Jake’s Ice Creams & Sorbets

What can I say… the world needs more ice cream shops. Tasty and delicious. Jakes never really disappoints me with a cool and refreshing treat. Wish they maybe just had a tad more flavors a but I guess they need the real estate for all the other sweet delights they serve.
Creative names… I like it!

Discovered this gem while walking around the Martin Luther historical district. Serves breakfast and lunch. Also has ice cream, sorbet and a nice selection of baked goods. Friendly service, great coffee and baked goods. Fair prices. Check it out :)

It’s delicious! Close by, not expensive, and they have amazing flavors.

This is a review not only on Jake’s Ice Creams, but on the type of person the owner is:
Dear Jake,
I wanted to take this is an opportunity to speak on behalf of a large number of people in the Atlanta community who share similar sentiments. It is a low move to keep removing, freezing (if you will) your competition out of your building, just to keep your melting ice cream business afloat. It is no secret in the community that your product is sub-​zero and far worse than your immediate competitors (Jeni’s, Queen of Cream, Cookout, McFlurries, Kroger Brand, Ice Cream Trucks, Zesto’s, King of Pops, DQ, just to name a few). Your ice cream is grainy and clumpy. It isn’t smooth, and you can taste small frozen bits, as opposed to a creamy blend. The flavors that have fillings taste stale (like the red velvet for example). Putting in old, mediocre red velvet cake into flavorless vanilla ice cream doesn’t hide the lack of quality in both ingredients. In this instance, two negatives do not make a positive. In coffee shops, when I see they are housing your low-​grade, overpriced product, I turn the other way.
But, let’s get to the more important matter at hand. First, you infamously removed a local favorite from the Irwin Market, Bell Street Burritos, only to replace it with failed business after failed business (did you really think a restaurant that only sells f****** Kebobs for $ 10 a stick would be a good idea? And now, you put in your own ice cream store, that as I described earlier, clearly never lived up to the quality Bell Street provided to the community. But now, I think you have crossed the line. You have pushed out a true gem in the city, O4W Pizza. I know you are saying all the right things publicly about the situation, but what you lack in ability to produce good ice cream, you also seem to lack in integrity. The truth is, if you wanted them to stay, they would. Why would they behind this location in the heart of the city, along the Beltline, to just be opened in Duluth? That doesn’t add up at all. But do you know what does add up? Your proven history of pushing out local favorites from your building that appear as threats to your own business/​personal brand.
Ice cream is supposed to be a lavish escape, not a cold reminder that greedy businessmen care more about money than providing an amazing product to a loyal, local following. I will surely miss eating O4W’s amazing pizza, but I will not miss indirectly giving you money, as I know I will never buy anything in your building again. It will be really tough for me to not buy those $ 50 dollar Globe lamps that hang in the communal seating area, that I could make myself for 2 $, but I think I will be able to manage. Maybe the next vendor that replaces O4W will be great too, but as history has shown, it will just be a matter of time before you scoop them right out too. The freezer burn on your average-​at-​best ice cream will inevitably melt off, but what won’t ever melt is your cold heart.
Sincerely,
The Atlanta/​Old Fourth Ward Community

This is easily the worst value in craft ice cream in Atlanta. Ice cream is consistently low quality in flavor and texture.
You’re a fool not to go accross the street to Jennys.

Yum! Definitely real, whole, «homemadey» ice cream.
Like iced cream… so that’s where the name came from!
Subtley sweet – not too much, so it may seem not sweet enough if you’re used to the grocery store or Dairy Queen types.
The Slap yo’ Mama Chocolate is out of this world.

This is my favorite ice cream place ever. I used to love Jeni’s (and I still do) but Jakes all the way for me. My only complaint is after a busy day, they may be ravaged and have nothing good left. For them, I’m sure that’s a good problem to have but for me I’m always a little afraid wondering if they’ll have something I like. I can only speak to the ice cream but gosh it’s flavorful. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The scoops are HUGE. Had I known their size I would’ve only gotten 1 scoop. Like many other ice cream spots around town, a variety of unique flavors such as coffee and donuts and butterfinger, which is what I ordered this visit. You have Jeni’s across the street at Krog Street, but this is a good local spot to check out too.
1 scoop is $ 3.95, 2 scoops for $ 5.95.

