This ice cream shop let me sample many flavors! I went with the mint chocolate brownie and oreo cheesecake cookie dough. The scoops were quite large, so I split with a friend. There were also several flavors of sherbet on the menu (vegan friendly is always a plus). If you're in the mood for ice cream on State St and looking for a place that stays open fairly late (11 pm), check it out! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great ice cream + friendly service + dog friendly. Amazing staff member who gives the most attention to my furry son. He enjoys all the attention and the giant sizes vanilla ice cream read more

Cuso's has officially moved just across the street from their original spot. Now located at 609 State Street with a much larger space. I decided to check out their brand new sandwich lineup. It's only two choices right now, but they could potentially add more later. I went with the Cuso's Crunch, which is smoked turkey piled onto a Dutch crunch roll with seasoned aioli, Havarti cheese, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and avocado. This is the kind of meal fit for a hot summer. It's packed with flavor, and so generously sized that I saved the other half for dinner. The price was about $18 after tax, kinda pricey but the size and quality of ingredients match the price point. I'd recommend sharing this sandwich because it's a generous size. Since it was a warm Santa Barbara day, I had to finish things off with ice cream. I ordered the Maple Bacon Praline and Brown Butter Banana Toffee. Both rich, creamy, and absolutely worth trying if you can't decide on just one flavor. I loved both flavors, but you may need water because it's so rich! They also offer samples to try. If you like a dirty soda, then you can find it here too. I don't drink soda, but the combination of flavors on the menu sounded really good. Whether you're grabbing lunch, treating yourself to ice cream, or heading out on an adventure, Cuso's has you covered. They also offer e-bike, mountain bike, and hybrid bike rentals and tours, making it a true one-stop shop for exploring Santa Barbara. Plus the new space is really nice and accommodating for groups or if your coming here solo. I also met the owners on my visit and they were very friendly and gave me a little background on their business. I love supporting family owned businesses in town. It makes the experience all worthwhile. read more

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I personally prefer Cusco over McConnells. This place is less crowded and they pack the flavor in their ice-cream. The person scooping the tastings gave us a good amount so we could actually get a good sense of which flavors we would want. I also appreciate the employee informing us that they accidently broke the ice cream cone so they put the broken one in another cone (I've had other places not tell us and we see the ice cream leaking later on). Not sure if they changed their flavoring for their cones, but I thought the cones had more of the churro flavors. If they did tone down the flavor, I can see why (may not blend well with all flavors), but I do miss the cinnamon sweet cone flavor. I also want to note their cones are flat on the bottom so the ice cream doesn't leak on the bottom. This new location is nice and spacious! I am curious to try their sandwiches in the future. read more

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Flavors and quality -- 10/10 Location -- 10/10 Unfortunately, the presentation didn't match. We ordered the 3-scoop flight while dining in, and it was served in a plastic cupcake container. It felt like they ran out of proper ice cream cups and just used a 2x2 cupcake box instead. For something priced higher than a single scoop, the experience felt worse than a basic to-go setup. Great ice cream, but the presentation really took away from it. Other places would have used this as an opportunity to elevate the experience and reinforce their brand. Making great ice cream is only part of the job. The full customer experience, down to small details like how it's served, is what brings people back. read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice cream served in cupcakes container - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The ice cream texture is different, which I love. You can tell the ice cream was made with love. The service was great which made me feel at home. It's a small shop but it's nicely decorated. The hand drawn menu is beautiful. So much thought went into it. I would come here again. I'm just bummed the serving size is a little small. read more

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I walked into Cuso's when they were going to close in 5 minutes completely expecting them to say they're closed which would have been fine! However, they said they would still serve me. I ordered a double scoop of cookies and cream and went on my way. It was delicious, and I appreciate them serving me so close to closing it. read more

Wow! Great location on State St and this was a spontaneous stop for ice cream! The service was excellent very friendly and allowed me to sample pistachio flavor which was so good! However, I went with the Oreo, cheesecake and chocolate ice cream which was there one of their specials. I didn't even sample just ordered it because it sounded too delicious!! Lo and behold it was 5 star ice cream hands down! The cone was great tasted like cinnamon and graham crackers to me! I enjoyed it thoroughly sitting at a table in front of the shop in the summer. What a great experience! read more

