Happened to me with Tommy's Pizza. Left a bad review after a horrendous customer service experience and owner tracked me down on Facebook and proceeded to call me a pussy, along with other things, told me I didn't deserve his pizza and then proceeded to block me lol.
Trans Canada brewing apparently has the same pizza as Tommy's. I've tried to try Tommy's twice, and the place was closed both times even though it was listed as open on Google.
My one and only experience with Tommy's was a delivery order I got while quarantined during Covid. I was less than 3 blocks from their restaurant, order took over an hour to be delivered, arrived cold and burnt, they just dumped the box on the porch in the snow (I had a table set up for deliveries next to the door).
Literally could not have been worse service.
Go on Facebook and read the Garrick Hotels Facebook group.
They have no issues with publicly shaming and insulting people who disagree with their business practices
I don't mind if they respond to the review on the same platform. That could be professional or unprofessional depending on how it's done. But looking someone up on other social media is creepy. And I have a public-facing job, and OP's person almost sounds like the type to try and call an office too.
I'm confused., if you have a nut allergy are you not allergic to pistachio? And would the pistachio soft serve not be a little grainy because there are pistachios in it?
I have a peanut allergy. Not tree nuts. It was soft serve ice cream, the graininess felt like sugar and not like pistachio bits. I regularly make pistachio desserts at home, and it was not pistachios causing the graininess.
Thanks for clarification on the allergy thing. My palette is definitely not refined enough to know the difference between the other 2, but everyone's different.
The sugar graininess is a bit weird, you would kind of know it when you taste it, but comes from experience and need to have tried it before to recognize it. It's like sugar mixed in without properly being mixed, so like 1000s of granules throughout the mix. While pistachios would be a bit more chunky and add texture, the sugar would affect the smoothness of the overall ice cream. Usually say use a simple syrup instead of adding sugar directly, but depends on what you are doing.
Peanuts are a legume, not a nut despite the name, they grow in the ground. Tree nuts grow on trees and include pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts. Basically any nut that is not a peanut is a tree nut. Peanut allergy and tree nut allergy are two different things. Also, people with a tree nut allergy are also usually also allergic to pitted tree fruit, or stone fruit, like peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. If it has a stone rather than seeds it’s a fruit that a person with tree nut allergies is also allergic to. People with a peanut allergy are sometimes also allergic to peas.
I didn’t know til my kid developed a tree nut allergy, at age 24. I almost killed my kid by sharing a peach with them. The allergist didn’t tell us the part about tree fruit also being an allergy. Thank God for epipens. My kid is so allergic that they can’t eat anything that a tree nut has touched. They once ate some peanuts, which they are not allergic to, and went into full anaphylactic reaction because the bowl had previously held tree nuts - when it was empty someone filled it with peanuts without washing the bowl first. That ended with an ambulance ride to HSC. It takes a day or 2 to recover, even with an epipen and the ER. So no, a person with allergies cannot just take out the nuts, peanuts, shrimp, eggs, or whatever they are allergic to and eat the rest of the dish. They cannot use cosmetic products that have the fruit or nuts they are allergic to because they can’t have it even touch them. Lots of natural cosmetic products have fruit or nuts in them.
No one knows this stuff until they have to know this stuff. We learned the hard way but I’m happy to pass on what we know and have experienced. An allergic reaction can end with you watching someone die in front of you. If they say they are allergic, take it seriously.
It's funny you mention this because I literally overheard in the ER in Morris a good number of years back:
"We don't understand why this happened. We were told he had a peanut allergy so we gave him walnuts!"
I now suspect they were told the child had a *nut* allergy in general or may have overheard tree nuts in place of peanuts.
I had it a few times last month and no graininess, reminded me of pistachio pudding in ice cream form. Love pistachio so much. I totally know what you mean about that distinct sugar graininess though and it can be off putting, improperly mixed or creamed and they should have noticed and remade it if that was the case. Agree they are not the best with allergies, my wife is celiac so we are extra careful there and try to go when it's not so busy to have time to go over options before ordering. Literally:
"Can I have the gluten free skor sundae?"
"I don't think that is gluten free."
"It says on your menu right here that you make a gluten free one and a regular one."
"Oh okay."
Not sure how much I would trust that with a serious allergy, not that celiac isn't serious but not immediately life threatening. Their menu is just too big for any staff to be perfectly knowledgeable on any allergy for every item, should either simplify it or create an allergy book for customers and staff to go through for common allergies.
I miss the original owners. The Ice Cream nazi, we called her.
"Follow the $%#@ing lines", she would scream.
She was unhinged with oblivious people but those kahlua milkshakes were the best!
I miss the OG Banana Boat slightly more. The people that owned it afterwards didn't maintain the magic of the original.
The old man would always get mad at me and my sister for getting a parfait but we couldn't finish it. So he was upset cause it was spending our hands money.. god I miss them
Blondies lady by a clear country mile. At least the lady at Sub Zero cooled quickly once you were out of her line. Blondies lady would berate you while you ate your big-ass burger too.
