Bobtail Ice Cream Company

Who hires those kids? Lazy, not friendly and making mistakes. I frequent there too often and it is a joke. One time they gave me the wrong flavor while I was paying, another time they overcharged me, then refused to make a pint since it was out from the fridge. If I owned that business, I’d fire all of them! All of this in a span of 2 weeks!

I love the ice cream here, especially since it’s been so warm these couple days! I’ve tried several flavors — the cubby crunch, signature sunset, summer peach, and the mango sorbet. They were all really good, so I can’t really pick a favorite… but I guess mango would be the one I liked least, considering it’s a bit on the sweeter side, and it cannot go on a cone since it’s a sorbet (the cone is the best part of the ice cream though).
The only downside is that it’s a little pricy, and the sizes seem to be a little inconsistent. A single scoop was pretty large, so I got a kids size the second time. It was still quite large, so I decided to get a kid’s scoop again the next time around, but the girl gave me an extremely meager scoop that time. If the kids scoop is supposed to be the size of the meager scoop that girl gave me, then I will probably just stick to getting singles in the future. The price difference doesn’t justify such a large difference in size.

I had not anticipated a stop here, but since I was in the area, why not get a shake? I was just going to get a scoop of pistachio with almonds, but they sold out, as they had a busy weekend. They’re getting ready to make more today, so I might have to stop back tomorrow.
They make some incredible looking ice cream sandwiches. Check out their episode on Chicago’s Best TV YouTube link below…

I always grab something sweet after dinner so I Unilocaled (surprise!) some ice cream and Bobtail came up.
I got the cappuccino crunch & a flavor that was on the chalk board that I’m assuming isn’t part of the normal menu so I can’t remember the flavor.
The one scoop is quite large. My photo is a half scoop of each flavor. But, for the price you’re paying it should be that large.
The ice cream is pretty basic. I sampled some of the speciality flavors & they didn’t really have me thinking, «damn that’s good.» You really can’t mess up ice cream in my opinion, but nothing worth raving about. I wouldn’t go out of my way, but if I’m around the area and want some ice cream? Suuure.

Signature Sunset — my all time fav from bobtail ice cream!
When we used to live in the neighborhood, we came here almost on a weekly basis. If you’re in Lakeview, you have to try it :)

You don’t see old time ice cream shops like this much any more. I love froyo as much as the next person, but ice cream in a cone is just the perfect warm weather treat. They have lots of flavors that all sounded good but I went with the cubby crunch in a waffle cone. We sat outside and ate our ice cream like a group of kids with smiles on our faces.

Pretty good basic ice cream, nothing super special. I sampled the merlot dark chocolate (you can def taste the merlot) and the dailey addiction (simple, delicious). Went with the cubby crunch (so much happening!) and peanut butter chocolate chip (too overwhelmingly peanut butter for me) with hot fudge. The Hot Fudge was no good, tasted like it came out of a jar.
Overall it was good, but nothing all that mind blowing. The tastes were okay, but nothing i would go out of my way to return for. The place/​atmosphere is small and nothing special either.

Often times, I find it hard to really like an ice cream place (i mean REALLY LIKE). There just isn’t anything unique that sets them apart from one another. Why would I go this place over another place?! For me, the atmosphere of a place doesn’t matter that much. What does matter, is the food.
Unfortunately, while I liked the ice cream that I had at Bobtail’s, it wasn’t something I couldn’t get anywhere else. I would come here if I was in the area and wanted some dessert, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way to this place. It’s not that this place isn’t good — it is good — but it just isn’t that much better than its competition.

Love Bobtail ice cream! Is it very creamy and delicious and made locally. They rotate the flavors so there are always new ones to try.
The store has a fair amount of tables for you to sit and enjoy your ice cream and even provides games for you to play. When the weather is nice there are tables and benches outside as well.

Delicious ice cream and great price for the quality and quantity!
The space itself is very inviting and the variety of flavors makes it so hard to choose! I ended up with the Cubby Crunch and the Salted Caramel with Pecans after the staff member recommended them to me. I made the right choice to trust him!
Both of the flavors weren’t too overly sweet and both had a yummy crunch to them with the Oreo bits in the Cubby Crunch and the toffee bits in the Salted Caramel. The ice cream was so creamy and paired well with the waffle cone.
I will be back to try the other flavors!

Creamiest, most fantastic ice cream ever. And the fact that it’s local makes it so much sweeter (pun intended).
My favorite is Cookies and Cream. BORING YOU SAY? Try it before you judge. My boyfriend loves the Lakeview Barhopper (chocolate based with a hint of bourbon). Really cute place to grab some delish ice cream, hang out, or sit at the porch outside (in the summer months). Love it!

I had their pumpkin ice cream and it was awesome. My mom decided to go with her go-​to flavor strawberry. We had it on a sugar waffle and it was quite enjoyable.
I would have given this place a full 5 stars but someone at this establishment needs to wipe down the tables and surrounding areas throughout the day. There were dried up ice creams stuck to counters, tables, and it sort of made me enjoy it somewhat less.

I’ve definitely had better ice cream than I had Saturday night at Bobtail. I tried the Specialty flavor of White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup — which should have been exactly what it sounded like. However, it tasted like vanilla ice cream with about 3 or 4 small chunks of peanut butter cup. I did not taste the White Chocolate at all — and the peanut butter cups were barely mixed in.
My husband tried the «Cubby Crunch» of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and oreo chunks. It was fine (much better than mine!), but I feel that Baskin Robbins or DQ is so much better. Heck — even the grocery store ice cream is better. I wouldn’t waste my money on this ice cream place.

