Can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous that scoop of vanilla bean ice cream looks like in the photo? So smooth, so creamy, so good. It tasted rich and dense, very similar to how Dreyer's vanilla bean ice cream tastes like! 5/5 for that classic flavor. The other scoop I ordered was the cranberry orange sorbet! It was more chunky/icy, and I couldn't taste the flavor as well in that scoop- the fruity flavor was much more subdued. 3/5 for flavor. I think my advice would be to go for the ice cream rather than sorbet if you come here, but it was still a good experience trying out this beloved ice cream place! This is my friend's favorite ice cream shop, and next time I'll try her suggestions instead of honey lavender or earl gray! read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Cranberry orange sorbet & vanilla bean - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

Just enjoyed the chocolate sorbet. OMG..so creamy and rich. Loved it. Can't wait to try it again next time we're in the area. Single scoop in a cup was huge! Unfortunately, it was so delicious that I finished it before taking a picture. Oops :-) Enjoy a really nice treat on a warm day. read more

i went to Carmela today to enjoy their ice cream after reading the review about the ice crystals and had the same experience. it's possible this icy mouthfeel is due to insufficient cream in the recipe. i also agree that their flavoring (i had my two favorites chocolate and pumpkin) are not as strong as Salt & Straw or Bloomfield Creamery (which i had yesterday.) i also agree that not having indoor seating on a hot day is problematic. i love artisan ice cream so i hope they revise their recipes so i can award them 5 stars on my next visit. read more

Ultra rich, creamy, flavors were simple but bold! We were ice cream craving and wanted to try some place new, as always, and have had Carmela bookmarked for a while now. Given I had to share mine with my 3yo, I got the brown sugar vanilla and the dark chocolate with cacao nibs- their other flavors were fall season ones so I wasn't sure my kid would enjoy it- hence sticking to their more basic ones, however, simple sounding the flavors were, they were delectable. I wanted to get my kid his own scoop! Truly will be back for more flavors, specially when we can enjoy more of their unique ones as the are more available in the summer. Covid guidelines were beyond met. The sales associate was extremely friendly and patient with my questions and indecisiveness. A definite check on our book! read more

icecream here is delicious and crafted well. for about a decade, i have always been getting the same thing, the chocolate chip cookie icecream sandwich in the little freezer. i've tried bites from friends of the icecream scoops they get here, and they're all great. depends on what you like. the lavender honey is cool, chocolate is yummy... very friendly service and cute aesthetics. worth the drive up north from old town pasadena, this place puts all the other spots in old town to shame (x lol jk... they're different. but i personally love this place! an original, inimitable. read more

I believe the last time I had Carmela must've been over 6+ years ago when they still had a location near the Grove across from Mendocino Farms. I was truly surprised that this location popped up when Googling for the business, and decided to see if the ice cream was the same as I remembered. I was glad to see many familiar flavors and appreciate how great of quality they execute each type of flavor. The salted caramel is very decadent and the vanilla bean is simple yet rich. They definitely have an assortment of other flavors and unique combinations that would suit every ice cream lovers taste. The main downside is that it could easily be a long wait for beloved ice cream as there was only one associate working helping a whole family of first-time visitors that wanted to sample every other flavor. The waiting area is a bit small as well, so beware if you attempt to visit in a large group. The parking definitely sucks, but that seems to be the main issue with the general area. I was fortunate to find curbside parking in front of the business itself, which is marked in green. Best of luck to new visitors who get a chance to taste this truly artisan ice cream! read more

I had a really good time at Carmela ice cream really fresh ice cream service was really good inside was nice and clean I recommend this place read more

Experience was great ! Friendly staff and very helpful and accommodating . Everything we tried was great !

