I'm giving them 3 stars because of its location- it was so hard to get parking to get to this place. The line was long when we got there. The ice cream was delicious and the cone bread they used was my favorite. The staff are not as efficient as I would expect them to be - hence the long line. I would still go back for their ice cream if there's no line- because it's not something that I would line up for 45 minutes . read more

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A lot of hype without much to show for it sadly . We waited the long line for 30 mins and a Saturday and it's clear they don't quite have the process down and the ordering is complicated. Sadly I just found their actual ice cream very mediocre and the vanilla was especially not even edible which for me is extremely rare to say about ice cream. It was incredibly sweet and I can't fathom this in a sweet bread cone. That's just overload read more

Crispy Cones - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We went to Crispy Cones this evening. Probably won't go back. The ice cream is good, but you can get good ice cream at lower prices at places that are better at operations. The ordering process is much too complex. The place is too small. The cone that you are handed comes in a plastic cup inside a paper cup, but unless you brought your own spoon, you aren't going to be able to taste the cone until you have eaten 80% of the ice cream while 10% stays behind in the cone and 10% lands on your clothing. Everybody around me was looking for some way to wash their hands after eating half of their cone. And I wasn't the only customer who kept getting ice cream on his nose. I was intrigued by watching them cook the cones to order. But it made me wish I could have tasted the cone at the beginning and not the end of my attempt to eat it. If I go back, I will bring 3 things with me: a large paper cup into which I can dump most of the ice cream while digging down to the cone, a spoon to eat it with, and a bottle of water to get the sticky goo off my hands afterwards. There is a dispenser filled with low-quality napkins right inside the door; if you take about 20 of them and have a bottle of water you can probably get your hands and face clean. The door opens inwards, which ought to be a fire code violation, but at least you can get to the napkin dispenser without your sticky hands messing up the doorknob. read more

My sister said we should check out this new place. So we stood in a long line for about 30 minutes. They actually opened the night before hence the long line. Parking is crazy cause it's right off Carlsbad Blvd. If you are with someone have them get out and get in line. Small little spot nicely decorated in black and white and very clean. I saw the owner walking out on his phone and didn't want to bother him (so no pic of him). Inside one of the workers Nathan said hello to us and waved and we smiled and waved back. He said we were the first ones to smile and respond back. They open at noon and depending on the day close at 11pm or midnight. Once we got to the front of the line, the young lady greeted us and explained everything to us. I got a traditional pastry cone with just cinnamon and sugar, no spread, just vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and no toppings. You don't have to get spread, I thought it was to make sure your ice cream didn't go through the bottom of the cone. My sister got Berry Cheesecake (she liked hers) with a small amount of cheesecake. I thought the ice cream was great! The cone however I thought would be more like a churro or at least a donut but it was BLAND. I could see them throw cones away that were burnt, too hard or too doughy. Which is good because you want to give your best product to customers. My cone had no flavor in the dough (which had a little undercooked) and I couldn't taste the cinnamon and sugar or butter that was placed on the cone. For $5.69 and the wait in line it was ok. I could make the same thing at home for the price. Maybe that's why people get the spread and toppings to give the cone flavor. I came for the cone. If the cone was completely cooked and had flavor, I would say 5 stars and it would've been my new dessert spot. Unfortunately it only gets a 3.5 from me. It's worth a try though. There was a sign that read: PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT OUR FOOD IS PREPARED AND SERVED WITH PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN OR HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT, MILK, AND EGG. WE CANNOT ASSURE THAT ANY OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE FREE. OF THESE ALLERGENS. read more

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We went to the opening and I have never had crispy cones from other locations and wasn't sure what to expect. The owner was very nice and explained the menu. We got a cookie à la mode crispy cones and a chocolate vanilla swirl crispy cone. It was really good! The flavor of the cone reminds me of a Cinnabon but less sugary. I think the crispy cone was bigger than expected for just me, so if I were getting it again I would probably share it with someone instead of getting my own. Great location near the beach but definitely crowded inside with a line but they had a good system down. Great to get if you are looking to walk around the Village of Carlsbad. Looking forward to trying other flavors. read more

