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Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaulArmitage (Purple Express, Brown)
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I'm in trouble. This place is WAY too good, and WAY too close to my place. I "technically" don't even like ice cream and I'm already plotting my next trip back to try another one of their gabillion (ok, that was an exaggeration) flavors. Delish.
Yes, it's cash only. Yes, there will be a line. Yes, there will be lots of children. No, you may not get a table. Yes, you will enjoy your ice cream. Deal with it.
The woman working there was surly, yelling at another employee for something and leaning to the window to take an order "What do you want?" in a very no-nonsense type of way. She was not pleasant at all. But I could see how she could get annoyed; some people are waiting in line for 15+ minutes, with a huge hand-written menu sign right in front of them, with all flavors and possible options, then when they finally get up there it's "Uhhhh, hmm, let's seeeee... I'll... have...." This woman looked like she wanted to yell "Get the crap outta your mouth and order!"
There is a big variety of Italian Ice, but I felt like something else. So I got the supposedly fat-free frozen yogurt, 2 of them, size small, both in a waffle cone. Ok, $10. Woah. Well, it is Lincoln Park. The frozen yogurt was so good! Only thing is we don't believe it is actually fat free. It's like that Seinfeld episode.
What could i say about this place? Great place to go in the Lincoln park areas in the hot summer nights to get ice-cream and other frozen goodies. Just don't let the mosquitoes bite you while you munch on your frozen treat. I went to the walk-by side window to get my ice-cream and upon arriving you are entranced by a big chalkboard of ice-cream and other items... Man, was there a selection!... I got pistachio and Oreo and man was it good. I can't say it's the best in the world but it's up there in my book. Good ice-cream! They had different size cups and i think i got a medium, and let's just say medium was too big for me. I think i forced fed myself the creamy goodness... It was a little too much for me.. Small was better. Price wise, it really isn't too bad. About 5-6 dollars or less.
My only thing was that, since it was raining when i got there, we decided to go to the front of the store to sit and eat. Unfortunately, they didn't have any seats left... Sad, isn't it when you have to stand to eat ice-cream!
Nothing like a soggy, paper cup of TRUE Italian Ices to enhance your day.
Oh DAMN its popularity and DAMN my patience. If the line of customers at any time on a Saturday doesn't tip you off, try 6PM on a Monday. Yep, its just THAT good at any time of the week, any day. Annette's is probably the reason that the Metropolis stronghold can securely stay at its spot throughout any fiscal apocalypse.
-All those flavors of italian ice- talk about OPTIONS
-Ice cream variety rivaling specialty scoop shops
-Frozen Yogurt? I DO DECLARE!
What more could I ask for? Well comfy indoor seating is a stretch, but I think Annette's could hire folks to spoon feed me this stuff, and we'd all be happy.
Like one reviewer mentioned, one fun thing to do is mix italian ice flavors. While I have only happened to experiment with Black Cherry + a Citrus flavor, there are so many options to experiment with, so have a little fun. Think about it while you're in the line, I bet it will be your turn to order before you know it!
Had the ice cream - nearly perfect! The sizes are pretty large, so watch out when you're ordering.
A perfect place to drop by on a summer evening - a few outdoor tables if you're lucky enough to get a spot. Be prepared for a line - and cash only!
MAN...the weather in Chicago has been something else as of late and it demands for some cold treats!
I came here on a humid yet gloomy Friday evening after the "apocalyptic monsoon" in search of some cookies and cream ice cream to cool me down. I was not disappointed by coming to Annette's.
Located less than 200 feet west of the Armitage El stop, Annette's is an ice cream and italian ice window only open during the summer. Although its a window, they provide outdoor seating.
I bought one scoop of cookies and cream on a sugar cone and it was refreshing and tasty. The portion was definitely bigger than a scoop at Baskin Robbins, but the price (~$3.50) reflected the bigger size.
Annette's also has unique flavors I would like to try sometime, like key lime pie ice cream.
Come here for your summer treat!
No, Annette's is not open in the winter; check the website for seasonal hours.
Why the hell hasn't this place been reviewed since December??
