Carl&#x27;s Ice Cream Factory

We ordered a kids chicken strips and a basket of fries. While we waited patiently with our number…read more(12), other guests arrived and placed their orders. After noticing that people who ordered after us had finished their entire meals, I went up to the management and asked what happened to our order. I was then told that it was because I ordered chicken strips that it took over forty minutes to make such a simple order. Keep in mind that a family with four children who came in after us had already gotten their fries and were halfway done with their ice cream. Another table that had two gentlemen who also ordered after us had finished their cheeseburgers. I have been a professional in the short order cooking business for over twelve years in the past, and I know for a fact it does not take that long to make chicken fingers (even if they were made from scratch and not frozen). I usually buy the gift certificates every Black Friday, but that will never happen again. I will never return to this establishment. Please feel free to reach out to me to buy my unused $30 gift certificates at half price, but be warned---this place is poorly managed, understaffed, and desperate for a line cook who can manage a couple deep-frier orders in a timely manner. Although I prefer to support local businesses, there are far better alternatives in town, like Culver's and Gene's. So ends about twenty years of patronage and many good family memories.

Review Visit: June 10th, 2015…read more Carl's Ice Cream.... Home of the Creepy Ice Cream Cone. Those eyes. Those ice cream eyes still haunt me to this day. They will never leave my memory. Nor will the decent ice cream served here. During one of my many trips to explore Bloomington-Normal, I decided to start trying out the ice cream shacks in the dual city. Twin cities. Hyphenated names. Whatever you want to call them. I used some Google-fu to look up places to grab the sugary snack and Carl's was one of the first results. My girlfriend at the time said that it was good enough for her, so we punched the address in to the GPS and headed that way. Upon pulling up, I was startled by the feeling that I was being watched. After getting out of the car, I had to look around and see what was causing that feeling. It was then that I locked eyes with Carl. The incredibly creepy ice cream cone on a pole that is staring down on you. Trying to ignore that, we shuffled to the front of the building and looked over the menu. Looking at their current online menu to help refresh my memory, I am surprised to see them offering only ice cream and ice cream-style treats. Most ice cream shacks offer not only a ton of different frozen dessert items but also a multitude of food items as well. Not Carl's. They just have ice cream and ice cream-related products. We eventually figured out what we wanted and placed an order. I remember getting my usual (peanut butter malt/blizzard/shake) and being just slightly disappointed in the flavor and lack of a wow-factor. Not but a year later, we ended back here by some stroke of luck and I got a cone of ice cream. It was mutli-colored (as seen below) and I remember enjoying that more than I did with my 2015 choice. Back to 2015, I remember us standing our and enjoying the nice snack after a long day of exploring. I just couldn't help but feel that Carl, the ice cream mascot, was looking down on us. Like a chef watching a VIP eating their signature meal to see their reaction. All in all though, the place was pretty good. More-so the second time around. The second trip would've scored a 4.75/5. I am still surprised they don't offer non-ice cream options, but maybe The Carl doesn't allow them to serve anything but ice cream. There is a second location in Normal, Illinois. They seem to have a 'muffler-man' statue that was repurposed in to a man holding ice cream. I have yet to visit that place but hopefully his stare is less soul-piercing than Carl, the Ice Cream Cone's.

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Gene's Dairy Delight

4.3(52 reviews)

3.1 mi

I LOVE GENE's ice cream. Thick, creamy and custardy. I celebrate when they reopen each Spring, and…read moremourn when they close each Fall. Their staff of youth will bring a smile to your face, and if you request "eyes" on your cone, even your cone will be smiling backatcha!

Any time I am in the Downtown Bloomington area, I make a point to stop at Gene's Dairy Delight…read more Its a 50+ year landmark business in the Bloomington area, not just for amazing soft serve custard but for friendly fast service. You can walk up or hit the drive thru but always the same great service and wonderful soft serve. They have an extensive menu with something for everyone in your group! I especially recommend the strawberry lemon twist soft serve. Delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. Highly recommend this business for yummy treats in the heart of Bloomington! Cash only so hit the ATM before you stop by and tell them Kate sent you!

