Betsy’s Ice Cream

Great flavors — the lemongrass, raspberry lavender, and coffee Heath are a few personal favorites. Definitely a local business worth supporting.

Since my first visit to Betsy’s I have had the pleasure to stop over here with my girlfriend and we are now hooked. They make their ice cream on the premises and let you sample whatever you want.
The toppings area is available for a slight upcharge. Delivery is available as well as take out. On this last visit we had Pittsburgh pride ice cream which was a black and gold mix along with chocolate chips put in it. Previously my girlfriend had a coconut style ice cream which we loved.
The tables as I had mentioned are actually chalktables complete with chalk for kids to doodle on. They also offer a «rewards» card where you get one free ice cream after 8 purchases.
They have a good number flavors available including your standard ones. Since we plan to check out other places in the area we plan to return here quite often. The scoops are small but still filling enough to enjoy after a meal.

I’m a sucker for «homemade» ice cream so I’m not really sure why it took me so long to try this place out but better late than never! It has such a classic ice cream parlor feel to it. The flavors are quite unique such as lavender red raspberry or chili chocolate. I got the chili chocolate and I am in love! It sounds intimidating just by the name but the spice elevates the chocolate like you wouldn’t even believe. Upon first bite, you can’t taste the spice but it kicks in a little after.
I really like that a family-​friendly place like Betsy’s has such unique ice cream flavors. I will be back again and again!

Wow did this ice cream hit the spot! I stopped at Dairy Queen to get my friend some chocolate soft serve, but they did not have any (I know). Betsy’s does not have soft serve, but they do have a fancy double chocolate chip ice cream that filled the bill.
After the girl behind the counter loaded on some sprinkles, I had to choose my flavor! I tried a sample of lavender raspberry, which was a fascinating flavor. It wasn’t a flavor I could eat a whole dish of, but it was super unique and fun. When I could not decide, she recommended the salted caramel. I loved it! All of the ice creams were so creamy and amazing.
I found the prices to be really reasonable, as it was under $ 5 for both scoops. I know people seem to be up in arms about the price, but I just paid $ 5 for a terrible scoop of ice cream at Millie’s in Shadyside. This ice cream was amazing, double or triple as many flavors, and the employee was super nice. It was a big win for me!
Credit accepted!

Good ice cream, but… I ordered a hot fudge sundae. No hot fudge because someone forgot to fill it, girl with long braided hair swept the end of her ponytail through my ice cream trying to get the whipped cream to dispense properly. Quaint business that could benefit with a little more organization or management involvement… not just young kids trying to figure it out on their own.

I’ve never received a smaller scoop of ice cream than I did here. One usually expects a generous serving but that was not the case here. The treat itself was good but the portion was not.

Ice cream was great! My favorite I think butter pecan. They have a great topping station! Next time I want to try the ice cream sandwiches.
Chalk art on the table was fun. The place was clean.
The staff was polite and quick at scooping.
I think they make it and the only advice I would give on that is more cookie dough. I think 3 – 4 pieces of cookie dough a scoop should be the minimum but they are at 1.

I recently went to Betsys for their ice cream and I really enjoyed it. It’s not the typical ice cream store where they only have a couple of pre packaged flavors that everyone has, no they have 20 – 30 flavors that are all new and exciting.
I personally tried the lavender mint, and yesss is it good! I really want everyone to just drop what they are doing, head to the south hills (those tunnels) and get a scoop of ice cream!
The only reason I didn’t give this a ⁵⁄₅ is there is no parking and the «topping bar» is too expensive for what it is.

Wow… went there once and never going back. Six bucks for what amounted to one scoop of mediocre icecream… what s waste of money.

Salted Carmel is the best! Great ice cream, tons of artisan flavors and cool overall experience. Lots of character and friendly service!

2 words for you.
I love your Pittsburgh Pride.
YUM!
Try a shake if you want a little spice* in your life.
*not real spice (just like a change from the normal (a spicy ice cream would be really good though))

I stopped by with CM at around 4pm this past Sat. for a frozen treat on the way back into the city after hiking South Park. Given that I’d tried and been favorably impressed with Betsy’s ice cream at the Unilocal Burgh Bash last Sept., and that I prefer to support locally-​owned businesses (which can be challenging in the suburbs), I suggested that we pay Betsy’s a visit. As usual, CM was game, so we headed into the business district of Mt. Lebanon for some ice cream.
CM and I both got small cones ($ 3 each), which come with two scoops. They were out of the flavor he originally wanted (I forget which), so he had a scoop of the maple walnut and a scoop of the chocolate. As for me, I had a scoop of the Pittsburgh pride, which I’d tried at the Burgh Bash, and a scoop of the chocolate. The ice cream, which is made on site, was of very good quality (on par with Dave and Andy’s, I’d say), and the flavors were delicious. However, as others have mentioned, I felt that the scoops were quite small – so much so that they fell into the waffle cones that we ordered for an extra $ 1 each (see photo). Part of the reason that it’s standard for ice cream shops to upcharge for waffle cones, I believe, is that they require more ice cream than a sugar or cake cone to fill. Just to confirm that I wasn’t being unreasonable, I checked the photos for Dave and Andy’s, my go-​to neighborhood ice cream shop, and indeed, their waffle cones are filled with ice cream, which rises above the cone.
This is a hard review for me to write, since I felt that the quality of Betsy’s ice cream was very good – exactly what I’d expect from a micro creamery. However, in light of the amount that I received in comparison to the amount that I’ve received at competitors, I felt that the value was weak. In retrospect, I’d preferred to have tried one of the artisan flavors (the strawberry balsalmic sounded interesting!) or the toppings bar for an upcharge instead of the waffle cone. I’d be willing to give Betsy’s a second chance – if I do, I’ll be sure to make one of those choices, and I’ll update my review accordingly. For the present, however, 3.5 stars it is.

