Amazing ice cream parlor, they have so many different flavors of ice cream styles of cones and mouth watering shakes. The ice cream is a good balance of cream sugar and flavor. It is mouth watering as soon as talent is enriched with the well-balanced flavor of the ice cream of your choice. The flavors that Ive had are amazing. The staff is friendly and very helpful and knowledgeable of the flavors so if you have questions, ask the staff. Dont forget to stop by and enjoy the delicious ice cream and great smiles from the stuff.

Very yummy homemade ice cream with a very long long queue, worth to wait. they have variety of flavours. I ordered coffee chocolate chips and watermelon ice flavours. Both are nice. I can skip my dinner cos super full after I finished them.

Handels ice cream is amazing!!! They have so many flavors and the prices are super fair!I try and visit at least once a week. Definitely a must when in the area! I love the cookie monster!

Yummy ice cream. So many flavors to choose. Big portion too. We had double in a waffle at USD 6.50. But it’s big portion. You can choose two flavors in double cone. Price for Single is USD 5.50 and you can get one flavor. Long waiting line here. We wait about half an hour to get to order. But worth the time waiting. We love it. 5 Stars.

OMGGGGGG !!!! 🤤🤤🤤This is one of the best ice cream places I’ve been too. 🍦🍦🍦The line gets long but goes pretty quick.Saying the scoops are huge is an understatement… they’re ginormous 😳😳😳We only spent about $14 for 3 scoops. Amazing, definitely would of paid more, especially for the amount of ice cream you get.1 - chocolate chip cookie dough1- strawberries & cream1- coffee chocolate chip (in a cone)I can’t wait to go back and try more flavors! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

A dog-gone honest review.. Amazing homemade ice cream, large portions, and quick lines that disappeared almost as quick as they showed up. Super friendly staff and now a second location in San Marcos. I highly recommend, for both people and their furry friends, alike.

This place has a huge variety of flavors and options beyond what I was expecting. Not super sweet just a good balance of quality all around.

Shockingly. The word I would use describe both how good the ice cream is and how big the scoops are. Theres a reason why you see pictures of long lines. Dont worry, it moves quickly. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Got the cinnamon roll and deep dish apple pie. Both were delicious! Good size scoops. They were open later than expected compared to everything else around.

The ice cream was rich and the portions were large, great for its value, especially the 4 scoop sampler, other ice cream shops would charge you the same price for 2 scoops. However, the Praline Pecan flavor was disastrous, filled with huge chunks of sugar and cheap chocolate. I’m confused whether it’s intended to taste like that or did they fail to mix the sugar properly. On a 1 to 10 scale the sweetness was 11, and I’m not joking it prevented me from tasting other scoops I ordered. the other flavors were a “meh” at it’s finest.

Wow, what a place. We could tell by the line that it was going to be something special and it did not disappoint. Oh, and BTW the line moves quickly so dont let it dissuade you. First off, their idea of a single scoop cone is basically three scoops smooshed down to form a huge scoop, very generous. My wife yet again picked the best option, the four flavor sampler. For basically the same price as a single scoop, she got four generous scoops in a takeout container. Our favorite was the peanut butter brownie fudge. incredible! This place is a must stop in downtown Carlsbad.

A must try. Great ice cream and very large selection.

We had been waiting to try Handel’s because each time we went by they had a long line. The flavors were amazing! We tried several of the vegan ones which sometimes can be very disappointing but that was not the case here. Every flavor we tried was delicious. My only wish would be they did a kid cone with one scoop for cheaper. Worth waiting in the line.

Awful experience. We have been to this ice cream shop many times. It is our go to place. After this experience we will never go back. When we got up to the window, we asked for an ice cream sundae, which is THREE scoops. When the young lady came out, the ice cream sundae was very skimpy and barely even TWO scoops. We told the young girl we were not happy with the sundae and asked her to remake it. She gave us a hard time and said she did it correctly, so we took her word for it, and instead asked her to remake it as a banana split. She then proceeded to go to the back room and never reappeared. She left us waiting outside for 30 minutes, which left all our to go ice cream to melt. A young man by the name of DAVID came out, and got in my face and my fathers face and said “you yelled at my employee who do you think you are?” We calmly and politely told him that is not the case and that we’ve been waiting here for 30 minutes. To say the least the customer service was awful and we were publically embarrassed by David. It was very uncomfortable. I will not support a business like this and will advise others I know to do the same. We asked to speak with the owner and they advised the owner will not talk or call us. The feeling we felt leaving this place was terrible and ruined our night.

Yes, its GOOD, but not wrap around the block stand in line an hour magnificent. Thankfully, our wait was 5 minutes, and the banana cream pie malt was perfect.

Great ice cream, great customer service, the person who took my order (I didn’t catch his name) was super friendly and cordial. Recently discovered Handles in AZ and no I’m in Cali for vacation and tried this location. It didn’t disappoint, forgot to snag a picture but I had the mud pie and my family had Oree-Dough and Carmel Pretzel church. Everything was on point!!!

Just going to echo the other reviews & rave about this icecream, it’s amazing. Loved the waffle cones, the black raspberry with chocolate truffles was the family favorite after much debate since they were all so good, and it was actually pretty quick despite the line. If you’re looking for somewhere to sit and eat icecream though, this isn’t the place. Only a couple of tables and chairs, and during the day time there’s only benches that are in the sun so too hot.

Handels is always a treat on those rare times we come here! They have the richest, most creamy ice cream available anywhere close by. Handels is conveniently located for us, on State Street, in Carlsbad, CA. The prices are Uber reasonable, too. Single is 2 hefty scoops for $4.50. Double is 4 scoops, costing only $5.50. Its a dollar more if you choose to get it on a waffle cone. Handels has so many unique & tasty flavors to choose from! I like their Black Cherry, & Pecan Praline. My wife loved her Pineapple Upside Down Cake ice cream. She said it tasted like the real thing.

Was visiting from Texas and heard this was the place to go for Ice Cream. Stood in line for almost an hour on a Sunday afternoon but it was worth the wait. Homemade Ice Cream with fresh ingredients. Amazing unique flavors. Dozens of flavors that change every so often. Want to try several get the 4 flavor sampler. Fast, friendly service. Love this place.

One of the best ice cream shops around, no wonder there is always a line. Great service, amazing value, and some of the best ice cream on the planet! A must have for the ice cream lover, and date night stop alike!

Handels was DELICIOUS!!! My niece loved her Chocolate Waffle cone with ChocoholiC Peanutbutter Riple scoops it was a chocolate lovers blissful utopia. I had a scoop of Bluemoon Ive and Coconut Icecream all dairy free. It was very good. The line was a little on the slower side but worth the wait. Plenty of parking nearby makes this for a great easy access location. Will definitely be coming back.

We enjoyed the homemade ice cream! We will definitely visit again over and over.

Fantastical As Per Usual 😍 Best Icecream Ever!! I always get the 4 scoop sampler 😛

I love their ice cream and the flavors! The ice cream is affordable, and you get a good amount. We call it the doctor Seuss ice cream. They have many flavors to choose from, all their fruity ones are great and so are the chocolate ones. My favorite is their orange dream one... taste like childhood. The line is way too long to wait after dinner. They should have a no samples line because most of the time you’re waiting for that party in front of you to try 3-4 flavors before deciding on what to get. Can’t wait to come back and try more flavors!

BIG BUSINESS ! My wife and I wanted to take our 2 little grand daughters for an ice cream treat on Monday. This was not your first choice of ice cream shop but it wasnt far from Oceanside and our grand daughters were familiar with it. We parked our car around the corner in a free parking spot on Grand Ave about 2.15pm. There was the typical tourist line when we arrived at Handels so my wife and the little girls joined it while I sat at a bar height table in the shade. I did not desire an ice cream here particularly since I found out that Handels nationwide uses high fructose corn syrup ( CHEAP ) as their sweetener...not for me ! The little girls picked out chocolate coated sugar cones and fun ice cream flavors like cotton candy. They looked so happy slurping their huge ice creams !

So many choices of the most delicious ice cream! Very busy but worth the wait and trying to find parking is crazy downtown. Tons of friendly teenagers working here. Not much seating so may have to just eat cone while walking around downtown. I highly recommend

Plenty of flavors to choose from.You wont be disappointed.Great ice cream with friendly service.

Tried the birthday cake ice cream, and it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten! The flavor and texture was perfectly balanced without being over saturated with sugar like most ice cream shops. It tasted fresh and the portions were huge. We asked for one scoop and got 3! I was happy to see they had a tiny cone with a single scoop perfect for small children and a dog ice cream too! Great spot by the beach, perfect for hot days with your kids and pooches!

Wonderful service, great ice cream. Vegan friendly (2 cobra choices). Huge servings.

Yummy! The chocolate chalkaholic chunk was to die for

OMG! Just one of the most delicious ice cream Ive ever tried. We always look for this place every time we are nearby. Sometimes the line is too long but, at the end, the wait is worth it. They have the usual flavors plus many other house creations. I highly recommend this place to anyone! Enjoy!!

The line was long but moved quickly. Definitely worth the wait but have a few choices in mind in case they don’t have your flavor. Absolutely delicious!

Holy cow, the Chocolate Peanut butter Brownie and the Coffee Chocolate Chip are some of the best ice creams I have ever tried. The servings were huge and at a great price. Cant wait to go back!

Line was very long and took about 20 minutes to get to the counter but the ice cream was good. Nothing to write home about in my opinion but good.

We got a Monkey Business milkshake, a Banana Creme Pie milkshake, and a Chocolate milkshake with oreos mixed in. All three are absolutely scrumptious. Staff was fast and very helpful. 💜 We will certainly be returning customers! 😊

Worth the wait. Simply delicious!

The ice cream is very good. The location is very central. The staff is friendly and helpful. The lines are often very long, but as their sign says, There are no lines for bad ice cream. If you are in Carlsbad and would like an ice cream treat, this is a good place to go.

First time here. Salted caramel one was my fav. The 4 sampler gives you a good tasting.

Ive been going here for years and I absolutely love Handels! The line goes by super fast and the employees are always helpful and energetic–I appreciate that theyre wearing masks and gloves to keep us all safer. The portion size is out of this world so you get the most bang for your buck.They also have a decent variety of non-dairy and vegan options! That said, there are so many other flavors and you really cant go wrong with any of them. Its a tough choice, but I would recommend the vegan strawberry, mango, graham central station and oree dough! The four scoop sampler is perfect to try out lots of flavors.Their cute decorations and holiday themed sprinkle cones always put a smile on my face! I never settle for getting ice cream anywhere else (except perhaps another Handels store :)

Ice cream tastes exactly like Thriftys... Waited an hour. Not worth it.

Big generous scoops of ice cream. Lots of great flavors. I would advise to walk to a shaded spot to enjoy the ice cream. It melts super fast under the sun.

Three cashiers means that line that looks like a really long wait actually goes by pretty fast! Its definitely a cool little spot we just happened upon for a pit stop in Carlsbad on our way home from San Diego. There were a few tables and stools to sit and eat your ice cream outside. A single was more than enough for me. Pictured is mint and chip and pistachio flavors.

Was just as good as i remember! Fair warning the 1 scoop ice cream is more like a 3 scoop and they do not tell you that. So if your in need of large amounts of ice cream in a wide variety of flavors then i cant recommend this place enough.

Handels is an ice-cream aficionados dream. Many flavors, delicious and fairly priced. Well worth waiting in line. Now locations in San Diego County. Yum.

Amazing Icecream! A Carlsbad must visit. The line is always long here, no matter what time you get there. Although the restaurant is most employed with young highschool age workers, they are still kind and engaging.

Been around the world this place is incredible. If you like ice cream this is the VERY BEST.

Yummy. The single is massive. The chocolate peanut butter has huge chunks of peanut butter. It needs to be mixed in better.

Ordered the cinnamon roll and chocolate peanut butter brownie ice cream. Both were so good!

Have to give this place 5 stars easily. Got the cherry vanilla monster shake and daughter got the banana split both were huge and the best ice cream. I’ve ever tasted. 5 stars easy

Enjoying Oreo Mint ice cream

Some of the best ice cream in town! You cant go wrong with a cone, Cup or malt. My favorite is the pink champagne sorbet when they have it. 🍨🧁🥤

This place was a random stop for the family. We have been going to Legoland for years and have not explored this area before. After the first order showed up at the window and we were floored. The brownie sundae was huge and more than I expected at the listed price. My wife got a large banana split, customized with her ice cream choices. It was also delicious. My order was an ice cream sampler.I will definitely be coming back. Im usually short on food options but the staff was very helpful and we left happily filled to the brim with ice cream. This is a win.

Very creamy ice cream, interesting flavors and huge servings! Great service! Always a line, but worth the wait!

Great ice cream! Lived by the original stand in Ohio, so this was nostalgic! So many flavors, and huge scoops!

You only need one scoop... I learned. Great ice cream.

Good value for the price. Large servings. My single cone was the size of a triple at other places.

So many choices. Great ice cream.

Can’t understand what the hype is about. My husband had the rocky road and I had the coffee chocolate chip. His was way, way too sweet. Mine was just average. Nothing special about this ice cream. IMO.

I love the ice cream just dont want you to show up so I can get in line sooner

Im confused on there scooping amd size chart. Sometimes their one scoop is 2 and other times its a regular 1 scoop. The flavors are nice they all have funky names. Not all turn out to be what i expect tho.

Hey, it’s ice cream. Definitely not the best ice cream I have ever had. Everyone was really friendly and it is fun to walk up to the window to order. I wish the flavors were a bit more innovative. They have some interesting names for ice creams, but no flavors to match. I was really seeking something I couldn’t get in stores. Key lime pie was great, sadly, everything else that we tried was fairly ordinary.

Homemade ice cream is so good. Especially the pineapple upside down cake. Yum

I love Ice Cream and this place has the best in the business. Highly recommend getting the 4 scoop sampler and trying all the flavors.

The best ice cream. Glad I was able to experience it.

OMG👍👍👍THE BEST ICE CREAM. Had Blackcherry, was soooooooo good.Will be back🥰

WowNot only was it the best I have ever had,It is the best I can ever imagining Ice cream can ever taste.A must stop

No better place to get ice cream in North county San Diego! Theres always a line, but it moves pretty fast.

Excellent ice cream. The flavors really come through strong, so you taste what you ordered. I really wish they served coffee, but unfortunately its just water or soda.

Love this place! Handels is a classic ice cream shop. Located in a strip mall with a target and Bobs big boys. The ice cream is great. I usually go for the shakes. Check them out if youre in the valley.

Yummy ice cream. Line was short this time.

Great ice cream, always packed but worth the wait 10/10

I only got a lemonade and chownow but the service was great and really friendly. Siona was awesome, managed her other employees, and made the best drink ever

Best ice cream in town. All the serving sizes are generous and the service is friendly. Do not be deceived be the long lines - - Be drawn to them because you will not be disappointed. I love meeting my students here for a treat or after school reward.

Get the kids size. A small fed both of us. And we like ice cream.

Put you arms at your sides, because this is Hands Down, the Best Ice Cream “I” have Ever Tasted.

Best ice cream Ive ever had. I went on a search to find the best ice cream in our area and this was it. Lemon bar is our favorite next to Graham central favorite and mint oreo.

Really good ice cream stopped by late night one day while in Carlsbad on vacation be prepared to wait in line since this place is very popular well worth the wait.

Wow. Absolutely incredible. The ice cream is delicious and my favorite is graham central station. Not only is the ice cream out of this world, but the employees are great! They’re always enthusiastic and kind and they are prepared for any question you might have. I could never memorize all those flavors! Super close to the beach and perfect for friends, family and date night :)

Great price!!! For small size, they stuff the ice cream then give us 2 and half scoop! So I purchased another cone that my two kids can share with each other, very generous.❤️

I asked for 2 scoops and I got 4. They probably thought I wanted a double. Not complaining though the lime sherbet was fantastic.

What can I say? Forget your diet and dive into a waffle cone piled high with a single scoop (more like 3 scoops) of the best ice cream ever. Dozens of concoctions of ice cream, limited seating outside, sometimes long lines, but, hey, who doesnt like ice cream.

So many choices. The vegan chocolate oree was incredibly large for a small. THREE scoops!!!!Answering the reply I received from the owner. I would say for us, more vegan choices. Perhaps alternate flavors so we do not get the same every night! That notwithstanding there are plenty of wonderful, creamy ice creams and the servers are accommodating, friendly and efficient.

I loved this place! So worth it and they are open until 10:00pm. One of the ‘goto’ places when in Carlsbad. Service is amazing. But expect a line pretty much all the time. But as the saying goes, “there’s never a line where the I e cream is bad”. And the single scoops, see the pic..?

This place is a must. So good!! Flavors are amazing and fresh. Service was awesome! And the prices are so affordable, especially once you see how serving sizes are, you definitely will be impressed with all that you get. Definitely mot going to cold stone no more....😅 bonus, seeing the inside and how clean it was!!

Best ice cream on this planet! Love stopping here for date night too. The brownie dough and blueberry cobbler are our absolute faves. You MUST try this spot!!

If youre a fan of ice cream then Handels should be on your list of go-to shops! Their ice cream is homemade and uses real ingredients like pistachios and bananas. Their is a wide variety of ways to consume the ice cream - from scoops in cups or cones, to shakes, sundaes and hurricanes! Cant make up your mind? The four scoop sampler is an easy way to taste four different flavors in one trip!

The ice cream is smooth and taste delicious. They have amazing flavors and we will be getting the 4 scoop option every time to try different flavors. We enjoyed the cotton candy, chocolate peanut butter and a graham cracker one the cashier recommended the most. The blueberry cobbler and strawberry cheesecake were good also.

I randomly ended up going to this place after checking out pure project next door and it was really good ice cream. I kept seeing people walking by with these huge ice cream cones and smiles on their faces and I had to check it out and Im glad I did. The ice cream quality is ridiculously good and the service was super friendly

Friendly service, huge portion size, delicious ice cream.Or as my two year old said: Ice Cream, thats right!!!

Best ice cream ever with so many choices and generous portions. Great service and very fast.

Great ice cream and wonderful people. We were watching the employees make ice cream and the GM sent out samples of what they were making. It all tasted great.

Largest single scoop cone Ive ever gotten, on a warm day the strawberry scoop in a waffle cone was just what I needed.

Cup of coffee ice cream. Good portion, good taste.

Delicious ice cream at a very reasonable price. Definitely worth the wait. Usually has a line in the evening, but moves quite quick.

Line is long but it goes by fast. I waited about 10 min on a Sunday afternoon.The young lady who helped me was very nice and friendly.Ordered a scoop of vanilla on a cake cone. Tupac ordered the coconut cream pie in a waffle cone. The servings are huge. The ice cream was light and didnt feel heavy or dense.Definitely would return back.

Handels never disappoints! So many flavors to choose from, you have to keep coming back to try them all.

Delicious, rich flavored ice cream. The monster milkshake is huge! Should have asked before ordering. All flavors are made on-site and the workers are friendly and patient. Will definitely return in the near future.

There are so many different flavors to choose from it was hard to pick just one! The lines were long but they got through them quickly. I ordered a double scoop and they give very generous serving sizes. Next time I am in town I will definitely make time to go back for more :)

I had the smores ice cream and it was delicious. So creamy and amazing. Definitely coming back. The small was huge.... 2 and a half scoops. We have a 3 year old and its a good thing we asked for only one scoop because even the one scoop was large. Plenty for a sugar high.

Ice cream is good. A lot of teenagers cutting lines