Carmela Ice Cream

Carmela Ice Cream is a great little place for a fancy treat! My wife loves this place and comes here often with her friends. Now I understand why. I had the Orange Vanilla Bean Sorbet and my wife chose the Spiced Apple Sorbet. Food joy activated! The flavor satisfaction experience makes this treat well worth the price point. Fun Facts: -Carmela Ice Cream was founded in 2007 by folks who had never made ice cream or owned their own business. -The ice cream and sorbet are handmade with seasonal farmers market produce. -After starting their business in downtown LA the Pasadena location opened in 2011. So, if you are looking for a treat, give this pioneer in the artisan ice cream business a try soon.

I met this amazing hand crafted ice cream company at a local event in Los Angeles and fell in love with their ice cream. I finally had the spare time to visit their location. Staff was more than professional. I definitely recommend this location! Can't wait to come back for more!!

Stopped by Carmela Ice Cream and found their offerings to be decent, though not the best in the area. I felt the different flavors were quite similar, with nothing particularly special or standout about them. Was hoping for a richer flavor profile. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a try, but temper your expectations.

Generally good ice cream. The Lavender Honey tastes more like vanilla, but has a very fine and light taste. The Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean has a great vanilla bean taste, but I missed the small black grains from the vanilla bean, which makes me conclude that it contains artificial flavor only. It is also a little bit too sweet for my taste. The Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs tastes rich in chocolate and the cocoa nibs gives it a nice crunch. I really recommend to opt for the waffle cone as it features a delicious buttery, rich French like flavor. Cute little shop offering a few baked goods as well.

The ice cream was a little pricey but it was really really good. My only complaints are the price and the softness off the ice cream. My daughter wanted to taste test one and he put it on a spoon and handed it to her and as he handed it to her it slipped right off onto the floor. I was only going to get ice cream for my kids but when I tasted my son’s fresh mint ice cream cone I walked back in and bought me a cone. The cup was really small. The cone I think was worth the price. We parked in the front of the store. There were only 2 parking spaces on the street. The guy was a little slow at getting things and it took a little while. I would go back. The store was fairly clean. The floor was sticky, my shoes stuck to the floor and when we wiped up the ice cream my daughter dropped the napkin turned black. Everything else looked clean though. I would like to try other things they offer. We will see if we are ever back in Pasadena.

Delicious Artisian Ice cream in a cozy family run institution. Free street parking only. Portions are on the small side for the price compared to Handels $6 Four Scoop sampler but staff is friendly and efficient.

This is my wife and I’d favorite ice cream in SoCal. I lived in Pasadena for 4 years and when I found this spot I was sold!! They offer various flavor throughout the year and honestly there’s no flavor I’ve tried that isn’t delicious. My favs are earl grey and roasted sweet potato. The menu says one scoop but it’s actually 2 scoops and you can choose 2 different flavors. They let you try as many as you like and the staff is friendly and helpful. Parking can be a hassle during busy times and there’s only one bench to sit 2-3 people but if you are near this place TRY IT!

Small super cute ice cream shop. Has plenty of flavors all of them are homemade ice cream it's super creamy. I got the salted caramel it was amazing. The single scoop was $5 but it was worth it. Only downside is there's no parking so try not to go during a busy time we went late at night and had no issues parking.

We got the seasonal flight today cuz it's just been far too long and I needed to remind myself of what we've been missing all this time! Strawberry Buttermilk-where have you been all my life!?? This has to be the THE Best strawberry ice cream I've ever tried!!! Salted caramel was another favorite, tasted exactly like Werther's caramel candy to me. Just go and support a small local business and try all the flavors for yourself! Totally worth it! 2 x 1hr parking zone right in front of the store or side parking available

Still one of the best OG ice cream offerings in Los Angeles. Seasonal flavors plus homemade waffle cones. All natural quality ingredients. Always friendly staff.

