Just across from the Greenville Trader Joe’s is Steel City Pops, Dallas’s latest chic dessert stop. True to its name, the shop is housed in a metallic space right off the sidewalk. Although it’s small, it’s accessible by foot from any restaurant or bar nearby.

Inside, a mural of Dallas features a Texas-flag-painted popsicle high above the city. Chalkboards depict the day’s flavors, which rotate.

Flavors are vegetarian and gluten-free, with vegan fruit options. The menu boasts eclectic blends, from standard chocolate and vanilla to buttercream, sweet tea, hibiscus, and pineapple jalapeño.

The counter is sandwiched between two plain glass ice chests filled with multicolored pops, which looked tasty, but plain.

I was skeptical. Was this another product made desirable by clever marketing and kitschy logos, like Sprinkles? Or was the taste the winning factor that justified this ice cream shop’s buzz?

I purchased two popsicles for $5.50 total. A bit pricey, considering Steel City popsicles are straightforward, rectangular frozen popsicles. The sharp edges of the prism-shaped treats just barely elevate their coolness above that of a standard Fudgsicle.

However, the chocolate flavor did not disappoint, with a hint of mocha aftertaste. The Strawberry Cream tasted freshly made as though it had been hand-churned minutes before. The texture was like frozen frosting– thick, creamy and rich. It was solid, yet chewy in a deliciously filling way.

The icy crystalline pops were deceptive, though, as they melted fast enough to drip onto the floor halfway through. This didn’t deter me from eating them one after the other… only after photographing them to Instagram later, of course.

Steel City Pops caters, and, like Pokey-O’s or Canes, have appeared a few times free for SMU students at events like Park ‘N Party. If you’re ever offered a free Steel City Pop, you’d be crazy not to accept, even if you have to finish it in class. The creamy treats are well worth any professor’s glares.