Are pizookies worth the hype?

A review of the famed treat

Story by Aya Howard and Soleil Schwartz • February 8, 2026

Towering above all, the triple chocolate cookie was the best pizookie we tried. All of the pizookies were eventually scraped clean.

Cookies.
Ice cream.
Hot fudge.
Classics, but not recent inventions. And yet, the pizookie, a combination of all three, has taken teenagers by storm. Not a day goes by without hearing stories of late night trips to BJ’s in the hallways. In an Instagram poll posted on Oct. 10, 58 people have had the dessert recently. It seems that pizookie runs have become a necessity, whether they be after school events or just for a sweet craving. With all the recent hype around pizookies, it’s natural to wonder if they actually live up to expectations. In order to answer this age-old question, we went to BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and rated the cookies based on taste, presentation, flavor, texture and overall value. We tried the mini strawberry shortcake, triple chocolate and classic chocolatechunk, just three options out of the eight currently available.

Strawberry shortcake: 2 scoops out of 5

To our shock, this cookie was sickly sweet and underbaked; the center was raw at best. The best part was the strawberries, although they were mushy and not very fresh. The fruit clashed with the strawberry jam, which made it too sweet and artificial. In the end, we just wanted to eat the whipped cream.

Triple chocolate: 4.5 scoops out of 5

The triple chocolate pizookie was by far the best of the three we tasted. It was the perfect trifecta: cocoa ice cream, mini chocolate chips and chocolatey cookie. The cookie’s crispy edges and soft — but not raw — interior resulted in a delicious texture contrast.

Chocolate chunk: 3 scoops out of 5

This was just a chocolate chip cookie—and not a particularly good one, either. The ice cream began to freeze and harden the cookie halfway through. The chocolate chunks were a bit too large, making it hard to get a nice bite. The center was slightly raw and the edges weren’t crispy enough, but the overall flavor was still quite good. Our favorite part was the vanilla ice cream, as its simplicity helped balance out the cookie.

At last, with our stomachs full, wishing we had milk, we stumbled out of the restaurant. We went in expecting a fun cookie dessert, but walked out questioning our decisions. Even the mini pizookies were too much food for us on empty stomachs. We ended up spending $13 on cookies over the course of this article—too much for mediocre treats.

About the Contributors

Aya Howard, Photo Editor

Aya Howard is a member of the class of 2026 and is the photo editor for Portrait. This is Aya’s second year on staff as a senior. Aya’s favorite thing about journalism is telling unique stories. When she is not in the newsroom, Aya loves birding, playing cello, and learning new things.

Soleil Schwartz, Managing Editor

Soleil Schwartz is a member of the class of 2028 and the managing editor for Portrait. This is Soleil’s second year on staff as a sophmore. Soleil’s favorite thing about journalism is sharing stories that impact peoples’ lives. When she is not in the newsroom, Soleil loves running, reading, and drawing.