Soft Swerve Ice Cream - Allen

Actually delightful. Banging soft serve. Super smooth and creamy. Great flavor. We tried the ube and matcha. Both were great. Pretty strong flavors but not too overwhelming. A small is more than enough to share. We shared with 3 people and it was huge. You can get multiple flavors in a small, even if they’re not in the same machine. I appreciated this SO much. The lighting inside is very harsh and fluorescent lol.

We stopped by Soft Swerve’s Allen St location on a warm NYC afternoon, and it was exactly the cool, colorful escape we were craving. The space is small but bright and welcoming, with a fun pastel aesthetic and friendly staff who were happy to guide us through the flavors and toppings. We ordered the Chocolate Éclair sundae, which was a knockout—vanilla soft serve drizzled with chocolate syrup, loaded with crushed Oreo cookies and topped with golden cookie dust. Rich, decadent, and surprisingly balanced for how indulgent it looked. The other sundae (I forgot the name!) had a striking black sesame base and was beautifully topped with crunchy peanuts, gooey caramel drizzle, and soft mochi pieces. It had a nutty, slightly roasted flavor that paired wonderfully with the textures of the toppings—chewy, creamy, and crisp all in one bite. There’s a generous DIY topping bar with everything from rainbow sprinkles and rice krispies to cereal puffs and toffee bits. Prices are fair for NYC, especially considering how premium the flavors are. This spot truly lives up to the hype—it’s not just about looks; the flavors are bold and memorable. If you’re in the Lower East Side, make time for a swirl. Pro tip: Go for a sundae combo and mix in mochi + peanuts for texture heaven!

Very delicious ice cream. 5/5. I had the cookies and cream with almonds and toasted coconut. Sooo good. And it was decently priced for lower Manhattan. Should def visit

Amazing flavors. This Icecream shop lets you add unconventional toppings and pairings. Staff is always kinda and helpful. I love this place

101F out today, and this hits just right. I would get it again l, just without the coconut or mochi despite the recommendation. Beware of the plastic spoons. The edges are very sharp and it cut my top lip.

Stopped there for ice cream after dinner. It was one of the coldest January evenings but the delicious ice cream was worth the walk to Soft Swerve. Definitely recommend the Ube ice cream - our favorite flavor there. The place is small if you want to eat inside but when the weather is nice, everyone is just grabbing the ice cream and eating it outside.

the ice cream and soft serve at this unassuming spot is really good! i wish i had gotten to try the black sesame soft serve but they were unfortunately out of stock. my companions and i tried the hong kong milk tea ice cream, chocolate ice cream w sprinkles and an ube soft serve topped with oreo. the service staff were uber friendly and accommodating despite all our indecisiveness. the ice cream was very creamy and everything tasted yummy 🍨

I ordered the birthday cake and once I was a few blocks away realized they didn’t put any “crushed vanilla cookies”. Only sprinkles, other than that it was like any typical soft serve. The service tonight wasn’t the best

I'm constantly on the hunt for unique and exciting ice cream spots, and Soft Swerve definitely did not disappoint! From the moment I walked in, I could tell this place was something special. I went for their signature ube flavor, and let me tell you--it was incredible. The texture was incredibly smooth and creamy, and the flavor was so rich and vibrant, it completely surpassed my expectations. It's hands down one of the best soft serve or frozen yogurt flavors I've ever had. What I love about Soft Swerve is that it's not just about the ice cream; the entire experience is top-notch. The shop itself has such a cozy, inviting vibe--perfect for grabbing a quick treat or even hanging out for a bit. The staff was super chill and really friendly, taking the time to explain their flavors and make recommendations. Plus, the variety of toppings they offer is impressive. I ended up getting a combination of mochi and crushed Oreos, which were the perfect complement to the ube. I can tell this place puts a lot of care into the quality of both their flavors and their service. I'm already planning my next visit because I'm eager to try more of their unique flavors. Whether you're a local or just passing through, I highly recommend stopping by Soft Swerve. You won't be disappointed!

Asian-inspired soft serve spot in LES. I got the Ube-Black sesame swirl, but also tried the Hojicha-Vanilla swirl. Ube is incredible (my favorite)- sweet and creamy! The black sesame is very strong, would recommend getting alone instead of the swirl since it overpowers the ube. The Hojicha was also nice- a nice nutty roasted flavor. All have a very smooth texture but are very sweet btw! A decent amount of seating inside. They give samples which is a plus.

