Big Gay Ice Cream

DISAPPOINTED.
The Big Gay went to LA once and I missed it, so since then it became a wish list! I got the chocolate one but it was only pretty looking, the taste wasn’t even as good as ice cream you get in supermarkets.

Good ice cream but didn’t see anything special about it. Got the twist and tried the salty pimp.

I don’t know how I did not review Big Gay in Philly. Last June we were in Philly for a concert and intentionally parked the car down the road from here so we could take the train in and get ice cream! I had talked nonstop about Big Gay Ice Cream for MONTHS before we went here and I was NOT disappointed. The place was easy to find (maybe because I follow them on Twitter and knew what I was looking for). We shared a Bea Arthur since it was hot out and we’d be outside practically all day. It was heavenly goodness…
The only downside was this was after they first opened and there was nowhere to sit. However nothing a sidewalk curb couldn’t take care of. We got a few strange looks (prob due to my concert getup), but nothing rude. The staff was friendly enough even though they had a line out the door. We will be back (hopefully this summer). I want to make my way through the WHOLE menu!!!

More like big LAME ice cream shop.
Expensive and flavorless soft serve. Weird environment, felt gimmicky. Wish I had just gotten McDonald’s.

I came here with my boyfriend to get our ice cream fix. We asked the cashier what she recommended and she told us The Salty Pimp was her favorite, so we decided to go with that and added sprinkles to it. I’m a huge fan of salted caramel, so I thought that I’d like this a lot. However, the flavor and taste was inconsistent. There were many parts of the cone where it just tasted like pure salt. Even the bottoms of the cone was extremely salty. At around $ 5 a cone (we paid almost $ 6 for the chocolate sprinkles), I personally don’t think it’s worth it for the salty pimp. The service was friendly though. Everyone seemed happy and excited to serve you.

I didn’t really get the hype that I expected! My mom got the salty Pimp and I got the Monday sundae. Both were tasty but the service was very dry and maybe it was because it was the end of the day but they were so not happy like you would expect in a fun ice cream shop? Not a single smile.
Which in turn affected our experience with the ice cream and it was good but not amazing. I’m really disappointed! I’ve heard such great things about this place but it was just mediocre.

Good concept. Great toppings. Perfectly good (but really mediocre) sofserv ice cream and cone: It’s like someone deconstructed the McDonalds or Dairy Queen ice cream station, added some premium toppings and cool names and charged you 250−500% price.

I came here last night with my friend. We’ve been wanting to come here for some time now. We both ordered the salty pimp which is the most popular and I can see why. It’s vanilla soft serve with dulce de leche and sea salt and then dipped into chocolate. It was very good! I was surprised I liked it so much. At some points I would have loved even more dulce de leche. I was very satisfied. The staff was wonderful. The place is a good size with tables so you can sit down and enjoy the delicious ice cream. I will definitely be back to try the other combination sundaes.

The ice cream is fine. Way way overpriced for pretty normal tasting ice cream.
Style that they put on toppings is nice, but toppings are pretty normal too.

This place offends me because it associates homosexuality with very bad ice cream.
Did you know ice cream could be bad? Me either. I eat Wendy’s dollar frosties all the time, and they taste like a fluffy heavenly cloud in my mouth compared to the Rocky Road specialty cone I had. Stale marshmallows and mouthfuls of salt… Rocky Road? More like Gravel Driveway.
Yes, you heard me correctly: mouthfuls of SALT. I think they were trying to do the sea salt and chocolate thing, but they spooned so much salt on it so unevenly that every other bite was caustic, and by the time I got to the bottom of the cone (usually the best part!) I felt like I had lapped up the entire Dead Sea. It’s been 45 mins since I finished that cone, and I’m still thirsty.
To put the cherry on the top of this royal disaster, it cost me almost 8 bucks and I stood in line for forever. What the heck, guys.

Lots of unique ice cream toppings! There are seasonal toppings that are available and signature flavors as well like the salty pimp. It is a little pricy, but I think it’s worth the yummy taste! I got the key lime pie one, and it really did taste like I was eating a key lime pie. The salty pimp is also very delicious! Would definitely recommend if you like chocolate!

These soft serve ice creams are glorious. My favorite flavor is the Monday Sundae. It comes in a giant waffle cone that’s lined on the inside with Nutella. The best part is the combination of the sea salt, caramel and richly, creamy whipped cream. I’ve also had their chocolate vanilla swirl with sprinkles and that was a perfect treat for a warm afternoon. My friend got the Mermaid which is essentially key lime pie in a cup and it was a good mixture of tart and sweet. My other friend got their banana ice cream and enjoyed it because «it actually tasted like bananas». The staff has always been friendly and their service is quick.

I don’t even like soft serve ice cream. I went here as part of my «Stop Being Difficult» tour with my best friend. They have a seasonal thing that’s like an apple cobbler or something. I got that.
My memory’s a little hazy, but I’m pretty sure that I was done eating it before the woman handed it to me. It was phenomenal… at least I think it was. I ate it too fast. It had pie crumb, butterscotch, apple butter, and something else.
Delicious!

