Petersen’s Ice Cream & Cafe

Sunday, January 31^st around 3:45. I would have rated this a 5 but it’s a 3 unfortunately.
Being my first time into Peterson’s, I was really excited to take my girls. The gentleman that greeted us, Victor, was kind and extremely patient. My oldest cannot have dyes. I asked Victor if he knew what ice cream had dyes in it. He said he didn’t know so he turned around and asked his coworker. She rudely and impatiently scoffed, «I don’t know. The white one.» (I would like to point out that even some white ice creams have dyes too.) She turned around to proceed being on the phone, drinking her drink, flirting with another coworker, and doing side work the entire time while several other people came in after. I was immensely disappointed by her poor manners and rudeness. He, without hesitation, looked at the ice cream for us. Throughout it all I was grateful Victor was taking care of us because had it been his coworker, I would never return. I would’ve tipped had they not shared tips.

Was looking forward to a yummy smooth sweet treat after dinner. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so. I ordered a half scoop of chocolate chip and a half scoop of NY cherry. Three chocolate chip was grainy, like it had been frozen, thawed, and refrozen, and the cherry had little ice chips in it. The waffle cone was yummy though.

Was very excited to try this place in Gilbert, but so disappointed now. The ice cream was just cold, no flavor. For old fashioned ice cream, the creamy flavor just was not there. This was the first time I threw it away, just no worth the calories. The waffle cone was excellent, but nothing else. The floors and tables were filthy, clearly being supervised by just teens. Suggest save your money and go somewhere else.

This place was pretty empty when we came in, and we had never been to a Petersen’s before, so we decided to give it a shot.
The ice cream was good, but nothing that blew us away.
I would have given it two stars as a «meh,» but the guy behind the counter was friendly and let us try several different flavors… so +1

Hot ice cream sandwich was amazing! Needs a new name though… It’s a large doughnut (center still in) that’s cut in half, filled with ice cream, and sealed up again after 15 second in the panini press. Awesomeness!

This place makes me feel like I’m at an ice cream joint back home in Michigan. They have Blue Moon! If you’re from that area, you know the significance of this :) The staff is super friendly, the location is clean, prices are good.

It’s as little expensive for what it is. Nothing really made it stand out. Waffle cone was egg shell thin and would crumble apart if you touched it. They also have one tiny trash can overflowing inside, should really upgrade that.

The exterior of this spot makes you super hopeful and excited about this ice cream spot. The storefront is adorable and romantic in the 50s high school way. They play oldies music outside and there are colorful wired chairs that look 50s-​ish. I saw that they sold sundaes, shakes, ice cream & hot dogs. Their ice cream flavors were mostly basic: chocolate, three different types of vanilla, mint chocolate, sherbet, lemon sorbet, raspberry sorbet, etc. The more unique flavors included blue moon, superman, cinnamon & pistachio almond. The texture of the ice cream was nice but the flavor was a little bland. The price is costlier than the quality of the ice cream.

I hate to spend a lot of money on ice cream. Especially when I know I can buy a ½ gallon for the same price. But I was out n about with my daughter and we went to Petersen’s for an Ice Cream. My 3 favorite flavors are Chocolate Chip Mint, Chocolate Chip Mint and Chocolate Chip Mint, so guess what I ordered.
Oh My God that was delicious. Not sure how or why but it was soooo good.
The hot fudge didn’t hurt either.
They probably deserve 5 stars it was just a little expensive but that’s ok.

Okay, this place is just adorable for starts– great curb appeal and such a great addition to this Gilbert area! Fun retro, old soda shop vibe. Today was my second visit to Petersens in just the past couple weeks. I’d never had their ice cream before and found it to be extremely light and fluffy. They offer some food selections and of course a tasty variety of dessert options. When you first walk in you’re hit with the most amazing waffle cone smell– you can’t turn away once you’re inside– it smells too delicious!
Oh by the way– our waffle cones were made to order! Where else are you going to get that?!
Our ice cream shop attendant today was Logan. He was bubbly, service oriented, fun, welcoming, and just delivered the best experience for myself and my parents who were first timers! Service was so outstanding I had to come straight home to write this review. It’s places like this that need community support and they have mine!
I would definitely recommend visiting Petersens for a fun trip out for dessert! Trust me– you will find room after dinner if you take one wiff of the intoxicating smell inside!

Yummy yummy ice cream. A great way to end a lovely evening. Ordered the moose tracks. Liked the fact that it was not overwhelmed by the chocolate
The turtle on the other hand was not as good. There needs to be at least some caramel running through the chocolate

Super cute location in Gilbert (newly open). I had never been to a Petersons but I loved the 50s theme and the ice cream was delicious. Be prepared to take your ice cream to go if it’s a Friday night … there is limited seating and the town gets BUSY.

THEY HAVE GREEN RIVER SODA O MY GOSH THEY HAVE GREEN RIVER SODA!!!
Ok, so outside of the fact that they have Green River Soda, which you can tell I’m a fan of (a crappy but sentimental Chicago tradition), this is a SOLID SOLID SOLID Ice Cream spot. A perfect way to top off your downtown Gilbert dining experience.
It’s a smaller venue, so you may want to get your order to go or spot a table you think you might want to sit at.
I ordered a double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough, which is by far my most favorite ice cream… Of all time. They are generous with their portions (bring it on) so you’ll never feel skimped (one scoop was… Probably all I needed in hindsight— but Ice Cream, amiright?).
Their staff is friendly, and the place was clean, without the typical sticky syrupy ice cream countertops and tables. Great job guys, I’m looking forward to coming back!

