The Hop

Who doesn’t scream for ice cream at The Hop?!
This place has been around for as long as I can remember. It was always a special treat as a kid and I can still say that to this day.
I don’t always eat ice cream, I am more of a FroYo girl if I say so myself but if I ever get the hankerin’ for a cold ice cream treat, The Hop is #1. Their flavors are inventive and home made. Last time I was there, avocado ice cream was available and guess what… It was fantastic! Who would have ever thought that you could turn such a savory vegetable into a glorious desert! Now, I have to say, I am more partial to the flavors that I like to call «old man flavors». I like butter pecan, pistachio, and RUM RAISIN! I never turn down boozy ice cream and The Hop does it right. Such a nice balance of liquor and desert.
If anyone ever asks me where to get ice cream I always tell them to go to The Hop. I have never been let down by those terrific and artistic ice cream makers.

Not sure what all the hype is about this place. The ice cream was overpriced, and average quality. I guess people like the odd flavors, but if the quality sucks you can put lavender petals in it all day and it still isn’t going to taste good.

This is a great place. It has unique flavors with great quality. I am dairy and gluten free and the amount of variety was amazing. I got the coffee/​coconut milk ice cream and it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted. I would highly recommend this place to anybody.

Hm. Not sure what the hype is about. Couldn’t really taste any of the flavors I tried? Literally thought something was wrong with my tastebuds until my boyfriend said the same thing. What a shame…

This place is great! They have so many unique flavors, with new ones introduced at different times. They also offer many nondairy options and not just your normal soy milk fare– some are made with coconut or hemp milk as well. I had the Aztec chocolate, which was very chocolate-​y, with just the right amount of spicy heat! Flavors for adults and kids (I mean, unicorn poop? Awesome!)

This is a review of their products only, not their location or service (I tried their ice creams at the Veg Fest this weekend).
…just not my cup of tea. Simply my taste preference. I appreciate their variety of clever flavors and milk substitutes and their goal to keep everything local and vegan.
But I just can’t stand the texture. The texture of their ice creams regardless of their milk substitute base is kind of slimy instead of melt-​in-​your-​mouth. It kind of makes me wonder if it would keep its shape even when frozen (almost like it doesn’t need to be frozen).
And the flavor was hardly detectable. Earl Grey and Blueberry Kale is somewhat understandable, but salted caramel needs to be sweet and decadent. I squinted my eyes trying to taste it. And the earl grey kind of tasted like soap. Of the three flavors I tried I think the Blueberry Kale was the only one that had a flavor profile that vaguely made sense.
So in summary, worth trying for the novelty, but stick with a sample or kid’s size.

Liked it but didn’t love it. I had a caramel ice cream and thought it was OK. Not a great flavor. If you are looking to get ice cream in Asheville, I would highly recommend Whit’s!
This was number three of three on my Asheville ice cream tour.

I happen to be an ice cream snob. If you are not, you will like this place just fine. Their extensive vegan selection is what makes them stand out. Other than that, they are just another ice cream shop. Homemade ice cream usually tastes orgasmic, but the stuff at Hops was just meh. Sure they had fun flavors, but they all kind of tasted like they had the same base flavor, with a few add-​in toppings. Nothing special. If you LOVE ice cream, then you will be disappointed.

The ice cream was delicious, but the customer service was even better. The man who helped us clearly loves the product he sells, and was excited to share multiple samples and discuss the variety of flavors they offer. We loved our fist trip to the Hop and are delighted to make it part of our regular Asheville visit repertoire.

I came to Asheville for a day searching for the kale blueberry ice cream because a friend had it in the past and I just had to try it. Unfortunately they did not have it the day I went. Anyway I loved almost all the flavors I tried which were the tiramisu, salted caramel, and the vegan mint chocolate chip. The vegan ice creams are made from almond milk and are really creamy and don’t taste «vegan» if that makes sense. I ended up getting the tiramisu and salted caramel because I was so indecisive about which one I wanted. I got both ice creams in a cone. The cone was made in house because it was softer than your normal come. I loved it.
I judge my ice cream based on how the salted caramel tastes. Until I found this place I loved comfy cow in Louisville which got rated really high via buzzfeed. But I have to say I liked this salted caramel better. So if you are in Asheville end your day by getting some ice cream! You will literally scream more for it!

Mmmmm… so delicious. I had the cinnamon banana in a waffle cone and it was fantastic. The waffle cone was softer than most, which was perfect for the ice cream. I will definitely plan to go back sometime when I’m in the area.

As an Asheville local I’ve visited the hop quite a bit, They have any genre of ice cream flavor you could think of. and they frequently change they’re selection of great ice cream, From Nutella ice cream, to Green tea ice cream. They have it all, Think of a flavor «They have it»
I also really enjoy the artspace and lounge furniture at the hop. It’s truly a diamond in the rough of emeralds

Meh. My ice cream was crumbly, unable to be scooped onto a cone. Staff said it was because the ice cream was the incorrect temperature, but I think it was because the ice cream flavors I chose were made with almond and coconut milk. My 3-​year-​old son enjoyed the kale-​blueberry-​almond milk flavor… which was weird because he’s 3.

The ice cream was yummy and had lovely creative flavor combos but the two girls on staff were like Basic Bitches whose parents are forcing them to «do some real honest work» before handing over the trust funds.
I’d happily give this place another star if they fix the staffing problems.

Delicious ice cream, good service, and a cool menu. I’ve never had an ice cream place that I’ve liked more than The Hop. Salted Caramel is a must :)

Very interesting and unique flavors to satisfy your taste buds. Green tea usually can only be found at a sushi restaurant so I was especially pleased to find green tea ice cream! It was flavor packed with matcha so it wasn’t a weak flavor that maybe I would’ve expected. I paired with a classic vanilla bean on a sugar cone and wowwie it was so good, I came back in two days for the exact same order.

I beam beam for ice cream.
And when we pulled it to the HOP, my face was beaming bright.
Local fresh ingredients for the cream. Coconut. Lemon. Ice cream heaven!

All breeds of Vegans: welcome to your all inclusive, quality hometown ice cream joint
where you can knowingly order within your dietary limits without the need to question if there is a vegan option. As a mother breastfeeding an infant sensitive to both dairy and soy, I can order exciting flavored dessert made with almond, coconut, or hemp milk while still maintaining the ice cream dream.
The various faux milk choices are not all there is to boast about; this place has a CHANGING TABLE, a kids play area, comfy couches, and did I mention a changing table? This family friendly, cost effective, vegan friendly menu hopped its way into my heart. Whenever my family is in Asheville, we stop by and try a new flavor. Maybe someday there will be a breast milk option!!!

Things really «pop» at the Hop, a family-​friendly Ice Cream Café with silky smooth, delectably decadent flavors of ice cream and other frozen treats. Really reasonable prices too… considering that The Hop has been named to multiple «top rated» ice cream shops in the nation!
Their fame hasn’t gone to their heads either… like a brain freeze might (if you scarf down these yumm-​a-​licious dairy delights too quickly). They keep the quality of their products high and the prices family-​friendly-​fair and low. Dairy-​based and Vegan options for their ice cream and/​or sorbets and sundaes. Good good good.
Cool murals and a gaming-​room to boot. This really is a place to bring everybody for cool treats and special eats.
Three locations… we got our ice cream fix at the Merrimon Ave shop.

love that they have unique flavors
i sampled some flavors and none blew me away
they do have vegan ice cream made with coconut or almond milk but again. none blew me away