The italian ice here is so freakin' good and ridiculously inexpensive. You can get more ice than you even want to eat for like $3. I've never had the ice cream...don't need to...it's not called Annette's Homemade Ice Cream.
Stick with the more traditional flavors (easy to get fruit...skip papaya, for instance) and go with flavors like black cherry, lemon-lime, orange, blueberry. You get the idea.
You can also mix and match. Black cherry and lime is a personal favorite...
This is a fantastic place to get Italian ice on a summer's day (or through the indoor restaurant on the corner in the winter). I usually get the mango/pina colada combo, but I try to venture away from my usual on occasion and I'm NEVER disappointed. The ice cream is also delicious, but you MUST try their italian ice on your first visit!
I love taking my kids here in the summer. It's not cheap, but the ice cream and the italian ice are good. The shakes and malts are really good as well. My boys love looking at the trains as they go by while having their ice cream. Review the menu boards before getting in line so you don't slow down the line.
SO delicious! There was a little bit of a line, but with so many options to choose from, it bid you some time to make a choice.
summer in a cup :)
I adore little ice cream stands with outdoor walk up windows, and that's exactly what Annette's is. They are a tad on the pricey side, but they have a zillion options and their ice-cream, italian ice, and fat-free soft serve are all a delicious cool treat on a hot summer day. Their fat-free soft serve (which is my treat of choice 98% of the time) is so good it's hard to believe it's fat-free!! If it's Saturday/Sunday afternoon, be prepared to wait in a long line full of annoying 4 year olds screaming they want superman ice cream & their seemingly oblivious parents. I suppose that's to be expected at an ice cream stand though. Don't forget, cash only!!
Delicious italian ice. A bit pricy but great on a hot summer evening. Parking can be a little tricky as well, but if you're within walking distance, definitely worth a visit. Don't forget to take cash.
The Italian Ice is fine, but ditch the diet here and go for the premium ice cream! Their Key Lime Pie ice cream might be the best ice cream I've had anywhere. Ever. You won't be disappointed.
Guess what I had for lunch?
Turkey sandwich???
HELL NO!
...I had a medium cup of the most creamiest, delicious, yummiest strawberry ice cream topped with rainbow sprinkles....
And it only cost me $3.67
Take that Jimmy Johns!
I wanted to love this place, I really did. Alas....
A family friend ran into us at a different Italian ice shop down the street and told us about Annette's. We tried three flavors of ice and two of ice cream today. The ice creams were good enough, though I only tried a tiny bit of of them, and my companion thought that they were nothing special. The ices, however, were the big disappointment. The ice was initially very finely ground and almost creamy, like a good ice should be. However, I started running into huge solid clumps, as if the ice had melted and refrozen solid - a cardinal no-no for Italian ice in my book. Also, the flavors were thin, especially on the benchmark flavor we tried, lemon. By the end of it, I felt like I was eating a cheap sno-cone from a corner vendor. Perhaps I was expecting too much from all the rave Yelp reviews and the in-person referral, but this was quite disappointing, and left me wishing I had gone down the street instead. I'll go back again if someone wants, but I'm probably not going back so quickly on my own.
It is true that the diverse selection of treats makes for a larger group to all get what they want. I'm not terribly fond of the only-outdoor seating in a climate as variable as Chicago's, but I understand they have to use all their indoor space for the restaurant.
I wish I could give 2 1/2 stars, but since I can't, the twin sins of solid chunks and wan flavoring keeps them on the low side.
I love...
- being able to order at a window and not have to walk into a store
- bringing my dog here and meeting all the other cuties that walk by (um... meaning dogs) ;)
- their extensive ice cream list, yummy frozen yogurt (nope, not the tart one), amazing italian ice and frozen lemonades!
- plenty of outdoor seating
- the generous portions they give
- that they have ice cream for dogs and playdough ice cream for kids (i wonder if it's salty)
- Annette's =)
Marshmallow ice cream! Where have you been my whole life?!?!
