Bayou Snowballs

Shaved Ice as fine as Snow! Red is the new Black is the new RED ! Black Cherry and Black Blackberry! This combination was pretty good and better that the Weather was Hot and Humid! Next time I would get Black Grape or just Grape or Key Lime or just Lemon-​Lime!
Located on the Corner Market Square Building (facing Center in the Square) Outside (NOT in the Food Court)…A sign says some of the Outdoor Tables are Reserved for Bayou Snowballs!

The kids loved this! Way better than a snowcone! Friendly staff and tons of flavors to choose from. They even had a sugar free ice cream option!

Very good! Haven’t had this close of Hawaiian Saved Ice since Hawaii. Definitely worth a stop if you want some refreshing desert.

If I could describe this plane in one word it would be: Horrible. In order to get one snoball you’ll have to wait upwards of thirty minutes and watch as the teenage girls running shop try and fail to do everything. After my 30 minute wait for my snowball (the girl remade mine twice for some reason) it was at most mediocre. No apologies were given to those who waited so long. As a New Orleans native I can guarantee you this is the farthest from a NOLA snoball as one could get. Parking downtown is so scarce that one would think an hour spot would be fine! Wrong. Thanks to my wait here I arrived at my car 2 seconds before I was given a ticket or towed. One of the girls cut herself super deep trying to fix their at best faulty machine, ran out of the shop leaving everyone waiting and then continue as if nothing had happened.

I tried the ice cream, and didn’t like it! The ice cream was not smooth in my mouse. But the terrible thing was that they served it in plastic cups (ie cups for drinking water). The price was $ 4.5. You can got a lot better ice cream with that money in cold stone.

Allow me to preface this review and say, the snowballs here are incredibly tasty. If you’re looking for a quick, cheap dessert downtown, this is your ticket. I’ve visited with groups multiple times.
With that said, the owner is a jerk.
This morning around 10:00 (against my better judgement), I sat down at one of their tables with my girlfriend and her mom to eat a quick breakfast. The store wasn’t open and no other seating was available due to the market being active.
Long story short, the owner pulled up in her truck, accused us of trespassing, and told us to leave.
We wouldn’t have sat during business hours.
As a long time customer, I’ll never return.

If you are in the mood for a finely-​shaved icey treat, this is the place. Plenty of syrups to choose from, suggested combos, and they even have ice cream (about 8 – 10) flavors for those that are in the mood for something a bit heavier. The consistency of the ice was good (very finely shaved) and the service was excellent and friendly. Piña colada, pineapple and cream was delicious. Definitely recommend adding cream, whatever flavor you choose!
Pros: Great product, outdoor seating, very friendly service.
Cons: They should offer a kid’s sized version (their small is still quite large, and not cheap at $ 3.50)

I dont give out many 5 star ratings but this place is awesome. The ice is unlike any other Ive ever had. Its shaved super fine and holds the delicious flavors. Dont miss this.

The woman who runs this store is very enthusiastic about snowcones, which is great because she was more than happy to make recommendations about combinations and explain the different flavors. She makes her own syrups too, which I thought was neat. Our ices were delicious, very generous portions. Among a number of other fairly generic restaurants and such in the area, Bayou Snowballs stands out, and is absolutely worth a visit.

At first glance, a snowball looks like a snow cone. It is the same sort of shaved ice with different kinds of syrup concept, but a snowball is a step up from the typical snow cone. The ice for a snowball is softer and finer, giving it a more powdery texture and making it more like actual snow. This also enables the ice to absorb more of the syrup topping and provides it with better flavor throughout the entire cup, instead of all the syrup sitting on top. Evidently, snowballs originated in New Orleans, which is why the owner, Crystal Ware, pays tribute to Louisiana by including «Bayou» in the name of her shop. She is also paying them tribute by serving a great product.
I’m starting to lose track of all the different flavors of snowballs I’ve tried. You can mix any kind of syrup you want, and I usually mix at least two to combine flavors I think I will like. I’m a big fan of the coconut and cherry flavors, so I have mixed those with a number of different other flavors. My favorites so far have been: Cherry & Coconut, Cherry & Ice Cream, Dreamsicle & Coconut, and Lime & Coconut. Crystal told us that she makes all of her syrups and you can really tell a difference. She tries to use fresh fruit as much as she can and uses cane sugar to help provide a more natural flavor. These ingredients help provide so much more flavor than the typical artificial flavors you get on a snow cone.
If you’re visiting downtown Roanoke and looking for a place to cool off this summer, stop by Bayou Snowballs and experience the phenomenon of a snowball. The staff are friendly and will let you sample the flavors, and you can grab a seat at one of their outdoor tables. Be sure to have cash as they don’t accept cards and check out their recommendations if you have trouble deciding from all the flavors.