Lick Honest Ice Creams

Delicious! We stopped in after dinner next door at Bufalina and had a great experience. Chocolate with olive oil and sea salt, vanilla bean & coffee crème.
Good, friendly service.

I stopped by tonight for a cone and was really surprised. The ingredients are crazy fresh and it reminds me of homemade stuff my grandmother used to make in those crank style ice cream makers.
Great place!

Cardamom Pear Cake
Persimmons and Sage
Dark chocolate with olive oil and sea salt
S’more Meringue
Honeyed Peaches with Rosemary
Blackberry Lime & Basil
This is just a (very) small smattering of Lick’s super inventive and impressive flavor combinations.
I’m so happy they finally opened a second location (though it’s just a smidge too close to my house! Dangerous!!) making it so much easier to get these wonderful ice cream flavors. The flavors are always awesomely balanced and the ice cream itself is rich and smooth without being overly heavy. I think they’ve got the balance of everything just perfect!
Try a scoop or two on one of their house-​made sugar cones or cups (chocolate or vanilla). They’re super crispy and compliment the ice cream wonderfully!
Flavors change every few months, though there are a handful that are always present. Always friendly, smiling service!

They have a chocolate, olive oil, sea salt that is the DREAMS of a PMS woman… that sweet/​salty combo hits the spot.
I also tasted like 5 different flavors… each one was so smooth… I can’t wait to return to get more scoops… the lady was patient and recommended trying various ones.
Annnd its all grass fed dairy… what cows should be naturally eating…
you can taste the happiness.

Unilocal really needs an six star, seven star and eight star category.
Lick would still get five stars. That is the perfect rating for it.
But you know that when you go to an ice cream place and you order the right amazing flavor …
Five stars is not even close to the orgasmic religious experience you are getting with that mouthful of pure unadulterated ice cream pleasure.
Good ice cream simply lives on a higher plane.
There are gelaterias I have eaten at in Brazil or in Italy that were eight stars, hand down and maybe even nine stars.
Lick is really really good — but it is not all about that oh-​my-​god electrode-​in-​the-​pleasure center peak experience of a total sensual explosion.
It is fascinating and engaging like a 21^st century modern string quartet by an edgy New York City composer.
Flavors at Lick are original.
Flavors at Lick are complex.
The ice cream does multiple things in your mouth that usually do not all occur at the same time when you are eating.
You stop and you think «this is new».
You try to make sense of what is going on.
And you decide you like it.
You really like it.
Lick is an acquired taste —
and I have definitely acquired it.
*
Recent flavors that stand out in my mind:
A cilantro lime ice cream (not a sherbet or an ice — a full fledged ice cream.)
A magnificent accomplishment.
Lime does not usually make good ice cream.
Cilantro has no business being within 440 yards of any place that serves dessert.
I have a court order out on cilantro where it has to stay the full 440 yards away from me any time I go out eating.
(Cilantro can only see the kids if a social worker accompanies it.)
But THIS lime cilantro ice cream is amazing!
It made me forgive cilantro for all those terrible salsas and all those fajitas it had ruined.
And the lime flavor is just over the top.
*
Another edgy entry is hot pepper chocolate (here called Too Hot Chocolate a name that is fully justified).
A decadent delightful chocolate of the pure chocolate rapture variety —
Combined with enough hot pepper that the ice cream actually hurts.
We are not talking about the tame chilis that go into a Lindt bar.
(Do you really expect anything hot or edgy from the Swiss?)
We are talking mellow creamy sweet in the mouth
and Violent Cinders in the throat.
It is like mixing cute little bunnies and a Texas bike gang with chain whips.
After the shock,
and after the pain …
I liked it! I liked it!
*
And for exactly the opposite experience —
(Lick keeps moving. They don’t make ice creams that always go to the same place)
The Coconut Avocado Curd Ice Cream
Expecting the strong coconut taste of Thai Ice Cream?
Not going to happen.
Expect a lot of avocado like guacamole?
Go to a Mexican restaurant and order guacamole.
This is bland and restrained
much like the Amy’s no flavor ice cream that Amy’s sells strictly to ascetic purists.
The avocado is just there as a faintest of echos.
The coconut fainter still.
It is a pure cream and texture play.
It is not necessarily a great pairing with the superstrong flavored ice creams that fill out the rest of the case —
The jury is still out on this one —
but I can respect the idea of making an ice cream that is restrained and delicate.
*
Frankly, if I just want pure pleasure now and I don’t want to use my brain too much, I just go to the grocery store and get a pint of Haagen Daz. Haagen Daz is pure sensual gratification, no forking around
But if you want ice cream you can talk about with your date …
Lick is your choice and a good one at that.

