ICE CREAM REVIEW: Sugar Hill Creamery

My search for the best ice cream in New York continues ….

Sugar Hill is a great name for an ice cream shop. Funny that in the case of Sugar Hill Creamery it also refers to the neighborhood of Harlem (called Sugar Hill) where it set up shop in 2017.

I don’t know the food scene in Harlem quite as well as other neighborhoods but I can’t think of another serious ice cream option up there. So I was excited to see a small crowd hanging outside this neighborhood creamery. I was even more excited to see the small ice cream machine where they make all their offerings.

No question this is part of the gentrification that’s happening in the area (for better or worse) but they are certainly dedicated to the culture of the neighborhood as is evidenced by the local artwork and unique flavors. The high prices are a different story.

My first visit was almost a year ago now and I never got a chance to put together this write-up. But I was up in Harlem again recently and made a second visit. So I got a range of their flavors over two different seasons.

As is my usual modus operandi for these reviews, I usually take two tastes (more would be taking advantage I think) and then order a third flavor as a serving.

The Roasted Corn Jalapeño is probably the most unusual of the options on the first day I visited (which was over the summer). I’m not sure I personally would want an entire cup of this, but I enjoyed the subtle sweetness and the vegetal notes from the pepper. Not terribly spicy but certainly well-rounded.

Back during the summer months, I also tried something called Cafe Touba with Peanuts that I can’t find on their menu any longer. Not sure if they have brought this flavor back. This was super interesting based on a Senegalese spiced coffee. I remember deep herbal and spiced notes balanced out by roasted coffee. It was quite unique and a flavor I really enjoyed.

When I returned more recently, the flavors were totally different representing the colder months.

I tasted the “Tell It To the Block” which was a pleasant cinnamon ice cream with the addition of Mike’s Hot Honey. Perhaps it was because I only had a taste but the spiciness didn’t pop along with the sweetness. It was mostly a well-made cinnamon ice cream.

The Mint Chip (called “Larry Wilcox”) was very good with a restrained amount of refreshing fresh mint.

My second full serving here was a seasonal special that sounded intriguing called The Misadventures of Rum & Plum. It was modeled after an autumnal dessert with spiced plums, rum, maple syrup, and a homemade bread pudding.

This flavor had a lot going on and I don’t think I could taste all the components, but it was still pretty tasty. There was some chewiness from the bread pudding but otherwise all of the ice creams here had a nice creamy texture.

I appreciate the seasonality and the commitment to the community of both newcomers and the ones that have been in Harlem for a while. And they have interesting and well made ice cream so Sugar Hill (the shop and the historic area) is worth a visit.

Is Sugar Hill Creamery the best ice cream in NY? It may be the best ice cream in Harlem (not sure how much competition there is) and they get an8 out of 10 for that and because they are actually worth a trip if you like creamy ice cream in less familiar flavor combinations.