Nico's Ice Cream

This is a very yummy treat. My mom, daughter, and I all got the cup serving with different flavors and toppings. We went on Thursday, apparently this day had different flavors from the rest of the week. Our options were banana, pineapple, and mango. I think the regular flavors are different kinds of berries. I was pleased with the serving size for the price. We all enjoyed the flavors, I got banana with coconut topping. Each flavor was pleasant, however not super fruity. It is very fun to watch the mixing process, each serving is hand done one at a time. I imagine this could make quite a line on a hot day. We were got there very close to 1pm on a Thursday and there were a few people, but it was quiet enough we were able to sit at the counter and eat. There was one woman behind the counter and she was super friendly and gave good service There were coloring pages with crayons available (I snagged a couple to go because it was very crowded by the time we were finished) and there is ice cream for sale by the pint to go in a cooler. You can get a free scoop of ice cream on your birthday too! The cons/factors to know: street parking only, (we parked across the street in residential parking). It is a very small shop, very little seating. There are about five seats inside and two outside. It gets very crowded inside and I don't think they have a public bathroom. If you are hard of hearing the music was playing a bit loud when we were there.

I was going to wait to write this review until I had more photos back from our wedding, but decided that I didn't want anyone who is on the fence to miss out in hiring Nico and team for a summer event! We are big ice cream lovers so decided to have an ice cream cart instead of cake for our wedding, and are SO HAPPY with our choice!!! Nico is so communicative, friendly, easy to work with, flexible, and the cart was such a cool visual element also! Guests were able to pick from four different flavors, in cup or cone, with option to add from a whole assortment of toppings. Going into my wedding night I said, "I cannot wait to be on the dance floor, with an ice cream cone in hand, surrounded by all the people I love", and the moment I looked around while that was happening made me over-the-moon joyful! The ice cream is EXCELLENT, with real fruit flavors - I received so many compliments from guests. My only regret is not hanging a big flashing sign to make sure all attendees knew to get a serving because those who didn't missed out! THANK YOU NICO AND TEAM! (**updated with additional photos)

I saw the store on CNBC make it. The store on how he opened the store was very inspirational. Also I have never tried Ice cream with a fresh fruit in side so I wanted to check out the place. I went a little early so I waited outside. They have chairs outside which was nice. One thing I noticed was the inside was small but cozy. The customer service was amazing the music was so nice. The ice cream was 15/10 it was so creamy and sweet. The coconut toping was nice too. The waffle cone was fresh. I had such a great experience 🙏🏾

Simple menu but delicious ice cream made new Zealand style. We had the strawberry with toasted coconut which it seems most people had. It was delicious and the waffle cone was tasty and very crunchy. Would definitely go again.

Went to Nico’s for the first time (finally!!!! What were we waiting for?!) and it did not disappoint. I love soft serve ice cream and it’s blended with fresh fruit!? What more could you ask for. It was a Saturday evening around 8 and there were a couple people in line before us. Ordering was quick, but since it’s all made to order there was a small wait for our cones but only about 5min. I could see how busier times you might have to wait longer, but it’s worth it! The shop is small. They only allow 8 people in at a time because there’s not much more room than that, but it was a very pleasant evening so everyone was enjoying their ice cream outside. We live walking distance from a salt and straw, gelato and eb & bean but Nico’s will definitely be worth the short drive for me!

I love Nico’s! I had some on The Portland Food Tour and I have to say I just I love the blended fruits and the texture that is created! The strawberry was perfect for a hot summer day! I have been to this hop many times and every single time enjoy all of the delicious options 🤩

It was good but disappointing that it was just refrozen cups because the machine is not working. Didn’t get the full experience of the treat. It was awkward that the employee had to tell us as we walked in and honestly felt bad she had to disappoint people. People were walking out after they heard about the machine being broken. We came here for the first time and what a bummer experience to have. I know it is also hard as a business to navigate this. I feel like the machine is the whole draw of this place and without it you should probably temporarily close.

Local fruit mixed with ice cream (uses a cool machine from NZ) and you have the option of a topping. Best waffle cone I've had in a long while! Nice n fresh. I'm seeing coming back a lot during the Spring and Summer. Also, the staff is just really cool and nice which always makes everything even more enjoyable.

