I don't get the hype. The first issue is they have only two non dairy options, both of them taste like crap, weird gummy off yucky mouth feel. Before committing, I should've asked for a smaple taste of their non dairy almond milk chocolate. But I didn't. I figured how could they possibly go wrong with this? But they did. I got it and paid for it. And immediately told my husband that I hated it. The server heard me--but said nothing. My husband got some sort of caramel nut concoction and ate it, but told me he'd much rather have gone to our tried and true B and R in San Mateo. The customer service here is non-existent. They phone it in and don't much care. Inside is serviceable in that they have a few tables to sit and outside, they also have a couple of tables. The prices are too high for the quality and service. read more

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We asked for one mix in which was oreo. I watched the worker put a SINGLE oreo in our ice cream for a medium cup. He crushed and barely mixed it around 3 times. Unsurprisingly... it was undistributed in the ice cream. A very disappointing cup of ice cream and not worth $9! I dont remember cold stones skimping out on toppings this badly. You're better off going to mcdonald's or buying a tub in the store. This location needs a lot of rework with employees and quality control. read more

I was in the area and craving ice cream, so this must be the place. All the flavors are yummy, but if I have to choose one, my favorite would be their coffee ice cream. All the staff are very friendly and polite, especially Queenie. She's very generous with her scoops. The place is clean, and there are tables inside where you can sit and enjoy your ice cream. When the weather is good, they also have outdoor seating. Did I mention their waffle cones are house-made? When the staff are making the waffle cones, the whole shop smells so good. Will definitely come back when I'm craving for ice cream! read more

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I loved Cold Stone growing up and decided to get a Chocolate Devotion. This was so tasty and huge! I think you can share a larger one between 2 people. My husband got a matcha coffee combo which was actually super delicious. The ice cream was a little melted and was wondering if that was normal. It seemed softer than what I prefer. It's under new management. The owner is really nice and the place looked clean. read more

Had the absolute best experience at Cold Stone today thanks to Christopher! Not only did he mix my ice cream to absolute perfection, but his energy was unmatched. He was incredibly cool, friendly, and just made the whole visit awesome. Give this guy a raise! Will definitely be back. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - This is Christopher, Christopher is great - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

The person that helped me was so helpful. Ordering for a friend but she gave me a taste and then packed the product. She took my coupons & gift card afterward my friend RAVED about their Mango ice cream. No additions, just ice cream. Thank you !! read more

5 stars for the great service! The workers were very friendly when my boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night. It was raining when we came and all the seats were full since everyone was trying to get out of the rain. They don't have too many seats either so be wary. If there was no rain I wouldn't stay inside personally because it feels pretty cramped. I always get the cheesecake ice cream w/ graham crackers and it was consistent to the other locations. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Cheesecake ice cream w/ graham ceackers - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

Always the best ice cream/food that totally satisfies the palate! The servers are always so friendly and allow you to taste test their awesome flavors! There is a nice ambiance whenever you are able to get a seat inside! Talk about choices......so many that you want to try them all! read more

Came in around 10ish minutes before closing for my wife's favorite ice cream (founder favorite with cheesecake ice cream). I was told that we can order a scoop of ice cream but can't do any mixed toppings because the young gentlemen behind the counter wanted to clean the slate for mix ins. We have gone to dozens of cold stones but will never try this one again. On the sign says under new management and it seems as though this new management is destroying their own business. Will never return to this location. read more

This location needs some work. Service - slow and incompetent. We had to repeat our order ("like it. mint mint chocolate chocolate chip. less brownie) 2x bc it just didn't register to them. They also tried to say my card was declined but it was just user error. They finally got it. Quality - meh Ice cream mix is good and meets the standard. After serving up the ice cream on the counter, it was already melting and dripping off the sides. I had to request a lid (wouldn't secure itself) and asked for another cup to catch the drip. I dont recall cold stone ice cream melting this fast esp still in the store. I suspect their freezer isn't as cold as it should be. Overall - If you're craving cold stone and this is the only location, then come by and get satiated. BUT, dont go out of your way to come to this location with other ice cream shops nearby. read more