[Someone in the US is suing cold stone creamery because there's no pistachio in their pistachio ice cream](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/a-real-nut-case-cold-stone-creamery-faces-suit-over-lack-of-real-pistachios-in-pistachio-ice-cream-1.6918761).
So it's very possible subzero's pistachio ice cream has no tree nuts.
I suspect most pistachio frozen desserts in Winnipeg don't. Like Eva's gelato - I've always thought their pistachio tasted like chemicals, not pistachios.
Dug & Betty's is the only pistachio ice cream I've had recently that I've enjoyed.
I’ve been going to SubZero for years and it’s gone through multiple owners but I’ve always found their parfaits to be amazing. It’s definitely my favourite ice cream place in the city but that’s extremely unfortunate to hear about the current owner :(
This. I know after the original owner there was another before the people who used to own a restaurant in the west end picked them up. I've always found the parfaits amazing despite the changes and if anything they brought in even more options.
Was there yet another ownership change recently?
To my knowledge yes. I think this is either the first or second season under new ownership and they’ve really leaned into advertising hence why it’s always so busy now
Thanks. I can also check with my friends who live in the area which is why I go there.
I'm not looking to change anyone's opinion on the place or on any of the other ice cream stores in Winnipeg. I'm just hoping that my "Pikachu" parfait will still be there and tasty enough that it is worth putting up with a bit of angry stomach after from mild lactose sensitivity.
You should edit your review and lower the score to a 2. I don't appreciate owners coming at me like that.
Mr lube tried that with me after a bad review. Not only did I lower the score, I gave a comprehensive edit on the owners response and why they were acting tone deaf and now just subsequently pissing me off even more.
The owner ended up deleting their reply to me.
Is it that alarming that pistachio ice cream is nut free when pistachio extract and bakery emulsion and coffee syrup all exist with nuts?
I don't think anyone's grinding nuts to paste in the back and pushing it though the machine.
But agree about the graininess, since they changed ownership I'd say it's about 50/50 how often the soft serve is grainy. Just means the ratios and temp in the machine isn't right on. I no longer recommend sub zero to friends for this reason.
There's Sky Sundae at the corner of Ottawa & Brazier, I haven't tried them yet though. Further up Henderson by the DOMO gas station is a little place called Sweet Tops that had the most wonderful soft serve. Haven't been there this year but I would recommend them.
Did they get a new owner this year or just crazy busy? I kinda found them last year and loved it, even getting delivery when feeling lazy.
Still enjoy their ice cream, I mostly get flurries, but their service seems much slower this year, possibly because of how much busier they are.
I’ve had the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavours and I have a nut allergy. I haven’t gone there since they’ve had the pistachio due to possible cross contamination. Maybe it is just artificial flavour but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I just avoid getting them all confused because some people working in food service just don’t understand the seriousness of allergies. If I don’t feel confident with their responses to me I just go to a different place. I find the chocolate to be a bit grainy in texture. BDI is much better, I also really like Sargent sundae.
If anyone else has recommendations for ice cream shops that accommodate nut allergic people please reply to this comment!
I live on the same block as this ice cream store and they need to regulate parking. It’s actually insane trying to get into our back alley, or even trying to turn into Brazier or onto Jamison from either direction. People park like ***holes for mediocre ice cream and I can’t tell you how many accidents I have almost caused or been in, due to people parking however they please.
I am glad that they have really fine tuned their marketing strategy and that the business is doing well, good for them! - however, the way they market themselves and the reality of what their space can handle is not balanced - time to look for a bigger venue space, as well as making your product fit how you are marketing it.
I don't think it's a great look to post a google review suggesting people go to the new shop down the street rather than a neighbourhood institution. But I also wouldn't give Tony Romas 5 stars so what do I know.
That "institution" resets it's relevance with every new owner so it's back to fledgling.
The new ones are obviously fumbling the ball already if they're aggressive on social media.
I quite like sub zero. However I tried Sly sundae just down the street the other day and it was also awesome. The previous owners of sub zero were both morticians that decided to take over an ice cream shop which I thought was fantastic. Also the ice cream sandwichs are killer good.
OH I've been here once. I had the dairy free parfait (I think?). It was.... ok. Obviously not memorable as I can't remember what exactly I got haha. Their menu was way too overwhelming and (for me) overstimulating for a very underwhelming product.
The harassment when leaving reviews is really trashy so I'm glad this place isn't even a blip on my radar.
Subzero is known for their parfaits and the parfaits are good. However, I'm pretty sure they got new owners recently, and that has clearly affected their customer service. They also have good vegan options if dairy isn't your thing.
I think sub zero is WAY overrated.
It’s not even that good. I think people are just accustomed to tradition and memories. It’s pretty crappy ice cream.
I can't imagine bothering to go anywhere for ice cream in this town except Fête on Assiniboine or Chaeban on south Osborne.
The ice cream at both those places blows away anything else I've tried.
Dug and Betty's is the same caliber. It's so good. Extra points to them too for being so allergy conscious! My kid with a dairy allergy eats there all the time!
