History
Gus Kalaris's family has scraped and sold ice balls from a cart at Allegheny Commons on the North Side since 1934, making it one of Pittsburgh's oldest continuously-run food stands. The ice is shaved fine and soaked in homemade fruit syrups, served cheap from a window. The cart is summer-only and cash-only; in 2025 the city gave it a ceremonial street sign honouring the tradition.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- A large block of ice or a shaved-ice machine
- 200g sugar
- 200ml water
- Fruit (strawberry, cherry or blue raspberry) or fruit syrup
- Paper cups
Method
- Make a simple syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water over heat, then cool.
- Stir in pureed fruit or fruit flavouring to make a bright syrup.
- Shave the ice as finely as possible into a fluffy mound, by machine or by scraping the block.
- Pack the shaved ice into paper cups.
- Pour the fruit syrup generously over the top and serve at once with a spoon and straw.
Tip from the editors. Shave the ice as fine as snow; coarse crushed ice turns watery and misses the point.
Where to eat the pittsburgh ice ball
The Pittsburgh ice ball in Pittsburgh
Gus and Yiayia's Ice Balls ★ 4.4
Gus and Yiayia's Ice Balls is a summer-only, cash-only ice-ball cart on the north side that has run since 1934 and only locals seem to know.
Why locals goA summer-only, cash-only ice-ball cart on the North Side that has run since 1934 and only locals seem to know.
TipBring small bills; it is cash only and summer only. A few dollars buys a shaved-ice ball and popcorn.
More places to eat in Pittsburgh
Not on this list, but among the highest we score in this city. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Driftwood Oven Pizza, our score 4.8
- Morcilla Spanish, our score 4.8
- Primanti Bros (Strip District original) Sandwiches, our score 4.8
- Apteka Eastern European, our score 4.7
- Fet-Fisk Nordic, our score 4.7
- Iron Born Pizza Detroit-style Pizza, our score 4.7
More cities are in research. Want the pittsburgh ice ball covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.