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    Novel Ice Cream

    4.8 (248 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Novel Ice Cream Photos

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    Reviews With Photos - Novel Ice Cream

    Dough melt with bourbon caramel toffee crunch ice cream
    Kristin W.

    WOW... just WOW!!! We were actually recommended this place by the amazing restaurant where we had dinner, and all I can say is thank goodness we listened. What a hidden gem! There is something magical about a warm doughnut paired with cold creamy ice cream. The combination of temperatures and flavors was incredible. It was one of those treats that makes you stop mid-conversation just to appreciate how good it is. I honestly can't believe we are only now discovering this spot. The staff were so friendly, and genuinely happy to help. My friend has a food allergy which they were patient, thorough, and took the time to answer all of her questions, which meant so much to us. Great desserts, wonderful service, and a team that truly cares about their customers. That's a combination that's hard to beat.

    Ariel S.

    Novel Ice Cream is one of those spots that feels like a hidden gem--tucked away near the museum, it almost feels like you've discovered something special when you find it. And once you try it, you realize why it's so popular. The ice cream tastes incredibly fresh and homemade. My personal favorite is the honey lavender--it's perfectly balanced. The lavender flavor is distinct and aromatic without being overpowering, which is rare since lavender desserts can sometimes lean too subtle or too strong. It's clearly a well-loved place because there's usually a line, but it moves quickly, so the wait is never a big deal. And it's absolutely worth it for the dough melt--seriously, it's to die for. There's just something amazing about that combination of cold, creamy ice cream sandwiched inside a warm donut. On top of all that, the staff is always very friendly, which makes the experience even better. I will always recommend this place!

    Located at the end of the hallway
    Diele K.

    Their Phoenix location was voted #1 in Yelp's Top 100 Ice Cream Shops, so I wanted to check out their Mesa location as closer to my house. My boyfriend and I are long distance, but when he was in town, this made for a perfect date night treat! Though the place has no interior seating and only one table, we quickly pivoted the plan to eat in my car. Definitely more of a grab and go place to plan a little differently next visit. And yes, next visit as we both loved what we ordered! My boyfriend wanted the Leslie Knope, but was advised it would take 5-10 minutes so he went with the Dough Melt. I took a bite of his, and it truly was heavenly to have ice cream between a deliciously warm glazed donut though I preferred my order. My scoop of chocolate was perfect for me as I don't like to go too overboard with the sweets! Definitely return here and recommend as the ice cream was very good. Hard for me to find chocolate ice cream that isn't just pure sugar, and tastes like chocolate. Novel hits the mark for me!

    Mocha Peppermint deliciousness.
    Dave S.

    Out looking for a treat after some ice skating in Mesa! A few blocks away is Novel Ice Cream. It's something special for sure. Two handfuls of flavors to choose from. I chose Mocha Peppermint...delicious. One block from downtown Mesa not far from anything if you're looking for something sweet. After we finished our ice creams someone mentioned they also have donuts filled ice cream sandwiches...ahhhh! Next time for sure. Last words... special.

    Outside
    Veronica N.

    We stopped by here to grab some ice cream because we had seen something about a ice cream doughnut sandwich. I got the crunchy caramel toffee, ice cream and chocolate. All the ice cream was delicious. We also got Tres leches in the doughnut, it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Overall, it was pretty good stuff. The service was quick and friendly and we loved sitting right outside on the patio while watching the pigeons and birds.

    Downtown Mesa Novel entrance
    Rachael A.

    Ice cream! Donuts! Drinks! Great customer service! What's not to LOVE at Novel! Always a great time picking up a sweet treat at Novel Ice Cream in downtown Mesa. Bonus points that they are open late (midnight or 1am most nights). They serve 8 daily flavors and have 4 daily rotating flavors created in small batches so it's always fresh. You can choose cup, cone or Dough Melt which is a donut ice cream sandwich! Delicious! It's in a cute greenery covered alley with a few other shops as well. There are a few spots to sit and enjoy every wonderful bite.

    The "attempt to improve" that was really just the starting attempt to mouth off about how offended they are that I had a bad experience
    Kevin L.

    After speaking with the owner Shawn after he reached out to me about my 3 star review, I've updated my review to one star. His defensive attitude shows my rushed, snobby experience was a reflection of leadership rather than an isolated incident. I entertained the text just to see what I could help with. Not expecting any refunds or an invite back because it wasnt just the service that I didn't like. The ice cream was underwhelming and "not worth the calories". I had no intention of returning unless there was a fundamental change in their recipe. The ice cream is bland and tastes of eating pure butterfat. Even a doughnut sandwich could not redeem the ice cream. I stand by my statement that you would be better off at Churn, Salt and Straw, or Handel's. Very disappointing experience, flavor, and ownership. His response to this publicly is further reflection. I refused to engage because he led off defensive. That is not how to treat a customer. His assertion that I have been misleading is appalling. It's mid ice cream. I implore customers to stay away or meet the same treatment on display. Serve the community at the highest level. This isn't the highest. I will add another screenshot of him asking for a phone call. I rejected the phone call because i could tell there was defensiveness from the beginning and he proved me right

    Single scoop butter pecan
    Rachel B.

