We came to this ice cream shop and were SO happy we did! The employees were so helpful. I loved the banana and salted caramel and the peanut butter chocolate. You won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bennette I.
The ice cream is a 5 but the experience made it a 3. We wanted to buy a few pints of ice cream to take home. I was visiting my daughter in Santa Monica and she raved about McConnells. We walked in and were the only ones in the shop. No greeting, no hi, no nothing. Both is us asked to try a flavor. We decided on the peanut butter and earl grey which were locked in the front case. She didn't say a word, retrieved the ice cream and rang us up. The shop itself was quaint, cute and clean. Too bad the customer service was flat and not up to par.
Rene C.
Stopped by this place for desserts as my bf and I were walking down the area. We just ate at 1212 and would recommend going there for dinner. I love ice cream and can't say no to this place. I got a single scoop of cookies & cream and the sweet cream caramel brownie. Both were so delicious and tasted really good. Price was okay as it came out to about $7. Service was quick and simple. There was no line on a Sunday evening. Would come back if I'm nearby the area!
Cat N.
McConnell's is probably the best thing at Third Street Promenade to be honest. I was so glad I was able to get an after lunch treat here while roaming all the wack stores around it. I love that some of their ice cream is organic. They also have vegan and dairy-free options. Oh and they have so many flavors to choose from and the staff allows you to sample. Their menu changes from time to time but popular ones include Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate and their Banana & Salted Caramel. The seasonal flavor they had when I went was their Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Praline flavor which included alcohol. My personal flavor of choice is their Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie which is absolutely heavenly. It had the right amount of sweetness and was creamy and delicious. I got it on a gluten free sugar cone for an additional .50 cents and it was perfect. One scoop you can get up to two flavors. The staff is nice, patient and knowledgable. I like that the have several staff members behind the counter so the line can go quicker. This location is smaller so there isn't really a spot to sit in and enjoy your food. But overall a solid spot.
Michael Ong
Great ice cream!
Food: 5
Jo S.
Great addition to the Promenade! McConnell's is always a good idea for me, especially on a nice, sunny day! Smaller space than usual with less seating options, I would add more tables outside since there's a very pedestrian friendly area, great to hang out and enjoy a nice ice-cream! I like to get a flight with coffee, churro, marionberries and lemon, some of my usual go to flavors since you can't go wrong. Love McConnell's ice-cream, my fave, nice and smooth. Decent service, handy location, McConnell's brings a fresh vibe to the area!
Tina C
Had this years ago in SB but still had no expectations, but damn this was good. Had samples and then decided to get two flavors - earl grey and the lemon berries one. So yummy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Justin Y.
Located in the heart of Santa Monica Very creamy and rich, gives off a little ben&jerrys feeling Can't go wrong with cookies and cream wherever you go but i would stay away from the coffee (very strong espresso flavor) Great little shop if you are craving ice cream
Cam Bowman
Ice cream was really good and I got it in a gingerbread waffle cone. A bit expensive but
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jack Richer
Too much milk in your milkshake, you ruined it. Too liquid.
The ice cream was good. The service was by some young female with bad attitude. Didn’t want to serve us or even look like she wanted to work there. I get shy about not leaving tip but I was confident i wasn’t going to leave tip on this one. Then after I left her two friends walked in and her attitude changed and they walked out with quite a bit. I’m just saying.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Louisa M.
