Came here craving ice cream and left as a big fan of this local ice cream shop. Great flavors that aren't overly sweet and some vegan options. Spacious and friendly environment with a dog friendly outdoor seating in front. The also have a bike that can be used for off site catering which my wife and I thought about hiring for our baby's first birthday. Limited street parking in front read more

I am so sorry but I just wasn't impressed. Came in last Tuesday evening and the staff were awesome - so friendly and helpful. But the whole place smelled awful, like old mop water or dirty towel. I sampled a couple of ice creams, which were good, but to be honest nothing was a must-have. They didn't have anything chocolate besides plain chocolate - I was wishing for like a moose tracks or rocky road. I ended up with the puppy chow ice cream, which was good and had chunks of the cereal mix. My husband enjoyed the coffee pistachio. I really wanted to love and support this family-owned spot. Just felt lacking in exciting flavors, and the smell was really overwhelming and made me question the cleanliness of the store. read more

Amazing ice cream! We stopped by this place on a freezing Saturday evening but that didn't stop us from enjoying some scoops. We both tried the honey comb crunch and the peppermint brownie. They were super creamy with lots of chunky ingredients. I love that a number the flavors use local vendors. The store is whimsical and fun. Lots of light, bright murals and plenty of space for seating. The staff was super friendly and let us try a few flavors before picking. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bartleby's Ice Cream is some of the best ice cream I've ever had. The flavors are amazing and there are so many great options to choose from. The shop itself is really cute and made the perfect place to host a birthday celebration. They were also incredibly accommodating. They allowed us to bring in our own food and provided a great space for our group to gather and celebrate. It made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. If you're looking for delicious ice cream and a fun, cozy spot for a small party or celebration, Bartleby's is a fantastic choice. read more

Great location in the neighborhood. I love that they have homemade flavors and collabs with local places! The honeycomb flavor is AMAZING. Only complaint is that they ran out of their only sorbet flavor - they said there would be more tomorrow, so we will be back! Tons of seating. Check social media for fun posts and events. read more

We had such a great experience at Bartlebys! We planned our little one's party last minute, and the staff (especially Rachel!) was so nice and easy to work with. They were really accommodating and made things feel so simple. The space was perfect for the kids, and everyone had such a fun time. We'd definitely have another party there! read more

Brought the whole family here (2.5 yo, newborn, husband) here for a fundraiser for a mutual aid org I used to work with and we're so glad we did! the ice cream was so delicious -- I got the chocolate and cookies and cream and shared it with my toddler. The split single was the perfect amount while still getting 2 flavors. Service was a little slow but they were busy due to the event so it's understandable! I'm glad they had outdoor seating even in November because we're still cautious with bringing our newborn indoors until he gets his shots. Not only did they have a lot of specialty gluten free options for ice cream flavors, it looks like they also do gluten free ice cream cakes too! read more

A new ice cream parlor opened in town! Go check it out. Great to take the toddlers for an evening dessert. A couple of Bartleby's ice cream flavors are collaborations with local businesses such as Koval, Katherine Ann Confections--making it more near and dear to heart. Make sure you sample the ice cream as some may be more icy shards than you may expect. read more

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Bartleby's is a cute ice cream shop in the city that's independently owned and was a great choice for my friend's annual ice cream social. Street parking was easy and we were able to try samples. They have limited flavors but several were tempting. It wasn't the best ice cream I've had, but it was decent. With so many ice cream choices I wouldn't seek this place out but would come again if we're in the neighborhood. read more

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Stopped by here recently and have to admit, while the ambiance is cute, and the location is nice... the ice cream really was not good. I got a cone of the birthday cake flavor. It had hardly any flavor and left such a waxy feel in my mouth, which was gross. I only ate about half and then threw out the rest. My boyfriend got a scoop of key lime pie and couldn't even taste the key lime flavor, it was just super bland. Just a disappointing experience overall. I *love* ice cream, and 100% would've preferred a tub of Tillamook over this. read more

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I don't know if this place was a little too overhyped to me before I visited, but part of me wonders if it was? Had kinda been wondering about this place for quite a while, and am glad I finally got around to visiting. It's like to me the ice cream was good, and I like how clean the interior was. Decor is nice, and patio looks good if weather was warmer. It's just the pricing for this place is what dings Bartleby's down a little bit to me. I don't remember the exact name of the flavor, but their banana ice cream flavor was good. But still, I was disappointed that an ice cream sandwich costed something like $8.88 after tax. I did buy it anyway, since I wanted to see how their ice cream sandwich measured up against other ice cream places. The custard sandwich at Scooter Custard is a better value, if you ask me. So to me this place isn't bad, but my heart just prefers i.e. Scooter's Custard or Margie's over this place. I wouldn't be against trying Bartleby's again, but hate to say it this wouldn't be my 1st choice for ice cream or custard. read more

