Long-time operating ice cream shop in downtown. Offers a large assortment of soft serve ice cream flavors, both dairy as well as soy, coconut or almond based, made onsite. Also has vegan and gluten-free baked goods. Ask about the soy bars and vegan cookie sandwiches. Opens seasonally. NOTE: May 2021 reported limited vegan options - please send updates. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-10:00pm.
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221 S Franklin St (at downtown), Watkins Glen, New York, USA, 14891
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 08 May 2021 by Guest
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Added by Kind Cindy on 17 Aug 2010
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25 Reviews
First Review by Kind Cindy
victoria1024
Points +553
limited options - Edit
there were only two vegan options when i went in. neither were labeled vegan in the cases. the one was chocolate peanut butter (this one did say in faded marker under the label that it was coconut based) and the other was a sorbet. i did appreciate that they had a list of vegan toppings, but one was marshmallows and i doubt they use marshmallows without gelatin. i got the chocolate peanut butter with peanut butter sauce, and pretty much only ate the peanut butter sauce. the ice cream wasn’t terrible, but i’ve had better. it was a bit flavorless, like something was missing. it’s a safer bet to go to the ben & jerry’s nearby.
Read morePros: fair prices
Cons: only two vegan options , vegan options not clearly labeled , flavor was just ok
Guest
TheloniousG
Points +362
Kinda ok - Edit
I had only one kind of vegan ice cream. It was a bit icy. There was an overly hard ribbon of peanut butter in it. Pleasant, nice on a hot day, but you can get better vegan ice cream in most grocery stores (altho not much at Topps, but that’s another story)
Read morePros: Cool on a hot day, A valiant effort, It exists, which is a plus
Cons: Not the best ice cream
Guest
phashonkat
Points +503
Sweet (flavors and vibes) - Edit
I ordered a small (1/2 scoop each) of two flavors: coconut lavender blueberry and chocolate peanut butter. Perfection. Not only do they list out their many vegan topping options, they also specify the non-dairy base for each of their vegan ice cream flavors, which they also make in-house. AND they have vegan, gluten free cones! Felt like a little kid again in the best way. So friendly, so nostalgic, so worth a visit.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-09-18
Pros: Satisfying variety of homemade vegan options, Vegan-aware staff, Nostalgic vibe
Cons: Farther away from everything (but worth the walk)
Guest
Hharle
Points +24
Pleasant surprise! - Edit
We have been really pleased with Watkins glens’s surprising variety of vegan options- and this was our regular go to for ice cream. They had two great vegan soy choices each night we went- and even more amazing I ordered a vegan ice cream cake a few days in advance. The owners are very accommodating and made us something super special. Can’t wait to vacation here next year.
Read moreGuest
veggie666
Points +663
Vegan options - Edit
They had about 5 vegan options
Read moreGuest
SouthernmostVegan
Points +1815
Good but few options - Edit
They have a hard chocolate peanut butter as well as the vanilla cookie chip. Don’t bother with the vanilla cookie - flavorless and watery consistency. The chocolate peanut butter was good but it had very little peanut butter. It was really just chocolate ice cream.
Read moreI asked for chocolate syrup, choc sprinkles and mini chocolate chips to make a mini vegan sundae. They didn’t have any vegan baked dessert options because they said those come from a local vendor and they don’t know what they will get.
And to the previous reviewer: YES THEY ADDED YOUR HAPPY COW STICKER!
ACCVeg
Thanks for letting me know about the sticker!!!!
Read moreGuest
ACCVeg
Points +1352
Happy to have a vegan ice cream option after hiking Watkins Glen - Edit
The day was warm and the hike was long, and there was nothing I wanted more than an ice cream cone, and this place delivered. They had three vegan flavors when I stopped in - I had the chocolate peanut butter and it hit the spot. This is not artisanal vegan ice cream so best to set expectations, more like the vegan analog to Hershey’s (which is the cow milk version of what they sell here). Staff was super friendly and took my Happy Cow Veg Options sticker and said they thought the management would let them display it. So if you are the next person getting ice cream from this place, please write a review and report if you see a Happy Cow sticker!
