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Such a yummy ice cream spot. Also they are able to make cute shape animals with your ice cream. Love that the ice cream isn't overly sweet.
Came in before closing and the staff was patient and very quick with our order. The interior was cute and clean. They have homemade specialty flavors with the cutest animals faces. Everything we tried was amazing. Prices were very reasonable too!
The ice cream was delicious, and the cute animals made it even better! The staff was friendly and helpful.
Guys this place is so adorbs!! This was one of my first saved dessert places in Chicago purely for the fact that I LOVE cute things. The cuter, the better!! Step aside clean modern aesthetics! I want my future house to have pastel furniture and pastel exteriors and cutesy tootsy everything. I had the mint chocolate stracciatella ice cream, and you have the option to make your scoop into an animal, ranging from koala, monkey, pig, and unicorn to capybara. I'm OBSESSED with capybaras, owing tribute to the song on tiktok "Capybaraaaaa! Capybara capybara capybara capybara. Capybaraaaaaa! Capybara capybara capybara." (You get it I'll stop now). The ice cream scoop was SO generous, and it was refreshing. The capybara design was so incredibly adorable, so aptly designed. We were one of the first customers at 1pm on a Saturday, so there was no wait time and the staff were very friendly! There is a bathroom in here, and they let you try flavors before buying!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The only thing I post on Instagram with any regularity is my cat. All those ice cream cones that look like various animals? Cute, no doubt, and same for the names of flavors. However, I eat for enjoyment of food, not likes on social media. After sampling the 'You Pecan Do It,' 'I got Ube,' and a "Miso Mon Cherie," The ube has mild ube flavors, and the Miso Mon Cherie was spectacularly chocolatey, seemingly having very dark chocolate. I opted for the pecan flavor, not because there was anything wrong with the others, simply that's where my mood was. I got the smallest size, with a cone on top, for 'ice cream hands' is only fun on TV. ' In a word, I found the ice cream underwhelming. The pecan pieces were too small to make a notable impact, and the ice cream itself lacked that creamy, luscious goodness that makes ice cream so great. Not that it was bad per se, but not very enjoyable. The same thing goes for the macaron. I asked to be surprised, and I think I was given a raspberry, but am unsure. What I can tell you is this once lacked the textures that makes macaron fantastic, without the necessary contrast of textures. In terms of value, I felt that ~$4 for the smaller size is reasonable. On that note, I want to point out that while their menu seems simple, it can bring some confusion. A single scoop can be done in the style of an animal without additional cost, but 'piggybacking' does cost extra? What is 'piggybacking' anyway? As I said, confusing. The vibe inside is clean and modern, however, I feel they have plenty of unused space that could be taken up by more tables (though, to be fair, it was not very busy that night). Final verdict: The product at Eli's Ark decidedly did not hit the spot. In a situation where I find myself preferring ice cream from the grocer's (store brand, to boot), a return visit is not in the cards.
Eli's ark is peak cuteness! This little gelato shop has lots of flavors to choose from. My favorites are "I got ube" and "mango tango". The ube flavor is probably my favorite ube desert in the city, they have to be using some high quality ube in their mix. The mango is also super fresh tasting. The service is always great with my gelato served up with a smile. The decor is simple yet inviting. A perfect spot for the family.
I love the cute animal gelato! You get to pick your size and then your animal. You have the option of a cup or cone and I like there are many different sizes to choose from. It's nice to have the option of a small size that actually is a small portion! Sometimes ice cream spots serve massive portions and I don't want that commitment if I'm already full from dinner. The price for the small portion was also really reasonable. They also let you sample their flavors and they have lots of unique options. The ones I tried were fruity and more subtle in flavor which was nice, so not too sweet. I ended up getting their mint chocolate ice cream in the form of a cute capybara! So cute and perfect small size in a cup.
Cute animal ice cream! The staff is very friendly. Nice place to chat and catch up with friends over a little sweet treat. Each cone has a good amount of ice cream. They have some fun ice cream flavors. Kids would love this place.
Some good tasting gelato! I love the variety of flavors, and the animals are cute too. I would definitely come back and recommend this place.
