Hollywood Cone

In May I had the distinct displeasure of have a wisdom tooth removed that had been making its way into my mouth despite there being no space for it. What this really meant was... ICE CREAM! In my hometown of Oshawa, ON, Hollywood Cone has become ridiculously popular, and I was ready to get in on the action. Starting as a food truck, they have recently announced the addition of 3 more locations (including downtown Toronto). I went on two separate occasions - May 8 & 22, the second to make sure it wasn't just a codeine-fueled delusion. My brother and I went in the afternoon, when I can only assume they are at their busiest. The line was around the small restaurant and many people seated had no desserts in front of them yet. We waited the 40 minutes, debated going out to feed the parking meter, then were rewarded with the most insane milkshakes I have ever seen. He ordered the Funnel Cake Shake:

While my brother is not a small guy, he was still unable to finish the whole thing. He made his way through the Funnel Cake and maybe half of the actual soft-serve vanilla milkshake. Every bit as delicious at it looks. I ordered The Cloud Nine ($14.99), one of the pricier menu items:

There was a peanut butter cup, a whole slice of plain cheese cake, a dense chocolate brownie, then an actual milkshake surrounded by peanut butter minis stuck in place with peanut butter. My eyes were way bigger than my stomach. The cake and brownie were both perfect, but the milkshake itself had many little bits and crumbles inside the glass lined with peanut butter. Trying to get it all out into a takeaway container was a real challenge. All of the Mutant Shakes are dine-in only, while they also serve many more manageable shakes. I am sure they taste good, but the novelty factor is what drew me in to begin with. The restaurant space was completely packed and we were lucky to score seating in the front window. It was impossible for the staff to keep up with the demand, or to clean up with the speed children can smear ice cream and toppings around the space. We weren't disappointed, but so uncomfortable with how much sugar we had just consumed.

After showing these pictures to my boyfriend, he insisted we return at the first chance we got. We we went two weeks later, we arrived just a half hour after opening and the restaurant had only 3 other guests. Ordering and securing seating was a complete breeze. This time, we decided to try one of their banana splits - the Cherry Cheese Cake:

With two full bananas, cherries, and cheesecake pieces all covered with vanilla soft-serve and whipped cream, this banana split was enormous. Again, I was impressed with the cheesecake. While it was simple to execute, it still took the staff about 10 minutes to produce.

I think it would be difficult to be too disappointed in the food itself at Hollywood Cone, it is exactly what you expect for massive amount of ice cream and sugar. It just isn't anything special except volume, which you are definitely paying for. Any of the Mutant Shakes or Banana Splits should probably be shared, although feel free to take it on yourself!

Likes: The food is what you want, assuming you know what you're getting into
Dislikes: Too busy for the staff and current style of service to keep up, this includes cleaning up the dining room
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Probably, but I would try to make sure it isn't a peak time