sat.
Service - As the other reviewers have noted, Pancita is awesome. When I walked into the store, she smiled and said, "Welcome," with a hearty Jamaican accent. She allowed me to sample several flavors and she gave a little tidbit on each one I tried. When I left, she told me to tell my friends about her. I REALLY wish I had a You've been Yelped card.
Ah well. That's my excuse to go back. Maybe tonight.
And remember, friends don't let friends drive while Yelping and Yelp responsibly.
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Hmmmm...guess you can't write an update the day after. I went back last night and got 5 pints to go:
Mango - I have to disagree w/ other reviewers as it tastes fresh, but it doesn't feel like you're eating fruit. But it sure was delicious
Strawberry - this is Pancita's favorite. One bite and you'll understand why
Stout - Guiness!!! This has an amazing icy texture. Sooooo good!
Reggae Ginger - I don't like ginger, but I like this. It takes like a gingerbread cookie/Ginger ale. Sounds odd, I know, but it's GOOD
Coconut - I could eat this all day. And I darn near polished off the pint myself.
Each pint was $6 & worth every penny -
Review from Maria P.
Mount Rainier, MD
12/12/2007 ROTD 9/25/2008
Island Style is the best ice cream around, hands down. The owner gets all her organic ingredients from Glut Co-op down the street. She's very friendly and remembers her customers. Try one of the Jamaican-style flavors, like soursop, ginger, grapenut or my favorite, stout. There's also a dairy-free vanilla.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Jake K.
12/28/2008
Well, well, Jeff beat me to a 4-star review. But I'll keep going anyway.
Situated in the "old Mt. Rainier" section of town, island Style is a small joint that you would miss if not for the kitschy little banner out front. You can find parking in the front of the store and walk right in.
When you go in, you'll find the owner who makes her all-organic ice cream (and apparently shops at Giant for her Nature's Promise milk) as a labor of love. Of course, the hints of Jamaica are here with the Air Jamaica poster in the back and flavors such as "sour sop" and "ting" adorning the menu. I hadn't seen these sorts of things since I left the island quite drunk some 11 years ago during an alcohol indulged spring break.
The ice cream was actually rather tasty - I ended up going for the guava and rum raisin ice creams. The Wife selected the butter pecan and enjoyed it as well. If we had one complaint (to echo another Yelper), it's the price - for a total of 3 scoops of ice cream, I shoveled out $8 and some change with tax. While I understand that the prices are a tad elevated due to the organic ingredients (because we all know it's such an overinflated industry for inefficient production - even if it is touted as "healthier"), it still doesn't' make it easy to shovel $8 into your mouth knowing that it's just contributing to making your ass cheeks look like cottage cheese stuffed condoms (yes, I'm still on my diet track and have to motivate myself in such ways). However, if I had to take a break from the dieting as I did yesterday, I would certain do it here again - even if it is rather far from Falls Church. -
Review from Courtney D.
Bladensburg, MD
11/11/2009
The ice cream could save many a happy home. I saw the shop on yelp several times and since its pretty near me I wanted to check it out. Well I found it on a street I have visited numerous times over the last 11 years. But that's another review. Anyway, they had STOUT flavored ice cream! That's Beer! What could make me a more perfect wife? Bringing home beer flavored icecream that's what. And what could actually make me perfect? The fact that I had ZERO lactose issues, zilch, nada. That made for a good night.
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Review from Tonja P.
Mount Rainier, MD
6/8/2009
This ice cream is good because it's all real here. Ms. P's (as my kids call it after the owner Pancita) ice cream is made with all organic ingredients so it is not weighted down or sugared up with unnecessary fake flavorings, it's just GOOD stuff! Rum Raisin, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream and Butter Pecan are our favorites, but if you get your favorite chocolate and compare it side-by-side with Ms. P's, you'll be hooked on this place for sure. What's better than knowing you're getting good quality along with great taste?... and isn't that worth paying for?
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Review from Mary C.
Washington, DC
6/8/2009
The best ice cream I've had in the DC area! This is what ice cream should taste like. I was so impressed with the variety of flavors-the common ones everyone loves but also some very unique ones that were pleasantly surprising.
Concerning the cost-what do you expect-you have to pay for quality. All natural ingredients that are fresh and delicious. Isn't it better to support the small business and get a great taste verses going to Baskin-Robbins? Totally worth every penny. -
Review from Jennifer T.
Phoenix, AZ
9/5/2009
Delicious! This organic, homemade ice-cream is a real treat, and we make the trip to Mt. Rainier on a weekly basis to bring some back home. Pancita, the owner, is a real gem, and her sweetness shines through in her ice cream. Our favorites, thus far, are the malt, ginger and cookies and cream. The soursop is delicious as well, just wait for the flavor to build! If you're coming from far away, the glut co-op just a bit further down the street is also a great place to pick up some healthy, organic snacks.
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Review from Jimena M.
Sterling, VA
12/28/2008
This was my first time trying Island Style and already I'm a fan! Island provided me with dessert after a feast at Hitching Post. Located in quaint Mt. Rainier, it is definitely a gem. I was tempted to get coconut and pineapple as those are usually no brainers, and the flavor combination makes it taste like a pina colada ;-) But then something caught my eye...banana chocolate chip!!! Now that's not something you see everyday. And lately, for some crazy reason, I've been craving banana cream pie :-\ I asked for a sample and the lady was very sweet and gave me what felt like a big tablespoon of ice cream. mmmmm....it was creamy, full of fresh banana flavor and a hint of chocolate. I was convinced and got a scoop of that. I love that the ice cream had a great banana flavor. I've been to York Castle in Silver Spring, but that ice cream to me tasted more milky than fruity. Island Style managed to balance the milky creaminess and the fruitiness really well. I can't wait to try other flavors! I shall be back :)
Listed in: I get by with a little Yelp…
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Review from Daniel A.
Mount Rainier, MD
10/21/2009
There's not much to say, except that the ice cream is incredible. The only ice cream place I'd go to in the winter.
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Review from Esther C.
Washington, DC
12/19/2007
I happened upon this ice cream shop after leaving Nisey's boutique and I must say that they have the best ginger ice cream. Yummy!