A lovely neighbourhood spot to enjoy delicious ice cream including the vegan ice cream. My favourite was honey crunch ice cream and chocolate orange sorbet. Everything we tasted and tried was wonderful! Amazing and welcoming staff!! If you are in the area, this place is highly recommended. If you are at Basant enjoying delicious Indian food, stop here next door for some ice cream!! read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good ice cream at very reasonable prices with inspired flavors highlighting other local, small businesses. Bartleby's is a brand new ice cream spot next to Basant Modern Indian in Lincoln Square, a welcome addition to an exciting part of town. We were very pleased to see such exciting, unique flavors, along with many vegan options and tons of different toppings (though they can get a little pricey here). The scoops themselves are very reasonable, which is lovely to see. Samples are offered like most spots, and there are plenty of flavors to try. The ice cream is good, not great, somewhere just below Jeni's, but not at the level of Black Dog, Paolo, or even Scooter's or the Sundae Stop of ole. The ice cream serves a little more like a vehicle for the incredible chunks of goodies in it, like the Honeycomb Crunch. You end up just wanting the crunch. The vanilla, in particular, and similar to Jeni's, is a little too milky. This was also the case with the cookies and cream, just not much flavor to the ice cream at all, more milk than vanilla, and you end up searching for the cookies. Other flavors we tried were interesting, but not quite at that wow level of layers of flavor and a memorable bite. But, they have a really nice concept going, it's very early, and it's a much needed option with incredible hours for ice cream lovers. The young staff is very pleasant and polite; however, as time goes on, I do hope management figures out a slightly better system of ordering. When you walk in, the line immediately snakes to the right around a metal railing. Certainly not ideal, but they are kind of limited by the logistics. Not a bad first visit, but not a particularly memorable one either. I'll be curious to see where they are in a few months as operations get smoother and some new things are tried out. There's a great idea here that I think can only improve over time. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super cute interior, unique ice cream flavors, good location! They also have ice cream for pups read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just okay. Chicago doesn't know ice cream. At least this place is homemade. Chocolate was a lil above average as it should be more for homemade. The butter pecan bourbon tastes like it had souls of three geriatric in it. Just okay quality home made ice cream here. Never thought I'd say that but it is read more

There are a lot of excellent ice cream places in Chicago, but for me this truly takes the cake!!! I have tried so many flavors here - and I swear every one is truly delicious. What is additionally impressive is that they have nondairy flavors too- that are also delicious!! As someone who is newly lactose intolerant- I truly appreciate this. The store is also adorable - and has a great room for rentals complete with ice cream related "toys" for kids. Plenty of outdoor seating for those that love to enjoy a summer night. I hope to try one of their cakes for someone's Birthday someday soon ! Staff is incredibly friendly too :)) read more

Took the kids here on a quiet Saturday afternoon and it was a perfect spot. The ice cream is delicious and the sprinkles/marshmallow add-ons for the kids are priced appropriately. I loved the seasonal flavors for me, eggnog and a vegan gingerbread. Having seasonal vegan flavors is also great so everyone can enjoy. There is so much seating. They also made sure there were ice cream-themed coloring sheets available for the kids. And if you open a vintage fridge, you can find fun games and toys for kids of all ages (including adults). Can't wait to come back and try more ice cream! read more

Jimi ate his birthday cake waffle cone while walking and claimed he made no mess! Little did he know there was a bunch of ice cream in his beard. A local doggie of the night could not control herself around that ice cream. 5 stars read more

It's more ice cream, than cake, but very very tasty! Located in an incubator type space, it's a little hard to figure out where to go, but if you enter the parking lot there are signs near the building that allow for drive up pickup. You can also walk around to the front of the building and the desk folks will call them to bring your order. We tried a variety of things and all was well packaged and definitely frozen solid. It helps to set it out about 10-15 minutes before digging in. A fun treat and alternative to the big chain. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Cookie dough + cookies and cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good ice cream. The mini marshmallows were a bit stale-tasting but otherwise everything was great. Good selection of flavors and toppings without it being overwhelming. read more

There's something just not quite right about this place. The ice cream is fine, I like that it is all home made, but it's so pricy for the quality. Jeni's is almost a better buy and honestly I think the quality is better. We tried three flavors and all seemed kind of thin, almost icy and very sweet. Also wanted to add sprinkles to our kids cup after paying and tipping well, and they wanted to charge me 83c for a tiny cup of sprinkles. Handed over a dollar and was told "oh, we are cash only". So I had to charge 83c to my card. After paying and tipping? Do they make their own sprinkles? No, I asked. read more

Amazing, delicious ice cream cakes. I am not a fan of ice cream cakes. They are hard, too sweet, and just meh. But my husband wanted and ice cream cake for his birthday so I had to find a good fit. I found Bartleby's cakes by their Google reviews. The hype is real. Order was easy, all the options are online. Pick up was also easy, cake was brought out to my car. I would highly recommend the coffee cake with a layer of vanilla. We also had a layer of cookies and the ice cream decorations. Everyone loved it. It's a great business and I am glad I found a local bakery where I can get delicious ice cream cake. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Coffee ice cream cake. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thank you Bartleby's, finally an ice cream shop with good vegan options!! As someone who loves ice cream, but can't do dairy...this was great ;) Fudge and peanut butter sauce that is vegan/GF and flavors such as chocolate, krispy peanut butter and cookie dough that I can actually eat---yummm :) As someone who can't do dairy, I get tried of places charging $8-10 per sundae with their only vegan option being sorbet. I'll be back!! read more

