Egg yolks—that’s the key difference between frozen custard and ice cream. You may not notice the difference when you’re enjoying your favorite flavor, but custard enthusiasts will tell you their choice is more rich and the texture is smoother and creamier.

And local frozen custard fans will almost certainly send you to one of these long-popular shops, especially right now when the desert heat demands a cool treat. The Las Vegas Valley hasn’t always had tremendous ice cream options, but for whatever reason, a few fantastic local businesses have been serving frozen custard in cups, cones, sundaes and shakes for decades. Multiple visits to Downtown’s Luv-It or Nielsen’s in Henderson (and now, in other neighborhoods) are an essential part of summer in Southern Nevada. It simply must be done, so please join us in celebrating this unique dessert and these friendly businesses.

LUV-IT FROZEN CUSTARD

You roll up to the shack at the edge of Downtown’s historic John S. Park neighborhood—the same humble location Luv-It has occupied since opening in 1973. (The Luv-It shack is a little old place where we can get together.) There’s no interior seating; just a walk-up window. A wall-sized menu lists the sundaes—up to three toppings—shakes, floats and frozen quarts available for take-away, in flavors including apple pie, chocolate pretzel, lemon, peanut butter, strawberry and more than two dozen others. A small board at the order shares which flavors were made fresh today, though personally speaking, I tend to stick with the Western—creamy vanilla custard with the perfect ratio of hot fudge, hot caramel and pecans.

And that’s it. Nearly every bit of effort Luv-It extends goes directly into the product—a cool, smooth and flavor-rich indulgence that draws throngs of customers daily, especially on crazy-hot days like these. Families, teens, tourists, off-duty police and firefighters, and even the occasional celebrity (former Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson is a huge fan) come to Luv-It, order their favorite sundae or shake, and eat them in their car or on the sidewalk. It’s as perfect, delicious and uniquely local a summertime distraction as they come. 505 E. Oakey Blvd., 702-384-6452, luvitfrozencustard.com. –Geoff Carter

Nielsen's Frozen Custard

Given the state of the economy, politics, and the world in general, it’s natural to long for a “simpler time.” And although that simpler time might exist only in our imaginations, Nielsen’s Frozen Custard offers a little taste of that idyllic, carefree state that we all pine for.

Nielsen’s was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1981 and has been in Las Vegas for 27 years, says Amanda Zayon, who co-owns the four local stores with her husband Howard Zayon. It’s a family-owned business that aims to “bring back the goodness and taste of a bygone era.”

“I think what sets us apart is our ingredients. We make our custard fresh all day long. We use the highest-grade ingredients, cocoas and vanillas. And it’s all natural. Everything you see from our custard is done by hand. We chop all the toppings. It’s no easy job,” Amanda Zayon says. 

That quality is evident, whether it’s in a concrete (available in 50 different flavors), scoop, float, sundae or take-home pint. The custard comes out at the perfect temperature (which, by the way, is 16 degrees warmer than regular ice cream) and with a dream-like consistency. They just don’t make ‘em like this any more. Multiple locations, 702-451-4711, nielsensfrozencustard.net. –Shannon Miller

More Custards we Love

The beauty of CJ’s Italian Ice & Custard, other than its dozen years serving Las Vegas, is that this shop offers killer custard concretes and sundaes in addition to Italian ice, gelati and Dole whip. But if you’re sticking to the main attraction, try the apple pie concrete, or choose your favorite flavor for a cereal-crusted custard cone. Multiple locations, cjsitalianice.com.

There’s a reason the Midwest is stacked with burger and shake stops, and it’s not just that there’s probably a dairy farm nearby. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, founded in Wichita, Kansas, is emblematic of this region’s abilities, and it has grown to include five Valley stores. The signature Turtle sundae is the way to go, but don’t sleep on the simple chocolate custard malt. Multiple locations, freddys.com.

Just as it maintains the highest possible standard for a fast-food burger—and changes it up often with seasonal menu items—Shake Shack goes big on concretes and shakes. Strawberry frosted donut and peaches and cream are among the limited-time summer flavors, so yeah, get over there. Multiple locations, shakeshack.com. –Brock Radke

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