[ food ]: 10/10 * Marion berry Soft Serve: As a marionberry enthusiast, this was amazing! Ice cream made to order and the coconut flakes really added good texture. There was a perfect balance of tart and sweet. Definitely my favorite fruit ice cream place that I've been to! * Strawberry Soft Serve: More on the sweet side than the marionberry but was still really yummy! I saw that there was fresh strawberries being put into the machine! So good that my partner couldn't help themselves from digging in. [ service ]: 10/10 * It was a little slow, one person on register and restocking while one person worked on the ice cream machine. Everyone was very pleasant and they were working as fast as they could while also providing good customer service! [ ambiance]: 7/10 * The ice cream shop itself was very small, a few tables strewn about the inside and outside and a small bar-style seating at the counter to wait for your order. It was clean and there was some thought put into the decor despite the shop being quite small and in an older building. NOTE: There is only one machine that they use to make each order specially. There is definitely cross contamination between the flavors so keep that in mind if there are any allergies to a specific flavor

Nico's is an interesting ice cream shop with the basic concept of mixing frozen fruit with ice cream in a machine until you get a 'soft serve' like flavored cone. I ordered the marionberry cone and the hubby ordered strawberry in a cup. The employee took a paper cone, placed it in the machine, scooped vanilla ice cream and frozen fruit into a machine. Once turned on, it mixes all together and comes out like soft serve. The flavor was good, not overly sweet. The consistency was not like soft serve though, if that's what you're after. I thought the concept was neat and wish they had more flavors like pineapple, mango, banana, or the ability to mix and match.

Been wanting to try New Zealand ice cream for a while and visit this spot! One of 2 locations in Portland. This shop was very tiny, they limit 8 customers inside because it's tight. The machine wasn't cooperating today so the one person working was doing their best but we had to wait a long time. Regardless the ice cream with fresh fruit was yummy and prices were reasonable. Street parking in the neighborhood.

Nico, nico, nico!! We came here for dessert after dinner with a party of people right before they closed. Not only were they happy to serve us and welcoming, they also have a little cute sign that says we are their last customer and gets a free scoop, what? How cute is that??! Ice cream was delicious and made to order and to perfection. No complaints here. Tip: come here on your day of your birthday and show them your ID. Free scoop plus toppings! Can't forget the sprinkles!! Parking is street parking on a very busy street. Place is near an intersection, so your best bet is to park in the neighborhood. Accept cards! Woohoo. Enjoy!

Loved my first visit at Nico's! I've heard a lot about it and was excited to try. I got the raspberry this time, delicious! Looking forward to strawberry with coconut flakes next time.

I was absolutely mind blown by the experience I had here :) Nico's had some of the freshest and most delightful ice cream ever. It was fun have the opportunity to blend their unique flavors and top it off with one of their selection of goodies. Customer service was great and the employee was very kind and helpful. The store itself was a bit smaller and cramped, however, was kept very clean for the amount of foot traffic that it gets. I will certainly continue to come and enjoy one of the many delicious flavors Nico's has to offer!

A good for the neighborhood small business. The entire process is slow and parking is tough. And I wish they offered more flavors. But how cool, they offer a free scoop on your birthday. Friendly staff.

One of my go-to ice cream spots in Portland! Though the store itself is pretty small, it definitely is not to be missed -- Nico's serves fresh and delicious ice cream with real fruit flavor. There are only a few flavors to select from, but they're all so good; you can even mix flavors (I like getting the strawberry and blueberry ice cream). There are also various toppings you can add to elevate your ice cream. I think the amount of ice cream you get for the price and quality is well worth it! I highly recommend you come check out Nico's next time you want a sweet frozen treat.

I've been wanting to try Nicos and finally went for my birthday! I didn't know until I got there that they do free ice cream for birthdays so that was a nice surprise. I had raspberry and also tried strawberry. This style of ice cream is so simple and good! Maybe a little overpriced in my opinion but still very delicious! I got a cup but it was hard to use the spoon because it's thick!! I'd get a cone next time. It was kind of weird that it was dark in the shop... but sure if that's normal or just how it was the day I went.

Oh. Em. Gee. This place is amazing limited flavors but it's super good. They do sell small containers at other locations but I'm so glad I came in here. I got the banana in a cone. It was a lot of ice cream and it was so delicious. Also... I love salt and straw but this is so much worth your money x10.

Nico's has some great ice cream! I popped in on a weekday afternoon and waited in a short line outside. I opted for the strawberry/Marion berry swirl in a cup and topped it with graham cracker dust and sprinkles (they were out of the toasted coconut). Service was great and price was fair. The ice cream was good and not too sweet, which I appreciated. Wish they would include one free topping with it, but not the end of the world.

Perfectly silky smooth ice cream using real fresh fruit! I tried the marionberry flavor and it was amazing. I'd probably pass on the graham cracker dust next time since it was the first thing I inhaled haha. It's a cute little shop and they have multiple locations too!

