McConnell's Fine Ice Creams

The girl behind the counter was nice and mentioned that we could try samples since it was our first time there. I ended up getting a single sized cup of Santa Barbara strawberry and cookies and cream. I really like how you can get two flavors in a single portion without paying extra. It’s the perfect size and just enough without making me feel overly full. This is some of the best ice cream I have ever had. It’s fresh and creamy. I liked both flavors, but the Santa Barbara strawberry was amazing. My husband had two chocolate flavors, which he loved. I definitely recommend giving them a try.

It was super busy on 4th of July evening and yet the staff was super friendly and let us try multiple flavors. The icecream was good and and pretty creamy but I have to say the cusos down the street is phenomenal and much better especially since you can buy mcconnells pints at Whole Foods. Very unique flavors though!

Oh man, simply incredible ice cream. It's wild what using local dairy and high-quality mix-ins will do for ice cream. Big fan of the strawberry, sea salt cream & cookies, and earl grey tea & shortbread cookies. I was feeling bold, so I went for a flight of 5 flavors in a waffle cone. It's a lot of ice cream, but totally doable for a hungry patron. Just maybe get a spoon and a cup to buy yourself some time from the melting.

Delicious and unique ice cream, wide selection of flavors and other customization, and very friendly staff. Highly recommend!

Got a strawberry ice cream cone and it was creamy and not too sweat.

It's hard to fill the void that Tondi left, but McConnell's does a good job.

They provide high quality ice cream for a reasonable price, and are very friendly. I definitely plan on returning!

Nice ice cream here :)
Too expensive tho lol

Really nice, four flavors in a double (large) for $10. Lets you have a taste before choosing. Long line going onto the streets.

awesome

Excellent ice cream and the server was very nice. The price is outrageous though. For a small cup it was over $9. I can get a pint at the grocery store for less money and more ice cream.

Five stars all the way! I’ve had their ice cream in pints from Safeway but it was extra good in a waffle cone. And a very generous size scoop!!

Long ol line for literally just ice cream. This is the Labubus of ice cream shops. It’s a fad and no one knows why they’re waiting in line ready to fork over $30 for three cold treats. There’s genuinely nothing special about this place. Ordered the Strawberry ice cream with a scoop of coffee and that was it. It tasted like any other ice cream. Even my gf’s ice cream sandwich was simply… an ice cream sandwich. Please be your own person and don’t wait in the 15-minute line that goes out the building. But if you do wait, help yourself to clean restrooms and a water station with water cups. The water station is a nice lil touch, don’t see that often (except Ghirardelli in Gaslamp—shout to them)

On vacation with husband we visited twice because the ice cream is that good. It is pricey but it is worth it! You also get a good amount of ice cream and they have wonderful flavors and quite if bit of dairy free options. The “small” in a cone is two scoops and you can get different flavors which I liked. My only complaint is I prefer a crunchier waffle cone and theirs are kinda soft.

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams definitely lives up to its reputation in terms of quality, but it didn’t fully win me over personally. You can tell right away that everything is made with care, the ice cream itself is very creamy, rich, and clearly uses high-quality ingredients. The flavors are well-developed and not overly artificial, which I appreciated.

One of the highlights for me was the cone. It tasted fresh and homemade, which made a noticeable difference compared to the typical store-bought cones you get elsewhere. It added a nice texture and complemented the ice cream really well.

That said, while everything was objectively good, I didn’t find it particularly memorable or something I’d go out of my way for again. It leans more on the rich and dense side, which might not be for everyone, especially if you prefer lighter or more refreshing desserts.

Overall, it’s a solid spot with high standards and great ingredients. Worth trying at least once, especially if you appreciate premium ice cream but for me, it was more “good” than “great.”

As always one pf the best ice cream in Santa Barbara