The menu

The best

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Theo’s Microcreamery

4.6(41 reviews)

1.7 mi

Super good Ice Cream. Always packed on the weekdays so it's best to find a good time that works for…read moreyou. I personally enjoy swinging by here during the night time, looks really nice later in the day and the stuff are pretty cool. Very nice interior and they let you sample before you buy.

Enjoyed the chocolate milk ice cream with the chocolate sugar cone :) $7 something for 1 scoop.read more

1 scoop of pumpkin Oreo

Inside

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Inside

Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy Store

3.9(35 reviews)

3.4 mi

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! My colleague and I are here for a business trip…read moreand popped into here after dinner and shopping. She got the coconut almond and I got a mint chocolate chip cone with sprinkles. We asked a lot of questions at the counter and the young lady was so helpful. The ice cream was creamy and yummy. They were generous portions for the cost. And the sprinkles are complimentary! Definitely a must try!

HORRIBLE employees! We came after a fun filled days with our special olympics kids to have a nice…read moretreat. The staff was rude, short with us and had NO interest in being nice people. I heard the f word several times, I asked for a different kind of bowl and was screamed at that in ordered a plain one not a sprinkle one. I offered to pay the difference but he threw the bowl at me. I mean...how hard is it to serve ice cream to happy humans? Shame on you for being asses. Ice cream was good though so there's that.

2 scoops of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream.

Vanilla milkshake

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Insomnia Cookies

3.2(72 reviews)

1.8 mi

We were greeted when we entered. It was only one young lady working! It was a group of about five…read moreahead of us. She started working on their order and then assisted us. Although she was busy and diligently working but she was very attentive, kind and even gave us suggestions when we inquired. Once she took our order she completed the first groups orders and began working on ours. She was very efficient! It was my Mom and her finance's first time trying insomnia and they enjoyed it. The cookies and brookies were good! We enjoyed our order! I look forward to trying it again as this was only my second experience!

Review Visit: March 15th, 2015…read more Late. Night. Cookie. Shop. That is exactly what Insomnia Cookies is. No serious, they sell cookies til about 3am. Now I am not sure how the great idea came about to sell cookies until 3am, but I love the idea. I have never been there that late, but I can vouch for the deliciousness of the cookies. They even warm them up for you before they hand them over. If you consider yourself a cookie lover and you have not tried one of the 80+ Insomnia Cookies in America.... do it now. It's fine, they will still be open by the time you get there. Also, if you see magnets behind the register, ask for one. I have one on my fridge and it was free of charge (your mileage may vary though).

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Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt

3.8(43 reviews)

4.0 mi

Good! Not perfect. I really wish you paid per cup size and not weight. They were out of cookies n'…read morecream, BUMMER! I settled for pineapple and it was pretty good. The TV was way too loud, I couldn't hear myself think. Service was good I guess, all they did was ring me up. I'll be back. I'll bring ear plugs next time.

The staff was rude, low key harassing me for what I was wearing and then proceeded to have a loud…read morediscussion about conspiracy theories with another customer that I wasnt thrilled about my child being in earshot of. It was a weird experience and dont think we will be returning.

Exterior

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Cold Stone Creamery

3.4(26 reviews)

3.4 mi

•$$

Super clean establishment, nothing to complain about really. The service is was good as always and…read morethe Ice Cream was even better. Always gonna be an enthusiast for Cold Stone, definitely a classic

Wanted to try a sample of the new lemon cake batter ice cream but they said they can't give a…read moresample but I could pay for a sample. I went ahead and just bought a small one instead of paying for a sample. Sadly the flavor was not good, I wish they still provided free samples since I would have know I didn't like it before buying.