My favorite ice cream shop!!!!! I was so sad when they closed their Grove location and I hope they one day open up another one closer to that area! But it's so so good I have made the trek a few times to the Pasadena one (typically my fam will take me for my bday or graduation because they know I love it so much!) Their ice creams can be a bit too sweet at times so I hope they reduce the sugar a bit in the future as well! Thank you for your incredible ice cream!!!!

What We Ordered: -Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream (Child Size) $4.95 -Dark Chocolate Cookie Fresh Mint w/Cacao Nibs $7.95 -Chocolate Taco $7.95 Established 2007. Carmela Ice Cream is an artisan Ice Cream maker that specializes in small batches made with real and fresh ingredients. Carmela is one of the OG's in farm-to-table cream. They are known for incorporating fresh and local produce. I've been craving a Choco Taco for a minute now. I came back from living abroad to find out that the Choco Taco was discontinued in 2022. I was really living under a rock it seems like. I searched online for an ice cream shop that does something similar. I came across a link that lists all the places in the greater Los Angeles area where you can find Chocolate Tacos. I came across Carmelas and heard some really great things about their artisan ice cream and other creations. I came in craving Mint Cacao Nibs and a Chocolate Taco. Unfortunately for me, the chocolate taco doesn't come with mint ice cream. However, they can customize an ice cream sandwich to your liking. The staff recommends that you get a pre-made ice sandwich from freezer as the made-to-order one with be too soft and it will fall apart. Luckily, they have pre-made Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches with the Mint Cacao. It was very good. The Dark Chocolate Cookie is covered in fresh sea salt and provides a nice salty taste to the cookie. The Fresh Mint Ice Cream w/Cacao Nibs has a very distinct taste like no other Mint Ice Cream you've ever had before. It was described to me by the staff as having the taste of fresh mint leaves. There's no better description than that. I tried the Lavender Honey flavor and it was also very good as well. So I came in wanting a Chocolate Taco, but my wife got wind of this and decided she wanted one. I decided to get the Dark Chocolate Cookie Fresh Mint w/Cacao Nibs instead and it was the right decision as it was equally delicious. The wife and I ended up shared both of them. The Chocolate Taco was great and brought back a rush of childhood nostalgia. You always remember those first time your parents let you pick out what you wanted from the ice cream truck. This memory stood out in particular as my parents were quite strict and frugal. It wasn't everyday that I could get a Choco Taco or anything from the ice cream truck. Carmela's is one of the best farm-to-table ice cream shops out there. I highly recommend that you give them a try.

Summer is hot. Brutal. Luckily for all of us, Carmela has some outstanding ice cream to tantalize our tastebuds and keep us cool, calm and relaxed (brain freeze optional). A very small shop located on Washington Ave., Carmela Ice Cream is the latest five star homemade ice cream shop (also check out my review on Bloomfield Creamery a mile west) that serves up some outstanding small batches using fresh, premium and authentic ingredients and flavor combinations. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by some wonderfully friendly faces and some strong, freshly-made waffle cone perfume. This woman-owned business has amazing seasonal classics, traditional staples, as well as some unique takes utilizing local California produce for some award-winning flavor combinations. After studying the daily chalkboard menu, I decided to go with some classics: Honey Lavender and Cookies & Cream. A single scoop ($6.95) can be split two ways to satisfy my taste buds. The flavors of each are rich, balanced and incredibly tasty. The Honey Lavender is so damn good, I could eat a whole pint. Luckily for me, there is a grab and go freezer out front for you to do just that. The Cookie chunks are large, chocolatey and perfect with the sweet vanilla cream. The only downside is that there is no seating inside, and only a small bench out front to take pictures of your creamy treasures for social media before they melt away. Take advantage of summer, winter, or any day you have a craving by stopping into Carmela's. You won't be disappointed.

amazing local business!!! would go here all the time with my dad, so happy they survived the Eaton fire tragedy.

