I was looking for a little nostalgia and mentioned to my husband that I would love a classic Carvel Fudgie the Whale cake for my birthday. He, very sweetly, chased this cake down for me. I don't know what the heck happened here but, the thing Carvel now calls a Fudgie the Whale cake is NOT the Fudgie cake of my youth. The best part of the old Fudgie cake was that thick outer coating of fudge-like deliciousness that completely covered the cake. This atrocity, which they have the audacity to charge $50 for, had not a speck of fudge on it. The "chocolate" on top of the cake was like some gross version of Hershey's syrup. There were these weird white crunchy bits, with no discernible flavor, on the sides instead of the delicious chocolate crunchies that should have been there. They piped some utterly disgusting, straight out of a bargain bin chemical flavored, white frosting all over it, and it was maybe half the size of the old Fudgie cake. They took a great classic ice cream cake and destroyed it. This was anything but nostalgic. It was a reminder that nothing is what it used to be. It was a clear example of a company cutting corners and producing a sub-par product while continuing to increase prices. The cake was an utter disappointment. It is certainly not worth $50. Don't waste your money.
OMAR MUKHARESH
A must try place in Arlington VA.The ice cream variety is excellent. Try to get their loyalty card it is beneficial. They serve various sandwiches & pizzas.Parking spaces are abundant & available, the location is quite convenient and at proximity to various residential buildings & offices.Vanilla, chocolate & cheesecake flavors are my favorite choices, take a cup or the cone from the dispensing machine.Finally, staff are courteous and helpful.Great convient place indeed in Arlington VA.God bless ?Parking: Very convenient with enough spotsKid-friendliness: Great for all ages
They way overcharged me for a Carvel ice cream cake, and then went on a crazy rant about inflation and the housing market when I called him out on it. Just get your cake at the grocery store.
Jishan Official
No wait and Symoon Jahan Eva was polite and courteous. Prices are reasonable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soft Serve Ice Cream
Karen Dunphy
Absolutely wonderful barbecue Pizza the crust is homemade every day they've been in business since 1958 still wonderful even though Lefty is
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Erik Halverson
Got a cheesesteak here, staff was very helpful discussing how to prepare it, and it was delicious.
Harshit Jhaveri
Good ice-cream but overpriced. Outdoor seating only but a cute place to eat ice-cream after dinner.
Jeff
OVERPRICED AND NOT VERY GOOD. I stopped to get a small ice cream cone for my son. When the lady said $8.24 I thought it was a joke. The ice cream wasn’t even cold enough so it wasn’t even a good consistency. Too bad they are ruining the good Carvel name.
turbodiesel 350
Good ice cream but like the previous reviews say it too over price. I paid $9.98 for a kids small vanilla ice cream cone dipped in chocolate.
Though the ice cream is yummy, it is INSANELY overpriced. My husband got a small Carvelanche (their version of a DQ Blizzard) and I got a Sundae Dasher and it was $28. We had tacos nearby for dinner prior to coming here and spent more on those two ice creams than we did on 5 tacos and a side. Inflation is one thing, but these people are out of their mind.
tom stallone
A special place. I drive 14 miles each way every year to get a custom birthday cake for my daughter
walen cohen
Thick shakes were watery and thin. One medium and one large cost $24.80. Overpriced and less than satisfactory. Will not go back.
Samuel Ison Bey
I asked if they have out samples, they said no. That was the first warning sign, the second was the customer service. The signs were there telling me not to waste my money. I thought, any ice cream spot that doesn't give out samples, must not be confident with their product. I ordered a cake batter milkshake.It was trash ?. They put these nasty "candy" pieces in it that taste like poison. I was appalled!! That I paid $9 for a small just to be offended by the taste. The audacity!
Hammed A.
