Soft serve. Cash Only. They have been around since 1952 so they have to be doing something right. If you like soft serve that actually tastes like the flavors they say they are - then you've come to the right place. They do have other flavors besides chocolate and vanilla I usually get a twist but the last time I went with a parfait and it was amazing - definately a spot to check out if you are looking to get your ice cream and/or soft serve fix. read more

See all

We've heard of Les' for years, so we stopped to meet a friend here. Definitely can see why it would be nostalgic for those in the area, and there were a lot of great soft serve creations to choose from. We enjoyed everything we had. Our only critique is that we couldn't believe there weren't any tables or chairs to sit at. read more

Les Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Long history of this place, really good ice cream and amazing staff. Always look forward to a treat on the way home from work on a nice day. Check them out! read more

See all

I was excited to try Les Dairy Bar after passing it so many times. When we got there, a group of 30+ people had also arrived at the same time. They're two windows and they took over both windows and more and more people just kept showing up and jumping in the line (which I completely understand is not fault to the staff, it was just unorganized and chaotic). We waited almost a half hour to get our ice cream that took 2 minutes to come out. I'm not sure why the staff didn't direct them to use one window and the other for other customers. I really wanted to give this place four stars, but after patiently waiting, we were then met by a staff member who felt very unwelcoming. I asked if I could get soft serve cone with graham cracker dust on it and she said it would have to be in a cup....however in that 30+ group of people i saw soft serve coming up with graham cracker or something very similar. the whole situation was just off putting. the ice cream was really good though and the prices are unbeatable, and i am giving the employee the benefit of the doubt that having a massive group come in can be stressful but to carry a negative attitude towards other customers is not right. i will still be coming back though! read more

Les Dairy Bar - half and half soft serve - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Les' is a family favorite!! We can't wait until it opens every year! The toasted almond topping is the BEST!!!!

I love this little ice cream shop! It has been in business in Meriden since 1952 which is incredible! I have never seen customers leave without a smile on their face. The individuals who work there are so sweet and take your order in a timely manner. There is no seating but it adds to the ambiance of the small, homey ice cream shop feel. I ordered at the window and then sat in my car on this beautiful spring day with the windows down and enjoyed the Peanut Butter Parfait. It looks just as good as it tasted. Keep in mind this place takes cash only, so be prepared for when you visit. It is extremely affordable as well! read more

See all

If you've never been to Les' Dairy Bar, it's a delicious local ice cream shop! If you go on a hot summer weekend night, expect the line to be at least 10-15 customers deep. It moves pretty fast though, the service is very quick. There's a decent-sized lot to park, or you can park nearby on the street. While Les' doesn't have a huge variety of ice cream flavors, they do have a lot of different options to order from, like hard ice cream (about 10 flavors), soft serve (with different "Flavor Bursts" that you can mix in), frozen yogurt & no sugar, flurries, slushes, freezes (slush with ice cream), milkshakes, floats, etc. Last time I went I ordered vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone with the "Blue Goo" flavor burst, which tasted like cotton candy. It was delicious! Keep in mind that Les' is open seasonally, and there's no indoor seating or area (it's just a window). So not much to say about the ambiance. Also no real benches or chairs to sit and eat your ice cream. Still a great ice cream spot that you should visit! read more

Les Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

See all

Les' is under relatively new ownership but serves up the same great flavors as always and more! Pro tip: this is a CASH ONLY SHOP--do not come cashless! Also good to know: there's not any seating provided, but it's part of the charm! So pop open your trunk and enjoy Meriden's best at Les'! read more

Les Dairy Bar - Pumpkin milkshake - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Yummy ice cream. Used to be mainly soft serve, now has some hard ice cream, dairy free, and yogurt. Think it's cash only still. read more

This cone....PERFECTION. We found an amazing non-dairy soft serve so close to our house. Vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles is easily a top 5 favorite food. This soft serve is made with Ripple milk (pea protein) and we will definitely be going back! @thesidedishers read more

See all

Perfect day it was for ice cream Today and since we were in the neighborhood we stopped by . I got introduced to this little ice cream Bar by my friend. She grew up in Meriden and she loves this place, this ice cream Shop. This little ice cream Spot has been Here for years! It's very casual. You order your ice cream and you walk , eat it in the car or sit by your car and eat it. There's no tables or benches! We got there at a good time before more people got to the window to Order. The choices to choose from Are pretty wide.. they have their ice cream of the day, slushees, shakes, soft serve and their flurry's ice creams that come with everything. I chose upside down banana split . It had strawberries, pineapple, coconut and banana with drizzle of chocolate and whip cream. Soo good! It was refreshing after taking a hike Thats for sure! I have no pic of the ice creams because they were all gone before you knew it! They were good snd tasty. I'll come back if I'm Around the area otherwise I wouldn't get out my way to come here. Also, We had cash just incase. , that's how it was , so we went prepared. Not sure if it has changed and they are accepting cards as a form Of payment. read more

See all

Best spot in town for a traditional soft serve ice cream cone! Cash only. Definitely worth the stop.

