COWS Photos
COWS Popular Desserts
You might also consider
Recommended Reviews - COWS
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
COWS in Banff is worth the line. It stretches out the door, but moves fast. Prices are fair, scoops are generous, and the texture is rich and creamy in that way that feels distinctly Canadian. The maple walnut is a standout. Deep maple flavor, not cloying. Lots of upgrade paths, sprinkles, chocolate rims, or go big with a milkshake or a liter to go. Easy recommendation for a nightly vacation ritual. You have to take it to go so not much to say about ambiance.
Last night here with early flight next day. I called and said we are coming from Emerald lake and will make it just before 10pm. The reassured at they will take us as long as it was before 10pm. My Ten year old and I got here at 9:59pm and the doors were already locked. With one door completely locked while the other., a staff was standing and only allowing guests to exist. My son was really looking forward to trying Cows and we rushed here in rainy weather... definitely no Canadian hospitality here...
A must while in Banff! Huge selection of flavors and also a funny shop with merch puns (you gotta go to understand). I got the Nessies Bessie flavor in a peanut cone, yum! So good.
What a fun place, and based on the amount of people here and on line, it's well known. We decided to take a walk around town after a wonderful dinner at Chuck's Steak House. Our friends had walked the area prior and knew about this ice cream shop. So... we get out of dinner without dessert with the express idea of coming to Cows. It was a good decision. We took a walk there through beautiful downtown Banff, basically just following the people in front of us and them. Cows is well known with a very loyal following. Lots of people walking in and a fairly robust line moving very quickly. You walk into a store with lots of different products. We came in with the express idea of some cones. I don't remember the flavor (not my regular chocolate) but this ice cream is good... really good. Not even remembering the flavor I can tell you that is was rich and packed with flavor. Enjoyed every bit of it. After paying, we all strolled out and back down the street to the bus eating our delicious ice cream cones. KUDOs to the team at COWS.
The line here was super long, but did move at a decent pace. They let you have up to 3 samples of flavors and it is a little chaotic at the front, but the workers were nice. We ended up getting the PEI strawberry which was pretty good - a fresh strawberry flavor in a thick ice cream base. Good for a post dinner sweet treat!
The waiter at the restaurant that we were eating at told us not go come here. I didn't listen to him. Cow had the longest line in Banff. Since we didn't know any better even when warned by our waiter, we came here anyways. The line moved quickly. No time for samples. The cones that my wife and I got were good. I only made it a couple of blocks before I was done eating the cone. My wife was happy that she was able to purchase another Banff souvenir while in the gift shop of Cows. They do have good ice cream here.
Great ice cream, tons of different flavours to try! Service is very good, I was shocked at how quick they served a pretty hectic line! Shop is clean and also has a gift shop attached with lots of funny cow themed shirts that mimic big name brands and bands!
Fantastic variety of flavors! Almost each one has a funny name that incorporates the word cow or moo, loooove that Long lines goes by super fast since there's so many eager peeps behind the counter ready to help ya get your ice cream. Awesome souvenir store next door with super neat merch! It was freezing outside, but you best believe I got some ice cream.
Every time I visit COWS, I leave fully satisfied. I've made road trips just to visit COWS. Their ice cream just has such a particular creamy sweetness to it - it must be the dairy they use. You walk past their storefront and the smell of sugary waffle cones permeates the air. Inside, it's a-MOO-zing. While their flavours aren't the most unique, there are plenty to choose from and all have that same COWS dairy flavour. I'm particularly fond of their Cookie Moonster, PEI strawberry, and any of their chocolate flavours. Plus, who can resist all their cow-themed & pun-filled merch?
This place seemed to have a long line no matter what time of the day. I decided to try it out since ice cream seemed healthier than a beaver tail? Let me live with my delusions haha. The line moved fast and I did sample some flavors. I decided on the Nanaimoo bar flavor (custard, coconut, chocolate marble, chocolate wafer pieces). It seemed to be unique since Nanaimoo bar is a classic Canadian dessert. Surprisingly, the cone tasted very fresh and was thicker than store bought cones so they might be making them in house. The maple walnut flavor was great too if you want a sweeter ice cream.