The ice cream was delicious and I enjoyed my scoops! It's all street parking so keep that in mind while coming here. The store is small and there's not a lot of waiting space. While the staff wasn't rude or mean, they weren't very affable. Would likely only return if I'm in the area.

Something about this place awakens my inner princess and makes me want to quit my job so I can spend the rest of my days living in the Alps making organic icecream with berries that I harvested from the forest behind my house. So fancy. So yummy. They offer seasonal icecream classes that are super fun - a great family/friend/date activity. 100% recommend.

The ice cream is one of a kind. It's so good. The service is always great. They always great you with a smile. The ambiance it's an ice cream shop, it looks like one and my god it is one! My wife and I used to go to the one located in Woodland Hills while we were dating. It was our go to ice cream spot after a hike. Now whenever we are in the area we try to stop and get a scoop!

They're back and as delicious as ever!! So glad to get that salted caramel ice cream sandwich again. It's been too long.

Had the mint and the strawberry. Both tasted really fresh and had real fruit in them. You can tell they put a lot of care in it.

The famous Carmela Ice Cream Co is off the beaten path of Pasadena, and luckily for me my boyfriend doesn't mind driving off on a detour for a little adventure, so we came here for dessert after browsing the Pacific Asia Museum. They were once the big ice cream boss in town, before all of the other ice cream businesses moved in, but they still have the love from their locals. They business is located off a busy street with limited street parking. No seating indoors. One small bench outside. But in general not the spot to hang out at to actually enjoy your ice cream, which I do not like. I enjoyed smelled fresh waffle scent upon entertain. Service was transactional, but not friendly or welcoming. They have a chalk board of prices and flavors, and they sell some cookies and ice cream toppings to take home if you'd like. When I saw their chalk board I was a little disappointed I didn't see any unique flavors or anything I HAD to have. I tried the brown butter sage and I wasn't really into it, so I went with something safe. My boyfriend and I shared the 1 scoop ($6.95) and we were able to split the scoop. He picked the Fresh Mint with Cocoa Nibs and I went with the Earl Grey. I liked it. It was good but nothing innovative or mind blowing for me to trek out here. Since they did not have a seating friendly spot, we decided to drive to a nearby park. The nearby park had no parking, so we went to park in a shaded residential area to eat the ice cream before it melted. It was really inconvenient. I just want to sit down and enjoy my ice cream real fast and this business makes it difficult to enjoy. I'll go back if my boyfriend wants to, but I'm not feeling particularly inspired. Definitely more of a spot for locals.

Stumbled upon this small ice cream shop after a tea tasting at Callisto! Couple of my friends and I were craving something cold in the heat and decided to try this place. The waitress was super sweet and let us sample a lot of the flavors. They had so many unique flavors to choose from but I eventually settled with the lavender honey child scoop. This was so refreshing on a hot day but there isn't much seating which is unfortunate. As such, my friends and I were outside and my ice cream melted really quickly. Ice cream these days are so expensive for a scoop but this was really creamy and delicious so worth it at the time! Loved the home craft ice cream and the selections

I haven't been to Carmela in years, but it has been one of my top ice cream spots in LA. I decided to come back again for their buy one get one offer for national ice cream day. I tried the familiar fresh mint cacao nib flavor as well as a newer one, the strawberry vanilla bean sorbet. I am reminded yet again of how Carmela does ice cream so right in every way that Salt & Straw doesn't (in my opinion). S&S is overly sweet and creamy. Meanwhile Carmela is subtle, with just enough sweetness to complement the natural flavor. The mint ice cream tasted so light that I almost forgot I was eating ice cream. The portion is perfect too. A light dessert rather than practically a second meal as it is with some shops. (For context, I have never finished more than half of a salt and straw scoop). Additionally the store decor adds to the craftsmanship vibe with the handwritten chalkboard menu and dark wood fixtures with an old fashioned feel, unlike the corporate bright white sanitized environment common these days. I would recommend this without hesitation over any of the other popular chains around LA (including Wanderlust).