Perfect hole in the wall soft serve joint right in Meriden! Better than any DQ or commercial shop around. I don't have a huge sweet tooth but Les' ice cream isn't too too sweet, and they have a ton of dip flavors (I got the cherry dip twist) and all of your other fam favorites. Cash only! Be prepared, and also of course- get ready to eat quick because this stuff melts FAST on a hot day. Enjoy! read more

See all

I enjoyed everything I took from here. Peanut butter parfait was especially good. It was essentially vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, chocolate chips and other goodies. Lizzard was also good. It was a thick milk shake in which there is a scoop of ice cream. You can pick the milkshake flavor and ice cream flavor. I went with banana shake and chocolate ice cream scoop. There is absolutely no seat here. And it is an outdoor ice cream counter, so no restrooms either. There is parking space though. read more

See all

The Perkatory cold brew float was/is a great idea. Hope it stays on the menu I would definitely grab another.

A quaint place that only takes cash but with the soft serve and prices, it honestly can't be beat. It's clear why Les' has stood the test of time! read more

Les Dairy Bar - hree ice cream cones with sprinkles - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Poor. I go there asking for frozen yogurt and they NEVER have any frozen on back. Kids dancing and screwing around. Kids there should all be fired. Put some on containers and freeze it so people likee can buy a frozen product that won't melt when bringing it home. Sorry ass business not run well. I wish the original led was still around. read more

Always excellent customer service amazing food and love how food always taste fresh and refreshing!

I was totally lost when I asked a petite lady for driving directions. We walked across the street to the Dairy Bar that she was preparing for the day. She took the time to search on her cell phone. She fed me the directions, then, retrieved a "mistake" from the day before (peanut butter parfait!) and fed that to me as well. That really hit the spot! She could not have been nicer! I believe that she is the owner. So, I went from the frustration of being lost, to being back on track, and enjoying a delicious dessert. It doesn't get better than that! I'll be back when in the area, for sure. Thank you Ms. Les (?)!! read more

A very nice little spot to grab some sweet and tasty ice ream on a hot summer afternoon.

Best ice cream in CT friendly staff just be prepared for the long lines always plan a trip with extra timing for the wait but we'll worth it in the end !!! read more

Best ice cream in Meriden, HANDS DOWN! Staff is super nice, and the location is just right. Catch them when they are open during the season

They've been under new ownership for the past year and a half now and the changes have been subtle. Overall they're still the best soft serve ice cream here in Meriden for sure. They're relatively efficient when the line is long and still cash only. But worth it on those hot summer nights. I tend to stick with traditional ice cream selections here but always find their toppings fresh and tasty and their ice cream is always creamy. read more

The wait has become painfully slow. Waited 45 minutes in line the other day. It's just not worth it for me anymore

There was a very long line. A Family of 6 with children who didn't know what they wanted. I Waited patiently. I ordered a banana boat. i asked for caramel instead of the chocolate topping. He actually wrote my request/order down but someone else made it. Got home and there was only strawberry and it was sparce! And no whipped cream?! Do they not put whip cream on top? So Disappointed when you wait to get what you are looking forward to and it is not correct ! I tried to immediately call them and make them aware. No telephone number! i could of paid for a strawberry sundae for what I got! But that's not what I ordered or wanted! By the time I got home and noticed it was already melting so going back with a melted ice cream was not an option. Only Me! read more

Best ice cream in Meriden! I love this place and wish I had time to make it there more often!

Old school, pick-up-a-cone-and-sit-on-top-of-your-car-eating-it kind of place. Definitely gets some extra points for nostalgia - as many have pointed out, their soft serve is pretty much the same as everybody else's soft serve. But they do dress everything up with all kinds of toppings and flavor shots, and the slushes and freezes are good as well. You're not going to find gourmet ice cream here. It's the kind of place where you swing by on a hot summer afternoon or evening, get something cold, and hang around in the parking lot trying to finish it before it melts. Cash-only, can get crowded, no seating. What you see is what you get, and that's not a bad thing. read more

Les Dairy Bar - Banana boat! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

We happened to stop by this place on our roadtrip and were tempted to ge some icecream. And boy! We were glad we did! Their chocolate fudge icecream is one of the best I've had. We also got the chocolate shake and peanut butter icecreams, which were decent. But we were happy after visiting this little ice cream bar stop on the way! This is a Cash only restaurant btw! read more

