Bartleby’s Homemade Ice Cream

With the family last name FROST we can’t help ourselves to scout out ice cream shops. This one has creative flavors and an upbeat vibe. Did I say homemade?I tried the key lime and it was creamy and not overboard sweet. Staff was friendly too. I’ll be back.

One of, if not the best, ice cream for value around the city! So incredibly kind and accommodating with allergies. We had a large group come in just before closing and the man working was so friendly and kind and helpful. Everyone loved their flavors and hope to be back again soon to try some more! Love the summer hours!!

A cool spot for a summer evening with the family or friends. Maybe 20 flavors to choose from. Had the double scoop with the Butter Bourbon Pecan and Cookies and Cream. Thought the BBP had a nice subtle hint of bourbon to it. Both indoor and outdoor seating available. Parking can be a little rough though. Parking on Lincoln is metered. Byron parking might be free, but is limited.

A great ice cream spot with fun flavors and lots of seating! I'm partial to their cookies and cream (a staple) but they've always got fun rotating flavors, like strawberry shortcake. Highly recommend!

We had my son's third birthday party here and it was out of this world. The kids were able to make their own sundaes and we had an ice cream cake. We brought in our own balloon twister and the kids could have space to open presents and eat and play. Rachel and her team are the most wonderful to work with and of course the ice cream was delicious. We can't wait to come back.

Bartleby’s is in a nice spot and the restaurant is clean and inviting. They have adequate seating inside and out. Though there was a lot of seating available, the music inside was very loud. Almost too loud for conversation and it wasn’t very tasteful music for the environment. The ice cream itself was pretty average. For a place specializing in ice cream, I was expecting a better quality product. It had more of an icy consistency rather than a creamy consistency.

This weekend I finally made it to Bartlebys, the new ice cream shop that just opened up in the neighborhood, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! They focus on classic flavors, done incredibly well. Think super creamy, even richer than Jeni's (which is saying something!). They've partnered with local Chicago spots to create some seriously delicious concoctions. I snagged a scoop of the bourbon pecan, made with a local Koval distillery's bourbon, and it was phenomenal! The shop itself is fantastic. It's spacious and vibrantly colored, with plenty of seating for both catching up with friends and letting the little ones enjoy their treats. They've clearly put a lot of thought into making it a family-friendly spot. This is definitely my new go-to for summer scoops. In fact, I can already picture myself picking up a decadent ice cream cake from them for an upcoming family birthday. Welcome to the neighborhood!

A small hidden gem of a store. Which may have thee very best homemade ice cream in the city. I'm know I'm gradually going to come back to try all the flavors. This place is worth a trip This place opened about 2 months ago, tucked on the side street. Next to the equally good Basant Indian. They have very unique and excellent flavors. I got the passion fruit here and it was quite delicious with large chunks mixed in it. Prices are very cheap comparatively to other specialty ice cream places. With prices for 2 scoops and a waffle cone being about $8 total. You can't beat that price and with decent portion sizes, it may easily become my favorite ice cream spot in the city. There are also alot of vegan options too. Service is prompt and courtesoues with the young workers eager to answer questions and let you try flavors. Seating area is quite large. Parking is street but is free on the side street and more paid parking on Lincoln, there is never a issue finding a spot. There more seating outside too and with no lines you can get in and out quick

There are a lot of excellent ice cream places in Chicago, but for me this truly takes the cake!!! I have tried so many flavors here - and I swear every one is truly delicious. What is additionally impressive is that they have nondairy flavors too- that are also delicious!! As someone who is newly lactose intolerant- I truly appreciate this. The store is also adorable - and has a great room for rentals complete with ice cream related "toys" for kids. Plenty of outdoor seating for those that love to enjoy a summer night. I hope to try one of their cakes for someone's Birthday someday soon ! Staff is incredibly friendly too :))

Bartleby's is a cute ice cream shop in the city that's independently owned and was a great choice for my friend's annual ice cream social. Street parking was easy and we were able to try samples. They have limited flavors but several were tempting. It wasn't the best ice cream I've had, but it was decent. With so many ice cream choices I wouldn't seek this place out but would come again if we're in the neighborhood.

Stopped by here recently and have to admit, while the ambiance is cute, and the location is nice... the ice cream really was not good. I got a cone of the birthday cake flavor. It had hardly any flavor and left such a waxy feel in my mouth, which was gross. I only ate about half and then threw out the rest. My boyfriend got a scoop of key lime pie and couldn't even taste the key lime flavor, it was just super bland. Just a disappointing experience overall. I *love* ice cream, and 100% would've preferred a tub of Tillamook over this.

