Came a little before 10PM and the line was very long as expected on a holiday(Father's Day). Nonetheless waited 24 minutes in line , once we got to the windows , I noticed the employees would take orders and while scooping ice cream they would stop their work to have conversation with other coworkers. Small side chit chat and laughter to stop your work and make the customer wait extra unnecessary time doesn't make sense to me, but if they were able to at least have some urgency it would help your guys atmosphere a bit less chaotic outside and causing conversations in line of bad service. read more

10/10 best ice cream ever and the best service. I got Banana Cream Pie on a Oreo cone and it was delicious.

Gosh, this ice cream is good. I have a family of very picky eaters and everyone liked every single flavor here. My personal favorite flavor was the taro followed closely by the salted carmel (the candied chunks in it were so dang good). There was a long line that we had to wait in for this place but once it was done we were all so happy to have our treats. There's a bit of seating in the back, though I wish there was more because they fill up fast. We ended up just eating our ice cream in the parking lot and then at home. Still, the lack of ambiance is no sweat in comparison to how GOOD the ice cream is. I'm not typically that much of an ice cream person but this was different. It's creamier and thicker and every flavor is just more savory. There's a QR code you can scan while waiting in line to see the daily flavors, it's fun that they change them and makes me want to come back and try more. Also it's not really on the menu, but the sampler is a great way to try out ice cream. It's 4 flavors of choice in a plastic square and I really liked being able to get the perfect ratio of each. Will definitely be back! Can't wait to try more ice cream, everything was so so soooo good. read more

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I don't get it. I probably won't be back. I saw more things wrong than good, but that never stops the masses from flocking to a place. GOOD: 1) Clean, but of course they are, they just opened. 2) Price was okay. 3) Flavors, looked like an assortment, hard to tell. 4) After effects. I felt kind of bad later. Their ice cream tastes/feels like it leans heavy into the sugar more than the cream. If your guts don't mind then great. Mine do. If there's too much sugar, I get sick pretty quickly after ingesting. 5) Friendly staff. BAD: 1) Got ill after eating it. Too sugary. 2) You stand outside, staff enjoys A/C inside. I assume that forcing your customers to stand in a line ( in the sun ) is a form of cruel advertising. "Look at this place! It's so popular people are lined up around it!" No thanks, I'm not your 3rd party billboard, standing in the sun so that you can create some false buzz. I'm a customer. Let me inside so I can get out of the sun as well. 3) The speakers are bad. It's a brand new place but you can't hear anything over the loudspeaker. Once you place your order you can walk around back and sit in the former garbage area, now a patio. If you're lucky you'll hear "Bzz, bzz, twenty one, bzz, bzz." Super helpful. 4) The rear patio isn't exactly a patio, but they're making the best of it. I'm surprised they included umbrellas at the tables. Why not magnifying glasses to burn your customers into wanting a second? 5) The tip jar was on the exterior counter. Employees have no control outside of that tiny window. It's not "will it get stolen?" but "when will it get stolen?" In CMR I can guarantee it will be stolen very shortly, and probably by a pack of e-bike kids. 6) The least favorable part was trying to find the menu. Instead of posting it up high so that everyone outside can see, it's a standup reader board at the end of the line, as you're suddenly the next person in line to order. Why not put it at the end of the line, or even the middle? Why the last minute "now or never" position of being the next person in line until they show you the menu? 7) Smartphones. To be fair, they do have a QR code to scan for the menu but no, I'm not doing that. Put the menu up like civilized people, don't make me chew up bandwidth and battery life to do your job for you. Also, I was there with an elderly person with a flip phone. She asked how the heck she was supposed to see that menu with a flip phone. "You can't mom, they don't like old people here. They only want money from people with smart phones, not you." She laughed but also agreed she'll never be back. read more

Handel's - Scan? That's fine assuming you have a smart phone with enough life and are willing to use more bandwidth to do a businesses job for it. No - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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Welcome to the.CMR. I frequent the Del Mar Location and am happy I don't have to make the drive moving forward. This location is fast and conveniently located. Friendly staff and tons of parking. Be back soon. read more

