Ruby Jewel: Forgettable Turn of Events

In truth, I am writing this review months after actually eating at Ruby Jewel. Unfortunately for them, it was also a very long time from when I ate at Molly Moon’s and wrote that review, yet I still remember quite a bit. Maybe it’s because I took better notes, or maybe it’s because MM’s had the better sundae. Whatever the case may be, Ruby Jewel got the short end of this stick.

Besides all that, Ruby Jewel is a staple of Portland, OR ice cream. My family and I probably frequent it more than other famous places, mainly because the lines aren’t as long and it’s slightly more convenient to get to. You usually can’t go wrong with any of their flavors, and their customizable ice cream sandwiches can’t be beaten.

Sadly, we’re not talking about their ice cream sandwiches. This is Hot for Fudge, not Hot for Cookie. Sesame Street already claimed that territory.

Like their sandwiches, the sundaes are completely customizable, which proved to add a challenge rather than a fun adventure. I got to choose three flavors, toppings, and a sauce to go on top. The ice cream I went with was double chocolate, peanut butter cookie dough, and caramel with salted chocolate. These were excellent selections, so go me. Then we got to the toppings.

Quality of Toppings:

A single topping was a lot of pressure, but I went with the brown butter almonds. They were soft and tasty, I’d probably get those again no problem. There was also the obligatory cherry, but that just got in the way more than anything else.

Quality of Fudge:

This is where a large portion of the trouble arose. They had two chocolate options: warm chocolate sauce and a chocolate shell. I wasn’t sure which to choose; sure, warm chocolate sauce was the closest things descriptively to hot fudge, but the chocolate shell sounded like it completely enveloped the ice cream, which sounded appealing. I still went with the warm chocolate sauce. Unfortunately, it was just kind of drizzled on the ice cream, none of it really losing form after being squeezed out of the bottle. It also didn’t stay warm for very long.

Level of Comfort Only Ordering a Hot Fudge Sundae:

Not great, in all honesty. The total customizability made me worry that I was taking too long for the people behind me. Most come for a couple of samples and then choose a couple of flavors; I had a lot of moving parts to worry about.

Would I prefer a McDonald’s hot fudge sundae over this? Probably. If I was in Portland and craving a sundae, I’m not sure if it would be worth it to make the trip to Ruby Jewel. It was tasty but forgettable.

Final Rating: 6.8/10