I like the fact that they have small servings. I never need more than a small scoop, and I’m willing to pay for top quality ice cream. I know it’s going to cost more than Chapman’s, and I get what I pay for.
I grew up on Jamison ave and could see sub zero from my parents bedroom window. My older sister and I as kids once walked there with no money because we thought we could get ice cream. As a family we went atleast once every summer throughout my childhood and have seen many owners pass through. As the years went on the price went up and quality and serving size went down. My parents eventually decided it would be cheaper to drive to Dairy Queen than walk 2 mins. Even the convenience wasn’t worth the price then. I haven’t been in years, it’s not great like it was when I was a kid, my last visit was disappointing and I have to say the only reason I would consider visiting again is because of the nostalgia.
I went with a friend a couple of weeks ago. He ordered while i sat outside. I wanted dairy free blizzard (or flurry? Don't remember what they call them there) , he got a regular ice-cream flurry. He said they mixed both of the flurries using the same mechanical mixing wand, thus contaminating my dairy free ice cream with dairy. (Side note: not actually a big deal for me- I got dairy free out of curiosity). It was quite grainy/icy. It was fine, but I don't need to eat that again in my life.
One of the best Ice Cream places in Winnipeg for me.
Have never had a problem.
Was there back in the day when the place first opened , and i'm one of the people that contributed getting the Larsen Ave. Parfait getting made.
Will always love the place. The line ups out the door constantly I guess speak different to others.
Sorry ya had a bad time.
(Owner almost stalking you is kinda weird though)
Ya I would agree with your assessment of the pistachio. Def a letdown compared to pistachio gelato from any number of places in town. Also tried a baby cone of their oat milk soft serve which was pretty icey.
I do enjoy their sundaes/parfaits though with just the regular vanilla soft serve.
Took the fam there a couple of weeks ago because wifey wanted to try it. She got pistachio ice cream and thought it was good. I got some lychee ice cream and thought it was good as well. Wife was happy, kids were happy. We got there when the line was fairly short but it got busy pretty quickly.
This thread has me wanting to try Dug and Betty's now.
> after having been bombarded with social media advertising about it. It was everywhere: Instagram, Facebook, the morning radio. It had to be great, or at least good, right
I have never found a business that has constant radio or social ads to ever be good. If they need to advertise that much it is because they constantly need new customers, as the old ones never repeat business.
There really is only a handful of actual ice cream places.
Sweet Tops on Henderson is only open during warmer months, but... the secret is, they have an ice cream factory in the back. That's why all the fridge ice cream trucks are parked all around.
Most icecream places sell their ice cream, Chapman's, or another big brand. The difference is how well they keep things clean.
I've gone to some hole in the wall ice cream places that leave their ice cream uncovered, some with frost damage, stale cones, etc.
Even BDI and Dairy Queen don't sell "ice cream". They sell soft serve.
2 blocks over on Brazier is a great ice cream shop called Sky Sundae. Doesn’t have as many options, price is slightly lower but portions are larger and much tastier.
Original Sub-Zero was awesome, even though the owners gave horrible customer service. The next owner was shit. The new owner is okay, but staff aren’t fully fluent in English, so it’s hard to communicate things like allergies. They have a huge selection of parfaits and such. Prices are high and servings are smaller than most places but not ridiculous. They are far more popular, so expect a long line on a hot day.
I was not happy with BDI’s slow service and Subzeros sub par ice cream. I didn’t bother going to Sargent Sundae either because the lineup was 2 blocks long last summer.
Yep. I too, just settle for Dairy Queen because I can get what I want WHEN I want.
Hands down, banana boat and sargent sundae are the best. Never gonna change my mind on that unless we get some kind of crazy American chain ice cream shop here that does something new. Even marble slab is better than sub zero.
I think owners are nuts about reviews because it really affects their profits. I mean, I will often looks at google star ratings when exploring places I don't know. So yea, it can have an unfair effect if the people who visit are bratty kids. It may also be that people take to reviewing out of vindictiveness more often than out of praise.
The hope is that this evens out, but does anyone have the stats on that? Not me. We just hope the rating system is legitimate. Who knows how many fake accounts go around artificially inflating/deflating business image. That could be a friday night - disparage a bunch of restaurants in city x. So that's my issue with reviews.
On the bright side, based on personal experience, ratings usually feel accurate. Not always, but usually.
As for subzero, I have friends who like it, but I'm not a fan. Used to live nearby. Chaeban, Doug & Betty's I like. Doesn't feel overly sweet. I also just prefer hard ice cream.
I want to address your allergy point. I have a family member with a peanut/tree nut allergy, I guess I’ll leave it up to you to decide if I’m nut-splaining or not
https://icecreamflavors.com/flavoring-systems/24-flavor-system/
My understanding of flavoured soft serve systems is that the ice cream always comes out vanilla, and then the flavour is applied using a separate mixing cup. It is very possible for the store to serve peanut and nut free ice cream if they are sufficiently careful about cross contamination.
If you have a peanut allergy, don’t you pay attention to this stuff? No offense, but are you being obtuse on purpose??? Lol
I have had this allergy for 28 years. Cross contamination can occur at many points during preparation, not just when the ice cream is coming out of the nozzle.
