McConnell's Fine Ice Creams - San Juan Capistrano

I was having a hard time choosing a flavor, but the staff kindly let me try a few different ones 🍨✨ I ended up getting the Earl Grey and Green Tea flavors — they were not too sweet and just perfect for my taste! Really elegant and smooth 💚 If I ever visit San Juan Capistrano again, I’d love to come back here. Also, I was so surprised when the staff said “thank you” in my native language 😄 It made me feel so happy! Such a fun and heartwarming experience 🥰

Delicious ice cream that typically I can only get at the store! Generous with the samples, very friendly and upbeat staff—even at the end of the day. Salted Carmel & Banana was ridiculous 🤤 We’ll be back with the kids because they’ve got 4 dairy free options including vegan sorbet! Yay! And added bonus, fire pit to sit around outside.

RECOMMENDATION - We will be back. But less often - pricey. (7:30pm Tuesday night) (4 adults) We've been here a few times. The ice cream is good. Great choices. A solid 4.5/5. But the price gets me. Ugh. VALUE - $22.50 - 3/5 - due to price. $7 for a small scoop. - Ordered 3 small scoops. One was in a waffle cone. PORTION SIZE- 5/5 Normal scoops. SERVICE- 5/5 Great and friendly service. They always have helpful servers and are happy to let you try everything. ATMOSPHERE - 5/5 It's located in the new shopping area in San Juan Capistrano. Great environment. Nice place for a date of to lazily shop. Lots of food options. ----- I prefer Handel's ice cream over McConnell's. But the McConnell's location is great for a date.

I tried their Santa Barbara strawberry flavor. It was so creamy and not that sugary. It also had chunks of fresh strawberries in them. I also tried their non dairy chocolate flavor and it was super good. They give you tasters to taste and choose the best flavor to your liking. Their waffle was also fresh and crunchy. A must try for me and a good place to bring kids.

🏃🏾‍♀️💨 RUN, don’t walk, to the best ice cream of your life! This is not Cold Stone, Marble Slab, or even Salt & Straw — great places, but THIS is an experience. 😍😭🙌🏾✨ From the moment we walked in, the staff were so friendly and full of joy. They shared their favorite flavors with us and let us taste-test all of them! Every flavor is handcrafted and takes you on a flavor journey. My personal favorites: ☕ Coffee 🎂 Sprinkle Cake 🍓 Chocolate-Covered Strawberry 🥭🌶️ Mango Chili Eliza, Milan, and Paige were so kind and sweet — they honestly made the trip unforgettable. And then Anthony, the manager, blew us away with his service. We had so much fun here! If I wasn’t moving out of the country, I’d either camp out or work here. 😅 GO AND ENJOY! Perfect spot for a vibe ✨🍦🙂‍↔️ Thank you guys so much!

I came to McConnells Ice Cream in San Juan Capistrano with my husband on a weekend. The line was very long so we figured this must be a good spot. Firstly of all, the ice cream scoops are TINY for the price you pay. I mean, Tiny! I have gone to many great ice cream spots and their scoops are nothing as ridiculous as McConnells. The ice cream flavor is just ok. It’s not creamy, it was more icy which to me does not merit a good ice cream spot. I don’t get the hype. I would not come back as there are many other freshly made ice cream spots that are way better. This is my honest review of this place.

I was so happy to stumble upon McConnell's! It brought back so many great memories from my college days in San Luis Obispo. I've always loved their coffee flavor, with the perfect little kick from the ground coffee beans. My boyfriend tried the mystery flavor, and we had a great time guessing what it was.

Anthony had a great attitude , and awesome customer service. I had never been here $68 later hooked ! My favs are mango sorbet, sea salt cookies and cream! Definitely will be back. Thank you :)

incredible ice cream and fantastic waffle cone!! definitely coming back! love the little center it's in!

The ice cream here is so worth the trip, When we pulled up, the line was already outside the door...like, hello? If that doesn't scream "this dessert is life-changing," I don't know what does. As soon as we walked in, it smelled like someone's grandma was in the back baking cookies, brownies, and every childhood favorite all at once. Honestly if ice cream is not for you gotta go for a cookie, brownie or just to take a whiff of the goodness. As for me I was blessed up to enjoy one of their house-made cones and went with the Eureka Lemon & Marionberries and the Sea Salt Cookies & Cream. Let me just say... AMAZING! It was the tastiest, most delicious ice cream situation I've had in a long time. I would go the distance and stand in line again for a scoop.

