Smarty’s

YES! After all the Rite Aids that have closed I am happy to report that this place carries Thrifty’s ice cream & lots of it! Yumyumyum! The chocolate malted crunch ice cream had stale malted crunch balls but who cares right?!? It was still Thriftys! I am going back oh so soon to get rainbow sherbert & blueberry cheescake! And you know this man!!!

This review is for Thrifty’s! Exactly like we used to have in California, with the square scoops and everything. I don’t know how they do it, but this is 5-​star ice cream. Of course Handel’s in Redondo Beach is literally the top of the heap (one of the best ice creams, nationwide), Thrifty’s will not leave you wanting. People who know T’s know that this is good stuff. You just have to get over the fact that its a little nook in a quick stop. Forget CJ’s «Food Coloring Sugar Ice» up the street. This will cool you off with a smile to boot.

I grew up eating Thrifty Ice Cream. It was right around the corner from our house in California. My Favorite was the chocolate malt crunch. We been back here twice in the past seven days and i’m glad I don’t live closer to here or else I’d be eating chocolate malt crunch everyday.

Once Rite-​Aid had closed years ago, I felt no need to indulge in ice cream anymore (that is, until the recent frozen yogurt explosion). I mean, Thrifty ice cream was the stuff of my childhood. Living literally a minute walk from Rite-​Aid, ordering Rainbow Sherbert time after time, and only paying a dollar each time was the pinnacle of my childhood.
Many a year have I devised plans that involved driving to California, purchasing a stockpile of ice cream, and attempting to keep it frosty throughout the four hour drive. Well, those plans are now in vain. Located in a fairly random gas station, my friends and I had decided dollar ice cream would be the only method of consolation after a terrible brunch. I was on the verge of tears when I saw the cylindrical ice cream scoop of Rainbow Sherbert atop a cone. The woman serving us was friendly, and somehow knew this was a tender moment for all of us.
After finishing our cones/​cups, all I could think was still a dollar, and it’s still delicious.

After moving to Las Vegas six years ago, once thing I noticed was «where are all the ice cream shops?» No, Dairy Queen, ColdStone, etc. do not count. I want the ice cream stand/​shops that you can walk up and get a scoop of some delicious ice cream.
Enter Smarty’s gas station.
Smarty’s gas station has a ice cream shop inside that sells Thrifty’s Ice Cream. If you remember getting an ice cream cone back in the day, this is the ice cream that was being served. If you are from the midwest, Stroh’s ice cream is a similar brand.
Mint & Choc is one of the best mint chocolate chip ice creams ever. (and its green color. which is very important). The pumpkin is no good. But the birthday cake is yummy! It’s like funfetti cake ice cream! My husband likes the pecan praline. I think I might try the black cherry next time.
Shout out to Becca for hooking us up with great ice cream!
They close at 10pm and bring cash. Who doesn’t have 99 cents for a scoop?
If they are SUPER slow in the gas station, sometimes the cashier will get you some ice cream. They also sell pints and quarts of ice cream in the freezer section.
p. s. they have this amazing ice cream scoop that will blow your mind.
Enjoy!

Still one of the best ice cream deals in town, and yes, the cylinrical trigger scoop is back!!! perfect spot to cool off from the summer heat… ALOHA!!!

YAY!!! I am sooo glad that there is a place in las vegas that sells Thrifty ice cream! I am from California and we moved here about a year ago and sadly found out that all the Rite aids had been closed down. Thrifty’s mint and chip is the BEST! It makes baskin and robin taste like the really bad generic ice cream you get at wal mart.

All the stars are for serving Thrifty’s ice cream. This place is a hidden gem that I would want everyone to know about. They serve chocolate malted crunch and mint chip ice cream here. And it is Thrifty’s brand. Not only do they sell by scoop and by cup, but they also sell by pint and by quart! So worth it!
Of course, the customer service is great; everyone in the shop is nice too.

