Chocolate milkshake, yes! Not as delicate as Splendora, but you get more for your money here. Expect long lines on weekend nights. Gives kind of a greasy/shabby feel but hey, live a little. read more

Very good Ice Cream but expensive. The place has character.

Much better than the Kilwin's next door. I got the 4C's and really enjoyed it. The chocolate base was rich and the cherries/chocolate chunks added nice texture. read more

I mean, it was okay... Went here after walking around after a good dinner at Positively 4th Street. Walking in, the place was packed. It has a retro feel which is nice for an ice cream shop. My dad and I got root beer floats with mint-chocolate-chip ice cream. It was served in a tall cup, and had ice cream hanging out of the side (on purpose), which I felt wasn't a smart idea considering the thermometer had touched 109 outside that day. The ice cream almost seemed bitter and was really not enjoyable at all. $5.15 for a float wasn't cheap either. Next time I'm in town, I'd definitely try something else or go to BR. read more

Best black raspberry ice cream!! Line was long on a nice Saturday night but well worth the wait!

Superb ice cream!!! Anyone who gives two stars because this super premium ice cream is 'too expensive' needs to take Econ 101. There's a reason this place is hopping! Great flavors (Deep Belgium Chocolate Cherry and the best Cookies 'n Cream on earth). Any ice cream lover should put this place on their buc read more

Five stars for the employees! Some of the friendliest people I've met. The entire staff was funny and engaging with the customers. Don't get fooled by the tricks they play, but will certainly make you laugh. The shop looks like a hole in the wall but the ice cream is good. read more

Walked in and was able to watch a show while waiting for my ice cream, it was a pleasant change from the usual organized places I normally go. read more

Stumbled upon this place because there was a long line of customers waiting to order. It was definitely busy on a Friday evening. The place is small but has booths for small groups to dine in but I'm pretty sure most of the people I saw came for the ice cream. The place itself has an old school 50s or 60s feel to it. It reminds me of the cafe in Back to the Future when Marty travels back to 1955 and encounters Biff bullying his dad at Lou's Cafe. I ordered a scoop of pistachio ice cream in a cup. The flavor surpassed my expectations. This is one of the best I've had. Must try if you are a pistachio lover! Service was super fast. The time in line went by fast because you spend your time trying to decide what flavor you want to order and the next thing you know you're already in the front of the line. read more

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visit on 6/29/2011 A decent selection of flavors with a splash of kitschy decor. However, not impressed with their ice cream. I'd rather pick up a carton of Ben & Jerry's or Edy's for about the same price as a scoop here. What you're mostly paying for here is the sense of nostalgia of eating a scoop at an old school looking ice cream parlor. read more

We stopped here after having dinner downtown. When we walked in, we were greeted by a worker. We had a sweet lady taking our order. She was super friendly and kind of reminded me of my granny. I got the butter pecan, my absolute favorite flavor, and enjoyed it. This is a cute local ice cream shop with good ice cream and I'd definitely visit again for a cone. read more

Chaps Ice Cream - Outside - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

love the ambiance inside the store!! aesthetic and instagram-worthy!! pretty great milkshake too!! a lil' cramped inside, though.

This is another place in Charlottesville that is at an advantage because it's the first ice cream place I visited upon my return to the East Coast. I'm kind of an ice cream snob, and it isn't homemade, it's a waste of calories. Chap's had a large selection of flavors and the ice cream itself was incredibly creamy and flavorful. The place is quite eccentric but has a fun vibe. Not the best ice cream I've ever had, but tasty, nonetheless. read more

The ice cream was soooooo goooooood! The lady at the counter was very friendly and fun. The only reason I shorted the place a star is that it's kinda pricey-$14 bucks for 3 double scoops. That may or may not be expensive. Anyway the ice cream is great and the atmosphere is also great. read more

Chaps Ice Cream - Cyrus had milt chocolate chip and Sam had vanilla! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Best coffee on Charlottesville's pedestrian mall by far. Pure Arabic! And great ice cream too! read more

Chaps Ice Cream - Chaps Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Wow, this ice cream is amazing! I had the strawberry and the 4C (chocolate with chocolate chips and cherries). Absolutely delicious! Texture was creamy and yet light like a mousse. The staff were really nice and let me try three samples without complaining. Would go back in a heartbeat. read more