We had an amazing customer experience. We had a kids' size Birthday cake remix and a chocolate cone. They were polite and patient as we tasted a couple of flavors and then placed the order. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

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First time waiting so long for some ice cream. Coldstone serves the sweetest ice creams, but this location isn't worth it if you're just trying to get a grab n go dessert since they take a long time to serve you. I'm not personally a fan of their ive cream flavors since I've tried other ice cream places that are better & less sweet. Don't think I'll be coming back here again. read more

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Ordered online about 30-45 minutes before store closing and order wasn't prepared and my order was eventually cancelled. Can't help but blame workers for simply refusing to do their kob read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great service and a convenient spot in walkable Downtown San Mateo! They put a sign up recently about new management, and it seems like things are going well. Cold Stone is Cold Stone, but it's nice to have in the neighborhood. read more

As of May 2024, under new management. Service is excellent. Massive parking lot next door. Free parking on Sunday. Food is what you come to expect from cold stone. Tasty ice cream made just the way you like. Had a great time with my family. Pro tip: don't forget to sign up as a member to get free BOGO! read more

Worst experience at a cold stone location. First of all, ice cream is not properly stores. It was melting when scooped and served. Second of all, the employee made some lame excuse of the board not being cold enough to mix in toppings so it was just put on top. DO NOT go here, even though sign says under new management. read more

3.5 stars Activated charcoal isn't the only way to turn food jet black! Just have a look at Cold Stone's Boolicious "Treat or Treat" creation for Halloween! It's made of black Boo Batter (Cake Batter) Ice Cream mixed with chopped up Kit Kats, Halloween Oreos (with an orange filling), and M&Ms! Cold Stone usually mixes in all their toppings thoroughly into the ice cream base, but if you want any hope of the "Treat or Treat" looking like the poster, just ask to have all the mix-ins placed on top of the ice cream! Our friendly server happily obliged, and trust me--we got a great Instagram photo out of it! read more

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This location in downtown San Mateo has been here for as long as I can remember. The ice cream itself and pricing are the same as any other Cold Stone location, and this location has a few tables/chairs for seating. It's also right next to the movie theater parking lot, which is convenient. Does service sometimes take a while and are they often under-staffed? Yes. Are staff friendly when they finally get to you? Also yes. Given they're a long-time local establishment that I imagine has been hit by COVID as well as the skyrocketing number of other (micro)creameries and dessert/boba establishments in the area, I'm inclined to be more generous. On my most recent visit, I got a small "Like It" with almonds mixed in, and the server took his time crafting my scoop and even added a little bit of extra ice cream and almonds on top when he was done. read more

It's your typical cold stone creamery. Good service and good ice cream. I wish it was cheaper, but that's the usual price for ice cream at a shop read more

Very poor service. Very stingy on toppings. New management is even worse than old one.

Supporting a local business, that's what i'm gonna say. I passed by this place while I was on my way to visit a friend in download San Mateo, and I just stopped when seeing an old lady working behind the counter on the other side of the window. It was Sunday afternoon and the store was empty, so I decided to step inside and treat myself a Rocky Road. The lady was very kind, asked me what I wanted on top of my ice cream and we spent a few minutes talking about her business. Ice cream was delicious, they had a variety of flavor to choose from, and she was happy providing samples not like other places. I really enjoy the ice cream and the conversation and I will stop by again when i'm in San Mateo. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is my second time to go to this cold stone and I wasn't impressed the first time but now I am not interested in going back. The windows or ice cream displays don't look like they've been cleaned since I went 3 months ago. Tonight, there was a long line and we waited for 10 mins and actually left without ice cream because of how disorganized the two employees. It seemed like the older lady, maybe the owner was mocking the younger kid. She was also stocking the condiments rather than helping customers and just spent her time smirking at the kid. The kid was wearing a hood and it was kinda weird. We left as 2 other groups also left because of how awkward it was. One of the guys in line said he had been in line for 30 mins. Really weird overall, ended up going to Safeway to get ice cream. read more