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Freshens Premium Yogurt

2.0(1 review)

3.6 mi

Big fan of their fruit smoothees. Expensive, slow service, high employee turn-over to the point…read morethat many times the employees did not even know how to make their signature smoothees (no fear - I walked them through it. Loyal customer, yes, indeed). But, it's in the mall, and so many people go to the mall just to blow time that it does not detract too much from their business. Two stars for the scrumptious smoothees, lost star for service and employees, price.

Baskin-Robbins

1.6(5 reviews)

3.9 mi

I had a good experience with the Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Doughnuts in Bloomington, IL. When I got…read morethere I was immediatly greeted by an employee. I was only there for the ice cream and I had very fast service. The overall environment of the inside of the store was very quiet, and the inside could use a little cleaning. There's an odd smell, but other than that, it was a quick in and out trip with good service and the ice cream was amazing!

I was the only one in line, and it took 10 minutes for them to make a two scoops sundae with hot…read morefudge. The fudge was hard and burned as if it was placed in the microwave too long. The workers were running back-and-forth on their cell phones, and, it left me with a lack of confidence in this ice cream shop. It used to be a favorite, but the quality has gone down.

The Mystic Kitchen & Tasting Room

4.7(119 reviews)

2.3 mi

•$$

We were there on a warm summer evening and dined outside where the classic downtown buildings…read moreprovided shade for the setting sun. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We ordered drinks and two special appetizers, shrimp in a spicy cream sauce and pork belly bits with diced mango. Both were delicious. For our mains, we chose: Sassy Chicken Thighs and Brown Sugar Brined Pork Chop. The chicken thighs melted in my mouth. We spoke at length with the manager after our dinner and tried to guess the ingredients in the outstanding sauces. The sassy sauce had in addition to the honey and Dijon, some cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin. Not too spicy, just enough zip to make it interesting. The pork chop was also amazing. Tender and juicy with a cherry balsamic glaze. We would definitely recommend a visit and plan to return the next time we're in town.

The atmosphere was great above and beyond what I thought it would be. The charcuterie board was…read moreneat and I love the fact that we barely sat down and they offered us a free sample of wine to try. The price for the board was I think a little high not major but a little but a glass of wine was I think very competitive very good no matter where you are. My overall rating for this place is either a 4 or 4 1/2 out of 5. It was a great first experience and will go back again.

Inside

Side mystic salad

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Dining area

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John M.

0

17

112

2 years ago

Carlos Ice Cream in Normal, Illinois, is a beloved local institution with a rich history dating back to the 1980s. The original Carl's site was a Cities Service Station from the 1930s through the early 1960s, which later became a Mr. Softee location in the late 1960s. In 1980, Carl Garbe purchased and renamed the store Carl's Ice Cream. The menu is considered large with items ranging from nachos, chili, hot dogs to Buffalo burgers. The Chronicles enjoyed a double Buffalo burger with cheese and a double hamburger with cheese with sides of onion rings and fries. The Buffalo burger is grass fed and farmed here in Illinois. Have you been lucky enough to try buffalo meat, or have you been wondering what does buffalo meat taste like? Compared to beef, buffalo has a lighter flavor, tastes slightly sweet and is deliciously tender. The Chronicles enjoyed the burgers and it was time to explore the ice cream. Carl's Ice Cream Factory boasts an impressive array of flavors, with over 25 different options to choose from. Some standout flavors mentioned by customers include: * Almond Joy: coconut ice cream packed with almonds and chocolate * Peanut Butter Cup * Moose Tracks * Cookie Monster (described as "unbelievable") * Butter Pecan (including a no-sugar-added version) * Mud Pie The shop offers both hard and soft-serve ice cream, as well as sundaes and other frozen treats. The Chronicles tried Strawberry Raspberry Swirl cup, a hot fudge sundae and a rich and creamy chocolate shake. Carl's ice cream is exceptionally smooth and flavorful, as ice cream should be! In conclusion, Carl's Ice Cream Factory in Normal, Illinois, offers a nostalgic and delicious ice cream experience with a wide variety of flavors and a unique local history. Whether you're a longtime resident or just passing through, it's worth stopping by for a scoop and a photo with the iconic Muffler Man statue. read more

June N.