Crispy Cones - Cookie à la Mode Crispy Cone - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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My husband and I first heard of Crispy Cones from Shark Tank and we were so happy when we heard we were getting one locally. We went to the grand opening, which unsurprisingly was really happening and had a long line, but it was worth the wait. Even with the crowd they provided quality service. The owner, Tyrell Williams, was even passing out samples to those waiting in line and thanking everyone for coming out. I ordered a Crispy Cone with Nutella spread, vanilla ice cream, and strawberries and my husband got a Pastry Cone with Nutella. Both were delicious, my only feedback is that I wish they had custard as a spread option. This is such a great addition to the village and ideally located near the beach, definitely recommend! read more

Crispy Cones - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Really good dessert, if you get every topping. Don't go plain Jane or it'll be a disappointment. Cone was my fave part, wish I had more soft serve left for that part. My partner is highly allergic to peanuts and I will say they do almost no effort to prohibit peanut contamination. Peanut butter spoon right next to everything else! Overall I wouldn't go back, but nice to try. read more

Crispy Cones - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

It's definitely a must try. There's a lot going on with some of the options. The flavors are all fighting to stand out. They offer recommended combinations, as well as build your own. The staff was so helpful and friendly, despite being so busy. If you go at the wrong time, it is crowded inside. But, it's clean and the line moves quickly. read more

The cones are always fresh and the staff is consistently friendly! I've been here probably eight times now and haven't had a single complaint. Everything is made quickly, tastes amazing, and the vibe is always on point. The flavors are creative and fun without being over-the-top or too crazy -- there's something for everyone, and they actually nail the balance. Huge shoutout to Nathan (shift lead, I think!) for being such a genuinely kind person. He always keeps the atmosphere light and fun, greets me and my friends by name, and actually takes the time to have real conversations with us. That kind of warmth makes all the difference. Honestly, because of him alone, I can't recommend Crispy Cones enough. He's a big part of why we keep coming back. read more

Crispy Cones - You've gotta try their Royal Sponge Cake Cone before it's gone!! ‍ - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

so cool! you get a churro cone and get to choose filling, ice cream, and then toppings. would be a good dessert to share for those who have a big sweet tooth. no seating at the store read more

Crispy Cones - swirl - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Terrible customer service I ordered with a girl at the register and told her I was with the 4 kids and my daughter so the girl dropped my order by accident because she showed my daughter how to order on screen and when they delivered the order I didn't get mine I spoke up and not one person working behind the counter especially the girl who took my order did not do anything to correct the mistake they said what happened and I repeated that I had ordered and didn't get it. I left with nothing because nobody care to help me read more

Meh. Besides the poor service and attitude from the staff behind the counter, it really did not live up to the hype. The cone itself was good but the ice cream and small amount of toppings were not impressive especially considering the price. read more

The cone was a desired taste.. not my taste... cone was not crispy and it was like a cinnamon donut with ice cream.. I didn't care for it.

This was, without a doubt, was one of the most hostile and unprofessional experiences I've ever had at a business. The second we walked in with our service dogs, every single employee behind the bar looked at us with complete disgust. Before anyone bothered to ask the legally appropriate questions or even acknowledge us like human beings, we were immediately hit with, "No animals allowed." No conversation. No professionalism. Just instant judgment. My husband took the dogs outside, but apparently that still wasn't enough. All six employees continued glaring at me while I stood there looking at the menu. The tension was so obvious and so uncomfortable that I finally said, "You all don't have to look at me like that." I was so upset by the way we were treated that I decided to leave. I'll own my part...I flipped them off as I walked out because I was angry and felt completely humiliated. But here's what really says everything you need to know about this place: one of the employees flipped me off right back. Read that again. An employee representing the business gave a customer the middle finger. I've never felt so unwelcome or judged for simply existing with my service dogs. The lack of professionalism, basic decency, and respect was honestly shocking. If this is how they treat people the moment they walk through the door, they don't deserve anyone's business. This place left such a bad taste in my mouth that I will never return, and I'll make sure everyone I know hears about this experience. There are plenty of businesses that know how to treat people with dignity. This clearly isn't one of them. read more

I'm a bit indifferent. The concept is cool/fun to watch in action as the cones are definitely the focus, but the overall flavor was a little meh for me. Glad we tried it once, but I probably wouldn't wait in the long line for it again. read more

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Tried Crispy Cone and ordered a cone with vanilla soft serve and caramel drizzle. One thing I'll say -- they are very generous with the ice cream! It was piled so high I honestly wished I had a cup to transfer some into. The cone itself was just okay -- I expected it to be sweeter and crunchier, but mine was a bit soft. The soft serve also wasn't as creamy as I like and tasted a little too icy. Not terrible overall, but not quite what I was hoping for in texture and flavor. read more

