Cauldron Ice Cream

Ice cream was great. We tried the original flavor and waffles. I can’t say anything about it except the wait was too long. There was only one person working. Hopefully that’s not a norm. But I would come back and try a different flavor.

Half designed rose. Low effort and customer service was mediocre. We were the only customers in line on Sat night. Tastes okay, but not soft as the location that used to be in Chino Hills. The salted Carmel was not even that salted. Might give it another try under another worker.

The liquid nitrogen ice cream seemed like a gimmick but it makes the icecram super light and creamy. The floral and tea flavors are super tasty and refreshing and the bubble cones and rose shaped scoops makes the ice cream look great as well. I hope they reopen soon

This is some of the best ice cream I have ever had! This place has a special "puffle", which is like a puffy waffle cone and it is delicious! I highly recommend the smores ice cream on a churro puffle!

Who loves blooming rose ice cream? Highlights of the menu: 1. Sun, moon & star with Oreo crumbs 2. S’mores with chocolate chips I love this liquid nitrogen-made ice cream with such a soft and creamy texture. They have many inventive flavors of organic ingredients and cute pastel colors on them. So lovely. The interior is cute with pink wall for the photos. A good place to hang with family and friends.

Best Ice Cream in the U.S.? Not With That Matcha. Cauldron Ice Cream proudly declares itself the best ice cream in the U.S.—a statement so audacious, it deserves its own documentary. Walking in, I was greeted by a lovely ambiance, an enticing menu, and genuinely friendly staff. The self-serve kiosk was a nice touch, efficiently removing any human witness to my impending disappointment. Let’s start with the Vietnamese coffee ice cream. It was labeled strong, which I assume was a typo, and they meant shy. If this ice cream were any weaker, it would need emotional support. It had the smoothest texture you could ask for, but flavor-wise, it was about as committed to coffee as I am to a gym membership—meaning, not at all. Then we have the matcha latte with almond milk. To call this a matcha latte is like calling a goldfish a shark—misleading at best, delusional at worst. What I actually received was a beautifully crafted cup of chilled almond milk, with a hint of matcha so subtle, it might have been a hallucination. To be fair, their ice cream texture is silky smooth, like an influencer’s skincare routine. But unfortunately, great texture without great flavor is just a tragedy in a cone. In short, if Cauldron is indeed the best ice cream in the U.S., then we, as a nation, need to sit down and have a long, serious discussion about our standards.

For some reason I can't upload my pictures of the actual ice cream and puffle cone, but we sampled the pineapple sorbet (reminiscent of Dole Whip) and strawberry. The ice cream was tasty without being overly sweet. I haven't had made to order ice cream since Creamistry, and so it was a fun reminder. I wish they had a few more traditional flavors, but overall it was very tasty. The place gets bombarded in waves, so be prepared for crowds of people inside and out. The puffle cone is a fun idea, but the original flavor is very plain. It's served hot along with the ice cream that melts quite quickly on the bottom.

First time tried this liquid nitrogen ice cream. Loved the rose flavor. It’s very smooth n creamy.

The service was quick, there was a spot where you could place your own order on a tablet or with the cashier. The cashier/ice cream maker was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was cozy and a great place to take a date if needed. Ice cream was delicious!

From the ads and pictures everything seemed cool. The way they make ice cream is unique and I'll give it that. So let's get to it. We ordered three things; mint chocolate chip, rose, and milk and cereal. All with a bubble waffle cone. The service was disappointing, the guy who worked there seemed like he didn't care and it was just another job. No life to him and was just rude about asking the code for the bathroom. The mint and chip is basic. Nothing too much about it. My kids like it, so I got it. Average 3/5. The rose ice cream tasted like a rose, it was pretty good and very floral. The disappointing part is I was hoping the ice cream would be shaped like a rose as depicted on the picture. Nope, just a scoop and left it as is. 5/5 for taste and 0/5 for presentation. The milk and cereal one was actually pretty good. Especially with Frosted Flakes in it. It literally taste like cereal. 5/5. I would give it a higher star if the service complimented it and th presentation of the rose ice cream did.

