Mount Desert Island Ice Cream

We tried True Strawberry and Sea Salt Caramel today. Unfortunately, the Sea Salt Caramel was pretty much inedible around 6/7 minutes after ordering. When ordering, the staff was pleasant and helpful. I tried to order the Sea Salt Caramel in a cone, but the employee asked if she could put it in a bowl instead. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was because the Sea Salt Caramel was not frozen enough or it was such a runny consistency not suitable for a cone. The caramel was stretchy, almost like it was made of cheese. I paid a total of 13.50 (before tip) for two small ice creams, one of which we couldn’t eat (we probably would have had better luck with a straw) so that’s a pretty steep price. The True Strawberry flavor was delicious but without the ability to try the flavor beforehand, ordering is akin to a coin flip.

They don’t have the basic flavors. They don’t do samples. Something about the environment. went with the blue berry option. The other was sorbet. Basil and blueberry. I like the flavor I choose. Could have used a bit more blue Berry.

Simply the best. The flavor choices are fun and the ice cream is, hands down, the best around!

Tried this place for the first time as I explored downtown Portland and wow is it yummy! I got the salted caramel and it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I know others complained about not being able to sample but I personally like this policy. Cuts down on waste + keeps line moving quicker. Service was fast + friendly. I look forward to returning and trying other flavors.

By far the best ice cream in town (I tried them all!), and the most interesting flavors. The only downside is they don’t let you taste samples, which is probably because they have too many very cool flavors.

I believe there is room for improvement in the pricing and product quality at the Mountain High Cream Island shop. The prices seem quite high for the offerings, especially considering that there are no samples available for customers to try before buying. Additionally, the taste of the products could be improved, as it doesn’t quite meet expectations for the price point. A better balance of cost and quality would make a significant difference in customer satisfaction. Just drive around the corner and you would see gelato fiasco one of the good ice cream shops in town.

Truly one of the best ice creams I have ever had. So creamy and thick and my friends agreed to it being one of the best ice creams they’ve had. Sorry didn’t get a pic because didn’t expect to love it so much!

I love everything plain, including ice cream. But the plainest I can get with most ice cream shops is vanilla. So happy they have sweet cream here. Gooey texture and some parts even chewy. I ate so much!

I guess my son and I are adopted New Englanders because we were loving ice cream so much that we had this tasty treat from Mount Desert Island Ice Cream BEFORE dinner (or specifically as "dinner"). I had a double scoop serving of Vietnamese Coffee and Peanut Butter and my son had a chocolate shake. The specialty ice cream choices were interesting and the staff were super friendly and helpful with sightseeing advice. THANK YOU!

MDI is a great spot for lovers of all types of flavors of ice cream--classic AND imaginative. Super creamy. Don't expect to be able to enjoy your ice cream inside their store! Their Exchange Street location is ideal for locals or visitors who have spent all day perusing Old Port and want to finish off the day with a sweet treat while strolling around the cobblestone streets. Yum! At some point they had a Cranberry Bliss Bar-inspired flavor that quite literally knocked my socks off. I tried it a few times back in the madness that was 2020, and paid an exorbitant amount for ICECREAM DELIVERY simply because this flavor was that good. A must try when they offer it!

Very friendly ice cream shoppe in Old Port Portland, Maine. Flavors are fresh and interesting. Would recommend a flight to sample the most variety! Will look to compare to the original in Arcadia

Yummy yummy ice cream! First time at this location. I tried the cinnamon cardamom and it was like an ice cream version of chai. Yum!

One of the only places I know of that have Peanut Butter ice cream, so good!!!! This place does not allow you to try flavors so that sucks! They have a lot of interesting sounding names for ice cream but without being able to try them first I'm hesitant to commit to a scoop of ice cream. Service is hit and miss. No one there is overly friendly, if anything the opposite. I've been met with some rude ice cream servers. That really turned me away from this place but I guess I go back for the Peanut Butter ice cream!

