
The freshly baked taco shells, which come in a regular or a “teeny” size, hold all the complementary elements together. That’s because the taco works as a package, in which the toppings are also allowed to shine.

In actuality, Rocko’s ice cream flavors are relatively simple without too many mix-ins. With 18 ice cream flavors - nine year-round and nine rotating - coupled with a choice of four dips and a variety of toppings, the potential taco combinations can seem practically endless. The shop is plastered with imagery of dogs, an ode to Phillips’ pup named Rocko, and radiates a spunkiness that speaks to the creativity the ice cream tacos embody. In 2018, Phillips opened a brick-and-mortar shop near Santa Clara University. But what started as a passion project in 2012 soon became a stand at farmers markets and fairs, and a few years later, she invested in a truck to expand Rocko’s to commissaries and catering. “The first batch of liquid nitrogen was actually one that I took from my lab,” Phillips says. It’s an apt comparison considering Phillips started her ice cream taco journey while she was getting her Ph.D. Phillips uses liquid nitrogen to flash freeze the treats, likening the taco-building process to a sweet science experiment.ġ4 Outstanding Ice Cream Shops in the South Bay
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She sources organic ingredients locally, including produce from Full Belly Farm, dairy from Straus, and chocolate from Berkeley-based TCHO. Phillips, the founder of Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos in Santa Clara, is devoted to handcrafting intact, texturally satiating tacos filled with velvety ice cream, dipped in a chocolate or peanut butter coating and topped with crispy, crunchy additions.


I wanted to remake it with higher quality ingredients and a waffle cone shell that wouldn’t get soggy.” “The product itself captures so much nostalgia and has a bit of a cult following, but I can’t help but feel like it was made for kids. “It’s a genius and fantastic concept,” Phillips says. In fact, it wasn’t until she tried it again as an adult and was hit with a wave of nostalgia that she felt a desire to improve on the now-defunct novelty dessert. She has fond memories of visiting Taco Bell as a child, just to order a Choco Taco - the waffle cone taco shell with fudge-swirled ice cream that Klondike recently announced has been discontinued after 39 years.Īt the time, Phillips never could have imagined she’d later start her own business dedicated to creating revamped versions of the ice cream treat. Growing up, Bay Area native Lori Phillips had a particular love for chocolate ice cream tacos.
