The Snow Factory

Awarded New Times 2013 "best" dessert, this Fort Lauderdale ice cream parlor and dessert shop is sweet-tooth overkill. What to order? The snow cones, made with fresh-shaved ice using old-fashioned, hand-operated, ice-cutting machines? Soft-serve frozen yogurt, offered in hundreds of flavors? Or handmade ice cream cookie sandwiches? The bestsellers at Florida Snow Factory are the shaved ice, with more than a dozen flavor combinations like strawberries and cream or Dreamsicle. Both begin with a layer of either regular or soft-serve vanilla ice cream at the bottom, topped with layers of fresh-shaved ice and finished with any of the Hawaiian syrups mixed fresh in-house. Customizable, made-to-order ice cream cakes allow customers to pick two of their favorite ice cream flavors and add endless toppings swirled into the mix. Cakes are topped with sprinkles for a delicious, take-home treat.