Bruster’s Real Ice Cream

My favorite ice cream place back home got shut down for a bit so I needed a quick fix. It was just okay. I ordered a blast and most of the ice cream was melted and it was really bland. But it looks like a nice family place with a lot of cool options. It’ll have to do for now.

A pretty good, albeit predictable, ice cream experience. We didn’t stick around to enjoy our treats at Bruster’s…instead taking it to go. But here’s the skinny:
The ice cream — 3.5 stars. Bruster’s has all the allure of a mom and pop ice cream shop, just without that authentic, local-​business taste. The selections were more than adequate, as were the add-​on options. The three of us, however, were just a tad underwhelmed. Decent value for the price — not an expensive ice cream by any stretch.
The service — 4 stars. We got the impression that the service staff here is used to dealing with really difficult or really finicky people (which boggles the mind, as these people are moments away from getting to eat ice cream, what’s not to be happy about?). They all seemed a bit defensive — bordering on annoyed. Still, it was an overall pleasant service experience.
The atmosphere — 5 stars. Great, easily-​accessible walk-​up location, with a clean-​looking interior and an attractive outside. No complaints.
All in all, it’s ICE CREAM. Even when it’s bad, it’s good. Bruster’s is good, but with a little refinement… it could be great. Glad we stopped!

Every time I come here I walk away thinking how terrible it is that the location in Apopka (and other central Florida areas) closed down. If you have not had Graham Central Station, you have missed out on some of the best ice cream you may every have. Imagine ice cream with streams of graham cracker running through it, combined with chunks of chocolate, with a maple type flavor as the base. It is something I can describe here, but you really have to taste it. Every other flavor I have had is amazing as well. The key here is fresh ingredients like real peanut butter, marshmallows, and so on.
They are consistent, fresh, and affordable. They do a great job on pints and quarts to go as well, making sure they pack it as full as possible. The only drawback here is that if it is busy, the wait time can tend to be long. Don’t be discouraged, you will be happy you waited.

The ice cream is delicious and creamy, with several options and seasonal flavors. Their ice cream is fresh and made in store.
Staff is friendly but the service is slow; unbearable during peak hours — Jeremiah’s up the road are blazing fast. However, the flavor and taste of the ice cream is something that people are willing to wait a while for.

I’m surprised this place is still open. I know other locations closed. I find that their ice cream has an odd after-​taste. Also their birthday cake ice cream is just god-​awful. Other flavors are tolerable, but I’d still head elsewhere.

This place is awesome! The best ice cream you will never eat. Got Jamaican Me Crazy flavored ice cream and Black Raspberry chocolate chuck together. It was sooooo yummy. Highly recommend!

Bruster’s is delicious. They have a ton of creamy, thick flavors that they pile generously into our cup or cone. During the cooler months, they feature hot apple dumplings that are definitely worth a trip for.
My favorite flavor is probably key lime pie. Tart key lime with sweet graham crackers mixed in. They can also make a pretty tasty ice cream soda (which are hard to find anymore)!
The line can get pretty long in the summer and especially weekend nights, but enjoy the weather and company because you won’t regret the wait.

Lemme tell you something about this place… It’s an ice cream lover’s dream come true!!! I’m hooked on all the cool flavors of ice team with tons of options for mix-​ins, toppings and types to choose from. My personal favorite: basically any ice cream with the marshmallow topping. It’s like liquid marshmallow. What’s better than that?! They have daily specials and even a texting service for coupons and other deals. I just wish there were more locations in Orlando!

Bruster’s is a solid place to get ice cream or an ice cream cake. They always make their flavors fresh so they aren’t sitting for long periods in the freezer. However their base vanilla has cinnamon in it so all their flavors which have vanilla all have cinnamon so that is a turn off for me. I’m not sure if the chocolate also has cinnamon in it.
The staff is always friendly and they are quick to serve you. Prices are always reasonable and little children (I forget what age) get a free small ice cream when you visit. You can also buy ice cream in quarts or pints to bring home which is convenient.
However over all I don’t find them to be my favorite place to get ice cream. This paticular location is off 434 and has a difficult intersection to cross. In order to avoid the crazy Altamonte drivers I find it best to turn at the light and go behind the bank. There is plenty of parking available in the back.

Service was really fast and friendly tonight. Always willing to make whatever custom concoction I think of.

On a recent summer visit to see family and friends in Orlando my wife and decided to stop in and have some ice cream at the Brusters’s off of 434. The ice cream was good, not great or at least not as «great» as we’ve become accustomed to at smaller niche mom and pop ice cream parlors but never the less very tasty. The young woman serving the ice cream was very pleasant and accommodating. All in all a great place to find non-​froyo in the area.

