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    Handel's

    4.2 (45 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    A medium ice cream with Monkey Business & Pecan Praline flavors
    Angie Z.

    OMG ...it's finally open I've been waiting like a patient 4 year old for this location to open and from the VERY long lines so has everyone else!! It's now been a few weeks and the lines in the afternoons/evening are still very long, but I'm here to say...it's worth the wait!! The ice cream is DELICIOUS. It's like a little bit of heaven in my mouth My only recommendation is that it would've been nice if they'd included some outdoor seating.

    Pistachio
    Maria H.

    Stopped by Handel's as I was in the area around 8pm and there was no line. I was immediately greeted and I ordered a pint of pistachio. The ice cream is very good, creamy and w/ pieces of fresh pistachios. One thing I didn't like was that the ice cream was too soft not a deal breaker. One thing I noticed there were a bunch of teens working and just standing around. Then quickly a line formed with about 15 people and no one else started helping. So that's why probably when you walk by you see the huge line, so the service could be improved.

    Angela D.

    Haven't had Handel's in years but this spot was walking distance from my friend's place. I got the coffee chocolate chip but in a milk shake. Because I wanted something less messy. My friends and I were lining up under the sun and there was also quite a line, but thankfully they started opening other windows to help get us out of the sun quicker. There were some seatings in the backside and thankfully it was shaded at the time. Just glad to know there's one near my friend's place so if ever I visit her again, we'll be walking back.

    Sampler - taro was the BEST
    Amanda C.

    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.

    Chocoholic chunk and key lime pie
    Adri K.

    At this point I have a freezer full of 6-8 different flavors. It's the coffee chip, cookie dough, black raspberry chunk and key lime pie for me! We keep blue moon ice and watermelon ice for my hubby and taro for my mom as well. I happen to get the same server almost every time, lately, her name is Masantu. She is very patient, kind and helpful

    Vanilla Oreo with BARELY any Oreo
    Karen W.

    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.

    Hanna K.

    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.

    Cheryle L.

    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.

    Menu
    Ren G.

    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!

    JoAnne B.

    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?

    Grand opening
    Jacob S.

    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.

    Sampler
    Ginger L.

    8/10 - Handel's is a San Diego staple! They have SO MANY ICE CREAM FLAVORS it gets kinda overwhelming what to pick. What's great about this classic ice cream shop is that they have all the traditional, classic flavors in addition to the unique combinations and flavors. We opted for the four scoop sampler, and blindly chose Rocky Road, Keylime pie, blueberry cobbler, and monkey business. The ice cream was creamy and I think the price is on par with all the other gourmet specialty small batch ice cream shops except their portions are MASSIVE. I am so glad that they opened in this neighborhood because I'll be going more often. I think the value is worth it because even the small was piled mountain high for some of the little kids!

    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
    Bryan F.

    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.

    Coffee chocolate chip

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    3 months ago

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

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    3 months ago

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

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

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

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    Ask the Community - Handel's

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    This place is properly named extraordinary dessert for a reason. They are known for their desserts…read moreboth in taste and in aesthetics. Desserts: 5/5 We got a blood orange scone and a strawberry danish. The scone was warm and delicious. The orange essence was well infused. The danish was crispy and creamy. Everything was so picturesque. Food: 3/5 Unfortunately, the food was not the best. We got the smoked salmon sandwich which was not very flavorful. The salmon was also slimy. The pesto spread was good though. It was creamy and the artisan bread it was served had great variety. Ambiance: 5/5 This place is such super cute. When you walk in, the desserts all look super appetizing. The seating areas are super cute and the floral decor are stunning. Service: 5/5 It is an order then sit down establishment. There is great attention to their dessert. I saw them heat up a knife just to cleanly cut the cake. The food service however did take some time to come out.

    We stopped by here after being downtown for Comicon…read more Things must have changed over the years since I felt the establishment has changed a bit. We used to come visit here when we come to San Diego. On this summer day - the restaurant doesn't bave any AC on so it made it a bit uncomfortable to enjoy our desert when it is a bit cooler to sit outside. The other thing that got to me was that the men's restroom was out of service so they did not announce it or anything but the women's bathroom was to be used by both genders but it was crowded so a bit uncomfortable. Service wise we got our deserts and the deserts are still very delicious. We were a larger party and they were able to accommodate and get all of our orders correctly. Noise level was normal and gave us time to sit down and relax our feet. Over all - food was good but things were a bit worn down from a building perspective

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    Pappalecco

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    4.3(3.1k reviews)
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    Absolutely amazing! That was the first thought that came to mind after my first bite of the…read morecroissant and my first spoonful of gelato. Alex helped me choose my gelato flavors, and she was so patient, friendly, and kind. There were so many different gelato and sorbet flavors to choose from that it was honestly hard to pick! The moment I tasted them, I felt like I was back in Italy. The flavors were rich, layered, and complex--you could actually taste the different ingredients, rather than just tasting sugar like you sometimes do at other places. Everything was so delicious and thoughtfully made. Definitely a place I'd love to come back to!