One of my favorite ice creams we discovered in Santa Barbara is found here in SoCal tucked away in the small historic town of San Juan Capistrano! This location is in the food hall building of a lively area that have a bunch of other shops. It's a great place to spend the day with kids and family. Service is great, and they do not skimp on the samples till you are ready to order and flavors are rich and delicious!

Staff was very sweet and helpful. They allowed us to sample as many flavors as we wanted. We ended up getting a single scoop of coffee and pumpkin spice latte. The pumpkin had a hint of coffee undertone with light pumpkin flavors. The coffee was very strong espresso flavor which we love! They paired really well together. $7.50 for a single scoop

McConnell's x See's Candies collab.. Two old timers collab ice cream and chocolate. Add the two established companies and it's 170 years of doing something right. My local McConnell's at Grand Central Market doesn't have these collab flavors. The strawberry strawberry creams isn't just full of Santa Barbara strawberries but with swirls of bittersweet chocolate ganache. Boom! I'm glad to get my season's worth of strawberries in a double dose of ice cream scoops. Located in the River Street Ranch area just south of Los Rios District, having McConnell's is refreshing after having Heritage Bbq or visit of the Mission close by.

Love McConnell's and love this location! Such a pleasant experience and service that is provided and such delicious ice cream!

McConnell's is a go-to treat spot in San Juan Capistrano, and while it's usually packed on weekends, I came on a weekday and had no wait. The shop is clean, well-designed, and the staff was super friendly--offering samples and helping us choose without rushing. We tried the Churros Con Leche (like Cinnamon Toast Crunch in ice cream form!) and the Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie, which was the real standout--rich, creamy, and full of texture. Prices were just slightly on the higher end for ice cream and the portion, but the quality makes it totally worth it and it's nothing crazy. Parking is paid nearby in the River Street lot, but you can find free street parking if you don't mind a short walk. There's plenty of outdoor seating right outside, including a cozy fire pit that adds to the charm. Definitely a great spot to grab dessert and hang out--I'll be back to try more flavors!

I'm not the biggest of ice cream fans but every so often, I get this craving and sometimes I just want basic strawberry and then sometimes I want some obscure non traditional flavor and this place really hit the spot with the latter. I had the eureka lemon and marionberry and it was off the charts delicious. Service here is super friendly and employees do well when it's super busy. It's a super bright, cute, and old school looking shop with a modern twist and I will definitely hit up this location next time I'm in the area.

We frequently go to the locations in SB while passing through. So glad there is a location closer to home. The ice cream is creamy, flavorful, decadent-- and no flavor has been unsatisfactory yet. Highly recommend the sees candy flavors they have right now too. It is a bit expensive, but it's a perfect little treat!

went to mcconnells ice cream in sjc! the only other time ive been was at the og location in sb so it was nice to visit a storefront again! i ended up getting an earl grey ice cream which had shortbread cookies mixed in, and a sees candies collab, strawberry with strawberry creams! it was a strawberry and chocolate ice cream. both really yummy~ i really liked the texture and flavor of the earl grey!! would def come back to get that one for sure and the worker helping us was so nice!! she was super generous with the samples and would give us great recommendations :) theres not much seating inside but lots of places to enjoy your ice cream outside! inside was also decorated with cute memorabilia, felt sort of rustic

Really good ice cream! I usually get the coffee flavor at Whole Foods, but this time we visited the actual shop. We tried the Lemon & Berry flavor, which was very good and unique the lemon was tangy and the berries added a nice sweetness. The Mango was also great not overly sweet, just right. The service was excellent. They let me split one scoop into two cups, which I really appreciated, and they offered samples of different flavors too. The place is cozy and welcoming definitely a nice spot to enjoy a treat.

San Juan Capistrano, Ca. Have I had better ice cream? Sure, plenty of times. McConnell's however, is always consistent in their quality and I know what to expect. They have an assortment of flavors that appeal to grown ups and are not excessively sweet. The texture is excellent and there are no guar gum trails visible while enjoying one's cone. The cones here are perfectly crunchy, with great flavor. One of the few cones I even bother to remember.

