Snowizard Snoball Stand

It took eight years but I finally got a New Orleans snowcone!!! This was also my first American snowcone and my first snowcone in 28 years (seriously someone mark this day)!

To get the full childhood nostalgia I ordered my favorite flavor, MANGO!!! Before you ask yes, I got the condescend milk because I am and ADULT darn it!

Ice was soft like snow and the mango syrup was flavorful not to sweet and did not have any chemical taste to it. Well done SnoWizard, well done!

Definitely in the top five snowball shops in town.  Sure Plum Street and Hanson's are better, but when the heat index is over 100 and convenience and waiting times are important, SnoWizard fills the bill!  

Great array of flavors and very good service, too!

I used to frequent Snowizard often but this season has been off. We went at the beginning of this season (2017) and the ice was terrible. If you are a Nola local or snowball veteran, you know what I mean.

We drove by a few days after that and noticed Snowizard was closed at a time they should have been open. A sign in the window said they were working on things because they were not delivering the best quality product. We thought, cool..other people had noticed how bad the snowballs were and they were doing something about it.

We drove by again yesterday and they were open. We stopped and had nice service but terrible snoballs again. One had no syrup. It didn't make it half way down. Both snoballs had chunky, frozen, not soft ice.

I am afraid I would rather travel 10-15 mins to the next snoball stand because it was that bad.

What's the deal Snowizard??

The horchata with cream is one of the best things I've ever drank. I don't know why this isn't a thing at Mexican places by now  The young lady making them was as courteous and gorgeous which is also a nice bonus. Good ice consistency.

2.5 stars (for the catchy billboard)

On my summer quest to try and review as many snowball stands as possible, a strange billboard for SnoWizard that caught my eye on Magazine Street.  It stated "We have red balls, yellow balls, green balls.......and BLUE balls too!"  BLUE balls.......did they just say BLUE balls?  It was definitely a catchy phrase and further stated that they had been in business since 1936, so I had to give 'em a try.  I whipped a quick U-turn in the middle of Magazine Street and headed back.

I ordered two $1.00 kiddie sizes so I could sample more than just one flavor and got the dreamsicle cream and nectar cream.  I'm not sure if it was a kiddie size thing, but the ice was not made into the shape of a cone, but rather plainly just lopped off on top, like some kind of bad haircut.  More like a 1950's flat top.

The ice was the coarsest I've had this season and the name SnoWizard can be a little misleading, as this is definitely more of a shave ice.  In fact, it were any coarser, I think I could replicate one with a good ice pick.  Not really trying to be funny,but rather describe the all important texture of the ice.

Both snowballs were extremely lacking in syrup and I don't think the syrup ever made it to the bottom of the cup.  But since we were just sampling, we would never know.  The dreamsicle cream did taste like a dreamsicle, but there was nothing defining about it.  The same goes for the nectar cream, as it was unmistakably nectar but again, nothing spectacular.  Neither were overly sweet, but in a good way.

Kudos to this place for being in business for so long.  Location is their friend, because there is nothing else within walking distance.  However, if they want to step up their game and mix it up with the big boys (Hansen's, Plum Street, NOLA Snow) I would suggest a better ice machine and a little more generosity with the syrup.  But what do I know.  If I were so smart, I'd have my own stand with crack addicting syrup and ice that had the consistency of freshly fallen snowflakes.

Although not my favorite stand by a long shot, there was still something nostalgic about visiting here.  But that passed quickly.

Off to my next stand.

Whomp whomp whomp! This place is just not right. Just go to Hansen's...it's worth the longer walk, drive and wait.

Went to SnoWizard while walking down Magazine Street. There was no line and the worker was very friendly.

I've tried a few flavors and have no complaints, the snoballs are in super cute containers.

Cash only, they don't take cards!

This is a great place to grab a cool treat on a hot New Orleans day.  Ample flavor options here, fruity, tart, sweet, root beer the list is long... if you crave a flavor odds are they have it.  Easy walk-up window, each time I have come here there hasn't been a wait.  There are a few chairs out front if you want to hang around, but this stand is located on a great walkable section of Magazine St, perfect for a casual stroll down the Oak lined Street.  The rub on this place is the early closing time, 7pm.  If you are planning to come out to the SnoWizard after dinner for dessert watch the clock!

I really want to love this place because it's one of the only snowball stands that is walking distance from my house.  It's good, particularly if you've never had a snowball in NOLA before.  I say this because there are better snowballs to be had in the city.  The gripe I have here is the ice; it's not smooth and fluffy like at some of the other places I frequent.  

On the flipside, they have a good selection of flavors which are tasty, the staff is friendly, and you can get a snowball in less than 5 minutes.  If you're willing to wait for a bit, go down the street to Hansen's Sno-Bliz.

I'm the biggest snowball fan around, and Snowizard makes the cut for me on a regular basis.  

Is it the best snowball in town? Perhaps not.  But what it lacks in being best, it makes up for because it has shorter lines and cheaper costs than its competitors nearby.  

The flavors are good, the ice is nice and fine, and the service is quick.  

Bonus points for a parking lot that is usually not full and comfortable chairs for me to use while I enjoy my half bubblegum, half ice cream snowball.