I love Carmela for their innovative flavors. I'm obsessed with earl grey and I flock here when they have it. You can honestly tell they use natural ingredients, for instance the mint cacao nib ice cream isn't filled with food coloring. It tastes so fresh and natural. Some of my other favorites are lavender honey and espresso. Small portions but good enough for sure. My husband loves the affogato! Small hole in the wall with street parking out front and a bench for 2 outside. No inside seating area.

Honestly love this ice cream spot! Flavors are good and fresh. Some are seasonal, others are evergreen. Mint chocolate being one of my favorites. Shop is small, cute, but no indoor seating. If you've got a group, don't plan to stay outside either, there isn't really a lot of that. Parking is on the street, anywhere you can find it really. Staff is friendly!!

First time here and I will definitely be coming back. This place is a great example of less is more. They are not a place of 31 flavors but the handful of flavors they do have are spot on and are rich in flavor. We got a the brown sugar vanilla bean and cookies and cream. Both flavors had great flavor profiles, they were not overly sugary, and had great texture. The person working the counter was very nice and allowed us to sample the flavors before purchasing. The overall decor gives you that old school ice cream shop feel and I liked it. Can't wait to come again to check out more flavors!

Carmela Ice Cream Co. is a tiny homemade ice-cream shop. Pros: - nice customer service - ice cream tastes good Cons: - parking is limited - highly expensive - limited seating (a tiny bench outside) - ice cream was good, not great I wanted to try this place out based on its ratings and reviews, but to me, it's not worth going back to. I really couldn't enjoy my ice cream since it was 100* outside and it was melting so quickly. I understand that's not the shop's fault, but you can't hang around the area since there's is no room to; only outside on the sidewalk. I guess my rating is based on the entire experience and not just the ice cream alone.

This is such a SoCal hidden gem! I would never have known this was here if it wasn't for one of my besties who often takes me to The Huntington Gardens to see the beautiful roses- what an ice cream thrill to be able to eat ice cream made with Organic Pasadena Roses!!!! (Carmela's 1st flavor created) This artisan Ice Cream Shop was really one of its kind when it began- homemade ice cream from local seasonal farmer's market produce. I have absolutely loved all of their very unique flavors, it's so impressive the choices & recipes they create to get these one-of-a-kind fresh flavors! I love their storefront, it's charming, clean & their service is great- very knowledgeable on flavors in stock, flavors to come & what you may like based off your preferences. If you haven't been here before, Carmela Ice Cream is a must & a really good excuse to go explore the Pasadena area & all it has to offer- this is definitely one of my favorites! **Other flavors I've tried- Matcha Green Tea, Intelligentsia Espresso, Lavender Honey (another FAV), Rosemary with Toasted Pine Nuts, & their Sorbets!!! So yummy!

I don't think this is the best ice cream. I have come back time and time again though and that might be because of the location. I think the ice cream is actually kind of good but how they store it might be the problem and when it is scooped? Sometimes I get other ice creams in my cup and all the time I can taste some ice in it due to the storage being too cold causing freezer burn like texture. Anyway, 7/10 and would still come back.

I've always loved the service at Carmela's, the young employees are always eager and helpful. The stories itself is a bit small, they offer a small bench outside to sit and enjoy. The ice cream speaks for itself (it's amazing). Hand made everything on the menu and you can TELL, pricey...but I get it.

It's a hot summer night and I decided I wanted to finish my weekend with a sweet treat. It's after 9pm so I rushed over to Carmela and sampled the delightful strawberry vanilla bean sorbet. I don't know what I was expecting but somehow I had forgotten what it meant to taste flavor. Truly Carmela is something I would try to impress people with. Other ice cream may be good but here I contemplate the divine. Also I had the cookies and cream which I also recommend.

I love this place!! All their flavors are literally immaculate - I tried their candied pecan recently and it was the best thing I've ever had! Their service is always really good and everyone is always welcoming. The owners son was super nice! They open up a second location in Palm Spring! Congrats!