Normally would give 5 star review BUT tonight we had a horrible experience! Went to get my usual Friday night treat with my puppy, ordered; received my complimentary doggy sundae which I love! Then proceeded to order my boyfriend and I cones which came out, when I went to pay with my Amex (as I ALWAYS do) I was told VERY LOUDLY that the Amex pay system was down and that we would all need to GIVE back our cones!!! Ummm I don’t know about you but when I’m treated to ice cream I don’t eat slowly!!! So… We kindly gave our dripping cones back to the cashier. NEVER GOING HERE AGAIN!!! could they not have told us previous to ordering or put a sign up saying that their «Amex machine is out of order»?!! I don’t think that’s too much to ask, we cannot be the only customers turned away with that form of payment tonight… HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED! We will be driving the fee extra miles to Cold Stone from now on

Oh my goodness, the ice cream sundaes are awesome and there were a few to choose from. I had a hard time deciding because the milkshakes looked really good too. You have to try the graham central station ice cream. So good! I did like how they had a couple of tables and some benches to sit and enjoy the ice cream. Can’t wait to go back!

We had the pistachio, very good!

Very good milkshake. Friendly staff. Unbearable lines.
Stopped here with some friends after dinner nearby, and waited, and waited and waited behind people that acted as though it was their first time making a decision. Nothing Brusters can do about this, but would make me re-​think stopping here next time. Probably a good thing. I really should eat less ice cream.

Strawberry short cake and chocolate ice cream the Hershey dark kind both very yummy if u are in the vicinity and in the mood for ice cream this place is a must. Oh ya large portion sizes.

Perfect place for a yummy treat! Had good reviews on Unilocal,so we decided to give their shakes a try. Totally worth it. Mixed caramel explosion with twix & chocolate & it was unbelievable!

I have always loved Bruster’s ice cream! I used to visit one in Atlanta all the time when living there, so I’m really glad to have come across one in the Orlando area. I have never been disappointed in any flavors I’ve chosen. Creamy and delicious!
The employee at this location was very patient while I was being my normal indecisive self. I finally settled with coffee chocolate chip with rainbow sprinkles. At first, I wanted to ask him to add more sprinkles because I didn’t think there were enough. I didn’t, though, to avoid looking like a 5 year old complaining. And whaddya know, I still had some sprinkles to the very end. ;)
I sure want some more ice cream now…

This is not my first time going to Brusters, but it is my first time going to a Brusters in Florida. The first time I experienced this amazing company was in Atlanta, Georgia where I went to undergrad. In Atlanta, this location was always jam-​packed. There were always people of all different ages and backgrounds all coming together for a great scoop of ice cream.
When I came to this location, it it didn’t seem different from the vibe that I got from the Atlanta store. The staff is a friendly, student aged population, that is definitely willing to work. I will say they are a little slow at times, but that’s not a huge ordeal as they are trying to give you the biggest bang for your buck.
I usually order a pint size when I go, which does cost me around five or six dollars, but it’s worth it. Since the employees are taking fluffy ice cream out of a larger bin and putting in your pint-​size tub, there can be a lot of room for air. It’s nice that this location takes the time to pack your ice cream in, so you are actually getting a true pint of ice cream instead of half ice cream and half wasted space.
Now, if you want a great recommendation for the best flavor they have — I would go with cake batter. In Atlanta, that was their most popular flavor, and I would assume it’s the same here as the recipe is identical. My mom got key lime pie and absolutely loved it, so maybe that’s a solid second choice.
After a sporting event at Lake Brantley or even a after dinner snack, Brewster’s is a great place to go — especially if it’s a nice and cool night.

Time for me to update my initial review (which is pretty meager and poor, unfortunately; I was new to Unilocal at the time it was written) of Bruster’s. I hadn’t been by here in at least a few months and found myself in the area last night, so I stopped by for a pint of some of the best ice cream in town.
There are a lot of great ice cream flavors from which to choose at Bruster’s. I think I’ve tried the majority of them, though I definitely do have some favorites. Last night, I ordered a pint of the Key Lime Pie ice cream (see the picture I’ve provided), which is excellent. Among my other favorites are Graham Central Station and that Buckeye one (it’s some mixture of peanut butter and chocolate). I also really like the sorbets and Italian ices here — among my favorites of those are the cotton candy and watermelon flavors.
I’m unsure if Bruster’s still does this, but I remember a few years ago that a friend said that I could «special order» a flavor if it wasn’t available. He said he’d tried the peanut butter and jelly ice cream at (I think?) this location, but by the time I’d made it over it was all gone. I vaguely remember filling out a brief form and asking for the flavor to return or for me to be notified when it was back. If I remember correctly, I was called some time later and told that I could come and get some. This may have been between a few days and a week after I put in the request. I thought that this was pretty cool. I don’t remember all of the details of the process or story, though, since this may have been close to 5 years ago.
I will continue to come by here every so often since this location is the one that appears to be the closest to where I live. The location in Lake Mary now is closed and has become a Jeremiah’s. I hope that this Bruster’s stays open! There are some other locations scattered throughout the area, it seems, but none that are all that close to me. I hope to come back here soon, perhaps as early as this coming weekend. I need to get some Graham Central Station! I would’ve ordered that, as well, last night … but I couldn’t really rationalize spending a little more than $ 10 on two pints of ice cream that might’ve been gone in 24 – 48 hours (and probably much closer to 24). I’ll finish my Key Lime Pie ice cream by tonight, probably, and go back for a pint of GCS — or something else — this weekend. Can’t wait!