Gill Out: Sweet Aloha Ice Cream

“Aloha, South Florida” are the first words customers are greeted with when they walk into Sweet Aloha Ice Cream.

Since opening less than a year ago, Sweet Aloha has blossomed into a favorite spot for the local community and NSU students.

Morgan Anderson, sophomore environmental science major and Alicia Philips, senior education
major, order ice cream and a milkshake at Sweet Aloha. PHOTO BY BRIELLE AGUAYO.

“As an ice cream fanatic, I can honestly say this is the best ice cream shop around,” said Alicia Phillips, a senior education major. “I had two flavors combined, which were cookies and cream and mint chocolate chip. Both were sweet, creamy and fulfilled my sweet tooth.”

The shop, known for its Hawaiian-style snow cones and ice cream, is the perfect place to unwind after a long day, said Jimmy Anderson, the owner, who traveled from Southern California to Davie, where he is now able to cherish his wife Lynn’s Hawaiian heritage through ice cream.

“You need to reward yourself when you’re working really hard and trying to accomplish your goals,” he said. “I think a dessert is a great option for a reward. Come and relax with some sweet treats and have something different for a change.”

The atmosphere makes customers feel as if they are in a local Hawaiian shop, as they eat their desserts amidst cultural music and décor.

Morgan Anderson, a sophomore environmental science major (not related to the owners), enjoyed her experience and plans to go back soon.

“The ice cream was so good, and there were flavors for everyone,” she said. “It was such a cute spot.”

Morgan Anderson, sophomore environmental science major, and Brielle Aguayo, sophomore communications major, tried the shaved ice from Sweet Aloha on Oct. 13. PHOTO BY BRIELLE AGUAYO.

When walking in, customers are automatically welcomed with a neon sign that says, ‘you had me at aloha,’ followed by a counter full of unique ice cream flavors that can be dipped into shaved ice items.

A common syrup combination is pink lemonade, blue raspberry and pineapple. Vanilla ice cream can be added at the bottom of the dessert, giving it a refreshing feeling. Other flavors for shaved ice creations include banana, blue bubblegum, cake batter, cherry and tiger’s blood.

Sweet Aloha Ice Cream also offers milkshakes. Some ice cream and milkshake flavors are the typical cookies and cream, vanilla and chocolate. But it also has more exotic ones like rum raisin, adzuki, guava cheesecake and rainbow sherbet, also offering uncommon flavor combinations, such as pineapple with Kahlua almond fudge.

The shaved ice is made in-house and crafted by using a huge block of ice as the base and combining that with any flavor of ice cream. The shop always has at least 20 big blocks of square ice in the freezer, so that it can continually make shaved ice items.