Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream
| Address: | 241 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-969-2900 |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
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Dan W
Is it worth the wait!?! I decided to write this review after giving them a second shot; and I have to say, going to this place is like a roller coaster. You wait forever in line, and its got its ups an downs. Each time Ive visited, there has been no less than 3 employees there, but only one of them actively helping customers and the other two just dithering about. Average wait if the line is out the door will be 20-30 minutes. And often folks will peel out due to the wait. I guarantee this place is losing a massive amount of business due to their horrifically slow service. That said; customer service once you are at the counter is good and the Gelato is average to really good. I was dissapointed by their Mint offerings but their Honey Lavender and Creme Bruele offerings were really good. So... ups and downs. As a word of warning, they are cash only. In summary; Ill walk by often as I live down the street. If I can walk in and only have to wait for a couple customers, Ill continue to try their other offerings, but if they cant speed up the service, Ill make like the dozen or so couples and groups I saw last night; make a dissapointed look and move on.
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Rangaprabhu Parthasarathy
After all these years, we finally succumbed to having gelato at the renowned Gelato Classico in Mountain View, CA. I sampled chocolate hazelnut, butter pecan, peanut butter, honey lavender and chocolate crunch while picking up scoops of fresh ginger and lychee for myself. The honey lavender was great as was the butter pecan. The lychee was OK but the fresh ginger was much better especially with small ginger pieces. Overall good place worth a visit on a warm afternoon stroll through Castro street. Be prepared to wait in line as the place is invariably crowded and also pay premium prices. Two small scoops cost about $3.60. Would I go there again?. Yes. Here is why. They have so many unique flavors that it will be a while before I have sampled all the intriguing ones. Is this the best gelato I have had- nope. But it is definitely very good and worth giving a shot. And summer is about to end. So what are you waiting for- head over for a couple of scoops of the honey lavender and fresh ginger. You will definitely not regret it.
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David Galbraith
Very unpleasant interaction today with whom I believe is the owners son (looks somewhat like a twenties Frank Zappa). He appears to have anger management issues, and entered into an inappropriate altercation with my son outside while I was inside trying to buy gelato for him and my 10-year old daughter. We will not be back, and suggest to the owner that junior spend more time in the cold room! For gelato, I recommend you avoid this place, and in fact come to Tucson Arizona, where you will find Frost, a prize-winning gelato shop. I can assure you the employees here will make you welcome, and the gelato of course is outstanding. By the way, this Mountain View establishment only takes cash, another acknowledgment of their deep concern for customer convenience.
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Shelby Drakecliffe
The owner is sexist and I cannot support such a business. My girlfriend walked in and was given such a repulsive up and down look over (by the owner) before she was turned away. She was wearing a crop top, shorts, and a cardigan. I fail to see how a woman is dressed affects the service she receives. The one working girl seemed controlled beyond belief. When I asked a question she hesitated before turning to the owner to ask him - as if she needed his permission. Ive heard from the general public in Mountain View that this place is definitely not good and I get an awful vibe from this place. At the very least please do not support such a sexist business. I can confirm that the owner is indeed a vile old man, his reputation precedes him.
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Barry Carroll
We thought about going in twice after dinner, but the queues were long, and we dont like queuing too much. We did go during the day when there were no queues. We tried three varieties, all of which were somewhere between fine and good, but no better. I had been expecting to be blown away, but this gelato isnt up to my local place here, which is a chain. The owner is definitely a bit odd or eccentric. When the couple ahead of us were paying he didnt take their money for about a minute. They held it out to him, he grunted, and then looked out of the window. It was uncomfortable. I left a tip, and also got grunted at. I think its the #1 gelato in town because there are no others selling it.
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Jeanie Ramos
3 Stars for the ice cream, it was delicious. We got a scoop of cookies and cream and another of green tea. I agree with the other reviews that it is a little pricey but it is located in the downtown area, so no surprise there. Why only 3 stars? To be honest the main area is run down and kind of grimey. The tables were sticky and rickety. Mainly I was actually turned off by how the scooper behind the counter kept sneezing into her shirt and still scooping ice cream and never washed her hands (we had already paid and it was too late for us). I am writing this 3 days after we got ice cream there, Im not sick yet so I guess it was ok. :/
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Andy Lai
Gelato Classico is the best gelato that Ive found in the Bay Area in the past 20+ years. Be aware for long lines, especially on the weekends (though the lines move quickly). While not cheap (small cup is $3.60), it is definitely worth the price and wait. Highly recommend Chocolate Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate (if you are chocolate lovers), any of their fruit flavors, though I doubt you can go wrong with anything they have to offer! While not the best gelato Ive had in the States (Grom in LA and NYC comes to mind), this is a close second and definitely the best Ive had in the SF Bay Area!
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Ondřej Švec
Ive been to this place twice and I hated it both times. I went second time because I thought I just had bad luck picking out the flavors. The ice cream cannot be compared to any European ice cream. Calling it Classico Italian ice cream is an insult to all Italians ice creams. The ice cream here is watery, without any cream whatsoever. The flavor is plain and drab. The consistency is also terrible: when you put it in your mouth the ice cream just vanishes, because there is no real cream. Please avoid this place and dont waste your money on this expensive, distasteful ice cream.
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Christopher Hagenbuch
The line is always way too long, and Im not sure how you can justify having one person working on a busy Sunday evening in the summer when the line is out the door. The older gentleman (owner?) should have more of a sense of urgency if he is going to be the only worker. He was offering samples that no one requested, as well as taking phone calls and eating ice cream himself all while there was a small crowd that had formed. The approach seems more in touch with rural Italy in the summertime than anything you would typically see around here.
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Michele Laddaga
The worst gelato ever had in USA (said by an italian)!!! Nothing even close to an italian gelato, too greasy and the store is not clean at all. The man serving the gelato was regularly touching the cups or cones inside with his hands before fill them. Few italian flags and some pictures does not make a good italian gelato. Per italiani: state alla larga da quel posto. Il gelato fa schifo, è pesantissimo ed il negozio non è pulito e il tipo che serviva il gelato toccava le coppette e i coni con le mani dentro prima di riempirle.