Great ice cream joint! Came in and the employee was super personable and friendly! I wish I knew his name to give him a shout out, but he didn't have a name tag or else I would have remembered! He was super fun and jokey and not just robotic! The shop is cute and totally screams its brand, but not in a tacky way. And now the best part the ice cream! I got a two scoop sundae. The ice cream no matter what the flavor is definitely high quality. Besides the flavors I bought I sampled a fair share of what they had to offer and all were delicious! I did go with sweet cream caramel brownie, and sea salt cream and cookies with whipped cream, almonds and crushed up waffle cone. I wish I wouldn't have got caramel on the sundae as the ice cream themselves had so much flavor. That was my mistake. I definitely plan on coming back and redeeming myself and to just eat some more ice cream!

Went on a weekend and River Street Marketplace was super busy and there was a line outside McConnell's, but it only lasted for 10 minutes or so. I tried a bunch of flavors and settled on a split scoop of Chocolate Covered Strawberry and Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie in a waffle cone. The website's description of the ice cream matches spot-on with the actual taste. Both flavors were dense, pure-flavored with smooth, consistent textures. And the waffle cone was the cherry to top, because it seemed freshly made and and was super yum.

I visited the McConnell's location at the River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano. No line on a Wednesday at 6 pm. The employees were so so friendly & kind. As soon as I said I was curious about one of the flavors, one of the employees quickly asked if I'd like a sample & continued to check if we wanted to try other flavors. After several delicious taste tests, I ended up going with the sweet cream caramel brownie & the banana cream with toffettes. They have their pints up for display & ready to be purchased in a fridge area as well. Excited to visit again!

I always hit up McConnell before taking Amtrak home from SBA. I'm happy now that I don't have to travel so far. McConnell is located at The River Street Market across the tracks in San Juan Capistrano. This place is a must if you love ice cream. I ordered my cup from one of the friendly employees and enjoyed it outside at one of the picnic tables. Just like SBA this will be my stop before heading home from San Juan Capistrano.

This is the first time I heard my son comment that there were so many good flavors in an ice cream shop! It's true, and I liked how you could get 2 flavors in a single cup, though he pointed out that we should do a flight of 5 scoops next time. True that!

LOVE that they put this in the River Street Marketplace. We've been to the Santa Barbara location and the ice cream is such great quality with good quality ingredients and amazing flavor. We got two flavors: the sea salt cream and cookies and sweet cream caramel brownie. Both were delicious! It's a little cute ice cream shop and they always have a long line, but service is quick so it goes fast, and workers are super sweet and helpful!

McConnell always consistently makes really yummy ice cream! Either from the typical ice cream or their fruity options or sherbet, they are all so good! My usual go-to is the mint chips. I had a taste of Marian-berries and it was very delicious too. Service is always great here and the vibe is friendly! If you see McConnell, make sure to stop by!

Had dinner at a nearby restaurant and decided to walk around and find a sweet treat afterwards. We walked in and the staff member working was super nice and friendly! We got a split scoop of the earl grey & cookies and the lemon & marionberry! It was very yummy especially eating by the fireplace outside on a cold night

So happy we got to have McConnells again- we have had it in solvang and it never disappoints. This location is beautiful, and the service was amazing. They were so friendly and my son asked for the mystery ice cream, where you let the server choose your flavors, she did such a great job and made it a whole experience. The ice cream is delicious, as to be expected. Such a fun treat. Definitely worth the visit, if you haven't tried them, go check them out.

What a perfect location for this insanely good ice cream and I love the gluten free chocolate cookie crumble. Anthony is the store manager and he is very generous with samples. The grand opening is on Thursday, 12/5/24 They are friendly and aim to please!! Great merchandise too!

Best tasting ice cream at a picturesque location in San Juan Capistrano. Quick service, despite the long line on a Sunday afternoon. Sea salt cream and cookies is my favorite location.

So yummy! Great quality ice cream with delicious and unique flavors (on top of the classic flavors you'd typically find at any ice cream shop). The line can get pretty long, especially if you go on a Sunday afternoon like I did, but it was worth the wait! I couldn't help but want to sample a good amount of their flavors as so many sounded interested, but their staff was helpful and patient while I decided what I wanted. The line also moves fairly quickly, I feel like most people decide what they want pretty quickly after sampling the flavors they were eyeing. Would come back!

