Introduction to history & deciding to go there: Just read an article yesterday that Crazy Mason will be closing at the end of August. I was in old town Ellicott City on Saturday, April 18 for their Springfest. The only times I end up venturing to downtown is when there's some event going on. We were meeting up with my friend & his family. My friend's brother mentioned Crazy Mason was excellent and that they were very close to the concert stage area we were. I said to my girlfriend I'd be game to try them out to split a shake. Having one by myself is a lot of sugar, so splitting is a more sensible option, not to mention less total cost. This was originally the Ellicott Theater in the 1940's & 50's. Various performing artists, discotheque, etc. had its spot. It's cool this Crazy Mason milkshake place took over this space. Unusual for anything in the ice cream category to have such a large space. I also learned that they started in Myrtle Beach. I could see why as it's a touristy beach area, which various ice cream shops and some more unique options are more common than say in Howard County, MD. Although old town Ellicott City doesn't have the level of tourism that Myrtle Beach would, they have some and of course many locals who go here. In 2024, I had a friend in town, and we drove him up to old town Ellicott City to look around. I just read they started in June 2020 during Covid. The Ellicott City location opened in 2022. It's unfortunate they only lasted 4 years as they were outstanding. My experience: The staff was friendly. We asked for recommendations. The younger guy who was taking orders & making shakes, enthusiastically made a couple of suggestions to us. We settled on the Cookie Mashup, which was a shake with chocolate chip cookie, chocolate syrup, cookie dough bites, cookies n' cream, crushed chips ahoy, crushed Oreo, vanilla buttercream, whipped icing, and [deep breath] a whole Oreo on top. We opted to get it in their souvenir Crazy Mason jar, which is in a mason jar. We sat in the many seats on a lower level with a stage in the background. We waited maybe 10 minutes as they were pretty busy on that Saturday of Springfest. Wow, this shake was outstanding! One of the best shakes I've ever had. It was some flavorful with a lot of great ingredients. We both loved it. I will say it was quite messy, but it was worth it! The price was pretty expensive, but it was an experience. And I would get again, but it's quite unlikely I'll be in old town Ellicott City between today 8/11 & the end of August when they close. We asked the older gentleman who was the cashier & giving the finished shakes if we could wrap the mess we left behind on the mason jar. He said let me give you a new clean jar, which I thought was very nice, and let us keep the used jar too wrapping both of them carefully. In summary, I wish they were staying open for much longer than the next 3 weeks as they really were great and very nice staff/owner too! read more

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Fun place for dessert. They open at 3:00 pm during the week, so we were the first people there at 3:05 pm. Since we had just finished lunch, we didn't want one of the huge expensive milkshakes they are known for, although they did look delicious. Instead, my friend and went for one of our favorite treats: pineapple dole whip, swirled with non-dairy vanilla ice cream (for me) and of course, topped with rainbow sprinkles. The serving was large, and our order was ready quickly. Can't go wrong with dole whip, although the non-dairy ice cream was kind of flavorless. Still delicious though. The place is huge (it used to be an old theater) with plenty of tables. There is also a small game room up front with arcade games. Lots of cute murals on the wall to help capture the moment. There were also annoying gnats flying around, so I think next time I'll eat outside, but I will definitely be back. read more

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This place is in an old movie theater and I had high hopes. However, after some discovery I realized that I'm not a big fan of fancy over the top shakes. I didn't get a straw and was given a spoon so I thought it was going to be a thick treat. However, my peanut butter treat quickly became a watery mess. Maybe I would have been okay with it if I had a straw. Nonetheless, the ice cream wasn't anything special. Presentation was fun though. If you like crazy fun milkshakes this is the place for you. read more

The Crazy Mason - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I would recommend seeking another ice cream place instead of this one. Came for ice cream and the advertised fancy milkshakes and they were "not serving any of the fancy milkshakes" when we came. They were out of whip cream. The bathroom had no soap or paper towels stocked. The seating area was moderately clean but the tables all wobble. Individually these things wouldn't be worth mentioning but all together was not a great experience. If your selling point is over the top milkshakes you should probably be able to serve those or put a sign out. read more