Worth the hype. We all got something different and all were happy. The cone is the best part. Huge servings. read more

Crispy Cones - Traditional cone, vanilla ice cream, strawberries and Nutella. #happygirl - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I understand the hype and we went because of it but I won't be back. Let me first say that the staff was really nice but they were so overwhelmed. Ordering is a nightmare because no one knows what's going on. The whole point of this place is the cones. The problem is that they put so much ice cream in the cone that by the time you get to it you're full. And the soft serve is so subpar that you don't even want to eat it. I dumped most of the ice cream to get to the cone and guess what. It was not crispy. It was soggy and very very messy. I love the vibe of the store and again the staff was really nice but the concept is not for me. read more

Service super friendly. Fast and meticulous with assembling the desert. Soft serve ice cream delicious and strawberries super fresh and tasty. Clean space. All this was 5 stars. Cone was not great. Would have preferred a sugar or waffle cone. Price too high but understand why due to cost of the cone. Would comeback but just for a cup of ice cream with a topping read more

Crispy Cones - Special of the week Berry Orangesicle in orange dust ed cone - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

My wife and I have been waiting for the initial hype to die down and finally went last night. Having read many of the reviews I was ready for a huge line, messy service, and a major disappointment. Well, we were second in line....wait, we actually gave up the first spot because we were looking at the menu. It's not nearly as confusing or complicated as some have cited. I honestly wish there were a couple more spread options. But what they offer is fine. The servers were very nice and helpful and the speed of service was great. I got the classic cone, peanut butter spread, no drizzle, chocolate ice cream and Kit Kat as my topping. It's a very manual, artisan(?), manual process of spreading inside the cone and placing the topping in and around the ice cream. Just interesting to watch as someone who looks at process for a living. I digress....anyway, the soft serve is pretty good. Not as disappointing as some note, but didn't change my life either. Last time a soft serve changed my life......yeah, never. So expectations met here. The portion size is American good, probably large for Rest of World. So I was happy. Your initial attack is mostly spoon, never felt like licking made sense. So I was wheeling and dealing until I reached the cone. At that point, half the soft serve is gone, most of my topping and I found myself stumped. Cone + paper cup inside a plastic cup in one hand, plastic spoon in the other and my puzzler is puzzling. Grab that bad boy and lift it out? Try to slash it with my dull spoon? Ask for a spork? Phone a friend seemed like the play, but I was out of hands and don't have many friends who would help me versus laugh at me. I grabbed and bit with my confidence rising. Tasty for sure, but my puzzler wasn't thrown off by the experience. I saw soft serve pooling in the cup and went on alert because a drip on my new hoodie would make me sad, and a spill in my wife's car would be far worse. So went bite, replace, bite replace, repeat until last soft serve swam in the bottom of the cup. A more cheerful man would have harkened back to the first time you ate an ice cream cone and experienced the free-child joy again. Me, I'm a bit more on the grouchy old man side of the scale. Relieved my hoodie and my marriage were intact. But stumped at what I did right and what I did wrong. The taste was fine to fine++ but didn't rock my world. My WIFE loved it so we will be back. When she is away on travel, I will not be sneaking downtown to get one. We'll probably bring out of town guests if they haven't been to one. I'm sure some will love this, some will not, many will be like me and be in the middle. But I didn't find the complaints about lines and service and the soft serve as valid. All of those were solid. read more

It was a very delicious treat to get. I highly recommend if you want something new as a sweet treat. The ice cream dish is very filling so I recommend sharing with someone else if you're just looking to top off lunch with a small treat. Definitely worth the wait the line goes by pretty quick for the size. read more

Crispy Cones - Key lime pie ice cream - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Soooooo good!! We got the cookie ala mode and it was delicious! Maybe a little pricey but it was worth it. Can't wait to try the brownie royale next. Service was great and the spot is super cool next to the beach read more

Crispy Cones - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Cone was good. ice cream was terrible not worth eating. Grainy and icy something is wrong with their soft serve at the moment. read more