Nice ice cream shop with cool flavors. Tried the maple and coffee. Both were pretty good! Line was out the door but moved quickly and they also have a cute store with merch
On a hot day in the Canadian summer, this was delicious maple ice cream!! When we were in Banff the line was down the streets outside of COWS - we knew it must be good! My ice cream was delicious! I knocked off one star because the ordering process was chaotic but it was worth the crazy line!
1 month ago
One of the redeeming things about being an adult is being able to make the executive decision to start dinner with ice cream! We saw the line here on a summer night and decided to endure and you know what, the folks at Cows have it down pat, it went quick and they hustled!! I kept seeing Nanaimo while in Banff and went with that since I love the custard and chocolate flavor combo. Absolutely delicious! Worth the wait!! read more
2 months ago
every time we walked past cows the line was absolutely ridiculous so we finally had to see what all the hype was about. they offer a ton of fun and unique flavors. we tried the pei blueberry and peach melba which were a great balance of creamy and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day because it was so busy, the service wasnt particularly warm or patient. understandably, we werent able to sample any flavors before ordering the ice cream was def tasty and im glad we tried it but i probably wouldnt wait that long again when there are plenty of other great ice cream spots around read more
This place always has a line out the door. One of the guides in my touring group told us about Cows and how popular It is. I initially wasn't interested in waiting in a long line for ice cream. But later decided to check them out at the end of my trip to satisfy my curiosity. Plus it was a warm day and I had already finished all of my shopping. Cows is located in the heart of Downtown Banff and is known for their hand-made premium ice cream. Cows has a variety of flavors with fun creative names like the Gooey Mooey, Cownadien Maple and Wowie Cowie. The people in line were really excited to be experiencing this place. I also noticed Cows has a large gift shop area that sells cow-themed merchandise and apparel. There was a lot of cool stuff to check out in the store. I grabbed my coffee flavored Caramel Moocchiato ice cream and one of their snack items and spent time in the gift shop. Overall, Cows was a fun experience and I am glad a was able to squeeze this place in at the end of my trip. read more
14 days ago
1 month ago
COWS in Banff is worth the line. It stretches out the door, but moves fast. Prices are fair, scoops are generous, and the texture is rich and creamy in that way that feels distinctly Canadian. The maple walnut is a standout. Deep maple flavor, not cloying. Lots of upgrade paths, sprinkles, chocolate rims, or go big with a milkshake or a liter to go. Easy recommendation for a nightly vacation ritual. You have to take it to go so not much to say about ambiance. read more
3 months ago
Last night here with early flight next day. I called and said we are coming from Emerald lake and will make it just before 10pm. The reassured at they will take us as long as it was before 10pm. My Ten year old and I got here at 9:59pm and the doors were already locked. With one door completely locked while the other., a staff was standing and only allowing guests to exist. My son was really looking forward to trying Cows and we rushed here in rainy weather... definitely no Canadian hospitality here... read more
What a fun place, and based on the amount of people here and on line, it's well known. We decided to take a walk around town after a wonderful dinner at Chuck's Steak House. Our friends had walked the area prior and knew about this ice cream shop. So... we get out of dinner without dessert with the express idea of coming to Cows. It was a good decision. We took a walk there through beautiful downtown Banff, basically just following the people in front of us and them. Cows is well known with a very loyal following. Lots of people walking in and a fairly robust line moving very quickly. You walk into a store with lots of different products. We came in with the express idea of some cones. I don't remember the flavor (not my regular chocolate) but this ice cream is good... really good. Not even remembering the flavor I can tell you that is was rich and packed with flavor. Enjoyed every bit of it. After paying, we all strolled out and back down the street to the bus eating our delicious ice cream cones. KUDOs to the team at COWS. read more
27 days ago
1 year ago