BELIEVE THE HYPE! To be fair, I do not regularly eat ice cream because I see it as a treat to enjoy in moderation (like only a couple of times a year). But this stuff is INSANELY DELICIOUS! I was walking around downtown Santa Monica on a very chilly January evening, and I spied a line at McConnell's that literally stretched out onto the sidewalk and into the street. It's basic Foodie 101: you see a line like that, you get in it. So I did. The line moved very quickly, as the ice cream store had lots of employees working behind the counter. The menu is overwhelming, so it helps if you peruse it online before getting up to the front to place your order. There is a rotating menu of flavors, and it was hard to decide which one I wanted! Luckily, it works like a gelato place - a "one scoop" cup can be two flavors! Score! When I got to the front of the line, a friendly employee greeted me warmly. I asked for a sample of the peanut butter chip, and she gave me a very large spoonful to try. It was so good, I got that and a salted caramel brownie. I was impressed with how quickly the line moved, and the service was very efficient and pleasant enough. The people in front of me ordered milkshakes which took longer to fix, but I appreciated that I was able to go around them and pay so I could start digging in! The ice cream was rich, fresh, and tasted gourmet. I loved the sea salt and the fresh brownie combo, and you can tell there's no "junk" ingredients in this product. They even have dairy-free and certified organic flavors. With all of this quality comes a cost, and it's not cheap. Allow about $7 for a single scoop (two flavors) of ice cream. It's so rich though, that it was plenty satisfying. I did manage to eat it all, however! Be prepared to take your ice cream to eat elsewhere, as there is no seating inside, and there is a very small patio with a total of four stools. Luckily, the Promenade is right outside, with places to hang out and eat. It wasn't so fun on a frigid evening, however. There's a reason this place has been making ice cream from scratch for 70 years - it's THAT good. Stop here, you won't regret it!
Bridget A.
Good creamy quality ice cream. Good place to stop with the kiddos and sit next to fountain to enjoy.
Tammy W.
The friendliest staff and thee most bestest ice cream. Unless you are a self proclaimed ice cream connoisseur like myself, you might ask what the big deal is. Yes- lots of ice cream out there but not all are made equal and mcconnells shops are so few and far between but they are one of the best! If you're at or around the promenade, do yourself a nicey and grab a scoop or 4! There are many flavor options and the way their pricing g works allows you to order many flavors!
Eunice S.
While walking through the 3rd Street Promenade, I found this cute ice cream shop and couldn't just pass especially knowing that it has a long history as well so I stopped by despite of the long line. The clerks were very nice and patient waiting for the customers to choose their ice cream and kindly suggest flavors and hand out spoons to allow them to taste each ice creams. Their beautiful smiles made everybody feel warmly welcomed. I had double scoops in a single cup. For the flavors, I asked for Santa Barbara Strawberry and one popular flavor. The clerk gave me sea salt cream & cookies for the other scoop and it was an excellent recommendation. The ice creams were not too sweet and the flavors were distinctive. Can't wait to come back for other flavors!
We came to this ice cream shop and were SO happy we did! The employees were so helpful. I loved the banana and salted caramel and the peanut butter chocolate. You won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The ice cream is a 5 but the experience made it a 3. We wanted to buy a few pints of ice cream to take home. I was visiting my daughter in Santa Monica and she raved about McConnells. We walked in and were the only ones in the shop. No greeting, no hi, no nothing. Both is us asked to try a flavor. We decided on the peanut butter and earl grey which were locked in the front case. She didn't say a word, retrieved the ice cream and rang us up. The shop itself was quaint, cute and clean. Too bad the customer service was flat and not up to par.
Stopped by this place for desserts as my bf and I were walking down the area. We just ate at 1212 and would recommend going there for dinner. I love ice cream and can't say no to this place. I got a single scoop of cookies & cream and the sweet cream caramel brownie. Both were so delicious and tasted really good. Price was okay as it came out to about $7. Service was quick and simple. There was no line on a Sunday evening. Would come back if I'm nearby the area!
McConnell's is probably the best thing at Third Street Promenade to be honest. I was so glad I was able to get an after lunch treat here while roaming all the wack stores around it. I love that some of their ice cream is organic. They also have vegan and dairy-free options. Oh and they have so many flavors to choose from and the staff allows you to sample. Their menu changes from time to time but popular ones include Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate and their Banana & Salted Caramel. The seasonal flavor they had when I went was their Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Praline flavor which included alcohol. My personal flavor of choice is their Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie which is absolutely heavenly. It had the right amount of sweetness and was creamy and delicious. I got it on a gluten free sugar cone for an additional .50 cents and it was perfect. One scoop you can get up to two flavors. The staff is nice, patient and knowledgable. I like that the have several staff members behind the counter so the line can go quicker. This location is smaller so there isn't really a spot to sit in and enjoy your food. But overall a solid spot.
Great ice cream!
