McConnell's Fine Ice Cream

The McConnell's Fine ice cream on E Main St in Ventura ROCKS. The staff is very pleasant, knowledgeable about the ice cream, and seem to care about the customer. I am from N.C. and tried all of the locations from Santa Barbara to here. Stopped in today as we are headed home and picked up 3 trays for the freezer. Great ice cream!!!!!

Such delicious ice cream and friendly service. Kenna was delightful, giving us s@moles and generous scoops of the amazing ice cream made from grass-fed milk and organic eggs. I had a scoop each of green tea and coffee. I got a kid’s size and thought about $7 was going to be expensive. No! I couldn’t hav3 eaten the next size up—small. Kid size was generous and perfect. If I lived in CA I’d buy an subscription.

My first time in this ice cream 🍦 place definitely worth the trip ice cream was super creamy definitely recommend

This is a cool little local ice cream shop. There is not much space indoors so do not expect to have seating. The staff was really friendly. They were really good about letting us sample. Sometimes I feel like wait staff gets annoyed giving samples but that's not the case here. I had a hot fudge Sunday. They offered to put the fudge in a different cup so it wouldn't melt the ice cream on the way home. That was a great idea and it worked out really well. My wife did the same with her order. I had the chocolate covered strawberry ice cream. It went well with the fudge. Honestly, the fudge was the best part. They also have non-dairy ice creams for those who can't drink milk. Do you ever wonder how cows feel about non-dairy products? I do. Worldly questions like that fascinate me.

Loved their chcolate covered strawberries flavor, also their pistachio amaretto... they give u cute tiny cups to sample flavors. Lovely and cozy ice cream place to share with friends and your loved ones a delicious scoop of I e cream. I see why they've been winners! They have a restroom and so much space to sit not only inside but also outdoors. Highly recommend this place. My husband and I have always wanted to try this place by Beverly Hills but we were on a drive out to Santa Barbara and saw this place on the way! Best find of the day!

My god, this place has the best ice cream. Absolutely loved it. Must try.

This is the best ice cream in Ventura county. A little shop on Main Street just past the Pacific View Mall, is housed in an historic motel front. Outdoor seating. Handmade ice cream with no preservatives/additives. They even have dairy free! My personal favorite is lemon marionberry, but I haven't met a flavor I didn't like!

The ice cream was delicious! This is the only still-independently owned and operated McConnell's and it shows in the character of the shop--the owner Jimmy is friendly, helpful, and overall wonderful. The variety of flavors is great and we all ended up choosing rather different flavors after tasting a few, so there's something for everyone (dairy-free options are tasty too!).

Lovely spot for an ice cream shop. I got to sample a few flavors before landing on the earl grey tea and shortbread. Super delish and wish I could have taken a few pints home! The service was prompt and friendly. I did ask to see if they shipped pints from their store but they unfortunately do not. Next time, I'm going to make sure to bring a large ice box to pack all the pints I want for home.

As an LA native with ample options to tasty ice cream places like Salt & Straw and Wanderlust, I have to say, this place can rival the best! Granted, the two names I listed does novelty flavors really well, McConnells Fine Ice Cream does simple flavors REALLY well. I tried their Santa Barbara Strawberry and it blew my mind. It was creamy but not overly creamy. It was sweet but not artificially street. The fresh strawberries in the ice cream themselves were like blasts of sweet strawberry sorbet bites. Their Churros con Leches was a solid choice too, imagine a horchata flavored ice cream that's not overly cinnamon. Solid spot, I would come back for the strawberry again and maybe try something else. Edit: I came back and tried their Salted Carmel Chip and LOVED it!

I tried McConnells the first time while it was in Santa barbara, didn't realize I had a closer location to Ventura. My go to is Eureka lemon and Marionberries. I really enjoy this flavor . At times it can be hard to find parking. But it's worth the visit and the wait. We definitely return.

Older location with only a bit of outside seating, but the same delicious ice cream! They were so friendly and helpful here, offering samples with a smile. Prices are fair and I love that you can pick different flavors for one scoop to be able to try more. Great option right by the mall! Ideals for families with children.