We spontaneously stopped by Soft Swerve for quick dessert after dinner. It is an Asian-inspired ice cream shop with five NYC locations. We got their bestselling ube and HK milk tea, but there are also many flavors like including thai tea, vietnamese coffee, black sesame, matcha and hojicha. ＊HK Milk Tea Ice Cream The HK milk tea ice cream tasted very authentic with bold tea flavor as if you're drinking iced HK style milk tea directly. It was on the sweeter side so better share. It instantly reminded us the taste of home. ＊Ube Soft Serve The ube flavor was very rich, and we were surprised by how tall the soft serve was. Texture-wise, we preferred the soft serve as it was smoother than the ice cream. I will get this flavor again next time I stop by.

Walked in with a couple friends on a Monday night - no one was there but it was so cute and the ice cream is delicious. Soft serve especially was a hit, with the ube being my favorite. Kind service and cute aesthetic too!

This review is for the vegan ube ice cream alone since that's the only vegan option that they have. I'm in love! The ice was soo good. I might have inhaled the cup because it was gone right away. If you haven't tried it you're missing out.

Quintessential ice cream shop with out of the ordinary flavors. Ube. Lychee. Thai Coffee. So much to choose from. Several various of cones. Several kinds of drinks. Lots of places to sit in the bright, airy shop. Service was all business.

SO GOOD. You can get scoops or soft serve of a ton if unique familiar flavors such as ube, black sesame, hong kong milk tea, and their newest hojicha!!! My top fav is the soft serve hojicha and black sesame. Everything is sweet but not too sweet. Service is really good and the shop has a few seating. Good as a quick meet up spot or a quick grab for dessert. There are also different type of cones and toppings to choose from as well.

This was the perfect end of day treat for our first day in NYC. I had their soft serve ube ice cream which had authentic ube taste. My husband got their Thai coffee ice cream. We paid over $16 for the two ice creams which is why I am only giving them 4 stars. It's pretty pricey for what we got. I've had better. I also found the place to be not too clean. I get that we went late but consistency throughout the day is important, especially if you're charging that much.

Omg what a surprise treat after dinner. Best soft serve in NYC and now I know why. Had the UBE soft serve and it did not disappoint. They also had a vegan UBE which she said had more a coconut flavor. I will be back to try more flavors.

Amazing ice cream! The consistency is EXACTLY what you want from soft serve. It's absolutely perfect in every way. I loved the matcha and ube flavors and got to try some of the others as well. Everyone here seemed to be 110% satisfied with their ice cream. Highly recommend this!!

Flavors are just as good as I remember from previous visits! Tried some flavors that were new to me during this visit: 5/5 HK Milk Tea - such strong tea flavor, more than most cafes! 5/5 Strawberry Lychee - super refreshing flavor, and it does taste like the fresh fruits! 5/5 Matcha - perfect amount of matcha flavor with a satisfying slight bitter bite at the end! 4.5/5 Ube Soft Swerve is definitely worth a visit if you are in the mood for ice cream! Would easily recommend this spot over Chinatown Ice Cream Factory or Taiyaki. Also would like to add that in my opinion, this Allen St location has seems to have stronger flavors than the newer Bayard St location.

This was my first time at Soft Swerve and my first time having ube ice cream. I'd heard about the Asian inspired flavors here and I was curious to try something new. It was also my first time having a chocolate cone. Double the adventure! I ended up looking like a giraffe after because my tongue and teeth were stained with purple and black but it was #worthit. The ube was really good. The purple yam flavor is mild and sweet and subtly nutty. Similar feeling as black sesame but more sweet. The cone with the ube was a nice pairing. It's a little on the pricey side though. I paid over $10 for my cone. Not sure I would ever be a regular here but it was a nice thing to try. There isn't a lot of seating as the store is small so I definitely do recommend getting your ice cream to go.

