Sugarshack

Drove 40 mins here on a Sunday bc their online hours says they’re open. WRONG. They don’t even have their hours on he door. So disappointed!

My 30 year old husband loves snow cones/​shaved ice. We have lived in South Tampa for almost 2 years now and just went to Sugarshack for the first time a couple of months ago. My husband is hooked and is regretting not stopping sooner! We’ve been back several times and will continue to stop at this charming place more in the future. I’m not a shaved ice connoisseur like my husband but he says theirs is the best! And they have a million flavors to choose from! It is usually the same guy working and he’s super nice. I read the other comments on here and died laughing at Mike M.‘s comments about the Beignets. That guy sure knows how to tell a funny story but it was also funny because during our last visit my husband and I talked about how odd it was that there are signs all out front advertising pastries, beignets, and coffees but once inside you don’t see where they would even be served. I’d recommend removing the signs when those items aren’t available.

Authentic NOLA style snow balls. A true taste of home and a great treat on a warm day!

If you are a fan of the old Monty Python television series, you know one of their most renowned comedy sketches is called The Cheese Shop. A customer walks in to the shop that clearly has signs proudly stating the sale of cheese, and asks the owner for a slice as advertised on the doorway. After naming innumerable types of rare and then common basic cheeses, the owner finally admits his shop has not a morsel of cheese at all.
Yesterday, my wife and I actually lived through a similar experience. We had an early breakfast, attended church and did some quick errands, realizing we would like a quick snack on this late Sunday morning. Driving down Dale Mabry we saw a three-​foot tall green & white banner flying over the doorway of a storefront proudly shouting «Beignets!» The window also noted coffees were sold, so I slammed on the brakes and we checked out the place ready to wolf down the warm New Orleans specialty.
The vibe is cool with an antique radio, sharp decorations and graffiti walls that made it almost feel like a place in Greenwich Village that you could easily frequent for a nice break. So here’s pretty much the verbatim exchange between the kind owner and me:
Owner: So, what would you like today?
Me: Well, your sign was like a magnet to us, so we’d like two orders of beignets to start, please!
Owner: (Enthusiastically) I make the best beignets in the area, and they taste amazing, since I add the «seven secret ingredients» that only Café du Monde includes in their product. They’re great!
Me: Awesome! We love beignets!
Owner: Well… I turned off the fryer a few hours ago, so we don’t have any today.
Me: Any other pastry?
Owner: Not today.
Me: (Pointing to the big fancy big coffer urn) Well, just some coffee today, then. Is this chicory coffee like New Orleans?
Owner: I turned off the coffee a while ago.
Me: (crickets)
Owner: Try us again next week! I may have some ready!
Me: …Uh, okay…

Being from New Orleans I know a good SnoBall and this is it! The best in the Tampa Bay Area! So happy I discovered Sugar Shack by accident. I will be making the drive across the bay more often to get a SnoBall!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Super cute décor and so many ice flavors to choose from. I’ve had a more finely shaven ice, but I still like their ice cream /​condensed milk concoction (Stuffed Snowball). Haven’t had it since leaving the West Coast. YUM!

Cute place for a quick shaved ice. This place had a very juvenile feel to it with all the glitter and glam and graffiti on the wall.

The owner is amazing! These are the closest to real New Orleans snow balls, because they are!!! Made with the same machines! My kids beg us to drive the 20 minutes here and it’s always worth the ride!

Absolutely fabulous local business!!!

5 starts to this little cute place! Create your flavor or pick from a huge selection as I’m launching and watching TV Pamela is enjoying her sugary treat! As I’m sitting here there is a super cute birthday party happening! What a great and fun idea, the music is going and kids are having so much fun! We shall be back!

Tons of flavors… good service… huge portions (I wish I was 6&under so I could get the extra small!)

This place is very unique, I’ve honestly never had it before and never heard of New Orleans SnoBalls until I came to Sugarshack.
Basically they have a machine from New Orleans that creates a really fine shaved ice that’s easier to eat than the normal snowcone but with a flavor twist. They have over 60 flavors of snow cones from anything you can think of. A small SnoBall is HUGE, it’s like 3 times the size of a normal snow cone and it’s only 3 $.
Despite the fact it’s new, the walls are covered in autographs and graffiti, this is something new and different, very unique to Tampa I’d say!
If you want a refreshing treat to cool yourself off from the humidity, go to Sugarshack.

Sugarshack is a great spot to enjoy SnoBalls, a New Orleans version of snow cones that seem right at home at this new South Tampa spot.
A special machine shaves the ice to a smooth texture that produces a finer grind than the ice used in snow cones. Then a flavor, or combination of flavors, is picked, poured over the icy mound and the real fun begins — you get to dig in.
Sugarshack is tucked within a strip center facing South Dale Mabry and the colorful, whimsical interior is truly a bright spot that is brimming with creative touches.
Dozens of bottles filled with colorful concoctions with names like Wedding Cake, Mardi Gras and Fuzzy Navel, are lined up behind the counter providing a truly tempting tasting gallery.
There are a variety of serving sizes with prices starting at $ 3, a reasonable rate for a smooth, sweet, satisfying icy delight.
More items will be added such other French Quarter specialties like pralines and King’s Cake and the space will eventually accommodate many more with additional seating and an area where sports and entertainment broadcasts will be offered.
Chairs downsized for the small set, booths and a counter offer plenty of comfortable seats for those who want to eat their treats right away. Open daily, current hours are 11 a.m. — 10 p.m.