Read morePros: Good ice cream w/i walking distance of park
Guest
krpiasecki
Points +89
No Vegan Soft Serve - Edit
I was so disappointed on this trip to Watkins Glen to find that Great Escape no longer carries vegan soft serve. The vegan chocolate peanut butter was good, however the vanilla chocolate chip wasn't good at all. It was icy, crumbly and lacking in flavor. Disappointing.
Read morePros: A few flavors of vegan ice cream
Cons: Unappealing texture and flavor
Guest
HappyVegan777
Points +20
Vegan Ice Cream Options That Taste Great - Edit
Ordered the vegan chocolate oreo cookie flavor in a cup. Yum! Would never know that it's vegan.
Read morePros: Great tasting ice cream, Friendly owner
Guest
fratboyvegan
Points +232
Amazing - Edit
Simply amazing. Check this place out!
Read moreGuest
aimeedars
Points +49
Delightful Local Ice Cream Shop - Edit
My favorite local ice cream shop! They always have vegan options that are tasty and hit the spot during summer. The atmosphere is cute. The flavors change, though, which can be irritating.
Read moreGuest
SEaton
Points +30
Awesome homemade vegan ice cream - Edit
We love this place. They have great homemade vegan ice cream, soy and coconut based. They also have sorbet.
Read moreGuest
StephanieKittell
Points +39
Wow! Vegan Gelato & cool vibes! - Edit
This cool 50s-inspired ice cream place has a funky vibe, and so many great vegan options (& vegan-friendly staff). In our one week stay at nearby Farm Sanctuary we stopped at this place at least 4 times for vegan ice cream! Yum!!! Fav vegan gelato flavours: chocolate peanut butter, ginger snap, vanilla biscotti. They also have huge vegan chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, vegan soft serve with many flavour options, vegan parfaits, and vegan baked goods. And they make their own in-house vegan sugar cones. We'd go back a million more times!!! We'd give them a 5-star review if they went full-on vegan. :)
Read morePros: multiple vegan gelato flavours, multiple vegan soft serve flavours, vegan-knowledgeable staff
Cons: not full vegan (yet)!
Guest
imaveganmama
Points +104
Not that great... - Edit
Stopped in last week after Farm Sanctuary and asked what was vegan. We were told: a key lime icecream that looked gross and melted, a vanilla chocolate crushed oreo flavour icecream, and a cookie. This is hard icecream, btw. No mention of soft serve. The cost of the vegan icecream is almost double the non-vegan icecream, and stored right alongside the non-vegan icecream. It was a bit of a rip off. Best thing was that they had a few vegan and gluten-free cones.
Read moreBTW, there is one other icecream place about a block or 2 north of this place, on the same street, also advertising vegan icecream.
Pros: vegan & gluten free cones, good portions
Cons: expensive, limited options, icecream kept alongside non-veg icecream
Guest
Lissie
Points +49
Yummy Vegan Ice Cream - Edit
We stopped here after visiting Farm Sanctuary, and it was really good. I had the vanilla soft serve with chocolate and peanut butter toppings, and it was the closest thing to a sundae-type treat I've had since becoming vegan (at least one that I didn't have to make myself!). It was really great, and we will definitely return when we're in the area again.
Read morePros: Great ice cream/toppings, Inexpensive
Guest
Michael X. James
Points +972
Good ice cream, don't add the flavors - Edit
The Chicago Vegan Foods company makes the soft serve that is here and it's always pretty good. The chocolate reminds me of a frosty from Wendy's and the vanilla is more of a marshmallow than vanilla. Getting one of these two are your best options. Don't bother getting the flavored syrups in them though...it's all high-fructose corn syrup. Not worth it.
Read morePros: soft serve vegan, yay!
Guest
Capzilla37
Points +16
Awesome oreo ice cream! - Edit
So happy we stopped here on our trip to Watkins glen! We were greeted with a big smile and treated like family. Their vegan soft serve machine was down and they were kind enough to have an alternate vegan option which was delicious oreo vanilla flavor! I would definetly go back!!!