Took over the Chinese restaurant, Handel's has completed the need for an ice cream shop in this area. Went at 6pm on a Friday and the line was pretty short. Even on the opening day when the line was long, it moved quickly. Check their menu as their flavors change often. You can ask for taste samples when you are at the window. They use square up credit card readers. The only thing about new locations is that the size of your ice cream scoop will depend heavily on the staff. The flavors are great, thick and sticky. Their cones were crunchy and tasted fresh. You could never go wrong with their dark chocolate flavors. The staff all worked quickly with a smile on their faces. They have a nicely shaded back patio area with multiple tables and benches. But it was a bit dirty and sticky. I think the family that was eating before us just didn't clean up after themselves. read more

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We've been waiting for this Handel's to open for a while, so we were excited to see it open for business just in time for summer. The service was great and line moved fast even though it definitely looked intimidating. Like all other Handel's they have multiple windows so they have multiple people serving customers at a time. What we were disappointed by is the quality of this locations ice cream. We ordered a sampler with 3 ice cream flavors containing chocolate chips and then the Monkey Business as the last flavor. We also ordered a quart of the Vanilla with Oreo. This location either skimps on toppings or mixes very unevenly. The flavors with chocolate chips had maybe 5 chocolate chips throughout the entire scoop. I did not get any brownie pieces in my Monkey Business scoop. The worst of all was the Vanilla Oreo quart. It was ALL Vanilla, there were maybe 10 small chunks of Oreo and some streaks of Oreo crumbs. For $15 a quart I would've liked to see more Oreo in there. We kept digging for some and before we realized, we were at the end of the quart and it was still Vanilla. Disappointing as this has never happened at any other locations for us. read more

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The lines are long since it's new but it moves quickly. Plenty of flavors to choose from; dairy based to non-dairy/vegan options which is nice. There are QR codes you can scan if you wish to view the menu that way. I tried the pink lemonade flavored ice cream - 1 scoop in a cup. The portion was generous. The flavor of the pink lemonade with vanilla ribbons was 10/10! Think of sherbert-ishhh flavor but not as tart with pleasant bits of white chocolate. So good! The location is new and clean. There is plenty of parking. Staff just need to be a bit more attentive. read more

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We were so excited for a Handel's to open around our neighborhood! I think a lot of people were because the first couple of days after their grand opening, they already had long lines. And honestly, what a perfect time to open too--summer is coming in hot and it's peak ice cream season! I think we got lucky when we visited because when we got there, the line wasn't too long. After waiting for a little bit though, the line started getting longer. Just be ready--if you're planning to go around late afternoon and the line is a little long, you'll be waiting under the sun with little to no shade. They do have some seating with umbrellas in the back, which is really nice if you want to sit and rest for a bit while you enjoy your ice cream. I got a medium cup and tried a couple of new flavors this time--French Silk Pie and Midnight Madness--and they were deliciously chocolatey and creamy. My ice cream melted super quick though since it was a pretty hot day. Our server was a little slow, so that might explain the long lines sometimes, but he was very nice. Overall, we're just very glad we have a Handel's that's so close to us now! read more

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I have been waiting for this place to open for such a loooooong time. It's finally opened. The line was long but went fast. Why aren't there QR codes posted on the funny waiting line posts??? It was such a sunny day and they have 2 small screens with the flavors of the day? Could barely see what's available. ** found a QR code on the side of the building that wasn't opened for serving... Scoop size was meh. What's going on Handel's? Scoop sizes are pretty small these days? read more

Handel's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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Finally a Handel's closer to Carmel Mountain! The same great menu as all the other locations with plenty of windows to keep the line moving. They were a bit slow for the opening event, but not too bad. An hour to get through about 50 people plus raffle tickets and all the overhead. Not much to say, I think Baked Bear and Cold Stone are in for some tough competition now! There's seating area in the back which was pleasant since there's not a lot of seating in the area. And ample parking now that Best Buy is closed. Friendly staff. read more

Handel's - Grand opening - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Lots of different flavors available! Scan QR code for list of flavors with pictures. Seating area available behind the building! Got coffee chocolate chip and the flavor is on point. There's 8 windows or so the line moves pretty fast! read more