The Crazy Mason - "Sprinkle Cup" - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

The entrance is a bit misleading. It's much larger than what you see from the street entrance. Plenty of seating available for groups and families on the inside. Definitely overwhelmed us when we ordered. For the amount you get, these desserts are best shared. I came here after an outting during the day for a sweet treat and found the crazy turtle waffle delicious but very rich. My husband enjoyed his top of the morning crazy mason but only was able to finish half. I'd recommend this for a stop if you're out and enjoying dinner in the old elicott city area and want to share something. May be too much for other people if you don't have a huge sweet tooth. read more

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The service was quick and professional and the establishment was clean and roomy. The cheesy yumminess was outstanding the other tasted great as well. My suggestion is you swing-in fulfill your sweet tooth desire and let me know how much you enjoyed it read more

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Izzy was absolutely amazing! The food was delicious but the quality service was the highlight. Will definitely return in the future.

The Crazy Mason in Ellicott City is such a fun and unique ice cream shop! The atmosphere is cool, and the creations are unlike anything I've seen before, the toppings and flavors are over the top in the best way. I ordered the Short & Sweet in the mason jar (which you get to keep!) and it was absolutely delicious. My partner had the Churro Parfait and loved it just as much. Everything was worth the drive, and we'll definitely be back to try more of their wild desserts! read more

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The Crazy Mason is fire. This isn't an after dinner dessert spot. It's pretty much going to replace a meal, but lucky for you calories don't count here. This spot has quickly become a favorite in my household, from the initial shock of its existence, to the now "lets do that again" after effect. I don't know who's back there making up all these shakes, but thank you! read more

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The was a cute and nice size ice cream store. It has few games and wash stations in the front. It has a seating area in the back. The cashier was very helpful as they have a lot of options to choose from. I went with the chocolate chip cookies dough nachos, which I really loved. My daughter had the mermaid special which she enjoyed. read more

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Came in on a Sunday evening and ordered one milkshake to share between three people. It was just okay, nothing special, and honestly a bit watery. Not really worth the price in my opinion. The tables were also uneven and sticky, which wasn't great, especially for an ice cream place. read more

Crazy cool dessert/milkshake concoctions here! I've been trying to get here for some time to check them out. Parking is tight in the area in general so keep that in mind. This place was beautiful! I was blown away by the huge seating area they had around the other side where you can enjoy your desserts! Beautiful paintings lined the walls and they have a mini arcade area in the front. They were busy but it didn't take long to order or get my item. I'd definitely return as there's so many different things to try! I got a cookie milkshake I think it was called. Heavy on the Oreos, which is my favorite flavor of milkshake! Definitely would return! read more

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Service was ok but they definitely have the best milkshakes!! Also enjoyed the pineapple drink they have. A little rough to park but other than that it's a great treat. read more

This place lives up to the hype. The shakes are like a work of art. Giant cookies, pieces of cake, candy lollipops, icing and sprinkles are just a few of the adornments. There's a decent sized sitting area to enjoy your selections as well as a mini arcade in the front of the shop. Definitely worth a stop if you're in downtown EC! read more

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Went in for an event with a large group. We went in at opening time, and they had an area ready for us. I was delighted when the owner came over and took our orders. I really appreciate it when the owner of a business is actually there working, leading his team rather than bossing them around. The Mason Jar milkshake was MASSIVE with toppings doubling the height of the jar. The ice cream was VERY fresh with a great variety of flavors. Crazy Mason is great for an afternoon treat or a big group of friends, and you get to keep the jar. The rinsing station made keeping the jar that much easier for me. read more

The Crazy Mason - Inside seating area - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Crazy Mason was such a fun experience! The desserts looked just as amazing as they tasted. Everything was fresh, rich, and loaded with toppings, and the portions were huge. The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was upbeat, and the presentation made it feel like a special treat. If you're looking for an over-the-top milkshake or dessert that's worth the splurge, this is definitely the place to go. I'll definitely be coming back to try more flavors! read more

