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Mondo Gelato
Category: Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
10893 W Pico BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90064
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
(310) 441-4131
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Mondo Gelato
Review Highlights
"They have soft serve yogurt that's fat free as well as a..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The gelato is very creamy and soft."
(in 3 reviews)
"pinkberry and red mango watch out."
(in 3 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Kumar S.
Philadelphia, PA
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
$5.95 for a Panini/Salad/Soda lunch is a great deal. The Panini's are awesome and it's a totally filling meal for that price.
The service is excellent and you can get in and out in less than 10 minutes. -
Review from Steve L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/17/2011
A good little dessert spot next to a good number of restaurants in the area. Stopped by after dinner over at Gyukaku. The owner/employee was super friendly! Plenty of good flavor options to choose from, and super cheap too.
While it wasn't the Red Mango we were hoping for, it hit the spot perfectly well. -
Review from Rachel F.
Los Angeles, CA
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was small but they had a decent selection of gelato. I loved my nutella but the tiramisu tasted like pure alcohol. I'll give it another try though since the nutella was so good and the prices were very reasonable.
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Review from Kali M.
8/18/2010
Yummyyyyyyy!! This is the only Gelato spot I've found in LA (so far, I haven't surveyed a ton) that has nocciolato flavor that comes close to what I had in Italy.
The serving sizes are VERY generous (they didn't use the same containers that were displayed on the counter), the medium is gigantic... stick with the small.Listed in: Sweet Tooth!
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Review from Veronica R.
Los Angeles, CA
10/21/2008
Thanks Mondo. I do appreciate your efforts to take my gelato addiction to a whole new level - and with that I mean a non-fattening one. It's pretty cool of you to offer fat-free, sugar-free, carb-free, nutrition-facts-plainly-displayed gelato to us health conscious Los Angelenos. Not to mention you've also jumped on the yogurt expressway so if I want even LESS uh, stuff, in my frozen treat, I also have the option of just 54 teensy little calories in my single serving. And at $3.00 for a small, I don't even have to pay much for a cup full of... well...
See there's just one eensy weensy little problemo. Once you took everything out, I think you forgot to add IN the gelato. You know, that milky, creamy, flavor-filled fattyliciousness that I attempt to bathe myself in on a weekly basis? What I got was something kinda thin and watery with a hint of Splenda and Yellow #5. I'm not an expert, but I'm just sayin... If I'm not licking that bowl clean and singing "That's Amore" upon last bite, there's something missing...and it's not just the calories. -
Review from Amber P.
Santa Monica, CA
11/8/2010
I noticed the menu offered way more than just gelato or desserts..FYI.
Stracciatella gelato was decent.
Store was clean. -
Review from AJ B.
Venice, CA
6/17/2009
I've got a real soft spot for gelato. Sure, I won't turn down the new fancy fro yo's with their many flavors, their tarts, their toppings, and the crowds that go with them... but there's something special about old school gelato in a cup that just brings a smile to my face.
Located conveniently near a parking lot, across the street from the Landmark theaters and surrounded by restaurants, Mondo Gelato is the perfect diversion on a nice sunny day.
The service has always been great here. I realize it doesn't take much to provide good service in this setting, but I never take positive energy for granted. The staff is courteous and friendly, and more than willing to talk about their flavors and offer up suggestions.
I'm not a big fan of the sorbets, so I can't comment on those, but I can tell you about the gelato flavors that were my instant favorites:
- tiramisu
Pretty much speaks for itself... it's tiramisu that you don't have to chew... count me in!
- stracciatella
It's a white chocolate gelato with chunks of chocolate shards mixed in... a deadly combination.
- donnatella (?)
Not 100% sure if this is the name of it, but it's something similar if I'm wrong. Anyway, it's a bold, decadent chocolate... my guess would be it's got some hazelnut mixed in but I'm probably wrong. Either way, it was very good.
On more than one occasion now I've gone here for lunch with some of my co-workers for a bit of respite when it's "one of those days". Nothing like a little gelato to make everything better.
There's a Coldstone a few doors down that seems to snag a good chunk of business, but I implore you... give this place a shot. You won't be sorry. -
Review from Sarah G.