0

6

0

1 year ago

I've been going here for years on dates with the husband! Carls is a local treasure and the best ice cream (and French fries) in town. Their soft serve blackberry ice cream makes my mouth water, but any of their flavors I've tried have been delicious! Prices are very reasonable for the portions. May not be the "healthiest" ice cream in town but certainly is the tastiest! Service has always been great and fast. The inside is nostalgic and clean. I always feel welcome here. read more

Darrell J.

0

1

0

6 months ago

I was the birthday boy in the other guys 5 star review, and I tipped this time too. They're never getting my money again...... until I want some ice cream. read more

Angelo M.

151

2

0

1 year ago

The burger was awesome...........................................................!!!!!!!!!!!

Barbara K.

17

3

0

2 years ago

I had a orangedreamsicle soft serve. Next week is raspberry's soft serve. I'll stop by.

James M.

0

2

0

9 years ago

Amazing flavors every time I come we try to try something new.we are never disappointed

Carl's Ice Cream Factory - icecream - Updated October 2026

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Carl's Ice Cream Factory

3.7

(29 reviews)

We ordered a kids chicken strips and a basket of fries. While we waited patiently with our number…read more(12), other guests arrived and placed their orders. After noticing that people who ordered after us had finished their entire meals, I went up to the management and asked what happened to our order. I was then told that it was because I ordered chicken strips that it took over forty minutes to make such a simple order. Keep in mind that a family with four children who came in after us had already gotten their fries and were halfway done with their ice cream. Another table that had two gentlemen who also ordered after us had finished their cheeseburgers. I have been a professional in the short order cooking business for over twelve years in the past, and I know for a fact it does not take that long to make chicken fingers (even if they were made from scratch and not frozen). I usually buy the gift certificates every Black Friday, but that will never happen again. I will never return to this establishment. Please feel free to reach out to me to buy my unused $30 gift certificates at half price, but be warned---this place is poorly managed, understaffed, and desperate for a line cook who can manage a couple deep-frier orders in a timely manner. Although I prefer to support local businesses, there are far better alternatives in town, like Culver's and Gene's. So ends about twenty years of patronage and many good family memories.

Review Visit: June 10th, 2015…read more Carl's Ice Cream.... Home of the Creepy Ice Cream Cone. Those eyes. Those ice cream eyes still haunt me to this day. They will never leave my memory. Nor will the decent ice cream served here. During one of my many trips to explore Bloomington-Normal, I decided to start trying out the ice cream shacks in the dual city. Twin cities. Hyphenated names. Whatever you want to call them. I used some Google-fu to look up places to grab the sugary snack and Carl's was one of the first results. My girlfriend at the time said that it was good enough for her, so we punched the address in to the GPS and headed that way. Upon pulling up, I was startled by the feeling that I was being watched. After getting out of the car, I had to look around and see what was causing that feeling. It was then that I locked eyes with Carl. The incredibly creepy ice cream cone on a pole that is staring down on you. Trying to ignore that, we shuffled to the front of the building and looked over the menu. Looking at their current online menu to help refresh my memory, I am surprised to see them offering only ice cream and ice cream-style treats. Most ice cream shacks offer not only a ton of different frozen dessert items but also a multitude of food items as well. Not Carl's. They just have ice cream and ice cream-related products. We eventually figured out what we wanted and placed an order. I remember getting my usual (peanut butter malt/blizzard/shake) and being just slightly disappointed in the flavor and lack of a wow-factor. Not but a year later, we ended back here by some stroke of luck and I got a cone of ice cream. It was mutli-colored (as seen below) and I remember enjoying that more than I did with my 2015 choice. Back to 2015, I remember us standing our and enjoying the nice snack after a long day of exploring. I just couldn't help but feel that Carl, the ice cream mascot, was looking down on us. Like a chef watching a VIP eating their signature meal to see their reaction. All in all though, the place was pretty good. More-so the second time around. The second trip would've scored a 4.75/5. I am still surprised they don't offer non-ice cream options, but maybe The Carl doesn't allow them to serve anything but ice cream. There is a second location in Normal, Illinois. They seem to have a 'muffler-man' statue that was repurposed in to a man holding ice cream. I have yet to visit that place but hopefully his stare is less soul-piercing than Carl, the Ice Cream Cone's.