Been a customer here for as long as I have been one of Mario's Pizza House. It's so inviting to grab ice cream after eating at Mario's. Overall this Carvel is a good experience for traditional ice cream options and American staples. This place has an incredibly extensive cold dessert menu. So much that it makes me wonder if it is all served fresh. I normally get soft serve ice cream or hand dipped ice cream. Despite how good their ice cream is my biggest concern is the inconsistent customer service and inconsistent quality of the ice cream. On too many occasions the hand dipped ice cream I purchased was freezer burned. More concerning is in those instances they knew the ice cream was freezer burned yet they still packaged and sold it. If ever I get hand dipped ice cream I walk into the store to inspect the ice cream case to determine if the ice cream is fresh and not freezer burned. I don't like that I have to do this, however it is necessary considering the prices here are above average, so imagine paying above average for ice cream and it is freezer burned. I've purchased milkshakes, floats, Chipsters, chocolate dipped soft serve and others however recently I've stuck with the soft serve ice cream because it is the safest bet and most consistent ice cream they offer. There were occasions where I purchased Chipsters and they were simply rock hard. Literally impossible to bite with human teeth. They were so hard it took minutes to thaw even in the summer air. I simply stopped purchasing Chipsters.Regarding the customer service, the girls that work here are really nice once you get to know them. I think the lacking customer service stems from the occasional language barrier. As a result their shortness or shyness can be taken the wrong way but they really are sweet girls once you get to know them over time. Again, the customer service can be better but it's not bad nor is it negligent. The lacking customer service comes into play when issues arise such as poorly packaged ice cream. They've become more consistent in how they package the ice cream however that wasn't always the case as there would be times I had to ask them to wipe the side of the ice cream cup because they let ice cream drip down the side of the cup or to replace the cone because they put ice cream in a cracked cone which eventually breaks in your hand. Essentially these are quality control issues that should be remedied with standard protocols.Overall an OK experience and it gets better as you get to know the staff. I want to give this place a 4 star however in fairness it wouldn't be right to do so considering there are better ice cream shops that offer higher quality ice cream and consistently better with customer service. Perhaps the iconic status of this Carvel location and the long lines it serves on Fridays and weekends keeps this location in the middle of the pack of local ice cream shops comparable to Hershey's ice cream shops. Give them a try.
Best ice cream
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carvelanche
I was looking for a little nostalgia and mentioned to my husband that I would love a classic Carvel Fudgie the Whale cake for my birthday. He, very sweetly, chased this cake down for me. I don't know what the heck happened here but, the thing Carvel now calls a Fudgie the Whale cake is NOT the Fudgie cake of my youth. The best part of the old Fudgie cake was that thick outer coating of fudge-like deliciousness that completely covered the cake. This atrocity, which they have the audacity to charge $50 for, had not a speck of fudge on it. The "chocolate" on top of the cake was like some gross version of Hershey's syrup. There were these weird white crunchy bits, with no discernible flavor, on the sides instead of the delicious chocolate crunchies that should have been there. They piped some utterly disgusting, straight out of a bargain bin chemical flavored, white frosting all over it, and it was maybe half the size of the old Fudgie cake. They took a great classic ice cream cake and destroyed it. This was anything but nostalgic. It was a reminder that nothing is what it used to be. It was a clear example of a company cutting corners and producing a sub-par product while continuing to increase prices. The cake was an utter disappointment. It is certainly not worth $50. Don't waste your money.
A must try place in Arlington VA.The ice cream variety is excellent. Try to get their loyalty card it is beneficial. They serve various sandwiches & pizzas.Parking spaces are abundant & available, the location is quite convenient and at proximity to various residential buildings & offices.Vanilla, chocolate & cheesecake flavors are my favorite choices, take a cup or the cone from the dispensing machine.Finally, staff are courteous and helpful.Great convient place indeed in Arlington VA.God bless ?Parking: Very convenient with enough spotsKid-friendliness: Great for all ages
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carvelanche, Soft Serve Ice Cream
They way overcharged me for a Carvel ice cream cake, and then went on a crazy rant about inflation and the housing market when I called him out on it. Just get your cake at the grocery store.