I saw this place on social media. Ice cream made with fresh fruits sparked my interest as my bf loves ice cream and fruit, so I knew I had to take him here. Parking: Street There was a line when I got there/can get pretty busy. There was only one machine and one worker. You pick your size (kids cone, cup, or waffle cone), pick the fruit you want mixed with the ice cream, and what toppings you want. I was able to see the worker blend the vanilla ice cream with fresh berries in front of me. It was nice to see. I got a cup with Marionberry, w/out toppings. I didn't expect much since it seemed very simple, but it was actually a really tasty treat that was soft, creamy, fruity, perfect sweetness. I wanted to order another one. I would probably add more fruits if I visit again. It would also be nice if they had more topping options like fruit or fruit syrup/jam.

This place has been on my list of places to check out ... no wait on this chilly day .... And super friendly service. Hands down the best local ice cream !

Whatever business this Nico guy slaps his name on, you can be assured some quality stuff can be found inside. In the case of this little hole-in-the-wall parlor, fresh fruit and ice cream are mixed and mashed together to create a refreshing, satisfying, soft serve surprise, in a cone or in a cup! Flavors and toppings are limited (currently only four of each), but that Nico's lacks in variety, they make up for in ice creamy deliciousness. And it's cheap, too! You'd be an absolute fruit to miss out on this one!

Matty and Lola were absolutely amazing! Made us laugh and smile and served us delicious ice cream!

Completely different from most soft serve ice creams. I was expecting fruit mix used and pumped out of a traditional soft serve machine but no, they take scoops of traditional ice cream and put it in an apparatus, that looks like a big screw, with fruit and it gets mixed into soft serve and comes out the bottom. Simply delicious!

Berry delicious soft serve. Simple and perfect, Choice of cone and 5 different berries. This place swirls your selections into whipped soft serve. You don't need more choices, you just don't. Would not change a damn thing about this place.

Such a cute little shop with a very friendly and homey vibe. There are like 4 fruit flavors that you choose from, then they mix the frozen fruit into plain ice cream right in front of you, then you get to add toppings too. It's a really nice soft serve texture and the fruit flavors are so delicious. I love the Marionberry it's my fave topped with coconut. If you have fruit allergies I would be cautious, as they mix all the different fruits in the same machine.

Jude and Jesse were super friendly. We sat there and talked with them while we ate our ice cream. At Nico's, they take ice cream and mix it up with real fruit. We went there during a recent heat wave and found it to be really refreshing. At first, we thought it was soft serve (non-dairy frozen desert), but realized after watching Jesse make it that it was real ice cream. Each serving is two scoops of ice cream. The ice cream itself is not extraordinarily fancy. They don't make it there. It's not quite the caliber of some high end ice cream places. But it's still good. This is a great place for families, especially if you have small children. We went there after dinner, around 7:00pm and there was no line at all.

Lovely service; Morgan was super nice! And, the ice cream is delicious! They do a birthday treat up to 7 days after your birthday, a nice way to celebrate.

The first time trying Nico's Ice Cream was at the Jazz Festival in St. John's. My toddler and I shared the Strawberry flavor and it was good. I recommend trying!

The ice cream here is super simple but it was exactly what we wanted. They basically blend vanilla ice cream with fresh berries (your choice of four different berries) to get a great, soft texture. For 3 people we spent about $18 (including tip) so it's pretty reasonable. We also put toppings - graham cracker crust, another with chamoy, and another with coconut shavings. It really was good ice cream and we would come back to this place the next time we are in Portland. The only thing I thought was weird was when I asked the server if it was ice cream or froyo or something else she just said it was fresh without elaborating much else or answering my question. Regardless, this is still good stuff!

Very good ice cream, strawberry flavored delightfulness. Service was very quick considering how small the place was. Cute place.

Cute little ice cream shop. There isn't much room inside, but there was a table out front that we were able to stop at for a moment to enjoy our selections. We came on tropical Thursday so the flavor options were mango, pineapple, and banana. We both decided to try pineapple, but I also added sprinkles. I wasn't sure if it would be too sweet, but the ice cream was actually delicious! The flavor was subtle and very good. Both of us really enjoyed our cups. I was a little bummed we missed out on the standard berry flavors, but we will definitely be back if we are in the area again.

I came here on a casual weekday and found a really long line outside almost going around the corner. I've had Nico's before, but through their mini pints that they sell at the Portland Night Market or New Season's. I was really excited to choose which fruits to swirl into my ice cream. Unfortunately, the line was really long. We waited for like an hour because there was one person doing everything. He was doing his best, but man, I felt bad for him! Nico's needs to hire more staff so this doesn't happen again. He was clearly overwhelmed. If you don't like waiting, I'd try to go either really early or later at night. As for the flavors, there were only seasonal flavors available when I went. While I was hoping to get marionberry, I was wholly satisfied with pineapple c: The ice cream is definitely on the pricier side, but definitely an experience you should try.

