Handel's Homemade Ice Cream — Restaurant in Surprise

I love this ice cream. And I also loved the generous portions they gave customers.....until recently. I've been taking my family here nearly every weekend since we moved to Surprise. But recently the bean counters at corporate paid this store a visit and instructed the store to drastically reduce the amount of ice cream they served customers. So the Handel's motto "We Never Skimp" no longer applies. The last two times we've been there they are literally giving us about a third as much as they were before. Not cool. So while I will drop by occasionally for my Graham Central Station fix, I will no longer be a regular. It is just way too expensive considering how stingy they are with the servings. Sad!

Edit 4/16/23: Now they have dramatically increased their prices. No surprise that they did this right as the weather started heating up. I normally get the 4 pack sampler which has just increased well over a dollar in price. And, to top it off, the portions are even smaller. It used to be that the ice cream would touch the lid of the container. Now, each scoop is about 1/3 the size.

Edit 5/22/24: My days of eating Handel's "ice cream" are over. Today I mustered up the courage to inquire about the ingredients in one of my favorite flavors and let me tell you, it would make Dow Chemical proud. The creaminess that I thought was coming from real cream and milk is actually a result of every thickener known to man. If you're trying to avoid highly processed vegetable oils, you're also out of luck. Artificial flavors and colors, yup, they're in there too. If you value your health I would stay clear...

Hands down the best ice cream in Surprise, AZ and maybe anywhere!

My family and I are officially hooked on Handel's. From the moment you walk up, you can tell this place does ice cream right. It’s always buzzing with happy people and for good reason: the flavors are out of this world, the portions are huge, and the waffle cones are next-level amazing.

Two flavors I will always come back for: Graham Central Station (it's like if a graham cracker and a fudge swirl had a delicious baby) and Frosted Animal Cookie (total childhood flashback in the best way). That combo stacked high in a fresh, warm waffle cone? Game over. Creamy, rich, nostalgic; just pure joy in every bite.

But honestly, everything I've tried here has been top-tier. From fruity flavors to cookie-loaded creations, you can’t go wrong. Plus, the staff is super friendly and always working hard to serve up smiles even on the busiest days.

If you're in the area or even remotely close; do yourself a favor and get to Handel's. One visit and you'll understand why there’s always a line... and why it's worth it every single time.

🍦 Pro tip: Don’t skip the waffle...

My family and I were SO excited to try something new in Surprise! Knowing it would be packed,we attempted to be proactive and order online. Since we are not familiar with their process and we are in the middle of a pandemic, we called to see if it would be easier to bring the order out. When we called whoever answered the phone said, "sure we'll bring it out" and hung up. Knowing she didnt get what type of car we were in, I was not confident our order would be out. Call #2, "sure we can bring it out to you." Nothing! Call #3 and 30 mins. later, "can you come in to get your order?" I didnt mind going in, although I was trying to remain distance due to COVID-19 ,but could Handel's just have said in the beginning you will have to come in to pick your order up! Even on the site it says call when you arrive. Please remove that because you need to go in to pick up the online order. Then once arriving home to attempt to enjoy the $4 ice cream it was definitely a child's portion. It looked like maybe it had melted waiting on us to pick it up. Enjoy Surprise, we did NOT have a great 1st impression...