Wow-wee is that stuff good! I'm fairly sure I'm mangling the real name for it, but you'll figure it out when you see it, cause there's nothing else like it anywhere - Marshmallow flavored ice cream with marshmallow swirl and marshmallows with little hard marshmallowy flavored bits in there too - a pre-diabetics high-blood-sugar sweety, I mean sweaty dream come true. Really, no one should ever be able to eat such a thing, probably should be banned along with trans-fats and potted meat product. Holy Goddess of Steevia, get it while you can!
They have a ton of other creative flavors and are quick and generous with the samples, but I always boo cash only joints, so boo on that.
I could make their Italian ice a part of every meal. Are they open in the winter? I'm going to go find out right now!
S&Jsummer08
Decisions decisions... the hardest part about going to Annette's is picking what flavor to try. They have so many flavors of italian ice and ice cream, it's ridiculous. (It is made even more ridiculous when your boyfriend's four year old niece makes you read all these choices so that she can have a fully informed decision).
She went with the last one on the list, cantaloupe italian ice, which was an excellent choice-- very refreshing. I had the banana ice cream (which has yummy pie crust pieces!) and the peanut butter brownie (vanilla ice cream, brownie chunks and a peanut butter swirl)-- both were delicious.
This is a fabulous casual desert place. The best part is the menu - it's HUGE. So if you're like me, who likes ice cream, has a boy friend who prefers fro yo, a mom that craves Italian ice, and a friend who demands low carb desert options...you can satisfy anyone here.
Note - your eyes are bigger than your stomach! Go for the kiddie size or a small, especially with their ice creams!
I need to try this place again. The other reviews were great, but my experience wasn't super.
My sister was in town, i told her we HAD to get fro yo, Chicago has the best I've tried thus far. We stopped by here, we were in the 'hood. cash only always bugs me, but that's not that big of a deal. The woman serving us was incredibly rude. I asked for a sample, she sighed- I'm sorry, aren't you working?- and grabbed it for me, handed it to me, then immediately asked me what I wanted. I hadn't even tried the sample, and she was pushing me to make a decision. I ended up going with the sample, even though it wasn't the best p'butter fro yo I've ever had. I felt pressured to make a decision. :) My sister had vanilla with some toppings. When I tried hers, I wasn't really that impressed. It wasn't bad, but I definitely think Treats or Mario's tastes better, without a doubt.
I might try it again if I'm in the area, but I won't go out of my way to get it. Which, might I add, I do fairly regularly to get me some Treats.
quick, friendly service! love the frozen yogurt. cash only!!
Annette's Italian ice is delicious. They have lots of flavors - I'm a fan of lemon lime and passion fruit-raspberry! Some of the flavors seem to taste "creamier" and others tend to break off in icy chunks - you'll have to find what you like. If Italian ice isn't your thing, they also have frozen yogurt and ice cream (with flavors like magic M&M cookie!) Overall, great variety of frozen treats in sizes - ranging from 4 oz to diabetic explosion - so it's easy to satisfy your craving and/or stay within your caloric budget.
Plenty of outdoor seating. I've been on several occasions and service has always been pleasant. CASH ONLY. There is a Chase across the street if you need some $$.
The italian ice is good, but I just had the peanut butter fudge ice cream the other day, and it was absolutely AMAZING!!!
I love that they are open late (up till midnight on some nights), and that they have the largest array of sizes. Sometimes you need a pint, sometimes all you need is a 4oz kids. :)
Cash only. Lots of patio seating.
Hooray for frozen yogurt! I've had their ice cream before, but I think the fro-yo is excellent. Today I had raspberry (a small was more than enough).
So many flavors of ice cream and italian ice. It's hard to decide! It's probably good that I don't live close to this place. I'd be there everyday!
I went there 3 years ago. When my order was ready, I tried to pay with my card only to have the cashier sheepishly tell me they only accepted cash. Before I could ask him where the nearest ATM was, he said I could just take my Italian ice without paying.
After asking, "are you sure?" five times, I happily left eating some delicious ice. It was so fresh and the flavor (I think watermelon) worked well with the ice.
Perfect place to go to on a hot summer day.
