Detroit Water Ice Factory

This is one of my favorite “ice cream” shops to stop at when I am in town. They have an amazing selection of slushie-type ice creams and have increased their selection of frozen custard to mix it with. I visited here with my dog who also enjoyed a special treat.

Just stopped in with some friends and we were served by Zoe she was so freaking nice and made our visit SOOO great such a good person to have front of house!! The guy there was also so friendly unfortunately didn’t catch his name but they made the stop so good! Would definitely come back!

Serves both soft serve as well as water ice. Water ice tastes like shaved ice, but a little more wet in consistency. Flavor is already in it, unlike with shaved ice. We found this place listed in the "100 Things to Do in Detroit Before You Die" book, and decided to grab dessert here. They have a full selection of flavors available for both water ice and soft serve, in addition to a variety of flavored popcorn. What's more is that 100% of their profits go back to local charities, which makes the selections all the more rewarding. Parking is paid and along the street, so it can be somewhat hard to find, but then it's just a walk through downtown to get here. Plenty of shops and other sights to see along the way. Definitely recommended as a stop in downtown Detroit!

Well, well, well! What can I say, but that the man and woman that were working were exceptionally polite and helpful. I felt welcomed and I hope to have another chance to visit again someday. Try the Motown Mash. Very sweet, thick, and if you love chocolate chips this treat is for you. Two people could probably share a medium. Great place!

I was sceptical at first thinking this is just shaved ice or sorbet but it was better than expected. There are several different flavors to choose from and you can mix it with soft serve which was recommended to me. This is a not for profit and they help local Detroit area organizations.

Shaved ice and flavored popcorn. Interesting combination but it works. The soft serve here is very good and creamy. We got the orange and vanilla soft serve to make a 50/50 bar, and some combination Carmel corn. The caramel nuts and pretzels were so good.

First time trying today and I got the motown twist with vanilla soft serve and watermelon ice! I really liked that it wasn't very sweet and the service was excellent! I can't wait to come back and try other flavors! The only thing I wish was that the watermelon had a stronger flavor.

What a great iced treat! It was really tasty and there was a variety of flavors to pick from. It was sorta hard to pick one. There were tons of celebrity pictures to look at while you were eating which made the atmosphere fun, and the service was great! I’m not sure I would recommend the popcorn. We got a bag of caramel corn but didn’t eat it, wasn’t that good.

Of course I had to stop in here again after watching the F1 race and it was the perfect cool down after a hot day in the city! I got the Yooper Orange Cream with vanilla soft serve ice cream on top for the perfect creamsicle! My boyfriend got the Riverfront Root Beer with vanilla soft serve for an amazing root beer float. This place never disappoints!

Detroit Water Ice and Brown Bag Popcorn (both in the same space and both founded by Mitch Albom where the proceeds go towards awesome, local causes and organizations) are located right in downtown Detroit on Woodward Ave, just a block over from Campus Martius. It's a great little local spot that is perfect for all seasons - get water ice during the warmer weather months and popcorn during the colder weather months, or get both during whatever month you want because it's just so delicious! Their water ice (derivative from Italian ice) is incredible and if you're not a huge ice cream/sweets fan like me, you'll probably really love water ice! It's like a velvety smooth snow cone/shaved ice kind of dessert that typically defaults more towards fruity flavors and all their flavors are good and don't taste super artificial or anything, which is much appreciated! Detroit Water Ice also has a Motown Mash, which is this super light almost whipped cream with chocolate chips and cookie bits in it that makes it so refreshing as well, and I'm a huge fan of it! Their popcorn is that big puffed round sphere kind of popcorn, which I prefer over those movie theater ones! They have a ton of good seasoned types of the popcorn, my favorite being the Cheese Loraine and Spicy Cheese. But they also have a rotating selection of "popcorn of the day" varieties. When I went most recently, it was a salt and vinegar one and it was DELECTABLE! I got a mix of all three of these flavors and have been munching on it! Customer service was also super wonderful and friendly, offered free samples to help us make our decisions on what water ice and popcorn flavors to go with and explained their reward system super well as well! Appreciate everything Detroit Water Ice Factory is and stands for!