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This ice cream has a really great location on State St! I was biking up and down with my dog, and I wanted to share an ice cream treat with him. I wanted to initially get it in the earlier part of the afternoon but they're not open til 3, thus we came back later. I think their hours are so odd though. For such a prime location, they're only open Thursday - Sunday. They're open Friday and Saturday from 12PM - 10PM, and closing at 9PM on Sunday. Maybe it's due to staffing, but with the warmer weather approaching and a prime location I'm surprised they're not open with more hours. Anyway, It's a really cute little ice cream shop. There was only two employees when I was visiting but they were really friendly and nice. They offer samples and are really patient when offering it as well. There's not really much space to sit inside and eat though so expect to take your ice cream out on a bench to enjoy. Maybe I'm just spoiled by LA's artisanal ice cream shops but I was rather disappointed with their offerings. As a note, I did come in an off-season around late March/Early April so maybe they just offer less during this time of year. Online, they boast a lot of interesting flavors like Cherry Chocolate, Ube Cotton Candy, and Strawberry Shortcake. But when I was in store, there was like 7 flavors - Toffee Caramel, Oreo Cheesecake, Vanilla, Mocha Brownie, Maple Praline, and Milk& Cookies are the ones I remember. But yeah, I was hoping for a wider, more interesting selection but it was kinda average. The ice cream itself was really good though! I ordered Milk & Cookies and they use (presumably) leftover M&M/Chocolate Chip cookies with a milk ice cream. It was flavorful without being artificial or too sweet. The texture was great too being really smooth and creamy. That's not enough to convince me to make another visit though :( read more

The ice cream was SO good. Dare I say, BETTER than McConnell's??? Yes I dare say. Loved McConnell's and highly recommend, but I will be here first on my next trip to SB. Don't miss the maple praline or the pistachio. 10/10 read more

The ice cream was fine I got a scoop of the peanut butter fudge and I bit in to multiple small chunks of ice which I accepted but thought it was odd. The 2 stars is more for the service. I asked for a sample of two flavors I was in between. The people at the counter were rude about it and just kept saying "anything else" in the most straight face monotone way, then only gave me one of the samples and when I asked for the other one they rolled their eyes and sighed before grabbing me that one like I'm inconveniencing them. It was overall just a disappointing experience read more

Move over McConnell's there's a new ice cream shop on the block! Cuso's caught my attention with the Ube cotton candy flavor they had and their cute storefront. We were greeted by a young lady working there who was so sweet and let us sample basically all of their flavors. They were all amazing and so unique! I went with the Ube cotton candy which tasted like my childhood Disneyland dreams and red velvet oreo which was a dark chocolate base with large oreo chunks. Service was amazing and ice cream was perfectly textured and super flavorful. No place to sit, but ice cream is a walking food! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ube cotton candy and red velvet oreo - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

YUM! Local or visiting, I highly recommend! I decided to come here last minute and so glad I did. Like another review said, it is heavy, but divine. The customer service is exceptional and the servings are generous. I got a double in a cup with the maple bourbon praline (on top in photo) and salted toffee caramel. The establishment was clean and welcoming. read more

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delicious, flavorful, creamy and great service. would strongly recommend, there was no line for us read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I stumbled upon this little ice cream spot while I was in downtown Santa Barbara and I am extremely glad I did. All the flavors they provide have been really tasty, such as the Oreo cheesecake, the guava cheesecake, toffee, and red velvet oreo, just to list a few of my go-to flavors. Their portions are fairly worth it as well. Definitely a good date spot because the pier is straight down the road. Also they're open late! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Good selection of ice cream, went there about a week after they opened . Great service people were friendly. Ambience feels good fans going for a small place they do a great job. read more

My friends and I were strolling down State Street and spotted this ice cream place so thought we'd check it out. I was originally so full from my lunch and wasn't going to get an ice cream but spotted the limited time red velvet oreo flavor and couldn't resist trying and then ordering a scoop for myself. To preface, I normally am not super big on ice cream, I've just never loved how melty the texture is I guess. But this ice cream was so creamy and dense/thick (?) but in a good way. It honestly tasted like cake but if it was just really moist especially with the bits of oreo, which was right up my alley. I really didn't expect to eat as much of it as I did, but it was just so delicious I ended up finishing it pretty quickly quickly. I think this has actually helped to turn my perspective on ice cream around and I've gained more appreciation for it. read more

