 "Photo: Candace Shankel | The Spectator")
 "Photo: Candace Shankel | The Spectator")
A tinted light illuminates the modern art hung from the walls, board games sit stacked atop a table and soothing indie music radiates from the ceiling. The floor of Bluebird Ice Cream bustles with Seattle University students and Capitol Hill residents alike, serving as a living room to Pike Street's ever growing dessert district.
The quaint shop, located on the corner of 12th Avenue and East Pike Street, has recently fashioned itself as a hotspot for Seattle U students because of its great food, trendy atmosphere, and, as owner Josh Reynolds puts it, “college-kid prices.”
Reynolds founded Bluebird one year ago in what he calls an attempt to “create a neighborhood space that would bring people together.” His store provides free Wi-Fi and board games, encourages new musicians to play, contains a recreation room that can be rented out for free and offers an ice cream happy hour every day. With all these benefits, it’s no wonder when Reynolds says competition between neighboring dessert shops—such as Molly Moon’s and Cupcake Royale—hasn’t been a problem. People frequently come to Bluebird to experience not just the great services but also the unique atmosphere and, of course, the outstanding food.
Bluebird offers all the conventional ice cream flavors like vanilla and chocolate but also boasts a variety of unique flavors, such as Maple Hickory, Apple Pie and even Elysian Stout, a smooth beer flavor created from the next door brewery’s beer. Every scoop has a rich and creamy texture, regardless of the flavor. Snickerdoodle is Bluebird’s best seller, and for good reason. Its luscious mix of cinnamon and brown sugar provides for a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, making it the best flavor Bluebird has to offer. The shop even serves vegan ice cream, which, although an oxymoron, sells quite often.
Prices for ice cream are a bargain: for $3, customers receive a scoop large enough to guarantee anyone a satisfied stomach and delicious enough to surpass nearby competing ice cream parlors.
Bluebird also offers an abundance of sandwiches and tea, which Reynolds says sell well during the winter. All the ingredients are completely organic and locally bought. While the latter entrées are uncommon in an ice cream shop, their prices reflect their quality, so on a student budget it’s best to stay at C-Street for anything but ice cream. Bluebird’s attempt to encapsulate a wide variety of food helps the restaurant avoid the label of being just another ice cream parlor.
Unlike other ice cream shops, which seemingly blend together by furnishing themselves in nondescript tables and chairs, Bluebird is ingeniously furnished with materials salvaged from the greater Seattle area. Old church pews serve as benches, tables are made from the floor of Hamilton Middle School’s old basketball court and even the counters are made from the siding of what was once a dilapidated barn.
“It’s a win-win,” Reynolds said about the furnishings. “We help the environment, and we save money.”
In fact, because so much of Bluebird is made from recycled material, the entire cost of wood needed to create the shop came to a mere $100. And while some may prefer lavish furniture with a classy ambiance, the décor in Bluebird provides a surprisingly comfortable atmosphere. The combination of great service, chic style and a tasteful variety of food makes Bluebird a must-do for everyone.
Pavan may be reached at vasdevp@su-spectator.com.
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