Summer Treats: Pelican's SnoBalls

I have never been much of an Icee person. Not a big Slurpee drinker. Couldn't figure out what the big deal was about the frozen ice slushes you see at the mall or gas station. On the few occasions I'd get one, I'd suck up the super sweet flavoring and be left with a frozen ball of ice.

I'm a convert.

Pelican's serves up New Orleans style snowballs with flavors that actually come from Louisiana, according to the website. We stopped at the Roxboro Street location in Durham for our treat. There are other locations in Wake, Johnston, Person, Durham and Wilson counties too, along with spots elsewhere in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida. 

Pelican's features finely shaved ice treats topped with your choice of more than 100 flavors ... from cherry or bubble gum or root beer to dill pickle and toothpaste. My kids loved watching as workers filled up a bowl with the tiny chips of ice and then topped it with the syrup.

I tried the pina colada flavor. My younger daughter opted for a mix of cherry and cotton candy. My older daughter went with lemon lime and strawberry lemonade.

And my mom really splurged, getting a cherry stuffed snowball ... that's a scoop of ice cream packed between the shaved ice and syrup. Let's just say that's what I'm getting next time.

Your snowball comes in a cup with a spoon. We licked the top off before we went at the rest with the spoon. By the end, there's no tasteless ball of ice. You're still left with plenty of ice cold flavoring. And, perhaps best of all, according to Pelican's website and my younger daughter's now clean shirt, the syrup does not stain. 

The Pelican's locations at Apex, Cary and Garner also offer homemade ice cream.

These were delicious cold treats, perfect for the day, when temperatures soared beyond 90 degrees. At the Roxboro Street location, the shop had some cornhole boards to play. And other locations have ways to pass the time once you've finished your snowball. 

We ordered the smallest size. For just $1.50 for the unstuffed variety, it was a delicious bargain on a hot summer day.