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The Penny Ice Creamery
Category: Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
913 Cedar StSanta Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 204-2523
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
245 reviews for The Penny Ice Creamery
Review Highlights
"Bourbon bacon chocolate."
(in 10 reviews)
"I had the pluot chamomile and the Verve coffee."
(in 14 reviews)
"The waffle cone they make in house is freaking awesome."
(in 21 reviews)
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245 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie L.
Milpitas, CA
Updated - 2/9/2012 5 Check-ins Here
I love my penny ice creamery for a few reasons:
1. It's walking distance from my place.
2. Im always surprised by the new flavors.
3. The employees are always really friendly, and they don't mind if you want to try EVERY flavor.
4. They use all natural/organic ingredients. Plus they stay sustainable by using the leftover egg whites from the ice cream to make waffle cones.
That leaves me to my next comment. While I'm still giving them 5 stars, I think they really need to work on the cones. Every other cone I get here starts leaking by the time I get to the end :(
Be careful when you're eating! The bottoms of the waffle cones tend to get soggy and leak.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/4/2011
I LOVE PENNY! Penny is the best place to go to for ice cream in Santa Cruz! Their flavors are always… Read more »
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Review from Élan B.
Redwood City, CA
2/5/2012
Yum!
Delicious, Unusually flavored Ice Cream, made with local ingredients! COOL!
We decided to end our first visit to Santa Cruz with a bit of ice cream from Penny Ice Creamery... so glad we did!
With flavors like Orange Star Anise, Creme Fraiche, Blackpepper Quince, and Honey Yogurt Walnut Jam... it's difficult to stop yourself at just two flavors. When I have ice cream, I like to small bowl with 2 flavors that combine well together... thereby getting 3 different flavors!
In this case, I ordered Creme Fraiche and Orange Star Anise... Gourmet Orange Creamsicle!! :)
Dano ordered Chocolate Sorbet... what an Intense Flavor!!
On the menu they list where the local ingredients are from! I think the menu changes routinely!
The price is a bit steep... but for that rare treat... it's indeed doable!
Enjoy!
My SFO Newb blog, with photos, is here :
http://sfonewb.wordpre... -
Review from Albert H.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Stopped by very late on a Sunday night - and after some initial confusion about whether they were still open, we got some delicious ice cream. You know it's going to be good when more than half the shop area is taken up by a walk-in freezer and ice cream making equipment.
Tasted a lot of flavors, and managed to settle on just a couple. Highly recommend the Juniper Lime. Flavors were both interesting and distinct, though texture seemed to vary somewhat. It's good stuff and the people are nice.Listed in: Cold Comfort
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Review from Eme L.
Mountain View, CA
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I don't quite understand the line out the door each time we've been by, but then again, I'm not exactly the biggest ice cream fan. In any case, everything is homemade and seasonal (hence, no strawberry ice cream in February...) They have interesting flavors (sampled ginger and earl grey, settled on cookie dough) Solid and definitely worth a visit if you're in Santa Cruz.
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Review from Jae K.
Boulder Creek, CA
2/8/2012
Amayzing ice creams in very creative flavors...especially the Celery Raisin. Upper management staff can be a little difficult to accommodate larger orders, but the floor staff is great and knowledgeble.
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Review from Erin H.
1/18/2012
Based on all the other positive reviews, I feel/hope that my first experience at Penny Ice Creamery was a fluke.
Went in on a weekday afternoon and was literally the only person there. The employees were very helpful and allowed me to try several different options. I wasn't a fan of the chocolate ice cream (which should come as no surprise to those who know me because I rarely like chocolate ice cream) and I decided to step outside my normal vanilla and be adventurous. I ended up deciding on the walnut honey yogurt something (can't remember exactly what it was).
I paid the dude behind the counter (they ask for cash if your purchase is under $5) and was on my way. When I actually started eating the ice cream I wasn't all that pleased. It was very ice-y, not very creamy and by the third bite I had a thick film on the roof of my mouth. While the flavor was alright, the texture was just not there for me.