A home-town staple ! This place is a quaint little spot right along East Main street in Meriden,CT ! If you live here you you know this is where to get the best ice cream in town ! I enjoy the many flavors you could put on your ice cream . They have slushies,shakes,sundaes,cones and yogurt options also. You can dip your cone in the cherry flavor which is a must to try. I love that they have many toppings especially hot peanut butter ,yum ! Prices are reasonable and they do close for the late fall and open early spring ! Watch out if you have small children as it is resting right next to a street that has no fenced in area . There is a steamed cheeseburger spot right next door if you want food too because all they sell is ice cream here ! read more

Les Dairy Bar - Vanilla with peanut butter sauce - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

Great soft serve and sundaes. Never too long of a wait. Reasonable prices. Not open in winter

Went here for the first time on April 20. Nutter butter parfait was amazing. Perfect amount of sweet. Amd also got a vanilla soft serve with a pistachio burst. The pint of sugar free cheesecake was alright. I mean it is sugar free. Overall an awesome place to get ice cream read more

Les Dairy Bar - Updated menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

See all

Not sure whether to grade this on expectations or on what it is. What it is is a glorified Dairy Queen. It's a small stand in the middle of a busy street. Service was nice, but it's basically a similar menu to a DQ - dips, flurries, etc. The flurry we had was sufficiently mixed and perfect on a hot day. But with soft-serve as the predominant ice cream, it just isn't worth it to me to make the effort. A-Ok? Sure. But it's just a stand. read more

Lived all around CT and this is probably my favorite small time ice cream spot. From the peanut butter parfait (heaven) to their nonfat no sugar added froyo they are on point! read more

Les Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Meriden, Connecticut

So, we were in the area checking out the concept of steamed cheeseburgers, and what finishes off a long day of cycling but some ice cream? This is a pretty standard soft serve type place, that is definitely very popular, we were in a pretty long line. Something that I would definitely leave as feedback for this place, if they're the type to read Yelp Reviews is: consider making one of the windows a cone only line! Quite a few places I've visited over the years have done that to help keep the wait times low. We ended up waiting about half an hour waiting in line, while one guy ordered various ice cream concoctions for what seemed like 20 people. He left the window with two large paper grocery bags of stuff. The ice cream as I said was pretty standard, and we both went with medium twist cones. Nothing to complain about, ice cream wise. I'd definitely come back here again if I were in the area. read more

I'm not convinced their ice cream is honestly any better than others I've had but they are Meriden nostalgia at its finest. There is something great about taking your children to Les', pulling up with an suv, popping the back and eating ice cream sitting in the hatch. I'm personally fond of the hot fudge sundae and as a kid remember getting the dip cones. Just remember that it's cash only and had a fairly short season for being open. read more

Les' gets brownie points for the nostalgia and the fact that they have been around forever. They are exactly what they claim to be: an old fashioned soft-serve ice cream stand. They are seasonal, they close in the fall and open in the spring. It is right on a busy street but the parking is ample. Just keep an eye on your kids in the line. The ice cream is tasty and they offer a myriad of toppings and dips. The slush is good as well. I think the prices are quite fair and they don't skimp on the servings. The servers are always friendly. It is cash only. If you are looking for gourmet options or expecting something amazing that you've never seen before, don't waste your time. This is just a family-friendly stand that has withstood the test of time by offering a good product at a fair price with a smile. read more

I've been coming to Les' for 40 years. Great local business with very good ice cream. Recently, however, the service has come to a screeching halt. It is incredibly slow. COVID is not a factor. They just cannot figure out how to serve ice cream in a timely manner. It's frustrating read more

Love going to Les' Their products are awesome at a fair price. The staff is always pleasant and efficient. The down side is I suffer extreme depression when they close in the fall. read more

Les' Dairy Bar is so small, it's not even listed in the yellow pages, and you wouldn't be able to find it online if you tried. And yet... it's been in Meriden for quite a while (the current owner's mother used to own it when she was a little girl). It's just a little shack on the side of the road, but they serve up some delicious ice cream treats. They offer sugar-free ice creams, fat free frozen yogurt, slush, soft italian ice, reduced-fat soft serve (in chocolate, vanilla, or swirl). Flavors vary, but they seem to always have something new or fun to suggest. And the toppings and sauces they have are everything you'd ever want (and more, if you ask me). All sorts of flavours of dip, toasted almond crunch, brownies and brownie batter, cookie dough, you name it. Cash Only, Walk-Up Only, No Picnic Tables, but always Friendly Faces! read more

A staple of Meriden!! There's nothing like Les' ice cream!!! The Peanut butter parfait and bubblegum flavour ice cream are the two most amazing things!! read more