I’ve never finished an ice cream come that fast… Or probably ever. Usually the ice cream is too overwhelming and I pawn it off to a friend, but that was not the case with the Big Gay Ice Cream shop!
I had the Salty Pimp, and I definitely understand why it’s their #1! The dulce de leche is injected into the soft serve so you find little nuggets of golden deliciousness as you devour the cone. I will never get over the combination of sea salt, dulce de leche, and the delicate chocolate coating on the vanilla ice cream — it was pure magic!
I wish it wasn’t so expensive for something that’s essentially a vanilla soft serve cone, but I can’t deny that they know how to dress up an ice cream cone! If I’m back on the east coast and searching for a cold treat, I’d return in the future for another cone or to try something new.

I think Big Gay Ice Cream is one of the better ice cream parlors in the city. They have a selection of sundae-​like creations (all including a cone) and also allow you to «make your own» with a variety of toppings. They also offer milkshake combinations, popcicles, floats, and coffee beverages. Their main flavors are chocolate and vanilla custard, however, they do have some specialty flavors at times. I got the «American Glob» with Cheesecake ice cream and it really hit the spot. It was big enough to share and they put it in a small dish to prevent the mess that will most likely ensue as you chow down. I will definitely return to try out their famous «Salty Pimp».

If you’re an ice cream lover like I am, you have got to try this place in Philly. This was my second time going and the ice cream is just delicious! The flavors are basic, just vanilla chocolate or swirl and then maybe a flavor of the day that’s new. But the toppings and cone combinations are really what makes this place special. The custard also is fine with plain flavors because it’s so good and creamy. I’d almost like to try it without any toppings because I think it would be good plain even.
I tried the bea Arthur and this time I made a modification to one of the speciality cones and got rainbow jimmies, dark chocolate pretzel pieces with sea salt, and dipped in chocolate on the top. The bea Arthur is a classic. So good! They put the caramel inside the cone and inside the ice cream so you can really taste it throughout the whole cone. The chocolate dip is highly recommended and the pretzels added a good crunch to the custard. You really just need to come try for yourself how good the custard is!
I will say the ladies behind the counter were not very friendly. I wanted some help deciding which cone I wanted, and their answers were pretty short and I felt they were annoyed I was even asking. To me, I would like someone to be just as passionate about the ice cream choice as I was in making my decision to make the whole experience at the store more enjoyable. Despite this, you will not be disappointed once you are handed your cone! And you’ll definitely want to come back again (I did).

I’ve been wanting to try this place for months now so I was really excited when I finally got the chance to go with a friend yesterday. And while I don’t think it should win an award for best ice cream in Philly, it was definitely worth the trip.
Went in at 8pm on a Wednesday and the place was empty. Service was fine: the two girls behind the counter weren’t incredibly friendly but weren’t rude either.
We got the American Globs: vanilla ice cream with sea salt, dark chocolate covered pretzels, and a chocolate dip. It’s pretty large so perfect for sharing between two. They even put it in a container and gave us two spoons so it would be easier to share. The ice cream itself wasn’t anything special, a bit too sweet even, which is why I’m only giving it four stars, but the toppings do make up for it. The sea salt and the pretzel cut the sweetness of the ice cream nicely, and the chocolate coating gives it an extra crunch. I’ll definitely be back to try the salty pimp!

I went in to Big Gay Ice Cream around 9 pm on a Friday night and asked «What’s your most popular thing on the menu?» The woman behind the counter said «The Salty Pimp. It’s vanilla ice cream with dulche de leche, dipped in chocolate with sea salt. You can get it with a cone or in a cup.»
Word of advice that I didn’t take: when the person tells you the most popular thing on their menu, get it. Get it, my girlfriend did, but I went with the Mermaid — vanilla ice cream with key lime curd, crushed graham crackers, and whipped cream. The Mermaid was so good, but if you aren’t in the mood for tart, be warned! What worked out perfectly is my girlfriend and I liked what each other ordered, so in the end, I got the Salty Pimp (something I’ll probably never type again). It’s phenomenal. It’s everything I ever wanted in an ice cream cone. If you take away one thing from this review, it’s Get. The. Salty. Pimp.
As far as atmosphere, Big Gay Ice Cream has your run-​of-​the-​mill counter service with a very clean, modern atmosphere with some fun Warhol-​esque prints on the wall. It’s a bit short on seating, but there are also a couple of benches on either side of the entrance that also serve as extra seating.
But again, just get the Salty Pimp.

So glad this place came to philly, although my waist line isn’t! Wow these ice creams are intense and huge! They have milkshakes and regular soft serve. I appreciate that their soft serve includes jimmies in the price. I’m a big jimmies person so this was great.
The real draw is their specialty ice creams. My cousin had the rocky road. I honestly can’t even list all the ingredients on it (check out the menu) but t was huge! They’re served in a cone one a bowl because you’ll need a spoon also. It was chocolate heaven! Heard the salted pretzel caramel one is amazing. Can’t wait to try. It’s a bit expensive, about $ 6.75 for an ice cream but it’s really big!
Only complaint is the staff wasn’t super friendly and seemed more interested in texting than offering suggestions or help navigating their menu.

Oh boy! What a great ice cream spot. We saw it on food network several times and its been on our bucket list, you should add it to yours as well! Lady friend got the Bea Arthur, if you like Vanilla go with it. I got the Salty Pimp, chocolate dipped cone with salted caramel (excellent amount of salt too) injected into it. Damn it was good. Ice cream is my guilty pleasure so I’m sure anytime I’m in center city I’ll be stopping in again. As I walk away, I’m literally thinking about walking back in and grabbing one for the road… uhhh diabetes and obesity! Lol
Definitely worth a stop in when you are around. Very friendly and helpful staff. Great job!