Fine ice cream and 5-star service. Aaron helped us and he was beyond friendly and helpful. The girl helping the lady in front of me was beyond professional, friendly, and attentive to a customer who was oblivious to time and others around her. Whomever does the hiring really choose the best employees. They were so friendly regardless of situation or how busy it was. We were there on 10/5/25, around 5:30pm. The ice cream is beyond delicious! Great location.

McConnell's never disappoints! The ice cream is rich, creamy, and full of bold, delicious flavor--truly a premium treat. Every scoop feels like a little indulgence, and it's always worth it. We were lucky to be served by Paige, whose sweet personality made our visit extra special. She was warm, friendly, and added that extra touch of kindness that made our cold treat even sweeter. If you're in San Juan Capistrano, don't miss this spot. Amazing ice cream + great service = perfection!

First time here! The ice cream was very fresh and delicious, the service was awesome, nice music, and I had a wonderful first visit, too.

Best ice cream I've had in a long time. Their ice creams are not only delicious but also so different and refreshing. We had one order of half honey and corn bread and half chocolate chocolate which was number one. My second favorite or even another first favorite was the lemon and something berry. So refreshing and different. The ambiance is like any other restaurant and there is a line to get in but it is very well worth it. As far as the service they nicely offer you all different ice creams to taste before you purchase. Definitely recommend this place if you are in the area.

found this spot while exploring the area. the service was so good. i told her about my peanut allergy and she scooped ice cream from the back room in case of cross contamination from the ones in the front. the price is really affordable for 2 scoops and a waffle cup. the waffle was soft and was easy to eat. def try this place if you are in the area.

Service was prompt, so many good selections to choose from. Love the ice cream, it was so creamy and flavorful.

The ice cream was delicious--flavorful and a good texture. I had a very berryful lemon and blackberry flavor and a strawberry and shortbread cookie selection. My family had various flavors with chocolate and caramel, and we were all happy. The waffle cones were fresh. I appreciate that it is organic, the taster spoons were metal, and everything else was compostable. There is plenty of seating outside. I would like to especially express that the gal behind the counter was above and beyond helpful. We were all hesitating about selecting a flavor, even selecting what to sample, and instead of getting irritated or bored with our indecision, she jumped in and proactively asked the kids if they like chocolate or caramel and then promptly gave each two taster spoons based on their response. Genius! We got unstuck and were able to order. Thanks!

Saw this place on yelp and decided to give it a try. McConnells Fine Ice Cream is located in San Juan Capistrano CA, which is very busy on the weekends. We waited in a long line so our expectations were high as the wait time was long. I ordered the 4 scoop and needless to say the scoops are extremely small. I would say that their 4 scoop would compare to most places 1 scoop of ice cream. The ice cream was good but I wouldn't call it best in the world, I've had way better. It was more icy than I was expecting. The waffle cones were fresh but was different as they didn't have the traditional waffle cone texture and was more puffy and flakey which was odd. Overall for the price of $23 for my 4 scoop and my wife's 2 scoop sundae, and the long wait, I wouldn't come back. It just wasn't worth the wait for us. This is a repost as my last review was flagged for some reason saying this was an inaccurate review and incorrect place. We did eat here and this is a real review of this place.

Ice cream is decent (the waffle cones are not crispy at all, that could use some work), but the service is bad. Especially the guy with longer brown/black hair. He was very rude to our family when we went to pay. Also - as a prior reviewer confirmed - the volume of ice cream is abysmal. I'd recommend going to Handles over here. It's way better tasting, better service, and better portions.

Great spot. Many options, even had a nice selection of Diary free options to pick from. Something for everyone. If you want a real treat this is the spot.

A kind of ice cream fix when you're craving it! Good sized serving of the Churros Con Leche and Earl Grey Tea & Shortbread Cookies in a single cup! Lovely! Generous samplings too makes pleasant service!

