Sweet Republic Is the Original Great Ice Cream Spot
Sweet Republic
It probably happened sooner in the big coastal cities, but when Sweet Republic opened in Phoenix, it was like a flavor revolution. Sure, you could still get a few standard flavors, but most of the selection looked like it was from a top restaurant. Blue cheese was on the menu. Bacon, back when bacon was all the rage. The mint chocolate chip actually tasted like mint—not the artificial mint syrup we’d all grown up with. There’s more competition now for fancy ice cream, but there’s still no one in the Valley (or in the world?) doing things quite like Sweet Republic.
N. Scottsdale/PV - 9160 E Shea Blvd
Uptown - 6054 N 16th St
S. Scottsdale/Arcadia - 410 N Scottsdale Rd
Awards + Accolades
What to Get
Basil Lime Sorbet
Of all the Sweet Republic creations old and new, our favorite is still the Basil Lime sorbet. It's a simple but refreshing combination of fresh lime juice and pieces of basil that makes a perfect after-dinner treat for the summertime. We love the lightness of this dessert -- and that fact that it doesn't make us feel quite as guilty as other frozen treats. The simplicity of the dessert really lets the high quality ingredients shine.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
Honey and Blue Cheese Ice Cream
Cookies and ice cream always go together and if you want the perfect blend of sweet and savory in an ice cream, then get yourself over to Sweet Republic for the Honey & Blue Cheese ice cream. You may never have expected to hear yourself say, "I'm craving blue cheese ice cream," but that's about to change.
- Aaron Eckburg, Phoenix New Times
Lavender-Basil-Corn Trio
First, Helen Yung and Jan Wichayanuparp wowed us with basil-lime sorbet, so bracingly refreshing it brings instant enlightenment. Then they courted us with sensuous, cologne-scented lavender honey ice cream (our favorite). Then they seduced with sweet corn ice cream, studded with local kernels. Scoop them side by side and you have sunny, optimistic summer in a cup.
- Keridwen Cornelius, Phoenix Magazine
Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
So what's the go-to default option? I'd have to say salted butter caramel. This classic Sweet Republic flavor is always on the menu, and I've been known to sample half a dozen flavors before panicking with indecision and, in the end, going with something tried and true. Salted butter caramel is always a good choice because the beauty of this ice cream flavor is its simplicity. It's just the right amount of salty so as not to coat your mouth with aggressive sugary notes, and the buttery, richness of the caramel still comes through even as the ice cream melts in your spoon.
- Lauren Saria, Phoenix New Times
Sichuan Pepper Chocolate Ice Cream
Helen Yung and Jan Wichayanuparp are not ones to rest on their laurels. Despite seeing their Sichuan pepper orange chocolate ice cream spotlighted in TIME magazine last summer, the Sweet Republic owners bravely decided to fine-tune the seasonal flavor this year with a modified recipe.
- Gwen Ashley Walters, Phoenix Magazine
Toffee Banofi Sundae
The popular artisanal ice cream shop, with two locations in the Valley (plus a location at Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor), has been making this signature sundae for almost a decade. It was notably featured a few years ago on the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, where none other than Alton Brown named it one of his favorite all-time ice cream treats.
- Patricia Escárcega, Phoenix New Times
