Surf City Sweets
Surf City Sweets
I’m no food blogger, and definitely no sophisticated foodie, but we surely do enjoy some local sweets! Based on our experiences, we have put together list of dessert and sweet shops in Surf City for our visiting clients to enjoy while they are here too. This list is based almost completely on the opinions of our four children, so take that as a solid recommendation (or not, because: kids 🤣🤣).
Second disclaimer: I don’t like chocolate much at all, so don’t look to me for the best chocolate desserts in town! Flavors I like are usually fruity or vanilla, I also love tropical flavors and I’m here for anything salty-sweet. My husband and kids like chocolate though, so we’re not actively avoiding the world’s favorite flavor, I promise!
Pelican SnoBalls
This is a huge favorite for my kids. They live for those brightly colored snocones, and I love the pina colada flavor myself. Our sweet, amazing realtor, Rhonda Kelly, gifted us a bag of Pelican’s silver coins when we closed on our house. Each coin is a dollar off and we have loved spending those coins. The Tooth Fairy even brought a couple more to us! :)
Here are the younger kids’ favorite flavors at Pelican:
The Unicorn (has sparkly pink whipped cream on top),
Shark Attack with a blue shark gummy,
and the Butterfly Kiss with a big red butterfly gummy on top.
Pelican’s SnoBalls also sponsored my son’s Surf City Parks and Rec soccer team one season so our little guy loved going to see himself in the team picture on their wall — they’ve since moved locations and there was no soccer season this year but they are now next to Domino’s across from the ABC store. The kids are still just as excited to go, no matter the location!
2. Local’s Ice Cream
There are several good ice cream spots, but Local’s is one of our family visits a lot on summer evenings.
It’s the Waves.
They are basically like a concrete, and come in yummy candy bar flavors like Reese’s, Heath, or Mint Chocolate Chip, and all mixed together with delicious ice cream.
They also have sea salt caramel ice cream scoops in a cone, and that’s my jam. It’s nice to order your ice cream and then sit on the picnic tables outside while you eat and enjoy the breeze.
Locals is located on the corner of Roland Ave and New River, in between Swingbridge Beer & Wine and Wings (affectionately known as the Dolphin store in our family because of the dolphins pictured at the top of the building).
Reese’s Cup Wave from Local’s Ice Cream in Surf City NC
Local’s Ice Cream Shop
3. Sugar Kingdom
Ok, so this one is just kid heaven. It opened this year and our kids think it as amazing as my dad thinks an antique store full of bargains is. I guess how I feel about Target or a jewelry store? So many pretty things! Hahaa.
The first time my 9yo daughter went inside she got her dad to win her a big neon dog from the claw machine. Taco the Dog lives happily on her bed now. We also came home that night with a new toy truck, a 5lb gummy candy (why??), 2 surprise eggs, Yoo-hoo candy bars, some shark shaped candy, and a weird toilet powder candy dipper that my kids thought was hilarious. I bought myself some salt water taffy. I like pineapple and coconut the best, but the strawberry cream is also yum.
In addition to candy sold by the pound and the prepackaged candy, they also have ice cream and fresh fudge by the counter. Good luck to parents getting past the toys first though!
Sugar Kingdom is at 125 N Topsail Drive in Surf City.
4. Fractured Prune
(Always Hot) Doughnuts!!! We love Fractured Prune doughnuts, and we love eating them on the back deck watching the sound and the Surf City Bridge. My mom always gets plain glazed to dip in her coffee, my husband loves the peach flavors, and my favorite is the sea salt caramel doughnut. The kids love all of them. Sometimes our littlest gets chocolate and sometimes she gets strawberry with sprinkles. Such a sweet way to start our day!
Fractured Prune is located at 303 S Topsail Drive, just south of the Surf City roundabout.
I will continue to update this little guide as we visit more local favorites this summer (and I snap a few pics!) but other sweet recs in town are Beach Bunny Ice Cream, Island Delights Ice Cream, Tiki Turtles, and Sugar Island Bakery! There’s also Topsail Popcorn Factory and a few other spots! Check back for more info soon!!