I scream, you scream we all scream for ice cream! Betsy’s is a great place to go on a hot summer day for a scoop. They have indoor and outdoor seating, the staff is friendly and many options to choose from. I went with 2 scoops in a bowl and got the Pittsburgh flavor (yes it is gold ice cream with chocolate swirls for the black and gold look!)! and the salted caramel. Both delicious and creamy! My boyfriend went with the bacon/​maple with chunks of bacon in it and salted caramel in a regular cone. He loved the bacon! My only issue is they charge you $ 1 extra for ordering a premium flavor so instead of $ 3 for 2 scoops it was $ 4. Anyway still worth the visit for all the neat flavors they have.

We loved this place the handful of times we’ve been there. Tucked in under the huge marquee in Mt Lebanon, Betsy’s has an amazing variety of ice cream flavors and the artisan ones are fabulous! They do things like lavender raspberry, some sinful chocolate creations, and they even have dairy free options. The ice cream always looks fresh and happy not ice burny and melty, and the staff is always friendly when we go there. The kids like the chalkboard painted tables and overall it’s a great little stop after dinner, or just because!

Loved the ice cream, the chalkboard tables, and the toppings bar! This place is super awesome.

After Kay confessed to a craving for ice cream after our dinner at Mount Lebanon’s newest dining sensation, BnDz Burgerz and Dogz, to Betsy’s we came to give the old gal another chance, and we’re happy we did.
The flavors of the ice cream were much more toothsome, and the portions were far more magnanimous. This time, my hot fudge sundae included a scoop each of the following: Pittsburgh Pride (a ‘black ‘n gold’ ice cream made of yellow cake batter, brownie batter, fudge ripples, and Oreo crumbles), Apple Pie, and Salted Caramel.
MIA was the whipped cream. Oh how my heart sank when the server showed me that white, shiny, fire extinguisher-​sized whipped cream dispenser only to discover the hard way that they were out of the stuff for the evening.
No matter, for the trio of flavors coated with that liquefied candy bar might have been tamed too much by the inclusion of the foamy, dairy cloud. The Pittsburgh Pride, one of those flavors I knew would be amazing upon first glance, was my favorite of the three as it tasted like a frozen, goodie-​filled birthday cake sans icing, containing crunchy texture and gooey, Milk Dud mouthfeel for days. The Salted Caramel was a bit understated at first, until the sea salt plugged an amplifier into the sweet caramel after it sat in my mouth and melted for a few seconds. The Apple Pie ice cream contained real chunks of caramelized apple and baked crust along with strong notes of cinnamon to awaken the palate.
Betsy, all is forgiven, sweetheart. Just make sure you have that canister full of whipped cream at the ready when next we visit, ’cause the lady and I got ourselves another go-​to for the frozen moo moo.

BAKLAVA and RASPBERRY LAVENDER ice cream … honestly, do I really need to say any more?

Being from the east side of Pittsburgh, I never heard of Betsy’s until a friend told me about it and brought a sample to our business. It was absolutely outstanding and I had to visit the store to get more! It is truly the best ice cream I’ve ever had! It was so creamy and flavorful! The prices are comparable to other ice cream places, but so much better! The store itself is quaint and the chalkboard tables take you back to your childhood. The salted caramel ice cream is hands down my favorite! We will be sure to frequent Betsy’s this summer!

Sometimes when I get to a place, I think, what took me so long?! This, my friends, is one of those places!
Since being a new South Hills resident, I refuse to start the «there’s nothing in the South Hills» argument. So I go in search. And sometimes there’s hits and sometimes there’s misses. This is definitely a hit!
Betsy’s is a two fold treat. One because they specialize in some funky fresh flavors. I’m not even a fan of lavender, but I loved the lavender raspberry! I actually went through and tried like six flavors! I’m gonna have to say the Pittsburgh Pride is probably my main jam because I love cake batter, I love brownies and I love some chocolate fudge drizzle! But if you like quirky flavors, this has gotta be a stop on the ice cream train for you!
So the cherry on top is literally that you can top your ice cream with a bountiful supply of sweats over at the toppings bar. I mean, c’mon! You already have this gourmet flavored ice cream and you want more? Some people love the decadence (me included!), but I think for your virgin venture here, go for the simple samples of ice cream. Then go ham on the toppings the next time. Because there will be a next time!

After enjoying Darren’s review of Betsy’s Ice Cream I ended up their with my friend Joy who totally loves a good bowl of milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings. She wasn’t impressed, and she didn’t get much. They are pretty small servings for the premium amount they charge. I tried some sorbet, not bad, a little on the overly sweet side. I’ll stick to Scoops on Beverly and Carini’s Home Made Ice Cream down on Dormont Ave before I hit this place up again.
Just a note: After posting my review I received an email through Unilocal from the owner (?) Manager (?) of Betsy’s Ice Cream asking what I could do to get a better score from my review. He mentioned that he was training his staff to serve bigger portions but some staff just weren’t getting it done on the front line. He also said would look into changing his recipe. My response to him would be to make sure the staff is trained BEFORE putting them on the lines to HIS satisfactory. You can buy an entire half gallon of premium Ice Cream for the four bucks Betsy charges for two tiny miniscule scoops. As for the sorbet, I’m not a fan and normally I would choose frozen fat free yogurt but I didn’t see any. To me any sherbet is overly sweet.