After only the first taste, I knew this sundae was different. The taste of the pecans, the hot fudge, the hot caramel. I am an ice cream fanatic; I eat ice cream no matter how cold I am or how cold it is outside. I decided to go around to local ice cream shops and compare each to see which one has the best turtle sundae. I used a 20-point scale.
Ice cream:
- 1-5 points for presentation
- 1-5 points for topping; how much candy they put in the ice cream
- 1-5 points for how well it’s mixed; whipped cream, pecans, hot fudge, hot caramel
Overall Visit:
- 1-5 points for service; caring toward customers
Captain Sundae
After a good dinner at Crazy Horse, my parents and I decided to get our dessert from Captain Sundae. I got a medium Tommy Turtle; it was $4.75. The ice cream was just right, it wasn’t too creamy, but it wasn’t too hard either. There was a perfect mixture of hot fudge and hot caramel. Both were the perfect temperature. The pecans were crunchy and candied just right. There was just enough whip cream that it wasn’t overpowering the rest of the sundae. The servers were polite and gave us our ice cream fast.
The Soft Spot
I decided to travel to The Soft Spot in Borculo. They only have two sizes for sundaes, a small or large. I got a small Speedy Turtle which was $4.50. There was more hot fudge than hot caramel, there wasn’t a good balance between the two; however, the pecans were good. They were chopped nicely and candied just right. The ice cream wasn’t too creamy or too hard. The servers had a good attitude and greeted me with a bubbly smile.
Skoops
Another place I went to was Skoops in Grand Haven. I got a medium Turtle Sundae, it was $4.79. The size was bigger than the ones I had got so far. There was a good blend of caramel and fudge. The pecans weren’t as salty as the rest of the sundaes. The sundae was perfectly presented, and the whipped cream was topped nicely. The servers were polite, but the service was slow because the shop was busy.
Culver’s
The next place I went to was Culver’s. I tend to enjoy most of the ice cream and shakes they have. I got a medium Turtle Sundae which cost $4.59. The pecans weren’t good; they weren’t chopped or candied. The hot fudge and caramel weren’t hot, and not mixed in the sundae well. There was too much of one and not the other.
Norm’s
Norm’s in Fruitport was one of the best ice cream places I have gone to. I got a medium of their Turtle Sundae, it was $5.29. It’s a little more expensive than the others, but the size matched the price. They used a big cup and the ice cream was overflowing slightly. They layered the toppings, so they put ice cream, then toppings, then more ice cream, and repeated that process. Unlike the other sundaes, there was enough toppings throughout the whole sundae. The servers were very nice, and even though they were a little busy they got our ice cream out fast.
Overall, I enjoyed going to each ice cream shop and taste testing the sundaes. But the place I enjoyed the most was Norm’s. They had a good consistency of ice cream and toppings. Even though the price was more than any other place, the serving was worth it.
Scoring:
Captain Sundae
Presentation…. 4.5/20
Toppings…..4/20
Mixing……3/20
Service….4/20
Total….15.5/20
The Soft Spot
Presentation…. 4/5
Toppings…..2/5
Mixing……2/5
Service….4/5
Total….12/20
Skoops
Presentation…. 4
Toppings…..4.5
Mixing……3
Service….4
Total….15.5/20
Culver’s
Presentation….3/5
Toppings…..2/5
Mixing……2/5
Service….3/5
Total….10/20
Norm’s
Presentation….5/5
Toppings…..4/5
Mixing……4.8/5
Service….4/5
Total….17.8/20
