Creamery Pop

Over the years, the balance of great gelato shops to great ice cream shops has leaned in one direction or another, at some points favoring gelato. While we’d say that ice cream has most recently been dominating local interest thanks to new openings from regional or national chains, there are a bunch of established gelato torchbearers who are still worth checking out due to unique flavors or presentations. Creamery Pop is one of them.

When we visited, we found Creamery Pop to be a truly great, highly visual dessert and drink destination: It’s there to light up your Instagram feed if that’s what you want, but also a place to try durian gelato (or 20-something other flavors), as well as gigantic macarons and beautiful blooming flower tea. We know from years of experience that serving food and drinks with both great looks and unique tastes isn’t easy; Creamery Pop sometimes pulls that off, with friendly service, too.

One thing that has changed a little over the years is the collection of flavors, which are no longer as frequently daring and decidedly Asian as they once were. There’s still durian, and perhaps jackfruit or avocado, but also a lot of basics: chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla, coffee, caramel, berry, and cotton candy. To some extent, that fits in fine with their other desserts, such as waffles, crepes, and sweet buns, but as Wanderlust Creamery and Salt & Straw demonstrate, there’s great value in exploring unique flavors. After nearly a decade, Creamery Pop may have become part of the establishment rather than bucking it; thankfully, it’s still a good place to have fun with gelato and other desserts.