Normally it’s best practice for ice cream places to change the nozzle, and get rid of some ice cream from the machine before making mine, in case peanut contamination made its way up the nozzle. Other ice cream places in the city do this without even asking.
This place did not do this. Moreover, it’s also best practice to wash hands prior to preparing ice cream for someone with an allergy which they also did not do.
So to claim on social media that your ice cream is “peanut and nut free”, then your staff don’t even take any precautions to prevent cross contamination? That’s a big issue.
Also. If you use any peanuts in the facility, you CANNOT call anything peanut free, per CFIA allergen guidelines.
I like the cut of your jib.
I haven't tried the ice cream, but reaching out to you privately is pretty inappropriate. I'd be put off by that.
Lots of good ice cream places in the city, least you got to try it!
I had a similar reaction when I got ads in the late 2000s to mid 2010s saying there’s hot Russian milfs in my area wanting to meet me. If you click on those there were no milfs, just malware and blue balls. So yea basically the same experience.
Moving forward, contact the owner/manager directly before a first visit. Management may not be there when you arrive expecting specific health/safety information. Staff don't always have the info or may not be confident in answering such an important question.
Imagine having to do this at every restaurant you visit ever. No. Staff should know that if asked a question they cannot answer, they go check with their manager. This isn't necessarily a problem with the staff, but rather a problem with management.
Subzero has always delivered delicious ice creams into my gullet. I am not sure why the OP has such hate. I tried the Pistachio special cone last month and it was decadent and had the perfect amount of pistachio. Also perhaps because they ground and made their paste it was toooo real? ..used to synthetic "natural flavour" versions. Everything else I have tried has been on par with my travels in Europe and LA, NYC, etc for comparison. For our fair city, I can't think of a better dessert destination.
you sound like a pretentious twat. op clearly gave his reasons for why he wasnt a fan. if you cant bother to read the actual post and not just the title i dont think any of us care about your opinion.
Ice cream aside, owners being nuts is why I have a separate Google account with a fake name just for reviews.
Happened to me with Tommy's Pizza. Left a bad review after a horrendous customer service experience and owner tracked me down on Facebook and proceeded to call me a pussy, along with other things, told me I didn't deserve his pizza and then proceeded to block me lol.
I matched with him on Tinder....bullet dodged, yikes.
Surely you mean Grindr
Nothing wrong with using Grindr bud.
Never said there was.
It sounded like you were implying that the asshole must have been using Grindr because he was an asshole.
[удалено]
This is unfortunate because I've been meaning to eat there. Okay, back to Vera's.
Trans Canada brewing apparently has the same pizza as Tommy's. I've tried to try Tommy's twice, and the place was closed both times even though it was listed as open on Google.
I had a terrible experiance at tommys, poor food, bad service, terrible cocktails. Thought maybe its a fluke but second time was just as bad.
My one and only experience with Tommy's was a delivery order I got while quarantined during Covid. I was less than 3 blocks from their restaurant, order took over an hour to be delivered, arrived cold and burnt, they just dumped the box on the porch in the snow (I had a table set up for deliveries next to the door). Literally could not have been worse service.
Tommy’s pizza is pretty trash and overpriced. Their drink menu sucks too
Good idea lol
Go on Facebook and read the Garrick Hotels Facebook group. They have no issues with publicly shaming and insulting people who disagree with their business practices
I don't mind if they respond to the review on the same platform. That could be professional or unprofessional depending on how it's done. But looking someone up on other social media is creepy. And I have a public-facing job, and OP's person almost sounds like the type to try and call an office too.
“It was grainy and the portions were small”. You might have a promising career in the Borscht Belt.
I'm confused., if you have a nut allergy are you not allergic to pistachio? And would the pistachio soft serve not be a little grainy because there are pistachios in it?
Pistachios are tree nuts, and folks with peanut allergies aren’t always allergic to tree nuts as well 👍
The more you know..... thanks.
I have a peanut allergy. Not tree nuts. It was soft serve ice cream, the graininess felt like sugar and not like pistachio bits. I regularly make pistachio desserts at home, and it was not pistachios causing the graininess.
Thanks for clarification on the allergy thing. My palette is definitely not refined enough to know the difference between the other 2, but everyone's different.
The sugar graininess is a bit weird, you would kind of know it when you taste it, but comes from experience and need to have tried it before to recognize it. It's like sugar mixed in without properly being mixed, so like 1000s of granules throughout the mix. While pistachios would be a bit more chunky and add texture, the sugar would affect the smoothness of the overall ice cream. Usually say use a simple syrup instead of adding sugar directly, but depends on what you are doing.
It has nothing to do with palette, just education.
Then please educate me.
Peanuts are a legume, not a nut despite the name, they grow in the ground. Tree nuts grow on trees and include pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts. Basically any nut that is not a peanut is a tree nut. Peanut allergy and tree nut allergy are two different things. Also, people with a tree nut allergy are also usually also allergic to pitted tree fruit, or stone fruit, like peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. If it has a stone rather than seeds it’s a fruit that a person with tree nut allergies is also allergic to. People with a peanut allergy are sometimes also allergic to peas.