After grabbing dinner in Lakeview, my friend and I decided to drop by this cute little ice cream shop for dessert. What’s also great about Bobtail’s is that the shop is open until 10 or 11 pm most days for when you’re craving something sweet a little later at night.
I was pretty full from dinner, so I opted for a child’s cup of the white chocolate peanut butter cup. When I first saw the cup, I was a little disappointed. Be warned, a child’s cup is TINY. I paid $ 3.75 for essentially ²⁄₃ of a scoop, which is pretty sad. Get a bigger size for a better bang out of your buck…
Now, onto the ice cream itself! Bobtail does not mess around. The ice cream is SUPER dense (even more so than your typical ben and jerrys!), and very creamy. I loved the flavor– concentrated and not too sweet. There were plenty of mini peanut butter cups in my scoop, which was great. My friend got a pistachio scoop, which also tasted yummy. There were pistachio pieces sprinkled throughout her cup too!
Bobtail is your classic old school ice cream parlor. It reminds me a lot of the ones that I went to during the summer as a young kid. Doesn’t hurt that I saw people playing connect 4 in the corner, either! Can’t wait to come back in the spring or summer!

This review will be short and sweet…
I’ve been to Bobtail a number of times and I’ll continue to go back because of the variety of ice cream flavors they have (that actually taste good) and the awesome workers they employ.

One of the best ice cream places of Chicago. Bobtail always mixes up its flavors and always really unique options (Merlot ice cream?). Great place to go in the summer/​warmer times, as there is outdoor seating and a little patio.

I went back. I admit it, I was wrong about this place and had a one-​time bad experience. This time the workers were nice and they let us sample flavors without telling us we had too much. The Cubbie crunch is the best flavor in my opinion followed by cookies and cream. I wish they had more flavors though. They also have plenty of other options which tons of people come here for… such as coffee, shakes etc.
Something I really like is they load you up when you get a double scoop in a waffle cone. HUGE portions! I felt like I got three huge scoops and that will for sure keep me coming back here. Well, it does cost $ 5, so I guess they try to make it worth your money.
There is seating inside and outside. There is a 15 min standing zone right outside if you want to quickly run in and grab some ice cream.
I highly suggest you check in five times to get the buy one get one free deal! It’s worth it.

Other than the staff who sometimes seem a bit irritated/​tired this place is great!
All of the ice cream flavors rock but the peanut butter chip is my favorite.
Ordered a Bobby joe this time with chocolate ice cream– way more tasty than anything from a coffee shop.
It can get a bit busy inside but don’t worry there are benches outside too.

5 stars for taste, location, service, friendly staff, and value. Yes I paid $ 3+ for a scoop, not too bad considering it is located in the busy street of Broadway in Lincoln Park. This place is nestled in a busy street of local restaurants and other shops.
Great tasting ice cream for sure! There’s no 2,000 flavors but honestly, will you have all 2,000 flavors? No, you have your favorites! I tried the salted caramel chocolate pretzels. It had the salted caramel taste and pieces of chocolate pretzels. Delish!
I will most definitely come back to try their other creations. Plus after 4 check ins, you get a sweet treat!
Enjoy!

***Bobtail is a popular ice cream parlor that features old-​fashioned ice cream; it is definitely more exciting and satisfying than other old-​fashioned ice cream parlors in the city like Baskin-​Robbins; it does struggle to compete with the city’s and country’s best ice cream though***
Bobtail is a Chicago institution. It is a classic and old-​fashioned ice cream parlor and you know it as soon as you walk in. There is a high booth, lots of kitchen machines that seem to be from another era and vintage signs, menus and such on the walls that illustrate this ice cream parlor’s past (as well as how low prices were back in the day).
With all the new gourmet, artisan and organic ice cream parlors out there like Jeni’s (in Chicago as well as other cities), Sweet Rose Creamery (in Brentwood, California) and Bi-​Rite Creamery (in San Francisco), it is hard to expect that Bobtail can deliver a similarly excellent and special experience.
Bobtail though does not feel too dated or too mainstream like a Baskin-​Robbins. They even feature a few interesting flavors like merlot ice cream blended with dark chocolate or a Dutch chocolate ice cream mixed with Jack Daniel’s. I tried both flavors and liked them, but I also felt that the ice cream did not measure up to some of the great ice cream parlors now available in most major U.S. cities.
The merlot ice cream had a very unique flavor. It was sweet, but the wine flavor was still very noticeable. It tasted like a port ice cream with the combination of sweetness and a red wine flavor. The merlot flavor blended nicely with the dark chocolate flecks in the ice cream.
The Jack’s Daniel flavor in the Dutch chocolate with Jack Daniel’s was not as noticeable, but there was definitely a little bit of a burn and bitterness. The contribution of the Jack Daniel’s was most noticeable in how it really brought out the chocolate flavor. Though this was not a dark chocolate ice cream, the chocolate flavor was surprisingly pronounced.
The ice cream had a consistency similar to Baskin-​Robbins. It was not too icy, but it was definitely more firm than the gourmet ice creams now being sold in major U.S. cities. The ice cream also lacked the richness and density of other great ice creams I have had.
Service was friendly and quick.
Prices were reasonable. Bobtail’s ice cream was noticeably less expensive than those gourmet ice cream parlors.
Bobtail is a satisfying stop for ice cream. It definitely stands out when compared to its mainstream competition like Baskin-​Robbins; Bobtail features ice cream that is both more delicious as well as less icy than what you will find at a Baskin-​Robbins. Still, Bobtail struggles to compete with the country’s best ice cream parlors (like Jeni’s, which is also located in Chicago). If you just want a good old-​fashioned ice cream cone though, Bobtail should meet your needs.
I am not sure what the parking situation is. Bobtail is located a good distance from the heart of the city so you might be able to find parking around here.