The ice machine gets a workout at Bahama Buck's, a Texas outfit with five stores in the East Valley. The super-charged snow-cone process gets under way with a giant ice cube skewered onto a rotisserie-like vertical spit, where the ice is shaved to a fluffy consistency and densely packed into a 12-ounce foam cup. Then it comes time for serious decision making — there are more the 80 flavors to choose from. Try mai tai, guava, cherry colada, jungle berry and strawberry cheesecake. They're not too sweet, and they're very cold. Eat them too fast and you're a candidate for a brain freeze.

See more: Southeast Valley restaurants, Tempe restaurants, Ice cream/frozen yogurt restaurants