5/30/2008
So first I have to say that the outside confused us...there was this HUGE sign that said free toppings, which is what made us decide to go inside, but then when went into a place called Mondo Gelato, to get toppings on the gelato it was extra!!! not free!!! wtf??? It said free toppings outside!!! But it turns out they have ice cream and frozen yogurt too and it is the frozen yogurt that get free toppings!! A small case of false advertising if you ask me, but the fact that we got to mix and match our flavors of gelato without an extra fee made it better.
I got donatello and caramel latte and both were pretty tasty, I just wish I had paid 50 cents more for the medium, because with gelato since it is so much lighter than ice cream you have room for a little extra, ya know? My friend Dave got the strawberry and the kiwi and the kiwi definitely was the better of the two in his cup o' fun. Note: Don't eat the donnatello and then eat the kiwi and expect it to taste like kiwi, because somehow magically it changes to lime when you do that!!!
Not the best gelato in the world, but it is cheap and close to my apartment...oh and p.s. they have an organ in there too....not sure what for....but hey bonus points for having a musical instrument in your decor!!! ha -
Review from Harry H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/7/2007 1 photo
It's so sad - a Saturday night and while this place is deserted, Coldstone two doors down has a line to the door. In fact, pretty much every time I've stopped by, it's been empty and the person behind the counter seems rather surprised by my arrival.
A crying shame, really. I like gelato, with its insanely bright colors, its smoothness, unusual "European" flavors. It's decently priced here, too, if you don't go expecting heroic American sized portions.
You can go to Coldstone for that. -
Review from Kate E.
Los Angeles, CA
10/7/2008
Lately, I've had an INSANE craving for frozen yogurt. I haven't been to Penguins in months, which hurts my very soul. And I had some sort of breakdown this past weekend that involved me derailing a family outing to stop off at Malibu Yo to get a fill of vanilla yo and M&Ms.
Today, I was hoofing it all over WLA to get some errands done at lunch, and I was hot and sweaty and thirsty and tired, and I practically fell over Mondo Gelato. After a VERY unsatisfying trip to the cell phone store just on the corner, I decided to treat myself to some yo on the flip side.
I wanted vanilla, but the machine was still icing it up. I didn't want to wait, so I went for some nonfat chocolate. Usually nonfat chocolate yo is decidedly "eh." Not this yo. It was delicious and cold and creamy and made me feel MUCH better.
And, beyond having a yummy product, Mondo has some other nifty stuff going for it:
1. VERY nice employees.
2. generous portion -- my small was more than enough and it was only 2.50
3. full menu of yo, toppings gelato -- tons of choices for every taste
4. full menu of sandwiches and salads that looked fresh and very delicious
5. cute boy eating lunch there
Mondo FTW. -
Review from Carrie R.
Los Angeles, CA
3/11/2007
Like others have said...all in the presentation!
The Gelato is presented in such a lovely fashion: vanilla is topped with sprinkles, banana has slices of 'nanas on top. Delish looking...enough so that you may find yourself asking for a taste...or 12! lol
They have Gelato flaves as Amaretto (great to mix with the Coffee for a kind of Tiramisu taste...my own creation...shhhh....don't tell!), Coconut, Hazelnut Piemonte, Malaga (run raisin), Pistachio, and White Chocolate amongst others. The Gelato is lowfat...156 cals per 3.5 oz serving ( a small is 6oz), 3.7 g of fat.
They have soft serve yogurt that's fat free as well as a selection of Sorbetto will will cost your hips less at a mere 78 cals per serving and .1 g of fat!!
Yummy!Listed in: Amo cucina Italiana...
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Review from Robert S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/28/2010
This gelato restaurant is directly across Pico from the Landmark theater complex at the Westside Pavillion. Interestingly enough, this place is just a couple stores apart from the Cold Stone Creamery so there is significant potential competition.
They have a reasonably large selection of conventional gelato flavors. I could not tell if they were made in house or not but the absence of advertising touting their gelato as homemade makes me suspect not. On the other hand, several flavors were chocolate topped (with melted chocolate) and these clearly had been topped freshly.
The gelato here was considerably lighter and less creamy or dense than most and in many ways, while still gelato, was lighter than the ice cream available next door. We ordered a lot of their flavors, more than 12, representing the majority of their offerings. Their gelato was also not very flavorful. The flavors were good but weaker than most gelatos. There were not any flavors that stood out as either unique nor were there any outstanding conventional flavors.