I wanted to love Bartleby's, but the ice cream just didn't live up to the buzz. The texture was icy, not creamy, and the flavors sounded better than they tasted -- kind of muted and forgettable. Cute space, but overall it felt more style than substance. Probably wouldn't go back. read more

So many reviews about ice cream cakes, I assume that's where Bartleby's got its start? I know nothing about their cakes but visited the North Center location today and loved everything about it! The decor, the selection of flavors, the ice cream dishes, the stainless steel water cups, just all of it! There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, staff took care of us, and everyone in our party enjoyed their selections. For a moment I thought there was a mistake with the birthday cake ice cream because it was so colorful, but it tasted like cake and somehow perfectly matched my son's outfit; the kids loved it obviously! read more

Delicious (!!!!) ice cream cake! Very friendly service & wildly exceeded my expectations. My husband was over the moon as he loves ice cream cake. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a fun, delicious, inventive birthday cake. Bartleby's was easy to work with and affordable. We enjoyed our ice cream cake and will recommend to friends. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved our experience here!! It was the first time we ordered from Bartleby's and it won't be the last. We live in Fulton Market and it was a short drive to the location. The curbside delivery was easy and effecient. The ice cream and cookies in the cake were delicious, best ice cream cake I've had in a long while. read more

I ordered on Door Dash and the ice cream was still frozen and yummy when delivered! I wish I had ordered more than just a scoop. I'll have to go in next time and try all their flavors. read more

Fantastic ice cream, great variety of flavors and a super cute and colorful environment!

Very good ice cream that they made in the location they don't add color to the ice cream and the they have flavors for everyone.Cute shop and great atmosphere and service. Just what our neighborhood needed. read more

Beautiful and delicious ice cream cakes! Tons of options on what to choose for your cake, friendly staff, and they deliver! Can't beat the price either! I'll be back for other cakes! read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

An excellent addition to the North Center neighborhood! Delicious flavors, a bright atmosphere, and friendly service. The quality of the ice cream is excellent and there is a good mix of creative and classic flavors. We'll be back soon! read more

My husband got me an ice cream cake from here for my birthday and WOW everything and more that I would want. I got the cookie dough and Oreo mix and will absolutely get again read more

Thank you so much for your wonderful work and absolutely delicious cake! It was for my wife's birthday, so I wanted to do something special for her cake, and this hit all marks. My daughter was especially fond of the sprinkle filled icecream cones We have already recommended you to our local friends and plan on making your cakes a part of our traditional celebrations! read more

Pretty good cake but geez is it expensive. I ordered the 6" cake which feeds 6-10 for $60. My wife really wanted to try it since she heard good things and it was definitely tasty but the practicle side of me struggled with the cost. The staff is definitely friendly, especially the woman who took my order over the phone. Pickup was a little weird with "text upon arrival" instructions but it worked. Wishing Bartleby's future success! read more

Amazing, well crafted cake. Was a huge hit for my wife's birthday! Excellent quality and flavor combinations.

Bartleby's did an outstanding job on our Pikachu cake! Everyone wowed when they saw it come out, very well done! The cake itself was super delicious, the premium ingredients used are definitely notable justifying the price point. We chose to go with toasted coconut ice cream and brownie bottom but are excited to try other combinations. The cake was a hit! We were also impressed with the level of service received, the team was very responsive and helpful all throughout the process. read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - 6" Pikachu with toasted coconut ice cream & brownie layer. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oh boy, I'm a fan. I ordered a 10 pack of ice cream sandwiches, half vegan ice cream (sugar cone crunch) and half dairy ice cream (cookies & cream). The chocolate chip cookies are a great consistency, tasty, and hold up well in the sandwich. Both of the ice creams were spot on, and the sandwiches were positively bursting at the seams! I personally enjoy the fact that each one looks handmade and uneven. Would definitely order again and again, but only wish is that they were able to mix and match more flavors within the 10-pack, but it's a small operation so I understand the small batch constraints! read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - hand for scale! - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I cannot stress enough, how much I think everyone needs a little Bartleby's in their life. I ordered an ice cream cake for my sons birthday. Ordering online was as simple as can be. I had it delivered- how awesomely convenient! Was sent a reminder email the day before, and the person delivering the cake kept in touch via text as traffic had them slightly delayed (only by a few minutes). The cake was amazing and delicious. The sprinkle filled mini ice cream cones were a favorite from my sons and even their uncle! I would say I wish they were closer, but my scale says otherwise 10/10 will order again! read more

Bartleby's Homemade Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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