You know how the jingle goes. For those who grew up on a summer diet of soft serve and slushies, there’s no sound more nostalgic and exciting than the tinny, cheerful loop of the music emanating from an ice cream truck. Think iconic white truck adorned with cartoon-style cones and popsicles. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the taste of that no-frills vanilla swirl cone. Today’s mobile creameries, though, offer so much more.
Riverside Ice Cream Truck, Montreal
Riverside is one of the trendiest spots in Montreal. The combination of indoor and outdoor spaces was designed for summer parties around the clock. While Riverside’s bar is its main claim to fame, their new ice cream truck can be found along the Lachine Canal offering refreshments for guests both human and canine. An adjacent storage-container-turned-espresso-bar completes the afternoon treat.
Jo-Jo’s Creameria, Ottawa
Jo-Jo’s Creameria is Ottawa’s most insta-friendly food truck. Known for their adorable character cones like Sesame Street characters and yellow minions, they might just be too cute to eat. Bright cones from the Konery mean you can mix and match your ice cream with wafer flavours like lavender, matcha and midnight vanilla before the artists get to work.
Crema, Vancouver
Crema is truly one-of-a-kind, even among Vancouver’s endless ice cream offerings. Owners Heidi and Joe, from Peru and Taiwan, started the truck to combine the flavours of their homelands and create fresh fusion desserts. A blowtorch-toasted marshmallow sprinkled with Peruvian pink salt tops off flavours like Mango Condensed Milk and Strawberry Lychee for a sweet-and-salty treat.
Truckin’ Roll, Charlottetown
Fresh PEI honey, maple syrup and seasonal berries top up Truckin’ Roll’s ever-changing menu offerings. This rolled ice cream is served Southeast Asian style. It is spooled up on an ice-cold surface with the treats of the day and a healthy scoop of maritime kitsch. After a busy 2023 season, they opened a storefront, Amelia’s, in downtown Charlottetown. For a dairy-free bowl, try the coconut cream with some of the truck’s decadent vegan toppings.
Goog-to-Go Truck, Winnipeg
Winnipeggers know this name: the Bridge Drive-In is a local icon. In fact, the Elm Park Bridge that the snack stand has sat next to since the 1960’s is referred to by locals as “Ice Cream Bridge.” The menu has remained largely unchanged since opening. This truck is named for its beloved “Goog” treat: an upside-down blueberry milkshake, hot fudge sundae, and bananas.
White Rabbit Ice Cream, Edmonton
White Rabbit‘s small-batch Alberta dairy ice cream speaks for itself, but throw in a mascot and it’s simply irresistible. One flavour that represents their boundless curiosity is the Hong Kong-style Milk Tea ice cream with White Rabbit candy inside. Another popular flavour on rotation is Cap’n Crunch, made with actual cereal milk. They even have a storefront open in Edmonton now. We’ll go down that rabbithole.