Super cute interior, unique ice cream flavors, good location! They also have ice cream for pups

A lovely neighbourhood spot to enjoy delicious ice cream including the vegan ice cream. My favourite was honey crunch ice cream and chocolate orange sorbet. Everything we tasted and tried was wonderful! Amazing and welcoming staff!! If you are in the area, this place is highly recommended. If you are at Basant enjoying delicious Indian food, stop here next door for some ice cream!!

Good ice cream at very reasonable prices with inspired flavors highlighting other local, small businesses. Bartleby's is a brand new ice cream spot next to Basant Modern Indian in Lincoln Square, a welcome addition to an exciting part of town. We were very pleased to see such exciting, unique flavors, along with many vegan options and tons of different toppings (though they can get a little pricey here). The scoops themselves are very reasonable, which is lovely to see. Samples are offered like most spots, and there are plenty of flavors to try. The ice cream is good, not great, somewhere just below Jeni's, but not at the level of Black Dog, Paolo, or even Scooter's or the Sundae Stop of ole. The ice cream serves a little more like a vehicle for the incredible chunks of goodies in it, like the Honeycomb Crunch. You end up just wanting the crunch. The vanilla, in particular, and similar to Jeni's, is a little too milky. This was also the case with the cookies and cream, just not much flavor to the ice cream at all, more milk than vanilla, and you end up searching for the cookies. Other flavors we tried were interesting, but not quite at that wow level of layers of flavor and a memorable bite. But, they have a really nice concept going, it's very early, and it's a much needed option with incredible hours for ice cream lovers. The young staff is very pleasant and polite; however, as time goes on, I do hope management figures out a slightly better system of ordering. When you walk in, the line immediately snakes to the right around a metal railing. Certainly not ideal, but they are kind of limited by the logistics. Not a bad first visit, but not a particularly memorable one either. I'll be curious to see where they are in a few months as operations get smoother and some new things are tried out. There's a great idea here that I think can only improve over time.

Took the kids here on a quiet Saturday afternoon and it was a perfect spot. The ice cream is delicious and the sprinkles/marshmallow add-ons for the kids are priced appropriately. I loved the seasonal flavors for me, eggnog and a vegan gingerbread. Having seasonal vegan flavors is also great so everyone can enjoy. There is so much seating. They also made sure there were ice cream-themed coloring sheets available for the kids. And if you open a vintage fridge, you can find fun games and toys for kids of all ages (including adults). Can't wait to come back and try more ice cream!

I wanted to love Bartleby's, but the ice cream just didn't live up to the buzz. The texture was icy, not creamy, and the flavors sounded better than they tasted -- kind of muted and forgettable. Cute space, but overall it felt more style than substance. Probably wouldn't go back.

I was so excited to have this ice cream shop in our neighborhood. However, after noticing that they liked another local business antisemitic post I reached out to them for clarification. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and hear their response. However, instead of responding to me, they blocked me on Instagram and it was radio silence in regards to their stance on the offensive and insensitive post towards the local Jewish community.

Good ice cream. The mini marshmallows were a bit stale-tasting but otherwise everything was great. Good selection of flavors and toppings without it being overwhelming.

Jimi ate his birthday cake waffle cone while walking and claimed he made no mess! Little did he know there was a bunch of ice cream in his beard. A local doggie of the night could not control herself around that ice cream. 5 stars

There's something just not quite right about this place. The ice cream is fine, I like that it is all home made, but it's so pricy for the quality. Jeni's is almost a better buy and honestly I think the quality is better. We tried three flavors and all seemed kind of thin, almost icy and very sweet. Also wanted to add sprinkles to our kids cup after paying and tipping well, and they wanted to charge me 83c for a tiny cup of sprinkles. Handed over a dollar and was told "oh, we are cash only". So I had to charge 83c to my card. After paying and tipping? Do they make their own sprinkles? No, I asked.

It's more ice cream, than cake, but very very tasty! Located in an incubator type space, it's a little hard to figure out where to go, but if you enter the parking lot there are signs near the building that allow for drive up pickup. You can also walk around to the front of the building and the desk folks will call them to bring your order. We tried a variety of things and all was well packaged and definitely frozen solid. It helps to set it out about 10-15 minutes before digging in. A fun treat and alternative to the big chain.