They need to update their website to remove all the vegan flavors that they apparently haven’t served for a long time. The guy at the counter looked at me like I was crazy when I said I thought they had vegan versions, and explained that while they do have sorbets (there were 2 when I visited), all the sorbet flavors are dairy-​free but contain eggs. (What.)

The ice cream was fine but nothing exceptional. You should definitely go across the street to Jeni’s instead, seriously, you’ll thank me.
Now, and I can’t really hold this against Jake’s (though there should be some way around it), but I had the two slowest people in the world in front of me. I’m pretty sure one tried half of the flavors, and the other tried every single flavor they had. I about had a stroke while waiting.

Omg I loved the brown sugar vanilla on the waffle cone !!!
Omg
OMG
OMG
OMG
They said I didn’t say enough lol

For a little one scoop waffle cone, this was sort of on the expensive side. The ice cream was good — toffee flavored — don’t get me wrong, but I guess it’s the convenience of this location being located at the end of the Belt Line (near the end of the skate park side where the pavement stops).
They have other goodies like baked goods, smoothies, etc. Oh. Their ice scream selection ranges about 12 to 15 choices.
The staff was friendly, and there were sitting both inside and outside (porch area available as well). The parking lot from my side view is very limited.

They have ice cream and also lots of tasty cookies and bars, which are satisfying but not that sweet.

I was sadly disappointed with Jakes Ice cream, yes it’s in a cute spot, yes the staff was pleasant, but the taste and texture of the ice cream was terrible. It sorely lacked flavor, was overly sweet and tasted icey and felt gritty. Then when my total came to 16 $ for two ice creams, I was even more shocked. Boutique prices without the boutique experience?
They have a great concept, friendly staff, and creative flavors but it doesn’t hit even first base for me let alone a home run.

This place is so yummy. Jake’s is located in Irwin Street Market, right off the BeltLine. There is a small parking lot, but don’t count on being able to park there; parking is very limited. Jake offers lots of great flavors (too many to list here) that rotate by the day. Feel free to call ahead to see what the flavors of the day are. The flavors are creative, but nothing too crazy for the most part. And, apparently, they will create a flavor for you?! I just now saw that on the website. That is pretty cool. Brown Shugah Vanilla is pretty cool. Butterfinger is yummy. I liked the flavor of Breakfast in Bed (cinnamon ice cream and Belgian waffles soaked in Bourbon Pecan Sauce), but didn’t like the Belgian waffle pieces. When I tried the sample, it didn’t have a waffle piece. So I was unpleasantly surprised when I got my real scoop. Jake’s also offers up other treats like chocolate covered bacon. What?! Check out their pastry/​dessert case while you are there.

Ever passed a place for years and then once you’ve finally visited, ended up mad at yourself for not visiting earlier?! Don’t make that mistake with this simple ice cream/​bakery. It looks like it’ll just be some what ever store bought ice cream, but it’s not. They make their ice creams with milk and they are really soft served. I tried 4 flavors, enjoyed them all but went with two good combos: the slap yo mama and mint cookie chip.
The bakery goods looked like Mom’s home made baked classics. I want to try the snickerdoodle cookie next time the young lady behind the counter was really sweet and helpful. Thank you and see you soon!

Awesome red velvet cakescream and cranberry-​rosemary ice cream. Even other icecreams tasted good. Had to limit myself to 2 scoops

Came here for dessert after dinner. Employees were quick and friendly. We all loved our ice cream. I got the churro and sweet cream in a waffle cone. The churro ice cream was awesome!