*** I survived my 2 star Barley Swine review, I hope I’ll survive this one***
Ice cream should not piss you off. It’s supposed to make you smile, like kittens and baby hedgehogs and apple pie. And BFF and I WERE smiling… all the way home with our two pints of ice cream, looking forward to some Olive Oil Chocolate and Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Especially that last one, because, PB and Choc is the perfect combo, right? I can’t turn down any desert with that combo. Frozen Reese’s are my favorite treat. AND SHOULD NOT BE MESSED WITH.
So imagine our surprise and dismay when we got home and realized the label says «coconut PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE». It’s like they slipped that nasty coconut under the radar just to clear the rest of that flavor out of rotation. «let’s hide it under peanut butter, yeah!». Only they didn’t. It completely overwhelmed any peanut butter or chocolate and who, WHO!!! would EVER think peanut butter goes with coconut???
I completely shoved that stuff to the side, but I have to admit, I wasn’t super impressed with the Olive Oil Chocolate either. Maybe my palate was already ruined by the coconut, but all I could really get from that was a SLIGHT flavor of chocolate, and none of the olive oil or sea salt. And, for the record, the very nice scooper recommended those two together. Now, I know why as the only way BFF could get down the coconut was by blending the two together. That’s the only thing that saved him RETURNING THE ICE CREAM. Which is something I never would have thought I’d say (except for in cases of Listeria).
This was my second attempt at Lick, and will probably be my last. I really wanted to like Lick (and in most other instances I DO), but it just left me unsatisfied.
Yes, I know, more for ya’ll. You’re welcome.

Lickin’ good
The new location is great because it wasn’t packed at all when I came or I might have just been lucky! But Lick’s is one of my favorite places for ice cream!
My favorite flavors are the Horchata and Goat Cheese, Thyme, & Honey! However they have many flavors that don’t disappoint and I’ve tried many flavors before.
Oh and get the punch card, you’ll visit Lick’s many times after tasting their unique and delicious flavors and be able to get that free scoop later on! who doesn’t like free things?!

What can I say– we are Lick fans. Lick seems like it has picked a good location for its long-​awaited second store. I just hope that the parking lot will be ample enough to handle all the customers, as that is pretty much the only thing stopping us at the Lamar location.
I’ve learned that I usually don’t like most of their flavors, but when I do, I love it. The only way for me to tell is to enthusiastically sample anything that sounds good, which the staff usually comply with.

They finally brought one up north! Yay! Are you not familiar with LICK? There is one down south off Lamar and this is the same thing but better if you are up north! Ok so the prices are a bit expensive but they are a gourmet ice cream place so what do you expect right? Well at least the flavors are amazing and quite different. The fat content is very low compared to other ice creams too so don’t expect to get a super creamy texture like Amy’s, Marble Slab etc. These guys use local resources and flash pasteurize the non-​homogenized milk. They are non-​GMO (for those who these matter) The flash pasteurizing is pretty cool because this means that bad bacteria is usually gotten rid of while good stuff all stays in the milk! This is really dorky sounding so if we just get back to the flavor of the ice cream then it is quite simple. Their flavor combinations are really out of this world and yummy!
They have flavors like goat cheese and thyme, too hot chocolate (chocolate flavored ice cream with a spicy twist), coconut avocado (my favorite), cheddar and apple, vanilla pear (vegan), and many other seasonal flavors as well.
The staff here is really nice and know that you want to try all of their flavors so don’t be shy and ask away. They are really patient and sweet about it, always.
One thing for sure is their portions are small so usually one scoop is never enough.(for me at least)
When we have people visiting we are always taking them here so it is definitely somewhere you should consider if you want to show people what the Austin food culture is about!

