Nickey's Ice Cream — Restaurant in Aiken County

Nickey’s Ice Cream Is Homemade Chaos (and I’m Here for It)

I went to Nickey’s Ice Cream in Warrenville thinking I’d just get a little treat. Nothing serious. Just a cone to cool off. What actually happened? I transcended.

I ordered the caramel chocolate chip—homemade, by the way, like Grandma made it after taking a dessert course taught by angels. My daughters got Superman (because kids love anything blue and vaguely radioactive) and honey vanilla, which I’m convinced is churned using ancient southern magic and the laughter of happy children.

The first bite of my cone hit so hard I had to sit down. My brain said “caramel,” but my soul said, “Brother, this is purpose.” The chocolate chips were chunky little nuggets of joy, just vibing in the creamiest ice cream I’ve ever met.

Meanwhile, my daughters were off in their own flavor-induced worlds. One of them looked at her Superman scoop and whispered, “This is what unicorns eat.” The other just nodded slowly like a wise old sage, spooning honey vanilla into her mouth like it was her job.

Also—let’s talk about the vibe. The staff was so nice I almost asked them to adopt me. It’s got that hometown feel, like everybody’s welcome and no one judges you for ordering three scoops on a Tuesday.

Nickey’s doesn’t play around. Their ice cream is homemade, delicious, and possibly illegal in several states for being this good. If you’re not going to Nickey’s… I don’t know what you’re doing with your life, but it’s not right.

Go. Go now. Get the caramel chocolate chip. And don’t be surprised if you come back the next day talking about...

I’d heard rave reviews about this place, so maybe my expectations were too high from the start. The place smells amazing, but what place wouldn’t with waffle cones being made? The chairs and tables are nice and comfortable, and the place is cute and spacious enough.

On the down side, the one trash can in the place was hidden by the checkout and would be better placed by the door. Napkins also were only available at the register, so you’d better grab a handful while you’re up there. Maybe put some dispensers on the tables first convenience. The place loses ambiance points for not having the ice cream within view. Many of us want to see what we are getting, not just read a name that means nothing. Posting a description of the flavor would also help. Service was just ok. The cashier wasn’t personable at all. The ice cream was ok, not stellar. People in our group who got coffee crunch said it was bitter tasting, and they usually like coffee ice cream, so not good. Also, the small milkshake looked like a kiddy cup, disappointing considering the cost. My family member didn’t finish it either, given the bitterness of the...

The taste was okay—nothing exceptional, just your average ice cream. It took three attempts to get the correct flavor for a single scoop, and even then, the scoop was disappointingly small—smaller than the pre-packaged single servings from brands like Blue Bell or about half the size of a Friendly’s scoop, if you’re familiar with those. The single scoop alone cost $5 (without a cone), and the toppings weren’t any better—five mini gummy bears for an extra dollar felt downright ridiculous.

Now, before someone says, “Well, it’s homemade, so of course it’s more expensive,” let me point out that if the labor and production costs make a product excessively expensive, that’s not the buyer’s responsibility to make up for poor planning or high costs on the seller’s end. For example, you wouldn’t pay $50 for a regular water bottle just because it costs the seller $20 to make, especially when there are plenty of $1 water bottles available. Pricing should make sense to the consumer, and this just doesn’t. It’s not smart business, especially with it being located next door to a discount...