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COWS in Banff is worth the line. It stretches out the door, but moves fast. Prices are fair, scoops are generous, and the texture is rich and creamy in that way that feels distinctly Canadian. The maple walnut is a standout. Deep maple flavor, not cloying. Lots of upgrade paths, sprinkles, chocolate rims, or go big with a milkshake or a liter to go. Easy recommendation for a nightly vacation ritual. You have to take it to go so not much to say about ambiance.
Last night here with early flight next day. I called and said we are coming from Emerald lake and will make it just before 10pm. The reassured at they will take us as long as it was before 10pm. My Ten year old and I got here at 9:59pm and the doors were already locked. With one door completely locked while the other., a staff was standing and only allowing guests to exist. My son was really looking forward to trying Cows and we rushed here in rainy weather... definitely no Canadian hospitality here...
A must while in Banff! Huge selection of flavors and also a funny shop with merch puns (you gotta go to understand). I got the Nessies Bessie flavor in a peanut cone, yum! So good.
What a fun place, and based on the amount of people here and on line, it's well known. We decided to take a walk around town after a wonderful dinner at Chuck's Steak House. Our friends had walked the area prior and knew about this ice cream shop. So... we get out of dinner without dessert with the express idea of coming to Cows. It was a good decision. We took a walk there through beautiful downtown Banff, basically just following the people in front of us and them. Cows is well known with a very loyal following. Lots of people walking in and a fairly robust line moving very quickly. You walk into a store with lots of different products. We came in with the express idea of some cones. I don't remember the flavor (not my regular chocolate) but this ice cream is good... really good. Not even remembering the flavor I can tell you that is was rich and packed with flavor. Enjoyed every bit of it. After paying, we all strolled out and back down the street to the bus eating our delicious ice cream cones. KUDOs to the team at COWS.
The line here was super long, but did move at a decent pace. They let you have up to 3 samples of flavors and it is a little chaotic at the front, but the workers were nice. We ended up getting the PEI strawberry which was pretty good - a fresh strawberry flavor in a thick ice cream base. Good for a post dinner sweet treat!
The waiter at the restaurant that we were eating at told us not go come here. I didn't listen to him. Cow had the longest line in Banff. Since we didn't know any better even when warned by our waiter, we came here anyways. The line moved quickly. No time for samples. The cones that my wife and I got were good. I only made it a couple of blocks before I was done eating the cone. My wife was happy that she was able to purchase another Banff souvenir while in the gift shop of Cows. They do have good ice cream here.
Great ice cream, tons of different flavours to try! Service is very good, I was shocked at how quick they served a pretty hectic line! Shop is clean and also has a gift shop attached with lots of funny cow themed shirts that mimic big name brands and bands!
Fantastic variety of flavors! Almost each one has a funny name that incorporates the word cow or moo, loooove that Long lines goes by super fast since there's so many eager peeps behind the counter ready to help ya get your ice cream. Awesome souvenir store next door with super neat merch! It was freezing outside, but you best believe I got some ice cream.
Every time I visit COWS, I leave fully satisfied. I've made road trips just to visit COWS. Their ice cream just has such a particular creamy sweetness to it - it must be the dairy they use. You walk past their storefront and the smell of sugary waffle cones permeates the air. Inside, it's a-MOO-zing. While their flavours aren't the most unique, there are plenty to choose from and all have that same COWS dairy flavour. I'm particularly fond of their Cookie Moonster, PEI strawberry, and any of their chocolate flavours. Plus, who can resist all their cow-themed & pun-filled merch?
This place seemed to have a long line no matter what time of the day. I decided to try it out since ice cream seemed healthier than a beaver tail? Let me live with my delusions haha. The line moved fast and I did sample some flavors. I decided on the Nanaimoo bar flavor (custard, coconut, chocolate marble, chocolate wafer pieces). It seemed to be unique since Nanaimoo bar is a classic Canadian dessert. Surprisingly, the cone tasted very fresh and was thicker than store bought cones so they might be making them in house. The maple walnut flavor was great too if you want a sweeter ice cream.
