15 must-try frozen treats to sweeten up Salem this summer
Emily Teel
It's officially summer, which means now's the time to get into vacation mode, even if work responsibilities, childcare, and the mundane details of life maintenance are as urgent as ever. To help inject a little of that summer vacation joy into business-as-usual, here are 15 treats made in the Salem area to sweeten up these summer days.
Churro Ice Cream Sandwich at Don Bigote
A shiny black food truck that sets up under the awning at Fruteria La Cabana, Don Bigote specializes in crepes, milkshakes, and churros. Owners Oscar Rodriguez and Veronica Islas serve up an ice cream sandwich between to warm disks of just-fried cinnamon-sugar dipped churros. It is as messy and epic as it sounds. They also offer — dream come true — a churro banana split.
Where: 3390 Portland Road NE
Phone: 503-990-4860
Information:Don Bigote (Facebook)
Ice Cream Lasagna at On Any Sundae
You'll need at least one buddy to tackle a single slice of On Any Sundae's ice cream lasagna. It's three layers of waffle cone "lasagna" sheets with three layers (rotating flavors) of ice cream. Topped with chocolate shell and served with whipped cream, it's an absolute brick of sweetness. Can't manage it? Opt for one of the shop's many ice cream tacos instead.
Where: 3987 Commercial Street SE
Phone: 503-588-6605
Information:On Any Sundae (Facebook)
Aloha Shave Ice at Beehive Station
A sweet little food cart with a surfboard as a front counter, Aloha serves up Hawaiian shave ice. Almost snow-like, it's light and fluffy and incredibly refreshing. Opt for classic, brightly colored syrups, or, if you prefer something a little more subtle, the cart also offers a line of premium syrups made with real, often Oregon-grown fruit.
Where: 1510 Fabry Road S
Phone: 971-808-2197
Information: Aloha Shave Ice (Facebook)
Halo Halo at Manila Fiesta and Nanay's Ba-Hi
Halo Halo, which means "mix mix" is a sweet treat from the Philippines full of different colors and textures. The version at food truck Nanay's Ba-Hi includes a rainbow of different coconut jellies with jackfruit, topped with ube (purple sweet potato) ice cream, cubes of pineapple, and crumbled strawberry wafer cookies. The Manila Fiesta, a food cart at The Yard, serves a version that includes banana, sweet beans, and leche flan (caramel custard) on top.
Nanay's Ba-Hi
Where: location varies
Phone: 541-870-2156
Information: Nanay's Ba-Hi (Facebook)
The Manila Fiesta
Where: 4106 State Street
Phone: 503-881-9431
Information: themanilafiesta.com
Fronut at Street Sweets 1969
It's a doughnut. It's ice cream. A fronut is a doughnut ice cream sandwich sundae. It comes with toppings and in endless flavor variations: s'mores, birthday cake, you get the idea. Get yourself one Street Sweets 1969, a food cart in a vintage travel trailer at The Yard.
Where: 4106 State Street
Phone: 971-332-5061
Information: Street Sweets 1969 (Facebook)
Dole Whip at On Any Sundae
A dairy-free answer to soft serve ice cream, Dole Whip is made from pineapple but has a fluffy, creamy texture. On Any Sundae always stocks the classic pineapple flavor and rotates through mango, lemon, orange, raspberry, strawberry, and lime versions as well. Enjoy it unadorned or as a float.
Where: 3987 Commercial St SE
Phone: 503-588-6605
Information:On Any Sundae (Facebook)
Raspanieve at Paletería y Nevería El Paisanito
Why choose between ice cream and shave ice when you could have both? Get a raspanieve at Paletería y Nevería El Paisanito, a seasonally-operating ice cream shop in downtown Woodburn, and that's exactly what you'll get. Choose a fresh fruit to act as a base for your shave ice, sweetened with condensed milk, and then an ice cream flavor to go on top. Served with a spoon, you can eat the ice cream first and then, as things get melty, sip the frosty deliciousness through a straw.
