Texas Ice Cream Shop's Crawfish Flavor Proves Wildly Popular

Red Circle Ice Cream's signature crawfish ice cream scoop, topped with an entire crustacean, has become a fan favorite.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:23pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic crawfish repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the unexpected popularity of a crawfish-flavored ice cream.A Texas ice cream shop's signature crawfish-flavored scoop, topped with a whole crustacean, has become a surprise hit with adventurous customers.Houston Today

A Texas ice cream shop called Red Circle Ice Cream in Houston has been serving up a unique and surprisingly popular flavor - crawfish ice cream. The ice cream is flavored with Cajun seasoning, butter, and garlic, and topped with a whole crawfish. The shop's owner, Nickey Ngo, was inspired to create the flavor after a family seafood boil, and it has become the most popular item on the menu since debuting in 2019.

Why it matters

The crawfish ice cream highlights the creative and adventurous spirit of small, independent ice cream shops that are willing to experiment with unexpected flavor combinations to delight their customers. It also speaks to the enduring popularity of crawfish as a beloved regional delicacy in Texas and the broader South.

The details

Red Circle Ice Cream's crawfish ice cream is made by cooking the ice cream base with live crawfish to infuse it with Cajun flavor, though there is no actual crawfish meat in the ice cream itself. The shop tops the scoop with a whole crawfish, which owner Nickey Ngo recommends eating first so customers can use the shell as a spoon for the ice cream. Despite the unusual combination of sweet and seafood, the flavor has become a huge hit with both new and returning customers, who praise the creamy, salty, and slightly spicy profile.

  • Crawfish season in Texas typically runs from late January through July.
  • Red Circle Ice Cream first debuted the crawfish ice cream flavor in 2019.

The players

Red Circle Ice Cream

A Houston, Texas-based ice cream shop that has been serving the community since 2017 and is known for its handcrafted, creative ice cream flavors.

Nickey Ngo

The owner of Red Circle Ice Cream who was inspired to create the crawfish ice cream flavor after a family seafood boil.

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What they’re saying

“I can't even explain how popular it is. If I didn't have the demand for it … then I wouldn't be making it. I wouldn't be that crazy.”

— Nickey Ngo, Owner, Red Circle Ice Cream

“It's different. It's, like, not your typical ice cream, for sure. But, I mean, it's really worth a try.”

— Ali Muhammad, Customer

“It's, like, a little salty, but it's like creamy, smooth. A little spicy.”

— Lauren Moore, Customer

What’s next

Red Circle Ice Cream plans to continue serving the crawfish ice cream flavor throughout the spring and summer crawfish season in Texas.

The takeaway

Red Circle Ice Cream's wildly popular crawfish ice cream demonstrates the creativity and adventurous spirit of small, independent ice cream shops that are willing to experiment with unexpected flavor combinations to delight their customers and stand out in a crowded market.