For more than 20 years, Amy’s has been Austin’s favorite place to get dessert. Since 1993, it’s been one of Houston’s, too. Now they’re even in San Antonio. (At least it’s still a Texas thing.) They’re all equally wonderful places to end a first date or take the kids, with a fun, funky atmosphere featuring neon signs, a cow motif, and local art for sale.

But let’s get down to business. At 14% butterfat, Amy’s ice cream is rich and buttery, and the flavors change often. One of Amy’s main attractions is the friendly “scoopers” with eclectic headgear and behind-the-counter antics. They’re the engineers of the “crush-ins”—candy, fruit, excellent cookie dough, and dozens of other treats that are ruthlessly whacked and beaten into submission (and into your ice cream) in a spectacular scoop-flipping display that rivals the knife-throwing chefs at those Japanese teppanyaki steakhouses.

The technique was invented in Massachusetts in the 1970s by Steve Herrell, who started Steve’s (where Amy Miller once worked) and then Herrell’s; he called it the “smoosh-in.” The histrionic smoosh-in/crush-in/mix-in gimmick now forms the basis for national chains such as Cold Stone Creamery, but it’s the more locally focused purists like Amy and Steve that are keeping it real with ice cream that’s rich enough to match the trimmings. For a more in-depth take on the crush-in controversy, see the Fearless Critic review of DC’s Thomas Sweet at dc.fearlesscritic.com.

The dreamy, subtly flavored “Just Vanilla” is always on the menu, as is the sweeter, almost cinnamony “Mexican Vanilla,” which can be cloying for some tastes. Sweet cream, though, is ideal for those who enjoy simplicity—it places the focus on Amy’s silky base. Watermelon is as close to the real thing as it gets—it actually tastes like watermelon, not like artificial candy. We also love oatmeal raisin, with dense, chewy chunks of cookie that tastes freshly baked. A real surprise is the Shiner ice cream, made with local Shiner Bock beer. It looks like vanilla but has a sweet, delicate, fermented flavor that grows on you with each lick.

As fabulous as the ice cream is, here’s the downside: this is not DQ, and it ain’t cheap. Also, Amy’s is very popular and therefore often crowded. But once you’ve spooned some, you’ll forget the suffering.

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