Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

Tasty soft serve, interesting and fun flavors. Famous and a must-​visit for that reason, but is backed up by some genuinely good ice cream. It wasn’t super amazing, but still good.

The hype is for the name, come on! BIG GAY ICE CREAM. Who wouldn’t want to walk in?
The ice cream is overpriced but creative, I give them props for that.
It’s a small ice cream joint with creativity written all over it. I bought the «Bea Arthur», too excited to figure out what to get so it’ll do till the next visit.
The «Bea Arthur» was a vanilla dipped cone with vanilla wafer crumbs as a coating. Taste good but again, not as creative.

Had the Key Lime Pie idk what and it was delicious.
It wasn’t as Big and Gay as I assumed. It was actually quite a regular sized NYC dessert shop and a lot of the options were from machines, which kind of turned me off. But I must repeat, the Key Lime idk what was really tasty.
Stop by if you’re in the area

The quirky name and fun colors drew me in on a 30 degree day. Take that winter.
I ordered a chocolate vanilla twist with sprinkles in a waffle cone. You get a large portion and the best part was they layer the toppings. They do a swirl, sprinkles, swirl, sprinkles so you get some in every bite!
It’s a fun shop, tasty ice cream. The only drawback is the price. Yes it’s New York but close to 12 $ for 2 cones will surely freeze my wallet.

This place quickly got on my radar during my last trip to NYC. A friend recommended I go and I regret nothing. I ordered the salty pimp, which is a notable favorite.
I walked around eating an ice cream cone and wearing a huge smile.
I may book another trip based on this ice cream cone alone. Truly a life changing experience. Thank you, Big Gay Ice Cream.

Had to come back and bring a friend! I tend to take my out of town friends here now to enjoy the speciality of Big Gay Ice Cream!
This time to tackle the American Globs. The pretzels were nicely salted and contrasted against the ice cream. Overall, tasty but a bit difficult to handle due to its sheer size!
Maybe stick with the Salty Pimp, but the American Globs is definitely what you want to try if you want to try something else here.

This location is tiny, but the ice cream is indeed delicious. What’s interesting is that many of their recommended sundaes/​flavor combos are just a base of plain vanilla swirl, and then topped with various choices.
I think the salty pimp is overhyped. Personally, the salty pimp was very sweet (even for a person with a huge sweet tooth like me). and I probably will move on to try other things. It might be favorable to someone who enjoys a lot of caramel.
It’s also a bit expensive (Approxmately $ 6), but I guess that might come with the name.

Um, yes, it’s totally fantastic.
My one complaint, $ 7 for a soft serve seems a bit much, even with the ingredients they add. I still love it, though.

Fantastic salted caramel cone, the chocolate shell was a great addition too. Stopped in here while quite drunk and they dealt with our slurrings efficiently and without too much smirking. Previous massive queues had prevented our visits but heading in just before closing meant that there wasn’t more than a couple of people in front of us.
Cones were ordered and delivered and after some rather silly photos, we were on our way into the evening, ice cream slowly getting everywhere.

It was a cold evening in NY, but damnit I wanted ice cream. Small store, many creative and great sounding choices. Went with the salty pimp. Love that the cones come with a drip catcher. And the ice cream was soooo good, a great example of salty ice cream done right. We sat inside on a small bench next to the window to enjoy our ice cream, recuperated for a few minutes, then left to brave the cold again. A nice little treat during our busy trip around NY.

Had to come here before I left NYC. I like the concept. I like the different combinations of flavors and textures. Unfortunately, I just didn’t find this place anything special.
I had the SALTY PIMP (vanilla soft serve with dulce de leche, sea salt and chocolate dip). I did like the mix between sweet and salty. But in reality, the joy I got from eating this ice cream is very similar to how I feel when I eat a McFlurry. I wish this one had more texture/​crunch.

I love ice cream, it’s a major food group for me, so when I see a place this popular I must try it. This place serves soft serve ice cream in a cone or cup. They have four specialty cones, four specialty sundaes, milkshakes and make your own cones and milk shakes. I chose the Rocky Roadhouse cone since I enjoy rocky road ice cream. There were very few nuts in it, I could barely find any. The marshmallows seemed burnt and too dry. I enjoyed the chocolate ice cream but overall it was only okay since I did not have much toppings.
I have heard many say that this place is like an over-​priced Mr. Softie. I definitely would not agree with that. The quality of the soft serve was definitely better but was not the best I have ever had.
This is a very small place and there were no chairs or stools. On a nice day you can walk right over the Thompkins Square Park and enjoy your ice cream there.

