Two New Ice Cream Shops Offer Up Late-Night Boozy Milkshakes and Pleasant Fun Scoops in Austin

Austin got two new ice cream spots over the past four months. First, there’s the ice cream shop X Crem in East Austin at 1614 East Sixth Street, Unit 112 as of July. And then, second, there’s the ice cream truck Merry Monarch Creamery in Rosedale at 5000 Burnet Road as of late September.

X Crem, run by co-managers Alexander Buckle and Olivia Adams, is described as a “speakeasy ice cream parlor.” That means decadent ice cream creations such as the Marshmallow Overload (a marshmallow and white chocolate ice cream), Lil Blue Panda (blue and white-colored sugar cookie ice cream with blue cookie dough and chocolate cookies with cream fillings), and Red Velvet Revival (red velvet ice cream with red velvet cake bits and chocolate fudge). There are also vegan options and sorbets. The sweets are available in colorful waffle cones and cups, with sauces and candies.

And then there are X Crem’s boozy milkshakes made with the same ice creams, such as the Salty Bourbon. Other non-ice cream options include loaded sweet bubble waffles, ranging from a churro take to pumpkin spice.

X Crem’s space has clubby vibes, a disco ball, neon signage, and a velvet sofa. It appears to have taken over what had been South American cafe Cafe Nenai’s second location. The desserts spot is hosting a party on Friday, December 2 with its boozy ice creams, a DJ, and a silent disco, from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Through Merry Monarch, owner Gregory Mazes focuses on well-made ice creams made in the Philadelphia-style (eggless with at least 10 percent milkfat) using Texas dairy and fun flavors. This means items like the Oreo Miso, where the cookie-white miso ice cream is dotted with cookie chunks and chocolate hazelnut truffles; the Thom Kha Lime Pie, a chocolate-kafir lime leaf ice cream with yuzu/lime curd and bits of peanuts, graham crackers, and candied ginger crumbles; and the Chocolate Banana with roasted peanuts.

Maze started Merry as a pickup/delivery pint shop in 2021 in Austin. He had occasionally hosted pop-ups but opened the food truck proper in late September. The Austin-raised chef had started getting into developing ice creams while working as a chef in Los Angeles. He moved back to the Texas city before the pandemic. The name stems from the nickname of King Charles II, the Merry Monarch, who had thrown epic banquets.

Maze plans on expanding Merry into South Congress dog park and cafe Neighbors at some point soon.

X Crem’s offerings are available for indoor dine-in service, takeout, as well as Door Dash deliveries. Its hours are from 4:30 to 10:20 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and then from 2 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Merry Monarch’s hours are from noon to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.