No wait and Symoon Jahan Eva was polite and courteous. Prices are reasonable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soft Serve Ice Cream
Absolutely wonderful barbecue Pizza the crust is homemade every day they've been in business since 1958 still wonderful even though Lefty is
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Got a cheesesteak here, staff was very helpful discussing how to prepare it, and it was delicious.
Good ice-cream but overpriced. Outdoor seating only but a cute place to eat ice-cream after dinner.
OVERPRICED AND NOT VERY GOOD. I stopped to get a small ice cream cone for my son. When the lady said $8.24 I thought it was a joke. The ice cream wasn’t even cold enough so it wasn’t even a good consistency. Too bad they are ruining the good Carvel name.
Good ice cream but like the previous reviews say it too over price. I paid $9.98 for a kids small vanilla ice cream cone dipped in chocolate.
Restaurantji Recommends
Though the ice cream is yummy, it is INSANELY overpriced. My husband got a small Carvelanche (their version of a DQ Blizzard) and I got a Sundae Dasher and it was $28. We had tacos nearby for dinner prior to coming here and spent more on those two ice creams than we did on 5 tacos and a side. Inflation is one thing, but these people are out of their mind.
A special place. I drive 14 miles each way every year to get a custom birthday cake for my daughter
Thick shakes were watery and thin. One medium and one large cost $24.80. Overpriced and less than satisfactory. Will not go back.
I asked if they have out samples, they said no. That was the first warning sign, the second was the customer service. The signs were there telling me not to waste my money. I thought, any ice cream spot that doesn't give out samples, must not be confident with their product. I ordered a cake batter milkshake.It was trash ?. They put these nasty "candy" pieces in it that taste like poison. I was appalled!! That I paid $9 for a small just to be offended by the taste. The audacity!
Been a customer here for as long as I have been one of Mario's Pizza House. It's so inviting to grab ice cream after eating at Mario's. Overall this Carvel is a good experience for traditional ice cream options and American staples. This place has an incredibly extensive cold dessert menu. So much that it makes me wonder if it is all served fresh. I normally get soft serve ice cream or hand dipped ice cream. Despite how good their ice cream is my biggest concern is the inconsistent customer service and inconsistent quality of the ice cream. On too many occasions the hand dipped ice cream I purchased was freezer burned. More concerning is in those instances they knew the ice cream was freezer burned yet they still packaged and sold it. If ever I get hand dipped ice cream I walk into the store to inspect the ice cream case to determine if the ice cream is fresh and not freezer burned. I don't like that I have to do this, however it is necessary considering the prices here are above average, so imagine paying above average for ice cream and it is freezer burned. I've purchased milkshakes, floats, Chipsters, chocolate dipped soft serve and others however recently I've stuck with the soft serve ice cream because it is the safest bet and most consistent ice cream they offer. There were occasions where I purchased Chipsters and they were simply rock hard. Literally impossible to bite with human teeth. They were so hard it took minutes to thaw even in the summer air. I simply stopped purchasing Chipsters.Regarding the customer service, the girls that work here are really nice once you get to know them. I think the lacking customer service stems from the occasional language barrier. As a result their shortness or shyness can be taken the wrong way but they really are sweet girls once you get to know them over time. Again, the customer service can be better but it's not bad nor is it negligent. The lacking customer service comes into play when issues arise such as poorly packaged ice cream. They've become more consistent in how they package the ice cream however that wasn't always the case as there would be times I had to ask them to wipe the side of the ice cream cup because they let ice cream drip down the side of the cup or to replace the cone because they put ice cream in a cracked cone which eventually breaks in your hand. Essentially these are quality control issues that should be remedied with standard protocols.Overall an OK experience and it gets better as you get to know the staff. I want to give this place a 4 star however in fairness it wouldn't be right to do so considering there are better ice cream shops that offer higher quality ice cream and consistently better with customer service. Perhaps the iconic status of this Carvel location and the long lines it serves on Fridays and weekends keeps this location in the middle of the pack of local ice cream shops comparable to Hershey's ice cream shops. Give them a try.