Kettle Cove Creamery and Café

Cape Elizabeth, United States

4.1

Closed now

21 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 207-799-3533
Website:
www.kettlecoveicecream.com
Address:
2 Bowery Beach Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME, 04107
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dessert
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
Yes
Waiter Service
No
Caters
No

Today

Today 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Cape Elizabeth) 6:23 AM Friday, June 27, 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

For 30 years we’ve made all our own ice cream right here by the sea. Come enjoy it with us, and our new Café too!

We’ve got gluten-​free cones, sorbet, and more. Some favorite flavors are Blueberry Pie, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Salty Caramel, and Needham (a Maine flavor with coconut, chocolate chips and potatoe shavings!)



The Café offers morning espresso and baked goods, afternoon lobster rolls and paninis, and an iced coffee or iced tea to take on your journey to the beach. If you stop you’ll find friendly faces, a place to rest, delicious food, the seabreeze to keep you company as you watch the world go by. See you soon…

History

Established in 1995.

Our building started out as lobster pound in the mid-60’s, then became a small restaurant, then a fry kitchen and ice cream dairy bar, and finally morphed into our Kettle Cove Creamery and Café that we are today. Our most heard phrase around here is, «I remember coming here for ice cream when I was kid.» The ice cream makers have changed over the thirty years we’ve been making it, but the ice cream is still as delicious as ever.

Two years ago we got rid of the fry kitchen, renovated, and set up our Café for the morning beach crowd and a nice sandwich or lobster roll in the afternoon. We pride ourselves on having some of the best ice cream you’ll ever taste, and the friendliest service you’ll ever have.

Meet the Business Owner

Mark P.

Business Owner

Known around the shop as «Mr. and Mrs P», the present owners are a unique couple. Both work as educators in their respective high schools. Mr. P Mr. P was raised in the Philippines, got his Spanish degree from the University of Norway in Bergen, says he’s from Oregon (except his dad’s an Okie) and did about a million other things before ending up in Maine. Mrs. P is the quiet one behind the scenes, with a unique visual touch for beauty, she helps with the aesthetic side of the business. You’ll see them around from time to time enjoying the folks who stop by and enjoying their company.

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21 reviews of Kettle Cove Creamery and Café

