I came on Baskin-Robbins' 80th birthday*, and honestly, I didn't even know Baskin-Robbins had…read moreturned 80 until I got an email that morning advertising scoops for only 80 cents!
Happy birthday Baskin-Robbins! 80 years is a long time, and I can only wonder how long ago we would have to travel back in time where three quarters and a nickel would be enough for one scoop of ice cream?
First things first, don't get this location in Bixby Knolls Shopping Center on Atlantic confused with the other Baskin-Robbins in Bixby Plaza on Atlantic. They're about a mile and a half away from each other, but this location is the more northerly location. If you recall where the old Vons used to be before it closed for good, this Baskin-Robbins is just next door.
As soon as I came in, I saw a handful of customers inside, much more than what I've seen compared to the other locations, but I suppose that's what 80-cent scoops will do. A line had formed by the freezers in the far corner holding pints of ice cream as well as ice cream cakes. There's an ice cream chest closest to the front door, but two chests closer to the back, so I'd recommend looking at the flavors in the ice cream chest closest to the front door once you come in.
When it was my turn to order, I asked if this location would honor the 80-cent scoop promo, to which the female employee (Veachara?) answered affirmatively. I did have to go back and forth across the ice cream chests to decide what to order, but I'm glad she would offer samples of flavors that I was interested in. I was curious about the Gold Medal Ribbon, and while it was a great flavor to try, it wasn't one I was in the mood for at the time as I felt it was a bit too sweet. Maybe on a cheat day, but I wasn't planning to cheat that day lol.
With a line forming behind me, I almost thought I would have been limited to one sample, so after the first sample of Gold Medal Ribbon, I simply said, "I'll try the Triple Mango", which did pique my curiosity as I love mangos, but recall how I despised mango froyo at a froyo shop just on the other end of the shopping center. Veachara asked if I was intending to sample or if that was my chosen flavor, and even though I was that close to choosing the Triple Mango, I decided to sample it first, though I still kind of felt bad that the other customers in line had to wait a little longer due to my indecisiveness.
Compared to the lackluster froyo from a few years ago, this Triple Mango had a much more solid taste, but I wasn't sure where that third layer of mango was if that made sense. It's a good flavor that I'd recommend if you love mangos as well, but I really wanted to try the Cherries Jubilee, which I could actually see the cherry pieces inside the ice cream.
After tasting my third sample, I decided that the third time was a charm and chose the Cherries Jubilee as my flavor of choice. It's not a No Sugar Added flavor, but I felt there was enough sugar to give it the cherry flavor my taste buds were seeking while not being too overly sweet at the same time. In addition to cherry, there is also a hint of rum flavor in the Cherries Jubilee.
Since there was only one register on the front counter, I had to wait a while for the other employee to ring me up, even after I had chosen the Cherries Jubilee. When it was my turn to get rung up, I had to scan the QR code on my phone to redeem the 80-cent scoop reward. After paying the 80 cents, I went to the two-person table by the freezers to enjoy my scoop of Cherries Jubilee.
Like I said, there was a sufficient amount of cherry flavor that satisfied my taste buds at the time, but it certainly isn't going to be the best tasting cherry ice cream. You'd probably have better luck at a mom 'n pop shop in the Pacific Northwest, where these cherries are sourced from. But for only 80 cents? Definitely worth trying if you love cherries!
While I enjoyed the scoop of Cherries Jubilee, I do have to deduct a star because Veachara mentioned I could only get one scoop at that price, but after reading the fine print, I found out I could have gotten up to 6 scoops at that price! I was okay with getting just one, but I certainly would have considered getting 6 at that price! However, I was not given a lid, hence why I chose to eat my scoop there while everyone else took their ice cream to go. I would have loved to try 6 different flavors at the discounted price, not all at once, but over the course of that week.
Nevertheless, I still recommend this Baskin-Robbins. Happy birthday again! Maybe in 5 years, they will have 85-cent scoops to celebrate another birthday milestone? Not as good as 80-cent scoops, but I'll take 85 cent scoops any day of the week in today's economy!
* The 80-cent scoop promo happened in early December during which I went on a hiatus from posting reviews. That's why this review was posted kind of late.