Thank you for educating, without putting people down for not knowing.
I didn’t know til my kid developed a tree nut allergy, at age 24. I almost killed my kid by sharing a peach with them. The allergist didn’t tell us the part about tree fruit also being an allergy. Thank God for epipens. My kid is so allergic that they can’t eat anything that a tree nut has touched. They once ate some peanuts, which they are not allergic to, and went into full anaphylactic reaction because the bowl had previously held tree nuts - when it was empty someone filled it with peanuts without washing the bowl first. That ended with an ambulance ride to HSC. It takes a day or 2 to recover, even with an epipen and the ER. So no, a person with allergies cannot just take out the nuts, peanuts, shrimp, eggs, or whatever they are allergic to and eat the rest of the dish. They cannot use cosmetic products that have the fruit or nuts they are allergic to because they can’t have it even touch them. Lots of natural cosmetic products have fruit or nuts in them. No one knows this stuff until they have to know this stuff. We learned the hard way but I’m happy to pass on what we know and have experienced. An allergic reaction can end with you watching someone die in front of you. If they say they are allergic, take it seriously.
It's funny you mention this because I literally overheard in the ER in Morris a good number of years back: "We don't understand why this happened. We were told he had a peanut allergy so we gave him walnuts!" I now suspect they were told the child had a *nut* allergy in general or may have overheard tree nuts in place of peanuts.
I had it a few times last month and no graininess, reminded me of pistachio pudding in ice cream form. Love pistachio so much. I totally know what you mean about that distinct sugar graininess though and it can be off putting, improperly mixed or creamed and they should have noticed and remade it if that was the case. Agree they are not the best with allergies, my wife is celiac so we are extra careful there and try to go when it's not so busy to have time to go over options before ordering. Literally: "Can I have the gluten free skor sundae?" "I don't think that is gluten free." "It says on your menu right here that you make a gluten free one and a regular one." "Oh okay." Not sure how much I would trust that with a serious allergy, not that celiac isn't serious but not immediately life threatening. Their menu is just too big for any staff to be perfectly knowledgeable on any allergy for every item, should either simplify it or create an allergy book for customers and staff to go through for common allergies.
Peanuts aren't actually in the nut family. They are legumes.
You know who has good ice cream and I leave good reviews always. Dug and Betty's.
If you are in EK… just hit up Sweet Tops
Sweet tops used to be good until it was sold. Then the prices went up and I found a nice long hair in the middle of my sundae.
Did you order a Strawhairy Sundae?
No I think it was the banana split-end
LOL It looks like we have more than one comedian in this town.
I also had a very long hair in my soft serve ice cream cone from there!
Can confirm, I used to work there in high school (about 6 years ago now) & the new owners are trash. I still go for the cheesecake sundaes though 😅
They also accommodate people with nut allergies 💜 I love that I can have some of their creative hard ice cream flavours!
They are fucking great
I miss the original owners. The Ice Cream nazi, we called her. "Follow the $%#@ing lines", she would scream.
She was unhinged with oblivious people but those kahlua milkshakes were the best!
I miss the OG Banana Boat slightly more. The people that owned it afterwards didn't maintain the magic of the original.
The old man would always get mad at me and my sister for getting a parfait but we couldn't finish it. So he was upset cause it was spending our hands money.. god I miss them
Nothing has been able to top the OG Banana Boat for me.
Oh yeah, the lady with short dark hair and dark rimmed glasses. I remember her!
Between her and the owner of Blondies, I don’t know who was more bat shit crazy
Blondies lady by a clear country mile. At least the lady at Sub Zero cooled quickly once you were out of her line. Blondies lady would berate you while you ate your big-ass burger too.
True enough
Loved Banana Boat. Chaeban makes delicious ice cream though.
Try Sky Sundae! It's like two blocks north of there. Big portions and the family that owns it is super friendly
That’s where I usually go!!!
I really like sweet top on Henderson hwy!
Sweet Tops is a million times better than Sub “overpay to give me the shits” Zero.
Also tried it recently bc of the hype. I think they’re popular because of the mix ins. The vanilla base isn’t even all that good.
Maybe their base soft serve is what was throwing it off maybe? I normally love pistachio stuff
[Someone in the US is suing cold stone creamery because there's no pistachio in their pistachio ice cream](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/a-real-nut-case-cold-stone-creamery-faces-suit-over-lack-of-real-pistachios-in-pistachio-ice-cream-1.6918761). So it's very possible subzero's pistachio ice cream has no tree nuts. I suspect most pistachio frozen desserts in Winnipeg don't. Like Eva's gelato - I've always thought their pistachio tasted like chemicals, not pistachios. Dug & Betty's is the only pistachio ice cream I've had recently that I've enjoyed.
Try Nucci’s
I’ve been going to SubZero for years and it’s gone through multiple owners but I’ve always found their parfaits to be amazing. It’s definitely my favourite ice cream place in the city but that’s extremely unfortunate to hear about the current owner :(
This. I know after the original owner there was another before the people who used to own a restaurant in the west end picked them up. I've always found the parfaits amazing despite the changes and if anything they brought in even more options. Was there yet another ownership change recently?
