Located in a strip mall in Virginia Beach, this ice cream shop is easy to miss, but worth a trip! For any readers in the western part of Virginia, they do have another location in Roanoke (and for other Virginians, according to their social media, a Fredericksburg location is coming soon).
The range of flavors available is quite astounding. We’re talking everything from the classics to goat cheese-based ice cream. And, one huge plus of Blue Cow is that they still offer samples, even in these COVID times. It was a great way to get a sense for the flavors without having to commit to them.
Rebecca couldn’t resist trying Goat Cheese with Blueberry Swirl. If you’ve ever wanted a breakfast ice cream, this is it. It was very smooth, fresh, and fruity. Would she eat it again? Probably not, unless breakfast dessert becomes a thing. Was it worth trying? Absolutely! Goat cheese ice cream is not something you see every day.
It was obvious that they take pride in their ice cream being homemade and go a step further to make their add-ins homemade too! Their creative flavors include things such as homemade brownies, house-made candied bacon, homemade eggless chocolate chip cookie dough, local Virginia peanuts, and all flavors can be served in homemade waffle cones (made fresh in store with free smells hitting you as you enter). Their ice cream is also made with no artificial colors and the chocolate chips found in a few of their flavors are handmade with dark chocolate to provide a good crunch and some extra flavor. Some of their other flavors also include name-brand classics like Oreos and Butterfingers.
We appreciate their seasonally changing flavor selection always providing something new to try. They also get credit for catering to vegan friends with multiple nondairy flavor options (made with coconut milk base) on rotation and providing gluten free cones.
The Flavor Review:
Three Ships Coffee Chip (Rebecca): This was coffee ice cream with shards of chocolate mixed throughout. I felt something was lacking in the coffee ice cream, like the coffee flavor didn’t have enough depth to it. I wanted a stronger, more pronounced coffee taste. I loved that they use a local coffee roaster to supply the coffee, but I felt like the lack of coffee flavor in the ice cream let me down. It was good, but not great.
Chocolate Brownie (Rebecca): Yes, I tried another ice cream based in chocolate and brownie. And yes, it was worth it. The chocolate ice cream was rich and creamy, and everything you could possible want in chocolate ice cream. The brownies mixed in throughout added just a little bit of chew and texture. You could tell that they were homemade. Overall, it was rich and flavorful, and most definitely I would eat it again.
Mint Chip (Natalie): This classic flavor is white at Blue Cow and I love that! Mint Chocolate Chip has long been my favorite ice cream flavor and something about it being white excites me. The mint flavor was not too overpowering, which is definitely always a concern with mint. The chocolate chips used at Blue Cow are made from dark chocolate which was the perfect pairing in a strong flavor like mint. I wouldn’t call this flavor particularly bold or creative but it was refreshing and a classic treat!
Three Ships Coffee Chip (Natalie): This coffee flavored ice cream (made with local Virginia Beach roasted coffee), was a winner for me. Sometimes I find coffee ice cream to be too strong, but I really enjoyed this one being a bit more subtle (maybe I just like weaker coffee). I also think it paired really well with the dark chocolate chips layered throughout. *I’ve had this flavor in a cup and as a milkshake and love it both ways.
Goat Cheese with Blueberry Swirl (Natalie): Woah. This flavor has so much going on – in a good way, if you don’t eat too much at once. I was worried it would be too savory but found it to have more of a buttery flavor and enjoyed the softness of the ice cream. The blueberry swirl was a delicious addition and created a good balance alongside the buttery goat cheese. Worth a try, but I suggest a small serving of this flavor as I did find it to be extremely sweet after only a few licks.
Overall Scoops (out of 5):
Natalie: 4.5 Scoops – This has quickly become one of my favorite homemade ice cream spots. The ice cream is tasty and the flavor combinations are so adventurous. Their classics seemed a little too mild in flavor for me (I had a small taste of the Double-Fold Vanilla and Chocolate but did not have a full serving). I currently have two pints of fun flavors in my freezer and definitely will return to try other flavors!
Rebecca: 3.5 Scoops – I didn’t love every flavor that I tried, but the ice cream was rich, creamy, and flavorful. I appreciated the flavor selection and the flexibility for people with dietary restrictions. This is high quality ice cream, and I want to go back so that I can try ~all~ of the flavors!
The Inside Scoops 