The worker did not seem like he was into his job, quiet and when he made the dessert my daughter was hoping to see the rose design on her ice cream just like it is advertised on the pictures on the glass. He did not do any designs on the ice cream at all, just handed it to us and walked away. Unfortunately, my family and I were not impressed with the dessert or the waffles not much flavor to it. The only decent ice cream flavor was just the Rose H2 My daughter was pretty bummed out when her ice cream did not have the generic rose design, but it is what it is. We do not plan on coming again, but at least we can say we tried.

ORDER sun, moon, & stars (3.5/5) i got the tea flavored icecream, but it honestly tasted more milky than anything. i enjoyed the thick texture, but other than that there is nothing really special. the price was a lot more expensive, hence the lower rating. they open late and it's worth the try, but i wouldn't come back. SERVICE minimal interactions with the workers since you order on a kiosk. AMBIANCE plenty of parking. plenty of seats inside.

Had a late night sweet tooth craving and cauldron ice cream delivered. It's hard to go wrong with great tasting ice cream but I absolutely loved the extra flavors, especially the viet iced coffee as a coffee lover. It was decently priced and definitely worth the try. Service was relatively quick (scoop ice cream, put toppings, done) so can't go wrong. Ambiance is pretty cool with the pipings and the liquid nitrogen running around. Overall, I recommend this place.

Magically made ice cream here(with nitrogen)! You can order cashless on the tablet. Or they'll take cash if you ask. I got the pineapple puffle which is a puffy waffle cone. The pineapple was So smooth and delicious! My man got mint chip in a cup. We both enjoyed them. But they were pricey. $20 for those 2 items. And the music was so loud we couldn't hear each other.

Ice cream in a puffy waffle cone! It can take awhile for your order to be ready even when it's not that busy so just be prepared for that. I do like the puffle but wish it was a tad sweeter - it tasted like a standard waffle. It is interesting though because it's a hot waffle with ice cream which is a nice juxtaposition in temperatures but it makes the ice cream melt on the bottom easier. The actual flavor of the ice cream was good - I believe it's just chocolate flavor and then they put a graham cracker, graham cracker dust on the ice cream and marshmallows. I would come back but probably just get it in a cone if I was craving it.

This location is busy. Glad they have shaved ice, killing two birds coming here! Ample parking in the evening, as it's shared with other businesses. Plenty of indoor seating and some outdoor. Cute egg chair in the corner too.

Cauldron is amazing! Used to enjoy the San Diego location frequently but they went out of business a few years ago. Was in the area this evening after a kids event and grabbed some Cauldron. Still fantastic! Made fresh, super creamy and delicious! My wife got the Puffle with Milk & Cereal flavor, enjoyed it a ton. Kids and I all got mint chocolate chip, VERY creamy with big chunks of chocolate. Wish we had one closer to home! Highly recommend.

Glad that we came in for a visit to Cauldron. It's a perfect dessert with many unique options for your family to love. We had a relatively big party, and for a staff of 2- thought the team was good about keeping up with demand. You order on an iPad device, and your ice cream is whipped up quickly thereafter. As a family, we had varying ice creams and cones/cups and can confidently say they were all consumed heartily. The strawberry puffle had a nice rose design! The puffles were definitely my favorite! The aesthetic is modern and hip, there's a good amount of seating. There's a trendy chair in the corner for all of your IG photo ops.

Cute place to go for a late evening treat with friends. The owner/worker was really sweet and patient in helping us decide on what to get. We got the waffle cone and ice cream item from the menu and it was delicious good sized portion.

I was in Santa Ana for a show, but arrived early for some dinner and dessert. When I typed "ice cream" into yelp Cauldron Ice Cream came up so I entered it in and headed over. Cauldron Ice Cream is a liquid nitrogen style place which I haven't actually had in a few years, so I was excited to indulge again. We showed up around 8PM and this place had a decent amound of people in it. Instead of ordering through a person, you approach a kiosk and enter in what you want. I ended up ordering an OG Puffle with Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and M&M's on top. I'm gonna be honest here, calling yourself the "best ice cream in the United States" is pretty ballsy and this place definitely falls short of that title. The egg waffle cone was hot and tasted solid enough, while the ice cream had good flavour and was also good......but it was honestly pretty standard ice cream and nothing I'll probably ever think about again. Overall, Cauldron Ice Cream was solid enough, but didn't do anything to actually leave a mark or taste better then any of the competition. Will I return? Maybe, since I probably won't remember I've been here in the future. Guess we'll see!