5 stars for the service. 2 or 3 for the flavor I decided on.
In the name of science, I think I'll have to go back.Listed in: Cruzin around the Cruz, Sweet Stuff
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Review from Q T.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/27/2012
This place is adorable. The decor is fresh yet retro. The ice cream keeps you interested, and they have so many different items you can get.
My daughter is in love with this place. She always ends up picking the flavor I want to get, so I try to be a little more adventurous and end up liking it but stealing bites from her. Case in point: Salted Butter Toffee! So yummy. I enjoy the Cardamom Pistachio Chocolate Chip, but I agree with some others, it's not as creamy as I would like. The staff is also very nice and will give you plenty of samples to try. I wish that you could do a half and half scoop as well, but such is life. I've also had great experiences at the kiosk location by Bookshop Santa Cruz (and they have different flavors even!)
One night I ordered a chai and it was also great. Another great thing to try is the warm donuts with ice cream on top!
At first I thought this place was cool and nice, but I really fell in love with them when I saw their Thank You video:
http://www.youtube.com... -
Review from Isaac B.
Milpitas, CA
1/30/2012
Absolutely the BEST ice cream I have ever had. It's more of a boutique exotic dessert than traditional Ice Cream. Each flavor has very subtle qualities to be enjoyed, they really pull amazing flavor out of unusual ingredients like Anise, Ginger, Juniper Lemon.
I've visited here about 4 times and each time there is a new flavor thats different and delicious!. If your downtown santa cruz stopping at Penny is a must! -
Review from Uber C.
Salinas, CA
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Quite simple recipe for success here:
Great, made-on-site, flavorful, creative ice cream. Friendly staff that you can tell is proud of what they sell.
A must stop after dinner in Santa Cruz. -
Review from Mikaela s.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012 3 Check-ins Here
So this is hands down the BEST Ice Cream on the planet. Nothing in San Francisco, Gourmet Store frozen Ailes or the streets of Italy can compare. I am not kidding. I work out 5-6 days a week just so that I can afford my ice cream addiction and Penny Ice Creamery will literally blow your hair back.
Organic local ingredients; my personal favorites so far is by far 1# Chocolate Sorbet, 2# Caramel, 3# Verve coffee...oh my. I pretty much just get the sorbet because it's insanely delicious and it's the lowest fat option. When you do a double scoop three nights a week, you need that.
They have all kinds of exotic flavors like Fig, Early Grey tea and anything under the moon. They make frozen Bon-Bons, ice cream pies for special events and their Sundaes are insane.
Organic, local creamy goodness; only ice cream shop open with a line out the door on a freezing winter night... Drive to Santa cruz for it. -
Review from Christina S.
Campbell, CA
1/10/2012
Earl Grey Ice Cream! Quite quite tasty. I love that the sample spoons are metal and if you eat there your items come on actual dishes.
Very hipster. The ambience reminds me of the shops in downtown Venice Beach. -
Review from Erin H.
I have found my love, and her name is Penny! (If I was a guy)
Being my first time visiting, I had no idea what Santa Cruz had in store. A few of my friends suggested me some places to check out, but none of them mentioned about this place. I actually Yelp'ed this on my phone and found it a very unique place for their intriguing ice cream flavors and waffle cones that are freshly made in their shop, so I ditched their ice cream recommendations and followed my own heart.