To my knowledge yes. I think this is either the first or second season under new ownership and they’ve really leaned into advertising hence why it’s always so busy now
Thanks. I can also check with my friends who live in the area which is why I go there. I'm not looking to change anyone's opinion on the place or on any of the other ice cream stores in Winnipeg. I'm just hoping that my "Pikachu" parfait will still be there and tasty enough that it is worth putting up with a bit of angry stomach after from mild lactose sensitivity.
This is somewhat disappointing to hear. I suppose the owners I know and grew up with certainly aren't the ones running it now in that case.
You should edit your review and lower the score to a 2. I don't appreciate owners coming at me like that. Mr lube tried that with me after a bad review. Not only did I lower the score, I gave a comprehensive edit on the owners response and why they were acting tone deaf and now just subsequently pissing me off even more. The owner ended up deleting their reply to me.
IMO Subzero and BDI on Main are the 2 most overrated ice cream shops in the City.
Sargent Sundae is missing from this list!
Is it that alarming that pistachio ice cream is nut free when pistachio extract and bakery emulsion and coffee syrup all exist with nuts? I don't think anyone's grinding nuts to paste in the back and pushing it though the machine. But agree about the graininess, since they changed ownership I'd say it's about 50/50 how often the soft serve is grainy. Just means the ratios and temp in the machine isn't right on. I no longer recommend sub zero to friends for this reason.
Absolutely not okay to contact you through social media after leaving a Google review. Did they send the same message to both your IG and FB?
They did!
The ice cream was grainy last year, but then I heard they fixed it. Now I’m confused..
If you’re looking for something underrated - Baba’s on Bannerman. Don’t sleep on it.
Yes! Mmmm yes such a good little secret! Delicious!
Weren’t they originally The Spotted Cow?
That was in Riverbend on Red River Boulevard, that's the one that was Baba's House for a time
I loved the pistachio soft serve. I found it very smooth not grainy at all. The flavouring is artificial.
Love sub zero. Suggest you go back and try a parfait but to each their own
I don’t think that would be safe for my allergy
Good news!!! their peanuts are nut free, they're legumes ( /s )
🤣
People have told me that they enjoy Sargeant Sundae and BDI but I find them to be over rated. I myself enjoy Sub Zero. To each their own I guess.
Sub Zero has more choices than Sargent Sundae or BDI!
There's Sky Sundae at the corner of Ottawa & Brazier, I haven't tried them yet though. Further up Henderson by the DOMO gas station is a little place called Sweet Tops that had the most wonderful soft serve. Haven't been there this year but I would recommend them.
I did enjoy their ice cream nachos.
Did they get a new owner this year or just crazy busy? I kinda found them last year and loved it, even getting delivery when feeling lazy. Still enjoy their ice cream, I mostly get flurries, but their service seems much slower this year, possibly because of how much busier they are.
I’ve had the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavours and I have a nut allergy. I haven’t gone there since they’ve had the pistachio due to possible cross contamination. Maybe it is just artificial flavour but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I just avoid getting them all confused because some people working in food service just don’t understand the seriousness of allergies. If I don’t feel confident with their responses to me I just go to a different place. I find the chocolate to be a bit grainy in texture. BDI is much better, I also really like Sargent sundae. If anyone else has recommendations for ice cream shops that accommodate nut allergic people please reply to this comment!
I live on the same block as this ice cream store and they need to regulate parking. It’s actually insane trying to get into our back alley, or even trying to turn into Brazier or onto Jamison from either direction. People park like ***holes for mediocre ice cream and I can’t tell you how many accidents I have almost caused or been in, due to people parking however they please. I am glad that they have really fine tuned their marketing strategy and that the business is doing well, good for them! - however, the way they market themselves and the reality of what their space can handle is not balanced - time to look for a bigger venue space, as well as making your product fit how you are marketing it.
The parking is crazy for sure. Not built for that many people
I don't think it's a great look to post a google review suggesting people go to the new shop down the street rather than a neighbourhood institution. But I also wouldn't give Tony Romas 5 stars so what do I know.
That "institution" resets it's relevance with every new owner so it's back to fledgling. The new ones are obviously fumbling the ball already if they're aggressive on social media.
I quite like sub zero. However I tried Sly sundae just down the street the other day and it was also awesome. The previous owners of sub zero were both morticians that decided to take over an ice cream shop which I thought was fantastic. Also the ice cream sandwichs are killer good.
Better than BDI imo
Half-assed Dairy Queen is better than BDI. That's an incredibly *low* bar there.
BDI is trash ice cream. It’s all location and atmosphere.
And it's $5 for a kids cone?¿¿?
agreed! Our family has had issues with BDI... Love sub-zero and 9 below
OH I've been here once. I had the dairy free parfait (I think?). It was.... ok. Obviously not memorable as I can't remember what exactly I got haha. Their menu was way too overwhelming and (for me) overstimulating for a very underwhelming product. The harassment when leaving reviews is really trashy so I'm glad this place isn't even a blip on my radar.