I've had this place bookmarked for so long now and finally made my way over which I am questioning why it took me so long. This is hands down the cutest ice cream spot in town. I love that no matter which flavor you get, you can pick your little animal. It's so tempting to stack so many flavors but I limited myself to 1. I got the Ube gelato which I personally think is the best Ube icecream/gelato that I've ever had. The flavor was so prominent and it was so creamy. You can also get your ice cream in a cup if you don't want a cone. I'm already thinking about which animal to get next!
Cutest dessert spot ever! I got the pig-shaped soft serve with the Pretty in Pink flavor (yakult + strawberry + rose) -- so refreshing and unique. My friend's koala soft serve was just as adorable. They also offer 4 non-dairy flavors and are super accommodating about it, which I really appreciated. Fun vibe, great service, and desserts that are as delicious as they are Instagram-worthy.
If, like me, you have been craving animal shaped gelato your whole life, boy do I have the place for you. Eli's Ark. This place is so stinking cute. A variety of unique flavors and designs. Well priced, nothing crazy. I got the ube, and my friend (vegan) got the vegan chocolate. Lots of vegan choices! They were very nice and did such a perfect job making our animal gelatos. I will be sure to come back and bring friends!
Capybara icecream was sooooo adorable! They have tons of animals to choose from and a lot of pretty unique icecream flavors as well. My go to is the ube for sure:)
3 years ago
Cutest place for ice cream! The decor inside was so fun. Service was great also. Ice cream flavors were very light which I liked. They also have some fun and unique flavors you won't see anywhere else! read more
I love the fact that they make cute animal faces on the icecream scoops! They also keep introducing new seasonal animals. The ice cream flavors are amazing! My personal favorite flavors are Kookie Monster and Mint-to-be! This is a fun place to visit, not only for kids, but adults too. read more
Fun for the kids with the cool designs and interesting combo of flavors. My kids got the pink one (raspberry-flavored) to make a pig (though they must've misheard me and made a dog) and the blue one (vanilla+other yummy flavors) to make a koala. A bit pricey, but all-in-all you're paying for the design. It started melting pretty quickly (and eaten pretty quickly) so we really only got to enjoy the design for a split-second photo. Decent concept, but to me, ice cream is ice cream, so I don't need the extra cost for design to be satisfied. My kids, on the other hand, would probably say "money well spent!" :) read more
4 years ago
Cute little ice cream shop in Wicker Park that serves gelato and macarons. They turn their ice cream scoops into little animals like unicorns, pigs, pandas, koalas to name a few. Their gelato are always super creamy and the perfect amount of sweetness. I recommend the ube and mango flavors! read more
3 years ago
Loved our ice cream treats! And the macarons were scrumptious! Very friendly staff! Will definitely be back! read more
The only thing better than fresh, crisp gelato is gelato shaped like a cute animal! Eli's Ark Gelato was some of the best I've tried. Smooth, refreshing, and light - I struggled to pick which flavor I liked best! After trying the banana, mounds of joy, and cake batter (which were all amazing), we went with the pretty in pink (strawberry) and the mango tango. The flavors were 10/10, and choosing an animal was the icing on the cake. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more
4 years ago
This spot sometimes has huge lines out the door in the summer. We went on a day when the line was short, woohoo! You get to pick the flavas of gelato you want and then what animal you want. Are you kidding me w this cuteness??? The idea is so brilliant, any kid would LOVE it here. I got ube and asked for a unicorn, look how sweet it is! The SO asked for vanilla and asked for a bear, also adorable. Pricing is fair and parking is pretty easy here on north ave. If you have kids and live in the area, bring them here if they deserve a treat! They will love it, guaranteed. read more
1 year ago
5 years ago
Eli's Ark is a super cute place to drop by if you're looking for a fun treat! I will say it's more style over substance. The treat was super cute, though some of the animals are more distinct than others. The way you order is you pick your scoop size, flavor, and animal. I would say the pig is probably the most recognizable animal to get. I got the tiramisu flavor and to be honest, the flavor was not very strong and it kinda just tasted like coffee ice. I'm glad I came for the experience and this would be a fun place to stop by but I would not go out of my way to visit. read more
