Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant

It might be possible to walk into the Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale, AZ, in a bad mood, but it would take some real effort to leave that way. Before walking through the front doors, the Sugar Bowl will cheer you up with its bubblegum pink facade and multi-colored sign. From the outside, the Sugar Bowl could be taken for an old time carnival arcade, the kind you find on beach-front boardwalks that are filled with pinball machines, video games and skee-ball, but another colorful sign a little further down the building tells you it’s really an ice cream parlor/restaurant.

The cheeriness continues inside with more pink, more pink, lots and lots of pink. On paper, it might sound dreadful, but in person it’s not. It looks just right and the atmosphere is happy and friendly.

The décor in the Sugar Bowl looks just right because it’s the real thing, not a modern day knockoff. In 1958, original owner Jack Huntress converted an old auto repair shop into the restaurant and opened for business. The restaurant is still in the same location and still in the same family, with Jack’s nephew, Carroll running the show.

The atmosphere is family-friendly, but it appeals to all ages. On this particular Friday night we were surrounded by an older couple, a group of high school friends, and a married couple with kids and grandparents in tow. It was noisy and bustling and it seemed like everyone was relaxed and having a good time. That kind of levity is contagious and it means the Sugar Bowl is doing something right.

For starters, you can sit at a table, a booth, or the counter. Either one has its charms. The seats at the tables are classic ice cream parlor chairs in silver and (want to guess?) pink. The booths are upholstered in (you guessed it!) pink, and they’re overstuffed and cozy. The counter, an authentic 1950’s soda fountain, seats 10, and it’s the place to sit if you want to enjoy a sundae and do your people watching at the same time. There is a mix of art on the walls, but the Family Circus cartoons by local Bil Keane stand out and reinforce the family friendly atmosphere. Sugar Bowl has been featured throughout the years as a favorite location in Keane’s comic strip.

As soon as we walked in, we were met by a friendly hostess who picked up menus and brought us to our booth. The menu is four big pages long. Three of the pages are filled with a fantastic array of ice cream options: sundaes, splits, shakes, sherbets. If it’s not on the menu, Sugar Bowl will make it for you. The food selection is limited to soups, sandwiches, and salads. Mostly standard fare, done in a standard way. My burger was fresh and tasty, served with potato chips, cole slaw, and a big crunchy pickle. Hon ordered a chef’s salad, which came with two bite-sized pieces of date-nut bread and honey-nut filling. The bread was so good, Hon wanted to skip the salad and order a few more slices, but he behaved and ate the salad, which was filling, if slightly skimpy on the meat.

Our server was adorable. Once she found out that we were visiting from Baltimore she wanted to hear all about it. It was so nice to talk to a (very) young server who could actually carry on a conversation. She was so youthful and adorable that we didn’t even get annoyed when she enthusiastically gushed, “No problem!” every time we said, “Thank You.” Actually, we did get annoyed, but we were in such good moods we decided not to let it bother us.

When it was time to pick a dessert, we were a bit overwhelmed by the huge selection, so we decided to put off the decision until our next visit. I’m not sure I feel right writing about the Sugar Bowl and not getting ice cream, but we were just wrapping up a long day of travel and wanted to enjoy the ice cream when we were fresh and awake. Secretly, I think we opted out so that we’d have a good excuse to go back again and personally, I can’t wait.

The Sugar Bowl is located at 4005 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. They are open Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. The Sugar Bowl’s party room, the Fiesta, is a separate area where kids can run around and play pinball games without disturbing the main dining room. Fiesta is available for large parties and groups. Call (480) 946-0051. http://www.sugarbowlscottsdale.com