So many reviews about ice cream cakes, I assume that's where Bartleby's got its start? I know nothing about their cakes but visited the North Center location today and loved everything about it! The decor, the selection of flavors, the ice cream dishes, the stainless steel water cups, just all of it! There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, staff took care of us, and everyone in our party enjoyed their selections. For a moment I thought there was a mistake with the birthday cake ice cream because it was so colorful, but it tasted like cake and somehow perfectly matched my son's outfit; the kids loved it obviously!

Delicious (!!!!) ice cream cake! Very friendly service & wildly exceeded my expectations. My husband was over the moon as he loves ice cream cake.

Amazing, delicious ice cream cakes. I am not a fan of ice cream cakes. They are hard, too sweet, and just meh. But my husband wanted and ice cream cake for his birthday so I had to find a good fit. I found Bartleby's cakes by their Google reviews. The hype is real. Order was easy, all the options are online. Pick up was also easy, cake was brought out to my car. I would highly recommend the coffee cake with a layer of vanilla. We also had a layer of cookies and the ice cream decorations. Everyone loved it. It's a great business and I am glad I found a local bakery where I can get delicious ice cream cake.

I ordered on Door Dash and the ice cream was still frozen and yummy when delivered! I wish I had ordered more than just a scoop. I'll have to go in next time and try all their flavors.

Fantastic ice cream, great variety of flavors and a super cute and colorful environment!

Very good ice cream that they made in the location they don't add color to the ice cream and the they have flavors for everyone.Cute shop and great atmosphere and service. Just what our neighborhood needed.

An excellent addition to the North Center neighborhood! Delicious flavors, a bright atmosphere, and friendly service. The quality of the ice cream is excellent and there is a good mix of creative and classic flavors. We'll be back soon!

What a fun, delicious, inventive birthday cake. Bartleby's was easy to work with and affordable. We enjoyed our ice cream cake and will recommend to friends.

Loved our experience here!! It was the first time we ordered from Bartleby's and it won't be the last. We live in Fulton Market and it was a short drive to the location. The curbside delivery was easy and effecient. The ice cream and cookies in the cake were delicious, best ice cream cake I've had in a long while.

Pretty good cake but geez is it expensive. I ordered the 6" cake which feeds 6-10 for $60. My wife really wanted to try it since she heard good things and it was definitely tasty but the practicle side of me struggled with the cost. The staff is definitely friendly, especially the woman who took my order over the phone. Pickup was a little weird with "text upon arrival" instructions but it worked. Wishing Bartleby's future success!

Amazing, well crafted cake. Was a huge hit for my wife's birthday! Excellent quality and flavor combinations.

Delicious and oh so easy to use the website step by step to ordering the perfect ice cream cake for our son's third birthday. It was just as beautiful as it was scrumptious. They give step by step instructions to know how to keep cool and when to thaw. When your a mom and a business owner, simple is much appreciated and needed!

I ordered their thanksgiving pumpkin ice cream pie through dwellsocial and it was phenomenal. The owner hand delivered it which was too kind of her. I can't say enough great things about the pie. The crust was insanely good. The ice cream was extremely flavorful and creamy. All my guests went crazy for it. A++

Beautiful and delicious ice cream cakes! Tons of options on what to choose for your cake, friendly staff, and they deliver! Can't beat the price either! I'll be back for other cakes!

Hands down one of the best cakes I have ever had! The decorations were perfection and it was so easy to customize your order online. We went with a vegan, gluten free option and you would have never guessed the difference! The cookies and cream ice cream is a must try. I highly recommend Bartleby's for their cakes and will definitely order again in the future.

Bartleby's made the cutest ice cream cake for my son's birthday party last year and this year. The ice cream was so flavorful and just incredibly delicious. We've ordered two years in a row and we'll keep coming back. Great service and an excellent product!

My husband got me an ice cream cake from here for my birthday and WOW everything and more that I would want. I got the cookie dough and Oreo mix and will absolutely get again

Thank you so much for your wonderful work and absolutely delicious cake! It was for my wife's birthday, so I wanted to do something special for her cake, and this hit all marks. My daughter was especially fond of the sprinkle filled icecream cones We have already recommended you to our local friends and plan on making your cakes a part of our traditional celebrations!

I got the 6 inch ice cream cake for my wife's birthday. The piping for the words was great, but the ice cream was better. We got the seasonal apple cider ice cream which was amazing. I would give them more stars if I could!