Such a cute, old style shop! It's somewhat hipster and a great place to enjoy a cone with a date. I love ice cream and want to try something different this time. The lady behind the counter gave me samples of all the intriguing flavors for me to try and I found their Earl Grey ice cream the best (parsnip nutmet almost reminded me of garlic, lime juniper left me confused, and cardamom pistachio chocolate chip was interesting-and-good-but-not-craving-for-more that kind of thing). The Earl Grey was very simple yet decadent. Not too dense, and it definitely tastes like an earl grey tea. The mellow flavor also reminds me of green tea ice cream and the ice cream itself tastes homemade (a tad icy, but nothing wrong with that). What brought me to nirvana was their house made waffle cone, OMG sooooooooo good. Not like the waffle cones you buy at the store where it tastes like a sugar cardboard, but Penny's is light, crispy and reminds me of a fortune cookie. This is not the gritty, "crunching on rocks" kind of waffle cone, but rather like a Milano cookie (Minus the chocolate, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a chocolate waffle cone. Just a thought).
To my friend who suggested to go to Marianne's, I suggest YOU to make your way over to Penny's.
Can't wait to come back to SC again and try their new concoctions! Man, that waffle cone is definitely something... I'm still love-struck with the Earl Grey! -
Review from Neil K.
Fremont, CA
12/17/2011
Old Fashioned atmosphere and great customer service.
Rich tasting flavors that are natural and unique.
This sounds weird but I enjoyed how COLD it felt when eaten.
Right besides the Library and free parking behind the shop.
Great for kids and adults! -
Review from Kimmy B.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/27/2012
Best Ice Cream Hands Down. They always feature unique flavors, give samples, and use real quality ingredients.
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Review from Kanae S.
San Jose, CA
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
How could you not love Penny?! It's a little gem in Santa Cruz and it's definitely my favorite ice creamery by far! They have a unique array of flavors which are switched around pretty often so it gives you a chance to try many different flavors. They make all of their ice cream from scratch and in-house with local ingredients which really reflects in the quality and flavor of all of their ice creams. It's not too sweet and not too heavy so it's right up my alley! My favorites are raspberry chocolate almond and earl grey, and I always have it served in their delicious homemade waffle cones. And on a side note - although I don't really like marshmallow, I have to say their toasted marshmallow topping which they toast right in front of you with a blow torch looks very yummy! You should try it if you're a marshmallow fan!
The Penny is a little on the pricey side but it's definitely worth trying if you've never been before. They've had some promotions that I took advantage of like their Campus Cred coupon and the free scoops they served on The Penny's first birthday this past summer! Also ask for the Five Stars Card which is a card that keeps track of your points every time you make a purchase; when you earn 15 points, you get a free ice cream! Their ambiance is also very quaint but I wish it was bigger to have more seating when it gets crowded when the weather is hot. -
Review from William O.
Ione, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Salted butter toffee is amazing
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Review from Aidan B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/6/2011
This was our last stop before heading to SF.
This place has the best ice cream of my life.
First of all, i dont like ice cream. I dont like it because it gives me Diarrhea. Secondly, ice cream is like baby food. There's no texture. I dont like that.
He ordered a scoop of the chocolate pistachio on a waffle cone and i ordered a scoop of the cookies and creme. He loved it, he said it tasted like an Indian dessert he grew up having. Mine tasted like CRACK! It was freaking orgasmic!! I finished all of it!
The waffle cone they make in house is freaking awesome! If you're ever in SC, you must come here! The best ice cream of my life! -
Review from Ryan L.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'll start by saying that I appreciate the local ice cream made with local organic milk that the Penny Ice Creamery offers. However, the ice cream does not hold up in flavor.
This isn't exactly my type of preferred ice cream. With the weird flavors you might think that this is like gelato. It's not. Gelato is very dense and made with milk instead of cream. It's not even like Ben & Jerry's or Haagen Daaz which has old fashioned thick, dense ice cream. The ice cream at the Penny is filled with air so it's lighter and fluffier and almost tastes like it's whipped. This isn't my preferred type of ice cream, but it was ok.
The flavor here are not intense. I tried the pumpkin and it has a faint pumpkin flavor. We're not talking "pumpkin spice latte" flavor. It tasted like i was almost eating a butternut squash puree. It was ok, but not the best. I was expecting intense pumpkin flavor with spices (a la pumpkin pie). I also got the brown sugar, oat and walnut. It was good, but wasn't very flavorful. So instead of brown sugar it was mostly vanilla with oat bits.
