Ample Hills Creamery — Restaurant in New York

I'm not, by any means, a connoisseur of ice cream. Sure, I've been to my fair share of ice cream and dessert shops, but give me a scoop or two of ice cream in any flavor (other than chocolate), and I'm a happy camper. But given the proliferation of ice cream parlors in New York City of late, it's hard to distinctly say that one is better than another. What Ample Hills does well, however, is offering a wide variety of unique combinations and flavors.

Don't believe me? Let's start with their signature Salted Crack Caramel, which seamlessly combines salty and sweet with a salted butter caramel ice cream base dispersed with pieces of Deb's Famous Crack Cookies (saltine crackers coated with butter, sugar, and chocolate). How about their Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, which starts with a creamy vanilla ice cream with cubes of Saint Louis-style butter cake thrown in? For the traditionalists, the Strawberries and Cream is a safe fallback, with actual pieces of strawberries interspersed in the ice cream.

There's rotating experimental flavors as well, so guests will always have several surprise flavors to choose from. Kit Kats are one of my weaknesses, so I couldn't avoid the Gimme a Break flavor either, which features vanilla malted ice cream with chunks of Kit Kat bars. The Cotton Candy was an interesting take on the childhood confectionery, although I can't say I would order it again as the taste (true to its flavor) was a little too artificial for my liking. On my second visit, the Butter Pecan Brittle as well as the Coffee Toffee were winners in my book.

In retrospect, ice cream is truly a subjective thing, dependent on one's preferences for texture, softness, temperature, and flavors. Ample Hills will definitely appeal more to those with adventurous palates, but the friendly staff and two levels of seating certainly don't hurt. Sure, it's a little out of the way in Gowanus but... well, I suppose that might be the main reason they aren't at...

Ample Hills is unrecognizable in taste and service since it’s founders had to sell in 2020.

I live in the neighborhood and often would walk over during breezy spring, summer and even fall evening to get a quick treat. My faves, while simple compared to other Ample Hills creations, they were perfect in every way — Vanilla Bean and Sweet Cream & cookies. And on many occasion during colder months, I would order delivery and the ice cream always arrived cold, and freshly packaged.

I just order both my faves — it arrived to my house about 15 min after ordering.

Problem 1: They’re no longer serving freshly packaged ice cream for delivery… they’re giving prepackaged ice cream they have in their poorly regulated refrigerator [its 79 degrees outside and the ice cream arrived quickly … so that means it was a melted, soupy mess before it left the store…]

Problem 2: the flavors are unrecognizable and more over actually taste gross. The vanilla bean ice cream very clearly taste like eggs and pounds of sugar without a trace of bean or lick of vanilla in sight. The sweet cream… don’t even bother. Obviously the new owners have no idea how to create nor have a passion for ice cream. The passion of the owners used to be very evident in the product. This is null & void.

If you’re an OG Ample Hills fan, do yourself a favor and just remember the good ice cream they used to sell here. Don’t give them any of your money. Just go to food town down the street and get some Haagen Daaz. You won’t be disappointed you did.

Btw, I called the store to describe this mess. They told me it’s the delivery driver’s fault since he didn’t bring the cream directly to my house… I watched him on the map come directly to my house from the store… way to handle a...

I tried Ample Hills for the first time friday night. I was pretty excited because everyone knows I LOVE ICE CREAM! And one of my friends says this is one of her favorite places. Oh maaaaan. She was right.

I just looked up a little background info on the spot. I guess the creator was a sci-fi screenplay writer that decided to sell ice cream from carts during Prospect Park summer concerts and his little start-up blossomed. And the name is in homage to Walt Whitman. Who I don't really personally like.

They have so many flavors though! And I just noticed on their online menu they have a flavor in homage to Game of Thrones!!!! Ahhhhhh! I need to go back now!!! I tried a small sample of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. It was very sweet but decadent with the chunks of cake from apparently St. Louis. Oh and I tried the Peanut Butter and Jelly which was a wham of delicious creamy peanut butter. My friend went with a cone of 'The Way the Cookie Crumbles', vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies and dark chocolate. I finally decided on a bowl of 'Chocolate Milk and Cookies', filled with all natural Back to Nature Sandwich Cookies. It was thick and creamy and the cookies just great. I regret not getting a cone though because my friend said the cone was even better tasting than the ice cream and one of the best she's had in her life. Crap. Just means I have to come back and try a new flavor. I have my eyes on the Salted Crack Caramel, Nanatella, and Mexican Hot Chocolate. I may...