Hill-Top Creamery — Restaurant in East Greenwich

I had a deeply disappointing experience at this shop today. I ordered a large strawberry milkshake, expecting a thick, creamy treat, especially for the $9 price tag, which is above average. Instead, what I received was essentially strawberry milk—way too thin and runny to be called a milkshake. As someone who worked at an ice cream shop in high school, I know this is an easy fix: pour out some milk, add more ice cream, and re-blend. When I politely returned to the counter to ask if they could thicken it, the employee dismissed my concern with, “Yeah, that’s what happens when you order hard ice cream shakes.” No offer to fix it, no apology—just indifference. Frustrated, I poured the “shake” into their overflowing trash bin to show it was pure liquid. The lack of care for quality and customer service was shocking. As a business owner myself, I’d be appalled if my staff treated customers this way. This experience makes it clear this shop doesn’t prioritize quality or customer satisfaction. I won’t be returning and can’t recommend this place until they step up their game.

For anyone wanting to avoid this kind of letdown, here’s how to make a thick, delicious strawberry milkshake at home or at an ice cream shop using hard ice cream:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hard strawberry ice cream (about 4 scoops) • 1/3 to 1/2 cup whole milk (adjust for thickness)

Equipment:

• Blender • Measuring cup • Tall glass • Straw

Instructions:

Prep Ice Cream: Let the hard strawberry ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly, making it easier to blend. Add to Blender: Scoop 2 cups of ice cream into the blender. Pour in 1/3 cup milk to start (less milk ensures a thick shake). Blend: Blend on medium-high speed for 30-45 seconds until smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick to blend, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition. Stop when it’s thick but sippable—never runny. CHECK Consistency: The shake should hold a straw upright but be smooth enough to drink. If too thin, add more ice cream; if too thick, add a splash of milk. Blend briefly to combine. Serve: Pour into a chilled tall glass, add a straw, and enjoy immediately.

TIPS: • Hard ice cream needs less milk than soft-serve to achieve the right texture. Over-adding milk leads to the “strawberry milk” disaster I got. You can always add more milk if needed.

This simple method delivers the thick, creamy milkshake this shop failed to provide. Save your $9 and...

I have quite a few reviews, mostly positive with some negative mixed in (unfortunately more negative locally than anywhere else). I eat a lot of ice cream and here is my take on HillTop Creamery from a recent visit: the young girl that waited on me was extremely pleasant and I have no issues with the service I received. My really issue is with the price and quality. A medium and small vanilla soft serve with sprinkles was over $10. For example, I was just in Florida and a medium (similar size to the medium here) with sprinkles was $3.99. I get it we aren’t in Florida but the soft serve ice cream here tasted “watered down”, “not creamy or thick at all and the sprinkles tasted like wax, leaving a plastic like aftertaste. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning to this ice cream shop again unless they change their recipe and prices. Sometimes the truth hurts and we all have an opinion, ice cream can be subjective. Maybe the hard ice cream is better, I can’t speak to that but I much prefer Clementines ice cream which is close...

Customer service is a thing. I ordered 2 I scoop cups of ice cream and one was the size of a pup cup and the other was the normal size cup which I have ordered multiple times. However your staff refused to acknowledge that they were 2 different sizes...as if I am blind. She gave a plethora of excuses, i.e., ran out of cups, that's because one has jimmies (didn't quite grasp that). I would think a replacement was warranted but that did not happen. Don't insult a customer's intelligence please. It's the point that the two cost the same but we're...