The biggest problem I had is that I wanted to try at least two flavors however they sell it by the scoop. I asked but they won't let you get two flavors in a small dish for the single scoop price. So I got two scoops of ice cream that weren't huge for $5.50. I wish like gelato that you could split flavors in cups. Also, I don't want to pay $5.50 for two scoops of ice cream. -
Review from Tiffany S.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/20/2011
My favorite flavor is their Brown Sugar Oat and Walnut.
It's the right amount of sweet, and all of their ice cream is paired perfectly with their delicious waffle cones.
DGAF ABOUT YOUR DIET -- ALWAYS GO FOR THE WAFFLE CONES. IT'S THE BEST PART. -
Review from Sam K.
Came here for the first time today and took advantage of CampusCred's deal of free scoop of ice cream here!
Parked just a block away at a meter and luckily there was still 39 minutes left, how sweet! Was a good day to have ice cream, party cloudy, yes yes, not the warmest day to have ice cream but the temperature is slowly cooling down as we head into the Autumn and Winter season, so why not take advantage of this deal!
As I arrived, there was a line already, and here they have sample-tasting spoons so you can try out all of their flavors before you buy your ice cream! So convenient, but even though I did not take advantage of all of their flavors, I went with Peachy Peach.
I must say the quality of the ice cream was superb, but peachy peach was just a bit too sour for my own taste. I would definitely come back during a happy hour, as I have seen in previous reviews, "buy 1 scoop, get the second for just a penny."
I have never been the type to go to premium ice cream joints and pay close to ~$5 for a scoop, but here a single scoop is $3.50. *Which in my opinion runs pretty heavy for the pockets, but I have paid more for dessert.
This place closes at 11 so this is the perfect spot to drop by for late night cravings of ice cream, cause I do recall paying around similar prices for mediocre dessert, so why not spend your money here if you're in the area?Listed in: Santa Cruz Food
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Review from Jerome and Baker D.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/21/2011
HOLY CRAP! No need to review this place, huh? Shoooot, well, I'm going to anyway. Wonderful LOCALly-inspired flavors. Fresh as can be. The staff could be a bit more friendly--you are working at a fricken ice cream shoppe, yo--one of the happiest places to be.... But anyways. The mint chip ice cream tastes like FRESH peppermint, almost Tea like. And the Rose Raspberry sorbet--to die for. my Lve--like fresh frozen raspberries with the perfect essence of rose following behind. One other down side is it's a bit on the pricey side--$3.50 for a single scoop that's probably a 1/4 cup? But it's a nice mini-splurge for a warm night's stroll through downtown with your
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Review from Ada T.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2011 3 photos
Happy Hour Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-6pm. Buy one scoop, get the second for only a penny!
I love ice cream. I would even consider myself some kind of ice cream connosieur (yeah, I'm serious). Got the strawberry pink peppercorn and pistachio cardamom! Who would think of peppercorn and cardamom in ice cream? Apparently only The Penny! It was definitely interesting and tasty. The strawberry pink peppercorn was a sweet vanilla, with strawberry swirls and pink pepper! You could actually taste the pepper. Pistachio cardamom was great (possibly not for everyone) as the cardamom was really strong.
Cute tiny place. Staff is nice and will let you try whatever you'd like. Tasting spoons are metal and they have a tiny seating area with jars where you could pour yourself some water. Ice cream is homemade, unique and really tasty! GO! :) -
Review from Emilie S.
12/11/2011
Bitter caramel ice cream. Very good. Long line, but it moved quickly. Friendly. Open late.
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Review from Tammie W.
Scotts Valley, CA
9/21/2011
Maybe I'm clueless to the phenomenon known as artisanal ice cream, but I have tried this place out three times and I just don't get the hype. Its decent ice cream but not amazingly, omg I just went to foodie heaven with Anthony Bourdain kind of fabulous.