The line here was super long, but did move at a decent pace. They let you have up to 3 samples of flavors and it is a little chaotic at the front, but the workers were nice. We ended up getting the PEI strawberry which was pretty good - a fresh strawberry flavor in a thick ice cream base. Good for a post dinner sweet treat! read more
The waiter at the restaurant that we were eating at told us not go come here. I didn't listen to him. Cow had the longest line in Banff. Since we didn't know any better even when warned by our waiter, we came here anyways. The line moved quickly. No time for samples. The cones that my wife and I got were good. I only made it a couple of blocks before I was done eating the cone. My wife was happy that she was able to purchase another Banff souvenir while in the gift shop of Cows. They do have good ice cream here. read more
Great ice cream, tons of different flavours to try! Service is very good, I was shocked at how quick they served a pretty hectic line! Shop is clean and also has a gift shop attached with lots of funny cow themed shirts that mimic big name brands and bands! read more
1 year ago
Fantastic variety of flavors! Almost each one has a funny name that incorporates the word cow or moo, loooove that Long lines goes by super fast since there's so many eager peeps behind the counter ready to help ya get your ice cream. Awesome souvenir store next door with super neat merch! It was freezing outside, but you best believe I got some ice cream. read more
Every time I visit COWS, I leave fully satisfied. I've made road trips just to visit COWS. Their ice cream just has such a particular creamy sweetness to it - it must be the dairy they use. You walk past their storefront and the smell of sugary waffle cones permeates the air. Inside, it's a-MOO-zing. While their flavours aren't the most unique, there are plenty to choose from and all have that same COWS dairy flavour. I'm particularly fond of their Cookie Moonster, PEI strawberry, and any of their chocolate flavours. Plus, who can resist all their cow-themed & pun-filled merch? read more
1 year ago
This place seemed to have a long line no matter what time of the day. I decided to try it out since ice cream seemed healthier than a beaver tail? Let me live with my delusions haha. The line moved fast and I did sample some flavors. I decided on the Nanaimoo bar flavor (custard, coconut, chocolate marble, chocolate wafer pieces). It seemed to be unique since Nanaimoo bar is a classic Canadian dessert. Surprisingly, the cone tasted very fresh and was thicker than store bought cones so they might be making them in house. The maple walnut flavor was great too if you want a sweeter ice cream. read more
2 months ago
1 year ago
Nice ice cream shop with cool flavors. Tried the maple and coffee. Both were pretty good! Line was out the door but moved quickly and they also have a cute store with merch read more
On a hot day in the Canadian summer, this was delicious maple ice cream!! When we were in Banff the line was down the streets outside of COWS - we knew it must be good! My ice cream was delicious! I knocked off one star because the ordering process was chaotic but it was worth the crazy line! read more
1 year ago
Saw this super long line outside so we decided to try it. It's not horrible, it's just not worth the hype really. Basic. Idk what everyone was raving about. Has a shop inside, nowhere to sit but outside on the sidewalk. It's just alright, nothing crazy good. The line does go fast I mean how hard is it to scoop ice cream but yea. read more
3 months ago
4 months ago
We were curious to try this ice cream shop out as we always saw a long line while passing by. It's a good place to get ice cream, but it doesn't stand out from other typical shops. The ice cream is creamy, and they have fun flavors. Most people eat their ice cream on the public benches since indoors is solely for ordering. read more
7 months ago
Very friendly and prompt service. Tried the Cownadian maple, it tastes like maple syrup, but it's not overly sweet. We went all the way to Banff for this and it was totally worth it. Store was bright and cheery and very CANADIAN! Loved it! read more
1 year ago
Why 5 stars? Because our ice cream was so nice, the wife went back twice. --- --- --- We visited Cows our second night in Banff. I ordered two scoops on a cone: Creamy Coconut and Maple Walnut. Both were top notch. The scoops were on the small side, but that's nitpicking. The wife ordered a mint chocolate chip and might have loved hers even more than I loved mine, which is a high bar. She was so in love that she opted to return the third and final night. I loved mine too, but there were like 12 other dessert places I wanted to try, so I just couldn't move forward with a repeat? Was it worth a repeat? Absolutely. But I have my vacation principles and I don't violate them very easily :) read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for sharing a wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed…
