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For those seeking a Brooklyn ices or ice cream fix, Uncle Louie G’s is a place of pilgrimage, a shrine to all things sweet, cold and luscious. Since its beginnings on Coney Island Avenue in 1995, the shop has rapidly multiplied to include a factory in Brooklyn and more than 50 outlets in the tri-state area, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and invented scores of new flavors—from Holi Cannoli and Bada Bing Cherry Vanilla to Strawberry Fields and Mucho Mango. Despite the expansion, grabbing a frozen treat at one of their stands still feels all local, as kids crowd the counter deliberating the merits of bubblegum or cotton candy ice—and their parents dig into more sophisticated flavors, like cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew. Enormous sundaes, egg creams, and custom ice cream cakes are also available, along with other old-school favorites, like chocolate-dipped bananas and chocolate-covered, sprinkle-drenched pretzels. — Helen Zelon

Extra

Uncle Louie G may sound like a Brooklyn cliché, but he's a real guy: the father of Ricky and John Russo, who started the business in 1995.

Recommended Dishes

Brooklyn egg cream, $2; mucho mango Italian ice, $1.75-$3

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