Frankie & Jo's University Village — Restaurant in Seattle

You know, I thought it would be a nice break to try out another ice cream place in U-Village, other than my go-to and all time favorite place, Molly Moons. Plus... the line at Molly Moon's at the moment was HUGE, and when we walked to Frankie & Jo's, there was only two groups in front of us, so that kind of encouraged us to come here.

First I have to say I really like what they are trying to achieve, and the goals they have for the future, and how they have turned to all plant-based to help the environment. Anyways, we got the salty caramel ash, and the guava cake which I believe was a seasonal.

My first impressions, well... it wasn't negative, but I think what I was trying was slightly different that what I have experienced before as ice cream, and so it was a cool different experience than what I am kind of used to. You could kind of tell the difference between ice cream made with dairy milk compared to what they use which is cashew milk as the texture and taste are different. Of course, the dairy milk is kind of creamier and smoother, and I feel like the cashew milk really adds a slight nutty flavor and a more "matte," texture.

I actually wasn't a huge fan of the guava cake, and I think it was because there was some slight unpleasant after taste, and it took me forever to put a finger on it, and I'm not sure if it was the cakey bits inside or the ingredients, but it was just not pleasant. The taste overall was alright, you could taste the guava somewhat, but just something threw it off, both the taste and texture. However, I loved the salty caramel ash. It was exactly what you think it would taste like. It had a super deep and rich saltiness, and the charcoal added a slight smokiness and oaky flavor, and it kind of brought out the saltiness more. Then for some reason, we could not tell if we were tasting a hint if coconut and so we were kind of confused on what we were tasting and we thought we were tripping. Apparently it was actually made with coconut milk and coconut oil, and so we actually weren't wrong with our tastes.

Overall, it is a new experience from "traditional" ice-cream. Personally, it's not my thing, and I would prefer the "traditional" stuff, but you can't deny that this place is still decent and has good intentions, and I can respect...

Frankie & Jo's is worth trying at least the once! It's great to have a dairy and gluten free ice cream spot which makes sweet treats more accessible to more folks, and they're definitely a bit health focused with a lot of ingredients like chaga focused on superfood properties. The staff was so friendly helping us with tasting samples. Their branding and shop design are very cute and instagrammable, and I enjoy their range of creative seasonal flavors, but that large triple scoop ice cream with a waffle cone after tax and tip came out to about a steep $18 which is pretty crazy for just ice cream. I went with a group so between all of us we were able to get most of their flavors, but I don't know that I'd hurry back to try any again.

They use a lot of coconut in their ice cream base to get that high fat content for optimal ice cream, and it means a lot of coconut undertone flavors. Sometimes they use a blend with oat which is nice for variety. Our crowd hit was the summer sangria sorbet, which was the least sweet of the flavors we'd tried and super refreshing. And everyone thought their waffle cone was superior to regular ice cream store cones. For me being an omnivore the steep price tags are not incentives for future visits but for many...

I recently had the chance to try Frankie & Jo’s at University Village, and I have to say, I was genuinely surprised by how good the ice cream was – especially considering it’s vegan! While I'm not vegan myself, I’m always down to try new things, and this was definitely a pleasant surprise.

The flavors are rich, creamy, and full of flavor, which is not always the case with vegan ice cream or food. I also loved that I could sample multiple flavors before making my final choice – a nice touch that made the decision process much easier!

The vibe of the shop is super chic and modern, which adds to the whole experience. It’s a great spot to relax and enjoy some ice cream. Definitely a fun, first-time visit for me!

The only downside (and it’s a minor one) is the use of coconut in a lot of the flavors. While I don’t have any allergies myself, I know a few people who are allergic to coconut, and it's something to keep in mind. Coconut’s a healthy alternative, but it might not work for everyone.

Overall, Frankie & Jo’s is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area – a surprising, delicious vegan ice cream spot with a cool vibe! But if you are allergic to nuts or coconut — you may want to explore...