Cute spot on State street! You can't turn onto this street so opt for some street parking or the parking garage if you want time to roam around. Staff was very nice and welcoming. We got to sample a few of their signature flavors like hot honeycomb and ube cotton candy. Glad we did too because the ube was saaaweeeeet! We opted for their two popular flavors, salted toffee and the bourbon. The salted toffee was still too sweet for me. Although the flavor was nice, it left me thirsty and needing water to cut back on the sweet. Hubby really enjoyed the bourbon praline and appreciated that you could taste the bourbon. Not strong, just some subtleties. There are a few other ice cream and gelato places only steps away which I'll be trying next! Overall, appreciate that everything is made in-house! There was definitely a line and a bunch of people walking around with cups that say Cuso's read more

Cuso's Creamery - Menu 1.1.2025 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Love how salty the salted caramel was but didn't like not being able to see the ice cream. It should be displayed- it's part of the ice cream shop experience. The ice cream was good but not the best I've had. I wasn't a fan of the airiness you could bite through it. I want creamy - not airy ice cream, But that's just me. read more

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Friendly service, delicious custard with a nice variety of flavor options. Reasonably priced! Fun to walk down state street while eating custard. read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Hands down, the best ice cream in Santa Barbara! Almost like European ice cream, no chemicals, stabilizers, fillers are antibiotics used in the cows milk. I always feel good after I eat a giant single scoop on an almond cinnamon waffle cone! Best ever. No offense but the other ice cream stores are way overrated this is a hidden gem here in Santa Barbara. read more

Limited flavors but all were fine. Unfortunately none were memorable and probably won't return. Service was quick and friendly.

We visited another creamery in Paso Robles, but this one used sheep's milk--it was unexpected and a bit disappointing. As I get older, eating ice cream feels like a big deal, something I only indulge in when I'm on vacation! Luckily, Cuso did not disappoint. It was just as delicious as I hoped--creamy and yummy! Totally satisfied. read more

Cuso's Creamery - Double vanilla ice cream. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Woohoo! Awesome scoopers scooping creamy delicious frozen joy into waffle cones! Apple pie and toffee were sooo good! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The shop was cute and the people were nice. The ice cream flavors are so unique so I was very excited to try them; I tried 5-6 flavors and unfortunately only sorta liked one. The Ube cotton candy I was most excited for but it just tasted like chemicals with sugar. It was all quite heavy as well, felt like I'd get a stomachache and was a bit pricier than I'd expect read more

Hands down the best ice cream I have ever had. I'm vegan so I had the lemon sorbet and it was absolutely delicious. This is a must have if you're looking for a sweet treat! read more

The ice cream was tasty, they let us sample their flavors. We ordered the Dubai and the pistachio both were so good! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Amazing staff!!! Must try!!!! Don't go to any other ice cream place in Santa Barbara because this is the place: huge scoops for cheap but the ice cream is phenomenal and not boring at all read more

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You must go here if you love homemade ice creams and supporting local! They also own the bike store as well across the way! They have the double vanilla bean ice cream made with vanilla paste from Italy and an added topping of sea salt and olive oil that is popular in Italy among other set flavors and seasonals as well in my pictures I've posted! Mmmmmmmm read more

There's nothing better than a new local business! I've been following Chef Cuso on TikTok since the COVID days and have always been a fan of his recipes. When I found out he and his family were opening an ice cream shop in Santa Barbara, I knew it was going to be good--and it sure didn't disappoint! Cuso's Creamery is located in downtown Santa Barbara, just a few blocks from the waterfront. They have a variety of unique flavors, many using Chef Cuso's "Cuso Cuts" seasonings, which is cool. My boyfriend owns several of these seasonings, so I knew I was in for a treat! I appreciated being able to sample a few before making my final decision! My favorite is the Hot Honeycomb with an added sprinkle of flaky salt. It is the perfect blend of sweet and salty with a bit of heat. Honorable mention is the WhistlePig Maple Bourbon Praline -- *chef's kiss*! The shop itself is so aesthetically pleasing, with a beautiful green wall and wooden bench immediately to your right when you step inside and great double doors that bring in tons of natural light. If it were me, I'd fill the place up with more plants because of how great that light is! Super cute photo spot, too. The ordering counter reminds me of my favorite ice cream shops growing up -- nice and cozy, and straightforward. Flavors and prices are also transparently listed on the walls, making it easy to make a selection. My only regret is not taking any pictures! My boyfriend and I really devoured that ice cream. If you live in the area or are just exploring for a quick trip like me, don't hesitate to check out Cuso's Creamery! I will certainly be back the next time I am in the area! read more

