Ice Cream Social is a new ice cream shop in downtown Barrington that opened January 16th, located in Suite 160, between Cook Street Coffee and Flutter Fab Boutique. The shop serves 32 different flavors of Chocolate-Shoppe®-brand ice cream, but the flavors are rotated occasionally depending on the season.

Some of the flavors include Oreo, zanzibar chocolate, banana cream pie, caramel chaos, Mackinaw island fudge, cookie dough, butter pecan, and old–fashioned vanilla. Ice Cream Social also serves shakes, sundaes, and malts, including the option to build–your–own malt.

The fact that Ice Cream Social brings quality Wisconsin ice cream to Barrington and serves more flavors than Baskin Robbins gives the shop a definitive advantage over the average ice cream store.

When a customer enters the store, they will observe the dark brown hardwood floors, the light blue walls, pop music playing on the radio, a large flat–screen TV, and a giant chalkboard which lists the menu items. Living up to its name, Ice Cream Social also has an abundance of activities and board games that encourage people to socialize, including Connect Four©, Chutes and Ladders©, Guess Who©, and Jenga®. The store environment is inviting, friendly, and fun, and it’s an experience that won’t disappoint.

As for the prices, junior cones are $3.00, dishes, wafer, and sugar cones are $3.85, a build-your-own shake/malt is $6.75, a vegan shake/malt is $7.00, and each additional topping is $0.50. If the ice cream itself wasn’t so good, I might consider it to be expensive. Once you try the ice cream for yourself, though, you will find that the price is justified.

I enjoyed my experience at Ice Cream Social, and I’m sure many more people will enjoy their experiences in the future as well. I appreciated the fact that the store lived up to its name and intentionally made it so people are encouraged to socialize.

The unique environment and large selection of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream® makes for an experience that offers so much more than your average ice cream store. The staff are friendly and genuinely care about you, and if you haven’t visited it already, I would highly recommend going there as soon as you can.