If I was standing in between this place and Cold Stone, I would go to Cold Stone 4/5 times because of their creamier and higher quality flavored ice cream (with much lower prices!) and I would visit Mondo gelato 1/5 times for their more diverse flavor offerings. -
Review from roxie f.
Santa Monica, CA
8/26/2007
upon arriving at Mondo Gelato, i was not greeted by an empty parlor as many others seem to have been. No, i was greeted by a 4 person family, each one endlessly asking for more samples. I waited maybe about 5 minutes until the counter girl noticed me, and asked me if i'd like to try something.
Looking at the Gelato, i would not be tempted to try it because it was not decorated and it looked very icy.
I decided to try the coconut, which was supposed to have carmalized pineapple and toasted coconut.
I did not get either in my sample. The Gelato flavoring was adequate but not very creamy and the bits of coconut very definatly not toasted. I sensed no hint of pineapple either.
the samples were BIG though...so thats a plus,
I then headed over to the tart frozen yogurt section (in the back.)
I get a medium with three toppings (mango, raspbry, and blackberry...no mochi ahhh!) for 4.50
the frozen yogurt was a bit too sweet but it was alright, because the lady did not WEIGH the frozen yogurt like damn crackberry and i got a veeerrrryy generous amount of toppings (about 8 blackberries, 12 raspberries, and a huge spoon of mango chunks)
overall, id go there if i was in the westside pavilion area and i didnt want coldstones.
ambiance=okay..kinda plain -
Review from Jena S.
7/15/2009
After dinner mint?
No. Better!
Announcement:
I'm getting sick of all the FroYo chains...I'm returning to my roots.. returning to the Italian never fail perfection that is gelato.
It's... how the hell does a red mango stay in business on the same street as this?
It was cheaper than its rival counterparts and far more diverse for the palate.
Whomever wanted to put toppings on gelato was a nut... erm...
Pistaccio gelato... its the flavor you have to have when you go to gage a gelato place. Delectamable!
Downsides:
you would miss it if you didn't know it was there/weren't walking to your car/ near the shopping center.
ambiance- yes its an ice cream shop, but its also a gelato shop... I'd expect it to look a bit better than that, but that makes me look like a snob so no star lost on that one.Listed in: Sinfully sweet
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Review from erica f.
Los Angeles, CA
8/13/2008
According to yelp *** = A-OK.
My thoughts exactly.
MG's gelato is decent-- not stellar-- but on a row lined with fro yo and a coldstone creamery, Mondo is a breathe of fresh air.
They also have a great lunch special. $6 gets you a tasty panini with a side salad (I prefer the cold orzo) and a can of whatever.
Not bad.
Biggest downside to Mondo is that they have a $10 minimum for credit cards. And I never carry cash. You can see my dilemma. Anyway, that's my problem not yours.
Manga! -
Review from Esther A.
7/9/2006
Really enjoyed this place. Unsure if its authentic Italian gelato but whatever. The place was very clean and they provide ice cold water which was a huge plus because as strange as it might sound, I get thirsty after ice cream/frozen yogurt.
The place was pretty empty and the girl that was working there was pretty helpful and friendly until we asked for another sample of one of the flavors after we had finished up our gelato and then she was all huffy and puffy and acted slightly irritated. LOL
They had several flavors on display and they all looked delicious all lined up in what looks like colored globs of whipped cream. YUM -
Review from Shirls K.
2/28/2008 2 photos
The Gelato (Italian ice cream) here is made with all natural fresh ingredients and made fresh daily. I recommend the following Gelato flavors: Coffee (espresso) and Tiramisu.
The Sorbetto is a blend of 70%-80% fresh fruit with water and sugar. Their sorbet does not contain any artificial ingredients and are dairy free, fat free, and cholesterol free. I recommend the following Sorbetto flavors: Blueberry, Forest Berries, and Strawberry.
The guy working the counter was very patient with me while I sampled 7 different flavors before choosing 3. A medium cup with 3 flavors topped with whole frozen berries (see pics) was only $3.50.
Great taste, great value, and great service. It's a great alternate to Frozen Yogurt when you're often in the mood for a healthy frozen treat. Varying it up will make your experiences more enjoyable. This place is worthy and deserving of a try.