    Delicious and shockingly inexpensive! Even the location was quaint and unique! My eating companions and I enjoyed: single scoops of: chocolate, butter pecan, Cookie Monster, raspberry sorbet, and vanilla. Everyone loved their ice cream! I highly recommend the butter pecan it was nutty and so good!!!

    Butter pecan
    Leanne M.

    Love love ice cream. This is literally a tiny hole in the wall shop. One tiny table outside to sit, but sitting on the street The chocolate ice cream was rich and a nice chocolate taste. It was not bitter What surprised me was the lemon bar ice cream. In the past I have found lemon ice cream to have a slightly curdled aftertaste this one did not. The lemon was light and refreshing The butter pecan was DELICIOUS. There was a good sprinkling of pecans.

    Kristen L.

    They have eight Staple Ice Cream flavors: Bourbon Toffee Caramel Crunch Cookie Monster Madagascar Vanilla Chocolate Straight Up Strawberry Butter Pecan Honey Lavender PB Wasted They have some rotated flavors - Rotated Ice Creams (2) Rotated Sorbets (Dairy + GF) (2) The Bourbon Toffee Caramel Crunch is their best seller. I thought it had a good toffee and caramel flavor. The flavor wasn't weak here. With that, you know they have good ice cream. The honey lavender has a strong lavender flavor. Those who like floral flavors will like this one. The Thai ice tea flavor was good too, but there was something crunchy in it like an eggshell. I wasn't sure what it was. Otherwise, it had a nice strong flavor. Atmosphere - They hand you the ice cream out of a window. You order at a window. This all takes place in an alley. The weather could be hot, cold, just right, rainy, windy or sunny. It was getting busy in the alley. There was one table in the alley. Outside of the alley there were a couple of benches. Service - There were about three employees at the time. The service here was fairly quick. Order and pay at the window. Self seating only outside if you can find a spot. Parking - Surface parking lot. No parking meter or parking structures. Would be nice if there was a nearby parking structures or if there was covered parking with solar panels or trees. Unique - No seating. Is literally in an alley. Nice hole in the wall place. In the evenings I think it would be pretty there. Did not see a health rating on Yelp.

    Shu Huan Y.

    Always a good time here with people. Tried a couple samples. I wondered if the Cookie Monster is natural dye or not, cause I'm not a fan of artificial dyes. Seeing that it transfers I don't think it is. Their bourbon Carmel is always great and pb was tasty as well!

    Christine D.

    A very cute and convenient ice cream parlor. I love the concept of ordering from a window, which makes the whole process of ordering and paying very efficient. They are great with encouraging samples, and I suggest taking advantage because they have so many tasty flavors! We settled on the Cookie Monster Dough Melt and a scoop of the Straight Up Strawberry, and they were both soooo full refreshing. The workers here were also very friendly, which is always a plus for me.

    Dough melt with strawberry ice cream and chocolate
    Paige G.

    So cute, been wanting to go here forever. Have to try the dough melt if you go. Hidden away down an alley but worth it.

    Cookie Monster

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    Business owner information

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    Shawn A.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Novel Ice Cream

    My friend uses a walker. can I drop her off nearby and find handicapped parking?

    Absolutely. There is open parking all around our locations :)

    Does it have indoor seating, if so, how many seats? I was thinking of bring 8 to 10 people there

    This place and a couple of the places within the cute downtown area only have outdoor street level seating. You could have 8-10 people there although it depends if there's enough spots on the benches. There are cute garden lights for the outdoor… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

    Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

    3.9
    (399 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    Whilst updating a title at DMV one of the agents recommended Handel's. Never slow to check out a…read morepurveyor of ice cream she-who-must-be-obeyed and I beat a hasty trail to Handel's. The staff were very friendly and definitely on top of their game. My partner ordered a chocolate peanut butter ripple malted shake and was mightily impressed. I ordered a scoop of Banana cream pie and chocoholic chunk in a cup. I was richly rewarded by both flavors. We cannot wait to return to taste other flavors amongst the long list of ice creams on offer. We're simply in the queue amongst the many locals who've long been privy to this little slice of ice cream Valhalla.

    We've been to several Handel's locations over the years, and unfortunately, this was by far our…read moreleast favorite. First, the location itself is very small and cramped inside, and there isn't any outdoor seating, which made it difficult to enjoy our ice cream. The biggest disappointment here was the customer service. My friend ordered a milkshake for her two toddlers to share and politely asked if the extra half could be poured into a second cup. The employee had to ask the manager, who immediately said no. My friend explained that other Handel's locations have happily done this before, and even offered to pay for the extra cup. The manager still refused and told her she'd have to purchase two separate milkshakes instead. The request wasn't for extra product--just a second cup for two small children to share. What made the experience worse was the manager's attitude. She came across as rude and dismissive rather than trying to help find a reasonable solution. We understand that every location has its own policies, but customer service goes a long way. Unfortunately, between the cramped space and the poor experience with the manager, we won't be returning to this location.

