Blank Slate Creamery — Restaurant in Ann Arbor

on our midwest road trip, we have been trying the "best ice cream" in each city. blank slate creamery seemed to be a top choice in ann arbor. best ice cream i tried in michigan, pennsylvania, and ohio (i think it is very comparable to jeni's and salt & straw for flavor creativity and quality).

nice interior and some indoor seats. free parking lot. provides samples and service was friendly.

pricing: triple for $7.75 (fairly average, little pricey but worth it to get a triple or double and share vs. $5.25 for a single)

flavor variety: there are a lot of flavors to choose from on their menu, from ice cream to sundaes. they accommodate dietary restrictions as i saw a few non-dairy and gluten free flavors.

flavor uniqueness: my favorite part. i thought blank slate had really original flavors (aka ones you can't buy at a grocery store) which is what i look for when eating ice cream at a shop. as mentioned, it's kind of like jeni's and salt & straw in this category which i was satisfied with.

// flavors //

lavender lemon honey: one of the better lavender flavors i've tried. the main flavor is definitely lavender versus the lemon but the honey gives it sweetness.

basil peach swirl: an unexpected delight. i was hesitant to try a basil ice cream but actually it works with the peach really well. this was my mom's favorite.

chocolate diablo: bittersweet chocolate with a kick (cayenne and cinnamon). i enjoyed how it was bittersweet dark chocolate and you definitely get that cayenne spice after taste.

other flavors i sampled:

chocolate churro: tasted like normal milk chocolate to me so i didn't choose. churro flavor was more subtle.

vietnamese cinnamon: not to be mistaken with vietnamese coffee, this was a creamy cinnamon flavor. it was pretty good.

brown butter cookie dough: i couldn't taste the brown butter too much but it was a pretty good cookie dough ice cream.

ultimately, loved the original flavors and wish i had a location near me in CA....

Great ice cream, but they will send you email SPAM without your permission if you use your credit card at their establishment.

My family recently moved back to the Ann Arbor area, and my parents kept telling me we needed to visit this ice cream shop. So we arranged to meet some friends there last night, and we had a great time. The ice cream was really good.

I was surprised today to find an email from Blank Slate in my "promotions" folder. I never gave permission to get put on a list. I realized they got my email address from Squarespace, the credit card processor. I have received at least 18 promotional emails from various companies just this morning. I keep trying to unsubscribe because it is filling my mailbox. I am frustrated that Blank Slate would just automatically sign me up for their email list just because I used my credit card there. That feels like a violation of my privacy.

I wanted to return to Blank Slate because the ice cream and atmosphere were good, not because I received spam. I am very disappointed. I am going to unsubscribe, obviously, but if I have to unsubscribe every time I visit, then it's not worth the visit. There are other great places in Ann Arbor to get ice cream that won't spam me with promotional e-mails after I visit.

Blank Slate, please consider changing your email list policy. Just ask before you automatically subscribe someone. Your ice cream is good enough on its own to keep your business thriving. I don't think I'm the only one who gets frustrated by the volume of unsolicited marketing I receive to my...

Absolutely fantastic ice cream and cones. The last ice cream shop that was this good was in Atlanta, GA for us. I have subscribed to the email newsletter for updates on new flavors because it’s THAT good. The quality is unmatched compared to the grocery store there’s no comparison! They make a great salted caramel blondie which is my favorite B&J flavor, but this one is honestly better. They make great baked goods that they incorporate. The blueberry cheesecake is excellent. The birthday ice cream they did for 4th of July is the quintessential perfect kids bday flavor and I’m almost 36 and it’s my favorite flavor so far. I even liked the coconut chocolate flake flavor that’s non dairy which is high praise because most non dairy is not much fun. Think a frozen mounds bar flavor. I could keep rambling on but all that is to say this place delivers, and also literally through DoorDash. Nothing beats delivery pints with waffle cones. *pro tip: if your cone gets soft the next day throw it in the air fryer at 350 degrees for two minutes and it’ll get hot and soft but then will crisp when it cools. Perfect. I...