Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Truck

Now that it’s officially ice cream season, I couldn’t help but join the line for the Van Leeuwan truck. Having sampled the earl grey, espresso, and the ginger, I decided to go with the two most popular flavors — the earl grey and the ginger. However, the espresso was really good as well! You can definitely taste the coffee here!
The ginger ice cream surprised me. I honestly didn’t know what to expect and to be frank, ginger ice cream doesn’t sound appetizing to me. But Unilocalers convinced me to give it a try and I’m glad I did! The ginger taste was unique and wasn’t harsh; even the pieces of ginger throughout the ice cream was good as well! The earl grey really came through — I can see why this is a fan favorite.
Kudos to the great service! From the generous samples to the suggestion of placing my ice cream in a cup due to how soft it was. The scoops were VERY generous as well!

I had high expectations for this ice cream, home made without any nasty stuff and they also have flavors that’s vegan! Sounds good so far!
It was nothing wrong with the ice cream, had one regular flavor and one vegan, and it was good but not mind blowing. Would not stop by it again to get ice cream. There is better places!
But what really makes this place worth 2 stars was the terrible service, the guy seemed bored and sick of his customers. I asked if I could sample a flavor and he seemed really annoyed by that.
The ice cream gets 3.5 stars
The service gets 0.5−1 stars

Their ice cream is great! My favorite is their earl grey ice cream, but their vanilla and strawberry flavors are also fantastic. Ice cream is on the pricey side, but the service is great and they let you try a bunch of flavors.

Van Leeuwen produces one of the best ice creams in New York. Although I’ve never been to the actual storefront, every single flavor I’ve tried from the truck has not disappointed me. The quality of the ice cream is reflected in their sourcing of ingredients. My favorite flavor is the earl grey which tastes exactly like the tea and does not overwhelm my palette. When I’m in NYC in the future, you know I’ll be tracking down the truck for my ice cream fix!

What can you say about a food truck? The person who took my order was as nice as she should be. The different ice cream flavors are probably the highlight. We were boring so we just ordered the chocolate, mint chocolate and pistachio. Another thing I liked about their ice cream is it isn’t too sweet and had a perfect texture, not too thick until you get sick of it and it doesn’t melt too fast, so you don’t have to rush when licking it on a cone. It was a super hot day, too and I was surprised how much my two scoops held up. Try it. It’s probably the healthier options out there.

I was walking in Soho and it was a really hot day, so when I turned the corner and saw this ice cream truck, it was kind of like a blessing. You can either choose between a classic flavors (non-​vegan) or the vegan flavors and have it in either a regular (up to 2 flavors) or large (up to 3 flavors) cone or cup. You also have the choice of getting one of their variety of sundaes.
I’ve never had earl grey ice cream before so I decided to give it a try. I got a scoop of earl grey and pistachio ice cream in a cone. Let me tell you, that ice cream was LIFE-​CHANGING. I’m not sure if it’s because they use all natural ingredients or maybe the earl grey was just really good, but it was one of the best ice creams I’ve had all summer.
The lady who gave me my ice cream was extremely nice and gave me some input as to what flavors I should get. I would definitely come back here if I was ever in Soho again. It’s a perfect snack on a summer day!

It was a hot day in Soho walking by I noticed the truck and decided to grab some ice cream to cool myself down. It is ice cream so I do not actually need an excuse but hey if I have one then better right?
I got some vanilla and my family decided to share a cup of strawberry. They are so disappointing sometimes who shares ice cream :).
They were both very very delicious the vanilla was smooth creamy and had a very rich flavor. The strawberry was smooth, very fresh and light.
I will look for them again for sure

Earl grey ice cream was all I never knew I needed in life. My friend was equally enthusiastic about her espresso cone. They have vegan flavor options, which is a nice option, but not my preference.

We hired Van Leeuwen to serve dessert for a couple of hours at our Hamptons wedding. We hired them through a third party service, and unfortunately the truck staff was given the incorrect time, so they showed up a few hours too early. They were very understanding and gracious when we asked them to wait for about an hour before starting to serve. All of our guests were excited to sample the ice cream, and the girls gave incredibly generous portions, even making some impressive-​looking sundaes for many of the guests. We’re so glad we hired this truck and heartily recommend them for a memorable occasion.