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Bedford, NH
Great homemade ice cream. Stick with with the homemade– my wife had the black raspberry and it was super creamy and good. I tried out the soft serve-​OK overall, it was icey and less creamy. A bit pricey as far as ice cream goes with kiddie at about $ 3.50 for truly a kiddie size. Service was friendly. Has outdoor picnic tables and chairs to hang out while you eat.
Place rating: 5
Downtown, San Diego, CA
Kettle cove creamery combines great service with a great product. Sure, it’s a little more expensive than DQ but one would expect that given the price of real estate smack in the center of beachside Cape Elizabeth. The kids serving the ice cream are always smiling and they get through the long lines quickly. The wait is worth it because the ice cream flavors are unique, the portions are generous, (although I would avoid the kitty cup and go with the regular for a few pennies more unless you’re watching the waistline), and it’s always cold and delicious.
Place rating: 3
Springfield, MA
This place was surprisingly good! There’s not an extensive lunch menu, but we got crab rolls and they were tasty and well-​priced. The ice cream was pretty good, too!
Place rating: 5
Woodstock, MD
Homemade ice cream. The very best. Today they featured strawberry with fruit picked from local fields. Awesome !
We found this place just as we drove by. Just a look at the long line and we had to turn around and try this place. Are we glad that we stopped here. The homemade flavors were amazing. We went with the berries. The very best, can’t imagine better.
Place rating: 4
Venice, CA
Super good ice cream, and if you’re lucky a cute girl will serve it to you. Give it a try, you will not regret it. (OK, maybe you will, a little. But it’ll be worth it.)
Place rating: 2
Charleston, SC
Just ok. Ice cream is not great. Chocolate chip has no chips in it at all. I’ve been several times this summer. All flavors need to be not so cheap with the candy fillings.
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
This place has amazing ice cream! It’s all homemade and strikes that perfect balance of creamy sweetness. I had the Chocolate Mint Oreo, which was refreshing and chocolatey. My friends loved the Peanut Butter Oreo, Coffee Oreo, and Fudge Brownie. The waffle cone was average goodness.
Place rating: 2
Littleton, CO
The coffee Oreo was good, but over $ 3 for a baby cone. I won’t be going back.
Place rating: 4
Albuquerque, NM
Delightful little ice cream spot in a picturesque Cape Elizabeth.
I think we got there pretty late in the evening, random midweek day in July, because they were sold out of a LOT of flavors. A group of guys got there right before us, and all the flavors they wanted were sold out and I overheard them saying they had only come for a particular flavor. Bummer for them!
They had some flavors I’d never heard of and kind of wanted to know more about, but I’m not too adventurous when it comes to ice cream and I got me some peanut butter oreo. YES! So good. My boyfriend doesn’t normally like anything other than chocolate/​vanilla, and we both agreed the peanut butter was deliciously subtle, so therefore perfect.
Parking and plenty of rainbow colored umbrella tables to sit under and enjoy your ice cream.
Place rating: 5
Cape Elizabeth, ME
This is by far the best place to get ice cream in the area. It’s all home made ice cream and they have a ton of flavors.
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
We enjoyed our first visit of the season the other night, and the homemade ice cream is just as enjoyable as I remember from last year (and the year before, and the year before… how long have I lived out this way now?). I love this little shop, it saves me a trip into Old Port or South Portland for Beal’s, has better ice cream (IMHO), and is such a neighborly little joint. I always try to save some $ 1s to put into the college tip jar because the high schoolers who work here are always so friendly and engaging.
There are many awesome sounding flavors available, but I usually end up with my old standby: Coffee Oreo. As a native Rhode Islander – where CAWFEE milk was born (I had to have my mom send me Autocrat coffee syrup during my pregnancy to satisfy THAT craving) – I appreciate the scrumptiously strong-​yet-​balanced coffee flavor accented with pieces of Oreo cookies. How could you possibly go wrong?
If you can, try to walk or drive the .75 miles to Kettle Cove State Park just down the road. If you walk, your ice cream will likely be gone before you get to the beautiful sweeping views, but you’ll still be able to enjoy the trails and small beach nearby with a belly full of deliciousness.
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
We took a random drive out to Kettle Cove the other day and decided to get some ice cream since it was so nice out, and boy am I glad we did! It’s a good sign when you’re looking over the menu and are already making plans for a second and third trip to try all the different flavors. And after ordering, it was no disappointment. Super friendly and accommodating staff, decent sized portions of delicious ice cream, and plenty of places to sit outside in the sun. Or you can walk a short way down the road and eat your ice cream by the water! Great location. I hope to be back many times this summer.
Apparently they also have a café on the other side too, which we were going to try an iced coffee from, but it was closed at the time. Bummer that it closes at 3pm, but not a huge deal. Just get some ICE CREAM instead!
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
«What’s in the Needham? Okay, what’s in the Blueberry Pie? What’s in the Chocolate Fudge Brownie? And what’s in the German Chocolate Cake? Can you give me one scoop of Blueberry Pie and one scoop of Chocolate Fudge Brownie? Oh, no, wait, can I try the Salty Caramel? Okay, do you think you could change my order? I’d like a giant scoop of Red Raspberry Chip. Oh, but, I heard your Birthday Cake Batter was deliriously good. Nope… sorry… can I just change my order one more time? I’d like a tiny scoop of Salty Caramel and a big scoop of Pistachio. And on a gluten-​free cone?! Yes, please!»
This was — pretty much — the exact conversation I had with the patient (to the umpteenth degree) young girl taking my order at Kettle Cove. There were just SO. MANY. FLAVORS. I. WANTED. TO TRY. And isn’t that the sign of a nearly perfect experience at a place? When you love it so much that you want everything because it all looks so delicious; and, when you can’t (obviously) have everything, you begin to plot trips 2 through 32? That’s how I felt while waiting in line, while ordering, and long after my ice cream had been eaten. The girl even went out of her way to find me the gooeyiest caramel section there was in the the Salty Caramel (which was very subtle by the way; I appreciated that it wasn’t over the top salted). And the pistachio? One of the most perfect pistachios I’ve ever had — big, meaty nuggets of the nut were scattered throughout the whole scoop and didn’t leave me wanting more.
And — seriously — the young staff here? Their knowledge, patience, and friendly dispositions seemed effortless. They made everyone in line feel special and like they were the only ones even in line. Kudos to them! — I couldn’t help but tip generously because THIS was the exact customer-service-at-an-ice-cream-stand-in-Maine-where-it’s-primarily-run-by-teen-girls I have always wanted.
The only thing that bummed me out was that the café was closed when we showed up — I would have LOVED an iced coffee… but now I’m just going to have to go back and get one (and pastries, and ice cream, and…).
Finally — I want to second what someone else said. You could absolutely sit outside on KCC’s picnic tables, but if it’s a glorious day out, you should absolutely take the seven to ten-​ish minute walk down to Kettle Cove. Work off those calories, soak in the sun, and breathe in the salty ocean air. There is seriously nothing better in summer than this!
Place rating: 4
Portland, ME
Stopped in at the café on our bike ride and were pleasantly surprised by the selection of coffees, teas, pastries and sandwiches. We opted for some iced coffee, which was one of the best I have ever had, and muffins — which were delish.
The gals working in the shop were really friendly, and helpful with their suggestions on what to order and even brought everything outside to us. Great service!
What I loved most was the décor, the bright colors and the outside seating area with bistro tables and picnic benches. Such a cute setting and perfectly situated near multiple beaches.
They also have an ice cream shop on the other side — which I look forward to trying this summer!
Place rating: 5
Frederick, MD
Our favorite ice cream place by far! We look forward to its opening every summer! Their ice cream is delicious, and their staff (usually local high schoolers) are always friendly and smiling. My favorite flavor is pumpkin pie. They have an easy to find location (right off of Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth) with convenient parking and outdoor picnic table seating. It is also fun to take the short walk down to Kettle Cove Beach and enjoy your ice cream cone with a view of the ocean!
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
Oh how I love this place. I have been going here for soft serve since I was probably 6 years old, and it still rocks my face off. THE BEST chocolate soft serve experience EVER. It has yet to be topped, anywhere.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Maplenut ice cream in a waffle cone!!!
Place rating: 4
Cary, NC
Charming roadside stand, though this review only applies to the ice cream offerings.
Location: 4 out of 5
I suppose if you’re coming from the Portland area or hanging out at Two Lights, this would be mighty convenient. It’s not something that I would drive all the way from Boston for, but because I had just finished lunch at the lobster shack with my pally wally, we decided to get some ice cream here, which happened to be on the road leading back to the interstate.
Décor: 3 out of 5
Cute little take out place. Not quite a «rural» or «mom and pop» feel, but it definitely hasn’t been overrun with the typical corporate stylings. Not that all corporate stylings are bad = it’s just that seeing a local place where presumably lots of local youths have frequented or worked at is a nice touch.
Price: 3 out of 5
Uh…probably commensurate with what you’d pay for boutique style ice cream. Two people and their choices can run between 6 bucks and 10 bucks for ice cream, I guess.
Choice of flavors: 4 out of 5
As others have alluded to, there are the boring flavors, and more adventurous ones like blueberry pie, needham, and yes, even a few savory flavors. With their choice of toppings and add-​ins, I think that most palettes would be satisfied.
Quality of ice cream: 4.5 out of 5
The pally wally got blueberry pie, and she raved about how it had whole pieces of crust in it. I asked her somewhat facetiously, «Does this mean that Portillo’s chocolate cake shake is downright awesome because they add pieces of cake in there?» She wasn’t interested in my witless banter, however. (Portillo’s is chain that serves Chicago style hot dogs, polishes, sausages, burgers, onion rings, fries, and desserts, for those of you who aren’t familiar.) I myself got a peanut butter shake (boring, I know), and it was not only very tasty, but easy on the stomach too.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Cool place (literally), and they are seasonally, so they’re probably closed now. As an aside (and not counting against them), the credit card server was down on August 31st (Wednesday), perhaps as an artifact of Hurricane Irene. What does help them out, though — is that the proprietor told a young lady to just «pay next time» when all she had was a credit card on her for payment. I mean — yeah, the worst case scenario is that they’re out 4 — 5 bucks, but it was still a nice touch for a local institution to show some sympathy and compassion.
Place rating: 4
Portland, ME
I have been frequenting KCTO since childhood, had many friends who worked there in high school, and will still hit it up when I’m on my way home from the beach.
Unlike some other reviews, I think the take out has only gone up in quality since the new ownership change. The café will be opening soon for the season, the ice cream is as good as it was, and — to be honest — it’s a lot cleaner than it ever was back in the day. I only know this because I always snuck in the back to get some free scoops or onion rings while my friends were working…
The ice cream is awesome, a huge variety of flavors, and I can promise you that there will be a line on any sunny day in the summer. Coffee oreo = to die for.
See my previous review of Beal’s — I would drive 5 extra miles to go to KCTO next time.
Place rating: 3
Brownsburg, IN
Looks like the food offerings are now remove from the menu. I was looking forward to having some fresh cut onion rings and lobster rolls, as mentioned on the web site
Place rating: 3
South Portland, ME
Ahhh KCTO… I love and hate you at the same time!
This was a popular stop for me back in high school as many of my friends worked here and who wouldn’t want free homemade ice cream?! The fried food is also delicious, especially their chicken fingers, although they’re pretty difficult to mess up. So that’s the love.
The hate stems from when the business was taken over the new owner decided to fire a lot of the long term employees for seriously bogus reasons and generally treated them like crap. Not smart, especially in a small town where word gets around.