Like another reviewer said, it seems like they go out of their way to do odd flavours and pairings to be the "cool kid" (no pun intended) on the block. As the young home schooled child in front of me stated about this weeks "fig" flavour--ewww.
I like the Earl Grey flavor but its really a once in a blue moon craving.
And yes, on the weekends the lines go out the door in a manner which harkens to the opening of a new club scene in LA. I just don't get why its worth the wait.
Oh well. I guess my taste buds aren't quite up to the level of appreciation required. C'est la vie -
Review from Michael M.
San Gabriel, CA
9/22/2011
This is a great little shop. They have a rotating list of flavors, some of them very unusual. They offer samples in small metal spoons, of which they seem to have a limitless supply. I have had green strawberry sorbet, made from unripe strawberries that were the product of crop thinning at a local organic farm. Amazing. This last visit I had the yellow corn with black berry. So good! The make their own waffle cones that are crispy and sweet, but you can get a recycled paper dish if your outer grown-up insists.
If you are in Santa Cruz, you must pay this shop a visit or two. -
Review from Ana W.
Berkeley, CA
1/1/2012
I went away from my usual excellent Marianne's this time (an excellent, but very different kind of ice cream approach) and tried the BURNT CARAMEL at Penny Ice Creamery. Absolutely delicious. Light but rich with a sensational caramel flavor that had a slight warm, burnt taste towards the finish. Excellent interplay of artisanal craft and creativity without coming off as too precious. Will go there again soon!
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Review from Jason N.
Milpitas, CA
9/19/2011
They make fresh round of flavors every week that range anywhere from the basic vanilla to basalmic cherry. Try the new flavors or settle on the old. Their flavors are imaginative and tasty.
I should go here more often considering I live fairly close, but eating ice cream everyday is probably not the best idea. -
Review from Brenda L.
9/21/2011 3 photos
I already knew I'd like this place when I turned around the corner of the street and saw a line forming at the small front entrance with the arched architecture and the little tables in front. Tuesday afternoon when school already started yet there was still a line out the door! That's a great indication of some great ice cream.
Then...my excitement progressively grew as I saw the season's ice cream flavors listed:
1. Dark Chocolate Sorbet
2. Tahitian Vanilla Bean
3. Brown Sugar Oat and Walnut
4. Bitter Caramel
5. Fig Leaf
6. Basil
7. Blackberry Corn
8. Blackberry Sorbet
9. Stout
I tried samples of Stout, Bitter Caramel, and Basil and they were all sooo good in their own very unique ways. Basil tastes exactlyyy like basil. Very fragrant and yes, it was strange b/c it was vegetable flavored. All of the flavors weren't too strong or too sweet so it wasn't overbearing to eat a ton of ice cream. I wanted a sample of all the other flavors too but didn't want to hold up the line or annoy the worker by asking for 1 million samples. I ended up getting a scoop of the brown sugar in a cone and boy let me tell ya-that cone is something else. It is the best ice cream waffle cone I have tasted in my life-something about it was very eggy, and me like eggs-long time. The ice cream was also delectable! Like I said, not too sweet, and it's just an awesome flavor!
Plus they have cute windows the open completely out to the street and they serve water in little metal cups -how charming.
The workers were also very patient-they told the customers they could try as many samples as they like even though there was a line. So good customer service.
I cannot wait to try their flavors the next time I come to town. And yes, I do like this place better than Marianne's Ice Cream b/c they offer a narrowed menu but with unique and varying flavors.
P.S.-if you submit your own flavor idea and they make it-you get a free pint of ice cream! -
Review from Nicole W.
Didn't have any flavors that tasted good on the day we went. The ice cream was really milky/creamy tasting with very light flavoring. Everything kinda tasted the same.