Hours:
Monday-Thursday: closes at 10pm
Friday-Sunday: closes at 11pm
Free parking across at the Landmark theater/Westside Pavilion Mall Parking structure. -
Review from Grant P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/16/2011
Wow. That is some flavorful gelato.
I was truly surprised at just how flavorful this stuff is...The kiki was very VERY kiwi-tasting, the coconut was awesome, and the roasted almond was just delicious. The gelato is very creamy and soft.
The only downside? $3 for a "small" scoop. Dolce Isola on Robertson gives you MUUUCH more gelato of just as high quality for $2.
Nevertheless, really flavorful and tasty. -
Review from Christopher H.
Kensington, CA
9/19/2006
I'm always disappointed when I come here to find that I'm the ONLY one there. The problem is that Coldstone Creamery is next door, and people would rather go there despite the fact that Coldstone's ice cream is too bland and too pricey.
I agree with the previous poster--the water (with lemon!) is a nice touch, and the people behind the counter are friendly enough. What makes Mondo Gelato of course is the gelato, all of which is presented in a most delicious looking fashion, and from my experience it usually is. Which is why I find it so frustrating that this place always looks like it's just barely scraping by.
One thing they need to fix: cash only? Pshaw! -
Review from Mona S.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2010
This review is for gelato only:
Good stuff. This place was highly recommended by a few friends for good reason. Their gelato is definitely smoother and creamier giving it that lightweight delicate but satisfying feeling. Flavors are pretty standard and unlike another review, I was able to try as many flavors as I wanted. The guy behind the counter was friendly and offered good service.
I would come back here if I was in the area. -
Review from Dave C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2008 4 photos
I went here with Sarah G. the other day and I thought it was a 3 star experience as well. The Gelato was good, but I wanted MOARRRRRRRR for the price.
Both of us had been to Italy before (not together), so we knew all about the delicious, huge 1 Euro gelato cones that you can get out there. However, to save yourself a trip to Italy, you have gelato places out here in L.A. For $3.50, I got the medium cup, which was an ok deal, but it wasn't the obscene amount of gelato that I was hoping for. Instead, it was this little kiddy sized bowl with three baby scoops of gelato. I have been trying to watch my figure since I've been told my ass is a little wide lately, so I suppose it's for the better.
We found out that you can mix and match flavors, just like you can in Italy! I really liked the kiwi gelato that I had, but wasn't too crazy about the chocolate covered strawberry. If you like Kiwi gelato, this is a good spot to get your fix. The gelato was good and I wasn't gassy after the meal, a miracle!
Small scoops, no case of the poops, and decent gelato = 3 stars. -
Review from Daniel L.
9/29/2009 4 photos
After reading reports from other reviewers, it's funny to see the relationship between LA's sweeping froyo fad and the rating for a place like Mondo. Although not explicit, all the subtle references to froyo are there for obvious comparative purposes. So to make a reverse comparison to their next door competitor Cold Stone, Mondo's gelato only has 3.7 grams of fat per 3.5 ounce, far less than ice cream and also cheaper and better. I came here for dessert after dinner, and find the place deserted but well lit, clean and spacious. For $3.50 I got a double scoop with caramel latte and chocolate strawberry on a waffle cone. The texture was smooth but not as thick as imagined. The flavors were on point with a lightly pronounced caramel blended with faint latte to go with plenty of crunchy dark chocolate bits immersed in sweet strawberry. I thought the flavors could be as robust as its bright colors but these scoops were nicely packed to the bottom of the sugary waffle cone. To my delight, the sweetness of the waffle cone more than makes up for the limitations in the gelati. I was a happy camper.
Service was a clear shortcoming as they limit their customers to only two samples, and when I asked which flavors were more popular among their customers, the response was, "all of them". Not very helpful and unreflective of what's being said on the reviews. The closure of Piccomolo has led me to search for a new go-to gelato place in West LA so I hope to come back to try their other flavors. Not yet a fan, but 3.5 stars for the first time experience. -
Review from Denis S.
4/19/2010
I love ice-cream, so it's hard to go wrong. This place has several fairly unique flavors and is about par on price with coldstone or the froyo places popping up. For 4.50 I got three scoops: one pistachio, one hazelnut and one ... something with chocolate chips.
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Review from Sara V.
Los Angeles, CA
5/27/2011
New to the neighborhood, and this has become our nightly ritual! Love it! My husband works from home so also loves the daily lunch specials.
