Fabio’s Tropical Ices

I discovered Fabio’s on my way to another nearby gastronomic gem, Bab al Yemen. I did not want ice cream right before dinner, and I had already had two ice creams that day (I love ice cream). I vowed to return to Fabio’s.
Today is Sunday. I called Fabio’s before leaving. No answer. Blinded by my desire to try Fabio’s, I still told myself it would secretly open. I ran seven miles to the ice cream store from my apartment in Manhattan.
CLOSED!!! I will have to try again tomorrow… Sigh!

Love this place! Great atmosphere and good tasting frozen treats. My son loves it also.

Ah Sunset Park I love you.
I finally took myself to Fabio’s to see what people on Unilocal were raving about.
As everyone recommended, I got the helado de coco y birthday cake. Oh man sooo good. Creamy, chilled and hit the spot perfectly on the hottest day of the year.
Thank you Fabio– your ices are great. I’d go back again and get birthday cake in a bigger size.
Also, I think they’ve upped their prices…

Can’t go wrong with real-​fruit ices! The coconut is absolutely divine, it’s worth the car ride to get this treat every now and then.
There’s not really anything else to say, just get the coconut and you will see what i mean!
Prices are cheap compared to some of the chain ice huts.

At least 8 years ago I found an ice place on 57^th and 4^th Avenue. Without any question this was the most flavorful ice I have ever had. I want to help the guy market his ices locally. No ices come remotely close in the richness of flavor. Then one day Poof, and he and his wife were gone. I could not believe it. Everytime I saw an ice store I would stop in hoping to see a familiar face. I eventually had to subject myself to Uncle Luigui’s and Rita’s and How horrible after Fabio’s You do not forget Ice like this. Then one day (years later) Unilocal had a Best Ices email. I looked at everyone hoping someone might rate the ice place. There was an ice place on 4^th and 49^th in Sunset Park. Could it be they were back. Everytime I tried to get to them it was to late and they were closed. Finally I was driving by in a hurry and told my friend to get out and buy two ices… He did and boy were they great. Then tonight, several weeks later I double parked and ran in for another ice. There standing in front of me was Fabio the Ice Maker. My eyes popped and I ordered my favorite ice. I am not going to tell anyone what that was because your favorite will be the best ice you ever had. Thank you Unilocal for your Icey Email.

Great quality of real-​fruit ices at fantastic prices. The only complaint I have is that they don’t do samples, but really, if they did that I’d just stand there and sample them all.
And the combinations! Coconut and guava was the first combo I tried, and so far it’s still the best. But I’ll keep trying to prove myself wrong!

The very best helados you can get that taste as good as from the island! Tastes just like my nana’s! The have a bunch of different flavors — coquito, morir sonando, passion fruit, mango, guava, tamarindo are a just a few. They also have a number of different sizes, extra small to extra large ranging in price from 1.75 to around $ 7 I think. I have to buy biggest size whenever I visit my nana or she won’t see me! She can’t make them anymore, but the coquito tastes just like I remember hers used to be… :)

Tomorrow, Andy, Billdozer and I all have the day off. YAY! So, we’ve devised a scrumptious plan to fill our day with thrills and chills.
Firstly, we’ll take a bus to sunset park and eat our fill of tacos and dumplings. Billdozer has also informed us he needs to stop by his work to pick up some books. BOOOOOOOOOOO.
Anyway, after tacos and dumplings, we will then make our way to Coney Island, where we will partake in libations and talk about women as though we know what we’re talking about.
Immediately following, we will then head to Sheepshead Bay to the famed Log Cabin bar, where they have not one, but five taps of Budweiser. No other taps of anything else. And at some point, we will merrily sing along to some humorous karaōke melodies.
What we will not do, because Andy and Billdozer won’t agree to it because Bill claims to not have a sweet tooth and Andy tries to deny his all the time, is go to Fabio’s Tropical Ices, which has the best tasting ices I have ever had in my entire life. Last fall I went in and asked for some of their sweet corn ice, and then scooper said, «Oh, it’s the end of the season for that but we’ll have it next year, thanks be to God». Well then.
The coconut ice with cinnamon on top is the tastiest shit you’ll eat all summer.

I live right around the corner from Fabio’s and, if I weren’t concerned about waist size, would probably make a trip there every day of the week!
I had never had «helado de coco» (essentially ice cream made from coconut milk) before coming to NY, but I am so glad that I tried it! The texture is slightly less creamy than «regular» ice cream, but the flavors are amazing (and apparently seasonal, with each summer’s featured flavor being retired when they close up shop in the winter). This summer’s feature flavor appears to be cappuchino, and it is absolutely delicious. All of the ice cream is made on premises (according to an article I read) and it truly is worth a trip to Sunset Park to check it out!
This is not to mention the prices – a waffle cone with a huge scoop of a single flavor will only cost you $ 2! Delicious.

Personally, I think it’s GREAT that they no longer allow tastings. Tastings are for people unwilling to screw-​up an order. This place has all good flavors, anyway.
The $ 1.50 size is enough. I was surprised at how large it was, actually. It’s filled so much that the cap barely fits. I wouldn’t suggest taking more than one to go — at least not in a bag. It gets a wee bit messy.
Helado de Coco is in big letters on the front of the store. And, yeah, it’s yummy. However, anytime I can get something even remotely like Tamarindo, I’m taking it. SO GOOD. The Pina is good too. There are more flavors in the heat of Summer, but there will be something you want. Don’t worry about the lack of tastings. Just jump in and enjoy.

I’m proud to write the first review of this place. It’s across the street from my corner of the block, and I love this place. You get a filling, yet modest-​sized styrofoam cup (which makes my skin crawl when I scrape the last bits with the plastic spoon for some reason, huuughahfh). For a dollar fifty. And you’re thinking, ok, they got all these natural ices in about 20 different flavors. You can sample any of them. It looks like some small cafeteria.
But then you try the ices. And you love the ices. and it’s smooth and slightly creamy, and surprisingly sweet. And you think, if all blueberries were as consistent as this blueberry ice tastes, I would just love Fabio. Not butter fabs. Tropical Ice fabs.
If you ever find yourself in the Sunset Park area (which nobody does, it’s like that dark patch in Warcraft or something), do a walk from Park slope to Bay Ridge. And pass by here while you’re at it.