Every smoothie is naturally sweetened and best enjoyed by the beach. photograph by Stacy Van Berkel
Owned by Doug Kraus and his family, Island Smoothie Cafe — with locations in Corolla and Duck — offers fresh smoothies and acai bowls, some of which include Currituck County peaches, in-season berries, and the Krauses’ own family recipes. The café also serves sandwiches inspired by ones that Kraus’s grandma would make: BLTs, clubs, and chicken salad. Having combined his two loves — beach life and healthy food — Kraus says that he’s as happy now as he was as a kid roaming the beach.
603 Currituck Clubhouse Drive
Corolla, NC 27927
(252) 453-4545
islandsmoothiecafe.com
This welcoming roadside spot, open Wednesday through Sunday, offers specialty slushies all garnished with a sprig of fresh mint. Local favorites include Liquid Sunshine — a variation on a sun tea recipe owner Roman Gabriel learned from his grandmother — and TIGERZ WOODZ, an icy version of the classic sweet tea and lemonade combination (with a few extra spices!).
4826 Mt Moriah Road
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 619-0550
www.romanztea.com
Choose from dozens of syrup flavors at Hatteras Sno-Balls photograph by Chris Hannant
The watermelon pink cedar-shake building on the side of the road hints at the brightly colored treats inside: Twelve flavors of ice cream or frozen yogurt topped with shaved ice in any number of the shop’s 62 syrup flavors. Can’t decide on just one? Try the Rainbow blend.
53203 Delmar Willis Road
Frisco, NC 27936
(252) 562-4488
facebook.com/Hatteras-Sno-Balls
Cool off with Sunset Slush. photograph by Matt Ray Photography
Sunset Slush’s pushcarts have been patrolling Ocean Isle Beach and Oak Island since 2004, luring customers with their wide variety of sweet and refreshing Italian ices. Of the rotating selection of 10 to 12 flavors a day, some favorites include swirly blends of blue vanilla, strawberry lemonade, and the best seller, mango, which is called “liquid gold” by some.
6848 Beach Drive SW
Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
(910) 619-7724
sunsetslush.com
Try a strawberry sorbet sweet tea float at Uptown Tea Shop. photograph by Jamey Price
Sure, we’ve all heard of an ice cream float. But sorbet and tea? That’s a twist on a classic sweet treat worth trying. This shop scoops fruit-flavored sorbet into a cup of chilled black tea for a slushy, dairy-free treat. Flavors range from black raspberry, cherry, dragon fruit, lemon, mango, or strawberry sorbet, depending on what’s in stock.
310 East South Main Street
Waxhaw, NC 28173
(734) 777-4870
uptownteashop.com
“The American” features strawberry, wedding cake, and blueberry flavors. photograph by Lissa Gotwals
This giant blue snowball-shaped building with two straws sticking out of the top is one of the main attractions in downtown Smithfield. The snow cone shop has over 101 flavors to choose from including vanilla snow cream, pink lemonade, and fuzzy navel — a peachy favorite. The homemade syrups drizzled atop fluffy ice are mixed up 30 gallons at a time, which might seem like a lot — but they don’t last long at this Johnston County landmark.
110 South Bright Leaf Boulevard
Smithfield, NC 27577
(919) 795-7461
Hours vary; for details, call or visit Hills of Snow’s Facebook page.
Summertime in a Styrofoam cup. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
The consistency of the ice is key for orangeades, limeades, and every other kind of ’ade at this Chapel Hill soda fountain. According to Don Pinney, the owner of Suttons, crushed ice holds all the flavor — so that’s how the shop has been serving up cold drinks since 1923. Stop by for a styrofoam cup generously loaded with ice and filled with a sugary sweet ’ade of your choosing — perfect for cooling off during the dog days of summer.
159 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-5161
suttonsdrugstore.com
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