I love love loveee the earl grey ice cream here!! The shop smells delicious, like sugar and fresh waffle cones :) The ice cream is a bit pricey though, costing $5 for a single scoop. read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

After spending time with a cute corgi at the dog park this past Saturday afternoon, it was time for a cool down with some ice cream from Carmela. I've never been to this location before and was surprised at the size of the shop, no seating inside, but there's a small bench outside. In comparison, their Woodland Hills location has a few tables and chairs. I tried a couple of flavors (lavender honey, fresh mint, and earl grey) and ended up getting a scoop of earl grey. For $5.75 a scoop, I expect a hearty scoop, but instead I got a mini scoop. I wish the earl grey was stronger in flavor. I also had a few bites of the Intelligentsia coffee and that flavoring was more distinct. Service could have been improved. The lady that came to assist seemed bothered to have been called away from making waffle cones and had a nonchalant attitude. The guy at the cash register was more welcoming and seemingly more patient. On a positive note, Carmela is dog friendly, with water bowls outside. Street parking only. I'll probably visit again, but not any time soon. #15/2018 read more

Carmela Ice Cream - 2/17/18 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

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A neighborhood TREASURE! A literal homemade ice cream store in Pasadena. Their non-dairy ice cream is incredible. I'm super picky and you can barely tell the difference. The regular ice cream is from another world. I love this place!!! Everyone there is friendly and it really gives you an old town feel. read more

It's not a place you want to visit if your addicted to ice cream. You will start sleeping on their doorstep, waiting for them to open! Delicious and such a variety of choices. Yum read more

Recently stopped by to check out their ice cream selection. We tried the lavender honey, mint with cacao, and salted caramel. All three flavors were wonderful! My favorite was the lavender honey. The flavors were so distinct and memorable that I can still taste the flavors! The hint of honey was especially good. There wasn't a lot of seating available so we defaulted to sitting in the car, which turned out to be a better option! The view of the mountains while sharing an ice cream was so memorable. Filed away into my core memories! read more

This artisan ice-cream shop is adorable. Friendly service and unique flavors. The ice-cream/sorbet favors here are really intense. If you order the mint ice-cream with cacao nibs you will really taste MINT. Its amazing! The ice-cream is fresh and creamy. Not heavy. The consistency of the ice-cream reminded me of a THICK soft-serve - not bad. My only complaint is their ice-cream is VERY SWEET - one scoop will do! However, the more you try it, the flavors are pretty addicting. The Pear Champagne and Mint with cacao nibs has got me hooked on Carmela's Ice Cream. read more

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I've been coming here for years and ice cream is always great here but service has gone downhill. I was sooo excited to try the new churros. We asked to order the churros but server told us because it was 9:02 she couldn't sell churros and they stop selling at 9. Was very surprised by this especially since I used to work here and we were taught to always be extremely friendly and cater to customer requests. Also, their system for writing down orders seems very inefficient especially for when there aren't a lot of people. read more

Our favorite ice cream place in the 626. Carmela has always offered excellent quality ice-creams and sorbets. There are 4 standard flavors and others that change every 3-4 weeks. Standard flavors include salted caramel, fresh mint with cacao, dark chocolate with cacao, & lavender honey. They are known for their salted caramel and I love how their fresh mint isn't artificial or neon green! There are usually about 6-7 additional seasonal flavors. The sorbets here are my favorite. They are always bright and refreshing! Another plus is that they are dog friendly & our pups were welcome inside when ordering. Overall we love this place because their flavors are always imaginative, but complementary delish. *_^ read more

Whenever I mention ice cream, my boy's first choice is Carmela. They have a great selection and they do have daily specials as well. His and my favorite is the honey lavender but all of them are yummy . If you're ever in the city of Pasadena make sure to give it a try. read more

Carmela Ice Cream - His favorite spot! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Loved their ice cream! There are so many great flavors. I tried a couple of their flavors: salted caramel, brown sugar vanilla bean, fresh mint with cacao nibs, lavender honey, cardamom, pear champagne sorbet, and orange vanilla bean sorbet. The honey lavender was a bit too fragrant for me, and the pear champagne literally tastes like you're eating the fruit itself - super tasty though! I liked the mint flavor. The orange vanilla was enjoyable, but a bit weird for me. In the end, I got the salted caramel, which was delicious. It wasn't too creamy and heavy, and it had a bit of an icy texture. Whatever you get, it most likely will not disappoint. I thought their prices were on the pricier side, and I wouldn't come here again for $5 for a scoop. It was a nice try though! Service was super nice! You can park along the curb near the store for a maximum of an hour (or is it 2 hours? I forget). read more

Carmela Ice Cream - 01.05.18 menu so aesthetic - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Cute place with great ice cream. Lots of very non traditional flavors. I wish there was more space to sit and enjoy! read more

