I consider myself an ice cream connoisseur because I would rather have ice cream than mostly any other dessert in the world. So when I say I KNOW ice cream...I KNOW ice cream and I love Cold Stone Creamery!!! The ice cream is excellent quality and has tons of mix in's to chose from. I personally don't indulge in a lot of the mix in's they have because I like my ice cream short, sweet and to the point! (Chocolate with Oreos as a mix in is a walk on the wild side for me) The waffle bowls/cones are the best here....so fresh! I've had several ice cream cakes, ice cream pies and ice cream cupcakes from this location and they were all delish! The manager at this location is awesome. I requested a special order item that they no longer carry and instead of brushing me off, she fulfilled my request. Now that's excellent customer service. Yes, teenagers work at this location, but I've never had any bad encounters with them. And yes, the lines can become rather lengthy, but that's mainly the customers fault. Usually when I go, the customers in front of me have to taste every flavor before deciding, they never know what they want to order or what mix-in's they should include and then they order 3 or 4 different orders per person. All of that is with 3 -4 employees taking customers orders. Prices range from $5 on up and I'm sure that could be a little expensive for some, but when you have to pay for quality, it can be a little more expensive. Sure, Rita's is right across the street, but it's just as expensive, if not more and their bland custard has nothing on Cold Stone's creamy ice cream! Cold Stone is a delightful way to beat the heat!
(5)
K B.
This is one of our favorite ice cream places in Bowie. They always have a good selection of Cold Stone flavors. The store is clean and like most Cold Stones the seating is limited. In summer months the line can get long but that's too be expected. Usually there is no wait when we come during cooler months.
(4)
Ryan E.
Did a very solid job moving everyone along. It was a crowded Sunday afternoon, but we were in and out of there. Nicely done.
(4)
John G.
I love cold stone, but no matter what season, if u go in at 730 at night, it seems like there are only two people working......making the ice cream and working the register!! Takes too long, could be 5 stars!
(3)
Beth S.
Seriously we waited for 1/2 hour and there was 4 people working. Never again. We were here for a bridal appt. and wanted ice cream-- worst Cold Stone experience I've ever had.
(1)
Mo A.
I keep giving this place chances but...never really works out. Their items are ok, not grand and not worth the inflated prices. In addition to that their service is pretty bad. As the other poster has mentioned, staff spends more time talking amongst themselves than doing their job. Much better off at DQ in the Bowie Town Center or Rita's down the street
(2)
Brittany C.
The ice cream is great! I gave 3 stars because the service is slow and they have a bunch of kids working who don't care about customers and service.
(3)
Jim G.
All the same, what can I say, over priced gimmick Ice Cream.
(3)
Tawny E.
The service was a little slower than expected because they have numerous employees, but it is an ice cream shoppe an ideal teenage job. It does take a little while to make each creations as there are typically five ingredients for each. The ideal of mix-ins with ice cream is great. If you are going to expand your waistline with one divinely inspired dish go for the gusto. There are even healthy options, but I would not step 10 feet from this restaurant if I was thinking about healthy options. The prices are a little steep for ice-cream, but just say to yourself, "You only live once, so live happy!" Afterward you will be able to fit it into your budget. I had the brownie sundae and was really satisfied with the almonds rather than the peanuts option I selected and also the brownie was really good. My cousin ordered the banana crunch. I was able to taste it and with the mushed banana with the ice cream instant banana pudding. I was an instant fan of her selection as well. I will return, but first let me work off the damage from my last visit lol.
(4)
Sunny D.
i am picky about ice cream. it has to be fresh and i only like a few flavors, so i really love the concept of cold stone creamery. on the spot custom-made ice cream with mix-ins like cake, cookie dough, candy, fruit, etc? how can you go wrong?! now i don't have to limit myself to simple hagen daaz strawberry or butter pecan, and i don't have to pick out the random ingredients i don't like from the busier ben & jerry's flavor options. yay! i don't indulge in a cold stone treat for myself too often, but when i do - LOOOOOVE IT! coincidentally, that's the size i always get too. (cold stone newbies, instead of small, medium or large, their sizes come in "like it," "love it," or "gotta have it." if you're new to cold stone, this is how it works: 1 - pick your ice cream flavor (they've got the usual suspects of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc, but also some great others that really do taste like their names. there's cake batter, cheesecake and cotton candy, to name a few. i think there's about 10 to 15 ice creams to choose from, including a frozen yogurt and a couple of sorbets.) 2 - pick your mix-ins candy (candy bar chunks, sprinkles, gummy bears, chocolate, skittles, M&Ms, etc), syrups (chocolate, caramel, etc), baked goods (cake chunks, pie crust, brownies,graham crakers, etc), cookie dough, nuts, fruit and more. (note, the fruit is not fresh. it is the kind in syrup/liquid, or sometimes frozen.) 3 - pick your size, as described in paragraph one of this review. 4 - pick your container (cup or waffle cone bowl, though i'm pretty sure you can only get the "like it" and "love it" sizes in a cone bowl. and they cone bowls are messy/cumbersome to eat out of, though very tasty.) 5 - mosey down the counter and watch your concotion come to life as the store associate uses two instruments that aren't quite spoons but aren't quite spatulas either, to chop, blend and mold your treat together into a delightful flavor all for you. they do this on a long slab of frozen granite, which is where the chain gets its COLD STONE name from, in case you were wondering. 6 - pay and enjoy! there are several "signature creations" that you can choose from, which would allow you to skip steps 1 & 2. some of these that i like are the "that's how i roll" (cake batter ice cream, yellow cake chunks, caramel and pecans) the appropriately named "apple pie" (french vanilla ice cream, apple pie filling, caramel and graham cracker pie crust chunks), and the "strawberry blonde" (strawberry ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, strawberries and caramel). *licking lips* i am practically drooling just thinking about one now. they also sell ice cream cakes and you can get quarts of your selected/invented mix to-go if your heart/stomach so desires. so, why only 3 stars? well...the folks at this particular cold stone are SLOW. yes, i recognize that it's going to take time to hand-mix my selections into my ice cream and serve it up nicely - i've no problem with that. but i do have a problem with folks behind the counter taking more interest in their employee-to-employee [non work related] conversation than serving customers in a timely fashion. i also don't understand why there will often be 2 or 3 employees on the clock and only ONE who is actually serving customers. i work in food service. i get that there are other things the job requires of you in the back, cleaning up, stocking, etc and that it's not always about counter time. but IME when it gets busy, all hands should be on deck up front unless there is an emergency in the back. so, stop on in here for a tasty treat, but if the line is long, bring a book. and your patience (the lines are always long in the summer.) it's almost always worth the wait.
Rae M.
I consider myself an ice cream connoisseur because I would rather have ice cream than mostly any other dessert in the world. So when I say I KNOW ice cream...I KNOW ice cream and I love Cold Stone Creamery!!! The ice cream is excellent quality and has tons of mix in's to chose from. I personally don't indulge in a lot of the mix in's they have because I like my ice cream short, sweet and to the point! (Chocolate with Oreos as a mix in is a walk on the wild side for me) The waffle bowls/cones are the best here....so fresh! I've had several ice cream cakes, ice cream pies and ice cream cupcakes from this location and they were all delish! The manager at this location is awesome. I requested a special order item that they no longer carry and instead of brushing me off, she fulfilled my request. Now that's excellent customer service. Yes, teenagers work at this location, but I've never had any bad encounters with them. And yes, the lines can become rather lengthy, but that's mainly the customers fault. Usually when I go, the customers in front of me have to taste every flavor before deciding, they never know what they want to order or what mix-in's they should include and then they order 3 or 4 different orders per person. All of that is with 3 -4 employees taking customers orders. Prices range from $5 on up and I'm sure that could be a little expensive for some, but when you have to pay for quality, it can be a little more expensive. Sure, Rita's is right across the street, but it's just as expensive, if not more and their bland custard has nothing on Cold Stone's creamy ice cream! Cold Stone is a delightful way to beat the heat!
(5)K B.
This is one of our favorite ice cream places in Bowie. They always have a good selection of Cold Stone flavors. The store is clean and like most Cold Stones the seating is limited. In summer months the line can get long but that's too be expected. Usually there is no wait when we come during cooler months.
(4)Ryan E.
Did a very solid job moving everyone along. It was a crowded Sunday afternoon, but we were in and out of there. Nicely done.
(4)John G.
I love cold stone, but no matter what season, if u go in at 730 at night, it seems like there are only two people working......making the ice cream and working the register!! Takes too long, could be 5 stars!
(3)Beth S.
Seriously we waited for 1/2 hour and there was 4 people working. Never again. We were here for a bridal appt. and wanted ice cream-- worst Cold Stone experience I've ever had.
(1)Mo A.
