Catherine Koola, 1st-year Epidemiology
The sun is out, the breeze is perfect, you have an hour to waste? BRUSTER’S.
School’s hard, the basement’s cold, grad school crisis? BRUSTER’S.
It’s Friday night, you have no plans, wind chill of 25 degrees? BRUSTER’S.
I may or may not have experienced each of these scenarios…and I may or may not be very biased towards this ice cream shop. But how can one not be?! The place is basically a giant ice cream food truck concreted to the parking lot of the Toco Hills shopping complex. There’s never a need for a city-wide truck chase because Bruster’s is always there for you – loyal, consistent, and chillin’ on 2095 Lavista Road.
The menu ranges from ice cream to cake to shakes to froyo and even offers no-sugar added items for the health conscious. And to think all this deliciousness is freshly crafted right in the store! Then there’s the pricing…I double-take at the receipt every single time, because it almost seems unfair to pay so little for the magic taking place in your mouth. How can you get a serving of ice cream as big as your head overflowing from a crispy waffle cone for less than $4?!
But if you want to keep an open mind and explore the other sweet-tooth satisfying places in Atlanta, check this:
Jenni’s Ice Cream
Known for their pure blends and unique mixes (I can’t even pronounce half the names). A tad bit pricier than Bruster’s, but easily worth all the new flavors you can add to your ice cream tasting resume.
Atlanta Cupcake Factory
Self-explanatory but the cupcakes here are the cutest. Sometimes topped with a cookie and frosted so beautifully that you feel somewhat guilty biting into it. Not a bad problem to have, in my opinion.
Café Intermezzo
A little pricy, very classy, and every cheesecake flavor under the sun. Literally, all the cheesecakes. The kind of place you’d go for a special occasion or for no reason at all (because cheesecake).
Paulo’s Gelato
And for the gelato lovers, please meet Paulo. Jk I’m not sure if he’s still around, but this little shop in the Highlands is adorable and tops all your orders with an extra mini upside cone. I also saw the most intricate crepes displayed in the front and cannot wait to try those out next time!
Siam Thai
This is a bit random but I once ordered the Thai donuts from their restaurant menu and was so pleasantly surprised. About 10 modestly sized donuts – warm and coated in sugar. Warning: They will melt in your mouth.
Seasons 52
And yet again, another unexpected but welcomed dessert experience. We were at a friend’s birthday dinner and the server gave us an entire dessert platter on the house. I attacked quickly before he could change his mind. Some of the most amazing cakes/puddings to ever have graced my taste buds. Go with a big group and hopefully this happens to you, too!
Bottom line, there’s a little something to satisfy even the most specific of your dessert cravings! Don’t forget to ‘treat yo self’ every now and then. And when in doubt, BRUSTER’S.
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