Nice ice cream shop with cool flavors. Tried the maple and coffee. Both were pretty good! Line was out the door but moved quickly and they also have a cute store with merch
On a hot day in the Canadian summer, this was delicious maple ice cream!! When we were in Banff the line was down the streets outside of COWS - we knew it must be good! My ice cream was delicious! I knocked off one star because the ordering process was chaotic but it was worth the crazy line!
Tourist review! Went right when they opened to avoid long lines. Whenever we passed it any time during the day it had crazy long lines. I got the maple flavor because of course that's one of the local flavors and it was delicious. Their staff was very sweet and welcoming. They also have a gift shop in the store to buy some souvenirs if you like. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for sharing a review, Shikha! We are so glad you enjoyed…
3 years ago
I came here based on a recommendation from my aunt who visited Banff about 7 years before me. Having tried lots of ice creams around the states and different parts of the world, I held high expectations from her calling it the "best ice cream ever". The first glance I had of the store there was a line out the door which made me believe in her statement. I decided to wait it out and come when the line was shorter. The waffle cone smell wafts out the door and entices you to come in. As excited as I was, this definitely was not the *best* ice cream I've ever had, but it was good enough since it was a hot day in May. We got the maple ice cream and some kind of custard ice cream. The custard flavor was a let down but the maple ice cream was good. Texture wise it really tasted like it was from a grocery store so I wasn't "wowed". Though I don't have any comparisons since I didn't have any other ice cream in the area, it very much well could be the best ice cream in the area. I'd give it a try if you're around. When I'm back I'll definitely give it another go, but with different flavors. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for trying us out and leaving a review! We appreciate your…
I knew COWS from their butter in Ontario stores and was happy to try their ice cream. We had chocolate orange, gooey mooey, messie bessie, and wowie cowie. Most were a variation of chocolate, and the rich cocoa and milk flavours shone through. My fav was the chocolate orange--reminded me of Christmas. There was a line, but it moved fast as service was efficient. The store had no seating, was clean, and sold other COWS food and merchandise. Just be ready to stand and savour your ice cream like a true connoisseur of fine dairy delights. read more
The line was out the door but went by pretty quickly. You are not allowed to sample any flavors. Thankfully I was satisfied with the ones I picked! Brownie Explosion: The vanilla ice cream base was DELICIOUS. The texture was more firm, which I enjoyed because I like to bite my ice cream. There was a ton of fudge, but I didn't have a single brownie piece. Moo York Cheesecake: Not my favorite cheesecake ice cream. I can't put my finger on it, but it almost tasted tarty and sour? This flavor was more soft and melted faster. I loved the Oreo pieces though! The price was fair for a double scoop on a waffle cone. The scoops are not too large (compared to America lol) so I was able to finish a double scoop by myself! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Not sure if the wait was worth, but solid ice cream spot to fix your sweets cravings on a hot day while in downtown Banff! Our favs were brownie explosion and chunky chocolate mint. Love the creaminess of the ice cream and the fun flavors, but they were all lacking a little bit of flavor? Worth stopping by to check out the cute merch and flavors! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for writing us a review! We appreciate your feedback as…
There was a long line but it was moving. Worth the wait. I'd come back! The ice cream was delicious! Very casual ambiance. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thanks for your review! We appreciate your patience in line and hope…
1 year ago
Very long line in the evening. Just okay ice cream in my opinion, not my favorite and the scoops are quite small for $8 not including the $1.50 for the dipped waffle cone. Would not wait in the line again but they do allow you to sample read more
My sister and I each ordered a single scoop of the Cookie Monster - vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces and Oreo pieces. Their fresh waffle cones were easily a 5 star. The ice cream was good. We walked by this shop multiple times and the line was always out the door. They have lots of flavors, and it looked like they offered free samples. However, due to how busy they were, I felt a bit rushed and didn't get a chance to see all the options or test taste any of the flavors, unfortunately. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Hi there, thanks for visiting us and sharing a review. We're sorry to…
1 year ago
When you walk pass the entrance, you can immediately smell the waffle cones so we had to try it out before we left Banff. There wasn't a long line when we went but I would totally wait in line for it! Unfortunately samples were not allowed which was a bummer, I personally like to sample them before buying. I got the Wowie Cowie which is one of their best sellers. I loved it! It was really tasting and hit the spot for me. I wished I got double scoop. My husband got the peanut butter cup cup and he enjoyed that one too. We also bought some chocolate potato chips which was ok, a bit odd lol I'd be back for sure! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for visiting and leaving us a great review!