Read morePros: Friendly , Accomodating, Delicious
Guest
vegfam
Points +72
Must have vegan ice cream!! - Edit
My family and I LOVE this place as part of our visit to Ithaca and Farm Sanctuary every year. Never been disappointed. We all had the vegan soft serve vanilla in waffle cones and had no problem with consistency, flavor or anything. We also split vegan peanut butter cookies filled with vanilla ice cream. They only had 2 left since they were closing for the season, but if they had more we would have bought many to go. The owner was super friendly and helpful, even made a special walnut topping for my husband. The owner said they'll have 2 vegan bakers next year. Sooo excited to make plans for next year. My sons , 9 & 11 read the 2 bad reviews and honestly couldn't believe it! Never had a bad time or flavor during any of our trips!!! We love it!!!
Read morePros: soft serve, icecream sandwiches, service
Cons: none
Guest
Veg255
Points +58
vegan ice cream! - Edit
We stop by Great Escape each year during our visit to Farm Sanctuary. It's nice that there is a vegan ice cream option in town. Currently, they offer a vanilla/plain soft serve base with lots of flavor shots to chose from. As you might expect (and I'm sure is true for a non-vegan version), some flavor shots taste and work better than others. We're never that adventurous, usually going with the basics like chocolate, strawberry or banana. It's always been very good and kept us going back every year. The owner mentioned he may add a chocolate base option and maybe even some vegan hard ice cream next season!
Read moreGuest
Mubby
Points +60
Vegan ice cream left something to be desired - Edit
I visited Farm Sanctuary and made a trip to this place to try their vegan soft serve ice cream. As a previous reviewer said, it was gross and a let down! They have a ton of flavors but it's basically a flavored syrup they add to the main soft serve mix. The picture is misleading - you think you're getting soft serve on a cone, but it comes in milkshake form. I got the lemon flavor and it tasted like chemicals. Threw it out after a few bites - was not worth the calories. I did kind of like the decor though, all the old ice cream scoops hanging from the ceiling were funky.
Read moreGuest
jcberger
Points +156
vegan soft serve - Edit
After reading the other reviews, I was so excited to try this vegan soft serve ice cream. Not inedible, but I threw it away after several bites. It tasted fake and chemical-y, and WAY too sweet. Really they just have a soft serve "base" (which wasn't good on its own, either) and then add these artificially flavored syrups into it. I chose espresso... what a mistake. Plus, you can only order a "medium" if you get a flavor, which is way too large and pricey! I also got walnuts on mine and they tasted stale. The atmosphere was so tacky and almost fair-like. I didn't get to try any vegan ice cream in Ithaca but I hear there's some better stuff over there. I'd say it's worth the drive!
Read moreGuest
DaisytheHedgehog
Points +116
Most delicious vegan soft serve - Edit
I have never found vegan soft serve until this restaurant. It is AMAZING and especially a great treat after visiting nearby Farm Sanctuary :) from which you can get a 10% off coupon for vegan ice cream. I recommend the soft serve with oreos on top. So delicious!! So far they only have one flavor, so it would be great if they added a few more.
Read moreGuest
elles_belles
Points +1306
Surprisingly good - Edit
I remember when they use to offer only one flavor a day. I'm happy they changed it so that they could add flavor to the vanilla. It's very creamy. I enjoyed it.
Read moreGuest
tdehaven
Points +31
I Scream For Ice-Cream - Edit
Me and my boyfriend had just gotten done visiting Farm Sanctuary, and they told us about The Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor, (They also gave us coupons for ice cream!) I was so excited to try vegan soft serve ice cream. I got it topped with fresh banana, and it was DELICIOUS. I definitely wish I lived closer!
Read morePros: Tasty, Inexpensive
Guest
Kind Cindy
Points +78
Soft Vegan - Edit
Watkins Glen offers some great vegan friendly options and my husband and I were thrilled to see the local ice cream parlor advertised vegan soft ice cream! We made the mistake however of asking for a "flavour" to be added which involves adding brightly coloureed "koolaid" like flavouring and blending. The result was far too sweet and had a strange after taste (as one might expect).
Read moreI am giving this 4 "happy cows" only because I think the vanilla would have been tasty on its own with any number of the toppings that were offered such as walnuts or maple syrup.
Pros: Right on the main street
Cons: Stay away from flavour additives
Guest
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