The service, it was decent but not exceptional. The staff was polite enough, though I felt like they could have been a bit more attentive. However, it didn't ruin the experience; we were still able to enjoy our treats without any major hiccups. One of the biggest perks of this place is the ample parking available, which can be a challenge at many dessert locations. Being able to pull right in and find a spot is a definite plus. This was a first time trying nitrogen ice cream at a cute little dessert spot, and while I had mixed feelings about the experience, there were certainly some highlights. let's talk about the ice cream itself. I tried the vanilla flavor, and while it didn't wow me or have the most dynamic flavor profile, I have to say it was incredibly creamy. The texture was downright delightful--like a soft cloud in my mouth. If you're someone who values creaminess over bold flavors, you might find this ice cream to be a real treat. The bubble waffle cone was a fun addition that added a nice crunch and a touch of whimsy to the dessert. Overall, while I probably wouldn't return for a second scoop, it was a good outing and a fun way to try nitrogen ice cream. If you're in the mood for something unique and looking for a cute dessert place, it's worth checking out!

Clean quick and efficient. Fun flavors. Hydrogen ice cream. A little show with your ice cream. Friendly.

Pineapple Express was a hit -- fruity, refreshing, and vegan, which was a nice surprise. They've got a wild variety of flavors to choose from, and everything is super photogenic -- definitely an Instagram-friendly spot. Watching them make the ice cream fresh with the liquid nitrogen is a fun touch. Now for the real talk: the seating setup isn't the most inviting, and there was a bit of an odd smell lingering in the space. It didn't ruin the experience, but it was noticeable. Would I go again? Yeah, for the flavors -- but I'd probably take it to-go next time. You order from an ipad and its not that good. Service wasnt that great.

Super cool ice cream place!!! We shared the Pineapple Express. With puffles. It was Delicious!!! Highly recommend. The rose shaped ice cream was super cute!!! Flavor bomb!!!

Haven't been here since about 2016 but from my memory it was really good when I had it in the past. Fast forward to my recent visit, this place has kind of fallen off which isn't surprising with how quickly trends come and go. The ice cream here was still good but the puff waffle cone was lacking. Flavor was okay but it didn't have that crunchiness it needed and was rather soft. Behind the counter also looked a little rough like it needed a deep clean. Service was okay, they have a self ordering thing now.

Came by around 9:45 PM and the place had a steady crowd but nothing crazy. The wait was about 10-15 minutes, which was totally fair considering how busy they were. Ordering through the self-service kiosk was actually a great touch, it gave us time to browse all the unique flavors without feeling rushed, and it let the staff focus on crafting the desserts. Speaking of staff, everyone was super friendly! I got the Cauldron flavor in a cinnamon puffle cone with a toasted marshmallow on top. The flavor was delicious I really loved the hint of cinnamon in the ice cream. I just wish it had more cookie pieces mixed in. The puffle cone was warm and soft, which paired nicely with the cold ice cream, but it got a little messy, so I ended up transferring it to a cup. The cinnamon flavor in the cone itself was a bit underwhelming, not as strong as I hoped. We also tried the mango bingsoo and while it wasn't bad, we kinda regretted not going for another one of their unique ice cream flavors (like Sun, Moon, and Stars). Bingsoo is something you can get at places that specialize in it, but Cauldron's ice cream is really where they shine. So if you're visiting, definitely stick with their unique ice cream options. All in all, great experience. Tasty, inventive ice cream and solid service. Will be back to try more flavors!

Gave this place a couple of tries and the flavors here are all too muted. It was more like just churned milk with a hint of flavor. 2016

Service was great! Definitely First time at this location. They have rose ice cream and it's my favorite besides strawberry. Not too many place have rose ice cream and the way this locations creates it into a rose as well is pretty cool. Staff were friendly and there's plenty of parking. Definitely recommend as they have many flavors to choose from.

