Snow Monster

The Matcha Snow Ice was great! Only reason for 4 stars. The passionfruit flavor was too sour, and the Pure Ice is not worth ordering (we only got it because one person was lactose intolerant).
THE WAIT
None on a Saturday around 2−3pm. Plenty of room four a group of 7. Service was quick.
4 stars: Matcha Snow Ice (I believe this was the snow ice). Fantastic texture. Fruit weren’t quite ripe, a little sour. The red bean was great.
3 stars: Passionfruit Snow Ice. Great texture just like the match, but I found the passionfruit flavor to be way too sour and intense. The mochi were soft & didn’t become hard with the ice!
2 stars: Mango Pure Ice. Not worth getting any Pure Ice! Melts quickly, and the ice loses its texture

My husband and I are SO excited we found this place. Many years ago, a similiar place opened in Tampa, FL where we lived. We were obsessed and went all the time. It closed a short 6 months later. Nothing similar ever came to the bay area. We thought we would never have «snow» ice cream again.
Then we moved to Austin! With a ice cream craving and a quick google search, Snow Monster came up. Could it be?! Fluffy, delicious snow ice cream?! It was even BETTER! The flavor options and ALL of the toppings!!! Too good. So happy we have snow ice cream in our life again!
We went on a Saturday evening and it was PACKED. Long line and not a table for everyone. Probably better to avoid peak hours if you wish to sit and enjoy your snow.
The bowls are HUGE. You can easily share a small. The large is insanely big and could feed a family! You have to pay per topping so choose carefully :)
This place is unbelievable. Go now for a refreshing treat after a hot Texas day!

You would like think there would be more staff working here on a Saturday afternoon, especially during graduation weekend, right? There were only two people working when my family and I arrived. We ordered small bowls of multiple flavors with either one or no toppings and paid altogether at the end. However, between two people there was such a lack of communication that we had to wait an extra 30 minutes for just two small bowls of vanilla and lychee snow. They had forgotten that part of our order. The only other people in the store was a couple who had been there long before us.
Besides the extra wait time, the quality of the snow was icier than I remembered it being a year ago when I first tried this place. Otherwise, the flavors were good and they seem to have a wide range of them.

If you have a sweet tooth, then this is the place to be. The Strawberry Snow Ice, Mango Pure Ice and Chocolate Snow Ice were amazing. Plenty of toppings to choose from. We will be back.

Love, love, love SNOW MONSTER! The coconut snow ice totally rocks. I got mine with fresh strawberries and condensed milk. It had just the right amount of coconut and it was so lite and fluffy. My son got chocolate snow ice with Oreos and chocolate sauce. Perfect end to a great day.

Having lived in Hawaii for several years while stationed at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, I thought I had experienced the best shaved ice could offer — specifically Tat’s Shaved Ice, a small truck in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. For years, I raved about the shaved ice in Hawaii and how nowhere on the mainland have I found any comparable place.
That belief came to an end in my discovery of Snow Monster. Snow Monster has created a concept that is just short of mind-​blowing. My favorite shaved ice usually has cream or ice cream mixed into it, but Snow Monster’s concept of using a block of frozen mix to shave instead of a block of ice takes it to another level.
The block of flavored ice, in the flavor that you desire, Thai Tea and Matcha being my two favorites, are shaved into a light, fluffy, and snowy pile of goodness. It is then topped with your choice of toppings and finished off with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and syrup if you desire.
This is the best shaved ice I’ve ever had! We’ve been back to Snow Monster at least four times in the last week since we discovered them.

I don’t know what to tell you other than its clear to me some people like things and you don’t. I really didn’t like the texture or the flavor of the snow monster. No number of ingredients can fix it. Imagine if you took ice cream, but injected air, water, and removing all creamy goodness, and the sweetness is a bit awkward (artificial maybe?). Presentation is nice. But what does it matter if it doesn’t taste good?

I guess I never had authentic Taiwanese shaved ice because this place handed me the best I have ever tried! You can choose between snow ice, milk ice, or soymilk ice and a large number of toppings. The large is huge and can be shared between 3 – 5 people. The shaved ice here is simply heavenly, so perfectly sweet with loads of fruits and simply delicious! I love that they have different kinds of ice because I have always just had shaved ice with plain ice and it makes all the difference! We got the milk ice and it tasted like condensed milk but not overly sweet and is a great base to complement the generous toppings, its the best!!!