There was a line almost every night we were in town in August, but the wait wasn't too long (maybe 10ish minutes). The ice cream flavors are fairly standard but the names are fun and cow-themed. I think later in the evening they had run out of some of their flavors. I got their Caramel Moochiato and the Gooey Mooey (vanilla with caramel) on a waffle cone - both were solid. The shop also sells their own butter and cheese, and there's a whole other half of the store filled with COWS merch, which I loved. I bought a stuffed cow for myself and took it hiking! Overall fun vibe and definitely would stop by if you're in town. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
We're so glad you enjoyed your visit to COWS and we hope to serve you…
2 years ago
Pretty long line if you go after dinnertime, but I think it's worth it (at least to try once) and it moves quickly. There are plenty of people working behind the counter, giving samples and scooping ice cream. I ordered the gooey mooey, which is burnt sugar ice cream (vanilla ice cream mixed with English toffee), English toffee marble, caramel cups, and chocolate flakes. The ice cream was packed with caramel cups and chocolate flakes and the texture of the ice cream was great. It came in a waffle cone, which was a bit thicker than I'm used to but it works out because the ice cream slightly softens it a bit and stays crunchy. COWS has a lot of interesting flavors and the ice cream base is solid. A large part of its appeal is the other half of the store, which is filled with all kinds of merch - from punny t-shirts to stuffed animals. read more
1 year ago
Ice cream delicious (cream pie and owee gooey). 2 scoops $8.00 decent average price. Sadly server scooped like it came from his own pocket, I even asked for a generous scoop and his scoop was chincy, place was clean and bright . Gift shop was cute. read more
4 months ago
ice cream was very delicious! line moved fairly quickly for the amount of people that were there. definitely make it a stop if your walking around downtown banff read more
3 years ago
A local Canadian favourite. Many delicious flavours and combinations. Generous portion. Lots of Canadian style souveiners. I've recently travelled to pei where cows originates from. They got ice cream randomly every few blocks for whatever reason. Their love of ice cream is famous and luckily we get a taste of this in Banff. Skip the longest airfare ever and just go here. Its just like the stores in prince Edward Island! The flavours combinations are phenomenal with so many toppings in every bite. And every bite is an explosion of flavours. Anything with moo in the name is probably a classic favourite. In pei, the maple flavored or chocolate with nuts is pretty popular. I personally love the nutty flavored ones or the ones that taste like certain pies: pumpkin pie, coconut pie etc... I love this place because it reminds me of my travels in the east coast. And it has that classic Canadian taste which is so unique! My son raves about the chocolate covered potatoes chips bc thats pretty famous in pei. The saltiness and chocolate are just so perfect together. You got to try it! read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank MOO so much for writing us such a lovely review, Michelle! We…
1 year ago
Note to self, the lines are way longer in the evening, but they do move fast! There were sooo many unique flavors to choose from. My favorite was the bubble gum. Maybe I was being bias and remembering the childhood flavors. There's a separate section for merchandise so don't forget to look at them before leaving! For sure a must stop before or after your day in Banff! read more
I was really looking forward to trying this place after seeing all the good reviews but was very disappointed. I got the brownie explosion but it didn't have any brownie pieces! When I was first handed my cup, I didn't see much chocolate but thought it was just buried deeper in the cup. Mixed the ice cream around to dig for the brownie pieces and still nothing! Was already a decent distance from the shop after realizing so didn't feel like walking all the way back to inform them. They do have cute punny shirts but that's about all I enjoyed. Maybe other flavors are better but still...if the flavor is brownie explosion there should be visible pieces of brownie in the ice cream. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Hi Remy, thank you for sharing a review. We are sorry to hear about…
Page 1 of 6