Cusos's Creamery Is FIRE. I got the Toffee flavored ice cream, and my girl I think got the Cotton Candy flavor. Now I have had English Toffee ice creams, and they were delicious. This one was really sweet compared to when I had tried the Cotton Candy one. Its sweet, but it seemed like it had a bitter taste too. A little like the real Cotton Candy. Anyways, service was good. We will be back again. read more

I went to the newest ice cream shop in town and tasted 3 flavors. None of the flavors were amazing compare to two of my favorite places: Rori's and Tondi. The flavors were pretty mute. Coconut rum, chocolate, and walnut needs a different type of chocolate in there. The chocolate chips weren't tempered well, so they didn't melt and had a very crunchy texture. The price was on par with McConnell's and slightly more than Tondi, both located a few steps away from Cuso's. read more

Cuso's Creamery - Coconut rum, chocolate, and walnuts. Not a fan of these chocolate chips. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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A brand new local ice cream parlor. They make their own, right on the premises, in a tiny scoopery. (Is that a word? It should be.) It's right next to the Metro 4 Cinema. I had the cherry-chocolate. It was very good, with nice big hunks of real cherry, and crunchy chunks of dark chocolate. And it was COLD (of course) on a very HOT day. MMMmmm! read more

Cuso's Creamery - Exterior - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I tried both the salted caramel and the guava cheesecake. Both pretty amazing. They mentioned a Michelin star Chef created their menu. Service was a little unenthusiastic, but the ice cream made up for it. Homemade- or so they say. I'd say definitely on par with McConnells. Worth trying for a new spot in town. Hopefully they make it, downtown is pretty oversaturated with ice cream stores. The place seemed clean, but also brand new music was a little quiet and there's no art on the walls or any decor for that matter. read more

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Small little place with unique flavors. We got the flght with red velvet oreo, toffee salted caramel, and peanut butter s'mores. All were good, but the toffee took the cake. The team behind the counter were also very friendly. Will try to make another stop while I'm in the area to try another flavor. read more

Cuso's Creamery is my favorite spot to come to in Santa Barbara! Their ice cream is amazing and literally tastes like they just made it before you walked in. They make all of the flavors there. The service is always top notch and the ambiance is great. The vibe and decor is cute and picturesque! The Vanilla Bean is my go to but they're always adding new flavors. They also have pints to go!! They're cheaper than all the other competitors nearby on State Street, too! Come visit if you're in the area. You won't regret it. read more

I look very specifically for coffee ice cream with chocolate in it like fudge, cookie, brownie. I sampled their mocha fudge brownie, the bite didnt have anything but coffee in it but the girl told me it has brownie and fudge in it so I got a scoop in a waffle cone. The entire scoop waa just coffee, no evidence of any chocolate, I even dumped it into a cup to examined it thoroughly. Disappointing! Additionally, the waffle cone tasted burnt. read more

The scoops are huge. And the customer service is top notch. So friendly. They let me taste any flavors I wanted. If you love ice cream you must try this place. I'm finally happy. Cuso's you have a customer for life. read more

Cuso's Creamery - The best ice cream hands down. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Homemade ice cream with the perfect texture and temperature. The showstopper is definitely the flavor and quality. I got the double scoop Ube Cotton Candy and the Double Vanilla Bean. I've always said that the golden standard for vanilla ice cream is the one from McConnells, but after trying this one, I have to say that this definitely is just as good if not better. The vanilla was very strong and the texture of it was perfect; you can even see the vanilla bean specks. And then the Ube cotton candy was just one of the most innovative ice cream flavors I have ever tried. The Ube was very high-quality and pungent enough that I can easily taste it through the cotton candy. Overall the flavors were balanced perfectly. Amazing ice cream. Owner was very nice and the ambiance of the place was welcoming and aesthetic for Instagrammers. read more

Cuso's Creamery - Ube Cotton Candy and some gummy bears. The vanilla is underneath. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This was my first time at Cuso's. The ice cream was fantastic. I got a scoop of the salted toffee caramel, and a scoop of lemon (I think it was a sorbet). I loved them both. The ice cream was less creamy than my long standing favorite, Rori's, but was much more flavorful. This is my NEW favorite ice cream in town! (Also, the young lady working there was really nice.) read more