This place is great for a quick snack, especially on a hot summer day! They switch out their ice flavors regularly, so there will always be something new to try. They also have flavored popcorn and other snacks. The servers at the counter were kind and patient while my kid decided what flavor she wanted. They all sounded tasty! We tried several flavors. The tiger's blood had a bit of a strong coconut flavor, but my favorite was the sour apple! The profits from the facility go to "SAY Detroit" charity, so you can enjoy something delicious and feel good about it! This is located in downtown Detroit, so you can grab an ice on a nice day and walk around town with some friends. Check it out!

My son is highly allergic to a lot of different foods like dairy, wheat, peanuts, eggs, etc. Detroit Water Ice was super patient and accommodating. Happy to see the boys able to enjoy a sweet treat!

Located just outside Campus Martius in a side retail unit of the building Hard Rock used to be in. Very limited street pay parking nearby. Nearby pay garages and lots. There is a small seating area inside and outside, the walls are covered with well wishes by a whole lot of local celebs. The owner is a local celeb and the store is for charity. They sell water ice, like Italian ice, and flavored fancy popcorn (and pretzels and softserve.). Staff was great. Products are great. And it is for charity.

This establishment was such an unexpected treat. I was very pleased to see there was a variety of choices and they also had plenty of vegan options to choose from. I ordered the Tiger's Blood which was a watermelon flavored drink which looked bright red and I thought it would be super sweet, but surprisingly it was pleasantly light, refreshing and surprisingly flavorful. It was a delightful treat. The texture was not like a typical snow cone, it was much more better than that. It retained its shape and did not melt quick. I also ordered some gourmet popcorn which was better than I thought they would be, very tasty and enjoyed them immensely. The service was awesome and the people were friendly and they are a non profit that uses proceeds to help the community in need. I can't wait to return here and try what more they have to offer and the cost per cup is very reasonable as low as $4.50 a cup and is worth it for all that goodness.

First time trying today and I got the motown twist with vanilla soft serve and watermelon ice! I really liked that it wasn't very sweet and the service was excellent! I can't wait to come back and try other flavors! The only thing I wish was that the watermelon had a stronger flavor.

Best little spot with good flavor on the desert. Not sure what I got as the server choose, but it was good in the small dose I received. The venue needs some cleaning and organization as boxes were out in the seating area.

Parking was a bit of a pain but that's what you get in downtown Detroit! Staff was super friendly when I walked in and helpful with flavor choices! This was an amazing treat and I would describe it is you mixed sherbet and a slushie, froze it and puréed it done! Creamy, sweet and smooth! I hope I am in the area walking around so I can stop by again! They also have popcorn and some other treats!

Ray was absolutely fantastic. He gave wonderful service from start to finish. The water ice was sooo tasty and i didnt feel full and gross after eating it. Ray sold the entire experience. He really made me feel welcome and is the reason i'll return. My only complaint is that they don't allow samples, but had so many fantastic flavors I wanted to try. I guess thats how they get you to come back. Thanks again Ray for the amazing experience.

Delicious little place to get ice cream while walking in downtown detroit. Great service also

If you want a refreshing summer treat, this is perfect! I saw the raving reviews and decided to give it a try while visiting downtown. I decided to get the Motown Mash with mango water ice and was served with vanilla soft serve as it seemed to be the most popular item to get. It was pretty delicious especially their soft serve. The water ice alone would've been a bit plain and the soft serve adds more flavour. The classico was a perfect size if you want a small size. The staff were friendly and pretty quick service. I got lucky that it wasn't too busy but it does get generally busy especially during peak hour summer nights.

Terrible d customer service. Person was just taking to friend and treated me as a nuisance. The Motown Mash was just plain bad. Some pictures here have red tones. But it was basically cool whio or something like that. The waffle didn't taste appealing as well On top of all that, even though I probably took only 5 spoons worth of it I got sick from my stomach.

When looking at must eats in the area, this placed popped up. I ended up ordering the Kiddy Motown Mash (made from chocolate chip cookies and whipped topping), Double Drizzle popcorn, Butter Pecan popcorn, and Mint Chocolate Chip water ice. Everything tasted good overall. However, the chocolate chip in the Mint Chocolate Chip was off both texturally and flavor wise when compared to other places. The water ice is pretty much Italian ice. I wouldn't mind coming back here if I'm in the area again, especially since 100% of their profits go to charity.