I went back yesterday (Saturday night) and gave them another shot as I was craving a hot fudge sundae. The traffic was busy but the store clean, the ice cream servers were quick to recognize folks coming in while they multi tasked.
My order was taken quickly and was no need for a ticket. I got a hot fudge sundae in a glass as I was eating there, with the works!, and it was great!
Could have been a fluke so we went back again tonight for another sweet tooth craving and found the same atmosphere with the employees once again pleasing and a clean store.
So based on two follow up visits I will raise the level to five stars.

«What makes me happy is just curling up in with my mom in her bed and watching a marathon of ‘CSI’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ episodes with pints of ice cream.» ― Taylor Swift
Petersen’s is a retro-​esque ice cream parlor in Downtown Gilbert. This Chicago gem is too cute in its pink, white, and minty glory! Jesse, the young gentleman that served us on Thursday afternoon, was fantastic. He was helpful, friendly, suggested some samples for us to try, and even told us fun facts about Petersen’s (i.e. The fancy cask of root beer on the counter actually just dispenses Mug root beer!). Being extremely full from lunch at Joyride, my pal Linh and I decided to share an affogato. That espresso was strong! Pairing it with their cappuccino ice cream made for an extreme caffeine rush. Like that ATC song from 2000, it made my heart beat, «like a drum, like a drum (dam dam dam).»
Other yummy ice cream flavors includes cinnamon, pistachio almond, and Mackinac Island fudge. Superman is also great. It’s a colorful rainbow swirl that tastes of good old bubblegum. Yum. Another great thing about this place is that they serve maltshakes. I have a great weakness for malts. Ice cream sodas, root beer floats, sundaes, frappes, meatball sandwiches, Chicago dogs, and a surplus of coffee-​related items are also on the menu so give them a try!

The throwback sign and interior are cute. They were pretty busy so sitting inside would’ve been noisy and not relaxing. They tried to help everyone but were not big on smiling. With time I’m hopeful they’ll be more efficient and warm. They weren’t unfriendly, but maybe a tad overwhelmed?
My husband felt it was expensive and griped about it. A few bites in he said «This IS really good ice cream».
Tad confused about a sign saying they served a sandwich. Do they? Doesn’t seem like a natural fit or that they’re set up for it but… who knows?
If we were in the area and craving ice cream, we might come back. We might also choose to sit at one of the nearby restaurants and order a desert for a few dollars more.

There aren’t a vast amount of ice cream places around Gilbert, but as soon as Petersen’s opened, I knew I had to try it.
Brand new, friendly employees, and amazing ice cream! They’re best known for their cappuccino ice cream flavor, and I have to say, I now know why they’re known for it. Not only do the workers greet every customer with a smile, but they are not hesitant or slow to act when asked by a customer. Also, it being new and very clean is definitely a bonus!
Ice cream isn’t all that they serve too, they have a variety of fudge, coffee, and even sandwiches! This is definitely a family-​friendly place, and the playlist that they have on in the mid afternoon will definitely make you feel like you’re back in an old ice cream parlor! And the best part? Everything is totally affordable!
I intend on coming back here often, and I definitely recommend the cappuccino ice cream!

Love. This. Place. An Old Fashioned Ice Cream parlor in Downtown Gilbert was absolutely genius. Just driving past Petersen’s, I did a double take of the cute, pastel colored exterior and thought to myself, GO THERE! And I am so glad I did. I believe I came in the very first week they opened. I am so glad there was no one behind me and my friend because I took forever to decide what I wanted. I probably sampled more than half of their flavors. And the girls who man the ice cream are more than lovely! So sweet and helpful. They answered all my questions. I gathered that this shop comes from Chicago and this is the first shop outside of there. Their ice cream is not made in house but that didn’t take away from the quality to me. After lots of sampling and contemplating, I ended up going with a single scoop in their freshly made waffle cone and it was heaven on earth. The perfect dessert. My friend got the affogato (coffee ice cream with a shot of espresso) and I think if I liked coffee, I would have loved it. If you live in the area or are in the neighborhood, you must go here for dessert! You won’t regret it.

They relocated from old town Scottsdale. This location is super cute and all the flavors are just as good as they were in Scottsdale.
I love petersons. The best ice cream I have ever had in my life. It’s addicting and now I only want to eat their ice cream.
Perfect for dinner dates then a quick walk here for a cone.

As far as ice cream goes, everything tastes and smells really good. It’s just not what I was expecting or hoping for as far as atmosphere. I thought it would resemble an old school ice cream parlor and soda fountain but it doesn’t. The sign on the back of the building is also confusing because it says they have Italian beef and other savory items that they definitely don’t have when walking inside. I ordered a 1 scoop sundae and it was over $ 5. Very pricy! We also saw the employees not wearing gloves and touching their hands on their faces and surfaces while making the cones and serving the food, which was off putting.
Overall, very average to me. DQ is just down the street and is half the price.