Creamy Allergie At first I was skeptical of this place because of the $16 price tag, but omg it's one of the best shakes ever! The shake was creamy and not too thick. The cup actually shows pictures of Old Town (compared to the yards milkshake that only has the logo). The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the cream on the outside of the cup. It's overly sweet and tastes cheap. Besides that, it's worth every cent! If you got dairy allergies, this is the place for milkshakes. My sister is extremely allergic to dairy and loves milkshakes. She drank every sip of the shake and ate the sweet treats with no allergic reaction. read more

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These monster shakes are incredible! They are huge, and some of them include extra desserts on top like a slice of cheesecake, a donut, or a brownie. Choose your milkshake strategically, and be prepared to split one! I ordered the seasonal Defrosted Cocoa and it was amazing- delicious hot chocolate ice cream, toasted marshmallows, and chocolate mousse! I definitely could not finish it! I also enjoy the seasonal mason jars they have- I may be starting a collection. The back of the restaurant has tons and tons of seating, so you'll be able to find a table to tackle your monster shake. It's a good place to wait, too, because sometimes they're busy and it might take a few minutes to get your shake. There's also some great colorful murals about Maryland and Ellicott City. read more

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I think maybe I should try another item next time, I got a scoop of the cookies and cream in a cone on a hot day and the ice cream melted faster than I anticipated. They have a large range of flavors and the staff were very friendly. I think kids would love this place and it's worth checking out if you're in OEC. read more

The facility was clean. The staff were welcoming. The mason jar treat was tasty. I purchased my jar but wasn't given the opportunity to pick which one I wanted as a keepsake. That's my only "negative". I love mint any and everything so I got the Mint to Be and I'd get it again! I do like the fact that the place didn't smell like the waffles they were cooking therefore I didn't walk out smelling fried/cooked. 10/10 recommendation! read more

The Crazy Mason - How it all started... - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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Got a sweet tooth? Well this is the place for you. These are milkshakes topped with candy, cakes, popsicles etc. The set up is basic with wooden tables but serves the purpose as things can get messy while devouring your treat. The prices are reasonable for what you get and there is a sink to clean your souvenir mason jar out when finished. There is street parking or a parking lot a few ways up. Service was fine; it's more of an order and go set up. I've posted a few of the desserts me and my family got and they were all delicious! read more

Overhyped and too expensive. Milkshake was fine but you pay a lot for a pretty mid dessert. Mason jars are an up charge and even then felt pretty disappointing. I did enjoy all the seated space in the back but would not go back. One and done. read more

The Crazy Mason - Banana shake - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Fun place to take the family to enjoy something sweet to eat and drink. They can do better at keeping it clean though. The tables were sticky and the sink area was a bit un kept. read more

The Crazy Mason - This was SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOODDDDDD - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Roo bad the service is not on par with the marketing. When I discovered Crazy Masons offered non dairy options, I became excited to get a shake from there. Unfortunately, the guy taking orders and preparing the shakes greeted me in such a fashion that made me feel uncomfortable and downright unwanted. As a Black man, it was not lost on me that the white family in front of me received a very warm and friendly greeting and great service. I would hope that his behavior and obvious bias is not the overall culture of Crazy Masons. However, he is very much a representative of the establishment and his encounters with customers is beyond important. Needless to say my shake was horribly made and outright wrong. I paid for my shake to be placed in a mason jar and he prepared it in a plastic cup. When I reminded him my order was supposed to be in a mason jar, his attitude became worse. In a very irritated fashion, he asked if I wanted him to remake the order. By this time, I was uncomfortable and did not want to spend another moment in there, so I just asked for an empty mason jar to complete my experience. I have shared my experience with others and the consensus that I nor my family and friends will spend our money at Crazy Masons. read more

Long lines, understaffed, bad service Shame on the owner for understaffing this establishment. It's a shame because the product is interesting and delicious. It ruined the whole experience. read more