    A cute authentic Italian neighborhood cafe in Little Italy serving coffee, treats, gelato, and…read morepaninis. My friends and I were just looking to get a coffee in Little Italy, but when we walked in and saw all the delicious treats we had to try something else as well. I ordered a latte and neglected to tell them it was for here so I was given a paper cup, but they give real cups if you ask. The latte was good, and my friend bought a kitchen sink type cookie with chocolate, coconut, and macadamia nuts. It was warm and gooey good! Another friend tried the gelato and said it was very good. There are a few tables inside and tables out in front outside. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful San Diego weather. The decor and tables definitely gives you an old school Italian neighborhood vibe with Italian markets right next door. If I am in the neighborhood again, I would definitely come back here to try the gelato and/or a piece of an excellent looking lemon pie bar I spotted.

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    Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

    Solunto Ristorante & Bakery

    4.0(1.2k reviews)
    18.5 miLittle Italy
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    This review is for their Bakery part. After dining nearby my wife and I decided to make a quick…read morevisit here in Solunto Bakery. My wife chose a Carrot cake and I had the Canoli. The Canoli was pretty good but my wife didn't like the Carrot cake , i tasted it and all I could taste was the icing and the Carrot part I could barely taste it. They have Plenty of selection for pastries and dessert, but a very small seating area for their Bakery, so this is mostly like good for a grab-and-go. The other half of this place is their actual Italian restaurant, with half indoor seating and outdoor seating . This spot is always a good spot to get Pastries, Ice cream and more desserts.

    Positive: food was great. For me, portions of the protein are small so that sucks but can't argue…read morewith the quality. We both liked our dishes a lot. The outdoor seating was nice. It was a warm day but we got there at 5:15pm and the sun was starting to go behind the downtown buildings. Negative: service. It seems if you are a regular, like the two tables near us, they chat it up and talk about how things are. If you aren't a regular, they just quickly come by and say "anything else?" the two times they came by. Im a huge water drinker so the carafe they brought only refilled our cups once. Never got another one until we were done and they came by asking about dessert. They weren't busy by any stretch on a Tuesday evening but apparently the frequent customers either tip really well or they prefer familiar faces. I assume the latter. So, I mean the food itself was great but service was not good. I mean we went when it was slow too and the host was talking it up with a frequent customer also asking about the changes recently to parking in their area nearby.... So, it puts this review as a 3/5.

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    Nonna + Zucchero - Fusilli Boscaiola

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    4.1(579 reviews)
    18.4 miLittle Italy
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    Our family dinner at Nonna's was great! Was trying to decide which place to go in Little Italy on a…read moreSaturday night with kids and no reservations without feeling under dressed. So we decided on Nonna's for their variety of pastas and pizza. The evening was packed with people up and down the streets. However, when we arrived at Nonna's we only had to wait no more than a couple of minutes before being seated. We thought most italian places would provide some sort of complimentary bread, but this place did not. We ended up ordering the Carbonara, Fusilli Alla Vodka, Pappardelle, and Salsiccia pizza. Each were fantastic, but the family really enjoyed the Fusilli and the Pappardelle the most! The short rib meat was extremely tender and flavorful. Portions were a little smaller than expected, but it was enough to feed each of us with a couple slices of pizza to spare. Ambiance was nice and the staff was great. A drink we ordered was forgotten, but it's understandable since it was quite busy. Overall, great experience and glad we ended up at Nonna's even though it wasn't part of the batch of recommendations provided online. (Sorry forgot to take photos as we were so hungry and didn't realize it until after we ate!)

    Food: - fungi pasta: 7.5/10, strong mushroom flavor…read more - carbonara: 5.7/10, too much sauce and noodles were overcooked - lemon meringue cheesecake + Sicilian cannoli: super authentic cannoli, cheesecake was good but nothing special Service: - hostess was not friendly - they ran out of white peach Italian soda but instead of asking what other flavor we would prefer, they just brought out a vanilla Italian soda - ordering took forever but once our food was in, it came out in less than 10 min Ambiance: - outdoor seating Skip Barbusa (sister restaurant) and come here instead, at least there is better dessert

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    Nibble Chocolate

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    Stumbled upon Nibble Chocolate and I'm so glad I did. Ambience is sweet and cozy. It's a cute…read morelittle shop that feels like a hidden gem, especially if you're someone who appreciates good quality chocolate. They have a great variety to choose from, whether you're into milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even non dairy options. I also love that they offer chocolate drinks and coffee, so it's easy to turn a quick stop into a little treat moment. I tried the peanut butter dates and they were so good. Smooth, rich, and just the right size when you want something sweet without going overboard. I also had a dark chocolate truffle and that one was just as good. You can really taste the quality. Customer service was a highlight. The guy helping me was super personable, gave great suggestions for drinks, and was genuinely kind, which always makes the experience better. Honestly, I'm just happy I found a chocolate spot within walking distance. Definitely worth stopping by if you're craving something sweet but still want it to feel a little elevated.

    I don't usually seek out vegan products, but Nibble chocolate is a Bean to bar chocolate shop in…read morelittle Italy in San Diego with single origin chocolates. I sampled chocolate from Peru, Madagascar, and Kenya, and they all had unique fruity characteristics. Because they're vegan, so they use oat milk for their chocolate instead of dairy. My wife and I also wanted some drinks while we were here. I had a hot chocolate. My wife had hers with espresso shots. Good espresso in pure chocolate will never not be good. They are family owned and they only add chocolate, sugar, and oat milk to make their bars. Overall, this was a fun place to check out at Little Italy, and they also had a stall at the Farmer's Market.

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    Handel's - icecream - Updated September 2026

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