Bartleby's did an outstanding job on our Pikachu cake! Everyone wowed when they saw it come out, very well done! The cake itself was super delicious, the premium ingredients used are definitely notable justifying the price point. We chose to go with toasted coconut ice cream and brownie bottom but are excited to try other combinations. The cake was a hit! We were also impressed with the level of service received, the team was very responsive and helpful all throughout the process.

Really unsure about what all the hype is ....maybe these other reviews were from family and friends? I actually ordered a cake from Bartlebys. I was really excited out checking it out. Not many options for ice cream cakes these days. Think its a sign from God and I should have listened, lol. MY ADVICE skip Bartlebys and go to a good bakery and get a cake, swing by a really good ice cream shop and grab some ice cream. It will taste A LOT better, you will actually have cake and the workers at these establishments will probably be very polite. Never again - super overpriced for a mound of meh ice cream in the shape of a cake, sprinkled choco chip cookies in the middle and icing. These ice cream cakes do NOT HAVE CAKE!!!! BREAKING DOWN THE EXPERIENCE FOOD - Ice cream was super mediocre. Cake was non-existent. Cookies were whatever. If you skipped the first part please read "my advice" LOCATION - West side shared culinary kitchen. Lots of businesses in there but everyone parked along the curb so you can't see the portable sign. Your signage sucks. We couldn't find it, tried to call and no one picked up..... Overall pickup was out of the way with confusing instructions and really bad signage CUSTOMER SERVICE - RUDE, RUDE, RUDE. The woman who answered the phone was not very pleasant at all. The woman who brought out the was pleasant at first and then when I expressed my concern over the size of the cake her attitude was like, too bad for you and literally said, "thanks for supporting our business" I was not happy and she could see that - strange comment, maybe that was her way of saying "so what, don't care, go f@#K yourself" VALUE - This was the worst incident of overcharging I have ever had. To be fair, I feel better paying $6.50 for a gallon of gas, $50 for a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I paid $63 for a small mound of over priced, average ice cream with a few chocolate chips sprinkled in the middle. Too many good places to make the efort to go out of your way for an average overpriced ice cream cake, btw there is no cake (lol)

I cannot stress enough, how much I think everyone needs a little Bartleby's in their life. I ordered an ice cream cake for my sons birthday. Ordering online was as simple as can be. I had it delivered- how awesomely convenient! Was sent a reminder email the day before, and the person delivering the cake kept in touch via text as traffic had them slightly delayed (only by a few minutes). The cake was amazing and delicious. The sprinkle filled mini ice cream cones were a favorite from my sons and even their uncle! I would say I wish they were closer, but my scale says otherwise 10/10 will order again!

Oh boy, I'm a fan. I ordered a 10 pack of ice cream sandwiches, half vegan ice cream (sugar cone crunch) and half dairy ice cream (cookies & cream). The chocolate chip cookies are a great consistency, tasty, and hold up well in the sandwich. Both of the ice creams were spot on, and the sandwiches were positively bursting at the seams! I personally enjoy the fact that each one looks handmade and uneven. Would definitely order again and again, but only wish is that they were able to mix and match more flavors within the 10-pack, but it's a small operation so I understand the small batch constraints!

Bartleby's reached out to me and was more than generous. As I said the ice cream was very good and I am looking forward to another occasion that we can order a cake from them. I ordered a cake a couple weeks ago got an email the day before that my cake would be delivered between 4 and 8. I didn't order the cake delivered. I intended to pick it up as we live relatively close to their location. I assume someone had mis-typed the email. At 6 after hearing nothing from them we called and were informed that our cake was already out for delivery and we would have to pay an extra $20 for the thing we didn't order. The cake finally arrived at 9:10. It was quite melted and falling apart and we ate it out of the box with spoons. The ice cream was very yummy, the brownie needs a little work. I wish we would've liked it more.

We had high hopes but sadly disappointed with the order. We had 8 people over for a celebration. The cake was far too small to allow anyone more than a sample. Better for a small group.

I had been looking for someone to make a delicious ice cream cake for my daughter's birthday, not one that has been sitting in a freezer for weeks. Not knowing what exactly I wanted the cake to look like she called me and suffered pleasantly through my inability to describe anything with words. I couldn't have been more pleased. The cake was beautifully decorated and the taste... AMAZING. Everyone absolutely loved the flavors of our cake. We chose brownie crumbles and a mix of chocolate and salted caramel ice cream with a whipped cream chocolate icing and whipped cream vanilla piping. I definitely recommend ordering one of these delectable ice cream cakes!