5/5 ice cream, hits the spot on a hot day. I got the matcha soft serve and black sesame soft swerve in a waffle cone. They do let you pick two flavors, but they have to stack them as there's no "swirl" function. The black sesame is rich and nutty- definitely a comforting flavor to me. The matcha was refreshing and sweet, definitely not a strong or bitter matcha flavor. My boyfriend got the hard ice cream- cookies and cream and almond cookie. The cookies and cream was solid; he said it wasn't anything to write home about but it's exactly what you'd expect. He loved the almond cookie flavor- very unique, sweet, and had a strong almond flavor. The workers here don't skimp on the scoops like look at those pics! Also be warned, there's not a lot of seating indoors so you might have to sit outside (which I don't love because I'm not a fast eater and my ice cream would start to melt). Maybe get a cup if you're not able to sit inside.

I was craving matcha ice cream. Since I was in Chinatown, I searched for one in this neighborhood. Originally, I was going to go to Matcha Cafe Maiko on Bowery. However, I was closer to Soft Swerve. I went there instead. Prices are more reasonable. For a cone of matcha, the cost is $9 at Maiko. At Soft Swerve, the cost is $7. I went in and there were two employees. One worker was the cashier. Another worker was making the ice cream. I asked for a twist of black sesame and matcha on a cone. Service was quick. I was in there less than 2 minutes. I highly recommend this shop. I loved the ice cream I ordered. It's close to grand street (B/D train) and M15 bus.

Came here years ago for the Ube soft serve, which was all the rage at the time. It's good, but a tad too sweet for me. Got the black sesame soft serve today, and it is on point. Service was helpful, and let me sample a couple of flavors beforehand. Too bad the ice cream is so pricey. $7 for a cup is a bit too steep to make me a regular.

Small place with great ice cream. Loved the vanilla and ube swirl. I love soft serve and always nice to get some unique flavors. It was very smooth and creamy, had great flavors, and was the perfect thickness (some soft serve is too light and airy).

Good flavors. Great texture. Amazing taste. I will say I prefer the ube over the black sesame. The black sesame can be a bit overpowering.

Have they always had vegan ube? I don't know, but where has it been all my life? It is *the* best vegan ice cream I've ever had. It's not soft serve of course, so just keep that in mind. I think this just proves you can't go wrong with ube-flavored anything. It's such a treat to visit for all their amazing flavors! Black sesame and matcha twist is a must. Just try everything.

I love the Uber and matcha soft serve. Always so good. And it's such a pretty color omg. Come come come!

We walked in this ice cream store after dinner and found it surprisingly good! Pros: - creative flavors! Get plenty of choices for future come backs. - yummy yummy I ordered ube flavor the first bite was amazing. - spacious. They have sit down spaces. Cons: - on the pricey end. For a cup of swirl it's $8.

Just writing this review makes me want to go back! I love soft serve, ESPECIALLY asian-inspired flavors. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the flavor options, but I opted for matcha and black sesame (my absolute favorite). The soft serve was so creamy and smooth, and the matcha and black sesame flavors came across really well. They had so many great flavors, it was difficult to choose. There's limited seating inside but definitely worth a stop for dessert when you're in Chinatown!

The black sesame ube soft serve swirl is something you must try once. It's so nutty and indulgent. I like mine with a little crunch so I topped it with fruity pebbles and toasted coconut. With my total coming out to $8.25 I think it's a pretty solid price considering the size and the economy. The service was quick and easy and the place was small with limited seating but cute for a small stop in!

Very yummy ice cream that is open late with vegan options! We tasted the strawberry lychee and cookies n cream and really liked both! We ordered 2 scoops and did not expect to get so much ice cream. Yum!

This adorable ice cream parlor had such a welcoming atmosphere, and the attendant was incredibly kind and patient. They graciously allowed my children and me to sample various flavors before we settled on our choices. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed my delectable cookie and cream ice cream served in a rich chocolate black cone.

Cute little Asian ice cream shop with a few colorful table/seats. Loved the variety of unique ice cream choices. However there were fewer choices than expected. 8 for hard ice cream and approximately 4 for soft serve. Would give 3/5 stars though. The lychee ice cream tasted artificial with some strawberry chunks. The frozen hot chocolate just tasted like regular chocolate. Quite expensive (more than amazing gelato/ice cream places) for just 2 scoops. The service was quick and the staff was pleasant. Could be cleaner though as a restaurant.

