The Charmery Columbia — Restaurant in Maryland

Absolutely fantastic service, ice cream, and clean location. This location of the Charmery is nested away in a newer business/living area of Columbia. So expect it to be new and clean. Parking was a bit odd since as the area is still under construction. There is a parking lot across the street but it's around the corner from Merriweather Post Pavilion, so it could be crowded if there is a show. The ice cream is one of the best in the Columbia area the family has had. The options are a little daunting at first as the menu isn't the usual variety in name. The staff definitely was friendly and explained it out. There is even a vegan option that isn't just some frozen fruit. If your wondering it's called Choconut. Probably the best chocolate vegan ice cream I've had in quite a while. The service was outstandingly polite, courteous, patient, and helpful. Even yesterday when it was in the 40's-50's there was still a line of people, to which they were all served just as fast as they showed up. If you're looking for a great scoop of ice cream, a milkshake, or just something to do outside... go, you won't be disappointed.

I think the only downside is there isn't much seating. Mostly due to location and covid I presume. I'd say expect to walk up to the pickup window and take a nice stroll around the area with your...

I visited your ice cream shop with my family last night and was very disappointed with the experience. We arrived at 10:50 PM, well before your posted closing time of 11:00 PM my husband and son were in line. After standing in line for about four minutes I came in. A staff member informed us that we would NOT be served because the staff "had to get home." If you have young staff members who have to get home then they should be scheduled accordingly without inconveniencing the customer.

The early suspension of service was communicated to my husband or myself upon entry, and there was no sign or notice indicating they stop serving at a certain time. If your policy is to stop serving before the posted closing time, it would be more respectful and professional to inform customers at the door—not after they’ve been waiting in line.

This is extremely poor customer service and left a negative impression. I hope you’ll consider updating your procedures to prevent this from...

I was very disappointed with my recent experience at this ice cream shop. I arrived with my family around 10:50 p.m. on a Saturday night, well before the posted closing time of 11:00 p.m. We were excited to enjoy a treat together and had already been waiting in line for several minutes when an employee abruptly cut the line off right in front of us. She informed us that they needed to close and that the staff had to leave, despite the fact that we were already inside before closing.

This felt extremely unfair and left my wife and 5-year-old child visibly upset. It’s frustrating to be turned away after making the effort to arrive in time and wait patiently. I would strongly suggest that if the store is unable to serve customers close to closing time, they consider locking the doors earlier or clearly communicating a cutoff time for service. This experience left a very negative impression and unfortunately ruined what was supposed to be a fun evening...