Super tasty ice cream with real fruit spun right in front of you! The ice cream had a unique texture from the fruits infused with the ice cream. I got the opportunity to try the strawberry, raspberry, and marionberry flavors - all delicious! The chamoy topping added a nice tang and another layer of flavor to the fruit based ice cream. The shop is a little tiny but cozy. The service was kind and friendly. The flavors change on Thursdays so I will definitely need to come back to try them out!

Honestly I didnt find anything spectacular about Nico's ice cream. Vanilla base ice cream blended with berries is something you can make at home. Dont get me wrong it was delicious overall. I'm not sure if they make there own vanilla ice cream, but it tasted store bought. Its neat they blend the ice cream and berries right in front of you. Overall I dont think I'll come back, unless it's my birthday.

Simple and delicious New Zealand style ice cream. Small shop with one table and a couple bar seats so better to come and take it to go. I love how they make the ice cream in front of you with the flavors you decide (reminds me of Loving Cup in SF) but with fresh berries. For a sweeter flavor the staff recommended strawberry & marionberry together and it was the perfect combination. Nice mix of tartiness and sweetness with the creamy vanilla ice cream. Took our friend here and he was shocked there was no dairy since it was so creamy and not chalky at all. Seems like the other location sometimes has dairy options but you definitely don't need it. Would come back to mix and match other flavors. Don't forget they are not far from Pip's and you get a free ice cream within a week of your birthday!

This place is absolutely amazing. 100% add this to your stop on a warm day! They make every order custom so you KNOW it's fresh. The menu is super simple, four flavors, they take fresh fruit and mix it with vanilla base for New Zealand style ice cream and it creates this amazing fresh fruity soft serve! Then they have some basic toppings and I LOVE that they have toasted coconut. I'm a coconut fanatic and this is the perfect topping. I got the marionberry with toasted coconut and it almost tasted like a marionberry pie ala mode. It was absolutely amazing. Plus they do a free ice cream for your birthday ! I came in celebrating and they were so super nice and gave me my free cone. Definitely will be back and highly recommend this place to everyone !

I got a free waffle cone with their delicious ice cream on my birthday at Nico's! Such a nice surprise! I wasn't sure what "New Zealand style ice cream" was, but I'm always up for something new & different! At Nico's, they put vanilla ice cream and add frozen fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) in a machine with a big auger that incorporates the fruit into the ice cream. It comes out like soft serve. You have your choice of a few simple toppings to go on top: graham cracker crumbs, sprinkles, toasted coconut (which is what I got on top of my raspberry ice cream), etc. It's a tiny little storefront and there isn't really any place to sit, so it's come & go. My only disappointment was that they didn't have anything chocolate to add on top. That would have been epic!

Really fun place. Always popular. Always busy. It's simple. Pick your fruit and they mix it up one order at a time with ice cream in a little machine that makes it into soft serve. Cones and cups available. Free ice cream on your Birthday. Kids love it!

Such a fun switch up to your classic ice cream cone! Nico's uses frozen fruit and ice cream to make a beautiful soft serve treat. It's not like anything else you'll find. The closest thing I can compare it to is a seasonal milkshake but in soft serve form. It is so fresh and delicious - definitely worth a try. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because since they only have one machine they can only serve one at a time and it can get a little backed up. Excited to try more flavors!

Super small shop and easily missed but definitely must try local neighborhood creamery with some exceptional and creative offerings!!!

Best ice cream we've ever had! Staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating to allergies! 10/10 reccomend :)

Bring your own spoon unless you want to taste a wooden spoon it was good icecream very flavorful and food was good I loved it it only has 2 chairs inside I loved watching the machine make the icecream was fun never seen something like it maybe a milkshake machine i

I was pleasantly surprised at how airy the ice cream was, it was more like soft serve. I'm not a fruit dessert person, but would definitely recommend this place for anyone who is. Be prepared to wait since they hand make it on the spot and there's only one machine. Staff are friendly and the store is cute, but small.

Wowowow. Handmade ice cream with fresh berries??? Let this be a everytimeicometonortheastportlandforanything spot for my ice cream fix. Marionberry and blueberry swirl with graham crackers on top?? WITH SPRINKLES????!!! One bite wonder, with all the brain freeze to go around. Try this out!

