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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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 :)
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.
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
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
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
9 months 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
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
11 months 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
7 months 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
3 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
9 months 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
10 months 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
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
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
9 months 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
10 months 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
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…
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…
11 months ago
Very long line in the evening. Just okay ice cream in my opinion, not my favorite and the scoops are quite small for $8 not including the $1.50 for the dipped waffle cone. Would not wait in the line again but they do allow you to sample read more
There was a long line but it was moving. Worth the wait. I'd come back! The ice cream was delicious! Very casual ambiance. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thanks for your review! We appreciate your patience in line and hope…
A must stop for tourists!! Fun ice cream flavors, hilarious souvenirs, and all the puns and cow themed apparel you can ask for. There are no samples at this ice cream shop however. I also asked for a kids scoop because I didn't want that much ice cream. It seemed priced the same as a single scoop?? So idk that was weird Some of the prices of the merch can get expensive so if you can somehow fit a kids size, they're A LOT cheaper. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for stopping by COWS and writing us a review, Ben! We hope…
After lunch, I was thinking about some coffee but walked by Cows, it smelled great so wanted to give it a try. They had a long line which makes sense! Its worth the wait, it wasn't too bad. Probably less than 5 mins but I highly recommend it. My husband and I tried the Gooey mooey and wow it was so good!! I usually like to get fruity ones, mango, coconut. I did not like their mango so tried the gooey mooey and wow I am impressed. I could have had more. I highly recommend it and will return in the future. read more
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Mary Beth M.
Thank you for your review!
My sister and I each ordered a single scoop of the Cookie Monster - vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces and Oreo pieces. Their fresh waffle cones were easily a 5 star. The ice cream was good. We walked by this shop multiple times and the line was always out the door. They have lots of flavors, and it looked like they offered free samples. However, due to how busy they were, I felt a bit rushed and didn't get a chance to see all the options or test taste any of the flavors, unfortunately. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Hi there, thanks for visiting us and sharing a review. We're sorry to…
Tourist review! Went right when they opened to avoid long lines. Whenever we passed it any time during the day it had crazy long lines. I got the maple flavor because of course that's one of the local flavors and it was delicious. Their staff was very sweet and welcoming. They also have a gift shop in the store to buy some souvenirs if you like. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for sharing a review, Shikha! We are so glad you enjoyed…
I knew COWS from their butter in Ontario stores and was happy to try their ice cream. We had chocolate orange, gooey mooey, messie bessie, and wowie cowie. Most were a variation of chocolate, and the rich cocoa and milk flavours shone through. My fav was the chocolate orange--reminded me of Christmas. There was a line, but it moved fast as service was efficient. The store had no seating, was clean, and sold other COWS food and merchandise. Just be ready to stand and savour your ice cream like a true connoisseur of fine dairy delights. read more
3 years ago
I came here based on a recommendation from my aunt who visited Banff about 7 years before me. Having tried lots of ice creams around the states and different parts of the world, I held high expectations from her calling it the "best ice cream ever". The first glance I had of the store there was a line out the door which made me believe in her statement. I decided to wait it out and come when the line was shorter. The waffle cone smell wafts out the door and entices you to come in. As excited as I was, this definitely was not the *best* ice cream I've ever had, but it was good enough since it was a hot day in May. We got the maple ice cream and some kind of custard ice cream. The custard flavor was a let down but the maple ice cream was good. Texture wise it really tasted like it was from a grocery store so I wasn't "wowed". Though I don't have any comparisons since I didn't have any other ice cream in the area, it very much well could be the best ice cream in the area. I'd give it a try if you're around. When I'm back I'll definitely give it another go, but with different flavors. read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for trying us out and leaving a review! We appreciate your…
The line was out the door but went by pretty quickly. You are not allowed to sample any flavors. Thankfully I was satisfied with the ones I picked! Brownie Explosion: The vanilla ice cream base was DELICIOUS. The texture was more firm, which I enjoyed because I like to bite my ice cream. There was a ton of fudge, but I didn't have a single brownie piece. Moo York Cheesecake: Not my favorite cheesecake ice cream. I can't put my finger on it, but it almost tasted tarty and sour? This flavor was more soft and melted faster. I loved the Oreo pieces though! The price was fair for a double scoop on a waffle cone. The scoops are not too large (compared to America lol) so I was able to finish a double scoop by myself! read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Not sure if the wait was worth, but solid ice cream spot to fix your sweets cravings on a hot day while in downtown Banff! Our favs were brownie explosion and chunky chocolate mint. Love the creaminess of the ice cream and the fun flavors, but they were all lacking a little bit of flavor? Worth stopping by to check out the cute merch and flavors! read more
Business owner information
Mary Beth M.
Thank you for writing us a review! We appreciate your feedback as…
9 months ago
10 months ago
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