Yeah, this hits the spot. For some strange reason, Chinatown has had its share of ice cream places. Baxk in the 1950's and 60's there was Carvel on Henry Street and then on Mulberry and Canal. Baskin-Robbins and even Haagen Daazs had their turns. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory survives on Bayard with their not-so-conventional flavors catering to a loyal Asian based clientele, with Lychee and Green Tea staple flavors along side chocolate and vanilla. Now we have this outlet in the heart of Chinatown on Bayard Street. Not just soft serve among their offerings, but you can get hard scooped Vegan Ube along with Cookies and Cream. I am old school sticking with a vanilla soft serve cone. Yeah, that's the ticket. The girls behind the counter were not any older than my socks, but I am not complaining. The shop was decorated with a creative touch. I got the distinct impression these owners infused a bit of the historic neighborhood in the interior design. The ice cream was top notch.

What a fun place to grab dessert in Chinatown! They have some interesting and creative ice cream and soft swerve flavors. If you don't know what to get, be sure to ask to sample a flavor or two. I believe their flavors change throughout the seasons so I'll definitely come back to try others. I ended up getting a scoop of the Strawberry Lychee and it was delicious. It was just the right amount of sweetness and the lychee flavor stands out nicely. It was a great balance between strawberries and lychee in my opinion. They also have such a big scoop of ice cream so shout out to them (unfortunately did not get their name). If you're in the area, this is a great dessert spot after dinner.

The black sesame ice cream was rich and flavorful - it carried more weight than most black sesame flavored desserts I have. Their soft serves are really creamy - why I appreciate . And the candy crunch topping was a good choice !

I remember when Soft Swerve was the new trend all over IG. After many years, it is still a very photogenic treat. The space itself is kind of bare with a couple of tables and chairs by the front for sit down. The service is friendly and prompt and the serving sizes are fair. On this last visit, I ordered black sesame and ube soft serve. The black sesame flavor really came through with its rich nuttiness and the ube was smooth and creamy with a potato finish.

Ice cream AND soft serve available at this location of this chain, where helpful staff will help you navigate the different flavors and options. Ube lovers will go crazy. My daughter got their frozen hot chocolate on the bottom and vanilla soft served with crunched Oreo cookies on top. A huge thing that didn't disappoint.

Quick, friendly, and most of all DELICIOUS!! Love the ube flavor soft serve, it never fails. Pairs well with fruity pebbles! Consistently great. Small store but if there's ever a line, it goes quick. Inside has limited seating

Great after dinner dessert! Quick, clean, and super convenient with a ton of options. Delicious Asian inspired flavors that I've never seen before like lychee strawberry and of course they had the classic Asian flavors such as matcha, ube, and black sesame. It was also not too expensive.

I always pass by soft swerve in kips bay and decided to finally try it out at their Chinatown location. The almond cookie ice cream was super good, the single scoop was very hefty, and service was fast. My bf got the ube swirl and they also did not hold back when filling his cup. Perfect now that the weather is getting hotter!

Got their matcha and ube swirl soft serve and while my friend liked it, i didn't enjoy it. I prefer strong flavors and I thought that the ube and matcha taste was too mild. At times I forgot I was eating ube soft service. It had a very creamy dairy forward flavor and texture, so if that's your palate then perhaps you'll enjoy this place! The store is small with a few tables to sit at. Friendly service!

Fantastic & unique flavor options! Strawberry Lychee had occasional bits of "real?" berry which exemplified the icecream taste.

Nothing like a Soft Swerve matcha and black sesame soft serve to make my day! On a hot humid summer's eve, slowly savoring a cool, creamy balance of fragrant matcha and sesame--what moment of bliss :)

We were craving dessert after dinner and stumbled across this shop while walking around. There was no line and service was relatively quick. We ordered the ube and vanilla soft serve in a cup. They also have an option for soft serve in a cone as well. Both flavors were super creamy without being too sweet. I recommend the vanilla if you're looking for a plainer, but still sweet dessert. The portion sizes are also pretty generous; two cups are more than enough shared between 2 people. Definitely recommend coming here for a sweet treat!

Loved this hole in the wall Asian inspired ice cream spot. They serve soft serve flavors like Matcha and Black Sesame. If hard ice cream is more your speed, try the Vietnamese coffee flavor. Nothing fancy. It's just plain yummy.

