Twistee Treat is a Florida-based chain of soft-serve ice cream shops best known for its whimsical, 25-foot-tall ice cream cone buildings and many varieties of ice cream, cones, cups, shakes and malts. The company has been in operation since 1983 and has grown to nearly 40 stores throughout the Sunshine State. There are currently two in the Houston area. One is located at 7018 Fry Road in Katy and the other is at 9730 Jones Road — relatively close to both Beltway 8 and 290 in Northwest Houston.

With the stubborn summer heat rudely deciding to linger through fall, now is a great time to visit the convenient Twistee Treat drive-thru or walk-up window and enjoy the inviting patio with family and friends. Well-behaved furry babies can even indulge in a complimentary pup cup on the pet-friendly patio. Twistee Treat offers over 20 flavors of ice cream, including banana, black cherry, butter pecan, cheesecake, peanut butter and traditional choices like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Guests can enjoy their ice cream in a cup, cake cone, waffle cone or take it home in a quart container. Cones can also be dipped in chocolate, butterscotch or cherry sauce, though the latter is exclusive to the Jones Road location.

The company has a wide and varied selection of specialty frozen treats such as Waffle Tacos (for those still mourning the loss of the Choco Taco), Hot Fudge Brownie Boats, Cookiewiches and the Twistee Banana Split. It also offers soft-serve twirls and sundaes with your choice of candy, syrup, nuts, sprinkles, brownies or cookie crumbles blended in or as a topping. Drinks including floats — made with your choice of Coca Cola, Diet Coke, root beer or Sprite — slushies, glaciers (ice cream swirled in a cup with slushie) and freezes are also available in colorful flavors such as pink lemonade, blue raspberry, watermelon and cotton candy. 

Winter is coming. The rising cost of goods and inflation have adversely affected Twistee Treat’s business in Houston and Area-Director Shelby Hensley is taking a proactive, hands-on approach to prepare for the winter season, which is historically the slowest time of the year for the company (despite ice cream being delicious in any season). Hensley has contacted local food publications, including Houston Food Finder, personally works the counter at the Jones Road location and frequently runs social media promotions and contests on Instagram and Facebook. Examples include Twistee Tuesdays, where guests can stop by and show an employee that they follow Twistee Treat on social media in exchange for a free kiddie cone, or guests can post a selfie with their ice cream to Instragram any day of the week using the hashtag #TwisteeSelfie for a chance to win a gift card.

Twistee Treat’s winter hours will be in effect from October 15 through February 14, and are Sunday through Thursday from 1 to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 1 until 11 p.m. 

Mario-Sebastian Berry

Mario-Sebastian Berry is a wine and spirits vendor who has been in the hospitality industry since 2002. Currently, he represents Blanco, Texas-based Andalusia Whiskey Co. and multiple wine labels. Somehow, he also finds time to be Houston Food Finder’s associate editor and social media manager.