We were first able to try out Nico's because of a Yelp Elite Event, but we came back because the ice cream was just THAT good! We got a marionberry and raspberry swirl in a cup and it was fun to see them blend the fruit and ice cream together in the machine after we ordered. The ice cream is very soft and creamy and the fruit flavors are well expressed. The biggest compliment I can give any dessert shop is: it's not too sweet! At Nico's I do think the lack of artificial sugars really lets the sweetness of the fruit shine! The staff are also very friendly and the overall atmosphere is very Portland-y and chill. We went during a rainy winter month, but will definitely be back in the summertime to enjoy a refreshing, cool-down treat!

Flavors available in shop are not reflected online so if you see something you like on the website you're not guaranteed to even have it available. Kind of a bummer but decent ice cream

Ice cream, you scream, you'll love this ice cream. It has been on my radar since I saw the owner post on ND. It's soft serve vanilla mixed with fruit. It's neither overly sweet and the fruit gave it a delicious freshness. I tried the blueberry and my son tried raspberry. Both were delicious but maybe raspberry slightly edged ahead. The ice cream server was friendly and cheerful. The place is tiny so better to go or on a walk. If you're looking for a refreshing treat, this is the place to go.

You know how La Croix tastes like sparkling water was stored on the same truck as a few pieces of fruit? If that's your thing, then Nico's might be for you. After being ran through the soft-serve contraption, the ice cream tastes as though it was at one point transported next to some fruit. I'd even be generous and go so far as to say it was transported next to a pallet of fruit. But not right next to it. Please don't get me wrong, I enjoy vanilla ice cream. It even tasted like decent vanilla ice cream. But I could easily have gone to the grocery store to acquire that. I ventured into Nico's hoping for some sort of raspberry ice cream concoction and was a tad dismayed to learn that on a Wednesday night they were fresh out of raspberries. Marionberry couldn't be too far off though, right? After an awkward interaction with the server, my lady and I stood in front of the register for a handful of minutes (there was nowhere else to stand) while the other customers were served their orders. We were a few feet from another couple and a couple of feet from a group of three, and we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. It was a small, bare environment that contained a counter, a soft serve machine and a small freezer, the latter which apparently did not have room for much in the way of raspberry reserves. I am all for businesses choosing to utilize environmentally conscientious practices, but when the disposable wooden spoon has more flavor to it than the ice cream, I think that's when it might be smart to opt for plastic. I'm no stranger to exchanging money for disappointment, but after reading the reviews I had much higher hopes for Nico's than what they had in store for our visit.

Chamoy ! I would say it is a sweet, savory sauce that gives it a zing. If you like that flavor, this is a must try. It's not spicy at all and worked great with my strawberry cone. I also tried the Marionberry, another home run, very fresh fruit with coconut on top, did I mention the ice cream is actually creamy and it melts in your mouth as intended as well as down your hand, maybe it's just me..I love local family owned businesses, this is one that should not get overlooked. The wait wasn't that bad at all, they move product pretty fast and it's a blast to see the process of your ice cream being made in real time. All & All - Yes please, extra yes to Marionberry with coconut sprinkles in a cone. Support local business is a no brainer to me. Enjoy, I'll see you in line.

Such a unique ice cream experience! Came here to try New Zealand style ice cream and see what it's all about. You can choose from different fruit flavors and they mix the fruit into the ice cream with their mixing machine. I got the Marionberry in a kids cone. The ice cream came out to be this beautiful pink color and it was quite a tall swirl. The fruit flavor was so prominent and the ice cream texture was so creamy, much like soft serve. I'd try the other flavors next time.

Soft serve is my weakness, and fresh fruit also. Hence, I had to try Nicos. This is my second time trying NZ style ice cream. First was with Zeds here in PDX, I believe they moved to Austin now. Anyway, Nico's is great. Not too sweet, like the regular ice creams, a huge plus for me. It's a perfect summer treat. I hope they add more fresh fruit flavors in the future.

We were denied service at Fremont location last night twelve minutes before closing time after driving from east county to get there in time. Will not be back.

Yummy little ice cream spot! Easy to find parking nearby. I tried the marionberry/raspberry in a waffle cone... so good! The service was quick and friendly and the ice cream was good, fun to watch them make it when you order and comes in a pretty generous serving.

it is too wonderful! The strawberry is delicious and the Marion berry is so wonderful also. I love the fact that it's not too sweet, you can really taste the fresh berries, my friends, all like the raspberry the best.

mediocre soft serve, all flavors made in the same machine so flavors are not strong at all. kind of crazy that it's 6 dollars for basic soft serve