Crispy Cones - Crispy Cone. - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We visited Crispy Cones and ordered using the self-serve kiosk since there was no one available to take orders. I placed an order for two cones on the kiosk, and my husband completed checkout. Unfortunately, there was no receipt provided. We waited in line for about an hour. When we finally reached the pickup area, we were only handed one cone. At that point, we were told that only one cone showed in the system. Because we never received a receipt, we had no way of checking the order while waiting in line or realizing that the second cone didn't go through. The cones themselves were good, but the ordering and pickup process was frustrating--especially after such a long wait. A staffed register, printed or digital receipts, or clearer order confirmation at the kiosk would help prevent situations like this. Overall, the product has potential, but the system needs improvement to match the customer experience. read more

Overall I would give it 3/5 stars but knocking off an extra star for a couple reasons... But first, the soft serve was good but pretty standard, nothing that you couldn't get at a McDonalds. They also had an okay selection of toppings ranging from candy bars to nuts to strawberries. The cone however was not that great flavor-wise; it tasted like straight-up raw dough with cinnamon sprinkled on it, which didn't pair well with the ice cream. Considering how the cone should've been the highlight of the dessert, this was especially disappointing. Additionally, we waited an HOUR in line to get this mid dessert which did not feel worth the wait, and it seems like there is always an extremely long line at this place for God knows why?? Lastly, as someone with a peanut allergy, the cross-contamination control with their peanut toppings was basically non-existent, which was very worrying (tbh I probably shouldn't have eaten this but I wanted to risk it all to make this review ). So overall, I'm glad I tried it to see what the hype was about but I will not be coming back lol. The ambiance inside the store was nice though and they were playing early 2000s bangers so I will give them that, and the cones are definitely cool to look at. read more

Crispy Cones - crispy cone with vanilla soft serve, kit kat chunks, and nutella sauce - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I was on vacation and craving soft serve. This place came up and the pictures looked amazing. We stood in a long line, ordering took a bit but staff was very helpful and friendly explaining the choices. We were excited to try but it was so awkward to eat, very top heavy for the small cup that it is placed in. In fact I tried to take my first bite and the whole ice cream fell right on top of my shoe/sandal. It was a sticky mess!! The staff was very kind and made me another one. So after getting my second cone and sitting down to eat it, the taste profile was mediocre and disappointing. The soft serve itself was flavorless.There was a family sitting next to ours that said exactly what I was thinking, one and done! read more

I feel bad for the mom whose kid got sent to the hospital for eating here. It's in a previous review, and after eating here myself, I'm not surprised. This "ice cream" shop is essentially the Carlsbad tourist trap. I'm sure some people will have a good experience here. But overall mine was pretty bad, as a local. The shop looks pretty run down and the workers look stressed. I'm unsure if this place has the same momentum it did when it first opened. Beyond the hype, it's just $14 soft serve ice cream, served by young adults with no social skills. The workers look high off weed/ hungover/ and unhealthy. Idk about you, but I'm very conscious of where I spend my money and what my dollar supports. I'd be getting the $2 soft serve at Costco before ever returning here. There is ZERO seating and the cone is so complicated to eat, that it just becomes a mess, since you have to stand outside, as it drips all over you. Do not bother wearing your nice clothes here, since they will get stained . Plus they just leave the toppings out and exposed for everyone to breathe on, right next to their entrance. Literally 2 feet from the door. They may as well just leave the toppings outside, at that point LOL. Who knows what pathogens are just flying through the door into the food. I'll take one Crispy Cone, hold the car fumes and tree branch, please! At least, Handel's and Costco have seating and a social-scene. Plus the staff there aren't alcoholics and actually talk to their customers. The business model has potential, but the location and low quality staff are preventing this place from reaching its fullest. read more

Ice cream was literally just soft serve. Simple and plain same thing as Costco. No difference Cone was basic too nothing outstanding. They have us like 6 cheesecakes pieces and for the price definitely not worth it. I was excited about this place coming to Carlsbad, but nothing is memorable about it. Everything is simple and not favorable. Overall overpriced ice cream. read more

Had to come in to see what the hype was all about! The line was about 20minutes but definitely worth it. We even saw the owner, Tyrell Williams come in and help out the staff clean up and assist with orders. The ice cream was delicious and the quality was very good. I love the concept of the donut/croissant like ice cream cone. The location is great and the vibes are incredible. 10/10 read more

Crispy Cones - Tyrell Williams - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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The cones were delicious! It was fast and efficient, worth the brief wait in line! I had the original cone with biscoff, Nutella vanilla twist ice cream, and strawberries. I do wish they gave us the option to only have the paper cup without the plastic to eliminate waste. read more