Ok don't send me death threats people but this place did not live up to the hype! I have a second stomach for desserts, ice cream included, and this place was just so-so in my book. I tasted at least 5 different flavors and honestly I just bought something bc I felt bad for sampling so many lol. The banana & salted caramel, the lemon & marrionberries, hazelnut latte, sea salt cream & cookies were all disappointing. Not creamy enough, no burst of flavor, not worth the calories. Workers are young and friendly and didn't mind me holding up the line (yes I was THAT indecisive lady lol). The place is clean and fun and it's part of the new hip River Street Marketplace in SJC.

I've been in love with Mcconnell's since I first tried their ice cream years ago. Turkish coffe, mint, and peanut butter have been some of our favorites. My family and I have been to Santa Barbara and visited their store there, now we are so happy to have a closer location. Parking is awful here but the ice cream is worth it! Some of the best I've ever had and my family agrees.

Amazing ice cream. Every flavor I've tried has been good. The service has been great, whether we're getting cones or just buying pints. There is no seating inside but there are a ton of tables outside, to include heaters when it's chilly.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for some really good ice cream, and the new location in SJC is worth a visit. If you've had McConnell's in SB, you know what I'm talking about. I ordered a single with two flavors -- lemon with marionberry and earl grey with shortbread. Both were delicious!

Reposted from my Google review: I was so happy to stumble upon McConnell's! It brought back so many great memories from my college days in San Luis Obispo. I've always loved their coffee flavor, with the perfect little kick from the ground coffee beans. My boyfriend tried the mystery flavor, and we had a great time guessing what it was.

McConnell's has always been one of my favorite ice cream spots ever since I tried it in SB and DTLA. I'm so glad they have a location in OC but apparently so does everyone else in OC. I went on a weekend with friends and waited a solid 45 minutes in line. I'm hoping that it's just because River Street Marketplace is relatively new and that it'll eventually die down. Overall, quality ice cream and really great flavors to choose from. My favorite will forever be the sea salt cream and cookies.

My family went here after lunch to have ice cream! While my daughter and son-in-law had their own and my mother and sister had their own, my wife and I shared two scoops: hazelnut latte and chocolate peanut butter brownie. The ice cream really is delicious: creamy, rich, indulgent and organic. I could clearly taste the ingredients listed on the ice cream: the hazelnut and latte in one scoop and the chocolate, peanut butter and brownie in the other. The service is great but the staff there on the day we went were dealing with long line of customers. The store itself was very crowded with little ambiance per se. After getting our ice cream we went to one of the nearby picnic tables to devour the treat.

This was our first time trying the ice cream here. Usually the lines are too long, but tonight we got lucky with a shorter wait and decided to finally give it a try. We ordered the Sea Salt Cream & Cookies and the Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie. Wow, the Sea Salt Cream & Cookies was the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It was rich and creamy. It instantly became a favorite! The Sweet Cream Caramel Brownie was also delicious.

Yep the same yummy Mc-ice cream I love...despite the calories and heavy cream. Hey no cream, no dream and lower self-esteem. New store and product was a for softer than I prefer but still great. Choose the salted caramel cc and PB caramel chip. Clean, larger store and saves me from going to DTLA, Santa Barbara or the grocery store! I think the 1st store in OC? Someday HB?

Fantastic ice cream and friendly service, ruined by ridiculous pricing. $7.50 for a small (child-size) cup of ice cream. $10.50 for a large (about the size of a normal sized single scoop). Complete ripoff. Absolutely zero value.

Variety of flavors to pick and they are all amazing!! The service was great. They were patience and very friendly. I love the location. Ambiance can be varied depending on what kind of customer is in line. We grabbed a few ice creams and shared while walking around the area. The line can be long but move pretty quick.

Delicious quality ice cream & great customer service! The employee who helped us was super sweet and helpful - we all ended up with flavors we LOVED!! Highly recommend their organic matcha if you're a matcha lover like me. Their salted cookies & cream is also amazing!! Love this spot.

Creamy and delicious ice cream! Place smells fantastic too! Line can be long, but worth the wait. It goes fast. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Flavors I tried were not as intense as I normally expect with premium independent ice cream shops. Lemon/marionberry was excellent but Santa Barbara strawberry was bland. Portion size was small for price charged. Nice space, but no seating inside. Service was good and they moved the line along. Overall this was a meh experience.