One should eat here everyday for dessert. The shaved ice is always my ‘go-​to dessert’ when I’m feeling like eating something light and delicious. There are many flavors to choose from, as well as various toppings to add. The best part is that you can be creative with your dessert! The flavor of the ice taste really authentic to the flavor you selected. I recommend getting the Matcha flavored shaved ice if you like green tea. It’s one of my many favorites! I have always enjoyed my experience at Snow Monster and customer service is superb. A must try if you haven’t been!

Really great concept.
Hybrid between a snow cone and ice cream with lots of fruit options, syrup options and toppings. Looks really pretty when it comes out. Listen to the sizes because a large could be shared by many people. Nice environment to hang out in & play board games, either borrow one off the shelf or bring your own. Like the simple snow monster creature drawn on the wall and lined in cotton balls, simple and creative, no bells and whistles just a good concept and great flavor.
Definitely a keeper and would recommend to friends and family. Worth the drive from Cedar Park for something more creative than traditional Frozen Yogurt or ice cream shops near by & less calories!
Yummy!

Well I think we came here 3 days in a row over the weekend so I guess that warrants a 5 star review. There are so many different flavor choices, dessert options, and toppings it can be overwhelming which is why we had to break this up over a 3 day span. The first day we shared an icy fruit which is the monstrous plain ice with 3 fruits of your choice, a scoop of ice cream and condensed milk drizzled over the top. This was pretty amazing and as it melted a little the fruit seemed to blend with the ice and it seemed to get even more flavorful as time went on. Definitely a great dessert option to share with 3 – 5 people. Next we had to try a waffle. We got a choc chip with bananas, strawberries, a scoop of ice cream, choc drizzle and condensed milk drizzle. This was also pretty special especially if you are a chocolate lover. If you aren’t that into chocolate I would recommend the vanilla waffle instead. The last ones I’ll mention are the thai tea snow ice and coffee snow ice. If you are a fan of these type drinks, you will love these snow ices. I got the coffee with panna cotta and the thai tea with passion fruit boba.
There are so many interesting toppings I have yet to try, but can’t wait to go back to do so. Taro pudding, red bean, the options go on and on.

I went kicking and screaming because I didn’t feel well and didn’t want dessert. But it was my friends birthday and I didn’t want to disappoint the group. So I went.
HOLY HELL. It’s my favorite place in Austin now. So glad I went. You will be too!

Sometimes desserts are too sweet or too heavy, but not this place. IT’S PERFECT.
Snow Monster beats out ice cream, which is saying a lot, and if you scroll the pictures, look at the presentation! Very unique… This dessert is refreshing with fresh fruit and so many options to play around with. There is no wrong combination: D Fruit, boba, pudding, jellies, ice cream… I just want to have it all!!! I recently had the passion fruit ice with mango ice cream drizzled with passion fruit syrup… YAS! The portions are huge, so even a small can be split between 2 people.
I recommend this place on all fronts. For kids. To hang out. Date. Snack. After dinner. So good I would still go here if it was cold outside… That good ;) It’s a cute place near the China Town.
I have a friend that can’t have gluten or dairy, but we can find him an option here.

I’ve never had such fancy shaved ice before coming here! One serving is is enough for 2 people to share. All the favors blend together so well, no matter what kind of ice or toppings you get. Love it! Also don’t skimp and get pure ice-​get the snow ice!

This was an easy 5 star review for me. The way they make their shaved ice with the milk blocks makes the ice so flavorful and addicting. I’m almost sad leaving Austin since they don’t have one in Dallas, especially with the hot weather seasons about to hit.
I’ve tried the taro and strawberry flavors and they were both amazing. Topping-​wise the egg pudding is what stood out to me because it has a sweet taste and goes good with every flavor of ice I have tried so far!