Even though it was freezing cold and snowing during a first time visit to Chicago, I had to scope their ice cream scene. This place was quiet and neat. I think their staff was extra friendly when we visited because the four of us were the only ones there. Their fruit combination flavors taste extremely fresh and authentic, like I was eating the fruits on a platter. Cute and tasty ice cream with a photo aesthetic wall? There should be more people visiting despite weather! read more
Service was super friendly! The employees were so patient and accommodating of me and my friends- we are so indecisive when it comes to choosing flavors, but they let us try samples until we found one we enjoyed. I ended up loving the mango flavor, but had to sample a few others before I found the one I really liked. That being said, I would definitely come back in the future to get one of the animal-shaped cones. read more
3 years ago
Super cute! I went here with my younger cousin, and absolutely obsessed with this place. Their ice cream is also good, but I didn't take a picture. read more
5 years ago
The ice cream flavors were very unique but I think the experience itself was bland. The service wasn't personable and it felt really rushed. I got the strawberry rose ice cream and couldn't even taste the rose. The portion size was good though. read more
5 years ago
Try it once for the aesthetic, but not for the gelato. My friends and I arrived at 2:30PM (30minutes after opening) and there was a short line of maybe 8 people. Service: 5/5, extremely nice and efficient staff. Ambience: 5/5, limited indoor seating but turnover is fast bc its just gelato. Food: 2/5, ordered one scoop of the "You Pecan Do It" in a cone w a bear design. Looked cute but gelato tasted like a plain vanilla ice cream. I think I got 1/8 of a pecan in my scoop. This flavor is advertised as bourbony but I didn't taste that either. Unfortunately, the waffle cone was nothing special either... IMO, it's pretty expensive (over $6 after tax) for what it is. read more
While adorable, it's more for the gram than being tasteworthy. I went with an ube flavored cone, and mine was I'd say a 7.5/10. My sister got the candy floss and said it was ok, my dad was less than thrilled with his chocolate cone flavor. Whoever made my mom's cone didn't put it on well enough and the ice cream fell right off outside the shop. It was nice to check it out, but I'm not sure if I'd ever go back. While cute, I want a really unique, mind blowing ice cream flavor. read more
5 years ago
Very cute place to visit if you are from around here or not. Idea is what it counts and they have it. Dont wait last moment to grab a spoon of ice cream bc very often towards the end of their working hours, they run out of some flavors. You can choose from few very interesting flavors and then you choose animal and you have cute little dessert:) We had guests with kids few times and we were happy to get them here bc kids really had great times choosing and eating ice cream. Afternoon line is looooong so beware of that. read more
The wife and I finally got to try Eli's Ark and it did not disappoint! We went around 5pm when the line was short and got right in. First you choose your flavor and how many scoops of gelato, then you pick your animal styling. I'm glad we went when we did as wifey got the very last scoop of Mint To Be (Moroccan mint, girl scout cookies, and chocolate chips). She decided on the bear styling. I went with You Pecan Do It (Kentucky bourbon, burnt brown butter, praline pecans). In life you can never go wrong with panda anything, so I went with the styling. If you're really hell bent on a particular flavor, you have to go early because when they run out for the day, they are definitely out. We enjoyed every bite of the gelato and can't wait to come back for more flavors and more animals! read more
5 years ago
I took my friends here on a whim, not realizing how cute these ice cream cones would be. I think I'm biased in this review because I love cute things, but with the faces alone I would give this place 5 stars. Unfortunately my friends agreed this was more of a 3/5 star place based off the gelato alone, so we agreed on a happy median. I really wish they had an elephant animal- it would have been so cute! Overall, I would come again to impress a friend, but I would not go back for the gelato. It tasted more watery and less flavorful than other gelato I have had. The basic cone was also... basic. Food: 3/5 Ambience: 4/5 Cuteness factor: 6/5 read more
What else can be said about Eli's Ark except that it is ADORABLE! I wasn't sure what to expect or if certain animals came with certain ice creams but nope! You pick your own ice cream flavor(s) and animal character, too. Even if you don't get your ice cream in a cone, they make the cups look precious. You are sure to be greeted by a line out the door but it is worth the wait. The staff is super efficient and your treat will be out in no time. Stay in line! read more
