Dragon Lili Boba Bar
With more than 100 flavor combinations for milk teas, frozen teas, and smoothies, guests can get creative. “Every step is an adventure,” managing partner Amber Castillo says. She recommends the Melon Cooler, a cantaloupe kiwi green tea with cantaloupe-flavored popping boba.
Monster Shakes
Flamboyantly decorated milkshakes come in flavors that are as wild as they look. Try the Cotton Candy Explosion, a sugar bomb of cotton candy ice cream garnished with a rim of vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles, and finished with 8 inches of pink and blue cotton candy.
Kreem
Though classic dairy-based ice creams are available, Kreem’s coconut-based vegan menu gets major attention. Expect fun flavors like toasted tapioca marshmallows and ube (a sweet purple yam from the Philippines with hints of nutty vanilla).
Lala’s Waffles Crêpes & Shakes
Dessert for breakfast? It’s what summer vacations were made for. Build your own buttery crêpe or waffle with more than 20 sauces, toppings, fruits, and ice cream flavors to choose from. Or select a house special, like the Philadelphia, topped with fresh fruit, a cream cheese spread, and a condensed milk drizzle.
Nitroinfusions
When Nancy and Sebastian Prieto sought to open an ice cream shop using family recipes, they wanted to give guests a show. Liquid nitrogen, a cryogenic fluid chilled to minus-321 degrees Fahrenheit that’s popularly used in molecular gastronomy, freezes liquids in almost an instant, so the creamy confections are made right before your eyes.
Shields Date Garden
In business for more than a century, Shields Date Garden is thought to be one of the first businesses to serve the famous date shake. Here, they make it with patented date crystals, invented by founder Floyd Shields in the 1930s and made from sweet, caramelly dates grown on-site. “[It’s important to] support small family farms like Shields,” says owner and date enthusiast Heather Raumin. “And it’s really important to us to educate people on how their final product gets to the grocery store.”
Shop(pe)
The wide assortment of cards, books, and other gifts that channel girl-boss vibes at Shop(pe) in Palm Springs may draw guests in, but unique ice cream flavors make for repeat business. While the selection of scoops rotates with offerings like rose water, cappuccino crunch, and black sesame, staples that stay year-round include Mexican chocolate, birthday cake, and ube.
Tea Be Honest
This family-owned shop offers a playful spin on milk tea, alongside non-dairy milkshakes and blended drinks with fresh fruit. Try a Galaxy Tea, made with a green tea base, a flavoring of your choice, and chia seeds with a butterfly-pea-flower-tea float.
Uji Time Dessert
This popular California chain started in the Bay Area, where co-owners John Ip, Sharon Ku, and Benson Leung sought to bring Japanese fusion desserts — and plenty of smiles — to folks with a hankering for something sweet. Served in specialty fish-shaped pastry cones known as taiyaki, soft-serve flavors include matcha, ube, and black sesame. Try yours with a Nutella or red bean paste for a treat that’s totally unique.