McConnell's is my favorite ice cream because I love the flavor combinations and the creamy texture. I love stopping by when I'm in the area. This location seemed to have more flavors including more dairy free options compared to some of the other locations. Every time I go here, I get my two favorite flavors, which are the Eureka Lemon & Marrionberries (5 stars) and Earl Grey Tea & Shortbread (5 stars). They were the first flavors I tried when I fell in love with McConnell's in Grand Central Market in 2016. I love fruit flavored ice cream so the bright flavor combination of the Eureka lemons and marionberries included the right amount of sweet and tart flavors. I also like a little texture in my ice cream so the bits of shortbread were great with the delicious Earl Grey tea. My husband's go to dairy free flavors are the Vanilla Bean (4 stars) and Chocolate Fudge & Cookies (5 stars). McConnell's had better quality oat milk based flavors compared to other ones we've tried. The service was 4 stars. They weren't overly friendly like other ice cream spots like Salt & Straw or Wanderlust Creamery, but they were nice. They gave generous scoops of ice cream. If you want two flavors for yourself, I recommend getting a split single scoop rather than a double scoop. The split single scoop was close to a double at other places. This is a great spot if you are a new or longtime McConnell's customer.

We loaded up the truck last night and took a fun outing to get our sweet tooth on!! McConnell's for the win!!!! Every bite is a flavor bomb up in your mouth! This Ventura store has been open for 13 years. I remember their opening! We were all so excited to have a homemade ice cream shop in town. The quality of their ice cream can't be beat. Their signature waffle cone batter stands out from all the rest and you can taste the homemade quality. This is why they were voted California's best ice cream! What's neat about how they scoop is a single ($6.95) is two flavors. So it's really a double. I had the chocolate, chocolate caramel cookie with sweet cream dough. So good!!! I would say if you had one choice, like one go at getting ice cream while in Ventura CA your one shot...This should be your pick. Your welcome : )

Fast moving line for such a tiny shop! Very delicious Ice Cream with a variety of different flavors all made in-house. Bring your Ice Cream appetite.

One of my favorite ice cream spots I've been going here for years. Unfortunately as I was enjoying my ice cream I felt a strange texture in my mouth, I pulled this mysterious textured piece from my mouth and it was a CHUNK of tangled hair. Not just a strand, a chunk. I still love mconnnells but I am hesitant to go back.

I ordered the hot fudge sundae , it was pretty packed on National Ice Cream day. I took a star off because when I ate the cherry, i think it was expired because ouch my stomach hurts. The service was, ehhh, I asked for a sample of the salted banana Carmel ice cream, and he served it messy, and it was dripping and almost got on my clothes. The ambiance was fun and cool. Usually, I look forward to interacting with the service people, not today, but I will try again.

I love this place so much. I highly recommend their business to any family or friend. I would come here anytime of the week and get my favorite type of ice cream. The employees are extremely knowledgeable.

Ice cream cravings brought us to this super cute scoop shop, MCCONNELL's, which is adjacent to the Mission Bell Motel, in Ventura, CA. The red paint and quirky architecture caught our eye. If you're lucky, you can park curbside, and hop right into the ice cream shop. Otherwise, park at the mall just across the street. I was going to order a kid size, but noticed you can do a split cup (2 flavors) if you order a small. So, Small it was! Turkish Coffee + Santa Barbara Strawberry were my immediate choices and I enjoyed it while sitting outside in the patio. McC's started in Santa Barbara and they've been in business for more than 70 years. Their ice cream is made from scratch using simple ingredients from Central Coast farms & purveyors. Looking forward to visiting a McC's location closer to home in LA County!

Very disappointed drove to this location from Thousand Oaks and they didn't have the Sees candy collaborations they have been advertising. Why doesn't this location have those featured flavors? I was looking forward to trying them. Since I really wanted ice cream after sampling a few of selected peanut butter chocolate chip I believe that's the name of it. I got three small and it satisfied my ice cream craving. Guess I'll have to make a trip to Santa Barbara to try the sees flavors. The 2 employees were very friendly and patient as I tried some flavors they even told me their favorite flavors. If I'm in the area I'll stop by for some fresh tasty ice cream.

The cutest little ice cream joint that is locally owned! A variety of different flavors and the ice cream is great quality. Appreciated that it is open till 9 PM during those hot summer nights!

