Dallas has seen a wave of Hawaiian food in recent years, starting with the poke trend in 2018 and more recently with Hawaiian restaurants that specialize in soothing rice and meat “plate lunches”.
All of this Hawaiian infusion brings us a sweet side effect: the frozen treat commonly known as the dole whip.
This frozen soft ice cream without dairy products will surprise you as a refreshing, pleasant surprise. First there is the texture: a perfect frozen creamy firmness that melts quickly when you eat it. (They have special machines that do it that way.) And then the taste: pineapple is a taste you might not be able to predict in a soft serve where plain old vanilla and chocolate rule the day.
Formerly known as Dole Whip, now officially Dole Soft Serve, the treat was created in 1986 by Dole who sold it to tourists on their plantation in Hawaii. But it developed a cult following after it was introduced at Disney theme parks that advertised it as exclusive, though the blend, made by Iowa-based Kent Precision Foods Group, is available to any vendor.
Six Flags, another theme park, was offered at some locations in 2012. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 2015, making it one of the few places it can be obtained locally.
It remained a theme park until recently when Hawaiians took over the city and Dole Whip started to get trendy. It’s vegan too. Now you can find it not only in Hawaiian restaurants but also in Froyo eateries and a burger stand in an expanded range of flavors including lime, cherry, raspberry and a new watermelon.
Two catering / food trucks in the Dallas area make it even more accessible. One is a Dole Whip-themed food truck called Southern Dole Whips – “You no longer have to travel to theme parks to get a Dole Whip. We can bring them to you! ”- who publish a monthly schedule and a changing menu with flavors.
The other, Sweet Frog DFW Mobile, is a Virginia-based food truck chain that primarily makes frozen yogurt, but also makes dole whip flavors.
Here are all of the places to get Dole Soft-Serve in Dallas:
Bobber
The restaurant / booth in the AT&T Discovery District Food Hall in downtown Dallas offers Wagyu burgers with queso, fried eggs, bacon and more. But Dole Whip is half the battle. They’re called Bobbers Burgers & Whips, after all, so you know Dole is in the house. They always have pineapple and a rotating flavor like mango.
Kettle Ice Cream
Orange County’s ice cream concept is known for its “puffle” cones, which when filled with their ice cream create a flower-like appearance. With flavors like Earl Gray Lavender, they’re definitely not off the shelf. Their range includes “Pineapple Express”, AKA Dole Soft-Serve with pineapple flavor, which they position as a vegan flavor.
Cinnaholic Addison
This chain is home to the decadent yet vegan cinnamon bun topped with frosting, cookie dough, nuts, candy, and more. Their vegan profile makes them a logical place to find Dole Whip, but right now they’re only available at the Addison Cinnaholic, where they have two flavors: pineapple and raspberry.
Dole Soft Serve Fruit Swirl at Six Flags Over Texas
The theme park in Arlington is home to a brand stall selling pineapple and mango flavors. You can get a cone or an extra tall plastic cup that has chopped pineapple on the bottom and dole whip on top.
4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge
The Arlington Tiki Bar is a cocktail oasis dedicated to drinks like Mai Tai. They have Pineapple Dole Whip Soft Serve that you can order with or without alcohol.
Hawaiian Bros.
Founded in Kansas City, the fast-casual chain specializes in island comfort food, including the classic Hawaiian lunch with rice and pulled pork or teriyaki chicken. They are expanding this fall in Dallas-Forth Worth, including a location at 6011 Greenville Ave. in Dallas, which opens October 19. They offer Dole Whip in the original pineapple as well as in a changing taste.
Menchia
The California-based frozen yogurt chain was on the Dole Whip front early on, serving it only in the original pineapple flavor in all of its stores, including eight stores in the DFW area from Allen to Plano to Fort Worth.
Pineapple Grill Texas
Pineapple Grill was founded as a food trailer and catering company in 2017 before expanding to a stationary restaurant on 121 E Harwood Rd. in Hurst in December 2018. They are Hawaiian owned and operated and take great pride in the authenticity of their Hawaiian dishes, from plate lunches to spam musubi to dole whip in the classic pineapple.
Pokeworks
The New York-based Poke chain has two DFW locations – one at The Hill in Dallas and the other at Richardson Restaurant Park on 746 S Central Expy. – and they did a great job getting their way beyond the poke trend with poke, bowls, wraps and salads, all healthy and all satisfying. They serve pineapple dole whip, neat or with an optional pinch of ground red chilli pepper.
Pure poke
The fast-casual restaurant in Frisco, which serves poke, salad, and rice bowls, is owned by husband and wife John and Sophia Kim. They are loving and conscientious, from the care taken in preparing the food to serving a free miso soup when you dine there. They have Pineapple Dole Whip soft ice cream in a generous 9-ounce serving for just $ 3. Come to the Dole Whip, stay for dinner.
Swizzle
The delightful Tiki Bar on 1802 Greenville Ave. serves rum classics like Mai Tais as well as funny drinks for two, served in the hollowed out shell of a fresh pineapple. There is also a menu of Polynesian / Hawaiian foods like pork, spam and chicken katsu, but also edamame dip with taro chips and, the reason we are here, pineapple-flavored dole whip.
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