Absolutely some of the best ice cream I've ever had!! I got the ice cream sandwich with brown sugar vanilla ice cream and I had no idea vanilla could taste so good! Mix the delicious ice cream sandwich with some kind/polite and quick service snd that makes a happy customer! I'm definitely going to make this place a regular stop! read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

We were excited to find a place that offers unique and delicious flavors in the right portions to enjoy ice cream without being overwhelmed. The salted caramel was perfectly balanced, and the cardamom was just the right amount of spice. The chocolate sorbet was dense in the best way. We accidentally made a chocolate cardamom swirl when tasting each other's ice cream, and it was also a great combination. Service was very friendly and helpful (and patient with flavor indecision), and the environment was inviting. read more

Hands down the best ice cream I have eaten!!! Omg !!!! I'm officially addicted now ... Ahahah :) lavender honey is my favorite , second is salted caramel then the chocolate with bits. The ice cream is so rich and FULL OF FLAVOR ! You can definitely tell this was made with real ingredients. A MUST TRY!!!! read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Amazing Ice cream!!! Lavender honey, salted caramel, chocolate with bits ! So rich and full of flavor ! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My favorite ice cream in all LA. Honey Lavender is delightful, then Salted Caramel and so many other creative flavors.

Probably the BEST waffle cone I've ever had!! My wife and I got the L&H Espresso and the Fresh Mint--both were absolutely stellar! read more

Was here again recently w company from out of town. Interesting flavors , cheerful staff, and unusual food gifts. Always good for a quick treat. read more

So I've been a customer of carmela's for a few years now and have always thought of their ice cream to be unique and made with good quality ingredients. My norm is the brown sugar vanilla bean and any of their sorbets. We'll today I treated my brother to ice cream and I got my usual the brown sugar vanilla bean. Before my brother selected his, I told him you can't go wrong with any of their flavors their all amazing. So he decided to go forth with a single scoop on a cone of salted caramel. After checking out and hoping in the car ready to dive into the ice cream. I shared with my brother how they make their ice cream in house and they use quality ingredients just hyping the place up. We both took our first lick and when I closed my mouth I was so questioned. I didn't say anything cause maybe it was me so I took another lick and another and another. Then I asked my brother what do you think. He was quite with his response and said it's ok. I then proceeded to ask him do you have a coating on the top of your mouth, he was like kinda. I said like does it feel like you took a bite of a stick of butter and spit it out and the residue is on the top of your mouth, he was like yeah, then I swiped my finger in the top of my mouth only to see some kind of butter like coating. I still can't think what it could of been because after that my brother went to the website to see what ingredients they used and he shared it's like 3 ingredients. So I was so puzzled. All I'm saying is, I can tell that carmela might be using some short cuts in their production process or ingredient list. We ended up throwing it away. read more

My favorite ice cream in LA. It was a sad day when they closed their mid-city location but it's still well worth the trip. I rarely get anything other than their ice cream sandwiches. Their thin, salty cookies match the sweetness of the ice cream so well. The crunch to it is so pleasant as well. In the summer they often have strawberry mint with chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches. It's refreshing and absolutely delicious. Pro-tip - get the to-go cookies as well. They'll make you an instant hit at any party. read more

Came here on a weekday night when it was empty, and not even near their closing time- the person at the counter seemed so annoyed/upset that we were even there. For spending nearly $40 on ice cream for myself and 2 kids, try not to be mad at your customers. We didn't even ask for samples or questions or anything. I hope you're having a better day, read more

Plenty of desserts tickle my fancy, but no ice cream shop has my heart more than Carmela Ice Cream. I know that's quite a lofty statement to make, but this little assuming establishment has all the other places beat when it comes to this frozen treat. Not that there's anything wrong with the others and they have their own delicious flavors in their own right. It's just that the flavors of Carmela like their lavender honey and brown sugar vanilla simply can't be replicated elsewhere. The flavors are never overly sweet but perfectly pronounced to where you can taste all of the individual ingredients wonderfully melded together. The texture is both creamy and airy where you can tell it's crafted in house. Just as amazing as their ice cream are their sweet and crispy waffle cones. Upon walking into the store, you are greeted with their freshly made scent, which I dare say are too irresistible not to order along with your ice cream. read more

Stopped by Carmela Ice Cream and found their offerings to be decent, though not the best in the area. I felt the different flavors were quite similar, with nothing particularly special or standout about them. Was hoping for a richer flavor profile. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a try, but temper your expectations. read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wonderful ice cream that everyone in my family looks forward to as a special treat. The delicious mint with cacao nibs is my favorite, but I love all of their flavors. read more

I am so happy you're open!!! Great service. Thank you for the ice for my ice cream, I had a long drive back home.

