Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Janesville, WI — Restaurant in Janesville

Five start ice cream 4 star vibes spot in Janesville

Cute little local ice cream shop right across from Franklin Middle School in Janesville, WI. It’s tucked into a tiny plaza on the corner of Mineral, near an elementary school, too.

Took my niece here and was so pleasantly surprised they had vegan ice cream! As a vegan in Wisconsin, that’s rare and worth celebrating. Ice cream is big here, but finding scoopable (not soft-serve!) vegan options is hard. They had four different vegan flavors, including a fruity sorbet and a delicious oat milk-based Mint Oreo and Cookie Dough that reminded me of the creamy texture of traditional ice cream.

The flavors were fantastic, and the portions were generous. You can even do a half scoop, which is a nice touch. A kid’s scoop and one adult scoop came out to about $8.75 total, which felt fair compared to what other places charge these days. Staff was nice and polite. Not sure if the owners were there, but everyone was courteous and the space was clean. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating, but it’s small, maybe fits 16 people max inside.

Now, a couple things to note. They don’t allow samples, which was a little disappointing. There’s a sign that said something “we no longer do samples.” Not a dealbreaker, but for a shop with unique flavors, it would be helpful especially for kids.

Also, while the ice cream was truly five-star, the overall vibe didn’t quite match. The store has a “Good Vibes” sign, but there were multiple printed warning-style signs around the shop: one said “STOP” directed at parents, another warned kids not to lean on the glass, and a few more throughout. I understand they’re likely dealing with school crowds daily, but it felt a bit harsh in an otherwise family-friendly space. A warmer greeting and more welcoming atmosphere would go a long way to match the incredible quality of the ice cream.

This place was worth a visit for the ice cream especially if you’re vegan or dairy-free. The oat milk base is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. But I do recommend the shop soften the signage and bring the warmth of the product into the customer experience. With just a few tweaks, it could easily be a five-star gem.

I would def come back to this spot. That Mint Oreo...

Go out of your way to visit! They have fantastic ice cream, and even better - creative desserts that you don't normally find at your run-of-the-mill ice cream joint. They have plenty of unique flavors, and all the dipped cones to boot. There is a special case filled with an impressive variety of chocolate dipped cheesecakes, dipped bananas, and ice cream cookie sandwiches (chocolate dipped too of course). I saw a family coming out with their "ice cream nachos", which I am DEFINITELY going to try next time. So they've got the goods, what else could you want?

How about super friendliness? I remarked to my family how friendly the people were, not pushy, and seemingly enjoying their time working. This is uncommon to see in my experience. Both people there were giving off good vibes that even my daughter said the guy who gave her the cookie ice cream sandwich seemed genuinely pleased with her choice. Well, that's about all you could ask for right?

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! It's located on a corner and they have a clean fenced in area with picnic tables, and even mini-benches if ice cream eaters in your party are children. It's a nice cozy spot and even the other family already seated in the area was friendly. The power of ice cream was on full...

Great atmosphere with a super sweet staff. Almost, as sweet as all of the delicious flavors of ice cream there is choose from and the smell of the freshly made waffle cones as you walk in is yum, yum, yummy. They have pre-made pints of your favorite flavors of ice cream and specialty sodas too. And if you're ever looking for a hard to find candy, you need look no further because they also have a large selection of candy to satisfy just about any sweet tooth. Make it a point to stop in sometime and treat the whole fam!! As the saying goes... I scream, you scream, we all scream for really gosh darn...