Really nice high quality eye scream with interesting innovative flavors and a clean modern, cozy little storefront.

Very on-the-spur-of-a-moment decision and it was a good one! I was hoping they would give samples because they had a lot of great flavors that we would want to try but no samples here. Cookies and Sweet Cream - This was lovely! Perfect balance of the sweet cream flavor, ice cream and the cookies in there. I would not have minded an entire portion of just this! Sweet Cream ice cream + Oatmeal Cookie plus Peanut Butter Fudge; This was actually on point! Ice Cream had the sweet cream flavor and I could get the strong peanut butter flavor and they were actually chunks of oatmeal cookie in there as well. If you are a fan of this combination, I would totally recommend it. Got it the waffle cone and it was a good one too. Crunchy and fresh!

A pretentious ice cream shop that doesn't allow samples but charges $6.25 for a single scoop of ice cream.

I'm conflicted about MDI Ice Cream: 1) They - HARD STOP - do not allow samples. This is a weird stance to take when all their competitors (within a block; within a mile) do. And those places usually offer unlimited samples too. I've seen so many people walk out of MDI Ice Cream without purchasing anything specifically because of this. 2) The staff isn't always the friendliest. The last time I came, two of them were complaining loudly (as in: you could hear it from the street) about how terrible management was. When we weren't acknowledged, and the queue behind us began to build, we just said our order out loud hoping they might realize there were customers (though the place is so small, it would be impossible not to know). They, continuing to complain at each other, served us... but never once looked at us while doing so. 3) It feels - and visually looks - run down; nothing a deep clean and new coat of paint couldn't help with, y'know? On the opposite hand: 1) Their artisanal ice cream is really good, really creative, and really generous in portions. For my vegan friends, yes, there's options here! Sorbets (of course), but usually at least one exceptional oat option too. I recently had the strawberry and rhubarb crumble, and WOW. I wish I had bought a pint of it instead of just a scoop! PRO TIP (if you live/are staying locally and have a freezer): buy. the. pint. 2) All of their flavors have allergens clearly listed, and that's always appreciated!

The ice cream here especially the Leamington is amazing. The fact that well past the height of Covid they're not offering samples is absolutely ridiculous. Except during the height of Covid -- when it was understandable -- I've never been to an ice cream shop that didn't offer samples in my entire life.

We walked here to try and enjoy some ice cream however they are closed. Which we checked before we walked over here. Very disappointed. It is Wednesday and they show they are open on their sign but the lights are off and door is locked.

Delicious ice cream and a very friendly and helpful staff. A large serving that made me worry about dropping the ice cream - a great problem to have.

No samples so we had to quiz them to narrow down our choice. I liked the blueberry lemon. My kid picked the sweet cream which I thought would be boring but I actually enjoyed it. For our third choice we got strawberry which was also good. I also liked that they could add the cone on top but serve it in a bowl. The cone was good. It was a little pricey but it really hit the spot. It gets the thumbs up from us.

After my meal at the Thirsty Pig, I spotted this location and thought..... local, fresh and ice cream, sure why not. This place is simple decor but very welcoming. The staff was so friendly and helpful. I ordered a single scoop waffle cone with their Blueberry Sour-cream and crunch. Must go and get more is what I thought when it was gone. Don't miss out while in Portland, ME for this is a must stop and eat till you have to rolled to your next stop.

Yum! One scoop, which, by the way is a big scoop...had the blueberry basil sorbet, and it was amazing! Savory and sweet, really fun combination. Hubs had a pint of maple pecan, and it had chunks of pecans, it was creamy and disappeared quickly. Would definitely recommend this cute place!

We first tried Mount Desert Ice Cream at Bar Harbor and had to make a stop in Portland on our way back home. Get the flight (3 scoops) to really get your money's worth! They have great seasonal flavors and the texture is truly wonderful.

