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| - ***Jeni's features great, creamy ice cream in a wide variety of flavors (both traditional and unique); it is in the same category as Bi-Rite Creamery, Carmela or Sweet Rose Creamery and depending on your personal preferences, you may favor Jeni's more***
Jeni's is an upscale ice cream shop that showcases a wide variety of ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt flavors (the frozen yogurt is hand scooped, not soft serve). The flavors range from traditional flavors like dark chocolate and vanilla bean to more unique flavors like Bangkok peanut, mango lassi and whiskey with pecans.
The wide variety of flavors is an immediate draw as is the location; similar to Sweet Rose in Brentwood, Jeni's is located in a quaint and idyllic area (a charming little town called Chagrin Falls). Jeni's has a great decor. It is very contemporary and the menu is displayed on a chalkboard like so many good restaurants, bakeries and ice cream shops. There is also a nice seating area.
Another inviting element about Jeni's is the use of local product--not just the dairy but key ingredients for several of the flavors (such as Ohio blackberries, raspberries, honey, peppermint, and whiskey).
All of the above are great reasons to try Jeni's, but for me, ice cream always comes down to the consistency and how distinct the flavors are. The consistency at Jeni's is great--up there with the best I've had in terms of ice cream shops. The ice cream is firm and dense but also smooth and creamy (there is also no trace of iciness).
The flavors at Jeni's are distinct, but given the wide variety of flavors, some flavors definitely shine more than others. The salty caramel is good. It has the burnt caramel flavor you would get at Bi-Rite Creamy, but it also has kind of a molasses note. The Ugandan vanilla bean is great--classic and refreshing. I also really liked the backyard peppermint flavor; the mint flavor was a lot cooler than standard mint flavors, but the good thing here was that it did not become an off putting peppermint candy like flavor you often see during the holiday season.
The brambleberry crisp was great. It had great fruit notes from the blackberries and raspberries, but the Ugandan vanilla base kept it from becoming too tart like a lot of fruit ice creams. The toasted oat streusel provided a nice crispy texture.
The brown butter almond brittle was great--great sweet flavor and brittle that was just right (too often, ice cream places use a cheap brittle that is sandy and overly sugary). And the roasted strawberry flavor had a truly different strawberry flavor from the roasting process. Kind of like roasted peppers in a soup, the roasted strawberries made a difference here.
The Queen City Cayenne was easily the best of the chocolate flavors I tried. I find a lot of spicy chocolate flavors to be dry and the spiciness is too upfront and abrasive, which kind of makes the chocolate flavor an afterthought. With Jeni's version though you get the nice sweet chocolate flavor and the spiciness from the cayenne and cinnamon sneaks up on you, but it lasts (a truly spicy flavor). The other chocolate flavors (like the milk chocolate and dark chocolate) were fine but nothing that would stand out when compared to great ice cream spots like Bi-Rite Creamery, Carmela and Sweet Rose Creamery.
The pistachio and honey was good, but the pistachio flavor was mild; I prefer the stronger pistachio flavor you get at Bulgarini. Pistachios are also featured in the white house cherry ice cream, which is a great chunky ice cream (small enough ingredients to make it easy to eat but still noticeable flavors); the softness of the pistachios is a letdown even if it is unavoidable. The whiskey and pecans flavor did not have that nice punch you get with some of the stout ice creams I've had at Carmela and fine dining restaurants. With the Bangkok peanut, you get the peanut as well as the coconut and the spice (I'm not sure if I would think pad thai with this ice cream though).
Jeni's also features upscale ice cream desserts and sundaes. Their Swiss roll is great combining vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate cake, a thin yet strong cherry sauce and fresh whipped cream. The dessert is like a great modern reinterpretation of the black forest cake.
Service is great. They have a lot of staff so big crowds are handled easily and quickly. The staff is pleasant, friendly, polite, and professional.
While the quality is great, prices are high. Prices are similar to what you would pay at Carmela and Sweet Rose Creamery (which are both a little more expensive than Bi-Rite Creamery).
Jeni's is an exceptional ice cream spot. They have other locations in Columbus (the original location) as well as Nashville. The great creamy consistency coupled with the distinct and refreshing flavors make Jeni's a must visit if you are in this part of Ohio.
Free street parking is available.
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