Handel's - Coffee chocolate chip - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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I was so excited when Handel's Ice Cream first opened, but at the time they didn't have my favorite flavor, taro. I came back again and now they have it, so this is officially my new favorite spot to go with my kids! The service was great, everyone was friendly, and it's super convenient. My kids enjoyed it too, so we will definitely be coming back. So happy they added taro! read more

Handel's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Summer nights = ice cream nights, and the new Handel's in Carmel Mountain is already becoming a regular stop for us. The best part? If you go later in the evening, parking is a breeze because everything around it is closed. No circling the lot while your ice cream craving reaches emergency levels. I always order the Graham Central Station because there is honestly nothing else like it anywhere. If Handel's ever discontinues it, I may need to start a petition. The graham cracker ice cream, graham swirl, and crunchy chocolate pieces are ridiculously good. There was a really long line but thankfully it wasn't a long wait. The hardest part of visiting Handel's is pretending I'll try a new flavor and end up ordering GCS for the hundredth time. No regrets. read more

Handel's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great ice cream, lots of flavors, generous sizes, and reasonable prices. This location has a small patio in the back with tables and seating. My one gripe was the employee who helped us (looked to be a young high school or college kid) wasn't super friendly and gave us a bit of attitude about sampling, which I'd understand if their menu didn't have literally dozens of flavors to pick from! We tried 1-2 before she started making us feel like we just had to pick something and move on. read more

Service was excellent, flavor options seem endless and interesting. Ice cream was very creamy and had a soft serve consistency which I enjoyed. This is a grab and go establishment. The small portion is plenty. Can't wait to come back and try more flavors. read more

Handel's - Graham central station - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

The line moved fairly quickly, as there were several windows open to take orders. It was disappointing to be told that several of our desired flavors were not available. The small is three scoops! Wished they had a smaller size. The pistachio flavor was good. Plenty of roasted pistachios, however the ice cream itself was bland, too thick and gummy and left me thirsty. We didn't know there was seating in the back (saw it as we drove out), so we ate in the car. Nice to have them here in Carmel Mountain; glad I checked them out. read more

My guy Tyler is a GOAT, I called the place very last minute and he picked up the phone, was willing to still serve me after they just closed. Excellent customer service, asked if everything was alright. Every Handel's should have a Tyler. read more

Handel's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

We come multiple times a week! The line moves fast. Didn't know the ice cream was literally handmade at the location, it's literally the best ice cream read more

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Quick and friendly service. There was a line but it moved fast. The ice cream tasted great, we got a blue monster and a monkey business, but there was ants on the outside of my wife's cone... For near $20 for 2 ice creams I'd hope for no bugs. read more

Handel's - Ants in the cone paper - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Best Ice Cream ever!!! Tried out the new location on Carmel Valley and it was so good... We will be back every time we go to Costco.

They have multiple windows that is a plus. Great flavor options. It is nice that Carmel Mountain got this ice cream place.

Handel's has some really good ice cream, but in my opinion it's too sweet. The service is nice, the staff is kind. The shop is clean. And it's just like a classic American or and older classic but modern. read more

Wow! Just Wow. My visit to Handles was nothing short of an amazing experience. I was first greeted by the most wonderful service from Bella. She was so kind, friendly and welcoming. Not to mention my ice cream was scooped perfectly and she gave the best recommendations. Monkey Business! My new favourite flavour! read more

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream in Carmel Mountain does not have their No Sugar Added (NSA) flavors. Popular sugar-free options include NSA Coffee, NSA Strawberry Fudge, and NSA Vanilla Caramel Ripple. read more

One of my most favorite Ice cream stores, quality ice cream clean flavors great service! Oceanside & Hillcrest

Another great Handel's location. Don't let the line scare you, it moves quickly. The service and ice cream exceeded our expectations!

Great service, great location, however, really small servings for the price? We ordered 3 medium servings in cups, and it looked like there was only one and a half very small scoops versus the 3 1/2 that we were supposed to receive. Absolutely not worth the price. read more