3 years ago
Cutest dessert in town! The gelato is the perfect texture and flavorful- not to mention the extra decorating to make them animal shaped. The store is clean, but has pretty minimal seating. read more
A novelty for sure, and especially great for kids. I went with a kiddie cup of the mounds of joy gelato, llama style. There were almost 20 flavors to choose from, plus a case of macarons if that's more your jam. Overall I felt the taste and quality of the gelato was just ok, especially for the price, but it was definitely the cutest I've ever had. I'm glad I tried it once, but probably sticking to Jeni's ice cream next time I'm nearby. read more
3 years ago
Sooo cute. Delicious gelato flavors and fun animal shapes. I highly recommend. Perfect for taking out of town guests, kids or just for yourself. read more
8 years ago
Let's be honest, we did it for the gram. But it was totally worth it! So you choose an animal and a flavor for $5.50. They also have a "piggyback" option, which you're able to pick additional animals on top of another. Several tasty flavors to choose from jasmine peach milk tea and matcha green tea to seasonal ones like toasted marshmallow or gingerbread. I had low expectations on how the good the gelato was going to taste based on the cute appearance but I was completely wrong! The gelato actually tastes great AND looks adorable - definitely a 5 star in my book. read more
After seeing everyone's cute pictures, I fell into the hype. I HAD to go there. Stopped in on a Saturday night and got a three scooper with three different animals. They were adorable which made it hard to eat. The flavors were absolutely delicious. I got the cafe du monde, mango passionfruit yuzu, and green tea. My favorite out of those three was probably the passionfruit yuzu. My biggest regret was not getting a scoop of the jasmine peach milk tea. My brother got a scoop and I was able to try it. Would return solely for that! With our purchase, we were also able to get a free macaron, which I didn't enjoy at all...my dad thought it was okay, but to me it tasted very plasticky. TLDR: TRY THE JASMINE PEACH MILK TEA ICE CREAM! read more
5 years ago
Stopped by for dessert after dinner since I heard about this place from a friend. They are known for their cute animal icecream cones so we got a koala and panda with flavors tiramisu and ube. It was definitely really cute and Instagram worthy but the overall flavor of the icecream was just okay. It's definitely just for the aesthetic and not so much for the taste. read more
Eli's Arc differentiates itself from other gelato shops with its adorable, photogenic animal designs. There's an option to piggyback your ice cream with one or two other animals on top of your originally chosen animal! The atmosphere is easygoing with a clean interior and relaxed staff. There was a line when I went on a Saturday afternoon. By the time I was finished eating my ice cream, my friends and I were the only ones in the shop. There were two dairy free flavors when I went. They were the mixed berry sorbet and the blood orange sorbet. I got the blood orange sorbet shaped as a bunny. I was able to take a lot of photos of my cute bunny ice cream before it started melting. The sorbet flavor was satisfactory; although, I would've liked a more sour, blood orange flavor to it. I believe the ears were made of sugar and marshmallow candy, resembling Peeps. The eyes and nose of the bunny didn't really taste like anything; they were only there for appearance. My ice cream looked more appealing than it tasted, but it could've just been the flavor that I got. Overall, I would come back here to try the other flavors and animal designs! read more
2 years ago
SO CUTE AND DELISH. Love the location and the customer service was also so great. I love seeing Asian flavors represented :) read more
3 years ago
The staff was incredibly friendly and let us try so many flavors and when we asked if they could choose the animals for us bc we were overwhelmed by the choices they didn't hesitate and made the loveliest animals. They also had macaroons that looked amazing but we didn't try. The ice cream flavors were DELICIOUS read more