It’s no secret that Lick is gaining fandom all over Central Texas. The Burnet location is cute, but small; with a max capacity of 19, it isn’t conducive to doing anything except consuming frozen dessert then herding along. There will be a line because so.many.flavors, unless you go to Lick for lunch during the week as I’ve experienced. The completion of Bufalina and Barley Swine in that lot will make a glorious Austin trifecta challenge I’m looking forward to.
Lick’s ice cream is pure and never cloying, which is awesome, but it’s all about the high quality Texas milk here. Maybe now that the shine has worn off, I’m apathetic to tasting the distinctive grassy milk as a feature. Ice cream is rich, so I wish the primary flavors were deeper. Cold temperatures numb your palate, it requires more of any ingredient to deliver a flavor punch. Which also means plenty of calories in the cream and sugar department, I really want the delicious milk vessel to be delivering flavor worthy of the calories. Because I love ice cream and would never quit on it, I order the plays off the richer classics, or the highly herbaceous flavors to help round out the small gaps of flavor.
Regardless, I am still a fan, I’ve filled up a couple of customer scoops cards and will continue to do so. Don’t forget your stamp cards! If possible, walk here due to the foreseeable parking situation when The Trifecta arrives.

I’ve always wanted to try Lick but I’m not willing to venture south of the river to find it (yeah, I’m THAT person). So when they made their way north to Burnet Rd, I got a little giddy. They have already opened in the hip-​looking strip center situated just south of the Frisco, and I decided I’d better stop in before Barley Swine opens and all hell breaks loose parking-​wise. I’m certainly glad I went now, because it was already a cluster at 10:30pm on a Saturday with just Lick. There is limited parking in that lot, mainly because a whole section is compact only. I’m looking at you, Audi (I still have no idea how you got in and out of your car parked so delicately close to mine).
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our ice cream. I had two scoops in a chocolate waffle cone: milk and cookies and Texas au lait. Both were delicious but out of the two the milk and cookies was my favorite. Oatmeal chocolate chip is my favorite cookies so having bits of this in my ice cream was a dream. Coffee is generally my favorite ice cream but the coffee flavor in the Texas au lait is so light that the chocolate waffle cone overpowered it. Maybe if this flavor had been the top scoop I would have enjoyed it more. My husband had two scoops of the Hill Country honey and vanilla bean in a chocolate cone and he said it was delicious.
I drive by this location several times during the week at around 5:30pm and there is next to no one here so maybe until the restaurants open up that’s when I’ll have to hop in for an ice cream treat in order to avoid the parking fiasco.
Two scoops each x two people + two chocolate waffle cones + 15% tip = $ 12.

August in austin is no joke! It’s hot out there. What better way to cool down than with a lick of the delicious ice cream flavor a at Lick’s newest location.
Lick blends farm fresh ingredients that are locally sourced with real, honest to goodness fresh milk and cream from a nearby dairy. The flavor combos are a little off the beaten path sometimes, but they usually end up being the favors I like most.
Tonight, I had the roasted beet with mint ice cream and for someone who hates beets (they taste like dirt), I loved this ice cream! It was a delightfully earthy, minty flavor. I sampled four of the other flavors available, but the beets were the best.
I didn’t get a punch card last time I went to Lick because it was all the way down on South Lamar and this CP girl doesn’t always want to drive that far. I grabbed one this time!