Terrible customer service! It shows that they do not value your money! I came here for the popcorn and lots of it (or so I felt). $50 for a large tin of popcorn. I think it was actually $43, but I tipped the remaining $7. The young lady at the cashier looked at me wide eyed but there was no thank you. After standing for about 15mins watching the other young lady run back and forth throughout the store scooping my popcorn from various containers and hunting down stickers for the tin. Finally it was ready and she asked who it was for, I raised my hand and she set it on the counter and barley pushed it towards me before she was walking away. I said "thank you , have a good day", which is kind of their job to say first but oh well. All she did was laugh, I asked "what's up?" With a smile on my face and she said "oh nothing , I just laughed" So... okay, tips aren't appreciated and customer service etiquette does not exist here currently! Not worth my time or money.

Yummmmy yummy flavors. Good way to cool down in the summer when you're walking around downtown. Tiger blood and mango are delicious together!

It's been years since I've been to Detroit Water Ice, but while downtown for Parktober Fest at Campus Martius, we decided to go to Detroit Water Ice for something refreshing. They have over ten great flavors to choose from. My personal favorite is Mango and Strawberry Lemonade. If you've never been, it's a must-try for something refreshing and different. It is almost a mix between shaved ice and a slushy. 5 stars.

The cream soda icee was good. I also got a small bag of caramel and butter pecan popcorn. There was no one ahead of me but there was a bit of a wait to pay. I'll have to try an icee with ice cream next time.

Really nice spot to cool down in the city! Friendly and helpful service, and I like the charitable vibe. Delicious, too!

This is THE place for a cold dessert in the summer when you're downtown. It's delicious, there are tons of flavors to choose from (many with Detroit-themed names), and the profits go to charity. I like to grab something here and head over to Campus Martius to grab a seat and hang out.

Water Ice and then some. They offer about 20 flavors of frozen water ice. You can also add ice cream as a mix in. Looked delicious. I chose Strawberry Lemon/Watermelon duo as well as the Cherry. All were silky smooth and delicious. Don't expect Philadelphia Water Ice because it isn't. But what it is is a delicious treat. The place was packed as I was there 20 minutes before closing. The young girl at the counter said a large portion of proceeds also goes to charity.

A wonderful place for some sweet and cold delight. Lots of options on the menu, hard to only choose two flavors. I got half water ice (peanut butter flavor) and half ice cream. A wonderful mix. They don't have a ton of places to sit, though you can just grab it to go.

Wonderful, delicious and friendly service. Clean and safe. Highly recommend this place!

Went for hot chocolate and walked out with popcorn and Stafford Strawberry lemon mixed with cotton candy ice! Jeremiah was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their mission! He quickly became our newest best friend! We also found our new go to spot not only because the treats were delicious but their mission IS even better: Detroit water ice is Mitch Albom's way of giving back to the Detroit community because every dollar raised goes back into the city of Detroit!

I'm not sure why this place never seemed to appeal to me before. We had a fantastic experience! I had the mango and my husband and the Yooper orange cream sickle. They were super good! The texture is 100% better than the smowcones you had as a kid What spoke to me though was the Motown Mix. It's frozen whipped toppings with cookies. I've always enjoyed frozen whipped topping. This was next level. We will be back for sure.

I like to bring visitors downtown and show off how fabulous Detroit is and everything I love about it. This place and the people who work here never disappoint!!! I had two new foreign exchange students, one from Japan and one from Thailand, and wanted them to get an idea of what's working in Detroit and how we are thriving. They sampled a few flavors and loved everything and I ended up with staff suggestion of banana cream pudding which was AMAZING! (Ask for that or just ask the staff what their favorite is... they a,ways know better than I do) I'm also very happy that one of the gentlemen suggested they take a brochure because it kicked off a conversation and educational opportunity we had later on about growing and learning to thrive in the city. This place is what Detroit is all about to me and they deserve your business for that reason. (Plus their phenomenal product)

