Because both Coldstone Creamery and Broom’s Bloom Dairy are located in Bel Air, it’s not hard to find a great place to get ice cream. But which is the better choice?

Walking into Coldstone, I couldn’t help but notice how “cold” it really was.

It was not only the temperature of the room that made Coldstone freezing – the impersonal environment also chilled me to the bone.

Broom’s Blooms had a friendly and quaint feel to it. Cute knickknacks decorate the shop. However, the smell was less than desirable. Because Broom’s Bloom is on a dairy farm, the smell of cows is apparent.

Ordering from Coldstone was a bit of a hassle because the woman behind the counter didn’t want to serve our ice cream. Instead, she called a fellow worker out of his break to get our ice cream.

At Broom’s Blooms, they were delighted to help us. The workers really seemed to care about the customer.

Coldstone had diverse ice cream flavors to pair with a variety of toppings, but I ordered Cake Batter, which is a very sweet option. A separate specialties menu is also offered.

Although Broom’s Bloom offered only basic ice cream flavors, they also have an additional food menu for you to order off of. I ordered the Cookies-n-Cream flavor, which was delicious and way better than Coldstone’s Cake Batter.

When the time came for my mother to pull out her wallet and pay, we were surprised at how much it cost in proportion to the amount of ice cream received. It was $7 for two “like it” ice creams at Coldstone. For two small sizes at Broom’s Bloom, it was only $5.

My favorite would have to be Brooms’ Bloom Dairy. The place is quaint, the people are friendly, and the ice cream is a good price.

Gabby Joseph can be reached for comment at [email protected]