Banana Boat

"A couple of winters ago, my girlfriend and I decided to explore some areas farther up the Blue Line than our apartment. On that trip, we came across a place called Banana Boat, which was closed for the season, but had an outdoor menu that made us really want some ice cream on a December night and had us making a mental note to return in the summer.

So this summer, we found ourselves wandering Revere Beach and knew it was time to try Banana Boat. While in line, we saw a million different things we wanted to try, but decided to go with Ann's Famous Banana Boat, as we figured something good enough to name the establishment after was probably worth a try.

We were sharing the banana boat, unsure if it would be enough and if we might want more after. We figured that if it weren't, we could always just get back in line.

Um, yeah. It was enough.

The center of the banana boat is two large towers of soft serve ice cream. We got it with one vanilla and one chocolate. Each of those towers is topped with chocolate syrup, then a huge dollop of whipped cream and a cherry.

On either side of those towers is a half of a banana, and any remaining space in the plastic boat is stuffed with strawberries and pineapple bits, and then so much of this delicious, sweet, fruity pink-gray goo that it will leak out in every direction if you don't keep the container perfectly level. Also, for some reason, a tiny American flag. We didn't eat that.

All I really have to say is, it was so good. It wasn't mind-blowing or unique, it was just really good. It was what a banana split should be. It was a towering mass of diabetic bliss that left us full and satisfied and wanting to go take a nap on the beach to digest. Some other customers who saw how huge the banana boat was were amazed when they realized we'd actually managed to eat the entire thing. Frankly, we were, too, but it was just so great. My only regret is that we lost some of the delicious goo."

- Dave F. (Yelp.com)