From the scent of food trucks lining the streets of South Congress to the plethora of fine-dining options scattered throughout downtown, Austin’s food scene offers a unique dining experience for every occasion. 

For students seeking a treat to satisfy their sweet tooth, The Daily Texan compiled a review of these three iconic sweet shops that call Austin home. 

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams 

Located on 47th and Triangle Avenue, Jeni’s closest location resides just a 20-minute bus ride or a 10-minute drive from campus. In true ice cream parlor fashion, visitors will feel at home when basking in the store’s undeniable happiness and serenity. 

Good vibes and a colorful array of flavors make the shop’s unlimited sample policy all the more exciting. With flavors like butterscotch popcorn, brown butter almond brittle and milkiest chocolate, Jeni’s provides a tasty and unique selection for dessert fiends, nut lovers and chocolate connoisseurs alike. 

Jeni’s also provides a catalog of unique fruit options like wildberry lavender, brambleberry crisp and watermelon taffy sure to pique interests and intrigue ice cream lovers who value flavors with a little pizzazz. Jeni’s offers great ice cream, a lovely atmosphere and an overall great experience. 

Tiff’s Treats

Setting up shop at the intersection of Nueces and MLK Boulevard, Tiff’s Treats can be found with just a quick walk to the edge of campus. Although Tiff’s Treats is primarily a delivery business, the physical store operates out of a small house, making visitors feel as if they’re buying homemade cookies. 

Warmed up and wrapped with a bow, a box of Tiff’s Treats cookies feels like a gift no matter the occasion. 

“Tiff’s Mix” comes with the shop’s five most popular cookies: chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, M&M and oatmeal raisin. The chocolate chip, peanut butter and snickerdoodle will satisfy sugary cravings and provide Austinites with a tasty dessert that feels like it comes directly from a mother’s oven. Their chocolate chip cookie, a beloved staple, tastes like a warm hug, sure to make any consumer smile upon first bite.  

The iconic Austin-born brand makes for a must-try when in need of a quick sweet treat near campus. 

Amy’s Ice Cream

Located on Guadalupe and 35th Street, Austin staple Amy’s bustles with a steady mix of lifelong Austinites, newcomers and visitors on any given day. The small and busy store offers an air of excitement with its frozen treats. 

Amy’s boasts a plentiful mix of traditional and unique flavors. With so many options, visitors are left with the world’s best problem: too many flavors to choose from. While this may provide the ultimate Sophie’s Choice debacle for indecisive ice cream lovers, it’s hard to go wrong with any flavors at Amy’s.  

However, the star of Amy’s is its unique and fantastical ambience. The store’s atmosphere brims with color and quirkiness, making the perfect family-friendly outing. Servers at the shop even occasionally throw scoops of ice cream in the air and catch them in cones or cups as an exciting treat. The shop also includes fun daily riddles, movie quote guessing games and decorations educating visitors on its founding.