This Yelp review is really just going to be a story of our visit here: One of the first things I Yelp when going to a new city are the good Ice cream, Fro yo, Italian ice, etc places. Just because if I'm visiting a new place I HAVE to stop for dessert. Detroit Water Ice Factory of course made it to my bookmarks for Detroit as it wasn't far from where we were staying and had good reviews. Was walking around downtown Detroit with they hubby and this came up as one of the bookmarked businesses close to where we were so we decided to stop in. In deciding what to order they offered a sample of the Detroit Mash, which was good, but they didn't have ice cream the day we went otherwise I would have ordered that. We ordered some of the other Water Ices instead, I had the peach and hubby had the sour apple. Both were so yummy. For me, the kiddo size was actually a good amount. As we were eating I was reading the wall about how to eat the water ice, and the origin of the Detroit Water Factory. It was then that I realized that the person that had served us was Mitch Albom (author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesdays with Morrie). We had no idea. I later bought some of the brown bag popcorn in the Mr. Mitch's Nutty Munch flavor which was really good. I love that the proceeds all go to the local Detroit charity SAY Detroit, so not only do you feel not as guilty about eating this gluten and dairy free water ice, but you can feel good that your purchase helped someone in need!

We were in Detroit on vacation and while walking pass. We saw a few people outside enjoying different colorful cold treats. Hmmm interesting. We went inside to see what in the world was going on with these yummy looking treats. A nice place to stop and grab you a nice delicious cold treat. Friendly employee's who will let you test taste as many flavors as you like before making your decision. Cute colorful outside patio for you to sit out and enjoy your treats. The only thing was our popcorn was a bit stale and not good. Fair prices and many other treats to chose from on the menu. I have a total brain freeze from tasting so many flavors. Shout out to the employee's who were working that day. You were amazing.

I've been a loyal patron since 2015. Well, my kids have. Lol. They love it!! Stopped in today and noticed thet have less water ice flavors but have extended their popcorn selection. They had quite the options for the Brown Bag Popcorn. I tried Mitch Nutty Munch... delicious!! Salty popcorn, caramel covered pretzels and nuts = Pure Deliciousness!! What truly keeps me supporting this place? Their mission! 100% of profits goes back to charity! I'll raise a water ice cup to that!!

There are so many good choices to choose from here between the water ice, Motown mash, soft serve, popcorn, pretzels, cookies, & hot chocolate! I had a very hard time narrowing down which dessert I was gonna get and then once I decided I was gonna get a water ice I then had a hard time choosing two flavors!!!! I went with mango and peach. Both tasted great! I would love to come back and give the other flavors and the Motown mash a try! I wanted to try a cookie but felt that they were a little too pricey for a single cookie. Cookies were $3 each and they were averaged sized. Staff was super patient and friendly and helpful!

Delicious alternative to ordinary ice cream. I love that you can mix and match products and customize orders. I had the chocolate peanut butter ice mixed with Motown mash. The ice is refreshing and flavorful. The mash is creamy and full of cakey pieces. My daughter had the mash with soft serve and the other had ice with soft serve. I enjoyed their popcorn as well. Way better than the Chicago brands. Their Oreo cookie popcorn is out of this world. The peanut butter corn is great, so is the chocolate drizzle, but the strawberry shortcake is a tasty, unique find. Mixed together they are happiness in my mouth. Over Christmas there was a pop up location for the popcorn and mash at Sommerset mall. They told me they were going to open a permanent storefront. Last time I was there, they were gone. Sure hope they decide to reopen. I would love to get some goodies closer to home.

The ice cream was amazing and the owner spent time walking us through how to order. Extremely unique flavor and it was a fun atmosphere! 10/10 highly recommend

Cool place to stop on a warm day. It tastes so much better than regular icee. The ice was very smooth. Order cotton candy and quite tasty. There is a hall of fame wall pictures. Restroom is a bit far and shares with other businesses. Staff is friendly as well.

After a long hot day in the Michigan sun you can guarantee that this is the treat for you! They have the most refreshing desserts! My favorite is the water ice, which is a mix between a snow cone and a slushee. The cotton candy, blue raspberry, and strawberry lemonade flavors are to die for! They have other options there too, but this is all I've tried and let me tell you, it's amazing! 10/10 recommend!