Overall, my experience was OK. The lady who helped me was not that friendly. Anyhow , we choice this place because they have vegan options. We didn't really enjoy our chosen favor. We had the caramelize pear which was overly sweet. Didn't taste like pear more like apple pie with strong cinnamon taste. And they don't have strawberry flavor ice cream only blueberry. Bug difference as a alternative. Lol

The salted blueberry and honeycomb is excellent. Can't remember what I ordered for the rest, nothing great but not too shabby either.

Solid place to get ice cream in Portland! We came here after a late lunch and there was a small crowd inside. Their service works pretty fast though and they had a decent amount of flavors anyway so it took a bit to decide what we ultimately wanted. They have a variety of flavors and types of ice cream that cater to various dietary restrictions so you're bound to find something you like! I settled on cookies n cream, a chocolate vegan flavor, and a blueberry based ice cream. The dessert wasn't overly creamy in any way and I found the ice cream to be a really nice consistency - overall no complaints! The vegan chocolate flavor definitely had a different texture, but that's to be expected since of course there was no dairy inside it. I will say that they gave one of our party members just straight up the wrong flavor ( cinnamon instead of Vietnamese coffee ), but we didn't end up acknowledging it due to the amount of people waiting after us and the taste was actually pretty good. Overall I wouldn't mind coming back to try more of their flavors to see if I can find a new favorite!

If you like ice cream, this place is not for you. My friend read reviews on here raving about the peanut butter milkshake so she ordered that while I looked through the ice cream options to decide what I wanted. It took a while to decide because the do NOT offer samples (there are 3 signs by the ice cream to remind you not to ask for a sample). I chose 2 flavors of ice cream and my friend got her shake back. We paid $15 for the two of us and walked out the door. I have no idea what the texture was, but it was not creamy. I had to bite into it, and it was a little crunchy... I have no clue what made it crunchy because I got chocolate and sea salt caramel ice cream. Great value ice cream has better texture than this. The flavors were okay, but a bit too strong and left a filmy feeling in my mouth when I was done. My friend took two sips of her PB milkshake and wanted to throw it away. It was like someone just stirred a spoonful of peanut butter into a glass of milk. There was only one worker there and she was okay. Not really friendly or helpful, but would you be overly enthused to scoop lack luster ice cream?

Bottom Line: Good ice cream with some unique flavors. My husband and I first encountered MDI Ice Cream in Bar Harbor and we were glad to stumble upon another location in Portland. We visited on two occasions and both times the staff was friendly. This ice cream brans is known for having some unique flavors like Blueberry Basil but they also have classics like strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, etc. Since I'm risk adverse and they don't offer samples I played it safe on all of my visits with flavors like salted caramel, coffee, and chocolate. My husband bravely ordered a blueberry buttermilk but didn't like it as much as some of the more classic flavors. One up side to them not offering samples is that the line moves faster. The store is clean with a handful of seats inside.

I love this ice cream place!! They have sooooo many flavors! Note: they aren't doing samples anymore. I got a single which was pretty large (only get a double if you didn't eat lunch that day). The guy working was amazing and let me get 4-5 flavors in my single. After trying it again I think my favorite flavor is caramel pear. I also got the blueberry sour cream, peach, honey baked apple and Maine sweet cream. I think the apple, pear and sweet cream were my favs. My boyfriend got girl scout (which was a thin mint) and coffee. He said the single was a little too large for him! The thin mint was soooo good. I wish he got more flavors like the brigadeiro. I keep coming here and I'll be back!

Wouldn't go back or recommend. They don't give you samples, after getting my ice cream I would have gotten a different flavor had they given me a sample. Also ridiculously expensive for ice cream. Limited seating so will likely have to walk and eat somewhere else

Excellent ice cream. Not too sweet. Inventive flavors. Definitely coming back. It's good.

The sweet & salty peanut butter milkshake is the best thing that's ever blessed my taste buds.