If I could give this place more stars, I would.
In case you didn’t know, I take ice cream seriously. I also don’t really like the idea of having eggs in my ice cream, and I really appreciate that Lick Honest displays ingredients of each flavor so that I can pick and choose the flavors that cater to my restrictive vegetarian diet.
The texture of the eggless ice creams are lighter than those that do contain eggs, so if you like your ice cream really creamy, check the ingredients.
There’s about 10+ flavors to choose from. My personal favorite is the Too hot chocolate (cayenne pepper, honey and chocolate) as the cayenne balances out the sweetness of chocolate and honey. I also noticed a cilantro lime that I’m dying to try.
There’s about 4 vegan options that all have coconut milk bases. The initial taste of coconut can be rather alarming for someone who isn’t really familiar with the flavor, but i urge you to try out the peanut butter chocolate swirl.
The small size is priced at $ 3.99 (2 scoops) with an additional $ 0.99 for a waffle cone. Albeit slightly expensive, it pays off as all ingredients are locally sourced and sustainable.
Needless to say, this is a family friendly establishment. There are not too many tables around, so I’d come sometime during the afternoon to get a decent seat at the window bar.
They have a punch card that entails you to a free ice cream after 16 scoops. (Yay!!)
I don’t mind driving all the way to burnet just to get a scoop from Lick Honest.

Northies rejoice as we now have a Lick in our neck of the woods!!! I could go on and on about their use of local ingredients and how delicious and unique their ice cream is, but honestly just go try it. I promise you won’t be sorry!
My favorite flavor right now is Horchata. I love vanilla and cinnamon and this has both plus a hint of clove which is divine. I wanted to take a couple of pints home with me but have no ice cream self control so they wouldn’t have lasted long.
I tried their new corn and dewberry flavor and was very surprised. It tasted like cornbread mixed into ice cream which was something I never realized how badly I wanted combined before! What will they think of next?
I also like that they make their waffle cones fresh and offer both waffle cones and waffle bowls. I eat ice cream (well most desserts) like a toddler, so anytime I can get everything I want into a bowl for less mess I’m happy.
Make sure and ask for a punch card to start earning free ice cream for your purchases. We had a hard time finding this location at first because their sign isn’t fully up yet, but parking was great. Currently it’s the only store open in that new shopping strip, but it might be difficult when everything else opens because there aren’t a whole lot of spaces. Point being, try to carpool in the future if you can.

I love their creative flavors of ice cream, no doubt! I keep going back specifically for the Caramel Salt Lick and the Goat Cheese Thyme & Honey, but I occasionally get another flavor. Recently I opted for the Horchata, which has excellent flavor but an icier consistency than my favorites. As much as I love Lick, it’s pricey at a $ 4.20 spend (the small size, and not including tip) for two of the smallest scoops in town.
The server seemed annoyed by passing out multiple samples to guests. Standing in line, frankly I was also annoyed by people trying out every flavor. When the lines are long perhaps they should consider implementing a «3 samples max» policy. And it might improve the staff’s demeanor.

Welcome Lick Ice Creams to North Austin! Just three days young and this place is already hopping busy with people. Some drove all the way from South Austin in order to avoid their long line. I could cut and paste my South Austin location review here because the service, high quality grass fed/​coconut ice cream, and unique combination of flavors can all be found here. What’s different is the beautiful new location that actually has room to move and breathe in. There are a few seats to relax at, but they don’t anticipate individuals hanging out here for long periods of time. I love that Lick ice creams is a delightful combination of light and creamy which is perfect for the hot Austin summer months.
It is a bit difficult to find as the outside signage isn’t up yet and there is a lot of construction in this area. If you blink you could drive right by it. It’s located in a mini bright white new strip mall.

WOW~! Have you ever had honeyed peaches delicately whipped into a rosemary ice cream? THEN YOU HAVEN’T HAD LICK!
Again, wow, last night I had my first lick (hehehe) and it was amazing! The fresh ingredients really make quite the difference and the creamy texture is just amazing. I highly would recommend trying a seasonal or two, but I know others rave about the year-​round flavors. Personally, I wish i could try them all, but since I didn’t want to be that girl who holds up the line for 20 minutes while she moans into her tasting spoon, I went with the honeyed peaches with rosemary. Immediately got my scoop and then also bought the pint to take home.
Can’t wait to go back and try the other flavors too! This is my new go-​to cheat day treat! Thank you lick!

