A SEMI-SURREAL CREAMERY Restaurant Review: Surreal Creamery

Surreal Creamery, 6915 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, TX 75205

By Alexa Munoz | Staff Writer

P“Phone eats first!” said I, a first-time Surreal Creamery visitor, snapping pics of the aesthetically pleasing towers of ice cream that cost me over $20. Unfortunately for my taste buds and wallet, that was the only pleasing part of my Creamery experience.

Had the Creamery’s interior design matched the looks of the ice cream, my experience might have been better. The place was basically a confused attempt at a futuristic white box, with wooden chairs here and there and a barn door to separate the kitchen from the rest of the world. A wall-length mirror facing the seating area, a notable empty area and cold, white overhead lighting, put me in an even more uncomfortable mood. And that’s not to mention the screen on the front of the building playing the company’s TikToks on repeat (@ surrealcreamery).

After taking in the ambiance, I placed a diverse order of a “Brown Sugar Flotea’’ and a “Matcha Made in Heaven Signature Mason Jar.” The Flotea was a concoction of brown sugar bubble milk tea topped with Earl Gray ice cream and a graham cracker. The Mason Jar brought a combo of matcha ice cream with Lucky Charms cereal sprinkled throughout (“throughout” is used loosely – there were about 10 pieces of cereal topping the ice cream, with practically a breakfast of champion’s bowl of Lucky Charms below the surface). My order total was $26.76.

While waiting for a hardworking employee to fill my order, I took in the customers of Surreal Creamery. It was surreal all right — eerily surreal. I observed couples, families and friend groups not uttering a single word to each other, consumed in their phone screens which displayed their camera roll recents: pictures of their desserts. Unaware of the ice cream dripping onto the table before their eyes, what was of utmost importance was the angle the ice cream pics were taken from or what filters were plastered over them. There is no way I will be doing that, I naively thought to myself.

The Brown Sugar Flotea offered a beautiful brown-toned tall treat, but mediocre boba tea and even more mediocre vanilla ice cream. However, the brown sugar coated graham cracker, when drenched in the tea and ice cream, tied the rest of the dessert together, momentarily distracting my taste buds from utter disappointment.

Hoping to overcome the disappointment, I gulped down my first spoonful of the matcha Mason Jar maelstrom. I know what you’re thinking — when there are flavors like “Nom Nom Cookie Monster” and “It’s

My Birthday,” how could you possibly choose the one whose name even sounds mid? In my defense, I am an avid matcha tea drinker, in love with its mellow vegetal grassy notes and naturally sweet nuttiness. Before tasting the Flotea, I had expected matcha in ice cream form. Once again, I was disappointed by the blandness of the ice cream. And once again, the toppings (the Lucky Charms) saved the dessert.

Downing spoonful after spoonful, I soon found it a chore and challenge to eat any more of the desserts. There was so much to consume before the ice cream towers began to melt and topple over. What was I supposed to do? Throw away $20 of ice cream, force-feed myself, or strategically scoop the ice cream tower into a plastic cup with a lid, conveniently provided by the Surreal Creamery worker who magically knew I would need her help?

Obviously, I chose the third option, and empathy. I was unaware the ice cream would still be in my freezer three days later, untouched from the moment it was transferred into the cup. But it’s the thought that counts… and wait — how did the worker know I needed a “to-go” cup?

That’s the best part of Surreal Creamery — the employees. Whether they are aware of hyperfixation on phones that happens upon entry, or if they’re aware of their telepathic powers, their manners and hospitality made the experience for me.

Obviously, I could have placed

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other orders at the Creamery. I just so happened to create this combination, but I can’t lie and say the possibilities are not endless at this parlor. What I ordered may be the cream of the crop for other Surreal Creamery goers.

It is evident some people go to Surreal Creamery solely to take pictures. However, the experience would have been much more enjoyable had the ambiance been more appropriate, perhaps with a little wall decor and better music.

Additionally, I would like to see the Creamery cater to a wider range of dietary restrictions. Almost every dessert had gluten-contaminated toppings, and obviously the milk tea and ice cream would upset the stomachs of the lactose intolerant.

I know the Creamery can make a more intentional attempt to make the desserts taste good, either by focusing on the ice cream or the boba. Quality over quantity is a good rule of thumb, and trying a little less hard to be different might help this ice cream parlor’s case.

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