I am so thankful I found Bartleby's Ice Cream Cakes! I am from out of town and wanted an ice cream cake for Memorial Day weekend to celebrate one of the many birthday celebrations while I was in town visiting family. Rhonda communicated with me regarding pickup instructions and called me right away when she realized they were closing earlier the Friday before Memorial Day. I was able to pick up the cake Thursday shortly after arriving in town. The icecream was delicious and so cute! I wish I took photos of the cake. Thank you so much for being a part of our family's memories.

I had my first Bartleby's ice cream cake today and FELL IN LOVE!! Not only was it beautiful but also very creamy and simply delicious. The attention to detail and love for the cake was seen and felt throughout each bite. I highly recommend!

My mom bought this ice cream cake for my zoom baby shower and we could not be more excited. We bought the "Favorite Cake." This cake was delivered to our door (which was very convenient). It looked fabulous! We had requested pink as that was the color for the shower and they did a great job of embellishing on that! BUT THE BEST PART is the taste. My husband and I fight over this cake. The cooke dough balls, the ice cream, the fudge drops and the cookie crust are SO INCREDIBLY GOOD. This cake is well worth the money. We will definitely buy this again.

Bartleby's took my idea, put it in an oven, added cookie dough ice cream and created my DREAM cake! Creating the cake itself was super simple as their website provided delicious-sounding ice cream along with several options of a two layer baked good (I chose brownie). Bartleby's also offers shipping and though it is convenient, I decided to pick up since I'm not too far from the location. I was greeted with my corgi in the car which one of the bakers noticed was my inspiration for the cake. Overall, my experience with Bartleby's has been an amazing one. I had several compliments at my birthday party & had even passed their Instagram along to many family members! Thank you Bartleby's Ice Cream Cakes, I'm so grateful you made my birthday one to remember.

I don't write reviews often but this situation warrants it when a business goes above and beyond just making great product: I originally had reached out to Bartleby's in early May for an ice cream cake to be delivered to a restaurant I was brunching at with a group of friends. Upon arrival to the restaurant, I received a call that the shop's freezer broke overnight and they would be unable to fulfill my order. Very disappointing, but they sincerely apologized and promptly refunded me ... I realized it was beyond their control and a plan B would be a stretch for a small business. A few days later, I received an email from the owner apologizing again, and offering to make up for it via a free ice cream cake delivery of my choosing. Wow! Luckily my boyfriend's birthday just happened, which I was able to order for within 48 hours, and it was delivered without a hitch. So aside from showing incredible customer appreciation, the *important part* : THE CAKE WAS SO GOOD. I ordered the grownup ice cream cake with salted caramel and coffee ice creams, and it was so delicious I now know where I will go for any similar future requests. Thank you Bartleby's!

Fabulous! Ordered a custom vegan chocolate ice cream cake for my daughter's 18th birthday and it was PERFECT! Delivered to our house exactly when they said it would be and was absolutely delicious for the vegans and non-vegans alike. My daughter loved ice cream cakes before going vegan so this was such a fun surprise for her. Thanks so much!

There's something special about an ice cream cake, especially when it's made with care by an expert. We had a birthday celebration with a cake from Bartleby's and it was just perfect. I loved the salted caramel ice cream. This is usually the kind of dessert I just have a bite or two of, but I had a full piece and went back to the freezer the next day for the rest. Perfect for the ice cream addict that lives inside all of us.

Loved this experience and the cake so much! Excellent customer service and attention to detail. The cake exceed expectations in design and taste. I chose the vegan Vanilla as one of our ice cream flavors. My family turned their nose up at the sound of it at first, u til they took a bite. Everyone wanted seconds! So good. Trying to figure out another excuse to order again ;)

Both the ice cream and the customer service at Bartleby's is incredible!! Every conversation I had with them during the ordering process was fantastic. They were all so sweet. But the ice cream is amazing!! We made a specialty order for my husband's birthday and were blown away by the flavor of the ice cream! I am so excited to order from them again!!

I got a Bartleby's ice cream cake for my son's bday party last year and it was incredibly delicious and beautiful. Just ordered for my daughters birthday and can't wait to taste the deliciousness. I'll be sure to take pictures this time around!