Mang Danny’s Famous Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Night Market

Achieved!

After waiting in line for three (3) hours and sixteen (16) minutes, we finally got to taste Mang Danny’s famous ice cream at the Roxas night market here in Davao City!

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Photo collage previously posted on Instagram.

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Can’t help but be amazed at how creamy and delicious his ice cream is when you try to compare it to other so-called ‘dirty ice cream’ or sorbetes kind of ice cream that we have ever tried.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

We had two cones each with my hubby to make that more than three hours wait really worth it after all. We have to eat them fast while they were melting as we rushed to get home because it was late at night already.

It can get sticky because this ice cream is a really creamy version of the “dirty’ ice cream as people have been calling this kind of ice cream which are sold or peddled in carts by ice cream vendors in the city streets therefore getting the ice cream exposed to dirt and pollution.  It ain’t really dirty, I hope.  Anyway, many people like us have been eating this kind of ice cream for so many years and none has gotten sick eating them.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Given how it tastes, it somehow gives that feeling like what I have when I’m eating my mommy’s own home made malagkit avocado ice cream when we were young.  But, in my own humble opinion, that was more creamy though since it is only for our own consumption at home therefore we make it taste really delicious according to our own personal preference in terms of the taste. Yes I love my mommy’s home made ice cream more, no bias. 🙂

Yet this is an experience with hubby that I’ll remember.  The long line five days prior on our 3rd attempt.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Just look at this line that night on our 4th attempt!  It seems to be this long every single night.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

It’s our 4th attempt by the way.  Sounds crazy right?  The first two times during Kadayawan this year but Manong Danny wasn’t around those nights for some reason.

Who would line for more than 3 hours for a dirty ice cream you may ask? 

These people did…

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Some of them came around 6:00PM. Some even waited for a total of four (4) hours, standing.  Below is the start of the line tonight when we got there at 7:50PM.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Mang Danny has not yet arrived that time we got there to line up.  Mang Danny usually arrives at 9:00PM but tonight he arrived earlier around 8:20PM as people cheered on his arrival at the start of the line.  I’m glad he came early for that hopefully meant we could go home earlier than the last attempt we did to line up for his ice cream five days ago.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

We lined up just to satisfy my ever growing curiosity over Mang Danny’s ice cream which I heard from someone we knew during Kadayawan this year.  It took them an hour.  Good for them.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

For us now three months later and after at least two news feature, it already takes more than an hour… at least two to more than three hours depends on how long the line is each night.  That made me curious.  Why do so many people wait in line just to taste this particular dirty ice cream? 

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Now meet Mang Danny… the man behind the now famous ice cream.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

For  an average of three hours every day, Mang Danny would scoop his ice cream till there is nothing left.  You and I know that is not an easy task especially at Mang Danny’s age. It’s a serious business because people for now wait in a very long line seriously for hours just to buy and taste his ice cream.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

We think Mang Danny would sell at least 200 to 250 cones each day with 6 scoops of ice cream for each cone with three different flavors – chocolate, mango and durian – placed in 3 separate tube containers in his ice cream cart.  I just asked for two cones of durian only but he automatically served all the three flavors in a cone. I can’t complain while I know that not everyone else in the still long line behind us will get to be served tonight.  I am just grateful I have reached this far and there was still more ice cream than what we could expect after 200+ cones sold already.

When it was our turn, hubby said he saw the hand tally counter of Mang Danny at 211.  That’s 211 cones so far and the line behind us then was  long, as in still long.  I was already seriously praying we will still get to be served because half way through our turn in the line, some people were already saying that the ice cream supply was almost gone.Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.comIn just our estimate, Mang Danny earns around P4,000 to P5,000 per night if he sells 200 cones to 250 cones each night.  It’s a good business.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Mang Danny has became famous.  People would take photos of him and have selfies with him or themselves lining up for hours just to buy his ice cream.

Since Kadayawan until now the line is consistently very long each night.  I hope it keeps up but I sincerely wish something could be done to cater to the customers faster without the need to line up for so long.  Not everyone behind us might even get to be served that night.  I have seen people lining up leaving and giving up.  You could somehow say “matira ang matibay.”

I have heard people saying it’s quite crazy.  Different people passing by got curious and were amazed at how really long the line is every single night even before this was in the news, just to buy ice cream for P20 per cone.  

Its taste is really a level higher than any other ice cream sold on the street that we have ever tasted.  All we could just think now is that the long wait standing in line paid off.  The experience is crazy fun and you get to meet and chat with new people mostly students and young professionals.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

We have spotted students from ADDU (the place is very accessible to them), UIC, USEP, HCDC, SPC, among other people from different walks of life one may say who are lining up just like us mostly driven by their curiosity perhaps.

This photo below is the starting point of a very long line on our last and recent visit.  I asked a young man standing in line with his friends.  He told me they had been in line since 6:00PM. 

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

That was around 8:00PM meaning they have been standing in this line for two hours already and Mang Danny is usually expected to arrive according to the other ice cream vendors we’ve asked before at 9:00PM.  I even thought we were already early coming in shortly before 8PM, an hour earlier than when Mang Danny is expected to start selling his ice cream there at that corner of the night market in Roxas Avenue and corner Padre Faura Street here in Davao City.  It is near the Seagrass Beach Resort booking office.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

I recall on our 3rd attempt before this, we arrived before 10:00PM somehow thinking the line would have shortened by that time and that there would be few people left.  To our surprise the line was still very long and that’s 10:00PM already.  We left or shall I say gave up after waiting in line for more than an hour because it was really late at night already and hubby had an early morning shift the following day.  We have no choice that time but go home and give it another try next time. 

This time around on our 4th attempt, we achieved our goal just for fun, to satisfy my growing curiosity and see the craze of what this long line of people who wanted to taste Mang Danny’s ice cream is all about.

Achieved!  What an epic experience indeed.  Thanks to the USEP students behind us in the line who amused us with their talks making the waiting less boring.  Thanks to the ladies working in the bank we are familiar with, who lined up in front of us, you somehow encouraged me to the finish when I was about to give up at the last hour stretch.  I am no longer built for long standing in line actually.  Good thing my hubby was there in case I faint.  I didn’t but I easily get dizzy sometimes standing in steady in line for a long time that I would rather walk around no matter how far it will take me, rather than stand in one place for a long period of time.  I made it and have conquered the long line to Mang Danny’s ice cream.

Now, we have a request though Mang Danny, please seriously consider having a second cart beside you with the same delicious ice cream recipe that you made and hire an extra helper to scoop your ice cream.  More Mang Danny’s ice cream to serve at the same time will help lessen the long queue each night hopefully.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Thank you Mang Danny for your delicious ice cream!  May your passion on making your own special, delicious and creamy ice cream continue to make people, who line up for hours, happy and satisfied.

Mang Danny's Famous Dirty Ice Cream in Davao at Roxas Avenue - DavaoFoodTrips.com

Have you lined up for Mang Danny’s ice cream? 

Share with us your experience as we would love to hear from you by simply leaving a comment on the comment section below. Thanks for reading and visiting this blog!

Happy holidays!

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