I couldn't leave empty handed so I opted for the special sundae which was really good but how can you go wrong with vanilla bean ice cream, almond pound cake, blueberry preserves, whip cream,nuts &lemon curd! -
Review from Andrey T.
Santa Clara, CA
12/17/2011
The ice cream is okay - not even sure if it is organic. But $20 for 4 scoops of ice cream and one drink is way too overpriced even for downtown Santa Cruz.
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Review from Ryan B.
8/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I was very interested in the Penny Ice Creamery after hearing about their success with our nation's stimulus bill. If you're not familiar with the story of how the owners humbly began this great venture, check out this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com...
This story really brought a smile to my face. But then I tried the ice cream...and it practically made me do a backflip. The Penny Ice Creamery's ice cream is absolutely mind-blowing. Not mind-blowing like a pint of Ben and Jerry's for example, not mind-blowing because it has 18 different flavors swirled together and it is named after your favorite jam-band. I mean mind blowing in the sense that it is so fresh, smooth, brilliantly crafted in small batches, the ingredients are mostly sourced from local farms, and it is just downright delicious.
They love to give out samples, and talk about their product, so as long as there isn't a line behind you, get comfortable at the counter and don't be in a rush at all. Try each flavor if you like, chances are you'll have a tough time deciding on just one. One trip to this place will definitely get you hooked. I'm from New York, so after only two visits to The Penny Ice Creamery, I am on the other side of the country dreaming of the delicious basil ice cream, the mint chocolate chip, the bacon bourbon, all of it really! ; /
***Very Important*** - No matter what, you must try the toasted marshmallow topping. They lather melty homemade fluffy marshmallow type stuff all over your ice cream and then TORCH IT! to-die-for.Listed in: Best of Santa Cruz & Bay Area
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Review from Rebecca M.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/4/2011
Some of the best ice cream in Santa Cruz. The flavors here are very strange, so be open! You can still get a lot of the classics, too.
The first thing I ever tried here was their chocolate malt - and it was the best malt I've ever had. Seriously rich and chocolatey.
Earl of Grey is one of my favorite flavors...it tastes like an iced earl grey latte - a drink I can never find! Brown Sugar Oat and Walnut is probably one of the best ice cream flavors I've ever tasted. I highly suggest it.
Their specialty sundaes are amazing too! -
Review from Ej R.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/3/2012
Since they always have such a huge line, I never go into Penny, so I finally went in on a slow night. Tried a few flavors (really? no peach chunks in your peach ice cream? this is peach ice cream heresy!); I grabbed a scoop of vanilla and a pint of something else (I forgot what), and the pint now sits in my freezer, waiting to be given away to someone who wants it. The flavors were more strange and awkward than interesting and exciting, and It was crazy overpriced--seriously, almost 4 bucks for a scoop?!!!--and the ice cream is hard and dry in some way, not creamy or fresh tasting at all :( I was completely underwhelmed and confused about the hype. Why do people line up to spend all their money on what is decidedly NOT the most delicious ice cream in santa cruz??? Sorry Penny, but at least I know my opinion won't be affecting your business too drastically!
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Review from Minky O.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/10/2011
Probably the best ice cream in Santa Cruz. I've had better. Penny, don't rest on your laurels, the ice-cream still needs refinement. Some of the flavors are quite inventive, however not enough time has been spent on developing each particular flavor.
I write this review not in mean spirit but in the interest of everybody, including myself who wishes that their ice-cream be made to meet their fullest potential flavor maximization.
Packing ice-cream full of sugar does not make ice cream good. Penny, don't make me compare you to Starbucks. The ingredients are quality, make the best of them. Play with ratios and don't be afraid to be subtle with the sugar, creamy with the dairy, and obtrusive with the featured flavor. -
Review from Renna L.