I had the Bay of Figs and the Salted Caramel ice cream. Even better than I expected it would be! Really kind service and really delicious ice cream! The fig ice cream was surprising and wonderful. It had the fruit like a fig newton and the ice cream was realllyyyyy good!

Fantastic flavor selection of ice cream. We got a flight to try 4 different flavors. The strawberry rhubarb was delicious and the lemon poppy jam had such a great consistency with the poppy seeds.

The entire experience was awesome, it's a small store front with a lot to offer! Friendly welcoming employee's, a lot of cool variety of flavors and big scoops. I got Madagascar vanilla and he got cookies and cream with sprinkles. Will definitely come back for our sweet fix in the near future

Adventurous and unique flavors, but wasn't the very smooth consistency I was hoping for.

Best ice cream I've ever had. Try and prove me wrong. We ate there once in Portland and twice in Bar Harbor. In four days. One evening after having a big lunch, we had only ice cream for dinner. This place will make you do that.

I've lived in Maine and walked by this location for years in the touristy old port and hadn't thought to try Mount desert Island ice cream before. Popped in on a freezing winter night after checking out the wide variety of unique flavor options and had company visiting. The Basil flavored ice cream was something I had never seen elsewhere so had to try it out. Dense, creamy and definitely tasted like real basil! Would I get it again? Maybe- but I'd want to try out some other options that sound good too. Ice cream is never cheap when you get it out- and this was a little more expensive, but I'd definitely try again especially given the unique flavors and quality. Small inside to eat your ice cream lacking space to hang out, but lots of nearby outdoor options (when it's not winter) to enjoy.

Ice cream flavors were intriguing, but it was disappointing that the server stuck his entire head (no head covering) into the ice cream case while he scooped the ice cream. He also did not wear gloves!

This place was good! Had the blueberry buttercream which was pleasant, it tasted faintly of blueberry. I think I would get the basil ice cream next time. There's a short bar area where you can sit.

So many really fun and unique flavor options - was really hard to make a decision, but I am sure all of them are absolutely delightful! Even though it was busy, service was still great! Great little post lunch treat!

Incredibly creative flavors that you'll find no place else. In addition to ice cream, they have sorbet and vegan/oat milk selections as well. Super polite service and open late usually. Love this place!

My friends and I went here twice during our short trip to Portland because it's just so good!!! The butterbeer and spicy chai flavors are to die for. One of the best ice creams I've had in my lifetime. If you're ever in Portland, Maine, definitely visit this place!

Huge wait but it was delicious! Service was friendly and efficent, and they have tons of heat flavor options. It's a touch pricey but normal for the area. We had coffee and cookies and cream topped with hot fudge and whipped cream, and then root beer with bit fudge and chocolate sprinkles. We are every bite lol! Three types of cones and some sundae style options as well. A perfect after dinner great while walking down the Old Port area!

Amazing ice cream and even non-dairy ice cream options. Found them on Yelp while visiting Portland. Would definitely come back.

We got the triple - similar to other reviews, all the flavors weren't necessarily super creamy, but it was still satisfying. The flavors didn't blow me away though. 1. Salted caramel - this was nice, but nothing mind-blowing. 2. Butterbeer - this was like a root beer float flavor, which was just fine as well. 3. Honey baked apple - this was the most interesting, and matched with the other flavors as well. Next time I get this, I might just go for something more standard that I know I'll enjoy like cookies and cream.

Blueberries and cardamom ice cream DELICIOSO . Can't go wrong with a y of the flavors. Best ice cream en el mundo mundial.

Hands down my favorite ice cream on the east coast! One of my favorites in the country. I know that's a big statement....but I don't say it unless it's spot on!! This place is spot on! I've had several of their flavors even if it wasn't my "jam" it was still spot on. Definitely give it a go!

Very good ice cream! Long line, but oh well. The flavor selection isn't huge and it wasn't my favorite ice cream in maine but I did like it a lot. Both the blueberry crumble and brigadeiro flavors were great.