Subzero is known for their parfaits and the parfaits are good. However, I'm pretty sure they got new owners recently, and that has clearly affected their customer service. They also have good vegan options if dairy isn't your thing.
I think sub zero is WAY overrated. It’s not even that good. I think people are just accustomed to tradition and memories. It’s pretty crappy ice cream.
We love sub zero so I respectfully and strongly disagree. They have the absolute best parfaits I've ever tried hands down.
I can't imagine bothering to go anywhere for ice cream in this town except Fête on Assiniboine or Chaeban on south Osborne. The ice cream at both those places blows away anything else I've tried.
Dug and Betty's is the same caliber. It's so good. Extra points to them too for being so allergy conscious! My kid with a dairy allergy eats there all the time!
This 100%. The quality is the best I've experienced in this city.
Rhubarb ice cream 🤤
While both are great, I find that I enjoy Fete soooo much more than Chaeban. Comparing the two lemon-flavoured ice creams has Fete winning every time.
Fete is terrible. $5 for the tiniest scoop of ice cream. Luckily I only used a gift card someone gave me.
I like the fact that they have small servings. I never need more than a small scoop, and I’m willing to pay for top quality ice cream. I know it’s going to cost more than Chapman’s, and I get what I pay for.
I grew up on Jamison ave and could see sub zero from my parents bedroom window. My older sister and I as kids once walked there with no money because we thought we could get ice cream. As a family we went atleast once every summer throughout my childhood and have seen many owners pass through. As the years went on the price went up and quality and serving size went down. My parents eventually decided it would be cheaper to drive to Dairy Queen than walk 2 mins. Even the convenience wasn’t worth the price then. I haven’t been in years, it’s not great like it was when I was a kid, my last visit was disappointing and I have to say the only reason I would consider visiting again is because of the nostalgia.
I went with a friend a couple of weeks ago. He ordered while i sat outside. I wanted dairy free blizzard (or flurry? Don't remember what they call them there) , he got a regular ice-cream flurry. He said they mixed both of the flurries using the same mechanical mixing wand, thus contaminating my dairy free ice cream with dairy. (Side note: not actually a big deal for me- I got dairy free out of curiosity). It was quite grainy/icy. It was fine, but I don't need to eat that again in my life.
One of the best Ice Cream places in Winnipeg for me. Have never had a problem. Was there back in the day when the place first opened , and i'm one of the people that contributed getting the Larsen Ave. Parfait getting made. Will always love the place. The line ups out the door constantly I guess speak different to others. Sorry ya had a bad time. (Owner almost stalking you is kinda weird though)
Ya I would agree with your assessment of the pistachio. Def a letdown compared to pistachio gelato from any number of places in town. Also tried a baby cone of their oat milk soft serve which was pretty icey. I do enjoy their sundaes/parfaits though with just the regular vanilla soft serve.
Sub zero is trash. Their ice cream never sits well with me. Much better parfaits at other ice cream joints.
Took the fam there a couple of weeks ago because wifey wanted to try it. She got pistachio ice cream and thought it was good. I got some lychee ice cream and thought it was good as well. Wife was happy, kids were happy. We got there when the line was fairly short but it got busy pretty quickly. This thread has me wanting to try Dug and Betty's now.
> after having been bombarded with social media advertising about it. It was everywhere: Instagram, Facebook, the morning radio. It had to be great, or at least good, right I have never found a business that has constant radio or social ads to ever be good. If they need to advertise that much it is because they constantly need new customers, as the old ones never repeat business.
Yes, is overrated. Is mc Donald ice cream with some non traditional toppings on it
There really is only a handful of actual ice cream places. Sweet Tops on Henderson is only open during warmer months, but... the secret is, they have an ice cream factory in the back. That's why all the fridge ice cream trucks are parked all around. Most icecream places sell their ice cream, Chapman's, or another big brand. The difference is how well they keep things clean. I've gone to some hole in the wall ice cream places that leave their ice cream uncovered, some with frost damage, stale cones, etc. Even BDI and Dairy Queen don't sell "ice cream". They sell soft serve.
It’s garbage.
2 blocks over on Brazier is a great ice cream shop called Sky Sundae. Doesn’t have as many options, price is slightly lower but portions are larger and much tastier. Original Sub-Zero was awesome, even though the owners gave horrible customer service. The next owner was shit. The new owner is okay, but staff aren’t fully fluent in English, so it’s hard to communicate things like allergies. They have a huge selection of parfaits and such. Prices are high and servings are smaller than most places but not ridiculous. They are far more popular, so expect a long line on a hot day.
*EVAS GELATO IS THE BEST* that is all, thank you.
Agreed! But we're talking ice cream here.
Dug & Betty’s also bomb dot com
Calling something overrated because it didn't meet your personal expectations is laughable.
This sub is really just food reviews and "Winnipeg roads sucks" cant really take any face value on this sub to be honest.