    Photos
    Outside View
    Outside View
    Handel's Homemade Ice Cream
    Cookie Monster and butter pecan on a sugared cone

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    Cookie Monster and butter pecan on a sugared cone
    Creamistry

    Creamistry

    3.2
    (271 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$$

    I attempt to be vegan sometimes because I want to feel healthier. However, a lot of vegan food is…read morebland or too healthy (like sometimes I want ice cream and not some açaí bowl). What I like about creamistry is that you can basically make any ice cream base vegan. Since they use the liquid nitrogen thing, you can have ice cream that tastes pretty close to the real thing. Two thumbs up. It's a tiny place with like only 5 tables, but it's cool to watch the liquid nitrogen process, especially for little ones who get excited by the excess gas flowing out and making it seem like they have smoke machines on their ice cream machines. Lots of options for flavors and toppings, so you'll find something for everyone here, including those croffles (waffle ice cream, but I have not tried nor have seen anyone else try). It's a bit pricey, but you pay for the experience. I've paid more for a lot more mediocre ice cream (that wasn't vegan) so ultimately I think this is a good place. TLDR; vegans rejoice--we have ice cream!

    I was about 30 mins early for our 6 pm dinner reservation with friends, so I decided to check this…read moreplace out and get some pre-dinner dessert. They served ice cream that's frozen with liquid nitrogen. I got a regular order of their sea salt caramel crunch. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but salted caramel is one of my favorite flavors. The portion size was just right and it was good!

    Photos
    Creamistry
    Creamistry
    Creamistry

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    Yogurtini

    Yogurtini

    3.7
    (23 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    I ordered to-go via Uber. I ordered three apples. They didn't have one of my three in stock and…read morethey immediately called me to resolve the situation. They were friendly! I got the Apple with nuts, apple with mini M&Ms, and the apple with cookies and cream. I gave these as a birthday present so I didn't eat them myself. But they looked beautiful and the birthday girl was very impressed. The order was ready for me to pick up. The server was friendly when I walked in to pick up. It was a great experience.

    We have been seeing this place well driving by and finally decided to give it a try!…read more We found out they have great Chocolate covered strawberries so We went in for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate! As we walked in, we noticed it's a nice large open space very bright in there. The decor is cute and calming! The girl that was at the Front did not greet us. She was on her phone. I had to go ask her for samples she handed them to me, but didn't ask if it was our first time there if we needed any help or anything, we tried some of the yogurt samples, but ultimately we ended up getting some chocolate covered strawberries, the pecan clusters, and the peppermint bark chocolate bar! As I was taking pictures, the girl was still on her phone! We did interrupt her by asking her for the strawberries and the other stuff. She was just very quiet, not very friendly, which is OK I guess for a young teenage girl. The other girl came out of the back and that's when the one that was originally up there was a little bit more chatty with her coworker. The other one was way more friendly because as more customers walked in she greeted them, gave them samples. She was just a lot more friendly than the first original girl that was standing up there! But as I said, we went in for the delicious chocolate covered strawberries, and we will definitely be back there again!

    Photos
    Yogurtini
    Salted Carmel Corn Mixed with Cake Batter delight? Does NOT taste like crème brûlée
    Salted Carmel Corn Mixed with Cake Batter delight? Does NOT taste like crème brûlée
    Yogurtini

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    Crème & Chocolats

    Crème & Chocolats

    4.2
    (269 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $

    Mommy & Son Day Date with my kiddo was so nice especially being able to leave the house and try out…read morea new dessert spot with him, since all he knows me as lately is Working-Mama-Door-Dashing-Addict. We arrived a few minutes after they opened on a Friday morning (Juneteenth). The woman behind the counter was extremely friendly and was so kind to suggest ice cream flavors for both of us. My kiddo is a chocolate fan, so he went with a small size chocolate with sprinkles and I went with their popular Blue Coconut dipped in Dark Chocolate Sea Salt. When she brought out our ice cream, I thought "oh, how simple" but the moment you take a bite of that ice cream, the flavor is far from simple. It's like that McDonald's ice cream soft serve style creaminess texture and flavor, but slightly richer. The coconut flavor with the sea salt dark chocolate crunch for me was exactly what I needed on that hot desert morning. Seating was plentiful inside and the customer service was definitely on point. I'll definitely be back to try some of their other dessert options like the crepes and even their boba teas.

    Stopped by Crème & Chocolats for dessert after brunch next door. I was craving chocolate covered…read morestrawberries, specifically Dubai chocolate-style. I've seen their chocolate strawberry cups on Yelp and social media and they look amazing! We were greeted when we got to the counter. The space is laid back with plenty of seating indoor and out. I ordered the Dubai chocolate covered strawberries and the staff asked me which kind of chocolate I wanted with it. I asked for her recommendation and she suggested dark chocolate. I went with that and it was delish! It wasn't too sweet. My husband and I shared the big cup, but could have easily devoured a cup each!

    Photos
    Crème & Chocolats
    Dubai chocolate strawberry cup
    Dubai chocolate strawberry cup
    Blue Coconut with Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Dip

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    Blue Coconut with Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Dip

    Novel Ice Cream - icecream - Updated July 2026

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