Celebrated National Ice Cream Day and tried The Crazy Mason in Historic Ellicott City Welcome Back to Historic Ellicott City.... Ice Cream, You Scream, We ALL should scream for Ice Cream Service For a first time customer, the service was awesome. The employees took their time with me as there were sooooo many options and I just couldn't try them all. I went with the recommendation of the Build Me Up Buttercup and I went back to thank the employee that helped me make a decision. She was the best!!!! Food Ok, so I am a huge fan of ice cream and prefer it over cake. This was a milkshake ice cream bar that served various Sundays from out of a Mason Jar. The flavors blended and the options to choose from I have no idea why I didn't hear about this place sooner. The sundae was delicious and I would definitely go back. Ambiance It looks small on the outside but inside it was pretty spacious. They even had a space where you could sit down to eat your sundae which was awesome. Once we finished eating, I looooooove the concept of having the jar rinse station available because I mean come on, who wants to take their jar home with ice cream and syrups all over them. Parking We went 45minutes before closing time so we were able to find ample parking. However, I can imagine earlier on in the day parking would be challenging as its right in the heart of Old Ellicott City. Great Place, Great Vibes and Delicious Ice Cream, it's a must try for sure. read more

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The name says it all. To see photos online is one thing but to see these milkshake concoctions in person? They're truly crazy! While I didn't score one on this visit, I will on my next visit in a few weeks. We opted for the dole pineapple whip, which instantly transported me back to Disney World, and large single scoops of chocolate and vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. The ice cream was creamy and delicious. It reminded me of summers on the Eastern Shore with my grandma, who made the best homemade vanilla ice cream. Core memory unlocked. Customer service was 7/10. Nothing spectacular. They have a lot of indoor sitting space, and what appeared to be a roped off area for more private gatherings. No music or fanfare but they did have a jukebox should you want that vibe. They even have a few old school arcade games. I love that you keep your milkshake jar and that they have an area for you to wash it, so you're not walking down Main Street a sticky mess. Well done! read more

Came here for the first time with another couple of friends. Hubby and I ordered the Fudgin Best and Dashing through the Dough. Total came out to approximately $31. What's hot - Menu. Awesome variety, which caters to different tastes. They also have non-dairy options, which is helpful. - Quality. Pretty good, especially with the extra trimmings. The brownie, chocolate chips, and fudge that came with my Fudgin Best were all good and definitely enhanced the chocolate flavor. - Price. Around $15 per milkshake, which kind of makes sense, given all the trimmings that come with it. The non-milkshake items cost less than $15. Pretty reasonable value for money. - Novelty cup. They give you the option of keeping their mason jar/cup that the milkshake comes in. There's a sink cleaning station where you can rinse your cups before you leave. What's not - Portions. Me, hubby, and our friends purposely avoided eating earlier in the day and came here for lunch. We anticipated this would be a meal. We were wrong. Haha.... On the one hand, it's kind of nice that we didn't feel like we had to be rolled out of the place. On the other hand, it was disappointing that this wasn't filling. We left still hungry. To be fair, it's going to be dependent on the person, but be prepared that this may not be the most filling. - Consistency/texture. For a milkshake, their consistency wasn't as thick as I expected. That probably explains why it wasn't so filling. - Novelty cup. Not necessary. Although it's nice having the option of taking a souvenir cup, it's more environmentally friendly for customers to leave it and for them to reuse. Also adds an unnecessary cost. - Parking. Be aware that the town of Ellicott City is not convenient for parking. It depends very much on the day and time you come. My recommendation- be prepared to spend time to find parking and walk. Final Answer Willing to come back and would recommend, but not a meal, especially if you're hungry. read more

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Historic Ellicott City is BACK! This adorable milkshake bar will bring out your inner child. When you walk in, you'll see a mini arcade with games you'll remember from the 90's. Around the corner, grab a menu and walk to the counter. It took us 10 minutes to make a decision because there are soooo many milkshake options! I was giddy with excitement like a kid in a candy store! Service: Once you order your milkshake, you can sit in the huge dining room and wait for a text to let you know it's time to pick up your treat. Ambiance: This building used to be an antique shop, and prior to that a theater. It's wonderful to see the management honor the history of the space in dining area's decor. Food: The milkshakes are HUGE! The mint one comes with a giant brownie on top of the milkshake, the cookie dough milkshake has a huge ball of cookie dough and my peanut butter milkshake had two peanut butter cups! There are straws available but any good milkshake needs a spoon. Trust me, for the first few minutes you'll need one before you can take a sip. Now for the best part! The cherry on top of this experience is you'll walk out of the shop with a souvenir mug! To sum it up: If you're in Ellicott City, this is a great spot for children and the kids at heart! read more