Errr, not sure what went wrong here. I was shocked at my own underwhelming reaction to Carmela. With over 1000 great reviews, I expected way more. The ice cream here reminds me of that at Scoops...mushy, almost melty, and not creamy at all. The flavors didn't particularly grab my attention, so I ordered the Rosemary with Pine Nuts. I mean it tasted nice and sweet, but it wasn't unique or anything. It's like your basic sweetener. ON TOP OF THAT, THE ICE CREAM ISN'T EVEN PRETTY!!! Maybe that's the aesthetic of Carmela's. Simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, that doesn't intrigue me at all. The cone was just a normal cone you could probably get at Ralph's, and the ice cream itself just looked like plain vanilla. SOFT SERVE AT MCDONALDS WOULD'VE TASTED BETTER!!!!11!!1!1!! I prefer ice cream that is creamier, has more substance, and is on the more solid side. I need ice cream with TEXTURE! Carmela's ice cream had the texture of mashed bananas. This is where I shed a tear. It's difficult for me to find an ice cream place that I don't like. But let's add Carmela's to that list. :( read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Rosemary with pine nuts - meh - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

Pros -best ice cream in SoCal -it's so fresh and melt in your mouth -lavender honey and salted caramel flavors are so good Cons -not enough selection of new flavors read more

The most delicious and unique ice cream Cardamom, fresh strawberry , deep chocolate mint, and so many other flavors read more

Would I come back? How did I barely find out about this place??? This place serves a variety of unique ice cream flavors as well as your normal flavors. Their menu is changing all the time because, what captivated me to come in the first place was their earl grey ice cream that they did not have at the time. I was able to try 5 of their flavors before choosing their Honey Lavender. Each flavor tasted fresh and creamy but the honey lavender just hit the spot. Their location is right next to Eaton Canyon as well so you could always go hiking and swing by after for your sweet reward! This place only has street parking so during peak hours you might have to park further. During my visit we parked in front and it was during the weekend at 1pm so maybe it doesn't get too busy? I would give this place 5 stars but the ice cream is a bit highly priced. My one scoop cost me $5.75. read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Lavender honey ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

Having a scoop of Strawberry Buttermilk is like sitting under a big oak tree on the farm eating a bowl of fresh strawberries with a drizzle of chilled buttermilk cream. So fresh and light!! The best Ice cream around perfect way to get out of the house for a minute. read more

Carmela Ice Cream - Strawberry Buttermilk - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Pasadena, California

Carmela was the first artisan ice cream store I tried years ago, and to this day, it is still one of my favorite ice cream spots! I think that really says a lot about their quality and consistency. Although they offer a variety of flavors (some are seasonal), my go-to and personal favorite will always be the salted caramel. And of course, you cannot forget the waffle cone - so good! Also, I love that they offer a kids size scoop so you can really have as little or as much ice cream as you want! Things to note: *Street parking only *The storefront is small and offers only a tiny bench outside, so be prepared to either enjoy your ice cream in the car or while walking around the neighborhood. read more

Sampled a few flavors. My favorites were Earl Grey and Strawberry Buttermilk. Bought those in pints to go, which were 2 for $18. Thought I loved the lavender honey one when I sampled it, so I bought a scoop in a cone. But after few bites, it became overly sweet that I couldn't really finish it. Also liked brown sugar vanilla bean. The only flavor that I didn't really enjoy was salted caramel. read more

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That's it. I'm addicted. Their ice cream is like heaven in a scoop. I want to go back already. We chose fresh mint w/ cacao nibs and salted caramel. It was pure deliciousness. I sampled their sorbets, which were also divine... tasted refreshing and was perfect in consistency. Although on the more expensive side, it was totally worth it. I'm having remorse and wishing I tried the waffle cone... I'm already planning excuses to come here... another trip is definitely in order. I'm thinking about how many other people I can introduce to this place, who I can convince to have them cater their wedding, when mine will be and if we can get them on the calendar already.... read more