This is a cute ice cream shop. They are known for their soft serve, but they also have traditional ice cream. They are generous with letting customers taste their unique selection of flavors. I enjoyed the black sesame and almond cookie. For a full portion, I went with half ube, half hojicha. The hojicha is a roasted green tea flavor and tasted like rich earl grey. If you mix flavors that are not already combined on the menu, they are not able to swirl them evenly so you have to pick which one you want on the top and bottom. Their soft serve is very smooth and creamy. They have three small tables in the shop. It gets busy even late at night.

Quite good! This is one of the better Thai Tea ice creams I've had. The tea flavor was very strong and fragrant. The ice cream was creamy, and they had unique flavors, so I would probably go back to try a few more. The service was nice about letting us try different flavors, and there's two or three small tables inside to enjoy your ice cream. Overall a pleasant experience!

Not your average soft serve! Much creamier and decadent than what you'd find at most other places. Awesome ube flavor, they also have others like vanilla and hojicha. My friend and I split one, but by the end of it, I wished I had gotten my own just because of how good it was.

Came here while visiting nyc for the day. They have all the perfect Asian flavor combinations to try. They have soft serve and ice cream. I was in a soft serve mood today. Got the ube vanilla twist. There was even a promo to download some app and get an ice cream up to $10 value. You get a lot of ice cream which I do expect for the price of one! Quick service and fairly busy for a Friday afternoon. I would recommend to try this spot out if you're in the area.

Came here to have an ube ice cream in cone. The service was great. The staff tells you about the cone options. The store has many traditional Chinese decorations to buy. More like a historical exhibit. The ice cream tastes natural and sweet. Not too chilly. Just in the right temperature. Not pricey for an ice cream.

Came here for some dessert and left here feeling very happy! This is a small cute dessert shop that sells soft serves with different flavors and toppings of Asian flavors. We ended up getting the ube flavored one with mochi and this was absolutely delicious. I also tried my friends sesame flavored one and absolutely LOVED IT!!! Definitely recommend to try that one even though it's less popular. Overall really fun dessert experience!

I haven't had soft serve in a while, so when my partner suggested getting ice cream after dinner the other night, I gladly agreed. We ended up choosing soft swerve as it was close by and looked good. All of the flavors looked delicious (both soft serve and scoops), but we landed on soft serve. The person working there recommended we get the ube and vanilla swirl. It was the perfect temperature, consistency and creaminess. I wish they had a smaller size so we could have tried the other swirl as well, but it would have been a lot of ice cream. A bit pricey for the size, but really good.

Loved the aesthetic and flavors of their ice cream! We came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place didn't have any other patrons, making the ordering process super quick and efficient. The person working was kind enough to let us buy one of the premade creations but switch the coconut flakes for mochi - kind and quick service for sure! The dessert itself was delicious and really hit the spot for an afternoon treat. The cup looked super cute and I love how tall they make the swirl - really smooth and nice. The mochi were the perfect texture and that mixed with the crunch of the cereal was super satisfying. We came here specifically for the ube flavor as well and weren't disappointed -- super tasty! And the price was reasonable as well! I'd love to come back and try their other flavors one day as well. Thanks Soft Swerve!

Give it up for my California people visiting NYC and have had something called.... SomiSomi! I'm the type of person where once I've had a really good version of something (SomiSomi soft serve), my biases make their way into my mind (and tummy.) Did I expect Soft Swerve to be the best soft serve ice cream I've ever had the chance of having? Maybe. Was it? Nope. This place was just regular-schmegular ice cream to me. The soft serve texture was lacking, flavor/intensity of the soft serve was missing, and toppings were just o k. Convenient location since it's nearby bars and restaurants but not the best dessert option in my opinion.

Food (4/5): Got the thai tea and hojicha flavors for ice cream. The thai tea was really good and had a nice sweetness although the hojicha had an odd earthy flavor and not necessarily my favorite. I liked how they had a variety of unique flavors. Service (4/5): While the server was of neutral friendliness, the person helped with letting us try a few flavors and served us the ice cream efficiently. Venue (4/5): Nicely decorated and gets the job done for an ice cream shop.

Ordered the Broadway sundae. Toppings and combination was interesting and tasty (it's icecream after all). But overall so many better places in the city that I would prioritize going to