Tucked away next to a barber shop, enter a black and white themed ice cream parlor. Besides rolled ice cream as the obvious favorite, Wonders Ice Cream also offers crepes, milkshakes and boba. If there is a line, expect a long wait because the rolling process is captivating but lengthy. I ordered a small matcha berry for $9.25 and a regular peanut butter cup for $14.15. There is definitely a big price jump between the sizes, but the portion matches this big increase. The peanut butter cup ice cream tastes exactly like the famous Reese’s, and has a nice touch of mini peanut butter cups for toppings. For matcha berry, the ice cream was not too sweet and unique because it did not taste like grass, like some other matcha-flavored desserts. A pinch of sweetness was added with the syrupy strawberries. At Wonders Ice Cream, the rolls add a nice texture and the inventive flavors offer a break from the ordinary, making it well worth the weekend night wait. 

298 University Ave W – wondersicecream.com

Treats brings a twist to its desserts by combining timeless cereals with its ice cream. There is outdoor seating, whereas the inside is home to a cereal mural, more seating, really bright lighting and cereal pillows. I tried Crisp n’ Cream in a cone, Berry Kiss in a cup and Butter Puff in a cup, which ended up costing $25.91. All of the ice cream had a nice smooth texture, with Butter Puff taking the prize for smoothest consistency with the help of its buttery flavor. The best-tasting ice cream was probably Berry Kiss, because of the Fruity Pebbles and Fruit Loops’ vibrant taste. Crisp N’ Cream was a classic option because it was mostly Oreos, perfect for the less adventurous or cereal dislikers. The cone was fine, but it did add a dollar to the price. All of the ice cream was very aesthetically pleasing, aided by the toppings. There were gummy bears for Berry Kiss, mini cookies for the Crisp N’ Cream and Reese’s Puffs for Butter Puff. Treats is the priciest store, and had the smallest portions. However, it is definitely the most unique because of the cereal flavors, outdoor seating and boba selection.

770 Grand Ave – treatsmn.com

La Michoacana Monarca opened up last summer, and it is an under-appreciated gem. Visitors are greeted with a variety of options: La Michoacana Monarca doesn’t just have ice cream, they have popsicles, crepes, flan and Mexican food like elote and chicharron. I tried a sample of mango ice cream, which had a good tartness to it. I ended up getting cherry and taro in a small cup for $4.60. The small cup had a good portion at a reasonable price. Taro had a slightly nutty and sweet vanilla flavor that tasted similar to coconut. The cherry tasted exactly like you’d expect and was surprisingly not too sweet. Perhaps the best part of the establishment was the customer service, and the variety was also a bonus.

80 Snelling Ave N – monarcamn.com