Gene's Dairy Delight

(52 reviews)

I LOVE GENE's ice cream. Thick, creamy and custardy. I celebrate when they reopen each Spring, and…read moremourn when they close each Fall. Their staff of youth will bring a smile to your face, and if you request "eyes" on your cone, even your cone will be smiling backatcha!

Any time I am in the Downtown Bloomington area, I make a point to stop at Gene's Dairy Delight…read more Its a 50+ year landmark business in the Bloomington area, not just for amazing soft serve custard but for friendly fast service. You can walk up or hit the drive thru but always the same great service and wonderful soft serve. They have an extensive menu with something for everyone in your group! I especially recommend the strawberry lemon twist soft serve. Delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. Highly recommend this business for yummy treats in the heart of Bloomington! Cash only so hit the ATM before you stop by and tell them Kate sent you!

Ice Cream Shack of Sunnyland

(18 reviews)

Quick service, loved the wizards, shakes, and cheeseburgers. The super nacho was very…read moreunderwhelming especially for the price.

Review Visit: September 7th, 2014…read more The Ice Cream Shack of Sunnyland... located in Washington? We are here to talk about the ice cream shack of....... Sunnyland. My friend Matt and I decided to come here after grabbing some pizza from Aurelio's in Peoria. After having some greasy pizza, you need something sweet and delectable to wrap up after a day of exceeding the recommended number of calories per day. We arrived shortly after the sun went down. You almost wouldn't be able to tell as the line of cars in their drive-thru was enough to make it seem like midday. That is a bit of an exaggeration but whenever I cruise by and it's 'ice cream shack season', there is a line about 10-15 cars deep. This night was no exception. After squeezing in a parking spot, we got in the human line that wasn't as long as the car line but still impressive for the time of day. As we had plenty of time to look over the menu, Matt and I couldn't help but remark at the millions of items on the menu. The size of the building leads you to be fooled in to thinking that this place serves only the basics. It felt like reading a novel as I looked over the dozens of options. I'm not sure what Matt ordered but I remember getting a peanut butter malt/shake/blizzard. I don't remember what the specific type of ice cream novelty drink it was but I remember it being delicious. I could tell by Matt's smile that he was equally enjoying his drink as well. Not wanting to be locked in the parking spot by the ever-long line from the drive thru, we hopped in at took off. Since it was a quick visit, this is a short post. I have only been here the one time but I would love to revisit some day and try the bazillions of food offerings they have along with another peanut butter... anything. Yeah, I have a peanut butter addiction.

Twistee Treat

4.1

(15 reviews)

Review Visit: May 5th, 2013…read more The iconic ice cream cone-shaped building in the heart of East Peoria, IL. If you are a resident, you have probably driven by this place many times. Some of you may have even stopped in for a bite to eat. I have stopped by many times myself since I live close to it. Each time, the ice cream never disappoints. I have gotten the food a few times and while it is cheap, it's also only 'okay'. Not that the food is terrible in any way, it's just that could use a little lovin' while being cooked. My special item I get here isn't even on the menu. It is a strawberry ice cream with chunks of waffle cone in it... while served in a waffle cone. It is divine!

Absolutely the service is fantastic the tenderloin our world famous and is made with (love)! I…read moretotally recommend this restaurant! Bekah Grys- from Central Illinois riding therapy

Uncle Bob's Homemade Ice Cream

4.9

(44 reviews)

•$$

Uncle Bobs has the BEST ice cream!! We usually buy it from Hyvee, but made a trip to the motherland…read more(aka the storefront in Eureka). It's a cute little store with indoor and outdoor seating and a drive through. The employees were friendly and helpful. They gave my dog a pup cup which was so thoughtful!!