I’ve been to many-​a-​snowcone and refreshment stands in my life, but nothing could have prepared me for what awaited me here at Snow Monster. I used to think that «shaved ice» was the best of the best and that nothing could top it! I was wrong. Dead wrong!
This place takes the best of yogurt shops and snow cone shops and melts them together in perfect harmony. Snow Monster’s signature ice treats are made to order for whatever suits your mood. Feel like going all out with the fruit? Get strawberry or mango flavored ice topped with whatever fruits n berries you love! Tons and tons of combinations you can try and the best part? Their serving sizes are really generous. I ordered a small and it looked like a medium to large size!
I can tell this place is going to be a great hangout come the hotter months of summer. And of course the service was nice and courteous! Wish we had a place as good as this in Houston.
But whenever I am in Austin, this will be a pit stop for me. Good stuff!

Took a friend here for the first time this weekend. I’m not really sure if Snow Monster has any real direct competition here in Austin. The interior is pretty cool. looks trendy enough. I think if you aren’t very familiar with Asian desserts, this is an extremely safe bet. It’s literally just flavored shaved ice with a bunch of sweet options for toppings. Order the small shaved ice and 2 – 3 toppings if it’s just the two of you. The larger size looks pretty darn big, but I’ve seen one person eating it alone before.
Most people will probably just go with the fruit toppings or something lame like tapioca pearls, but I really suggest trying the more authentic stuff. They have various puddings and jellies at one end of the topping bar, and they’re great. Go with the taro or mango pudding for one of your toppings at least. Think the one complaint about this place is their pricing system. They charge you for the bowl of ice depending on the size you get, and then they charge you by the topping, with fruits being about $ 1.50 each, which is quite hefty. I think I’ve read that they used to have a different structure, but yeah, a small shaved ice with just two toppings will probably run you about $ 6. Otherwise, it’s some of the best shaved ice I’ve had, not that there aren’t better choices in Houston!

Wanted something sweet and finally stopped in to try snow monster, I can’t believe I’ve been in Austin for a year and haven’t been here.
Taro snow with condensed milk, boba, almond pudding, and strawberries it was awesome!

Snow Monster has changed a lot since they first opened. New flavors, new menu boards, new equipment, new cups, new flavors, and so on. It’s still one of our top two boba places in Austin and their drinks are still great. But after so many incidents, I think it’s appropriate to knock off one star for their inability to handle a sudden rush of customers. The worst one happened last weekend, the TLDR version being that we waited 45 mins to get our 2 simple drink, Thai Tea and Jasmine Milk Tea.
The entire store, on a Saturday afternoon, was manned by ONE person. Seriously? When we got there, there was a decent number of people already but no lines, so we got to place our orders immediately. While placing the order, the lady told us that there are several orders in front of us (pointing to 5 cups), and we thought «ok, 5 drinks before us, that’s about 10 – 12 mins, we’ll wait». Big mistake. Apparently each of those orders came with a bunch of snow ice plates as well. We waited and waited and waited and in the end, we waited for 45 mins, the longest we’ve ever waited for any kind of drinks! We were on the way to run some family errands (we even had our newborn with us) and this «10 mins detour» completely derailed our entire afternoon.
This was a total management failure. The lady was working so hard to make all the drinks and snow ice as fast as possible but there was just too much to do. She also had to keep stopping in the middle to take the orders of the steady trickle of new customers. Why was she the only one there? Shouldn’t there be a guy at the back replenishing the supplies and serve as backup? And this was not an isolated incident. We come here very often and there were several previous occasions where we had to wait for up to 30 mins just for 1 drink. So management, get your act together!

Snow Monster is what shaved all ice should be like. I’ve never been a fan of that snow cone or shaved ice business, so I was happy to discover Snow Monster, since it’s so different.
It’s like finely shaved milky ice that you can add toppings to like a frozen yogurt shop. You first choose whether you want «snow ice», «pure ice», or «soy ice». I see no point in getting pure ice, so we went with the snow ice. You then get to choose a flavor and toppings after that. The flavors range from honeydew to coffee to matcha and more. Toppings include puddings, jellies, fruit, bobas, and even ice cream. The little blueberry boba was like tiny exploding blueberries. It was different than regular chewy tapioca boba, but just as wonderful.
While there, I had to order a Taro bubble tea. It wasn’t taro-​ish enough for my liking, but it was probably just a fluke.
Oh, and did I mention they have a snow waffle? Snow Waffle!