Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafe

Ice cream is amazing and the hot fudge is one of a kind. Setting is quaint. Great family outing!

Speedy service, great ice cream and open great summer AND winter hours.

Best ice cream on the shoreline, hands down. It’s a staple in both Madison and Guilford, everybody loves it! The best part (aside from the ice cream & hot fudge) is the coloring. They have blank paper and crayons supplied, and people go all out in decorating signs declaring their love for Ashely’s! Then at the end of the night, the Ashley’s staff hangs them up on the walls. Love, love, LOVE.

When you go to their website it says their ice cream is all natural, this cannot be true… I would love to know what they use for thickener (as I am allergic to several), but I am not allergic to eggs, milk/​cream, sugar or any fruits, vegetables or nut.
They should have to post the ingredients for all of their ice cream. I went here last summer and had an allergic reaction. Not cool.
I have to say that before the reaction kicked in the ice cream tasted okay (nothing great). In the future I’ll just stick to Haagen Dazs or Ben and Jerry. I think they are much better quality than Ashley’s, hands down.

Our favorite late night ice cream spot :).
Yummy icecream — always tasty. My only complaint it the bathrooms are sometimes stinky in the summer but that might have to do with how busy they are in the summer. The girls working there are usually really friendly, sometimes quiet but usually only when its late and you can tell they are tired. Highly recommend. My favorite is their nutella icecream. Yummo!

I’m so underwhelmed with Ashley’s I just need to stop coming here, but I keep coming back in hopes that I’ll eventually like it. Mostly, it’s out of convenience and a craving for ice cream because I am always craving ice cream. Now that I’ve moved back to Hartford county which has some of the states best ice cream shops, I am no longer left with mediocre-​at-​best options like Ashley’s, thank goodness. The few times I’d been here I had always had better experiences than the Ashley’s in Guilford, which was within walking distance from where I used to live. The same average ice cream was available at these two locations (and probably the other ones too) but the customer service was always slightly better here. Not last week when we were here.
The young girl behind the counter did not make any attempt to hide the fact that she didn’t want to be there. Not only was she unfriendly, she was reluctant to give samples, and the samples did she did give she dropped as she was passing them to me because she really cared that little. When I decided on my two scoops, she gave me a broken sugar cone (there was literally a piece missing from the top and it was very noticeable and obvious). I almost asked for another but decided I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible so I didn’t. I got a chocolate flavor that was so boring I can’t even remember anything about it and also the Grapenuts which was actually quite good.

Delicious homemade ice cream. I love ice cream and I support any company that makes their own. There are a lot of bad chemicals in mass produced ice cream and smaller shops such as Ashley’s makes their own without. It was a cute shop and has a courtyard and nice benches to sit outside and eat your ice cream. This will be my ice cream shop from now on when I vacation in the area every summer.

I’ve reviewed the Guilford location with similar comments, so here it goes: The ice cream is amazing. The hot fudge and whipped cream are out of this world. However, I have a major problem with unsupervised high school employees. One was actually rolling her eyes at customers and was snippy with every word uttered. It literally was uncomfortable. Also, a single scoop cup in Madison was much smaller than Guilford. One scoop, a little hot fudge, and a tiny bit of whipped cream barely fit in this itty bitty cup and was falling over the sides.

Ashley’s makes delicious, homemade ice cream. We go here about 1−2x a month. Always great service. The only reason for 4 stars is that it’s pricey (expect to spend about $ 10 for 2 ice creams) and their flavors are really inconsistent. Sometimes they have several flavors if want to buy and other times I’m disappointed by their selection. Their standby flavors are kinda boring so it can be hit or miss. But probably the best quality ice cream around.

I grew up eating this ice cream. Love the ice cream and the atmosphere. I used to love the coloring station when I was a kid. They would always put my drawing on the wall it made me feel awesome as a kid. Now that I’m older and have to buy my own ice cream, I do think Ashley’s is very pricey. I don’t think you can get any thing for less than $ 6. I always just get 1 scoop, which is plenty, but if I get a topping, I’m prepared for the bill to go towards $ 10. It’s ok though for a nice treat every now and then.

