Nothing like a trip down the shore for the beach and boardwalk. Let’s visit Betty’s Ice Box for some Hawaiian-style shaved ice!
I have been focusing on doing a weekly Adventure Day with my kids this summer, and each week we head off in a different direction. Our most recent Adventure Day took us to Asbury Park for an afternoon on the boardwalk, and that’s when we discovered Betty’s Ice Box. Although my youngest was on a quest for fried Oreos, which we successfully checked off our list, I was on the hunt for something much colder and more refreshing. It was about 90 degrees that afternoon and when I spied the sign for shaved ice, I knew it was exactly what I wanted.
Tucked right inside the entrance of the Asbury Park Convention Hall, Betty’s is a cute little spot with a varied selection of cool and refreshing treats. There are a few tables right outside their door if you want to stay for a bit, and we took that opportunity to rest while my oldest and his friend checked out the stores nearby.
Usually when I visit a new food establishment and feel overwhelmed by their menu, as I did on this day, I ask what their most popular sellers are, and the employee replied “all of them!” I laughed and, although that wasn’t exactly helpful, he nodded approvingly as I made my choices for shaved ice flavors: strawberry, coconut, and shark bite (strawberry mango). To his credit, I don’t think I could have gone wrong with any of them.
I went with a large for $7.50, figuring Maddie would share with me, and it was a very generous size. The machine they made it from looked quite retro, and since I’ve never seen how it was made before, I loved that I could watch from the counter. Starting with a huge block of clear ice, in just a few minutes it turns into a mound of ice shavings, and then she liberally doused it with the flavors (you can choose up to three different flavors). If shaved ice isn’t your thing, they also offer a variety of naturally flavored artisan popsicles, chocolate covered bananas, and soft serve ice cream. They also have vegan, gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, dye free options as well.
Singled out by Food Network as one of the Top 10 Shaved Ice Places in the Country, it’s a fun stop the next time you’re at the Jersey shore. Check out the murals, grab some Fried Oreos and a shaved ice, and people watch from a bench on the boardwalk.
Hungry for more to do down the shore?
Bahr’s Landing is a nice restaurant on the water with delicious seafood.
The National Guard Militia Museum is a great stop for history buffs.
We visited Insectropolis a few years ago, and my kids loved it.
One of our favorite beach escapes is Island Beach State Park.
Betty’s Ice Box
1300 Ocean Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
(732) 722-8310
Leave a Reply