Stella Jean's Ice Cream — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

Stella Jean's Ice Cream Costa Mesa – A Unique & Pet-Friendly Ice Cream Spot

Located in a bustling plaza in Costa Mesa, near Newport Beach, Stella Jean’s Ice Cream shares a space with The Pop Pie Company, offering a dual-brand experience in one spot. The area is surrounded by trendy dining options, making it a great place to grab dessert after a meal.

Their ice cream flavors are creative and unique. I tried the Black Sesame with coconut slices, and the combination of nutty sesame and tropical coconut was surprisingly delightful. The Ube flavor was another standout, with its rich, earthy sweetness and smooth texture. The staff here is super friendly—they gave me many opportunities to try different flavors with great patience, even served my scoop in an upside-down style! The serving is large and makes me feel super satisfied. A staff member later checked in to ask about my experience, which made me feel especially welcomed.

The outdoor seating area is a great bonus, making this a pet-friendly spot (just remember, too much human ice cream isn’t great for dogs!). It gets quite busy on Saturday afternoons, with lots of families and kids enjoying their treats. One downside—there’s no WiFi, so it’s not the best place to stay for a long time, especially when it's crowded. But if you’re looking for delicious, unique ice cream in a lively setting, this franchise here is definitely...

Last week I was out in Newport and randomly searched up an ice cream shop with non-dairy optionS. Plural lol. I’ve made the mistake of pulling up to a yogurt/ice cream shop that has only ONE option and the flavor is either boring or not appealing. However, Stella Jean’s had exactly 4 options that were both vegan and gluten free which caters exactly to my diet. They had even more flavors that were vegan as well. Of the 4 though, I tried two. The Strawberry Oat Crumble and Banana Coffee Cake. They were sooo DELICIOUS! I’m not a big fan of banana flavoring but with the coffee cake chunks, the nuts, and the cinnamon it was BOMB. I love most things strawberry, so it wasn’t a shock I enjoyed that one as well. The texture was amazing! My sister was with me and she actually went back the same week just to buy us the pints lol. They have a cup and waffle cone option which is gluten free! I was hesitant to try the cone but I’m glad I did. Plus it made for a cute pic lol. Definitely recommend if you’re in Newport Beach and are vegan/dairy-free or just want...

I visited this ice cream shop tonight and had a pretty off-putting experience. First, one of the staff members took a bite of the ice cream right in front of us — they scooped themselves some with a sample spoon and made us wait while they ate it. That already felt unprofessional and kind of gross.

Then, when it was our turn and we asked for a sample (which is how this place normally works, given their unusual flavors), the staff member told us they were out of sample spoons. I pointed out there were still plenty of plastic spoons, but he insisted those weren’t “sample spoons.” Ironically, he had just used the last sample spoon himself.

Instead of showing any understanding or apologizing for the inconvenience, he brushed it off like it was no big deal, saying, “I just scoop the ice cream.” But honestly, how does an ice cream shop — whose whole business is built around scooping and sampling — run out of spoons? That seems like a pretty critical supply for the service.

Overall, it left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). Definitely...