Published November 2, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | AROUND NEWPORT | NOVEMBER 2, 2026
Newport Beach has never needed much encouragement to argue. Parking. Property lines. How many boats belong in one harbor.
But one of its oldest disagreements involves a banana on a stick. Specifically, who gets credit for the chocolate-covered frozen banana that made Balboa Island famous.
And this one is stickier than the topping.
Two shops, one claim to fame
Walk down Marine Avenue and you’ll find Sugar ‘n Spice and Dad’s Donuts, two longtime island institutions selling frozen bananas and Balboa Bars just a short stroll apart.
Both have traded on the idea of the original. Sugar ‘n Spice traces its island history to 1945; Dad’s came later. Visitors have spent decades deciding which one deserves their loyalty.
Apparently even dessert needs rival fan clubs.
Plot twist: The peninsula
Here’s what makes the argument interesting. Historical accounts in the Daily Pilot identify Don Phillips as an early Newport frozen-banana seller on the Balboa Peninsula around 1940, close to the ferry landing.
More recent research, including records discussed with the Balboa Island Museum, points to his chocolate-dipped version being sold by 1941.
Which means the island’s great frozen-banana tradition may have started across the harbor.
There’s a twist nobody ordered, especially if they were hoping to settle this argument before lunch.
Hollywood joins the line
The banana business even made it into television history. Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz ran a childhood dessert stand near the ferry, and his fictional Bluth family would later operate its own wonderfully dysfunctional frozen-banana business.
Meanwhile, Dad’s and Sugar ‘n Spice keep selling the real things.
Maybe the final verdict belongs to whoever has chocolate on their fingers.
And in Newport, at least this feud has a delicious outcome.
Sources: Daily Pilot: Frozen in history; SFGATE: historical research; Smithsonian: Frozen banana stand and Arrested Development.
Help us out, Newport.
Read next
Around NewportBack Bay: The Wetland Newport Almost Turned Into a MarinaNewport’s Back Bay is the quiet part of town that keeps doing important work while the rest of us argue about parking. The Upper Newport Bay is one of the…Read story →Suggestion 1 of 5
Around NewportThe Balboa Bar: Newport’s Greatest InventionNewport Beach has given the world some remarkable things. Beautiful boats. Expensive houses. Parking regulations that can turn a beach day into an advanced math exam. But one of its…Read story →Suggestion 2 of 5
Around NewportNewport High School Students Can Take College Classes for Free This SpringHere's something Newport families might actually want to get ahead of: local high school students can take college classes this spring without paying tuition.Read story →Suggestion 3 of 5
Around NewportNewport Beach’s Elizabeth Lyn Vargas: From Television Personality to Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Community AdvocateAn established Newport Beach personality and familiar face from Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is combining her passion for community, technology, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship to…Read story →Suggestion 4 of 5
City Hall WatchNewport’s City Council Has a Lot of Friends With Checkbooks. Here’s the Money Trail.The Balboa Local follows Newport's 2026 council election money through developer committees, the county party, police and firefighters PACs, and Alliance for Prosperity.Read story →Suggestion 5 of 5