Milkshakes and dinosaurs, two seemingly unrelated things, can be paired together to create a rare culinary experience. This is what Sweetosaur, a dinosaur-themed ice cream and shake shop that opened last May at the Galleria at Tyler offers its patrons.
One treat Sweetosaur offers is the “Clever Girl,” a strawberry milkshake adorned with a ring of green cotton candy, green whipped cream and served in a glass covered with images of velociraptors.
The title nods to a scene from the original “Jurassic Park” (1990) where one of the characters, Muldoon, stalks a velociraptor only to be ambushed. Before being eaten by the raptor, his final words were “clever girl.”
Sweetosaur has many other creative, dinosaur-inspired shakes as well as their ice cream “Wafflesaurus Rex” items. This creation consists of ice cream scoops served atop a waffle cone shaped like a tyrannosaurus rex with its jaws wide open. The ice cream sits nestled inside these mighty “Wafflesaurus Rex’s” jaws.
The store offers a vibrant atmosphere with toy dinosaurs and dinosaur-themed merchandise all over the shelves, as well as a giant T-rex that small dinosaur fans can ride.
“Having the giant T-rex makes me want to come in (to Sweetosaur) because I am a dinosaur fan,” said Dane Hitchcock, freshman environmental science and Christian studies double major.
The store also looks like it belongs in the Jurassic World theme park featured in the iconic film.
“(Sweetosaur) has a unique aesthetic because when I was in there, I felt like I was in a food place at a theme park,” said Chad Gaines, junior accounting major.
Victoria Carrillo, manager at Sweetosaur, said the store’s theme was inspired by the founder’s unique love of all things dinosaur.
“(The store’s founder) has been obsessed with dinosaurs since she was little,” Carillo said. “They own many dinosaurs-themed businesses.”
The sweet shop’s current featured desserts are the Milkshake from the Mesozoic and the Wafflesaurus treat.
Sweetosaur offers an uncommon atmosphere and products that any college student might want on his or herInstagram or Snapchat story.
Sweetosaur is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
They are located on the second floor of the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside. The shop is already doing well with the local public and has earned four stars on Yelp.