Some of the best ice cream I've had in a long time. The quality is so good and feels fresh, you can tell by the softness of the texture. It feels almost like gelato. Be warned though, it melts pretty quickly. It's delicious and worth the drive, you won't be disappointed!

You know an ice cream store is good if all the surrounding businesses have signs that say "no parking for the ice cream store." I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Carmela Ice Cream and we will be back! Pros: + Innovative and fresh flavors. My current favorite (trying to limit dairy) is the Blackberry Malbec sorbet. Deep rich delicious fruit flavors and no dairy. + The chocolate sorbet is also excellent, and with the rich chocolate you don't even notice it's dairy free as well. + Price is fair, $20 for two pints of any flavor. + Staff is friendly and knowledgeable and willing to offer sample tastes. + Interior is clean/well maintained, with a freezer chest stocked with their prepackaged ice creams/sorbets. Cons: - Parking can be a challenge, I parked in the neighborhood just north of the store and walked down to visit, but there's no obvious private parking lot for the location.

Carmela's was my first introduction to salted caramel ice cream almost 10 years ago and I have loved the flavor ever since. I haven't been back in years, but decided to stop by because I was in the area to see if it was as good as I remembered and it is! The ice cream itself is so creamy and rich and the flavor is 10/10. It's a little bit on the pricey end but you can really taste the quality in the ice cream which I feel like justifies the cost. I definitely recommend coming here to treat yourself on a warm day! It is a small store located on a main street. One thing to note is that parking can be tough here as there is no parking lot, however, we got lucky and found a spot right in front of the store. Service was also good and the workers were friendly.

Yum! Ordered the honey lavender with a waffle cone. Devoured. It was worth detouring from Van Nays!

I like their brown sugar vanilla flavor 4/5. Service was good. It's a cute little place. I recommend this place!

Beautiful artisanal ice creams. Cute place. Only complaint is there's nowhere to sit.

Love them and all their flavors..only thing I didn't really love is the cone. Was a bit too thick for me but wouldn't stop me from going again.

Looking for delicious, flavorful ice cream! Go to Carmela's!! I came once and tried it and now I rack up points and pints lol Love me the vanilla bean with brown sugar ice cream. They have seasonal flavors too. Personal favorite is the earl grey when it's in stock. Check it out if you are in the area or want some great ice cream

The best! Oh, I need eighty-five characters. We love this place. The ice cream sandwiches are divine and there are always really lovely people working here. There!

It is not the cheapest for ice cream but the quality ingredients you can totally taste with every scoop. The chocolate chip cookies it's not soft but if you like the thin crispy kinds this is pretty decent. Tried the lemon olive oil, cookies and cream, and chocolate. They were all divine. The kids scoop seemed a bit small so I would recommend taking the small to start. There is no seating inside or outside. It might be a really hot place to be in the summer unless you plan to just eat in your car. Parking all along street and plenty. No meters. Yay!

My favorite ice cream place. the customer service was top-notch. The staff was friendly, attentive, and truly made me feel welcomed. Lavender honey is a must have if you visit Carmela's ice cream.

Excellent quality ice cream and interesting seasonal flavors! The consistency is a bit like gelato, very light. Recommended for ice cream aficionados

Sweet treat delicious flavors. I'd eat more if i wasn't lactose intolerant Wonderful neighbor vibe, good ice cream

My favorite ice cream shop! The ice cream is like none other!!! I am praying they reopen soon because I need my fix!

Really great flavors, tastes so fresh. I wish there was seating, but the ice cream was unique and top notch.

I last visited Carmela over a decade ago, and I probably won't be coming back for another decade. I ordered a brownie sundae with strawberry buttermilk and cookies and cream. It came out to be a whopping $11~. It was good but nothing amazing for the price. The portion was small. The whipped cream was 50% of the bowl. It was a Friday afternoon so we didn't have to wait long to be helped. The worker was nice and friendly. The store was cozy, quaint, and cute. Only street parking is available. Overall, the taste is not worth its price. I rather drive the extra distance to Handels or Afters Ice Cream.