The Crazy Mason - Mint to be milkshake! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Deliciousness in a Mason Jar! I first tried this place in Myrtle Beach and was excited to know that there is one nearby to DC. While it was a 45 minute drive it is without a doubt worth the drive. I personally ordered the Have your Cake and Eat it too, The decor is amazing. The birthday cupcake is a nice add on to the top of the shake. This is a meal in and of itself. I devoured mine within 10 mins and almost went back for seconds. I high recommend venturing to Crazy Mason. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Fun milkshakes with delicious flavors! Menu: Wide Dining Area: Massive Prices: Expensive Sugar Levels: Dangerous Shakes: Delicious Employees: Could be Better read more

The Crazy Mason - Crazy Cookie Dreams. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Omg!! I have never been to a place like this.. the ice cream is presented in such a unique and beautiful way. The ice cream and toppings are fresh and taste very good. The people that take your order are patient and very nice. They answer your questions and interact with their customers. The take home mason jars are additional but worth the money because they are reusable and very pretty. read more

I went to crazy mason the first 3 months they were open and never got a chance to post a review but I really enjoyed my experience there. I love the fact that you can keep the mason jar after your done :) the ice cream is great as well as all of the add-ons. They have a large area to sit and eat! I would recommend for everyone to come here ! Will be back again :) read more

The Crazy Mason - Reese's ice cream with Reese's pieces toppings - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I have been wanting to try this place for a while! I had the smore shake and my husband had the banana variety. We both enjoyed our shakes but could not finish them. The presentation is beautiful but I would share next time (if we could agree on a flavor!). read more

The Crazy Mason - Front - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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Wow. Creative, decadent desserts. They are so think I'm don't think I would call them milkshakes. After all, they serve them with spoons. Call it what you want, I call them amazingly yummy. Yum yum in my tum tum. pictures say it all. Enjoy (They say that they offer dairy free, sugar-free, and vegan options) read more

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This must be the milkshake that Kelis was talking about that brought the boys to the yard! This place brings the boys and the girls of all ages to the yard because they are so perfect! Not only can you get any customizable milkshake if you choose, you can pick one of the 20 plus combinations they have already. So many options !! You can get plain ice cream, an ice cream cookie, ice cream cone, etc. There are so many variations of this greatness here! My brother-in-law located this place on Instagram and we've been dying to try this place since June. Well last night was the night!. It was 8 of us in total, 3 households. We showed up and showed up and showed out! If you all have been paying attention, I can't do dairy like that! I might can do some toppings with dairy like bits of chocolate but I can't just go hard on dairy. I don't need to go hard on dairy here because they have what I need to keep my body in tact! The menu is very very descriptive and helpful. In addition to the descriptive and helpful menu, they have employees who can ask answer your questions as needed. Very knowledgeable. We ordered... Crazy Cup - S'mores the Merrier Crazy Bomb (Vanilla) Crazy Bomb (Mint Chocolate Chip) Milkshake - Short & Sweet Milkshake - Butter My Waffle And off course waters. When I tell you everything was delicious, everything was delicious! I'm not even big on sweets but I'm big on creativity, customer service and delicious items! What made this place even greater than the greatness it already provided was they had a huge seating area. Although it was a Wednesday evening, there were more people in there than you would think. It appeared there was a little birthday celebration next to us so we enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to the little birthday princess as we sat there. I have no gripes with this place and can't wait to return back when my boys are home from college. Oh my goodness, most importantly! There's a free parking lot right behind this establishment! Yes free! You do not have to look for parking on the hill, you do not have to pay a meter, you just need to park on the parking lot and walk 2 minutes! Totally worth it !! If my pictures have not encouraged you to Google this place and make plans I don't know what will! Visit them ASAP!!! read more