Probably the best ice cream in NYC. Nice aesthetic, nice brand, and ice cream that savors clean and luscious.

Smile though your heart is aching. Smile even though it’s breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by. Yes, would it kill you to smile? Because if you smile through your fear and sorrow. Smile and maybe tomorrow. You’ll see the sun come shining through. For you. C’mon, turn that frown upside down. Still won’t do it? OK then, I’ll just order under your gray cloud and make the most of the ice cream you serve me. Ironic since the sun was blazing like nobody’s business on the day I came upon this truck among the fashionistas in SoHo (photo:
). No wonder little toddlers weren’t running toward it in droves. It’s apparently for bulimic fashion models in a bad mood.
I decided to order a $ 5.25 cup with two of their specialty flavors. The first was the Vegan Salted Caramel with Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace? Is that like buffalo scat, I ask. The server sneered at my attempt at levity and told me it’s a bourbon as if I should know that already. Oh. It must be for alcoholic vegans. Sure, it was good, but it was melting fast as I was spooning it in my mouth. Much better was the Ginger with plenty of candied ginger inside. Beyond tasty (photo:
). I suppose I should be impressed by their biodegradable cups and hormone-​free milk sourced from pasture-​raised cows on an upstate farm. But it didn’t leave any impression on me because after all, you’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile. Smile… Smile.
ICE CREAM — 3.5 stars… the vegan salted caramel is good but the ginger rocks
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… it’s a truck… what ambiance?
SERVICE — 2 stars… too bad the server doesn’t smile
TOTAL — 3 stars… fancy ice cream comes with a ‘tude…life’s too short to give small-​mouth all the time.

Heard the hype, tried it, and it simply didn’t wow me. The portions were disappointing, Grom has small portions as well but somehow the amount they give is still satisfying because the quality is richer. I tried vanilla and strawberry, to me the strawberry was okay for me a bit on the bland side. The vanilla was creamy and I would recommend it although it’s not my favorite.
They also charge an extra 50 cents for a cup if you ordered a cone.
For the size, consistency, and price I would rather go to Jeni’s Ice Cream or Grom.

Great when you’re in the mood for something fancy that literally tastes luxurious…
If a plain old vanilla swirly cone with rainbow sprinkles is what you’re after, this is probably not your place. They’ve got your old classic flavors, but with a gourmet twist and then they have some more unique varieties for those feeling a little more adventurous. If you’re a person with a more refined palette who appreciates good, quality ingredients you will go nuts for this place and Vegans rejoice, because they’ve got some awesome choices for you as well.
After much deliberating, I ordered a small cup with 1 scoop of Salted Caramel alongside a scoop of Vegan Banana Nut (which tastes just as good as regular ice cream!) I couldn’t just stop there though. No, No, No! If I’m going to indulge and pay that much to do it then I am most certainly topping it all off with some of the most luscious homemade hot fudge imaginable.
Don’t get me wrong, I left very satisfied, but at the same time a tad bit underwhelmed and with a slight longing for The Big Gay Ice cream Shop…

Delicious ice cream, not many flavours but satisfying ones! The vegan ones are always wonderful and you don’t feel like you are missing out by opting for non dairy choices!

Very rich ice cream. You will def need a cup of water after it.
I must try the earl grey one next time. I had the choco hazlenut and it was delicious.