Pleasant Hill, CA
1/19/2012
I am absolutely in love with Penny's. I go there as often as I can. Their flavors are seasonal which makes going an adventure. The employees' are very nice and funny, and are always willing to let you sample every flavor! So far, my favorites are earl grey, cranberry-lime, chocolate sorbet (with toasted marshmallow topping!), cinnamon and anything with caramel. You really can't go wrong here. Everything is just amazing. Seasonal, local ingredients and the best ice cream around all for only $3.25 for a scoop in a homemade waffle cone?? I don't think it could really get better. I highly recommend going to Penny's, it is definitely one of the best places in Santa Cruz!!
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Review from Heidy S.
Santa Cruz, CA
WOW.
I have lived here for a year now, and I finally used my groupon for Penny last week. IT WAS AMAZING ICE CREAM! I had the pluot chamomile and the Verve coffee. My friend got the vanilla bean and black tea peach scoops. I couldn't sleep for the past few nights because I wanted to go back and couldn't decide which flavor to go with next. I love that it's all seasonal local organic, but the downside is they don't have pluot chamomile any longer as a result.
Gahhh I'm going to go in two hours. Can't wait!
Maybe I'll post a photo to boot. :) -
Review from Jen J.
Santa Monica, CA
7/5/2011
OOOOOOOOOMMMMMMGGGGGGG. I'm lactose intolerant. Lets just get that out there now. So when someone suggested getting ice cream this weekend, i thought "selfish bastards... don't you know most Asians are lactose intolerant?? Can't you tell I'm Asian??!" LOL but I was told they had sorbet, so all was good.
Luckily they do have a couple of flavors of sorbets, (I'm told they change flavors every week) and I get the chocolate. I swear, they must be lying about it not having dairy... it's SO rich and chocolatey! I actually ate it in fear because the girl behind the counter hesitated when I asked if it had dairy. So now I have a very unhealthy, weird craving for dangerous eating. -
Review from Kailyn G.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2011
This place is pretty awesome. I stopped by on the way back to San Francisco after spending the day at Big Sur. Part of my group didn't feel like taking the extra detour. But let me tell you, it was totally worth it.
This ice cream is super creamy and rich. The flavors are new and exciting and (based on what I tried) all very delicious. They also change regularly.
When we arrived, the place was pretty busy and it looked like a long line. However, it moved really fast. The ladies behind the counter were super friendly and offered samples of everything. So I got to try the bitter caramel, stout, and black sesame. It was so hard to decide what to actually order. I went with bitter caramel in a cup. The boyfriend went with black sesame and vanilla in a cone.
I would totally go back if I'm in the area.
Side note: I overheard the girl behind the counter saying they do their donuts to order...which sounds incredible. -
Review from Tiffany L.
Santa Cruz, CA
7/23/2011
Went to Penny one afternoon with a friend who raved about them. The idea of the place is enticing; all of the ice cream is made in house from scratch with locally grown ingredients. The flavors are constantly changing and are very unique. I definitely appreciate what they are doing here.
I waited in line for a while - it seemed kind of silly to me to wait in line that long for ice cream but probably not sillier than the time I waited in line for 3 hours when the iPhone first came out.
I ordered the bourbon bacon and vanilla bean. I'm a fan of chocolate covered bacon so I was hoping this would give my taste buds a similar experience. it wasn't quite the same, bourbon flavored ice cream was good but the pieces of bacon were weird tasting and ultimately not appreciated. Vanilla was, well just plain old vanilla, nothing too spectacular.
I'm not sure if I just didn't pick the right flavors to try or this place is overrated but I just wasn't that thrilled. If I happen to go in again I'll try some new flavors and update my review but for now it's just an A-Ok. -
Review from Stephen D.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/21/2011
Hand crafted, artisan ice cream, made from locally sourced ingredients.. uh, YES.
Flavors change with the season and what is available. By going once every few weeks, you always get something new. Bourbon bacon chocolate, chocolate raspberry, sweet cream infused with pine, bitter caramel, spearmint with cocoa nubs; all of these I have tried and are AWESOME.
If you're downtown, walk over and give a try. They will offer samples even before you can ask.