We have been coming here for several years now and it is one of our favorite ice cream places in the Bay Area. We love being able to choose our own mix ins. My wife loves their brownies so she often gets doubles on those. We usually get their custom flavors but substitute out a few things we don't like. The chocolate and strawberry ice cream base flavors are my favorite. We have gotten to know the Asian owner/manager lady who is nice and chatty with us. But I can see why some folks have commented about the service here. We like to buy gift cards for Coldstone from Costco and use them here with coupons to save a few bucks. With the warmer weather upon us, it might be time for my next Coldstone visit! read more

I showed up here on a Sunday afternoon (June 13, 2021). There were probably 4 people behind the counter when I walked in but I wasn't greeted as I entered. There were two people helping the couple in front of me. I waited and waited and almost walked out because I didn't know how much longer it was going to be. I was in a rush but I wasn't going to get on them for it. I looked up one last time and there was a really short girl with mismatching hair ties standing behind the counter staring at me. She didn't say a word. Just stared. Very creepy. I've been scolded for jumping the gun before so I like to ask, "Are you ready for me?" She said, "Yeah?!" but sounded like I annoyed her. (Can't win either way, I guess.) I placed my order and they didn't have the toppings I wanted in stock. Pretty bummed by that so I chose something else. When she gave me my order, she just passed it to me, said "sign please" while pushing the receipt towards me, then grabbed it and walked away. No "thank you" no "have a nice day". So I said it first and she ignored me. Rude. I didn't care too much for the lack of customer service and they were completely out of my topping. I won't be going back to this location. read more

Always been a regular, but today I was disappointed. I went in to see if i could order a cake for my brothers birthday. I looked through the options they had and themes and i chose spider man. I asked if she could do it and she said no. I asked her if she could do a Batman one but with spider man color and she said yes. I asked multiple times if she was sure and she said yes. Time to pay and i was so surprised as to how much the cake was 89.00 with tax and i paid because i knew the cake was gonna be delicious. Day of the party my sister said she was gonna get it and when she gets there it's not ready and it looks so poorly. The lady could've easily said that she couldn't do it and i would've gone somewhere else. So disappointed with how this cake looked especially because my brother wanted to take pictures with it . read more

Cold Stone Creamery - cake that cost 89.00 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

Super slay Anthony and Manson with great service! The ice cream was really nice and thanks for donating it

We walked in. Waited for five minutes with no employees present. Suddenly a worker came out of the bathroom, bare hands, with an ice cream scooper in her hand and proceeded to ask us what we would like to order. . The grossest. We walked right out. read more

This place is horrible i will not be returning, i ordered a small "like it" comes with one free topping and the employee thought she heard me say 2 pieces of brownie so i was charged for a brownie that i didnt even order, was suppose to be 4.69 and it came out to 6.21? Wtf? My friend got the chocolate lava cake, no lava fudge inside the 2 pieces of cake they gave her, the woman there warmed it up in the microwave and when we got back to our office it was literally just hot cake bread with big blob of whip cream. So disappointed i should have just left once the asian lady at the counter was over charging me because she heard that i wanted an extra brownie piece for .99 cents(joke) i dont mind but dont lie to me and say i requested something when i clearly expressed that i didn't not request an extra Brownie this manager just wanted to have more sales. Checkout took about 5min because she wanted to argue with me. Wish there was No star and that i would get my money back. Happy Friday y'all stay away. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

Everytime my mister and I came here, we always were greeted with the friendly staff and got exactly what we wanted. We love coming back here when we want a nice ice cream fix in San Mateo. read more

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I never imagined it would take this long to get ice cream. 2 employees, one seems to be doing online orders, the much slower employee seems to be handling the in store customers & there's a line out the door. I've seem few parties give up and leave. Whoever manages this place should get the staffing situation figured out. It's absurd. read more