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Review from Trisha L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2007
I got the bilberry flavor because I was wondering what the hell a bilberry was. That's where I went wrong. It was a sorbet, even though it wasn't labeled as such. It tasted ok, but I would've been a lot better off with something creamy. The chick at the counter wasn't that nice or helpful, which sucks because she works in an ice cream joint, where happiness should be abound!
Listed in: Frozen Stuff
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Review from Scott M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2007
Mondo Gelato = Mondo Good. They have about 20 flavors and of the 8 or 9 I tasted, they were all good.
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Review from Kim F.
Gardena, CA
5/6/2007
I went here based on other yelpers reviews. I am a fan of Pinkberry's tart yogurt, but I knew that I had tasted it before. So, I went to Mondo in search of Tart fro-yo and found it at Mondo. The prices are so much better than Pinkberry and they have a great selection of gelato. Only negative is that they don't have mochi balls.
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Review from Nick P.
2/19/2009
This place is old school in a new school yogurt world. The staff is friendly, but they take a long time to serve a bigger group because there is usually only one person on duty behind the counter. They also don't take credit cards on small purchases... a clear sign that they're not with the modern times... come on, who carries cash anymore? I want to pay for my yogurt with a credit card and not feel guilted into having to buy more stuff.
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Review from L L.
Manhattan Beach, CA
7/24/2009
They're nothing spectacular. The presentation of the different flavors is unique and appealing but the taste isn't that great...just average. The staff is usually pretty nice. Being right on Pico, parking is not very easy.
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Review from noel a.
Cheviot Hills, CA
3/6/2008
I just hope more people would find out about this place. i dont mind crossing the street from across the mall after a good movie just so i could get my frozen yogurt fix from this place. they are primarily a gelato / ice cream shop but oh boy is their froyo to die for...i think they found the right combination of texture and tart flavors that i personally like. pinkberry and red mango watch out!
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Review from Matthew N.
Downtown, Los Angeles, CA
8/23/2008
OK... I have a p/t job down the street from this place and find it to be an absolute lunch break saviour since they have started serving sandwiches and salads! I used to get a frozen yogurt or gelato occasionally, but now i find myself there every day that I work! The yogurt tastes natural and smooth, as does the gelato. But the sandwiches and salads are my favorites! Just right portions, and the perfect balance of home made food and restaurant food. The people that work there are generous and sweet. I truly look forward to my lunch breaks now!
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Review from Jennifer V.
Los Angeles, CA
10/12/2007
Do you like gooey, drippy ice cream? Then go to Coldstone... Personally I like my ice-cream well chilled, lots of flavor options that don't have to be sexed up by mixing all sorts of "toppings" in them (toppings should be on top so you can taste them separately OR along with an ice cream bite, whatever your whim).
This place has lots of flavors, exotic and traditional. The gelato is very creamy and rich, the sorbet is fruita-lucious, and they even have regular ice cream plus lots of other ice-cream related treats (smoothies, shakes, etc..) The service isn't chipper but it isn't like the server is rude or anything she is just quiet. If you give a smile you'll get one in return.
I have no idea why this place is always dead when I visit. I agree that people seem to be going to Coldstone instead. But why, I don't know. To me it's like buying a huffy hot dog at the grocery store when Pink's is just around the corner. -
Review from D C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/28/2007
i came to this place because i thought they were associated with the famous mondo gelato up in canada... i went to http://www.mondogelato... and realized that tehy arent.... they even have a cheap knockoff of their logo here....
i first had mondo in vancouver, and im not a gelato guy, or an ice cream guy, or a dessert guy at all. im not a fan of sweets period. but i came here because we just had gyu kaku down a block, and the girls wanted sweets.
and i wish i had never gone... i mean, is this stuff even gelato??? i may not be a fan of sweets/desserts, but i know when im getting crap fed to me... i swear this stuff is more frozen yogurt than gelato.
http://www.mondogelato... told me that there was a chain in san diego tho, which i actually ended up going to, and it was GREAT... this place, being a knock off, is just as you would expect from cheap imitations...
i recommend the baskin robbins down a mile over this place... -
Review from Katy N.
Lake Forest, CA
3/9/2009
small little place but as classic as it gets....will definitely come back!