I keep giving this place chances but...never really works out. Their items are ok, not grand and not worth the inflated prices. In addition to that their service is pretty bad. As the other poster has mentioned, staff spends more time talking amongst themselves than doing their job. Much better off at DQ in the Bowie Town Center or Rita's down the street
(2)Brittany C.
The ice cream is great! I gave 3 stars because the service is slow and they have a bunch of kids working who don't care about customers and service.
(3)Jim G.
All the same, what can I say, over priced gimmick Ice Cream.
(3)Tawny E.
The service was a little slower than expected because they have numerous employees, but it is an ice cream shoppe an ideal teenage job. It does take a little while to make each creations as there are typically five ingredients for each. The ideal of mix-ins with ice cream is great. If you are going to expand your waistline with one divinely inspired dish go for the gusto. There are even healthy options, but I would not step 10 feet from this restaurant if I was thinking about healthy options. The prices are a little steep for ice-cream, but just say to yourself, "You only live once, so live happy!" Afterward you will be able to fit it into your budget. I had the brownie sundae and was really satisfied with the almonds rather than the peanuts option I selected and also the brownie was really good. My cousin ordered the banana crunch. I was able to taste it and with the mushed banana with the ice cream instant banana pudding. I was an instant fan of her selection as well. I will return, but first let me work off the damage from my last visit lol.
(4)Sunny D.
i am picky about ice cream. it has to be fresh and i only like a few flavors, so i really love the concept of cold stone creamery. on the spot custom-made ice cream with mix-ins like cake, cookie dough, candy, fruit, etc? how can you go wrong?! now i don't have to limit myself to simple hagen daaz strawberry or butter pecan, and i don't have to pick out the random ingredients i don't like from the busier ben & jerry's flavor options. yay! i don't indulge in a cold stone treat for myself too often, but when i do - LOOOOOVE IT! coincidentally, that's the size i always get too. (cold stone newbies, instead of small, medium or large, their sizes come in "like it," "love it," or "gotta have it." if you're new to cold stone, this is how it works: 1 - pick your ice cream flavor (they've got the usual suspects of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc, but also some great others that really do taste like their names. there's cake batter, cheesecake and cotton candy, to name a few. i think there's about 10 to 15 ice creams to choose from, including a frozen yogurt and a couple of sorbets.) 2 - pick your mix-ins candy (candy bar chunks, sprinkles, gummy bears, chocolate, skittles, M&Ms, etc), syrups (chocolate, caramel, etc), baked goods (cake chunks, pie crust, brownies,graham crakers, etc), cookie dough, nuts, fruit and more. (note, the fruit is not fresh. it is the kind in syrup/liquid, or sometimes frozen.) 3 - pick your size, as described in paragraph one of this review. 4 - pick your container (cup or waffle cone bowl, though i'm pretty sure you can only get the "like it" and "love it" sizes in a cone bowl. and they cone bowls are messy/cumbersome to eat out of, though very tasty.) 5 - mosey down the counter and watch your concotion come to life as the store associate uses two instruments that aren't quite spoons but aren't quite spatulas either, to chop, blend and mold your treat together into a delightful flavor all for you. they do this on a long slab of frozen granite, which is where the chain gets its COLD STONE name from, in case you were wondering. 6 - pay and enjoy! there are several "signature creations" that you can choose from, which would allow you to skip steps 1 & 2. some of these that i like are the "that's how i roll" (cake batter ice cream, yellow cake chunks, caramel and pecans) the appropriately named "apple pie" (french vanilla ice cream, apple pie filling, caramel and graham cracker pie crust chunks), and the "strawberry blonde" (strawberry ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, strawberries and caramel). *licking lips* i am practically drooling just thinking about one now. they also sell ice cream cakes and you can get quarts of your selected/invented mix to-go if your heart/stomach so desires. so, why only 3 stars? well...the folks at this particular cold stone are SLOW. yes, i recognize that it's going to take time to hand-mix my selections into my ice cream and serve it up nicely - i've no problem with that. but i do have a problem with folks behind the counter taking more interest in their employee-to-employee [non work related] conversation than serving customers in a timely fashion. i also don't understand why there will often be 2 or 3 employees on the clock and only ONE who is actually serving customers. i work in food service. i get that there are other things the job requires of you in the back, cleaning up, stocking, etc and that it's not always about counter time. but IME when it gets busy, all hands should be on deck up front unless there is an emergency in the back. so, stop on in here for a tasty treat, but if the line is long, bring a book. and your patience (the lines are always long in the summer.) it's almost always worth the wait.
(3)