Several years ago, a friend of mine protested the price that Steve’s ice cream on 2^nd avenue and 9^th street was charging for their custom-​mixed scoop – you could get M&M’s, cookie crumbs, almost anything (within reason) kneaded into the very flesh of your ice cream and served to you in a cup. It was also larger than a single-​scoop cone.
«I’m not paying two dollars for an ice-​cream cone!» she declared. This was at a time that a standard cone was about a dollar, or maybe $ 1.25. (Before you were born, kids!) Well, I often went here and got the mixed-​in scoop; it was a fun way to spend a Friday night when I didn’t have a date – which was like always.
Flash-​forward to the 21^st century, when everything old is new again: Van Leeuwen has an ice-​cream truck and one of their regular spots to park is in SoHo. Not only that, but in the days of the Steve’s ice cream store, you never saw non-​dairy ice cream being given equal time. Now, you can regularly get one of two vegan flavors – or both! – on Van Leeuwen’s truck.
The bad news: it’s almost six dollars a scoop. Have I paid it? Yeah. Will I pay it? Not all the time, but when I’m there and the truck is there, I may have a moment of weakness in which I dig up all my money (plus tip) for that scoop of heaven. Delicious flavors – pistachio, and chocolate made with Michel Cluizel chocolate are regular vegan offerings.
Verdict: Six dollars is a lot for an ice cream cone, but it’s cheap for heaven.

earl greeyyy!!! one of my fave. i like the fact that their ice creams are not too sweet. they have food trucks and store location that is around soho! love it

I love this ice cream. But this is the truck. Don’t go here unless the truck is here. Really annoying. I would have planned differently.

Came here at the recommendation of a friend. She told me this place was incredible, but I didn’t believe her. I didn’t put much thought into it. By chance, I ran into the truck — quite literally — behind Soho on Spring Street and recognized the name. What are the odds? (Quite high actually, they have multiple store fronts and truck locations.)
Got the gianduja and it was so rich and creamy without sacrificing flavor! I must come back and try all the flavors. Best ice cream I’ve ever had. Only problem was justifying to myself the cost of this place. That scoop of ice cream was a luxury I can’t imagine affording on a daily basis.

The earl gray tea ice cream is so rich in flavor but not overly sweet. Love it! The gianduja is like nutella.
The store is very cute, staffs are nice. They use local ingredients and degradable/​compostable cups and spoons; a very eco-​friendly place, definitely another reason to love this company!

3.5 star review.
This truck has some out of the ordinary flavors (in a good way) at out of the ordinary prices (in a bad way).
The price for one [small] scoop of ice cream at this truck can buy you a pint of other ice cream at your local grocery store.
4 stars for unique flavors, 3 stars for value. It wasn’t so good that I could justify the price, but it was worth a try.

Man, this was a big disappointment.
I ordered the mint chip, S.B. ordered the chocolate and vanilla, I mean, you can tell the ingredients were good quality because the taste although muted was good, but the texture of this ice cream was crumbly, not at all creamy. Maybe we just got a bad batch, but I wasn’t wowed.

Should have gotten the earl grey, apparently…
I dunno. What’s nice about this place? The wallpaper. And the botanical illustrations are cool.
Staff attitude = total turnoff. YOU ARE STAFF — YOU ARE THE HELP — Get over yourselves. I AM WAY COOLER THAN YOU AND DON’T YOU EVER, EVER FORGET IT.
Hipsters.

On a recent Saturday morning, after being brutalised by mobs of Upper West Side greyhairs and stroller drones at the Tucker Square farmer’s market, a friend and I hobbled over to the relative calm of Central Park to lick our wounds.
And some ice creams.
There, parked neatly in front of the drearily departed Tavern on the Green, was the Turtle. They call this truck the ‘Turtle’. Why? Who cares! Turtle! It’s so frigging cute, how could you not go ‘aawww’ and rush over for a cone?
And rush I did, especially when I saw the Intelligentsia logo mounted to the side of the pretty butter-​yellow truck. Although there’s good coffee being roasted and brewed right here in the city, I still have great affection for the former child star of the Chicago coffee scene. An affection that’s well-​deserved — that latte was good.
For my ice cream, I went with the Earl Grey in a cone. It’s wasn’t the creamiest, richest ice cream I’d ever had, but that didn’t really matter. The bright, citrus tea notes just belted their way over my taste buds and in that moment I truly believed I could have taken those greyhairs and stroller drones. I truly did.
And isn’t that the real reason we scream for ice cream?

I was so excited to finally catch this truck!
I liked the Earl Grey. It’s creamy and relatively potent. However, it doesn’t come close to Birite’s Earl Grey (in San Francisco). However, their Earl Grey is the best I’ve had on this side of the country!
Four bucks for a large quantity.