Handel's Homemade Ice Cream — Restaurant in Manhattan Beach

The Baseline: The Ice Cream/Gelato Baseline consists of having quality dairy product, variety of flavors/mix-ins, and serving quantity for the price. Handles goes over the baseline on all marks.

Update (September 2025): Food: I got 2 hand packed quarts and a single bowl tonight. The quarts were “Strawberry Cheesecake Chunk” and “Ohh Dough made with Oreo” which are one of there awesome flavors. The Single cup was Cotton Candy which is the sugar hit and a half with creamy goodness. Best and Favorite Ice Cream!

Service: Fast, friendly Handel’s staff made it fast and efficient.

Ambiance: Manhattan Village is a fun safe place to hang out. I love that Handel’s is a part of that atmosphere.

Update (August 2025) Food: This is my favorite ice cream place! I always forget to check in on my apps because I am excited to get Handel's. Tried the Blondie Sundae today for the first time and it was a sugar sweet indulgence but it was goooooooood! Also the group got a single scoop and a 4 scoop sampler (which is the best way to try flavors).

Service: Great customer service by the employees at Handel's. Great friendly staff even when they are swamped.

Ambiance: The Manhattan Village lawn area is the ambiance and it is awesome in summer.

Previous Review (January 2025): I love Handles and it is my favorite ice cream spot! Handles goes over the baseline marks!

Food: The ice cream base (dairy and non-dairy) is of very high quality where the milk/cream ratio is make the ice cream smooth and silky (not gummy). If you can get a purchase quart into a decent freezer it will firm up but still be easy to scoop. The variety of flavors are awesome with unique offerings (my favorites are Graham Central Station, Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie, and Blueberry Cobbler). The serving sizes will vary per order but if you use a 1 scoop as your metric you are getting a scoop+ with each order. I suggest the 4 scoop sampler if it is your first or fiftieth time here so you can get variety.

Service: Service is straight forward and to the point. Friendly but be prepared to know what you want, but easy to do since there is usually a line so you have time to figure it out. The will let you try a sample or two but you can’t sit there to go through all the flavors and I usually try the seasonal offerings when I am there.

Ambiance: This is a walk up ice cream stand with no dedicated seating, but it is in the Manhattan Village quad and that is where you want to hang out anyway.

Go here for ice cream, pick up quarts for $14 because it is worthy of a spot in...

Number one - always the rudest staff. Every time I go there, I swear I’ll never go back. Then I happen to be in the area w my small kids and they want ice cream, so I cave.

Secondly- again- I’m always so surprised they don’t offer any sort of kids cup or single scoop for children especially in an area that’s filled w small children and families. They won’t even allow you to get a small with TWO flavors (even though it comes w two scoops) to accommodate kids who want a different flavor. Just zero accommodation for small kids. Then the size small is SO much ice cream that obviously a young child can’t even come close to finishing.

I understand this is first world problems, but literally drives me nuts every single time.

Today was our FINAL visit (where i was essentially forced to get a size medium for $9.25) just to appease two 5 year olds and it comes with three and half scoops (huge!) with two flavors. Ridiculous.

I feel silly even writing a review about ice cream, but do yourself a favor and go one plaza over to The Point for ice cream that happily accommodates kids AND they’re always so...

Local chain ice cream stop with generous servings. Came here during the heat wave at lunch time in a group of four (how else are you supposed to cool off?) and surprisingly there was only one party ahead of us. There’s no indoor or outdoor seating but the mall has a lot of outdoor benches where you can enjoy your treat. You order at the counter, pay (credit cards accepted) and then they’ll call out your order. The girl working on Thursday was very knowledgeable about the flavors and was also working by herself - props to her for holding the fort!

The single scoop was divvied up into three scoops and I was so full after eating it all. They also offer a four scoop sampler in a plastic container, which you could freeze if you don’t finish your food. The mud pie was a tad icy, but there were very generous chunks of Oreos and was very sweet (which is how I like it). You can get a waffle bowl or cone for an extra cost.

Overall, it’s a kid-friendly spot and good for all ice...