What’s the Scoop? in Portland, Oregon may not be as well known as local celebrity Salt & Straw, but in my opinion it’s better! If you’re looking for a great ice cream experience with less of a line, consider What’s the Scoop.

Photo courtesy of What’s the Scoop?

Ice cream is quite reasonably priced for a city, with a single for $4.50, a double for $6.50 and a sampler with four flavors and four toppings for $9.00. They’re especially well-known for their toppings and tell you what’s gluten-free and vegan from the get-go. They’ve also got super fun sundae options, a fortune cookie cone and something called “The Gorge” which is basically a giant sheet cake ice cream sandwich (made with a cookie or brownie base) to share with a big party.

This was my first ice cream stop in Portland, though definitely not my last (!), and it was a really fun experience. They serve ice cream with baby spoons like a gelato place – I love that. I went with the sampler, and here’s what I thought:

Blueberry Basil – This is the one flavor I tried but didn’t ultimately order. I found the flavors a bit too washed out for me, so I skipped it.

Rosemary with Roasted White Chocolate – I chose toasted marshmallow as my topping for this scoop. The flavor is heavy on the rosemary, and the roasted white chocolate is more subtle, but it’s a very nice pairing. I enjoyed it a lot, and the toasted marshmallow is amazing! I highly recommend it. The rosemary is so strong that you can cover it up a lot without losing it. I thought it was almost like chocolate pudding with a punch! It’s great to pair with toppings.

3D Chocolate – I chose hot fudge for this one. The 3D description is apt, and the hot fudge is pretty fabulous! This ice cream has more dimension than regular chocolate, with cool chunks and very tasty. It was a great pairing.

Peanut Butter Curry – For this one, I went with a honey caramel topping. The honey caramel itself is full of personality and delicious, and it paired well with this. However, I wish the curry was heavier, and had more bite afterwards. It’s great if you love peanuts and peanut butter though. The other bummer was the ice cream melted quickly and the caramel fell off fast.

Brown Butter Almond Brittle – I topped this one with magic dust, which is actually the dust of the brittle. This is a subtler flavor, and I loved the brittle and dust combo. It’s super fun. As someone that’s gluten-free, having a texture like the dust felt very indulgent and rare.

Ice cream here is SO creamy! The sampler is the perfect size for sharing with someone…of course I managed to eat it solo! What’s the Scoop? has very good ice cream and excellent toppings. As we’re considering a move out to Portland in the future, I’m sure I’ll be indulging here again!

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