I really HATE writing bad reviews about any business but I was so mad I have to write this one I went into this Cauldron b/c I had a great experience w/my kids before... but @2:45pm there were NO customers, my friend & I ordered on kiosk b/c there was no cashier .. saw a person in a "bassinet" coach in the corner of store sleeping thinking person was customer but later found out it was the worker ! We waited, after 20 min nothing so we rang a bell on counter , no one.. then another patron walks in & tries to order too .. he says I think that person sleeping is worker!! What ?? He wakes her up.. she stumbles up & kept saying "sorry, sorry.." I asked for a refund & told her how unprofessional that was!! She just apologized & gave me a refund!! NEVER going back to this Cauldron again!!

This is such a fun dessert spot with a unique concept and variety of options. I love their puffle cones - thre presenation is seriously on point and makes the ice cream feel extra special. They also offer drinks (I haven't tried them yet) and even sell pints if you want to take some home. The decor is nice and gives off a laid-back vibe, and the staff are always friendly and patient. Definitely worth a visit if you're craving something different!

Match 8. 8:00pm A "rose" that is not even a rose shaped. The girl who made it didn't care of my order and also gave me a dirty look. She definitely doesn't care about the customers nor respect them. I wouldn't come here again if she's working.

Came in and ordered the strawberry lemonade and the vietmese coffee in a cone. Total was $15.50. The owner/worker was really nice. The lemonade I wouldnt really say is lemonade and didnt look like the picture. The coffee ice cream was very good but the sugar cone was very crumbly and leaked alot.

First time at Cauldron Ice Cream in Santa Ana and it did not disappoint! I got the Strawberry Shave Ice and the S'more Ice Cream with the Egg Waffles -- both were amazing in their own way. The Strawberry Shave Ice was super refreshing, light, and full of flavor. It had the perfect balance of sweetness without being too much -- great for a hot day. The S'more Ice Cream was rich and creamy, with real toasted marshmallow flavor and chocolate swirls. I got it with the egg waffles, and the combo was heavenly! Warm, fluffy waffles wrapped around cold ice cream = perfection. Plus, the presentation was so cute and Instagram-worthy. Service was fast and friendly, and the shop itself has a fun, trendy vibe. Definitely a spot I'd come back to for a sweet treat!

I've never been to a liquid nitrogen ice cream place before so here it goes- Honestly the ice cream is ice cream. It was fine but it melted quicker than I expected but that may because of how the shop also feels quite stuffy. Definitely a lot of artificial flavors and not anything really fresh mixed in but it was nice and tasty so I'll give it that. The egg waffle was pretty standard and hit the spot so that was as expected. This ice cream spot also had quite a long wait. It's not really the amount of people as I've seen ice cream places with more people but rather it being made to order which is nice. Overall, not a bad spot, passable, but for the killer is the price- it's pretty expensive.

Absolutely love this spot for some fun and exciting ice cream flavors. This is a perfect spot for a sweet treat. Quick service and multiple seating options inside and out. Love the neon sign inside as it makes for a perfect IG Pic! Can't wait to go back!

i used to go to their location in SG but they've since closed! so i was ecstatic to find they had one in santa ana. my bf and i shared their churro puff with salted caramel ice cream. the ice cream consistency was great it was smooth and creamy, i love the addition of pretzel bits which added a nice crunch to it. the churro puff was alright, it's a lot more hollow than i expected, but tasted good nonetheless when paired with the ice cream! do wish our rose shaped ice cream looked cuter though! it was already melted and messy when we got it, but taste-wise it was yum!!

Ice cream was super tasty and the waffle was warm and the cinnamon sugar on top made it great. You order from an iPad so you don't have any interaction with the staff until they serve you your ice cream. It was a very busy night when we went and took a while to get all of our ice cream but when it all came out everyone was really happy. Would return!

How is this a $10 scoop of ice cream - this is sadly not the same Cauldron it was 3-5 years ago. Also how is the selection at the kiosk $8.50 for a scoop and once you select your flavor it goes up in price...It wasn't like that before. How can you ask to make things better when there is literally no customer service and the audacity to ask for a tip. My smores came with stale graham crackers and my marshmallow wasn't even toasted. Helpful tip: maybe business is 100xs slower than before bc pricing is just ridiculous. And NO PRICING ON THE MENU IS A JOKE.

I decided to try Cauldron based on all the reviews, but I found it to be just okay--not amazing. That said, it's worth giving it a shot because it might be more your thing. The customer service was good, which added to the experience.

I should've known this place is a red flag when THERE's NO PRICE DISPLAYED ON THE MENU SCREEN. Unnecessarily overpriced for mediocre ice cream with fancy name. The honey drizzle on the Earl Grey flavor tastes VERY artificial and overly sweet. One SMALL scoop is already $9 and it doesn't even look full and nice enough for picture. Not to mention this is the only dessert place that doesn't give out free water and charge customers for water bottles. What a joke and a waste of money.

I'm from San Diego and the San Diego location was great but they closed, so I was excited to come here but wasn't the most excited with my experience. Parking really isn't an issue. I think there are plenty of spots to accomodate for this so I wouldn't stress out. Service was a bit questionable in my opinion. I do understand that I came towards the end of the night and employees may be tired, but I kinda got the vibe they were only putting 50% into their work. Presentations weren't the greatest. They had options where you could get your ice cream in the shape of a rose, but in my opinion, it was a really sloppy rose. My friend's ice cream looked like a half rose. My friend also got the EGL Tea Creamio and it looks nothing like the picture on their menu. So it was kind of upsetting that it didn't match even close to what we were expecting. Another con, their bathroom is absolutely disgusting. It doesn't seem like it's been cleaned or checked on at all throughout the day. It's a bad sign that I even felt dirty coming out of the bathroom. My friends and I decided to just wait till we get home at that point. Don't get me wrong, the ice cream itself was good but nothing amazing. For one small and one medium, $20. That's pretty pricey in my opinion. You wouldn't expect a small ice cream at a place like Handel's to cost $9.99, so the price isn't exactly motivating me to come back. I guess I was excited to have what I missed in San Diego, but this location let me down. I'm hoping that I just came at a wrong time but I don't see myself coming back anytime soon.

Mediocre ice cream, terrible digital ordering system which messed up my order. I wanted two double chocolates which I inputted first for my step mom and myself, but the system ordered double pineapple ice cream which I didn't order. The pineapple was disgusting. The waffle was soggy and whatever tasting. The salt caramel crunch tasted like old vanilla with socks. The crunch in it was a regular small pretzel. This was the worst 60 bucks I spent for dessert in my life Don't eat at this money trap. Special effects were cool but ice cream was mediocre to low imho. Hope you have a better experience than me. Don't do it. Walk away.

The quality of the food, the quantity of the food, and the sanitation standard have all notably went down. It is a shame, because I used to highly recommend this dessert spot & buy pints to go. Now, I am unsure if I want to return. Disrespectfully overpriced for how little their delivery is. If you are looking for a quality ice cream experience, you are better off visiting someplace else. Whoever is higher up and making decisions at Cauldron Ice Cream needs to do some real reevaluation to turn this place around.

This place was the most visited place back in 2015-2017 when the nitrogen ice cream was poppin'. Haven't been here in years so my bf and I decided to come back because it was our college days memories and they were known for their rose shaped ice cream with the Hong Kong style egg puff. Our biggest disappointment begins with the egg puff. Not sure if it varies by the person who makes the batter that day but it was not good at all. The batter was not crispy and was super heavy/dense and strong flour flavor. It was not good. We took like 2-3 bites and threw it away. The ice cream we got was some type of tea flavor ice cream. The creaminess was okay but the flavor of the ice cream was super weak. For $12 bucks it was not worth it. I wished the quality was like before when they first opened.

Never fails to impress me, both in taste and presentation. Even though it's quite pricey and usually has a long line, it always satisfies my frozen dairy dessert cravings. This past winter, I ordered on a kiosk, though I'm not sure if that's recently changed. There's not a lot of seating inside, and it gets packed. Other people can get pretty rowdy at night once the sugar kicks in. Music, though bumpin', is insanely loud. I would just eat the ice cream as quickly as possible and then chill with friends elsewhere. I like a lot of their flavors, but my faves are the caffeine-based ones (Viet Coffee, Earl Grey Lavender, and SunMoonStars). Creamy and not overwhelming. You can ask them to shape your nitrofrozen deliciousness into an adorable rose. It would be nice to see more flavors with add-ins that provide textural oomph. I don't normally get a carby vehicle for my ice cream. Nothing wrong with them, but I tend to enjoy ice cream as is in a cup/bowl. I have tried the red velvet puffle, and it was pretty good, but the ice cream is already delicious on its own.

That is not just an ice cream moment, it is an experience! Worth every dollar. I will definitely come back

Enjoyed the ice cream and bubble cone! Was fast and friendly service!! Will be back again to try other flavors

It was so good and such a cool experience to see the ice cream made fresh right in front of our eyes!

Me and my family have tried a couple of their ice cream flavors and they're all so unique and delicious! My favorites were the coffee and the rose. The special way they make their ice cream makes it really creamy and smooth and it's so cool that you get to see how they make it right in front of you. The service was great too, everyone was so welcoming :) Here we had the rose ice cream with the bubble waffle and their new shaved ice with the strawberry and mango. The fruit sauce was so fresh and sweet and the snow ice just melts in your mouth. Definitely recommend you try out this place!

Glad we found this place on Yelp. Craving something sweet and this was just a couple minutes away from South Coast Mall. The waffles are made fresh. Ice cream was creamy and rich. The Cauldron was very good, chocolate with a slight cinnamon flavor. Highly recommend. Located in a strip mall. Parking was convenient. Cute and inviting aesthetic. Service was pretty fast. Only a couple minutes wait.

Cauldron is a cute ice cream shop that specializes in their nitrogen ice cream and bubble waffles. The Vietnamese coffee ice cream was very yummy and flavorful! I didn't love the bubble waffle though, it was good but the bottom got pretty soggy and it wasn't crispy throughout like I was expecting. Overall a decent dessert! I'd come back to try the other flavors of ice cream here!

We came here for ice cream after a football game with the team (I searched for a place close to the game). Ice cream was mediocre for the prices they charge. I would not come back, service was slow as only one person working.

The ice cream was decent. It's very expensive for what you get. The staff seemed stressed and a bit rude. It seemed like they wanted to make the ice cream in advance before I actually ordered.

Been here so many times and they never fail to disappoint! I've tried several of their ice cream flavors and drinks and my favorite by far has to be either the earl grey lavender or the sea salted caramel crunch! The ice cream texture is always so creamy and I love pairing it with their mochi puffles. Their churro puffle is also really good but I prefer the chewy texture since it just tastes so satisfying. I've tried their earl grey lavender, sea salt caramel, sun moon and stars, and a few limited flavors like their spicy chili "Laoganma" flavor, which was pretty interesting. I love egg waffles and i I think it pairs pretty well with ice cream except for the end when the egg waffle gets soggy at the bottom from the ice cream, but by that time I'm already stuffed and satisfied from the deliciousness of the ice cream.

Our go to after watching shows at Segerstrom. So many great favors and they have vegan sorbet for my lactose intolerant daughter. Tried the chocolate for the first time, it was amazingly smooth and so good! Not overly sweet! Definitely add a puffle to your order!

Came within an hour of closing on a Saturday (10PM) and they were still packed :0 Lots of kids running around and screaming and the only way to order is through a kiosk at the counter. Ordered two single scoops, Earl Grey Lavender and Mint Chocolate Chip for $7.50 each. Honestly overpriced for fairly standard ice cream and still took 15 minutes to come out. Can't imagine the egg puff is anything different than a typical one, but at least I can say I tried their ice cream to say once was enough.

This was one of the first places I ever had nitrogen ice cream back in 2015, and they're still here today! What's really cool is that you can ask your ice cream to be made in a rose-petal shape. We had the Sea Salted Caramel Crunch paired with a Churro Puffle cone and it still hit like the very first time. Thanks for reading! ^-^