Everybody in our group loved the crushed ice 'snow cone' type dessert we got, no matter what the flavor, and many of us got a large when a small might have done better in part because we were told they gave away all their profits to a local charity, and it made sense to us to go big. Fun for me was that sportswriter (at least what I remember him for but I know he's done lots more) Mitch Albom was in the house and behind the counter and not only took the time to schmooze with us but also took a picture with me (and complimented me on my shirt. If you're down in the Campus Martius area, especially on a hot day or night, this is definitely the place to go for a cool, tasty dessert!!

I love the Detroit Water Ice Factory. As a person who loves icy treats, I was really excited to hear about this place and find out how close it was to my office. It exceeded expectations, however, when I started trying their flavors. So much of it was so good, and they had enough flavors to keep you coming back to try other ones, which is what I love in an ice/ice cream place. They also have a really cool selection of local popcorn, and I tried Mr. Mitch's nutty flavor, which was really really good. Really sweet and probably super bad for you, but definitely a lovely indulgence. They also had a regular chocolate flavor, in addition to cheese and butter. They have something called iced pudding, which unfortunately was not being sold. I was told by the person helping me that it's more of a winter thing, so I'll definitely be back. Instead, I got a kids size of the orange creamsicle flavor, which tasted exactly like that, and that was a huge serving. Bonus fact is that this place donates all of its profits to local Detroit organizations, as well as employs people through those organizations to try to support the community. I love this place.

Friendly workers and great ice cream. I'm told if you're lucky they'll freshly make your cone. Mine wasn't but it was delicious. I highly recommend the vanilla but am told the other flavors are just as good. It's a huge portion for one person but well worth it. Total was $5!

Even on a cold day after lots of pizza , this place still hit the spot. We shared a salted margarita & strawberry lemonade ice & it was soooo good. We just couldn't stop eating it, even when we had no room left. The place itself has a nice little cute atmosphere, really nice for the summer time to pick up and stroll downtown. Did not really notice any seating inside. They also offer gourmet popcorn & regular ice cream! **Their water ice is dairy free (the best part!!!!!)**

Over priced and over rated. Tried a sample of their water ice. Wasn't blown away. I did find the texture to be smooth, and melts in your tongue. Lots of fruit flavors to choose from. Sunday, at around 4 or 5 pm, we put ourselves in a long line of customers. Some most likely came from the Detroit baseball game, the others from the r n b festival at hart plaza , and for some - curios customers who happen to passby woodward avenue in downtown Detroit. While waiting for our turn to choose the flavors of the ice, i have noticed that flavored popcorn was also served. With limited budget at that moment, my hubby and i skipped the purchase part. Instead we will save some extra bills then come back next time to try their popcorn in a brown bag. Restroom will be at the back. There are some tables and chairs in and out of the building. Their water ice creation in a cup with or without the swirling soft serve ice cream - is definitely picture worthy for both tourists and Michiganders.

I was curious about this place and wow, there is so much to choose from here. It was a little overwhelming. I got a soft serve cone and added on a bag of popcorn. The service was incredibly friendly and I love that they support Detroit charities.

Not good at all. Ice water taste like sugar and the ice cream tasted like chemicals. Hours later and I can still taste the chemicals. Save yourself the trouble and the hassle! There are many other places to get good ice cream. Just gross

A group of us decided to try this place after searching for something sweet to enjoy. Everyone ordered something different. I had the Motown Mash and it was incredibly delicious. The sweet and creamy treat was just what I craved. No one complained and we'll be back for more.

Been here a few times. First review. I used to like this place and still really want to, but the last few times I've been in have made that difficult. Is their product good? Yes Is their business model? Yes Employees helpful... No They used to have a lot more flavors to start out with. Now that has decreased a lot with the addition of new products such as Crepes and Popcorn. We've ordered the Mint several times. Last time we got it we discover while it was green with chocolate chips, there was no actual Mint flavor to it at all. How does that happen? Yesterday, we ordered the chocolate peanut butter. Which usually has peanut butter pieces or chunks throughout, but didn't. They are frequently out of soft serve, which is a must for me. It all goes together so nicely. Service....... Can you call it that? There were three people working and we stood there for five minutes with only two people ahead of us. Three other people walked in, and one of the employees walked up immediately to ask what they would like to order. I had to nicely point out that we had been waiting. We were then told they were out of soft serve. Two minutes later that changed and they had it it needed to be filled. Apparently, no one wanted to refill the machine. This place used to be great. Hopefully it can be again with some changes and better management.