There was once a shameful time in my life when I went to Annette's every single night.... good thing that summer is over! It's just too hard to resist Annette's on a hot steamy night in Chicago.
The italian ice is fantastic; there are usually pieces of real fruit inside, and it never has that pre-made ice crystally-texture. The ice cream is just as delicious. Definitely take advantages of a few free samples before you make your final decision!
Favorite ice cream flavor: Spumoni
Favorite italian ice flavor: lemon-lime or grape
This place is my favorite Italian Ice and Ice Cream place in the city...incredible selection -- amazing flavors (esp the coffee caramel toffee -- I'm thinking about it now) -- and they have great diner-style food to sit outside at nice comfortable tables and chairs and umbrellas on a Saturday afternoon to eat with the stroller and the girls in tow (they freak out when we're within a block of this place -- "I Keem! I Keem!*)
Enjoy your ice cream/italian ice on Armitage (and Bissell, natch). It's the scrumpsh'
* "Ice Cream! Ice Cream!" - Josie and Emma translation from above, for those of you that are toddler-verbiage-challenged
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE this place. It has the BEST ITALIAN ICE in the city!! I love my fruit and here I can get anything from watermelon, honeydew, mango, peach, apple-pear, etc....
It's so yummy and good!! This is a def. staple for the summer!!!
Ahh. I lovvvvvve this place. I don't know why, but the Italian ice makes me so unbelievably happy. It's that good. All the flavors I've tried have been delicious and refreshing, but in a delicately subtle way. I don't know how they do it, but I hope they never stop. My plan is to keep coming back until I've tried all the flavors. Then, maybe from there, I'll try the ice cream and frozen yogurt.
Yum yum yum! The coconut and passion fruit italian ice combo is my favorite. The caramel cup ice cream is delish. I could list the entire menu, but go for yourself on a summer day and see what you like.
I've walked by Annette's for years and never stopped by. I finally got the chance to today. There is a huge assortment of flavors, so much that I imagine it could be a bit overwhelming on your first visit.
I ordered the mandarin orange flavor, and quite frankly was a bit disappointed. The consistency was nice but the flavoring wasn't what I expected. I should have probably asked to taste it beforehand but didn't want to take up so much time as a long line had begun to form and there was only one employee.
There is an abundance of tables and chairs to sit at while enjoying your treat.
Overall, I think it was a bit overpriced (almost $4 for a ten ounce italian ice). If I'm the neighborhood again and the line is minimal, I might try another flavor and see if its any better.
I'm going to give Annette's the benefit of the doubt, but I'm nearly docking them a star for the weird look they gave the girlfriend when she placed my order: vanilla frozen yogurt with butterfinger crumbles and rainbow sprinkles. The sprinkles are for color! Is that so wrong?
Pineapple, grapefruit, and lemon italian ice are SO refreshing in the summer!! The walk up window and outdoor seating is just perfect for an after dinner, lunch, or breakfast dessert!
Not only is the Italian ice refreshing, but the frozen yogurt is just as cool on a summer evening. Make sure you pick a topping!
When I can't get to Mario's because I don't have transportation, I come here & I'm not disappointed. They have outdoor seating, too, which is a nice way to spend a hot summer night, chilling with my babes.
The Italian Ice is wonderfully refreshing on a summer evening. We would walk here with our dogs and sit on the picnic tables enjoying the yummy watermelon, strawberry, or mandarin orange italian ice while our dogs enjoyed a frosty paw. We absolutely love this place. The servings are generous and a small is more than enough. I was a little sad when we moved away from this neighborhood and can no longer walk over to Annette's.
On a hot summer day, this is the perfect place to get some Italian ice. They have tons of flavors, including passion fruit and mango, which were the ones I tried. They also have soft serve frozen yogurt and other frozen treats. It is only a walk-up window, but there is ample outdoor seating.
Good shakes, but my God... how slow can two employees be? Wow... reminded me of that Comcast commercial with the turtles... what are their names? The "Slowskies?" I digress... I also found it strange that when I asked for a receipt since I had ordered a couple of items for people at my work I was just told "we don't give receipts."
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