3 years ago
We walked by this place a few times and saw long lines, must be good. But we don't like to wait and definitely don't need the extra calories. The universe must've thought otherwise one evening, there was a very short line and we decided to wander in. They have a small retail area if you wanted to deck yourself out in cow stuff. Within 10 minutes, we were over-the-MOOO-n with our selection - Cownadian. Sooooo delicious and perfect way to end the night. Must go if the line is short, unless you like to wait. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO for trying us out and writing a review!
1 year ago
Pretty long line but good service and yummy ice cream! There was a lot of flavors to choose from and it's a cute date place read more
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Mary Beth M.
Hi Mariah, thank you for stopping by COWS and sharing a review! We…
After days of smelling their waffle cones while wandering the streets of Banff, we finally saved enough room for Cows on our last day. Did it live up to the hype and was it worth the line? Of course, I mean it's ice cream after all! We waited about 12-15 minutes in line before it was our turn to order. Once inside you could watch the waffle cones being made - fun process to see and a great way to pass the time. The flavors were pretty unique and required reading about them at the case to really know what they were. I went with a double scoop on a cone, MESSIE BESSIE on the bottom and CARAMEL MOOCCHIATO on the top. Appreciated the fun names and liked both flavors! The caramel was my favorite of the two. My mom ordered the COOKIE MOONSTER, which all though blue was just a traditional Oreo and cookie dough ice cream! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO for your review!
Line out the door so you know we had to stop and see what's up. Overall it wasn't bad, but I felt that it was overrated especially compared to the other unique and delicious desserts located near here. Got the brownie explosion with the chocolate sprinkle cone. The cone is yummy because it's made fresh, but I though the ice cream was very standard. My boyfriend thought it was a 5 and I said a 3 so 4 it is. I also loved the marketing; they had great shirts and hats that the workers wore that was just so cute. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for visiting and writing us a review! We hope you can visit…
Great selection of flavors!!! They let you try it as well with samples. Love the cownadien maple, wowie cowie, and gooey mooey. The flavors are spot on. Perfect for summer and winter lol. They also have other products they sell in their store. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO for your review!
3 years ago
As far as hot chocolate goes, this was great. Not the best but for the price, quantity, and just the convenience it's good enough. Great to have a cup of hot chocolate while it's cold out at Banff lol. Service was good. Ambiance was meh. Nothing great but it's not like you're meant to stay/dine in. They could've made an effort tho or tidied up a bit. Giving this a 4/5 because it could be better. Thats all. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for your feedback, Em!
Best part of this store is all the unique flavors! It's so common for ice cream stores these days to only offer 1-2 unique flavors, but at Cows there were several that I wanted to try. Unfortunately, they do not offer samples so you'll just have to commit. Pricing is okay, given that it's in Banff. Scoop size is on the smaller side but the texture is creamy and the scoops we got had good flavor. I would go back for the sheer curiousity of trying some other flavors, not necessarily because I think this place is amazing. A double was $7.25 CAD read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO for your review!
Came to Cows after dinner around 6-7pm, the line was insane and a block long. But since we were on vacation so we didn't mind the wait. Took over 45 mins to get our ice cream. We got the cookie dough, mint and apple crisp on both a cup and a cone. Cookie dough and mint flavors were very mediocre, the apple crisp was good though. The cone was freshly made but way too thick to be my liking. Honestly, I enjoy a McDonald soft serve cone way better. Would I try it again? Yes if no lines, I'd give other flavors a try but it's over rated if you ask for my honest opinion. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Hi Trish, thank you for taking the time to write us a review! We…
Here are our FIVE star FAPS: Food (F): Moo-tacular! We got the Peach Melba, which we thought was an underrated flavor that is a must get if you are feeling fruity! Mooey Gooey is one of there most popular! It's definitely a sweet bite filled with chocolate peanut better cups and caramel. We think it was worth the wait in line. The scoop size wasn't as big as Old School Bus Ice Cream in Canmore. Ambience (A): Such a cute shop! There is a gift shop attached with cow print and ice cream print items from clothes, to bags, to accessories and souvenirs! No indoor seating, but there are a lot of benches to enjoy the outdoor beauty of Banff! Parking (P): We parked at the FREE parking and did a three to five minute walk to downtown Banff. Service (S): Quick and lovely! They give samples here! No complaints! Overall, we would recommend this ice cream shop despite the LONG line! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO so much for writing us such a lovely review!