Food: 5
Great addition to the Promenade! McConnell's is always a good idea for me, especially on a nice, sunny day! Smaller space than usual with less seating options, I would add more tables outside since there's a very pedestrian friendly area, great to hang out and enjoy a nice ice-cream! I like to get a flight with coffee, churro, marionberries and lemon, some of my usual go to flavors since you can't go wrong. Love McConnell's ice-cream, my fave, nice and smooth. Decent service, handy location, McConnell's brings a fresh vibe to the area!
Had this years ago in SB but still had no expectations, but damn this was good. Had samples and then decided to get two flavors - earl grey and the lemon berries one. So yummy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Located in the heart of Santa Monica Very creamy and rich, gives off a little ben&jerrys feeling Can't go wrong with cookies and cream wherever you go but i would stay away from the coffee (very strong espresso flavor) Great little shop if you are craving ice cream
Ice cream was really good and I got it in a gingerbread waffle cone. A bit expensive but
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Too much milk in your milkshake, you ruined it. Too liquid.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The ice cream was good. The service was by some young female with bad attitude. Didn’t want to serve us or even look like she wanted to work there. I get shy about not leaving tip but I was confident i wasn’t going to leave tip on this one. Then after I left her two friends walked in and her attitude changed and they walked out with quite a bit. I’m just saying.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
BELIEVE THE HYPE! To be fair, I do not regularly eat ice cream because I see it as a treat to enjoy in moderation (like only a couple of times a year). But this stuff is INSANELY DELICIOUS! I was walking around downtown Santa Monica on a very chilly January evening, and I spied a line at McConnell's that literally stretched out onto the sidewalk and into the street. It's basic Foodie 101: you see a line like that, you get in it. So I did. The line moved very quickly, as the ice cream store had lots of employees working behind the counter. The menu is overwhelming, so it helps if you peruse it online before getting up to the front to place your order. There is a rotating menu of flavors, and it was hard to decide which one I wanted! Luckily, it works like a gelato place - a "one scoop" cup can be two flavors! Score! When I got to the front of the line, a friendly employee greeted me warmly. I asked for a sample of the peanut butter chip, and she gave me a very large spoonful to try. It was so good, I got that and a salted caramel brownie. I was impressed with how quickly the line moved, and the service was very efficient and pleasant enough. The people in front of me ordered milkshakes which took longer to fix, but I appreciated that I was able to go around them and pay so I could start digging in! The ice cream was rich, fresh, and tasted gourmet. I loved the sea salt and the fresh brownie combo, and you can tell there's no "junk" ingredients in this product. They even have dairy-free and certified organic flavors. With all of this quality comes a cost, and it's not cheap. Allow about $7 for a single scoop (two flavors) of ice cream. It's so rich though, that it was plenty satisfying. I did manage to eat it all, however! Be prepared to take your ice cream to eat elsewhere, as there is no seating inside, and there is a very small patio with a total of four stools. Luckily, the Promenade is right outside, with places to hang out and eat. It wasn't so fun on a frigid evening, however. There's a reason this place has been making ice cream from scratch for 70 years - it's THAT good. Stop here, you won't regret it!
Good creamy quality ice cream. Good place to stop with the kiddos and sit next to fountain to enjoy.
The friendliest staff and thee most bestest ice cream. Unless you are a self proclaimed ice cream connoisseur like myself, you might ask what the big deal is. Yes- lots of ice cream out there but not all are made equal and mcconnells shops are so few and far between but they are one of the best! If you're at or around the promenade, do yourself a nicey and grab a scoop or 4! There are many flavor options and the way their pricing g works allows you to order many flavors!
While walking through the 3rd Street Promenade, I found this cute ice cream shop and couldn't just pass especially knowing that it has a long history as well so I stopped by despite of the long line. The clerks were very nice and patient waiting for the customers to choose their ice cream and kindly suggest flavors and hand out spoons to allow them to taste each ice creams. Their beautiful smiles made everybody feel warmly welcomed. I had double scoops in a single cup. For the flavors, I asked for Santa Barbara Strawberry and one popular flavor. The clerk gave me sea salt cream & cookies for the other scoop and it was an excellent recommendation. The ice creams were not too sweet and the flavors were distinctive. Can't wait to come back for other flavors!