Carmela is one of my all time favorite ice cream places! I almost never get vanilla ice cream at ice cream establishments since I prefer trying more unique flavors but their brown sugar vanilla bean is just so delicious and a perfect complement to their other flavors. I most recently got Carmela ice cream at the South Pasadena Farmer's Market on a Thursday in the summer. Their mobile truck ran out of many flavors late in the night and the ice cream quality wasn't as good as their store so I highly recommend checking out the actual physical location for optimal taste.

Yummy!! Best ice cream in town! The brown sugar vanilla never disappoints that is for sure!

Honestly I'm kind of confused how this place has so many overwhelming positive reviews. The two flavors, rosemary pine nut and honey lavender, were both extremely sweet/sugary with minimal flavor. Would likely not return.

Normally I am singing the praises of Carmela and their lovely milky ice cream, how the cream settles in all silky in your mouth and such, and how the unique flavors are delightful. My favorite was the earl grey, and I indulged in a few pints when it came around. While the deliciousness is still true, my most recent experience left a more sour taste in my mouth. One - prices keep going up up up. It's a bad trend to bandwagon on. Just because everyone else does it doesn't make it cool as wages continue to stagnate. Almost ten bucks for a single scoop and a waffle cone? ....Perhaps not, in this economy. Two - big L on the 'customer service' today. I normally am met with very kind young people who offer me samples and talk pleasantly about the menu offerings. As someone who had worked in food service in this same area, shame on whoever trained and raised that young high school looking blond boy we met today. Clearly, seeing a pride flag on someone's T-shirt means that you grudgingly mumble at them like they're inconveniencing you, fumble their order, and look at them like a particularly unpleasant stain. You do know that servicing people means putting aside 'personal biases' and treating all customers with respect, right? It's not that difficult, trust me. What kind of business do you think can charge these prices and survive while alienating their customers with tactless, uncouth service? Yikes. We will not be returning to have a repeat of that. If you desire quality, expensive ice cream, just hit up Mother Moo. At least the young people there know basic human decency.

I had a really good time at Carmela ice cream really fresh ice cream service was really good inside was nice and clean I recommend this place

i went to Carmela today to enjoy their ice cream after reading the review about the ice crystals and had the same experience. it's possible this icy mouthfeel is due to insufficient cream in the recipe. i also agree that their flavoring (i had my two favorites chocolate and pumpkin) are not as strong as Salt & Straw or Bloomfield Creamery (which i had yesterday.) i also agree that not having indoor seating on a hot day is problematic. i love artisan ice cream so i hope they revise their recipes so i can award them 5 stars on my next visit.

The ice cream is kinda expensive, but super rich and flavorful! I don't think I could eat more than a 1 scoop dish. The person who helped us was quick and friendly. There is no indoor seating and only one outdoor bench, so be prepared to take your dessert to go.

I ordered Carmela's ice cream sandwiches for a company event, and it was a huge hit! The staff was really friendly and accommodating to fulfill the order (75 sandwiches) on time. We got the full assortment of flavors and they were all delicious, our staff were super happy.

Absolutely some of the best ice cream I've ever had!! I got the ice cream sandwich with brown sugar vanilla ice cream and I had no idea vanilla could taste so good! Mix the delicious ice cream sandwich with some kind/polite and quick service snd that makes a happy customer! I'm definitely going to make this place a regular stop!

After we great meal at LeRoy's my wife and I and my sister in law and her daughter went to get some ice cream at Carmela ice cream in Pasadena. Our niece say they have great ice and they make it small batches. We arrive at place small but you can smell the waffle cones made fresh daily. You can also get sample of the flavors they have there. My wife try the fresh mint with cocao nibs she enjoy and she order it. Then I taste the Lavander honey I love the flavor of the lavander and honey combine together with a refreshing taste.