Sugar Mountain

This Plano favorite specializes in shaved ice, snow shakes and snowed coffee, among other cold treats. In addition to fruit flavors, Sugar Mountain also offers Liquid Luck, Vampire Venom, Pickle Juice and Russett Werewolf among its 80-plus options. If you’re looking to get fancy, try one of four shaved ice specialties: red velvet cake, apple pie, cappuccino dulce or chocolate-covered cherry.

If you’re not in the mood for a snow cone, try a snow shake, which is the Sugar Mountain version of a milkshake topped with whipped cream. Coffee lovers, forgo your iced coffee in favor of snowed coffee. This Sugar Mountain specialty consists of espresso blended with shaved ice and topped with whipped cream.

Indulge your inner child (or an actual child) with kids’ flavors, such as Pixie Dust and Princess. For an extra 25 cents per snow cone, kids can get Zombie Drool and Blood, Guts and Eyeballs flavors. (My favorite kid-friendly option: Bieber Blue.)

Sugar Mountain also offers sour flavors (apple, cherry, grape and pink lemonade), as well as sugar-free flavors (cherry, coconut, lemonade, piña colada, raspberry, peach and strawberry cheesecake). And since dogs need to cool down, too, treat your pooch to a small bowl of shaved ice. Sugar Mountain offers Frosty Dog Treats in two flavors: banana syrup with real peanut butter, and strawberry syrup with blended Milk Bones.

Another reason to love Sugar Mountain: Shaved ice is served with a flat top, which makes for much easier eating. (For an additional 25 cents, you can get the snowball top if you’re more of a traditionalist.)

-- Bridgette Williams

Shaved ice: Extra small (8 ounces) $1.50, small (12 ounces) $1.75, medium (16 ounces) $2.25, large (20 ounces) $2.75, the Beast (32 ounces) $4.

Snow shakes: 16 ounces $3.50, 32 ounces $6.

Shaved ice specialties and snowed coffee: 16 ounces $3.50.