I saw this place on Instagram and knew I had to come here! Perfect timing since K, T, my friend, and I were getting lunch at Paradise Park and that was a 2 min walk away. Ambiance: Modern and chic. There's some white chairs and tables on one side and the other side has a faux grass wall that says "Life is Sweet" with some gelato facts and more cute sayings framed next to it. There's more seating on this side with tables and a long bench. I love how spacious the middle section is! Great for when the line gets long. Service: Amazing service! The menu on how to order the gelato animals is on the side. The girl at the counter was patient when giving us samples and helping us choose our animals and flavors. The guy back there (owas very helpful and nice as well. Food: K and my friend ordered 3 scoops to share. T ordered 2 scoops, and I ordered 2 scoops as well. We spent hours on a patio in the scorching sun so these scoops were well-deserved! Haha I got a horchata dog and a strawberry pig. The flavors were amazing and not overly sweet. They were the real deal. $7.50 may be a little steep for these two scoops but you know going in that you're paying for the animal faces and it's premium quality gelato. I promise it's worth it!! They also sell churros and macarons. I didn't see the sign for churros but the macarons are $2 each which is standard. They're pretty big compared to other places and we all had a piece of the chocolate coconut one. Yum! I love the name of this place, very clever. I just don't think people can tell it's gelato from the outside. Some people stopped by the window while my friends were taking pictures and seemed surprised/amused that's what was in here. No problem though! I know once the word gets out the line will be out the door! Can't wait to come back!!! P.S. When T tried the red velvet cheesecake sample, she said "mmm.. yeah. This is the one." Just for all of you red velvet lovers out there! ;) read more
Aside from insanely instagramable animals this place is worth try. The ice cream was merely ok but what was delicious were the macaroons. Hell yes there's a line & hell yes the place is kind of expensive but the smile your kids will have the happiness your taste buds will feel curve all those things. I paid $20 for 6 macaroons & a unicorn cone. I'd suggest going during the evening when the line isn't terrible & the sun is attempting to melt you. There's a sign prior to getting to the counter with available flavors & descriptions & the staff I'll accommodate any "reasonable" request. read more
6 years ago
This is the cutest little ice cream stop! The line was nearly 45 minutes Wednesday evening, but I would say it was worth it, especially since the weather was so nice :) They limit the amount of people inside due to Covid, and provide hand sanitizer. With our cute little creatures and with tax included, it came out to around $12 for two single scoops- not bad! There are so many animals to choose from, I would definitely come back again and try another one out. Their ice cream flavors are unique and rich. I really enjoyed the ménage a trois ice cream with 3 forms of chocolate. My guest said he wouldn't recommend his flan Ice cream over trying another flavor. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here, and the cute scenery makes me excited to try this spot indoors post Covid. read more
5 years ago
Fun gelato flavors with delightful animal faces. Huge hit with both kids and adults alike. I got the strawberry pig and my husband got the mint chocolate chip bear. You can pick the flavors, animals and even add animals and stack them on if you want to mix and match flavors. The cone was nice and crunchy and not stale which is a plus for small ice cream stores. The store is still closed inside for seating and there is no outside seating available as it's on a Main Street. Additionally, the staff were really patient and friendly esp/ with people taking a while to order. read more
Gelato lovers, you must make a stop here! Eli's Ark is located in Wicker Park. There's plenty of seating inside and they have a cute Instagrammable wall! I was able to sample some of their flavors before making a decision. I really enjoyed how rich and unique each of their flavors were. My favorites were the Dark Chocolate Blood Orange and That's Amore! You're able to choose up to 1-3 scoops of gelato then you can choose what "animal" you would like your scoops to be styled as (e.g. chicken, pig, bear, koala, etc). It's such a cute touch to your experience there. It really makes the gelato more enjoyable. I'm not from Chicago but whenever I come back, I will definitely be making a pit stop here since they do have a rotating gelato menu! read more
6 years ago
The end of the night line takes a bit with covid, I But it's so worth it when you're holding these cuties ! They're delicious - great adorable animal faces gelatos! I got mint & strawberry- super smooth/ crisp & very flavorful taste - will definitely be back! read more
More info about Eli's Ark
1843 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
Wicker Park, West Town
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(773) 687-9072
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Just hope you're lucky! We actually just had someone stay in the car, parked somewhere that wasn't a spot while we ran in really quick because there was no close street parking
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