«I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!» Not very original, right? However, the same cannot be said about Lick Honest Ice Creams. And people (pointing thumb at self) really do go crazy for the stuff! Even though it has been open for a few years now, the OG locale on SoLa still has a line going out the door on most nights. The second spot that opened last year in SATX draws huge crowds, with lines that force at least a 45 minute wait for the tasty treat! …Already bored? Okay Charlie Brown, skip to paragraph 5 for the important stuff. «Wha-​wha-​wha-​wha…» My feelings won’t be hurt, I promise. ;)
2) So, was I crazy for attending the official grand opening night of the third installation of Lick on Burnet Rd in ATX — especially considering they were giving every person one free scoop (how generous!)? Yup, you betcha! I would have also been crazy not to.
3) It happened on accident really. Was with a small group of friends having dinner at a nearby restaurant when one gal suggested we look at the dessert menu. Pop! Light bulb! «Wait…no…minutes away from this great IC joint called Lick… wanna give it a try?» I can be very convincing. ;)
4) Arrived about 25 minutes prior to closing, the entire parking lot was full, and the line literally stretched the length of the brand new shopping center Lick is located in. Wowza! I was determined to «tough it out;» however, my fellow wanna be Lickers were less enthusiastic. Well, I’ll just state that we only ended up waiting for about 10 minutes before we had scoops and spoons in hand. I can’t explain exactly what happened, except to say that we were very blessed. Things just seem to happen sometimes. There was no Unilocal dropping or cutting. I’ll just call it «sublime» intervention. :D
5) Oh wait, you didn’t want to hear my story? Sorry about that. The important stuff: Lick’s philosophy and the Ice Creams… «Homemade Local Goodness.» Should be enough said, but…
ALL cream and milk come from a Texas, family-​owned dairy located in McGregor (just outside of Waco). ALL other ingredients — honey, fruits, herbs, veggies, etc. — are harvested and purchased from artisans all across the Hill Country. Such a «sweet» touch.
6) All of this effort helps to create the sustainable, delectable, and imaginative ice cream flavors Lick Honest Ice Cream offers.
7) They stock several amazing «everyday» flavors throughout the year: Goat Cheese, Thyme, & Honey is a golden oldie fav among many; Too Hot Chocolate with its creamy deep intensity and then the lingering slow and low burn from chile powder is a bit mind blowing; Caramel Salt Lick is the perfect combo of salty and sweet, can’t be beat… and so on!
8) Lick also offers several «seasonal» flavors, including a few vegan choices and lactose free: The dairy free Coconut & Avocado Curd is one of my all time favorites, so creamy, you can’t even tell the milk is missing; and who doesn’t like some Pecans & Cream, with its nice toasty notes; and the latest and great Horchata! With hints of clove, cinnamon, and vanilla it will take you right back to sipping the drink of the same name when visiting Mexico, or at local Latin markets. So amaaaaaazing! …plus others!
9) So stop by any of Lick’s now THREE scoop shops and dry those tears! Comp samples are abundant, so you will be certain to find something you like — be adventurous. And for those of you who can’t engage in all of the line waiting, cow herding for cream fun, Lick is now sold by the pint by several grocers in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas (please visit
for select vendors).
10) Anyway you choose to do it… just keep on Licking it and liking… nay, dare I say loving it!
[130 in 2015]