2 years ago
Amazing ice cream! We really liked it. The line was out the door but moved fast. The flavors were delicious. I got the maple one and peanut butter chocolate chunk one and it was incredible -- especially the maple! My husband spoke well of the mint chocolate chip and my kids enjoyed their selections as well. We would definitely come back if we visit Banff again! read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO for visiting us and sharing a review. We're so happy you…
4 years ago
I didn't realize COWS was a Canadian ice cream chain until I came across their Banff location. I had a good experience at the one in Whistler, so I decided to stop here on my last night in town. * PEI Blueberry The blueberry flavor was very mild and there were lots of blueberries mixed throughout the ice cream. The blueberry pieces were kinda bland though and mostly tasted like water (missing the floral, lightly sweet notes), so overall I do wish the flavor was bolder. Like last time, the waffle cone was pretty thick and crunchy but the flavor is on point - could possibly be in my top 5 waffle cones I've tried. Unfortunately samples are not available at this location like how it was at their Whistler location in March. Bummer because they had a bunch of new flavors in rotation that weren't available previously. It probably depends on the person scooping but the single scoop seemed smaller than what I remember too. The USD is stronger than the CAD so I thought the price was fine, but otherwise I'd say it's on the pricier side. read more
2 years ago
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Hi there, thanks for visiting COWS and leaving a review! We…
Kids liked the icecream at COWS, plenty of flavors to choose from. I'm adding a star because of the seriously cute merch they have next door. I had a blast looking at all their funny tees and other things in the shop. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for writing us a great review!
4 years ago
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Hi Maranda, thank you for your review! Our ice cream does tend to…
2 years ago
The cutest place ever in the city of Banff! I didn't have any intensions getting ice cream, but I saw the cute shirts in the window and went in just to look. Well looking turned into buying and that also included ice cream. I of course got a milk based one since I was infact, at a shop called cow. It only seemed fitting. One thing I appreciate about this place is that I can buy their merch online! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Line was long but the ice cream was worth it. Very smooth and creamy and loved how they didn't skimp on the brownies in the ice cream either. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thanks for visiting and leaving us a lovely review! We appreciate…
I love ice cream so I had to try COWS! I got a double scoop with coconut cream pie and apple crisp. I was thrilled their "regular cone" is a homemade waffle cone! The ice cream and cone were delicious! read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thanks for your review!
4 years ago
We knew Cows had to be good because during most of our nights in Banff, there was a line out the door and halfway down the street! One night, my boyfriend and I committed that we'd make it here, but after dinner, we were just too exhausted from hiking to wait in that line. So we made it a point to get here on our last day after we ate lunch at Banff Ave Brewing Co down the street. Luckily for us, it worked out since the line wasn't nearly as long. They have a multitude of flavors, many with punny cow titles. They also have pints to go and other sweet treats (the chocolate covered potato chips amused me and I almost got some, but decided against one more dessert item given we had also just had a BeaverTail!). I love all things chocolate and peanut butter, so I opted for classic Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cup Cup. Both were very good! I was expecting very average ice cream given it was the only scoop shop in downtown Banff (that I'm aware of). But it actually ended up being delightful! I personally like how the Peanut Butter Cup Cup has caramel swirls in it. Not something you see often, but I enjoyed it. Since ice cream is "my thing," I have tasted many flavors at other establishments and Cows doesn't quite stack up against some of my 5 star reviews (Jeni's, Graeter's, etc). BUT it is definitely a solid ice cream choice that exceeded my expectations. Kudos to them for also have an extension of cow puns throughout their merchandise shop as well. read more
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COWS - icecream - Updated August 2026
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