My sons and I had a Sunday Funday in the Campus Martius area and ventured in here. Despite the chill in the air, we indulged in this traditional summer time treat. It's very similar to Italian Ice and is available in over 20 flavors. The staff was friendly and very helpful. Allowing for a sampling of their offering. I went with a mix of pineapple and mango which was very refreshing.

I absolutely love this place. They give back and they make a great product. I love supporting any local business, especially when I work in the same building. There are so many different flavor combinations to try. They offer soft serve, crepes, and the super decadent motor city mash-whipped cream, Kahlua, and chocolate chip cookies my favorite is the cobo coconut with their chocolate soft serve. This is a great Detroit based business with a great product.

Giving two stars because I didn't have any of the water ice, so don't want unfairly rate in case that's amazing. I ordered a small bag of the Butter Pecan, but it it was really stale. I expected a crisp popcorn with pecan pieces, but the popcorn was chewy, gummy, and stuck to my teeth. I probably should have sampled it first. Either way, it's popcorn. It has got to be the lowest food cost in the whole place, so keep it fresh and the glaze crispy. If it's a bad batch, throw it out. If it goes stale, throw it out. This should be the minimum from a place that says it serves "Gourmet Popcorn". I appreciate your message and what you do for the community, so keep people coming back by having great product.

Loved my water Ice... But the older women at the register needs to find a new JOB or more training . HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Any question I asked her answer was IDK. WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW !!!

I love it. It's delicious. I love that the profits go to S.A.Y. Detroit! I love that when I tipped the staff, he said their tips go to charity. I told him, "Then I hope you get paid well." He smiled and replied, "I do." The Motown Twist is my choice for dessert. The cherry ice swirled with chocolate ice cream is grand! Choosing which ice flavor to go with is super difficult. There are a lot of flavors and you can sample as many as you want! When ordering, beware of the size you choose because the FILL those cups up! If you get a Mondo size, it is Mondo!!! Whatever it may mean! I did sample the Motown Mash and give it a thumbs up! That is not a water ice, but still worthy of being on the menu! I also tried my husband's frozen hot chocolate. Chocolate peanut butter is the bomb! Timmy Horton has nothing on the Frozen Hot Chocolate here.

Stopped by after an event at the convention center. It was light and refreshing and the kiddie cup was the perfect size after having lunch. We had the pineapple and the orange flavor. The orange flavor had very strong orange taste while the pineapple was a lighter. We received great service. We were greeted as soon as we came in by 2 of the 3 employees. They had a great system where the would fix the customers order and take that customer to the register. With the team member sticking with their customer it made service fast and efficient.

Kind of waffling between 4 and 5 stars but the non-profit angle for this place has got me bumping it up to 5. I love that all the proceeds are going to local organizations so super props to that. Makes me feel good pulling out the old wallet! Also, stars all around for the staff here who are REALLY nice and patient. I may have cycled through several flavors, asking to try quite a bit, and they were polite and accommodating throughout. I also like that there's plenty of sweet treats to enjoy if you're avoiding dairy or just want something a bit lighter. I tried several flavors and while most were a bit too sweet for me in that moment the strawberry lemonade was the right fit. Just a little tart but still sweet. But there's something for every craving. Light and fruity? Try the watermelon, peach, or mango. Want something more dessert-y? Try the chocolate peanut butter, root beer, or mint chocolate chip (yes! Those are water ice too!), something more adult? Try the salted margarita or the black cherry bourdeaux. It's all good! As a reminder: this place is not an ice cream joint but If you are super set on something creamier they can add soft serve into your water ice for what they call the "Motown Twist." They also serve breakfast, coffee (chicory!), and more. AND it's not terribly expensive. Kiddie sizes start at $2.50 and the large water ice size tops out at $3.75. Not bad at all!