I had to try the thrifty ice cream, since alot of Unilocalers seem to go gaga over it, and it’s a couple blocks from the house. I had the choco malt and the butter praline, both of the flavors were very good. Both full of there respective flavors. I don’t know the deal about the cylindrical scoop except that it cost a $ 100, I don’t think it added any flavor. Lots of other interesting flavors that I have to try, something to look forward to, in the summer.

I will be rating the gas station and the clerks of the establishment, not the ice cream parlor. My boyfriend and I come here often enough that the people who work here already know what we want or knows my boyfriend so well. They’re really nice and polite every time we need something or when they ring us up.
It’s gotten to the point that I don’t want to go to Chevron, Shell, or any other Gas Station Chains and just get gas here to support this small business. Sometimes it’s true what I’ve heard, the employees are the reason why customers are willing to go back to a specific store or pay a little higher for the great service we get.

On the way home from Osaka, we were coming down Durango and I suddenly remembered the Talk thread about Thrifty’s Ice Cream. I just had to stop in to see what the fuss is all about. I ordered a pint of Chocolate Malt Crunch for $ 3.99. I don’t think I got a full pint, but that’s OK. I ate it all in one sitting, so the guy that filled the tub probably saved me some calories by not packing it in.
Yes. I can see why people love this ice cream. It basically tastes like it is full of crushed Maltesers. It was absolutely delicious.
By the way, I was there past midnight and I wasn’t sure if the ice cream section was closed, but the guy was willing to serve me anyway. Teri C mentioned in her review that they stop serving at 10pm. I guess your mileage may vary.
I’m giving Smarty’s Mart four stars. Thrifty’s isn’t the absolute greatest ice cream ever made, but for appearing to be the only one in town that carries it, they have earned my fan status.

First off, thank you genna s. for sending me to Smarty’s Mart on Durango!
When I first posted my request for Thrifty’s Ice Cream in Vegas back in July, I do have to thank my fellow Unilocalers for following through on my wishes!
It took three tries to get me my ice cream! The first time, I walked in at 10:15 pm. They apparently close down the ice cream section at 10 pm sharp and they aren’t willing to budge on that one bit (even if you are pregnant)! And they don’t sell Thrifty’s ice cream by the gallon or pint on the freezer section either. So if you want your fill, get there between the times of 11 am and 10 pm.
The second time, there were out of Chocolate Malt Crunch. What’s the point, right? I took one look at the case and gasped when I noticed my desired flavor was replaced with something else. The woman behind the counter confirmed that they were out. Strike two!
And finally, a few days ago I suggested to the Husband might we swing on my Smarty’s again for another go at it. And thankfully they had it! I wasn’t messing around this time — three scoops please, in a waffle cone ($ 2.99). Sure, they don’t have the old school Thrifty scoop, but they have the ice cream at least. So you can’t win them all. (Apparently you can buy a new one on Ebay for $ 100.)
So, Thrifty’s ice cream by the scoop does exist in Vegas after all. It’s not 35 cents a scoop anymore, but times have changed! And they also have other favorites like Black Cherry and Coconut Pineapple.
1 scoop (cane cone aka regular one) — $.99
1 scoop (sugar cone) — $ 1.49
2 scoops (waffle cone) — $ 1.99
3 scoops (waffle cone) — $ 2.99
And they will hand pack a pint ($ 3.99) for you too if you so desire! (If Chloe is working, she’ll do a damn good job on packing that pint for you! I saw her packing a pint for someone else and ended up changing my order to a pint too!) (Went back again and Becca packed me a serious quart! Totally worth it!)
Sidenote: You can pay at the ice cream counter if you’re paying in cash. But if you’re paying with a credit card, they’ll give you a receipt to bring to the front. It’ll cost you 50 cents extra to use a credit card though.

Thrifty’s Ice Cream is finally here at Smarty’s! I was so happy to finally have some Chocolate Malted Crunch. I usually have to get my fill of this when I ‘m visiting San Diego so I was happy to see the ad in The View. They don’t sell the pre packed ice cream but they have it by the scoop, quart or pint and it’s all hand packed. It’s good to have a bit of home here in the valley!