Locally sourced, sustainable ingredients and delicious creative flavors. what’s not to love about Lick Honest Ice Creams?!
Lick opened their North austin location today scooping up the same popular flavors as their South Austin location. Lick is located between the future locations of Bufalina Due and Barley Swine making it an obvious hot spot for pre-​gaming or post dinner dessert. The adorable shop feels open and inviting. There are some counter and stool seating for guests to relax and enjoy their ice cream.
Something I appreciate about Lick is their ice cream is sweet but not too sweet. The light sweetness (sans high fructose corn syrup or preservatives) allow for the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine through. My favorite flavors are the seasonal. You can sample before you commit but truly you cannot go wrong with any of the flavors. All the flavors I tried were incredible. A few I sampled at the Burnet location are the:
Honeyed Peaches with Rosemary — This flavor is full of juicy peaches with a lovely hint of Austin Honey Co. honey
Lemon Lavender — This ice cream is full of bright flavors from the citrus and a soft note form the Texas lavender. A pairing made in heaven.
Blackberry Lime and Basil — lush blackberries are complimented by lime zest making for a fabulous blend.
Pecans and Cream — If you love sweet toasted pecans you will love this mouth-​watering rich ice cream.
Dewberry Corn Cobbler — Corn in ice cream?! Yes and it totally works! They use Texas dewberries and bake them into cornmeal cobbler and crumble it into their cream corn ice cream. Perfection! This was my favorite and I opted for a scoop in their delicious waffle cones.
2 scoops — $ 3.88, 3 scoops — $ 4.81, 4 scoops — $ 5.78 and a waffle cone/​bowl is $.99.
If you love ice cream and love to support local then Lick Ice Cream is a must try. Not only are they a local company but they source form some of Texas’ best farms and artisans like Salt & Time, Johnsons Backyard Garden, Boggy Creek Farms and Pure Luck Farm & Dairy just to name a few.

If you’re familiar with Lick Honest Ice Cream’s other locations (on South Lamar or in San Antonio), you already know that they’re doing things the right way. For some of you, «the right way» might mean Lick’s push to be as green/​clean/​organic/​local as possible. It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty darn close. For me, «the right way» just involves the end result of putting tasty flavors into my mouth.
I’ve always been a «bubble gum» (or sherbet, under an upside-​down cake cone, decorated to look like a clown) kind of guy at the local ice cream shop growing up. Our household fridge usually carried Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla (rest in peace), or HEB Golden Vanilla (oppan «1905″-style). So it could be argued that I’d never been an adventurous ice cream eater.
That’s where Lick changed my life.
Looking at the flavors available in the brand-​spanking new store (about a quarter mile north of 2222 on Burnet), I remembered the «greatest hits» of flavors I used to rotate through during many a visit to Barley Swine in a previous life. Particular standouts are the «Dark Chocolate with Olive Oil and Sea Salt», the classic «Caramel Salt Lick» (has nothing to do with BBQ), and a surprising favorite, the «Goat Cheese, Thyme & Honey». Almost all flavors are gluten-​free. I think I saw one that wasn’t. They’ll note that on the label.
Today I was talked out of «Lemon Lavender» by the scoop artist (ok, I don’t know what else to call him) by something that sounded way too plain for Lick: «Yeah, we have this one with peaches and honey». I blinked for a moment, and thought I’d missed the joke on why I was offered something that sounded like something I’d see in the freezer section of a CVS. «Oh… And it also has rosemary flavor throughout.» Yeah… That’s the stuff. Sold!
If you’ve been to the south location, you’ll like the fact that there are about a dozen REAL wooden stools to sit on, and some bar space, not just kid toys as furniture. And it’s a bit more roomy. I don’t think it’s just because it’s opening week that the staff seems more patient than I would expect any person to reasonably be. Lick has always been like that. I’m sure it will be a popular snack/​dessert spot, or «that place you go to kill time while waiting for your pager from the Barley Swine or Bufalina Pizza next door to go off». I just know it’s one less reason for us to head across town for a sweet treat (well, I’ll make an exception for you, Dolce Neve).
If you just want some fresh strawberries mashed into your Mexican vanilla, or some «chocolate chip cookie dough» for your freezer, you know where to go for that. But if you want something different (and amazing), you’ll want to try Lick. And having access to pints of creamy goodness that close to the house, for about the same price as two mediums, might be dangerous to my application of the First Law of Thermodynamics.
Minus .2 stars because a cake/​wafer cone was repeatedly called a «sugar cone» by staff (and I wish their offerings were creamier, like a great gelato, but that’s a personal preference).
4.8 stars.