Oh Portland. I am so glad you are close by so I can venture around sampling all the tasty treats to offer. Mount Desert Island is no exception. There were about a dozen or so flavors available and I ordered the coriander and lemon curd (any dessert-type item w/lemon in it will surely get a yes please from me). It was a really delicious combination! Refreshing and really well-balanced out. Yum. The only thing like so many ice cream places these days, sigh, is the amount-to-cost ratio. For 2.5 or so 'lil scoops of ice cream in a Dixie cup, it ran around $5. Sigh. I know there are other ice cream shops that for that price point will give you quite a bit more. Otherwise, the flavor and quality of the ice cream was great, and I'd come back to check out the other flavors in rotation.

The strawberry ice cream was ok, and my daughter enjoyed her salted caramel/cookies and cream. We didn't quite understand why the cone was placed in a cup due to COVID-19, but it made things messy considering the size of the cup it was served in. My son had a peanut butter milkshake, and it was, well, milky. The peanut butter flavor was present, but there was too much milk and not enough ice cream for our liking.

Bummer! Yep that's what I've said on a few occasions visiting Mount Desert Island. The ice cream here is great but they sell out fast of the flavors I'm interested in which is really annoying. I guess that's partially my fault for not being open to trying new flavors but still, the flavors I'm interested in, The Dude (cookies and cream) and Vanilla seem like flavors that any ice cream shop should have extra on hand. Yesterday evening, aside from those flavors, they had a few other flavors out as well, which was a bummer. One big plus is that Mount Desert Island is open late and is walking distance from many local restaurants after dinner. Here's hoping that on future visits they will have more of the popular flavors on reserve.

Yum!! We made sure to stop by the infamous Mount Desert Ice Cream while hanging out in Old Port on a hot summer day. They make their own ice creams and sorbets and they don't shy away from the more adventurous flavor combinations. I like the more basic flavors so I stuck with the Maine Sweet Cream. It was rich and creamy and I enjoyed the consistency of it. My friend opted for the grapefruit sorbet and mentioned it was really refreshing and tasty. I sampled some of the more adventurous flavors and while they were TOO complex for my simpleton taste buds I appreciated what they were trying to do haha.

Really good unique Ice cream flavors! Had fresh basil and coriander lemon curd ice cream.

The ice cream was incredibly amazing! from the price to the customer service. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to this place, I'll forever be a regular THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT ICE CREAM

Get the Vietnamese coffee ice cream. You won't regret it! They have a variety of classic and some very different flavors. Note, their portions sizes are HUGE! I ordered a small and got about 2 scoops of ice cream. I wanted to try their blueberry flavor which is supposed to be fantastic, but they were out both times I went to visit. Now I have a reason to go back!

Here's the sad sad story of a girl who simply wanted an ice cream sundae after a long, hot day. I'd heard good things about this place so I was excited to try it out. It's small and was pretty packed, and there was only one staff member serving/ working the cash register. There was another person there too but she wasn't really doing anything... it all seemed disorganized to me. I won't hold the service against them. The girl was clearly very tired and asked me several times to repeat my order, but she apologized for it. It's the food itself that gets the bad review. I ordered a small sundae with the sweet cream ice cream. They allow you to choose one topping and a sauce. I ordered the "hot fudge". Why the quotations, you ask? Because the fudge simply was not hot. I watched her pour it out of a squeeze bottle that was sitting on the counter and it immediately froze and got goopy on the ice cream, rather than dripping and melting the top layer of the ice cream like proper hot fudge should. I would expect this had I ordered a hot fudge sundae at a Denny's, but this is an upscale ice cream shop in downtown Portland. You have to have a quality sundae to even be considered a worthy ice cream place. The cherry on top-- or lack thereof-- was, "oh sorry, we are out of whipped cream and cherries"... again, not their faults, but can this really be called a hot fudge sundae at this point? I'm gonna go with no. Sorry, but there are too many great ice cream places in Portland for me to ever waste my time here again.