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The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar It's The Crazy Mason Milkshake! No words can explain how crazy it is until you have it yourself. While we're there, the line wasn't too long, in 20 minutes, we got our orders: The Fudgin' Best is everything about chocolate, from chocolate shavings, chocolate fudge rim rolled in chocolate shavings, and topped with brownie, hersey bar, fudge, chocolate whipped icing in a chocolate swirled jar. Crazy Cookies 'N Cream Waffle begins with Cookies 'N' Cream Ice Cream topped with Oreo cookie pieces, chocolate syrup and whipped icing on top of a warm sugar pearl waffle. The best spent of a $14.75 for one desserts! A previously a theater/ cinema, is a comfortable and convenient sitting down area to enjoy the sweets. A self-service station is set to help ourselves to get some utensils or napkins. Unfortunately some table left unclean or messy with crumbs or utensils. 8225 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043 MT 2-8PM, F 2-9PM, Sat Noon-9PM, Sun Noon-8PM starts from $10 clean and spacious, around main entrance with easy access. the whole restaurant is accessible for both strollers and wheelchairs street parking, or parking lots, the closer one is Lot D #thecrazymason #crazymasonmilkshakebar #oldellicottcity #oec #iloveoec #howardcounty #howardcountymd #preservefootprints #desserts #dmvdesserts Check out reviews in https://preservefootprints.com/the-best-desserts-of-the-day/ read more

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It doesn't look as big from the outside as It really is on the inside. The menu is huge. It's hard to read because It would take so long to do so. But I finally just went to the counter and asked for what we wanted. Sundaes with cookies and cream. And a vegan one for me. That made It easier to order. The vegan ice cream was made with oat milk base. It was okay. The toppings is what made the sundae so good. But we barely ate them. They were huge. The bowls were cool. You take them home. And the arcade up front was fun too. I'll say that all the staff we encountered was also super nice. So it's definitely a fun place. But not sure if I'd go back. Just too big. But fun as an attraction. read more

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A shrine to ice cream gluttony! This is a fun place full of whimsical confections, mostly milkshakes or small sundaes. I had heard of the LONG WAIT, and when there was no line out the door, I figured "Oh, cool, only 15 minutes until we get ice cream!" Oh silly me. The line wraps around, so it took at least 25 minutes before we even ordered, and I think it was at least 30 minutes until we actually got our ice creams. The place was crowded, and virtually everything is extremely fancy and involved, so the staff can only churn them out so fast. We got one of the crazy mason milkshakes: the Butter Me Up, which was a vanilla milkshake with Butterfinger and topped with a waffle, jar rimmed with chocolate spread and dusted with crumbled Butterfinger. Like, it's good, but excessive. The other folks in my group got Crazy Cups, thinking that it would be a smaller option than the Crazy Mason milkshakes. They're about $5 cheaper than their mason counterpart, but are probably twice the volume, so if you don't want the souvenir jar and don't need it to be a *milkshake* this is definitely the more economical option. At the end of the day, if I want to pig out, I might enjoy this (I mean, the "Where is All Pecan" comes topped with a slice of pecan pie), but the high prices and long wait puts this in the "Not worth it" column for me. Not even the arcade games in the lobby can make up for it. I can get a similar ice cream experience for 1/3 to 1/2 the price. Fun to try once, but not sure I'll be back. read more

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Deliciousness! Very much with the amazing! We'd seen the pictures and heard the hype, and it lived up to both. Their menu is sizable and punny enough that you can hear the kids groaning at the dad jokes from outside. We got the 'berried in chocolate' and a bomb with sea salted caramel and Oreo. The ice cream was great, the cookies and cheesecake were great, they come together to make more than the sum of their parts. Yes, the line can be intimidating, but it's worth the wait. They have a nice big seating area in the back to enjoy the mad scientist type creations. read more

The Crazy Mason - Bomb and 'berried in chocolate' - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland