It shouldn't be hard to go wrong at a Cold Stone franchise, but this one was a disappointing waste of time. On a summery Sunday evening, the line to order went all the way to the door. I wasn't too surprised - the weather was perfect for ice cream! But we spent the first 15 minutes of our visit at the exact same spot by the door without moving up more than a few feet. I would have left if I hadn't just trekked from DC to satisfy a cold stone craving that had been building for months. As I was standing there getting cranky, I noticed that there were FIVE employees working, but only two helping customers. Two others seemed to be having a break in the back, and the last one in the front was making waffle cones and taking care of some other odds and ends. I understand the need for breaks and chore assignments, and I'm not sure what everyone was tasked with, but I was so irritated to see that none of the employees on the clock were hustling to show any sense of urgency to the overflowing line of customers, and one of the girls in the front was eating a snack. When we finally got to the front of the line, our order was taken and prepared as expected. The "cold stone" seemed to be a little too warm, and when my ice cream came, it was totally melted. They were out of waffle cones, and after waiting such a long time, we didn't feel like staying for the extra time while they made more. The cherry on the sundae (pun intended) was when the credit card machine wouldn't work properly and we had to stand at the register, ice cream melting all down our hands, for another five or ten minutes. We should have ordered the waffle cone after all. We left the store after a whopping 45 minutes with mediocre ice cream to show for it. My ice cream craving would have been better satisfied elsewhere.
(1)
Laine S.
One if the slowest services I have ever had at a cold stone. I ordered a chocolate meltdown and the funnel cake with ice cream. The meltdown barely had fudge and I waited a bit for it. The funnel cake was a very long wait, and it was stale with frozen strawberries. I was quite displeased with the services given what was ordered.
(3)
Shellie D.
Update: This place is dirty. -------------------------------- This place was packed on a Saturday night and I witnessed one of the workers get into a heated argument with a customer. But that alone won't deter me away from Cold Stone. So after waiting for about 15 minutes, I finally got my ice cream. Everything was good. The waffle bowl was fresh, and the brownies were good. They were a bit stingy with the fudge, but I didn't necessarily need those extra calories anyway. I will be back, despite the dispute the worker had with that customer. I just hope that it is never me on the receiving end.
(3)
Kim A.
So I get it was a Sunday in the summer...but the only reason the line was so long, is because the staff was completely incompetent. No joke, we stood in line for 30 minutes for some ice cream that was good, but not all that worth it. I assume it's not just this location that does this, but the amount of "toppings" that go into the tiny cup and the huge cup should not be equal. "We can't use more than one brownie" -- really? It was basically solid chocolate ice cream with nothing in it. Hardly worth the 30 minute wait (with about 8 people in front of us, and 3 working to make ice cream). After we made it through the line, there was no one at the register, and no one seemed to notice or care. Eventually the girl emerges from the back asking if we already paid. Long story short, I'll go to Olney next time.
(1)
Miki H.
I went there on Sunday evening in the middle of January. Despite the unlikely wait, I ended up with waiting for good 15 minutes to get my order. There were about 5 people ahead of us, and we had to wait 15+ minutes. Reason? There was only one employee attending to customers. He had to take orders, mix them up, and collects money from customers. There was another employee, but all she does is to pick up used ice cream spoon and take them to the back. I don't know what she does at the back, but she didn't do anything else when she could see 10 customers standing and waiting. Not only that, she started cleaning up windows right by our tables. All this happened while a lot of customers were standing in line. I just don't get this. The menu did not show the right price either. I have no problems with my dessert, but I don't want to go back there. Not this particular location.
(2)
Antoinette A.
Unfortunately this is my neighborhood Coldstone. I LOVE the ice cream but the customer service is not great, the lines are always long and they always close early. If you're going to close early all willy nilly do not advertise your store hours. Also, as someone who has worked in the food and beverage industry I really don't appreciate that they don't routinely wear gloves while handling food. Although they aren't rolling your ice cream with bare hands, their hands still get very close to the food and its not sanitary not to wear gloves.
(2)
Anonymous ..
We went to this location this past weekend and the line was incredibly long. We waited probably 30 minutes to get our ice cream. When I got my ice cream I got a waffle cone and when the guy handed me my ice cream it was melted... To point of it being like soup and to top it off the cone he gave me was broken, creating a huge mess. I will not return again especially when there are several other ice creameries up the street. The ice cream is not cheap either... When I'm spending $7 for a "small" ice cream and cone I expect better quality than what this place provides.
(1)
Renelle H.
I wish there was a way to put 0 stars! This location is horrible! The staff is always rude, not attentive and could really care less that you have walked into the establishment. I go to buy a $40 ice cream cake and when I pick up the one I want...I'm told that it's already sold to someone who ordered over the phone. Hmmmmm...shouldn't we take the cake that's not for sale out of the case with the other available cakes? Just a thought! Not to mention that was the last one of that kind. I started to order the cake online but because I live 2 seconds from this location I decided to just walk to make sure they had the cake available before I paid online. I'm glad I did because had If not I would have been really disappointed....as always!
(1)
Brandon G.
Normal Cold Stone. However, DO NOT GO ON SUNDAY. It's packed beyond belief and the wait time is crazy!
(3)
Jon L.
Ice cream is great, but service is extraordinarily slow. Too often there is only one employee working at a time. They need to hire more people!
(2)
Justine J.
This was a pretty typical Cold Stone. We were the only customers when we came in, so we got the cashier's full attention. He seemed bored, naturally, but was friendly and polite! Cold Stone will never be my favorite ice cream -- there's just something about it -- but it works in a pinch!
(4)
Patrick W.
It's been slowly sliding downhill. Had to walk out the last two times. The staff is not friendly of late.
(1)
Judy R.
Ordered an ice cream cake last week. When I went to pick it up, it had a different message on it than I'd written in the online order! What's up with that?!! They added the words "Love you" without ever checking with me. That seems so bizarre. The cake itself was very good, but if I ever ordered one again with a personalized message, I would EMPHASIZE that they CANNOT add their own words! Really strange. The manager tried to erase it with whipped cream, but it didn't look as good as it should have.
(3)
Maggy S.
What a dump! I went into the store the other night to pick up some ice cream and the store was filthy, especially near the register. The girl taking my order rang up the wrong price for a half gallon of premade ice cream. Luckily I knew what the right price was and she changed it - and saved me $4. bottom line: Two stars for great ice cream, zero stars for whoever is managing this store.
(2)
Terinee B.
How can a person EVER go wrong with Cold Stone! This place is my absolute FAVORITE spot to get ice cream and they did not disappoint me this time! Although my time in here was very brief, they were terrific! My husband told them that it was my birthday and they sung to me (after making sure that it was ok by me FIRST for them to sing - as opposed to some places that just sing regardless of if you are embarrassed or not!). I had the Birthday Cake Remix!!! Cake Batter Ice Cream, Brownie bits, Chocolate Syrup, (And I subbed Caramel instead of Sprinkles).... I was in heaven! :)
(4)
Kat L.
Line out the door on saturdays. I'd like to give 4 stars but they run out of bananas. ALL. THE. TIME. All I want in life is a boy who adores me, a happy dog, and a chocolate banana milkshake to round out the day. REAL bananas must be fleeting. Or it could just be a testament to their loyal fan base. Go on a weekday.
(3)
Steven S.
went there 3 times in the last month, 1st time i went there i had a pleasant experience ordered 2 got to have it (large) sized specialty ice cream, payed around 8 bucks, went there a second time later in the week, i walk in 6 minutes before they closed and the female workers rudely said they were closed didn't get a sorry or anything, went there a third time and this time was pretty sketchy i ordered 2 love (medium) sized specialty ice cream, but this time i spent $12.49 which was odd b/c the medium size was more expensive than the large size that i got a week before, then the i complain to the girl that it was too expensive, she then said that she would give me a discount if i put 5 dollars in the tip jar which raised a red flag, this employee is clearly scamming her job for money and should be fired.
(1)
Tiffane C.
Cold Stone makes me happy. It's a shame that they don't have any locations in the district. My absolute favorite is the "Founder's Favorite." You can't go wrong with ice cream, brownie chunks, pecans, caramel and chocolate syrup all rolled into one! I suggest getting it fresh rather than from the freezer. Even if you want to take home a pint, get them to make it for you at the counter. This location seemed nice. It was clean and the staff were friendly. I guess I went at a decent time because we were in and out with no problems. I won't bother comparing Cold Stone to other ice cream shops. It's hard to do a poor job with ice cream, but I'd say this is one of the better chains for that yummy frozen treat. :)
(4)
Mimi X.
There are some really good, creative independent ice cream stores in Silver Spring, so I don't usually go to Cold Stone. The one time I did it was on a weekend morning, and they were WIPED OUT after the weekend night before. It was dirty, and they had hardly any ice cream and not many toppings. And the employees were kind of sullen and unapologetic about it. I didn't love the cake batter ice cream I ended up with -- probably because none of the toppings I wanted were in stock. So if you want something right in DTSS and you love Cold Stone, go for it, just never go there on a weekend morning.
(2)
Asieh C.
I love this ice cream! Ben & Jerry's is a block away, but I'd much rather go here. I'm partial to "Oreo Overload," which is sweet cream ice cream, oreos, chocolate chips, fudge, and brownies. If you don't want to wait in line to make your own flavor combination may I suggest "Founder's Favorite, " in the freezer case. I can't remember what's exactly in that one so I won't mislead you. But what I usually do is buy a designer ice cream and a prepared one to take home. Yes, I am a glutton when it comes to ice cream.
(5)
sarah y.
I don't think there is one in DC and when I was around in this area a few weeks back of course I had to stop in.. it reminds me of home! Birthday Cake remix is my favourite, along with the oatmeal cookie ice cream. You can get basically anything mixed in which is really cool. The lines do get long, but thankfully I went during the week and it was in and out! I like this better than Ben & Jerry's.
(5)
Mari F.
Well It was bad. They took my order for my big event and I confirmed it twice before. They said not to worry everything will be done. But 2 day before the event I got a call that they can't do it and that I was mistaken about everything and they don't do things as I ordered. Not only this I placed my order and talked to a wrong person in their shop (I was twice referred to the same person). That was quite a shock. I told them to cancel my order. But, than I got a call from another person and she convinced me not to cancel my order and that she will do her best to fix it. Well she really convinced me and she did her best and I would be happy customer, but people in ice cream shop screw my plans again. One hour before to go to get my cake they sold it to somebody else. Ouch. They fix something very fast right before pick up and didn't apologize and didn't give me any discount. I ask myself will I go to Cold Stone in SS again even just to have a cone with Ice cream NOOOOOOOOOOO.
(1)
Stacie C.
Even with the lines out the door on the weekends, I will gladly wait to get my fix of Birthday Cake Remix. I exchange the brownie for yellow cake for a taste that takes me back to being 8 years old and at birthday parties. Some people get annoyed at the fact that the staff sings after they've been tipped but it amuses me, especially the banana song. Be prepared to wait a while if it's the weekend at night but during the week you can get in and out pretty quick.
Katie H.
It shouldn't be hard to go wrong at a Cold Stone franchise, but this one was a disappointing waste of time. On a summery Sunday evening, the line to order went all the way to the door. I wasn't too surprised - the weather was perfect for ice cream! But we spent the first 15 minutes of our visit at the exact same spot by the door without moving up more than a few feet. I would have left if I hadn't just trekked from DC to satisfy a cold stone craving that had been building for months. As I was standing there getting cranky, I noticed that there were FIVE employees working, but only two helping customers. Two others seemed to be having a break in the back, and the last one in the front was making waffle cones and taking care of some other odds and ends. I understand the need for breaks and chore assignments, and I'm not sure what everyone was tasked with, but I was so irritated to see that none of the employees on the clock were hustling to show any sense of urgency to the overflowing line of customers, and one of the girls in the front was eating a snack. When we finally got to the front of the line, our order was taken and prepared as expected. The "cold stone" seemed to be a little too warm, and when my ice cream came, it was totally melted. They were out of waffle cones, and after waiting such a long time, we didn't feel like staying for the extra time while they made more. The cherry on the sundae (pun intended) was when the credit card machine wouldn't work properly and we had to stand at the register, ice cream melting all down our hands, for another five or ten minutes. We should have ordered the waffle cone after all. We left the store after a whopping 45 minutes with mediocre ice cream to show for it. My ice cream craving would have been better satisfied elsewhere.
(1)Laine S.
One if the slowest services I have ever had at a cold stone. I ordered a chocolate meltdown and the funnel cake with ice cream. The meltdown barely had fudge and I waited a bit for it. The funnel cake was a very long wait, and it was stale with frozen strawberries. I was quite displeased with the services given what was ordered.
(3)Shellie D.
Update: This place is dirty. -------------------------------- This place was packed on a Saturday night and I witnessed one of the workers get into a heated argument with a customer. But that alone won't deter me away from Cold Stone. So after waiting for about 15 minutes, I finally got my ice cream. Everything was good. The waffle bowl was fresh, and the brownies were good. They were a bit stingy with the fudge, but I didn't necessarily need those extra calories anyway. I will be back, despite the dispute the worker had with that customer. I just hope that it is never me on the receiving end.
(3)Kim A.
So I get it was a Sunday in the summer...but the only reason the line was so long, is because the staff was completely incompetent. No joke, we stood in line for 30 minutes for some ice cream that was good, but not all that worth it. I assume it's not just this location that does this, but the amount of "toppings" that go into the tiny cup and the huge cup should not be equal. "We can't use more than one brownie" -- really? It was basically solid chocolate ice cream with nothing in it. Hardly worth the 30 minute wait (with about 8 people in front of us, and 3 working to make ice cream). After we made it through the line, there was no one at the register, and no one seemed to notice or care. Eventually the girl emerges from the back asking if we already paid. Long story short, I'll go to Olney next time.
(1)Miki H.
I went there on Sunday evening in the middle of January. Despite the unlikely wait, I ended up with waiting for good 15 minutes to get my order. There were about 5 people ahead of us, and we had to wait 15+ minutes. Reason? There was only one employee attending to customers. He had to take orders, mix them up, and collects money from customers. There was another employee, but all she does is to pick up used ice cream spoon and take them to the back. I don't know what she does at the back, but she didn't do anything else when she could see 10 customers standing and waiting. Not only that, she started cleaning up windows right by our tables. All this happened while a lot of customers were standing in line. I just don't get this. The menu did not show the right price either. I have no problems with my dessert, but I don't want to go back there. Not this particular location.
(2)Antoinette A.
Unfortunately this is my neighborhood Coldstone. I LOVE the ice cream but the customer service is not great, the lines are always long and they always close early. If you're going to close early all willy nilly do not advertise your store hours. Also, as someone who has worked in the food and beverage industry I really don't appreciate that they don't routinely wear gloves while handling food. Although they aren't rolling your ice cream with bare hands, their hands still get very close to the food and its not sanitary not to wear gloves.
(2)Anonymous ..
We went to this location this past weekend and the line was incredibly long. We waited probably 30 minutes to get our ice cream. When I got my ice cream I got a waffle cone and when the guy handed me my ice cream it was melted... To point of it being like soup and to top it off the cone he gave me was broken, creating a huge mess. I will not return again especially when there are several other ice creameries up the street. The ice cream is not cheap either... When I'm spending $7 for a "small" ice cream and cone I expect better quality than what this place provides.
(1)Renelle H.
I wish there was a way to put 0 stars! This location is horrible! The staff is always rude, not attentive and could really care less that you have walked into the establishment. I go to buy a $40 ice cream cake and when I pick up the one I want...I'm told that it's already sold to someone who ordered over the phone. Hmmmmm...shouldn't we take the cake that's not for sale out of the case with the other available cakes? Just a thought! Not to mention that was the last one of that kind. I started to order the cake online but because I live 2 seconds from this location I decided to just walk to make sure they had the cake available before I paid online. I'm glad I did because had If not I would have been really disappointed....as always!
(1)Brandon G.
Normal Cold Stone. However, DO NOT GO ON SUNDAY. It's packed beyond belief and the wait time is crazy!
(3)Jon L.
Ice cream is great, but service is extraordinarily slow. Too often there is only one employee working at a time. They need to hire more people!
(2)Justine J.
This was a pretty typical Cold Stone. We were the only customers when we came in, so we got the cashier's full attention. He seemed bored, naturally, but was friendly and polite! Cold Stone will never be my favorite ice cream -- there's just something about it -- but it works in a pinch!
(4)Patrick W.
It's been slowly sliding downhill. Had to walk out the last two times. The staff is not friendly of late.
(1)Judy R.
Ordered an ice cream cake last week. When I went to pick it up, it had a different message on it than I'd written in the online order! What's up with that?!! They added the words "Love you" without ever checking with me. That seems so bizarre. The cake itself was very good, but if I ever ordered one again with a personalized message, I would EMPHASIZE that they CANNOT add their own words! Really strange. The manager tried to erase it with whipped cream, but it didn't look as good as it should have.
(3)Maggy S.
What a dump! I went into the store the other night to pick up some ice cream and the store was filthy, especially near the register. The girl taking my order rang up the wrong price for a half gallon of premade ice cream. Luckily I knew what the right price was and she changed it - and saved me $4. bottom line: Two stars for great ice cream, zero stars for whoever is managing this store.
(2)Terinee B.
How can a person EVER go wrong with Cold Stone! This place is my absolute FAVORITE spot to get ice cream and they did not disappoint me this time! Although my time in here was very brief, they were terrific! My husband told them that it was my birthday and they sung to me (after making sure that it was ok by me FIRST for them to sing - as opposed to some places that just sing regardless of if you are embarrassed or not!). I had the Birthday Cake Remix!!! Cake Batter Ice Cream, Brownie bits, Chocolate Syrup, (And I subbed Caramel instead of Sprinkles).... I was in heaven! :)
(4)Kat L.
Line out the door on saturdays. I'd like to give 4 stars but they run out of bananas. ALL. THE. TIME. All I want in life is a boy who adores me, a happy dog, and a chocolate banana milkshake to round out the day. REAL bananas must be fleeting. Or it could just be a testament to their loyal fan base. Go on a weekday.
(3)Steven S.
went there 3 times in the last month, 1st time i went there i had a pleasant experience ordered 2 got to have it (large) sized specialty ice cream, payed around 8 bucks, went there a second time later in the week, i walk in 6 minutes before they closed and the female workers rudely said they were closed didn't get a sorry or anything, went there a third time and this time was pretty sketchy i ordered 2 love (medium) sized specialty ice cream, but this time i spent $12.49 which was odd b/c the medium size was more expensive than the large size that i got a week before, then the i complain to the girl that it was too expensive, she then said that she would give me a discount if i put 5 dollars in the tip jar which raised a red flag, this employee is clearly scamming her job for money and should be fired.
(1)Tiffane C.
Cold Stone makes me happy. It's a shame that they don't have any locations in the district. My absolute favorite is the "Founder's Favorite." You can't go wrong with ice cream, brownie chunks, pecans, caramel and chocolate syrup all rolled into one! I suggest getting it fresh rather than from the freezer. Even if you want to take home a pint, get them to make it for you at the counter. This location seemed nice. It was clean and the staff were friendly. I guess I went at a decent time because we were in and out with no problems. I won't bother comparing Cold Stone to other ice cream shops. It's hard to do a poor job with ice cream, but I'd say this is one of the better chains for that yummy frozen treat. :)
(4)Mimi X.
There are some really good, creative independent ice cream stores in Silver Spring, so I don't usually go to Cold Stone. The one time I did it was on a weekend morning, and they were WIPED OUT after the weekend night before. It was dirty, and they had hardly any ice cream and not many toppings. And the employees were kind of sullen and unapologetic about it. I didn't love the cake batter ice cream I ended up with -- probably because none of the toppings I wanted were in stock. So if you want something right in DTSS and you love Cold Stone, go for it, just never go there on a weekend morning.
(2)Asieh C.
I love this ice cream! Ben & Jerry's is a block away, but I'd much rather go here. I'm partial to "Oreo Overload," which is sweet cream ice cream, oreos, chocolate chips, fudge, and brownies. If you don't want to wait in line to make your own flavor combination may I suggest "Founder's Favorite, " in the freezer case. I can't remember what's exactly in that one so I won't mislead you. But what I usually do is buy a designer ice cream and a prepared one to take home. Yes, I am a glutton when it comes to ice cream.
(5)sarah y.
I don't think there is one in DC and when I was around in this area a few weeks back of course I had to stop in.. it reminds me of home! Birthday Cake remix is my favourite, along with the oatmeal cookie ice cream. You can get basically anything mixed in which is really cool. The lines do get long, but thankfully I went during the week and it was in and out! I like this better than Ben & Jerry's.
(5)Mari F.
Well It was bad. They took my order for my big event and I confirmed it twice before. They said not to worry everything will be done. But 2 day before the event I got a call that they can't do it and that I was mistaken about everything and they don't do things as I ordered. Not only this I placed my order and talked to a wrong person in their shop (I was twice referred to the same person). That was quite a shock. I told them to cancel my order. But, than I got a call from another person and she convinced me not to cancel my order and that she will do her best to fix it. Well she really convinced me and she did her best and I would be happy customer, but people in ice cream shop screw my plans again. One hour before to go to get my cake they sold it to somebody else. Ouch. They fix something very fast right before pick up and didn't apologize and didn't give me any discount. I ask myself will I go to Cold Stone in SS again even just to have a cone with Ice cream NOOOOOOOOOOO.
(1)Stacie C.
Even with the lines out the door on the weekends, I will gladly wait to get my fix of Birthday Cake Remix. I exchange the brownie for yellow cake for a taste that takes me back to being 8 years old and at birthday parties. Some people get annoyed at the fact that the staff sings after they've been tipped but it amuses me, especially the banana song. Be prepared to wait a while if it's the weekend at night but during the week you can get in and out pretty quick.
(4)