Came to try their popular ice cream located in East Village. The place is small. It’s got a few servers running the place smoothly. They’re very friendly and welcoming. There is no indoor seating. They do have their shirts on a shelf that you can purchase. It’s not just one design either. The wall right next to the cash registered had colorful cats on it which was really cute.
Onto the ice cream. I had the Salty Pimp and the Bea Arthur. My goodness they were so delicious. I’m a HUGE fan of the salty-​sweet combination. I absolutely loved the ice creams. The based of the ice cream was vanilla mixed with salted caramel within it. The Salty Pimp was covered in a layer of chocolate while the Bea Arthur was in saw dust. It was insanely good.
HIGHLY recommend the Bea Arthur just because of the saw dust on top of it. It’s was soooo yummy.
If you like the salty-​sweet combination as much as I do, then the BEA ARTHUR is there for you.

Overrated, overhyped, and overpriced. I was really excited to try this place and am actually guilty of hyping it up for my friends too. While the names are funny («salty pimp» etc.) and marketing is on point, this place is more of a novelty shop than anything. For $ 6.25, I was expecting something that was more than just a little better than McDonalds soft serve (which is still less than $ 1 btw).
They have a variety of soft serve options and toppings. The soft serve options were vanilla, chocolate, swirl, and their seasonal flavor (currently pumpkin). The names were funny and we had a good laugh, and it was fun watching them make our orders.
The set flavor I got was the «Salty Pimp» which was a combination of vanilla soft serve, dulce de leche sauce, sea salt, and dipped in chocolate. The soft serve was comparable to Mickey D’s and The cone itself was a little stale and incredibly uninspiring (I scooped the dulce de leche out from the bottom and didn’t even finish the cone). My friend got the Rocky Roadhouse which was a combo of chocolate soft serve, chocolate chips, toasted almonds, and marshmallows. He described it as chocolate soft serve that was salty too. Unimpressive.
Overall it was an underwhelming experience. I wouldn’t come here again because there are so many other food/​dessert options around east village. If you’re in the area, it’s something fun to try, but it’s nothing special.

Small ice cream shop in the Lower East Side of New York City.
If you are looking for some soft serve ice cream that’s dipped in chocolate look no further!
First time I saw The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop was on the Food Network. When I saw that Deliciousness I said I have to try this! So on my next trip to NYC I stopped by and tried them out. I had the Salty Pimp. It’s vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, and then it’s dipped in chocolate. It was Amazing! The ice cream was creamy and worked will with the other ingredients. Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for Deliciousness!
The staff was friendly and helpful in describing the different types of cones they offer.

Super crazy line, don’t be deterred it moves quick!
Got our order quickly enough. Very fun to watch everyone assemble these beautiful creations so quickly.

Unfortunately the most over-​rated ice cream I’ve ever had. I was excited to try BGIC but sadly disappointed. I absolutely love their décor and concept, they would do well in SF!
I had the Salty Pimp and was prepared to have my mind blown. But no, the soft serve tastes like it was from McDonalds. The caramel and chocolate made up for the subpar ice cream but not enough for the steep pricing. I’d rather have Ben and Jerry’s from the grocery store
Sorry, but I won’t be heading back on my next trip to New York.

This Ice cream shop is so freaking good!!!
I stumbled upon this place while walking around East Village and decided to try it.
I’m not a sweet tooth, by dulce de leche is my kryptonite
I didn’t have second thoughts; I asked the Salty Pimp!
It’s a Vanilla Ice cream with dulce de leche, sea salt dipped on chocolate.
I’ve been here several times afterwards, and always had this one. It’s super sweet but not too rich.
The price is fine, and the service is good.

The ice cream here is a little too sweet for my liking. It’s kind of pricey for an ice cream cone. It’s around $ 5.50 for a cone, but then again they add a lot to each ice cream cone.
I had the Monday Sundae: chocolate/​vanilla twist ice cream, nutella lined cone, dulce de leche, sea salt, and whipped cream. It had too much whipped cream and because it was too sweet, I was only able to eat half of it.
I was a bit disappointed by the ice cream here since I had heard good things about it and was really looking forward to trying it. It’s not bad and I can see why people would like it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here.