It's hard to find a good soft serve and this place is great soft serve, especially with the toppings in the dough cone. My favorite part is how they switch the flavors up once a week. I'm always checking. read more

Small tucked in shop, workers were very kind and accommodating, let us try samples! The ice cream itself is delicious and creamy, wasn't a huge fan of the cone. Had to give it a try for the experience - good but, not amazing in my opinion. read more

Crispy Cones - Black cherry almond ice cream w/ KitKats , Brownie and Nutella - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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TL;DR - $11 for ONE. All hype. Not even that great. Long line. Takes a while to figure out the menu. I was expecting more ice cream flavors. Nope. Just vanilla, chocolate, swirl, and whatever is the special flavor of the week. Taste of ice cream? Just good, but not anywhere close to $11 good. I was expecting the cone to be "crispy" because that's literally the name of the shop. Nope. Toppings.. I only got like 5 little Biscoff cookie pieces. I mean, need I say more? read more

Flavors are amazing. Must try at least one Time..but not much sitting space. Cone variety is also good.

I really enjoy visiting Crispy Cones! Every Monday their new flavors come out. I went then. I enjoy their different flavors that change weekly. The flavors are fun, different, and really good. A few weeks they had a cereal milk ice cream with a cone dressed with fruity pebbles. This week was salted caramel and peanut butter flavor ice cream. I think this week was my favorite. They have many toppings, my favorite Heath bar and Kit Kat! The cones are like a pastry cone with a sugar coating or a cone of the week, just depends the flavor of the week as well. Ambiance is nice! The service is always wonderful. The kids in there are always happy and friendly! I remember a fellow name Nathan, he was probably the manager. He was enthusiastic, friendly and entertaining! Someone you want at that kind of atmosphere! He was always so joyful, friendly, talkative, giving samples, and explaining how Crispy Cones came to be! read more

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I'm so sad we didn't get a photo. But we consumed it way too fast! We honestly had no idea what to expect after discovering this place from an instagram ad. It's basically a cinnamon roll/ donut / ice cream. The soft serve quality is to die for! As for the cone it's cooked to perfection and coated in cinnamon sugar! We will be back soon! The line is so worth it! read more

DO NOT GO TO CRISPY CONE IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES. I took my children here to try the new hype, and specifically asked the staff. They are uneducated when it comes to food allergies. The teenage staff literally called Nutella, chocolate sauce. NUTELLA IS NUTELLA. According to California law, they could have ended up with a fat lawsuit after this. Ice cream parlors technically doesn't have to say "nuts" on menu, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO TRAIN THEIR STAFF. I ended up in the emergency room holding my daughter for hours, because of untrained staff. In the middle of the night we finally returned home. Parents of food allergy kids do not go to crispy cone. read more

Was sooo excited to try this new spot and man we were so let down. I love a sweet treat but this didn't meet the price and definitely isn't worth a 900+ calorie indulgence. I'm sorry but the cone gimmick seriously tastes like a stale, dry, and sandy churro made without butter, not the doughy cone pitched on Shark Tank. The sugar sticks to your throat. The ice cream is mediocre at best, and our orders were wrong even on a slower evening. We were the only customers there and they had like 5 people behind the counter, yet one order had the totally wrong ice cream and the other was missing a topping. The kids working were nice but come on, there are literally only a few ice cream flavors in rotation, there was no rush, and this much oversight isn't acceptable when you're fully staffed and charging high prices. We didn't even finish half of our desserts. There are far better ice cream options run by locals in the Village and in South O. And for that reason I'm out lol read more

Crispy Cones - Cone tastes like it was thrown on tamarack beach for a day tbh - Desserts Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This place is okay, completely overpriced. The service is fantastic. It's just soft serve. Tastes like Costco soft serve and I can get that for $2. The space is really small. Probably won't go back, there are better options. read more

Wasn't impressed and didn't live up to the hype. Ordered from a computer kiosk so if you had a question there wasn't anyone to help you. After ordering and paying via a kiosk, an automatic tip was added unless you voided it out. Toppings fell off before you had a chance to eat and no where to sit. The sidewalk out front was filthy from so much spilled ice cream. Difficult to eat while standing on a side walk. Handle's Ice Cream is so much better! read more