Where: 429 N Front Street, Woodburn
Phone: 503-981-9087
Information: Paletería y Nevería El Paisanito (Facebook)
Vegan Push Pops at The Space
A throwback for sure, The Space is making vegan push pops! Available in three flavors: local strawberries, mango, and strawberry-raspberry-mango, these agave-sweetened push pops are soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.
Where: 1128 Edgewater St NW
Phone: 971-208-3995
Information: spaceconcertclub.com
Potted Plant Tea at Ibendoo Ramen
Imagine bubble tea minus the boba. Ibendoo Ramen is serving something called potted plant tea. A Taiwan-style bubble tea base topped with whipped cream, crushed Oreo cookies and a sprig of mint, the sweet drinks are meant to look like flowerpots with plants growing from the top.
Where: 3405 Commercial Street SE Suite 150
Phone: 503-990-8012
Strawberry Shortcake at Willamette Valley Pie Co.
Buttery cake, almost melting soft-serve ice cream, and saucy strawberries, few things taste more like summer as strawberry shortcake. There are plenty around, but the version at Willamette Valley Pie Company is available all summer long. Not into shortcake? They've got plenty of pie and cobbler options, too.
Where: 2994 82nd Ave NE
Phone: 503-362-8857
Information: wvpie.com
Ice Cream Soda Floats at Half Baked Eats & Sweets
Why stick to plain root beer? Tie-dyed food truck Half Baked Eats & Sweets, which pops up regularly in Aumsville and Salem, makes floats with your choice of root beer, Coke, and strawberry kiwi, black cherry, grape or orange sodas, too. Plus, you can round out a float into a full meal with one of the truck's loaded grilled cheese sandwiches.
Where: various locations
Phone: 503-559-9921
Information: halfbakedeatsandsweets.com
Mangonada at Lonchería y Antojitos El Perico
If you're a chili fan and you've never tried a mangonada, you're in for a treat. A staple of summer in Mexico, a mangonada is a tall cup of mango slush seasoned with chamoy, a tangy, salty, spicy condiment made from pickled fruit. The slush is topped with cubes of sweet mango, seasoned with Tajín (chili lime salt) and served with a tamarind-chili candy-coasted straw. It's sweet, a little spicy and tangy in a way that is a perfect match to a 90°F-plus kind of day.
Where: 114 Lancaster Drive NE Salem
Phone: (503) 364-1290
Information: Lonchería y Antojitos "El Perico" (Facebook)
Waffle Cones at Dolce Mama's
While many Salem ice cream shops are buying their ice cream from Tillamook or Cascade Glacier, Dolce Mama's makes their own using Oregon-sourced ingredients. Pick the seasonal scoop of your choice (it's blueberry cheesecake ice cream season), and make sure to get it in one of the house-made waffle cones. Thin and shatteringly crisp, it's these that give Dolce Mama's its sweet aroma.
Where: 333 State Street Salem
Phone: 503-385-7323
Information: dolcemamas.com
Rolled Ice Cream at 22 Below
Salem has no shortage of Thai-style rolled ice cream spots, but 22 Below is our original. Founded in 2017 by a McKay grad, the shop now has three locations, the Salem original and one each in Tigard and Portland. Build your own flavor combination because, well, they're going to make it on the spot so you might as well get a custom experience. Overwhelmed? 22 Below also offers an extensive menu of suggestions. Bonus: because the ice cream is frozen to order it doesn't melt as quickly as traditional scoops.
Where: 4155 Rickey St. SE
Phone: 503-602-7502
Information: my22below.com
House-made Paletas at Paleteria La Super 2
This family-owned sweet shop serves up a rainbow of ice creams and agua frescas, but the thing not to miss is the paletas — house-made popsicles. The treats are available in a mind-boggling array, enough to give you brain freeze. Bubbegum fans will appreciate the bright blue chicle, while those looking for seasonal flavors will appreciate the more subdued fresas con crema, strawberries and cream.
Where: 318 Lancaster Diver NE
Phone: 805-623-2590
Information: paleteriayneverialasuper2.business.site/
Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel
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