ByPat
Central Ice Cream, Cebu: The Dirty Ice Cream Cart Locals Grew Up On
Central Ice Cream is the Cebu sorbetes cart with the yellow wheels: a stainless steel cart with lidded canisters, a hand bell, and a scooper who stacks ube, cheese and chocolate on a sugar cone. It is the dirty ice cream most Cebuanos grew up on, and the business dates itself to 1955.
The carts are pushed through downtown streets, outside schools and at events rather than parked at one address, so finding one is part of it. Listen for the bell.
What is dirty ice cream?
Dirty ice cream is the street name for sorbetes, the Filipino ice cream sold from pushcarts. It is usually made with coconut milk, carabao milk or both, often thickened with a little cassava flour, which gives it a lighter, icier texture than supermarket ice cream. The “dirty” is a joke about being sold on the street, not a description of how it is made.
The vendor, the sorbetero, scoops it into a wafer or sugar cone, a small cup, or a soft bread bun, and mixing flavors in one order is the whole point. Classic flavors include ube, cheese, chocolate, mango and mantecado, though each cart carries only a few on any given day.
Sorbetes, Cebu style
Build your cone
Stack up to three scoops and pick what holds them. The classic order is ube and cheese.
Scoop 1
Scoop 2
Scoop 3
Served in
Your order
Prices are not posted on the carts. Ask before you order.
Flavors vary by cart and by day.
The Central Ice Cream cart
The cart is the brand. Four stainless canisters with domed lids sit in a row on top, a yellow “Central Special Ice Cream” sign runs along the side with the company phone number painted on it, and two big yellow spoked wheels carry the whole thing. Scoopers push it by hand, ring a bell, and stop wherever a crowd forms: school gates at dismissal, downtown corners, parks on weekends.
What to order
- Ube and cheese. The default Cebu combination: purple yam and a salty-sweet cheese that tastes better together than apart.
- Chocolate on top. Add a third scoop for the full set.
- In a bread bun. Sorbetes in a soft roll is the old-school way, and it does not drip down your wrist.
The drawbacks, honestly: there is no shop to walk into, the carts move, and on a hot afternoon the ice cream melts fast. Eat it standing at the cart.
Where to find Central Ice Cream
There is no fixed stall. Carts work downtown Cebu City, school zones and busy corners, and they turn up at fiestas and events. To find one, or to book a cart for a party, call the number on the cart sign, (032) 261 0828, or message Central Ice Cream on Facebook. For events, the company has also taken bookings at +63 956 599 7984, with the cart and a scooper and ice cream by the barrel.
Make it a heritage afternoon
Pair a cone with a walk through the old city: the National Museum of the Philippines Cebu and Casa Gorordo are both downtown, and Capilla Santa Ana Museum in Toledo makes a longer day. At night, Sugbo Mercado in IT Park has dirty ice cream among the dessert stalls.
Suroy Wear made a shirt with Central Ice Cream: the Suroy & Co. × Central Ice Cream tee, for anyone who still hears the bell.
Suroy Wear · Suroy & Co. collab
Hear the bell.
Serving sweet memories since 1955, now on a shirt. The Suroy & Co. × Central Ice Cream collab tee, ₱1,299.
Wear the story
Frequently asked questions
What is dirty ice cream?
Dirty ice cream is sorbetes, the Filipino street ice cream sold from pushcarts. It is usually made with coconut or carabao milk and served in a cone, cup or bread bun. The name is a joke about being sold on the street.
Why is it called dirty ice cream?
Because it is sold on the street from pushcarts rather than in shops. The nickname is affectionate; it says nothing about how the ice cream is made.
What flavors does Central Ice Cream have?
The classic Central order is ube, cheese and chocolate. Carts carry a few flavors at a time, so the line-up changes by cart and by day.
Where can I buy Central Ice Cream in Cebu?
From its pushcarts around downtown Cebu City, school zones and events. Call the number on the cart sign, (032) 261 0828, or message Central Ice Cream on Facebook to find or book a cart.
Can I book a Central Ice Cream cart for a party?
Yes. Central caters birthdays, fiestas and company events with the cart, a scooper and ice cream by the barrel. Book through its Facebook page or +63 956 599 7984.
