Emack and Bolio’s

After having a delicious lunch across the street, we were ready for dessert. The list of flavors is small, so after asking a couple questions I was able to zero in on what I should sample — Zoreo and Chunk O Funk. (I also sampled the Peanut Butter Yogurt, but it had a strange, gritty texture). The Zoreo is a rich, dark chocolate ice cream with swirls of marshmallow cream, chunks of Oreos and chunks of chocolate. The Chunk O Funk is a custard base with swirls of caramel and chocolate covered pretzels. I decided to get scoop of each in a cup, with a chocolate dipped waffle cone that had been rolled in Reese’s.
The cone was delicious, but mostly because of the Reese’s. I don’t think I’d get one again because I’m not much for cones.
The Zoreo was my favorite part of this whole experience. It is a super rich, dark chocolate ice cream and the marshmallow swirl gives gooey sweetness. The crunch from the chocolate and Oreos is awesome, too! But my husband thought it was a little too rich for him — he liked to eat it with a bite of Funk to balance out the flavors. So, depending on your preference, you might agree with him.
The flavors I tried kinda remind me of Handel’s Ice Cream — the same super creamy texture and the same crazy layers of flavors going on! Check it out!

I don’t understand why people rave about insomnia cookies when emacks is not even a block away. They have better ice cream and amazing coffee all at a very reasonable price

The employees were kind of pushy, but I suppose the delicious ice cream made up for that. I went with the maple walnut flavor. The understated maple flavor with the crunch of the walnuts was exquisite. This location also had a really fun interior and exterior. There was not a lot of seating inside, but there was plenty of room outside to make up for that.

What a neat little place! I had the pistachio nut which was delicious. I’ve been trying to find a good pistachio ice cream for a while, and usually end up finding ones that are way too sweet. This one was delicious and had a little a bit of saltiness to it which made it even more amazing. Totally worth trying this place out.

I’ve been looking for a good ice cream place since I moved here in in late January, and boy, did I find it!
This place is amazing! Upon entering, the décor was very homey. It was warm and. Well, this is a family website so, let me try to describe the inside. My girlfriend said «It looked like the inside of a bus at a Rolling Stones concert.» «Hippie chic? But less tie dye.» «It looks like MGMT made the place.» In short, it appears that some one with medicinal herbs decorated the place, and it is lovely!
The staff is very friendly and work very well with each other. You can tell they get along well by how well the work together as a team.
The building was very clean, and I loved how the menu was written and styled. There’s lots of variety, but not too much.
All I had was ice cream. I’ve only been there once, but it was quite an experience. I got a chocolate dipped waffle cone with oreos on it, 2 scoops (my mistake – the scoops are huge!); one cookie dough, one Oreo).
The ice cream is such a beautiful texture. It’s not soft serve, but it’s also not too frozen and hard to eat. You can bite into it without it hurting your teeth from the cold, and without it being too hard. It also barely melted any (it took me so long to eat it – I was surprised to see my hands were clean!).
The flavor was exquisite! I was really worried about this place not being good, and, boy was I wrong! It was just the right amount of flavor and mixings.
The best part of it all – it’s so cheap!
I’ll defiantly be going back again, as well as recommending it to others.
TL;DR:
Beautiful and clean place, nice staff, good variety, good quality, all for a cheap price.

Emack is a staple if you are in the Blo-​No area. There have the best flavors (zoreo is glorious). And, they are cheaper than most ice-​cream/​dessert places in town. Perfect for an uptown date, a treat for the kids, or a midday break alone.
I have no reservations for Emack– great atmosphere, great ice-​cream and very clean.

Stopped in on the second day they opened after their winter hiatus and my goodness was it worth the wait. The staff was attentive and super helpful. We got 3 quarts to go, and some scoops to enjoy there. There is parking in the rear.
On the ice cream: I sampled a few but went with Space Cake, Maple Walnut, and Oreo. All three were top notch. Space cake tastes like cake and how I’m sure heaven tastes. The Maple Walnut had that classic maple flavor, the good stuff, not the fake stuff flavor and the fatty walnuts balance the sweetness. Ever wanted to improve on an Oreo? Smash em up, fold em into ice cream in an Emack & Bolios facility and shove it in your face at the store. It’s unreal how good it is.
Will be back when I can get back. It’s worth it for your cheat day or, who am I kidding, just anytime I guess.

Yessssssssss
This is what ice cream is supposed to taste like. All the flavors here are super authentic and delicious. Besides the ice cream, I also love the décor, and the music selection is spot-​on.
This is the best ice cream place in Bloomington-​Normal. Once you have gone, you will not want to go anywhere else.
I will definitely miss this place after I graduate and move out of Blo-​No.

Best ice cream in blono! I recommend everything! I have not had a bad flavor yet! Staff is great. They serve generous helpings and its very affordable!

I’ve had a few kinds of ice cream and coffee here, though I still haven’t had their Liquid Yoga. There hasn’t been a flavor I haven’t liked yet, plus the people working there have always been extremely friendly!
My flavor breakdown:
Blackberry chip is always tasty, a nice balance of fruity and chocolate without being too sweet. Trippin’ on Espresso is phenomenal! The real espresso beans mixed in make the flavor more intense than any other coffee ice cream I’ve ever had. Grasshopper Pie is tasty, not spectacular, but if you need a mint fix it does the trick. Peanut Butter Chocolate is super rich and delicious, so good, but be prepared for the ice cream coma following it.

Great ice cream and they are open late. I love the Trippin on Espresso ice cream!

Great ice cream in a fun, casual setting. Their chocolate addict flavor… omg. I’m already a chocolate addict, now I need counseling!
For business travelers — walking distance from Bloomington/​Normal Marriott.

Think small unique ice cream in uptown Normal. This ain’t Dairy Queen. Lots of unique flavors and has a small business feel to it. Open late, delicious ice cream. I sure do miss this place! It can be a little pricey.

Best non-​soft serve in Bloomington-​Normal (you can’t compare it to Gene’s or Carl’s because a craving for one of those can’t be satisfied by E&B)…
Emack & Bolio’s is first rate ice cream. Unique flavors, cool location. Ice cream is always better when you go to get it and it’s scooped in front of you. E&B gives you the full experience.
It’s not just good ice cream for B/​N. .. it’s good for anywhere.

I haven’t been to Emack & Bolio’s in quite a few years, but I’m leaving a review now because it really is an excellent little shoppe. I don’t live anywhere near it anymore, but whenever I’m visiting Uptown Normal, I always consider stopping in if I have the time!

this place is so good.
right in the middle of downtown Normal, open til midnight daily.
there are always college students around here studying or chatting.
this place is better than any ice cream shop within a 30 mile radius.

Ok. A bit on the pricey side. We had the 2 scoop smores sundae — enough for 2 to share for $ 5.21. The container was super flimsy and thought it was going to break.
Nice outside area.