Pumphouse Creamery

Famous frozen stuff with local, all-natural ingredients.

by Molly Priesmeyer

This award-winning ice cream shop makes their famous frozen stuff with local, all-natural ingredients. There’s a reason Pumphouse Cremery is an award-winning ice cream shop; this little Southside joint is dedicated to serving up only the best ice cream around, using local cream and milk directly from local farms to create their delicious frozen confections. The shop is tiny, big enough only to have one four-top table. But the little sunshine-colored ice cream store is almost always filled with folks waiting in line for the organic offerings. One scoop, two scoops or famous sundaes come in an ever-changing rainbow of flavors, from organic strawberry to sea salt, caramel and praline pecans. Tables and benches outside offer a great spot for people-watching and finger-licking. Or the nearby parks and creeks make a perfect stop for an ice-cream picnic.

04/16/08

OUTSTANDING ICE CREAM!

by vanessa05

This ice cream is the best I have had in years! But it's not just ice cream... they have shakes, malts, sundaes, 5 scoop samplers and hand packed pints and I believe quarts also. The owner and employees were very helpful, friendly and informative. You must try the sea salt pralin or chipotle chocolate. All of the ice cream is made with organic milk and all of the ingredidents are local. And a nice new treat is the dog ice cream made with half the sugar. I got a 6 pack for my puppy. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Pumphouse Creamery.

• Pros: great service, fresh ideas, very quality ice cream

09/29/07

Like No Other!

by ishoplocal

Now that I've been to Pumphouse Creamery, all other ice cream just doesn't match up. I would go to Pumphouse even just for its mission - high quality, natural, local ingredients, neighborhood employees, handmade batch by batch.

But even more, I go even more for the ice cream! You can't imagine the difference in taste - rich, creamy, not overdone with sugar and never any dyes. The sea-salt praline pecan is phenomenal, and all the el ray chocolate combinations are a true chocolate lover's dream. I still don't understand how the one woman who owns it handmakes every batch herself, but you sure can taste the difference.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm going in to get my pints of pumpkin, oatmeal raisin cookie, and probably a five-scoop sampler (trust me, you'll have a hard time even limiting it to five!). I'm happy to see such a responsible, fabulous business in south Minneapolis.

• Pros: Taste! Highest Quality Ingredients, Variety of Flavors, Supports Other Local Businesses
• Cons: Having to decide which flavor to get

08/06/07

Average

by joleee

I had the 5 scoop sampler so I could enjoy several flavors. Of the five I had, I liked the sea salt butter pecan (or something like that) the most. I thought the ice cream was okay but nothing to write home about. I've actually had store-brand grocery store ice cream that I enjoyed more. The service couldn't have been more blah. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that the girl behind the counter must have been having a bad day. She didn't greet us, and I felt as if I was bothering her to get her to scoop some ice cream. We definitely didn't get a smile.

Tiny shop turns out handcrafted, Minnesota-fresh organic ice creams.

by Contributor

In Short
This locally owned shop has 20 handcrafted ice cream flavors made on-site. This diminutive decor offers one table and just enough room for the ice cream case. Maybe it's the organic cream from central Minnesota farms. Maybe it's the Madagascar bourbon vanilla, considered the finest in the world. Whatever the reason, the result is creamy, velvety ice cream. Flavors change often, and include chocolate bread from the Turtle Bakery.

11/12/06

Wonderful homemade ice cream

by fendel

I love this place! Small and friendly, and the ice cream and sorbet is pure flavor... they don't oversweeten (hooray!) and the ingredients are top quality. They're happy to give you a taste of anything, but those little tasting spoons don't quite capture the experience of these ice creams -- if you take a good-sized bite of a scoop, then you get the full impact. I bought a couple of hand-packed pints for a dinner party and both guests were delighted: one said the lemon ginger sorbet was "one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth."

• Pros: Quality, friendly service
• Cons: Only one table

07/27/06

amazing ice cream

by yeehawlil

In a locale that is teeming with great ice cream places, this one has the best goods. I adore Izzy's, for the ambience and the Izzy scoop, but for quality, I think Pumphouse has them beat. The nut flavors are incredible (last visit we had dulce de leche with carmelized pecans and a sublime honey with cashews) as is the mint with chocolate truffles. Go! You will not be sorry.

• Pros: fantastic ice cream, friendly service
• Cons: tiny place, no tables

07/04/05

Good ice cream!

by dsister

Good ice cream: the oatmeal oatmeal cookie & dulce de leche w/carmelized pecans and chocolate chunks.

• Pros: Good ice cream

05/14/05

Handmade Heaven

by caneu1

The Pumphouse Creamery is the best ice cream shop outside of Cincinnati, Ohio (which is home to Graeter's, the best ice cream in the world). Barb's shop is a close second and wins for innovation. All the ice cream is made by hand with lots of love in small batches and Barb does not scrimp on the ingredients or real buttercream, so check your Adkins diet at the door. The oatmeal cookie is to die for, as are the malts and any of the malt-flavored ice creams. Everything with pralines and pecans is excellent too. If you are on a diet, the sorbets are the best I've ever had -- blood orange is fabulous.

• Pros: Great Selection, Highest Quality, Great Flavors

09/11/03

So Wonderful

by aharste

Not to be missed: dulce de leche w/carmelized pecans and chocolate chunks, maple nut, malted vanilla w/Turtle Bread chocolate bread, vanilla oatmeal cookies, and the homemade waffle cones with a surprise in the bottom. The 5 scoop sampler is a good way to go when you can't make up your mind. Five small scoops of your choice for $3.50