Because it's going down...on a Friday...at Cold Stone Creamery and its be damn good pie day. All kidding aside how can not have a good day when going to Cold Stone...like..FOR REAL!!! I just happen to see this spot on my way out of the movie theater and just HAD TO STOP on in. I walked in with the lady and we were both ready to get some ice cold sweetness. It was a bit odd though that only ONE employee was working at the time. There were 6 customers in line including my lady and myself and the line moved very slowly. I put more blame on the lady that was getting a giant cake pickup order. She was just asking to try a bunch of different flavors after she had already purchased here cake, that is NOT OKAY. The lady working behind the counter was very nice and courteous and I appreciated here patience in assisting this lady but this lady customer was just be annoying and stalling for time. Once this annoying lady had left the line began to move. While waiting in line I saw the refrigerator to my left, LOTS OF CAKES. I was a big fan of the OREO ICE CREAM CAKE that was sitting on the top shelf just looking at me while my eyes got BIG AND HUNGRY. It was like I was falling in LOVE all over again. I heard music in the background as I glared into this beautiful cake. After a couple of minutes I finally to got to place my order and I was ready to. When ordering I am always straight forward but today I stepped out on the wild side. My lady got her Strawberry smoothie,meh. I got the OREO OVERLOAD...YES....IT WAS A GODZILLA SIZED ICE CREAM MOUNTAIN OF SWEETNESS. I would typically order just a scoop of vanilla and a waffle cone but this place just made the spontaneous side of me come out. This was definitely a smart decision on my end. The result was my mouth and stomach be EXTREMELY SATISFIED. Oh, it was so so so good... What else is there left to say...I mean really..... read more

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Love this location! The employees are always super helpful and all the flavors are in stock. The location is downtown San Mateo and very close to the movie theater and a lot of other restaurants. Very clean inside as well! read more

She was friendly, patient, and got us what we needed. There was a steady stream of people coming in and everyone walked out happy.

I love the ice cream here. I always get a medium cup, flavor sugar cookie batter with heath bar, almonds, and pie crust. It's so yummy if you add a little caramel and 2 Oreos :) try it and it's the perfect size to make you STUFFED so I eat half and save the rest for the next night :) cold stone supplies kids which I like. I would give it 5 stars but this location is very small & no tables are ever available and I have been noticing only one lady works there alone every weekend. She is really quiet but she's nice and she always is smiling even though she's all alone in an ice cream shop with a long line working as fast as she can without being rude. I haven't really tried other locations I have just driven by then. But friends have gotten cupcakes and cakes from here and they always say cold stone ice cream taste so yummy. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Have to try and make your own. So yummy - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

I just ordered a birthday cake and it was very good! The service was very good! Ambiance impressive!

Best ice cream I've ever tasted. Chocolate mint was to die for! Chocolate shake was delicious

Ice cream is Always tastey! My favorite is the coffee ice cream, brownie, hot fudge and Carmel sauce like it sundae! Made up this sweet treat when I was little and have stuck to it! Define toy my favorite! If you are up for the calories put it in a waffle cone!! So yummy!!! One bad thing about this spot is the lack of employees... Only one worker and the line is always long... I don't get it! He/she is also responsible for making cakes, handling the line full of customer plus running cashier... That's gross! That. They don't wash their hands from money handling to food prepping.. And it's too much responsibility for one employee. Where's the time to clean and put time into customer service when handling all that in your own? Rather chose a different cold stone location Than this one... Over working their staff. read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Coffee ice cream, brownie, Carmel sauce, hot fudge "i like it" sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

I got a chocolate truffle with chocolate fudge and it was delicious the service was amazing i even asked for a specific cup and it was given to me!:) read more

Cold Stone Creamery - Create Your Own Creation - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Mateo, California

I order a cookie dough ice cream cake, it was so delicious and an amazing treat for my family to enjoy, it wasn't melted, or mistreated, I will be ordering from here again. read more

I usually look for the local guy to do business with. This time I tried, but to no avail. It was the national chain store that came through for me! My daughter had promised to bring strawberry sorbet for my grandson's prekindergarten graduation celebration. I was visiting in San Mateo, to be there for the graduation, so offered to find the sorbet and bring it. I called all the local folks but no one had strawberry sorbet. The call to Cold Stone, in downtown San Mateo, was the winner. The clerk was so helpful on the phone, telling me that she didn't think she had enough but she did have strawberry sorbet. I arrived and found a whole container of the sorbet in the display freezer. I told the clerk, the same one who had answered my call, that would take all she had. She was able to fill four cartons which made me very happy. However the fourth carton was not quite full so she offered my husband (the ice cream afficionado) a cup of any ice cream she had. It made him happy. My daughter (and the prek class) were happy with the strawberry sorbet. This time, the national chain was the winner. read more