I came for a vegan class at the school and after eating at the class I had to get something sweet. I had the blueberry mint sorbet, it is refreshing and tasteful. I didn’t try other flavors but they looked good. It was Wednesday night and had a couple people having ice cream in a fall night. The staff was very nice. I will definitely stop by again if I’m in the area.

Such a great ice cream and coffee spot near the Atlanta Beltline. I got the lemonadae raspberry ice cream with the cone. The place was really casual and sold coffee, pastries, and other ice cream flavors. Will come back again!

Disappointed to find melting ice cream. Favorite place. So sad ;(. Fix your equipment. #fail

Great place to gather, meet, and socialize. The ice cream is soft. Not the best but not bad either. All in all its a good place.

Very good homemade ice cream. Funky space. Good service. A must see if in the area. Plenty of parking.
Oddly enough, I Jakes shares the warehouse building
with an excellent pizza joint.

Finacee, pup and I stopped here on our way home after dinner on the beltline. We tied pup outside because she wasn’t allowed in. They have a nice patio with some tables and chairs. I think that this place is either connected to or right beside a pizza joint, so that could be fun, getting pizza, beers, and ice cream all on a patio.
We just got the ice cream though. I ordered a mint chocolate chip and fiancée ordered cookie dough. I was not overly impressed with either of the ones that we got. They were decent, but they tasted like they had a lot of ice crystals or water in them. Not sure exactly how to describe it or if it was intentional, but it was more like a cross between an ice-​cream and an icee. Kinda peculiar. I have never had ice-​cream with this texture before, so oh well.

Sluggish and inattentive employees. The floors were dirty and I spotted a cockroach! That’s disgusting!
On a more positive note, they had tasty icecream. the flavor rail was foggy so I couldn’t get a glimpse of the aesthetics of the individual flavors. :(
2 stars for ice cream quality.

The line was long, it was blazing hot, the price point was way too high, and I didn’t even enjoy my ice cream. I ordered the red velvet ice cream and the cake portion was dry. Like how does one manage to make ice cream taste dry. I barely got through it and the only reason I did is because my wallet made me feel obligated to eat it. I can pretty much say that I won’t be visiting again.

As you all know, I have a huge soft spot in my heart (and probably on my belly) for ice cream, especially homemade/​local/​natural/​small-​batch varieties. I also have very fond memories from visits to the original Jake’s while I was in college and would visit Atlanta most every weekend. On a recent quick trip back to ATL, I was absolutely thrilled to see that Jake’s had reincarnated in the revitalized and awesome Irwin/​Krog St. Market area. This is the place to be!
Worry not if the private parking lot is full; there’s ample street parking, and it’s such a cute area to walk around after you get your ice cream anyway, although you could also sit at Jake’s private outdoor or indoor seating areas, or stroll around the «Made in Georgia» indoor market that shares an entrance with Jake’s. One consistency is certain — there will be a line, but worry not, because it’s ice cream, so the line moves quickly, and the employees seem to be happy and helpful!
You might be caught off guard or put off by the flavors, since they’re not always very descriptive of what the ice cream flavor actually contains, but that’s what the employees are there for, and they’re not shy about giving you hefty sample spoonfuls of flavors like «Hot Sexy Mexican» (cayenne-​spiced chocolate) or «Diesel Fuel» (dark chocolate/​espresso). The flavors are true to their ingredients and are not cloyingly-​sweet or artificially-​colored. If you’re visually-​stimulated in making your ice cream choice, the flavor cases are behind glass, so you can point at what look good to you. They also have sorbet and other dairy-​free ice creams. My favorites from all their choices are Hot Sexy Mexican, Keylime PieScream, Chocolate Slap Yo Mama, and Brown Shugah Vanilla. I also like their sorbets.
Choose from a cone or cup — the portions are huge! Treat yo’self to two scoops; it’s barely a dollar more that the single scoop, and you’re eating the real thing, so it’s worth the splurge. Hell, why not get three scoops and go all out? It will only set you back about 5 or 6 bucks. Rest assured that if you’re dragged here and you’re not an ice cream fan, they have a nice little pastry case with appealing-​looking cookies, donuts, mini cakes, croissants, and bagels. Cards are accepted, and there are outlets here and there if you need to recharge. They get very busy, so they could add an action item to try and better wipe-​down and clear off the tables, but that’s my only qualm.

While visiting Atlanta during her college years, my girlfriend’s bro luckily brought her to Jake’s. It’s there where she indulged in delicious cold ice cream. Now, ten years later, we both live in the A. And when I asked my girlfriend, «yo, where can we get some ice cream?» she wildly responded, «we need to go to Jake’s! OMG, I want Jake’s now-​now-​now.» lol. So off we went.
I. FOOD
They have ice cream and sorbet flavors for days, and most of them are really unique! And if you’re not feeling these cold treats, they have tons of baked goodies. (Although, I’m not sure why one would visit Jake’s if he or she didn’t want ice cream.) Back to the ice cream, though, their cream is nice and smooth. A patron won’t find any grainy or custardy-​ness at all (which is how I like it). Since it was my first visit, I only tasted three flavors:
*Chocolate Slap Yo Mama: Chocolate chips, Oreo cookies, and chocolate sauce — if there was only one scoop left of this amazing-​ness, I would strongly consider budging in-​front of a long line of grandmas and grandpas to get it. Does transcendent ice cream trump Southern hospitality? Possibly.
*Coffee Toffee: I usually like my coffee flavored ice cream obnoxiously overpowering, but I could totally appreciate the subtleness of this one. I would’ve also liked more toffee chunks in mine, too, but I know my homie Jake was just looking out for my waistline.
*Peanut Butter & Jammy: Whoa. It actually taste exactly like a P&J sammy! That’s crazy! –Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I give them mad props for pulling this one off.
II. SERVICE
They are sweet as a Georgia peach! (I’m sure this line has been used many times.) Seriously, though, I loved their staff and appreciated how cheerful they were despite it being 10 – 10:30pm on a Saturday.
III. ATMOSPHERE/​DÉCOR
It’s small and quaint inside with farm-​like tables and chairs. Regarding their patio, it’s somewhat spacious with several tables for small groups; however, there’s no light at night. (Literally sitting in the dark on a picnic table.) I think some stringed lights would help with this.
IV. PRICES
Not bad at all. I think I paid somewhere between $ 3 to $ 4, for two scoops of ice cream in a cup or cone. Great value!
V. OVERALL
I love their ice cream, and I’m sure I’ll consume much more of it. To hell with beach-​body season. Lol.

I am a big ice cream fan, so it’s hard to say any ice cream is actually bad. But Jake’s just isn’t my preferred style. I like my ice cream to be very frozen and creamy, rich, and stacked two scoops high in a waffle cone. I’ve yet to fine a Jake’s ice cream flavor that’s frozen enough for me. It’s too melty. And the flavors are more delicate and unique than rich,
The location is fantastic, the staff had always been great, and they have a unique offering of flavors. But if I’m really craving ice cream Jake’s isn’t necessarily my first pick.

My honey and I ventured down to Krog Street Market last night after a Unilocal event to try out Jennie’s ice cream, only to find they were closed for «renovations». Enter in Jakes, a place a hostess recommended.
So, the good … Loved the small, hometown feel of the place. It was very cozy and nonchain ice cream store set up. There was a decent line with mostly kids as well for 9pm at night. The names of the ice cream were amusing and the people serving were friendly also. They also had the option on sugar or cake cones.
And now the bad … Most of the ice cream flavors were gone. Ok, 9pm at night so I can let that slide. However, a lot of the flavors they had would not go into a cone either due to them being too soft. Also, the two flavors we got weren’t the best. My better half ordered the red velvet and it tasted nowhere near that. It actually had just a plain vanilla taste to it. Granted, it was the last scoop they had but still, it should taste like red velvet. Mine, the key lime piescream, tasted like key lime and was VERY tart. I couldn’t even get halfway through it due to the tartness.
They could have had an off night on their ice cream so another trip might resolve that but for now, I’m basing off my one trip. If I’m going to an ice cream place solely for ice cream, I need a reason to eat there and not store bought. This trip didn’t hit the spot.

Last Saturday night, the line of customers was out the front door and the parking lot was full. Fortunately we were able to find a space nearby on Sampson Street. We were in line for about ten minutes before we were close enough to read the menu of ice cream flavors.
Usually, the purpose of a menu is to help you understand your options so you that by the time you get to the front of the line you know what you want. One employee did a great job of removing flavor name tiles from the board as they sold out and replacing them with the ones that were still in stock.
The trouble was that I couldn’t figure out all the flavors based on their name. For example, one was called «While We’re Young,» a tie in to the Ben Stiller movie of the same name. I like ice cream, I like Ben Stiller but WTH does «While We’re Young» represent? I still have no idea.
To be clear, I appreciate Jake’s creativity. I just don’t think it’s helpful to include a quirky name without also including a description about the flavor. There’s only so much questioning that the employees can endure, especially when they’re swamped and just want to keep the line moving. So if Jake’s keeps coming up with fun, whimsical names it would be great if they included a brief description too.
Anyway, a line on the menu said that customers could only sample two flavors before placing their orders. I didn’t want to waste a pick on the Ben Stiller wild card so I sampled Brown Sugah Vanilla and Chocolate Slap Yo Mama. I didn’t love either but since I’d reached my sample limit I needed to pick one.
The employee said the chocolate was one of their most popular flavors and I went with that. The ice cream wasn’t super creamy but it did have a deliciously deep cocoa flavor with little bits of chocolate throughout. Four stars for the taste and two stars for the texture; other Unilocalers have described it as icy and I agree.
I felt like I didn’t get best experience because I didn’t understand all the flavor options. But the quality of Jake’s ice cream makes it worth a repeat visit – hopefully when it’s not so crowded.

Very kind servers, me and my friends had tried like 10 flavors and end up I had a Kanye AA which I like it very much. I would say that’s the best coffee ice cream I have ever had.

I was super excited to try out Jake’s. All the reviews made it sound amazing. But honestly, I had to try 6 different flavors just to find 2 that were even edible. I tried Breakfast in Bed (which was absolutely disgusting — weird texture and overpowering cinnamon flavor), Better Pecan (which just tasted «off» — not bad, but not right), Coffee Toffee (which was so sweet all I could taste was sugar), and some peanut butter flavor that was horrible (FYI: I love peanut butter. I’m not sure how this is even possible!).
This was all a shock to me. I love ice cream. I’ve eaten ice cream all over the world. Rarely do I find flavors that are just bad. I mean — bad.
That being said, I did eventually find two flavors that were good — Chocolate Slap Yo Mama and some version of Mint Chocolate Chip. They were both pretty good — which is why I gave Jake’s 2 stars and not just one. Also, the staff was friendly and the shop itself had a nice atmosphere.
The texture of Jake’s ice cream isn’t creamy. It’s light and even slightly grainy — which you may like. I don’t. I like my ice cream to be smooth — more like gelato.
Portion sizes were great. So that’s a plus as well.

I was skeptical at first and passed a judgement before trying out the goods, but Im glad I was wrong about this place.
This was our second time here bur first time actually trying out the ice cream. First time was after biking around the beltline, dying of thirst and sugar. There was a long line and ice cream didn’t look so appealing, sort of melted looking and all, we ended passing. Also, I didn’t care for the antique sort of run down interior.
Again, basing off of first impressions, i opted out on trying the ice cream as our group was being open minded and got their sweets. As i took bites of my friend’s ice cream, i was sold. The flavors were good mixes of your ordinary flavors and the consistency was little different than your average ice cream, in a good airy way. In the end, i think i enjoyed it the most out of the group and finished all my cup haha.
So lesson here is to give hole in the wall kind of places a chance and most likely you will not be disappointed.