I stumbled onto this great little diner/ice cream parlor! I was out on the ole two wheeler looking for a breakfast nook. It turned out to be a wonderful stop. They have inside and outside dining with a friendly squirrel names Earl and his lady friend Pearl. I order the 2 stack pancakes with bacon and coffee. Hats off to the chef for a job well done!!! My server, Kim was great! Very pleasant! Of coarse, Earl the squirrel was a great breakfast companion. I had no idea he would love my pancakes soooo much that he would come back for seconds!! Too cool! read more

Very cute diner 50s atmosphere. Chocolate chip in a waffle cone and cookie dough in a waffle cone--not amazing but good

No great plus they messed up my order. Service was a bit off and portions a bit small for the price. Good location which I think they take advantage of. Not worth it. read more

This place has a nice quaint cjarm and atmosphere about it. Good food, faor prices and a friendly staff. It's also a great place to stop off for a home cooked meal. I had the eggs, sausage and hash browns while my daughter had the Philly cheese sandwich. Only knock is the Philly cheese had a lot of gristle. Good place to stop. read more

Stopped in with my girlfriend yesterday, after having the place suggested to her by a friend. She was not mislead! The atmosphere was that of a small town 1960s diner, of which I am a fan. We were met at the counter by "Granny", who made the lunch experience fun and made us out-of-towners feel welcome. On to the food. My girlfriend got their famous black bean burger, and it was obviously home made and utterly delicious. I got the pastrami sandwich, and I can honestly say that it was hands down the best I had ever had. Loaded with meat and on some great slabs of rye. Nothing crazy, just a darn good sandwich. After a filling lunch, we still saved some room for ice cream (even in February), and it did not disappoint. It was perfectly creamy without being overly sweet or heavy. I highly recommend finding some inexpensive parking nearby, and spending an afternoon wandering the promenade shops and starting or finishing with a stop at Chaps. read more

Alright ice cream parlor. The decor is nice, very old fashioned and vintage looking. There are unique flavors and they let you sample them. I just didn't fall in love with any of the flavors. Personally I thought the ice cream they have is too sweet for my liking. It's also a little pricey. Nevertheless, it's a cute place to stop by for dessert if you're in the Downtown Mall area. read more

I came up to Charlottesville for dinner and we decided to walk around a bit afterward, browsing the used book stores and other cool shops. While we were walking I noticed a few gelato and frozen yogurt shops, but I was holding out for the real deal and I found it at Chaps. It's my first visit but this shop brings back memories of the old-style ice cream shop. Actually, I guess it IS that shop since it's been here forever and hits all the elements of a genuine ice cream parlor: house-made ice creams, various ice cream dishes and beverages, plus a good looking diner menu. The crowd seemed to all be here this night for the ice cream. I was already full from the giant burger I'd eaten at Citizen down the way, but I still found room for a single scoop of German chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone. It was everything I'd hoped it would be: delicious chocolate, toasted coconut, and nuts, in a fresh crispy cone. My only reason for the 4 stars was the temperature in the place. While it's the middle of summer, I'd expect an ice cream parlor to have the best AC on the block, but it was uncomfortably warm so my ice cream melted quickly, creating a bit of a mess. Since I'm always one for second chances and never turn down an ice cream opportunity, I'm sure I'll be back to reward that fifth star. read more

Stopped by during the end of the pandemic and had the best breakfast and incredible coffee!! They have an outdoor seating area on the mall which is great if you have a dog, or there's a pandemic. Loved it!! read more

This place has more than great ice cream, and along with great burgers their menu is extensive and doesn't hit the wallet hard. Check out their video here": (copy and paste) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5z1EvdIrRY read more

Chaps has an Oreo ice cream that is just so good. The young man scooping ice cream cheered when I made my selection. Chaps is a feel good diner that looks like it has pretty decent food, and the ice cream is the perfect ending to a stroll around the downtown mall. read more

Homemade ice cream! Go for a hand-dipped cone, maybe chocolate almond or pistacio. The milk shakes are a little runny, but the egg creams are fantastic. I love the older woman with the southern accent that always has something nice to say. A true ice cream parlor. read more