It’s pretty well known that I have a sweet tooth. I go to Hershey Park for Chocolate World and the milkshakes, and I could gladly give up salty foods for the rest of my life if it meant extra sweets without my ass growing big enough to need a seatbelt extender on the airplane.
While watching the Guilty Pleasures episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chef Anne Burrell introduced me to Big Gay Ice Cream and the Bea Arthur the cone lined with crushed nilla wafers and dulce de leche. The business’s quirky charm is what made me add it to my «must get» list next time I was back in New York for my annual visit to see family.
I was a bit apprehensive due some negative reviews and was scared perhaps there was some hype associated with the shop, but I’m thankful to say there was not.
The woman working behind the counter was friendly, professional and helped my friend and I steer through the menu and make our selections based on our personal preferences. She also made suggestions as to what her favorite flavors were, etc. The people online behind us were clearly regulars, yet she treated us with the same attention as the folks who she knew would be back which really made a good impression with me.
We ordered the Bea Arthur and the American Globber. The Bea Arthur is the cone made famous by Best Thing I Ever Ate and contains soft serve vanilla, crushed nilla wafers and dulce de leche. The American Globber is soft serve vanilla dipped in chocolate with dark pretzels. Both were incredible.
Big Gay Ice Cream without a doubt is beyond worthy of being anyone’s guilty pleasure.

Der Salty Pimp ist am besten. Das habe ich heute probiert. Meine Freundin hatte einen Nutella Lined Twist. Wir waren beide sehr zufrieden! Leckeres Eis in einem schönen Geschäft mit dem geilsten Name! Juhu!

Je rejoins l’avis d’Elodie, oui j’ai connu mieux. Je préfère de loin les cones de chez Mcdonald’s, c’est dire.
Big Gay Ice Cream attire par sa devanture et son nom atypique mais à part ça rien de spécial.
Né vous méprenez pas, c’est pas mauvais mais ça né vaut pas le détour. La glacé en soi (nature) n’a pas d’intérêt, le chocolat en dipping non plus (aucun goût).
Si vous êtes dans le coin en été c’est bien, autrement y aller en hiver et espérer trouver une bonne glacé (ce que j’ai fais) n’est pas top.

Oui j’ai clairement connu mieux. Surtout venant de Paris. Je pense qu’en tant que français vous serez très déçu par ces glaces. Allez plutôt chez Sundaes & Cones.
Le choix est très limité ici (3, 4 combos à tout casser), c’est plutôt cher et leur crème glacée est riche, sucrée et honnêtement sans grand intérêt. Le service est sous cocaïné, tellement qu’ils nous ont commandé 4 énormes glaces alors qu’on était deux. ONLY IN AMERICA.
Ils se démarquent plus sur le format que sur la qualité. Leur «soft serve» à la vanille, comme ils appellent ça (notre équivalent de glacé à l’italienne peut être ou de crème glacée.?) est complètement inintéressant, aucun goût, si ce n’est un goût industriel. Il trempent ça dans du chocolat, ce qui fait une couverture de chocolat, et vous pouvez aussi avoir du caramel. Ce à quoi ils rajoutent des cristaux de sel (wtf?!) pour le côté «oh my god on est tellement innovant, tellement edgy, tellement cool d’être cool». Bah le résultat c’est que c’est dégueu. Tout simplement.
Ça vaut à peu près n’importe quel magnum acheté à la superette du coin, et encore il est possible que je prenne plus de plaisir à manger un magnum.
Passez votre chemin ou allez chez Lula’s Apothecary, j’y suis allée 3 fois, à chaque fois c’était fermé (et c’est donc pour ça que je me suis rabattue sur Big Gay Ice Cream), mais apparemment, it’s the bomb baby.

Summary: Great ice cream treats.
Stopped by w/​a friend. Tried the Salty Pimp (Vanilla Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Sea Salt, Chocolate Dip). Was really good! Preparation was genius — swirled some dulce de leche inside the cone before putting the ice cream in, then swirled more dulce de leche on the ice cream before dipping in chocolate.
Limited seating. Seemed a bit pricey at close to $ 5, but was worth it.
Would definitely come back.