Review Visit: April 1st, 2015…read more Good ol' Uncle Bob. He is the Uncle you never hear of. But when you do, you love him. Well, that's how I feel about Uncle Bob's Homemade Ice Cream. I discovered this place while grabbing coffee in Eureka, IL. Oh boy, was it a good discovery. I sampled a few ice creams and loved each one. Conveniently when I was there, they also had dollar hot dogs! So between amazing ice cream and cheap hot dogs, I was in heaven. If you love ice cream and haven't visited Uncle Bob's, do yourself a service and go try some! The do sell Uncle Bob's ice cream at some local eateries, so keep your eyes peeled if you can't make it to the Eureka location.

Pinky's

4.7

(9 reviews)

Wow! The hand dipped ice cream is amazing! Friendly and happy young woman took our order. The…read moreoutside is super cute!

Tremont, IL staple! They stay busy, because of the excellent service, I imagine…read more Directly across the street from a beautiful park.

Carius Creamery

(4 reviews)

Moved to town not to long ago and a new ice cream place opened up over the summer! It's in place of…read morethe Old Dairy Queen in case you didn't know! I've visited a couple times and I took a few pictures every time I went. The people that work here are super friendly, helpful and quick! I have discovered that the blueberry cheesecake creamer is my absolute favorite! The ice cream tastes so fresh and Light! They have a ton of seating surrounding the building and when I go I also see a lot of people hanging around, happy, and having fun! They usually get through the lines pretty quickly though. If you see a big crowd of people don't hesitate to stop, the wait won't be very long! Get over there and try a blueberry cheesecake creamer, you won't regret it!

Carius Creamery in Morton is a hometown gem--still under the same ownership as when it was Dairy…read moreQueen downtown for so many years. They've kept all the charm and quality you'd expect, with a fantastic ice cream selection that feels very familiar if you loved the classic DQ menu. The service is always quick and incredibly friendly--it's the kind of place where you feel welcome the moment you walk up. There's plenty of parking and outdoor seating, which makes it perfect for families or a relaxing treat. And with a park just across the street, it's a great stop when you're out with little ones. Delicious ice cream, great people, and a perfect location.

Country Style Ice Cream

5.0

(4 reviews)

THIS IS THE BEST ICE CREAM EVER. We drove 2 HOURS from Joliet just to have this ice cream and it…read morewas worth it! I'm not a fan of airy ice cream (think like McDonald's soft serve), and I like it when it is icy and refreshing. And Country Style is the BEST, hands down, no competition. You can hold this ice cream upside down AND SHAKE IT and it will not fall out of the cone. This place is so close to Peoria so it's a perfect stop if you're ever at the Civic Center or an event nearby, plus it's a family-owned small business and the staff is super generous and kind. And the prices are great, too!

We're visiting for a golf tournament and found this ice cream place. The soft serve is amazing!…read more We've gone every night of our trip

Culver’s

(10 reviews)

Just an all-around good experience, we live right across the street from this place and we eat…read morethere all the time and you think we'd be burnt out on it but no not really we could eat there a couple times a month no problem maybe more if we're feeling a little fat. But their service is great they almost never messed up the orders and when they do their quick to correct them and they always have a smile on everybody's always dressed nice everybody's clean everybody's friendly. The place is clean the bathrooms clean, it's just the type of fast food experience you wanna have that makes it feel like not fast food.

I really like Culvers. Food is always good and restaurants are always clean. Service is usually…read morevery good. At this location on a Sunday around 2:30 pm I seriously doubt there was a manager on duty judging by the loud talking and goofing around at the front counter by a handful of employees. Several of these young people were being very loud and unprofessional in front of customers.

Holland's Caramel Corn

4.5

(16 reviews)