Yes, you can get McConnells in your local grocery store, but it tastes so much better from the shop. We did a family getaway for a few days in Ventura and stopped by to get some ice cream. Parking is challenging, but there's a small mall nearby (I would recommend parking over there). The shop itself is small and has limited seating inside but a few tables outside to enjoy your ice cream. The selections change daily (?) I believe, but I got a single scoop of earl grey + shortbread and the chocolate chocolate chocolate. It was THE PERFECT combo. Chocolate chocolate chocolate is a must for all my chocolate lovers and the earl grey is also a must for my tea lovers. I believe you can get as many flavors as you want, which is super unique! Service is great, too.

To start with the portions are noticeably smaller. But the prices seem the same. Or close too it. The double scoop was too much ice cream anyway. Here is the good stuff! The ice cream is still the best. Better than the Mc Connell in the store. The place is simple and clean. I believe the only tables were outside. This is my go too ice cream even know it is 125 miles from my house. It is worth it. I recommend this place, totally.

This is a super small location of the McConnell's franchise and it was delicious. If you aren't paying attention, you may miss it as it is kind of tucked into a corner on a street. I ordered the sea salt cream and cookies and my fiancée ordered the vegan strawberry sorbet and they were both very tasty

My favorite ice cream spot in Ventura! I almost wish I never tried it 'cause it's added a couple extra Lbs to my waist, haha. Well worth it, though. The employees behind the bar are always friendly and willing to let you sample a few flavors before you make a choice. They rotate flavors, so it's hard to choose sometimes. Some of my favorites are the honey cornbread, salted caramel cookies and their Turkish coffee- yum. Simple, no frills, tasty ice cream. There's some benches outside to sit and enjoy a scoop with some friends. Happy employees, great ice cream= happy customers :)

I got the earl grey shortbread, honestly my favorite flavor here. The shortbread melts in your mouth it's so chewy! The staff here is really friendly and helpful when it comes to choosing a flavor. It's a cute little shop on the corner.

Haven't been back to McConnell's for a while and randomly saw one in Ventura as we were driving to dinner in that area. I had to stop by and check it out. The selections weren't as extensive compared to the dtla location. I saw that they had Turkish coffee flavor so asked for a single scoop in a cup. It came out to little over six dollars. Because I am a huge fan of their ice cream, I was willing to splurge. However, it wouldn't be something I buy on a daily basis. For the price, I can't justify how a single scoop can cost so much. Then again, how can you justify an eight dollar cup of coffee? Regardless, it was delicious. Great treat!

Outstanding ice cream and very unique flavors. Love the Earl Grey tea flavored ice cream.

Ouch. We went out of our way because of the See's candy ice cream from McConnell's, but they don't have it at this location. We still got 3 singles and a kids scoop which came to more than $30! To top it off, the inside is hotter than it is outside and our ice cream was soup before we finished it.

Great local ice creamery. I love their coffee, peanut butter, or mint chip ice cream. My kids dig their peppermint, bubblegum, and strawberry flavors. My bride is usually sticks with their mint chip, but can be persuaded by the cookies and cream option. Grandpa is always offering to that the family because he can't help getting himself a cone.

Never been to this location before but been a lifelong lover of McConnells since they used to host Summer Fridays at my company in 2012. Whenever I pass thru SB or am at Grand Central, I always stop by for a double scoop. This review is for the old White man who works there, he has a white goatee. He was so adorable, outgoing, and fun. Also, he had a fire playlist of reggae jams that would probably be great to blaze to. Also, the young woman with dark and curly hair was great about getting us samples while moving the line along, too.

A small place with a big flavor for all things in an Ice Cream shop....OMG...this is premier ice cream flavor at its best. Worth every scoop...and my favorite "go-to"??? Turkish Coffee flavored Ice Cream--the best hands down!!! Don't get me wrong....the other flavors are extraordinary delectable treat and a cut above all other places....and I travel from the town over just to have this ice cream......and it's worth it....

Just give me a Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate single scoop on a waffle cone and I'm good. That's perfection! My wife loves the dairy free options and recently got the Cherry chocolate chip flavor and she approved it. Prices are great and the worker are awesome. Best ice cream place in the 805, nuff said. If you love ice cream, this place is worth checking out!

Delicious ice cream with so many favors to choose from! The lines can be long, but it goes quick. Definitely, a favorite for great ice cream!

This little place is a local hot spot! The gelato is so delicious! I highly recommend the caramel banana flavor and the Brazilian coffee! My husband and I love to come here. There's a lot of outdoor seating and a lot of flavors to choose from. Last time I tried the chocolate covered strawberries flavor, it was good too, but the caramel flavors are my favorite! Oh! So yummy! When you go in you can taste test too! Friendly and fun employees too! This location gets 5 stars because it's one of the best ice cream spots around if not the very best! Great location! Great customer service! Ample outdoor seating! Great flavors! Free Samples! Fun place to go on a date or bring the kids! Prices are decent too!

