Screamin' Mimi's — Restaurant in Sebastopol

I've been a big fan of Screamin Mimi's for years, and I still am in some aspects. After some internal debate I'm writing this review because the serving process and atmosphere have had a decline in recent years. I understand not everything can/should be the same as it was before, and while there may be some changes for the better I am disappointed with my recent visits.

Starting with what I enjoy, the ice cream is delicious. I love that it's made in house with local ingredients, and it shows in the quality. The Mimi's mud is the best in my opinion, but the other flavors are also above par. The location is good and I'm happy that it's still a busy spot. My family is also glad the parking spots in front are available again. The employees are helpful and cheerful, and I have had zero issues with customer service. I'm giving 4 stars because I still recommend this spot to visitors and locals alike. If you're just in town and looking for a great ice cream place, you can stop reading here.

The first thing I notice that I do not like is that the space to sit inside is very cramped compared to how it used to be. The whole dining room layout is overall kind of awkward, one of the corners is tighter than before because of the trash cans new home, and the two other tables are right next to the usually crowded line and waiting area. As for the ordering process, it is only one group ordering at a time as opposed to one group per employee. I know this is the norm at some ice cream places, but I always liked the way Mimi's did it. This also often leads to watching your ice cream slowly melt behind the counter while the other orders in your group are filled. Before, it was nice to be able to see the flavors and taste in front of the display (you can still taste the ice cream, it's just awkward in my opinion. They also have pictures of the current flavors on the wall). After inquiring we were also informed today that they no longer use reusable glasses for shakes and sundaes, which is a dissapointment after previously admiring Mimi's for being environmentally conscious (though they still have compostable cups and spoons).

My main gripe is that the ice cream is no longer sold by the weight. I understand why they had to change their system in the beginning of the pandemic, but I don't understand why it can't be implemented again. To me and my friends/family, this is what set Mimi's apart. The flexibility of being able to get exactly how much you want for a fair price was unique, and satisfying to the stomach and wallet.

Besides all that, there's just tiny, insignificant things I miss about the atmosphere. The pet contest, the world visitors map, the suggestion box, I could go on but I also can acknowledge things like this are not at the top of priorities and I'll accept that. As much as I enjoy this place, I felt the need to write this review in hopes that I can at least put my opinions out there that I know other...

My boyfriend and I were looking forward to a nice ice cream sunday and found this place was in close proximity to us. We walked up to their window with our masks on and rang the doorbell. I did not hear a doorbell noise, but saw that two female workers noticed us. One kept sweeping and the other stayed behind the ice cream counter. We waited for about 5 mins and were looked at at least 4 times by the staff. We decided to walk away and I called to ask why were not helped when they saw us waiting there and it appeared the staff decided to be petty because they didn't think we rang the doorbell. Will never think of trying this place again or suggest it to anyone. Didn't deserve that from these snotty girls. Guess they will hire anyone these days. If its a Wednesday night around 8:30 I would definitely not go.

UPDATE. Owners response shows zero accountability and seems more concerned with attacking my review. Owner wouldn't know if the girls were snotty because the owner didn't hear my phone conversation, where the employee expressed attitude. Whether the door bell rang or not, the girl sweeping looked at us about twice and the girl behind the counter looked about 4-5 times. We looked at them the whole time and we were very obviously not still deciding....let's try not blaming the customers. For the record it was slow, nobody else was in line and it was a least 45 mins till closing. Do better Owner. I have never treated a customer service staff member badly or disrespectfully and I didn't that night either with your staff. You are the one that lost out on a sale because of THEIR...

I’ve been going to screaming Mimi’s for years and years and it was always a spot I looked forward to visiting when I was in town. However, I visited recently (haven’t been around the area much since pre covid) and wow, this place went completely downhill. They used to have tons of cute tables for indoor seating, and the walls always used to be filled with art for sale from local artists. This truly used to be a perfect quaint little local spot. There was a map that people from all over could put pins in where they were from, and it was just such a personable place. Now, they have their menu plastered on giant ugly screens, and they’ve greatly decreased their seating inside due to them extending the counter out?? You can’t even stroll through and see the ice cream behind the glass like you used to! I understand people had to adjust dining during Covid but there’s no reason now that they cant bring things back like it used to look. It’s not personable anymore, it’s completely sterile and there’s nowhere to sit inside anymore. I was very very extremely disappointed. And to top it all off the ice cream didn’t taste the same, it tasted store bought. This used to be one of my favorite places and I’m sad to see that it’s gone so far down in terms of customer service and flavor. Won’t be back for a long time, if at all. The only reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the nostalgic memories I have...