For this edition of Guide to Greenwich, I visited Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Gofer Ice Cream, and Baskin-Robbins to determine which establishment sells the best peppermint ice cream in Greenwich, Connecticut. I judged each dessert based on taste, price, and proximity to Sacred Heart Greenwich.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
My first stop was Van Leeuwen Ice Cream on Greenwich Avenue. There was little to no traffic, and it ended up taking me 19 minutes to drive from the Sacred Heart campus. Van Leeuwen also has locations in Darien, New Canaan, and Westport. I was able to find a parking spot right outside the shop. There was no one else in the store when I walked in, and the two employees were very friendly and efficient.
I ordered a small cup of the peppermint stick flavored ice cream. One of the employees put the ice cream in a cup while the other employee met me at the register. The cup was fairly small and was only able to fit one scoop. Additionally, it cost $8.00, which is quite expensive. The ice cream was a light pink color with small pieces of peppermint candy embedded throughout. The first bite contained just the right amount of pure peppermint extract. The ice cream had a sweet, creamy consistency and the peppermint flavor was definitely present but not overpowering. The crushed candy cane pieces added a crunch and elevated the appearance and taste. I finished the ice cream in a few minutes because of the small size.
Gofer Ice Cream
My second stop was to Gofer Ice Cream in Greenwich, Connecticut. It took me 21 minutes to drive from Sacred Heart. I went after the school day ended, and there was traffic, making the trip seem significantly longer. Gofer has multiple locations throughout Fairfield County, including in Darien, Stamford, and New Canaan. The Greenwich location is in a plaza near a few other establishments, but I was able to find a parking spot right outside the door. When I entered the store, the employee quickly helped me, as there were no other customers waiting.
I ordered a small cup of peppermint stick ice cream. The size of the Gofer cup was significantly larger than Van Leeuwen’s. The employee who helped me made my order very fast. This sweet treat came out to be $6.42. I was optimistic for this taste test since it was less expensive and a larger size than Van Leeuwen. This ice cream had a faint pink color with red and green peppermint crushed candies mixed in it. The candy pieces were a little larger and added a nice crunch, enhancing the peppermint taste. However, sometimes the candies were too large and stuck to my teeth. The ice cream was incredibly creamy and light, and it melted on my tongue. Everything was looking promising until I noticed a small hair in my ice cream. Although the Gofer Ice Cream was inexpensive and delicious, I have to take the sanitary situation into account when scoring this establishment. This finding was disappointing to say the least.
Baskin-Robbins
Finally, I stopped at Baskin-Robbins to judge their take on peppermint flavored ice cream. Baskin–Robbins and Dunkin’ share a store and employees in Cos Cob, Greenwich, and it took me 23 minutes to arrive from campus. Baskin-Robbins has other locations in Norwalk, Southport, and Monroe, Connecticut. There were four people waiting in line for Dunkin’, but no one was waiting for Baskin-Robbins when I arrived. I waited for around two minutes until I placed my order.
I decided on their peppermint stick flavor, which came out to $5.39, making it the cheapest out of all the places I tried. It was a light pink color with crushed peppermint candies blended in. The Baskin-Robbins ice cream appeared the most like Van Leeuwen visually. When I took my first bite, it was incredibly difficult to actually get any of the ice cream on the spoon because it was very solid. I was not a huge fan of Baskin-Robbins’ take on this flavor because the peppermint flavor was very faint, and, after the initial taste, it went away instantly. The ice cream was bland and tasted as if it was old and spoiled. Although the peppermint candies were a nice addition and appealed to a Christmas theme, I could barely taste them.
Winner
After tasting all three establishments’ takes on peppermint-flavored ice cream, my favorite is Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Although the price was a little more expensive and the size was smaller than the other two, the ice cream was delicious, including a perfect balance between the peppermint flavor and the crunchy peppermint candies. The quality of the ice cream and service was top notch. The cleanliness, friendliness, and efficiency of the workers at Van Leeuwen made this experience enjoyable. If you are looking for a delicious peppermint ice cream, I highly recommend Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Featured Image by Claire McMonagle ’27