Coffee raspberry ice cream! I'm into it. Two flavors you wouldn't normally associate with each other, but they work really well. They make their own ice cream, and the coffee is strong and delicious. Well-located, cheap for the mall. read more

I paid 6.50 for a small chocolate malt (somewhere between 14-16 oz) . Very expensive but I was on vacation, so okay. Place was cute but empty. A 20-something girl made my malt. It was the worst malt ever, runny and too much syrup . I should have returned it but thought, "is there even such a thing as a bad malt? " Met up with my friend and she didn't like.it either. I threw it away. I wouldn't have bothered with review, but I want to.warn those other tourists out there not to overspend . Just go elsewhere. @ read more

Stopped in our way through town, and found this place to be pretty cute. The employee on shift was super witty, and put up with our deranged ranting about a Black Walnut super hero. read more

Walked into chaps with a big disappointment (because other ice cream joints we wanted to try in the area were all closed), but was pleasantly surprised by their ice cream! Very cheap, quick service and delicious. Their black raspberry is my personal favorite. read more

We came here after striking out at a few other places on the promenade for brunch, and with a retro diner feel to the decor, we thought it would be pretty standard fare. And it is - pretty solid breakfast and lunch options for very good prices as well (certainly cheaper than some of the other spots we were at). However, I think that the food simply wasn't well attended to in most cases, I went with the standard two eggs with bacon and toast, along with a side of hashbrowns. Aside from being a bit pricey ($2.25) given the size, the hash browns were way overcooked. The crispiness was nice and different, but it was too dry. Same problem with the bacon - cooked way too long, so much that all of the strips were curled up and crunchy. The eggs were fine, and the toast was okay (although I wish I had gotten some jelly - but there was only one person manning the entire front of the store, so I didn't want to bring it up because she was hardly around due to being too busy). I got some ice cream on the way out, but it was pretty average, and I wasn't a huge fan of getting chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that had zero cookie dough in it. I do want to like this place - it's a smaller joint that doesn't stick out as much as a lot of the other spots in this part of town - but I have to say that I was disappointed with the quality overall. I'm a fan of diner food, but not when it's apparent that attention wasn't paid to a few of the items on the plate. read more

Got a quick peach and mango smoothie to go from this small diner while exploring Downtown Historic Charlottesville. Absolutely charming and kind staff. My friend also got black raspberry ice cream in a handmade cone -which was so refreshing! Such a variety of ice cream flavors-you will definitely find something you like, just ask for a sample! read more

This used to be my favorite place for ice cream in town, but it has gone downhill. Several times in a row now, the ice cream has been icy, almost like it's freezer burned. I always order cookie dough, so possibly it's a quirk of how they make that flavor. By the way, the ice cream also rarely has actual chunks of cookie dough, just chunks of chocolate., so a big disappointment. read more

Chaps was recommended to us by a family member, whose good friend owns it. We stopped in while on the downtown mall this past weekend. LOVE the vanilla fudge and the laid back vibe here. Can't wait to come back and try more flavors! read more

You haven't experienced Charlottesville till you've eaten Golden Nugget Ice Cream at Chaps! I always bring my out-of-town guests here.

Great home made ice cream. My husband and I split a cup of the mocha chip. It was so creamy and malt flavored. The owner is very personable. Great place to stop while in Charlottesville. read more

Don't let "Ice Cream Shop" steer you away from the burger!! Hands down, best burger I have had on the East Coast (and that is a lot)! The burger was greasy, but topped with bacon and a sunny-side up egg... PERFECT! I live a couple hours away and have found myself back there a few times! You know how you go to a burger joint and it's either the burger or fries that are good? This place has them both.. which is a score in my book! Had the pistachio ice cream for dessert to top it off and was satisfied! read more

I had a banana split Sunday, it was great! Usually they overdo it with the whipped cream, but this was made with just the right amount. My husband ordered a double scoop and he got a really good scoop for what he paid! The owner is very nice, we took our time deciding what we wanted and they did not rush us. read more

I've never eaten the food here, but the ice cream's really good. Good quality ice cream and lots of good flavors, including classics like pistachio. It's still got that small-town feel. read more