Very poor management. My daughter’s 7^th birthday is coming up and she wanted an Ice Cream cake, as I try to «love my local» as much as possible, I ordered one from Ashley’s Ice Cream in Madison. The woman who took my order was lovely, but a few hours later I got a voice mail from the «Manager» who said she had a few «concerns» about my cake order. I called back and was told that I could not pick up my order by 12noon on the day of the party because they were «too busy.» also she could not make orange icing. During this conversation her manager became rude and unhelpful. I cancelled my order and called the Ashely’s in Guilford who said «no problem» to having a cake on a Saturday.

The whip cream at Ashley’s is unmatched anywhere. Homemade, thick, and delicious it completes the sundae. Toppings are generous and the ice cream is yummy. I always detour to Ashleys when I’m driving through CT on this part of 95.

Ashley’s has solid ice cream with a decent selection. I don’t rank it among the very best for homemade — but my standards are pretty high… needless to say, with easy on/​off highway access, we like making a stop here on trips down to ny. Worth the visit.

Perfect ice cream from a little shop on the side of the road. Clearly a staple in the local area. Quality ingredients, excellent selection and very friendly service. If you know the area, come here and avoid Friendly’s.

I think Ashley’s is open later than anything else in Madison, and is perfect for late night ice cream cravings. Just like all the Ashley’s the homemade ice cream is so good, and their custom cakes are awesome.

If this is the best in the area, I will say the area is deprived.
The Coffee Oreo tasted like it was brewed with too much water (weak like a 7 – 11 coffee). The Cookie Dough and the Chocolate Brownie my wife and child had were okay at best.
If you are in the area, it will do and you might even like it.
If you are making a special trip for really good ice cream try Walnut Beach in Milford, Rich Farm in Oxford, Sweet Ashley’s in East Norwalk or Wells Hollow in Shelton. I’m sure there are others, but those top Ashley’s in flavor & creaminess. But as I said, if you are in the area, it is OK. Just not the Best!
As a positive, the staff was pleasant, the store clean (including the bathroom) and large enough for multiple groups. Price was fair.

One would think that on a warm Memorial Day holiday business would be brisk and there would be ample staff on hand to deal with with ice cream hungry patrons. On this Memorial Day, you would only be half right.
Although I have never found fault with the quality of the ice cream served, I did find fault with the staffing. There were two staffers during a busy mid-​afternoon rush that looked like it had been going strong and showing no signs of stopping. One of the staffers seemed busy in the back doing what we weren’t sure. But that left one, yes one staffer to deal with the crowd.
My family and I waited just over 15 minutes to get to the counter. By the time we were leaving the store, patrons were actually waiting outside as there was little place to stand inside. The staff member was professional and did not seemed harried despite the situation. But why there was only one person serving is a mystery to me.
I think next time I am in the mood for ice cream on a hot weekend day, I’ll hit the grocery store and probably spend less time and money getting it.

Great ice cream. Definetly a must have for ice cream lovers.

This is fantastic ice cream. :) I am currently having a love affair with the coffee oreo flavor. There is a lot of variety and the staff is very friendly!
Updated… I started this draft a while back, but I’ve returned since and tried the mocha oreo. It’s a subtle, but important difference. Oooh, lala! ;)
This place smells sugary and lovely, just like an ice cream parlor should. They have customers’ crayon drawings all over the walls, which is really charming; some are very clever.
Get yourself a cup or cone and stroll around the neighborhood. This is a lovely street with some great little shops. :)

This is the Madison branch of the Connecticut ice-​cream icon named after a performing dog. The ice-​cream is identical to the other branches (New Haven, Hamden, Branford, Guilford), and, as others have Unilocaled, is best in the area.
Of all the branches, Madison offers the best outdoor seating. Among planted trees, there are benches and brick walls to sit on if it’s a nice day. Inside there are about 10 tables and the Ashley’s standard fan-​artwork and Frisbee adorned walls.
Whether this branch or one of the others, Ashley’s is not to be missed.
My suggested order: a simple cup or cone. Best to savor the ice-​cream; toppings get in the way.