Heard great things about Van Leeuwen, so I was excited to see they opened a spot near my school! Upon entering, the space was clean and cute! There were two groups ahead of me with only one employee working, and because the first group was still trying out samples, I did wait several minutes. However, the cashier took my order while the 2nd group in front of me was trying out samples, so I appreciated her efficiency.
As for my order, I got 1 scoop of the Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb with a Waffle Bowl. If you're a UCLA student and show them your ID, you get a 15% off your order, so that was neat! My total came out to $8.24 (discount included), which I do think is still pricey for one scoop of ice cream + a waffle bowl. However, I thought the taste would make up for it.
Unfortunately, I found the ice cream way too sweet, and I have a sweet tooth! I definitely did taste the peanut butter and brownie, but I didn't taste any chunks of honeycomb at all. Additionally, my waffle bowl was very stale. I did see all the waffle cones + bowls sitting on the counter, so mine must've sat for a while. I wish the waffles were made to order, so that they are fresh to prevent the staleness. I would be willing to wait even more!
Overall, I was disappointed with my experience as I expected very tasty, high-quality ice cream. Instead, I thought it just tasted okay, and the quality didn't justify the price. I will give them the benefit of the doubt since they just newly opened, so I hope they are able to continue improving. I would be willing to visit again in case I just had an off visit, but probably not soon. read more