Truly amazing, delicious ice cream. It tastes handmade like what your grandma made when you were a kid. It's incredible! So creamy and rich. A little scoop goes a long way. It's so decadent! Amazing service- they will let you mix flavors in a single scoop or kids scoop, which is nice. You can sample anything you want if you're unsure what to pick. The inside is clean and cute. The bathroom could use a little work but other than this is a perfect little shop and you should go get some ice cream from them! Yummy!

Ok ok ok I get the hype now. I didn't know which flavor to choose. I wanted chocolate chocolate chocolate and sea salted caramel, but I didn't want to get 2 scoops. The worker said he could do half and half, and so I got both! They were delicious!!! They had the cutest little table outside for kids that my little ones enjoyed sitting at. It was a pleasant little pit stop on a busy day running errands. The price wasn't bad in comparison to other ice cream parlors either. We'll be pulling over more often for this sweet treat!

Mighty fine Icecream. Love it here. The vibe is the best. Cute quaint local family owned icecream shop near Ventura Pier and beach and downtown charm. Especially appreciated all of the outdoor tables to appreciate our warm and sunny SoCal days and ocean breeze. Loved the selection of quality flavors. Our favorites were the coffee flavored and the salted chocolate caramel. Creamy smooth deliciousness. Welcoming and helpful staff. Will visit and crave again and again!

Local resident been sometime since we've been here- the place still smells of sewer and had for years despite remodel. I've put this aside. But now the ice cream is not the same, lacks flavor and glam that it had for many years, I will no longer go back, they've lost a local life time customer. Only positive thing is the crew working was polite

McConnells has THE BEST ice cream (and you know they're good when you can find them in grocery stores too!). Their Earl Grey Tea & Shortbread will always be a favorite, and their Eureka Lemon & Marionberries is also delicious. Wish parking was easier - it can be a bit of a pain sometimes. But they have lovely outdoor seating - perfect to enjoy your ice cream on a nice day. A great choice for your ice cream fix.

The ice cream is always off the charts! The service is always great and the location is kept clean. My only issue is there can be some shady characters that hang around outside.

Such a sweet little spot tucked away. My son says the ice cream is 'all the stars, it's delicious'

The ice cream here is top tier. I've visited many countries and traveled across the USA as well. Not a single ice cream shop can top McConnells. I first stopped by as it looked like a cute mom and pop shop. I later found out it's somewhat of an area chain of ice cream shops?! I've tried the one in SB near the train and it wasn't the same (cost/sizes/and overall vibes) What I'd said would be an "occasional treat" has become a staple for our family.

Great variety of homemade ice cream. Decent prices and you can sample as many flavors as you like. My first 2 I picked I'd go back!

Not as good as the locations in SB, but still good This location has different flavors than SB, however i prefer the flavors there. The icecream is firmer here as well. Samples come in a tiny paper cup instead of a spoon. No cookies. Location is small. Enter through the left. They only have 2 ppl working so it gets backed up and ppl make it impossible to form a proper Line due to the weird backwards L shape of the room (short entrance, longer pay aisle). Dairy free options available at the register. It gets loud here and hard to hear staff. It would be better to have 3 ppl working (with 1 as a dedicated cashier) instead of 2. Overall good icecream, just a little bummed when comparing it to the Sb locations!

Came here 2 days in a row while visiting Southern California. Had the birthday sprinkle & sea salt cream & cookies. This is probably the best ice cream I have ever had! I was ecstatic when I saw my local grocery store selling some flavors by the pint.

Love McConnells! Their ice cream is hard to beat. It's expensive, for sure, but it just has a taste that's unbeatable. Almost all of the flavors I've tried I've loved, and I'm usually a picky person. My go-to favorites are chocolate chip, pistachio, mango sorbet, and turkish coffee. Their service is always fast even when there's a small crowd. This location is small but a popular local destination. What I really love about this local McConnells is that they fundraise with local schools or organizations, and that means a lot. I'm much more willing to stop in and buy some ice cream if it part of the profit is going to a local school or cause.

The ice cream is amazing, staff was very kind and patient, and the place is super cute as well!

Got a milkshake from here and it was good. The staff were friendly and nice and my order was completed quickly.

Had the chocolate chip toasted almond ice cream and it was very good. Service was great, the mood there was alive. Playing up beat music.

Cute little ice-cream shop! Currently only taking to-go orders only and no sampling. The ice-cream is still just as delicious-- my fav flavors: the vanilla beam & turkish coffee is a must-try! (difference between turkish coffee and brazilian coffee flavor is the grounded espresso beans in the turkish coffee). Best ice-cream around!

I have to admit I didn't really want to come here but my husband insisted and I'm so glad he dragged me here! I sampled their birthday cake, their churro, and the chocolate strawberry and they were all excellent. I do wish they had told me I could get multiple flavors in a "single" size because I ordered a double thinking that was my only way to get two flavors. However, the staff was very sweet and gave me a lid so that I could save my large portion for a different day. I'll be back for more flavors!

Great ice cream spot with some outdoor seating. A fan favorite to visit for a quick fix for ice cream whether it's a scoop or a milkshake. They don't allow indoor ordering still so you'll order outside and they'll bring the order to you. Unfortunately, this also means no sampling. A few different flavors on a daily basis, but some do run out like cookies and cream.

McConnell's Ice Cream truly went above and beyond my expectations and to say that they redeemed themselves would be an understatement. Over a month ago I visited the Ventura location and got a brownie sundae and it was tragic. To make up for it, they gave me a $10 certificate for my next visit, and when I picked up the certificate a couple of weeks ago, they said I can use the certificate another time and whatever I wanted that day would be on the house. Wasn't expecting that at all, and I am so grateful for the workers that day, and today when I got to use the $10 certificate! Three workers in particular (forgot to get their names), but one was a guy with short hair and glasses if I remember correctly, and a girl with long black hair in two pigtails, and another girl with dark curly hair helped me that day and today. They hooked it up and have been beyond helpful. For that, they truly deserve 5 stars, and if I could give a higher rating I would. Ice cream aside, the service those 3 provided to me was amazing.

The ice cream here is phenomenal. This spot is very tiny with limited seating available. There is some seating outside, but I wouldn't say it's the most comfortable. With that being said, the ice cream is amazing. Ball out and get the Sunday. It's worth it. There might be a line, but don't be discouraged because the workers move FAST.

Adjacent to the shadow of a regular motel on an open corner, you can't miss McConnells and you shouldn't miss McConnells. They have a super imaginative menu of flavors that I just had to try more than one scoop. Take, for example, Earl Grey Tea, Snickerdoodle, Churros con Leche, or Toasted Coconut Almond Chip! Here's the ones I decided on: Turkish Coffee - 5 stars You'll be doing cartwheels after mouthing this wondrous coffee ice cream - the depth and length of finish on the palate is amazing. It's well balanced - not too sweet, or heavy or caffeine crazy. Eureka Lemon & Marionberries - 3 stars For tart flavored lovers, this won't disappoint - it's almost like you're eating marionberry pie, it's fresh, creamy and tongue smacking tart! It's more one-dimensional than the other choices, nonetheless an excellent yummy choice. Honey & Cornbread Cookies You can actually bite into small bits of cornbread in this fantasctically creative concoction. The accompanying honey of course leads you to think about the fried chicken your grandmother made alongside your cornbread. This is an easy stop you can make any time of the day - the line at nighttime is shorter of course, but that probably depends on the weather too. The only downside is they don't allow samples, presumably due to COVID, but a bummer.

McConnells has been my favorite ice cream since I first had it in 2013 so I was thrilled to find out I now lived close to a location. All the flavors I've tried are amazing! My go-to are toasted coconut almond chip, double peanut butter chip, and eureka lemon and marionberry. This location is different than the one in downtown Santa Barbara that I frequented. This shop doesn't carry the same flavors as the ones in SB and the waffle cones don't taste as fresh. I don't know if they make them on site like they do in SB. Parking is a bit difficult. There's minimal parallel parking spots right in front of the shop and aside from it usually being busy, it's kind of hard to park there honestly since it's on a big street. It took me a few visits to figure out how to get to the cul de sac in the back of the shop with more parking space. The shop is next to the mall so you could park and walk from there but it's not ideal. Location has some outdoor seating that we have enjoyed in warmer months. Staff is always friendly and ready to provide samples.