Dylan Lirette saw something missing on the south side of Clear Lake: an old-school neighborhood ice cream shop. So the Armed Forces veteran and Louisiana native opened Space City Cow on East NASA Parkway in late 2024, and nearly two years later, the small-batch parlor has churned out more than 90 rotating flavors.

"They didn't have anything like that on that side of the lake, so I saw kind of a need for it there," Lirette told Community Impact in an Aug. 11 profile.

The shop at 4628 E. NASA Pkwy. sits about 1.5 miles from Johnson Space Center and two miles from the Kemah Boardwalk. Lirette handmakes every batch daily, producing just five gallons of a single flavor at a time. Each flavor gets its own distinct base rather than starting from a standard vanilla or chocolate foundation, a process he credits for the shop's "taste the difference" motto.

His grandparents owned two Baskin-Robbins locations, and that family history shaped his approach. The Louisiana roots show up on the rotating menu: Bananas Foster, Café au Lait + Beignets, Bourbon Pecan King Cake. Texas-inspired picks like Honey Goat Cheese & La Cornbread Cookie and globally influenced options such as Horchata con Leché and Abuelita's Hot Chocolate round out the monthly lineup.

Year-round staples include Space City vanilla, Space City chocolate, mint chocolate chip and scrumptious strawberry. For first-timers, Lirette recommends cookie butter craze, bananas foster and Dr. Pepper float. Dairy-free sorbets and flavors rotate monthly as well, with options like Blackberry Hibiscus Sorbet and Lavender Lemonade Italian Ice.

Beyond scoops, the bakery case carries homemade German chocolate brownies, turtle brownies and loaded white chocolate Biscoff cookies.

Space City Cow plans to celebrate its two-year anniversary this fall, though a specific date has not been announced. Lirette is also expanding the catering operation with two ice cream trucks available for birthday parties, weddings, corporate events and church gatherings.

The shop is open Tuesday through Thursday from 1 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8:30 p.m. It is closed Mondays. Delivery is available through DoorDash and Grubhub. Customers can call (281) 549-4136 to check which flavors are in stock on a given day.