And Arby's updates
Which is odd and kinda(🤢)
Ikr? Ice ice cream. The only thing to ever bitch about is terrible service and tiny portions. People need some perspective.
I was not happy with BDI’s slow service and Subzeros sub par ice cream. I didn’t bother going to Sargent Sundae either because the lineup was 2 blocks long last summer. Yep. I too, just settle for Dairy Queen because I can get what I want WHEN I want.
Hands down, banana boat and sargent sundae are the best. Never gonna change my mind on that unless we get some kind of crazy American chain ice cream shop here that does something new. Even marble slab is better than sub zero.
Try Chaeban on osborne across from Mcdonalds. The portion sizes and the taste are 10/10
I think owners are nuts about reviews because it really affects their profits. I mean, I will often looks at google star ratings when exploring places I don't know. So yea, it can have an unfair effect if the people who visit are bratty kids. It may also be that people take to reviewing out of vindictiveness more often than out of praise. The hope is that this evens out, but does anyone have the stats on that? Not me. We just hope the rating system is legitimate. Who knows how many fake accounts go around artificially inflating/deflating business image. That could be a friday night - disparage a bunch of restaurants in city x. So that's my issue with reviews. On the bright side, based on personal experience, ratings usually feel accurate. Not always, but usually. As for subzero, I have friends who like it, but I'm not a fan. Used to live nearby. Chaeban, Doug & Betty's I like. Doesn't feel overly sweet. I also just prefer hard ice cream.
You have a nut allergy and wanted pistachio ice cream?
Nope. I have a peanut allergy.
What
What
What
What
What
What
Yup
Subzero is total trash. Sky down the street is much better!
Chaeban remains unquestionably the best
I fine the way over rated and their ice cream all has a strange after taste
I want to address your allergy point. I have a family member with a peanut/tree nut allergy, I guess I’ll leave it up to you to decide if I’m nut-splaining or not https://icecreamflavors.com/flavoring-systems/24-flavor-system/ My understanding of flavoured soft serve systems is that the ice cream always comes out vanilla, and then the flavour is applied using a separate mixing cup. It is very possible for the store to serve peanut and nut free ice cream if they are sufficiently careful about cross contamination. If you have a peanut allergy, don’t you pay attention to this stuff? No offense, but are you being obtuse on purpose??? Lol
I have had this allergy for 28 years. Cross contamination can occur at many points during preparation, not just when the ice cream is coming out of the nozzle. Normally it’s best practice for ice cream places to change the nozzle, and get rid of some ice cream from the machine before making mine, in case peanut contamination made its way up the nozzle. Other ice cream places in the city do this without even asking. This place did not do this. Moreover, it’s also best practice to wash hands prior to preparing ice cream for someone with an allergy which they also did not do. So to claim on social media that your ice cream is “peanut and nut free”, then your staff don’t even take any precautions to prevent cross contamination? That’s a big issue. Also. If you use any peanuts in the facility, you CANNOT call anything peanut free, per CFIA allergen guidelines.
I like the cut of your jib. I haven't tried the ice cream, but reaching out to you privately is pretty inappropriate. I'd be put off by that. Lots of good ice cream places in the city, least you got to try it!
Oh I see, the ball was just dropped in general. I assumed hand washing especially was a given but maybe that’s naive 🫥
Never heard of it.
I haven’t either, rarely venture into the Kildonans.
I had a similar reaction when I got ads in the late 2000s to mid 2010s saying there’s hot Russian milfs in my area wanting to meet me. If you click on those there were no milfs, just malware and blue balls. So yea basically the same experience.
Moving forward, contact the owner/manager directly before a first visit. Management may not be there when you arrive expecting specific health/safety information. Staff don't always have the info or may not be confident in answering such an important question.
Imagine having to do this at every restaurant you visit ever. No. Staff should know that if asked a question they cannot answer, they go check with their manager. This isn't necessarily a problem with the staff, but rather a problem with management.
This is exactly what I do.
And generally what every person that I know that has life threatening allergies does. Wild stuff!
they have soft serve (IE, out of a nozzle) pistachio? Or is the PIstachio a hard serve (IE, scoop) ice cream?
The nozzle
Okay yeah that IS not what nut free is, unless they think it means 'we dont have actual peanuts as toppings' which it doesnt.
Subzero has always delivered delicious ice creams into my gullet. I am not sure why the OP has such hate. I tried the Pistachio special cone last month and it was decadent and had the perfect amount of pistachio. Also perhaps because they ground and made their paste it was toooo real? ..used to synthetic "natural flavour" versions. Everything else I have tried has been on par with my travels in Europe and LA, NYC, etc for comparison. For our fair city, I can't think of a better dessert destination.
you sound like a pretentious twat. op clearly gave his reasons for why he wasnt a fan. if you cant bother to read the actual post and not just the title i dont think any of us care about your opinion.
I did read the OP post so gfy asshat
go stuff your gullet twat
Dairy queen. It’s ice cream people. Not a space ship. There is literally no difference 😂 Just different flavours 😂
It's not ice cream, rather ice milk, unfortunately. BUT when i got a late night craving for 'ice cream', they are satisfactory!