Miss Oz Ice Cream & Dessert — Restaurant in Portland

Although I am relatively new to the area, I've visited Miss Oz a few times over the past few months, especially now that the warm weather has arrived. I've decided to write a review. When judging or reviewing a place, particularly a small business like this, I always try to visit more than once. I believe this gives the establishment a fair chance, as I understand that not every day in business runs smoothly. Having worked in food and customer service, I know that challenging days can affect everyone.

My first impressions were quite positive, and the area itself is nice, especially with a fountain nearby that provides a great spot to cool off. However, after spending some time in the area, I would advise women against going out at night, as it can become a bit sketchy. That said, this isn't the fault of the business.

I tried several ice cream samples and was initially impressed by the variety of flavors offered. However, I noticed that the flavors tended to be very cream-forward. This thought lingered throughout my visits, where I enjoyed the ice cream for its great texture and balanced sweetness. Still, at times, the cream flavor felt a bit overwhelming.

On another note, I encountered some issues during my visits. I found hair in my ice cream, not just a stray hair from the person scooping it and it fell on top, but more like it was mixed into the ice cream itself. I understand that such things can happen, but this has occurred twice now, which has made me hesitant to return for more ice cream.

When it comes to their Croffle pops, I think they are an amazing treat that I can’t get enough of. The Croffle itself has a wonderful texture. I've really enjoyed the strawberry and Oreo Croffles, and while it would be nice to have the option to customize my own, I’m not complaining about the great options they already offer.

I don’t have much to say about the coffee, especially since I’m not the biggest coffee fan. The lattes are fine not groundbreaking, but somewhat consistent. However, there’s only one size for the drinks, which can be disappointing for some people. Considering how expensive they are, I think it would be better to go to Dutch Bros for more value. There isn’t much variety, and the flavors are limited. Overall, I couldn’t taste the syrups in my lattes; the espresso was quite strong, but that may just be a matter of personal preference.

Overall, I have had decent experiences each time I've visited. However, they do get busy later at night, so be aware of that. One of the main reasons I've been deterred to visit again is because of the employees. I’ve noticed only a handful of consistent workers, and the stress I see them under when the owner is present is astonishing. It seems like every time I'm there, the owner is around or shows up at some point.

I understand the need to put in a little more effort when your boss is around, but the stress on the employees is palpable. As someone who has worked in this industry before, it hurts to see them struggling. It seems that they can't retain staff for long periods.

I've also noticed that the owner’s assistance, while well-intentioned, often feels performative. She seems slower compared to her employees, and while I can’t speak to how often she is there, I would think she would know when to prioritize speed over chatting with customers during busy times. I’m not sure what’s going on behind the scenes, but I hope things improve, especially with how cute...

The ice cream is a 5+ stars, but the “powdered creamer” for my coffee at a place like this shocked me and reminded me of … well I was going to say “gas station coffee” but most gas stations offer better creamer options … what happened here!?!?

I truly LOVED this ice cream shop! The decor, the values on the wall, the unique coffee flavors, the incredible taste of the ice cream - we had horchata and kulfi (pistachios, cardamom) WOW!! Flavors I have never had before!! This may be the single best ice cream experience I have ever had (and I have 4 decades of ice cream eating experience and have been around the world).

I ordered a double scoop of horchata and coffee krunch, and my wife had horchata and kulfi, it was so delicious!!

I also ordered an americano and asked for light on the hot water and plenty of room for cream. When she gave me my americano, she pointed me to a small station and said, “cream is over there.” When I walked over and saw the canister of Coffeemate “powdered creamer” I was beside myself. It was so out of place, it was like seeing a milk bucket under a bull. I chose not to ruin my perfectly good Americano, and opted for no creamer.

Besides that, I would highly...

My experience at this ice cream shop left much to be desired. I was blatantly ignored when I went to this establishment yesterday evening. I was there with two other guest and was the only one among my group who was ignored. I was in line before my other two guests. The lady working approached the two guests in line behind me and the other two gentlemen working approached guest behind us who arrived shortly after. I was confused at first and tried to give it the benefit of the doubt. However, after much reflection last night. I am inclined to believe this was racially motivated as I was the only one in our party who was black and recieved this very off putting treatment. I will also offer that the guests in line behind our party were served first despite us arriving and ordering first. Lastly, there was a stark difference in demeanor from the two male workers that evening. They treated the customers behind our party very warmly, however they did not approach our party ( myself and two males) when we walked in despite being the only two employees present at the time. The woman who skipped me and assisted the other two in my party came from the back after we arrived. Very...