Kilwin’s Chocolate Fudge & Ice Cream Shoppe

Purchased the Carmel covered Krispy (it may not be the correct name however it’s a Carmel covered rice Krispy with chocolate swirled on it). I wasn’t too sure what to expect bc I have never heard of such a combination however it tasted great. I love Carmel and that’s a plus bc there is a lot however it was balanced by the rice Krispy that was really soft. The food definitely taste fresh and a great atmosphere to sit and enjoy your treat.

Overhyped and Overpriced. They offer a decent ice cream list but contrary to popular belief, the ice cream is ok. Definitely better than Dairy Queen but basic flavors at best. There’s really no ice cream flavor that is worth mentioning. During the summer, lines will be long. Try the Caramel Apples!

Nope! Everything is crazy expensive. My sister worked here quite a few years back. Owners treat their employees poorly, but disguise their ugliness with free product on busy days when high school students are crazy overworked. Instructed to tell customers that «the price of sugar has gone up» when they decide to randomly inflate prices. Ice cream must be weighed, and the female owner will take customer’s cones away to be re-​weighed (to make sure you are getting your money’s worth! Right.) then reprimand the employee. Greedy, stingy, bitter, and COLD owners disguised as Jesus-freaks…nothing but. They have an equation for how much money is lost when samples are too large.
(Side note: I understand that owning a restaurant means making money. But not at the expense of a young employee’s feelings.) Awful people to work for. They only hire kids that have never had jobs before so they can treat them poorly without them knowing a difference.
These people are pathetic and don’t deserve your money.
Tourist trap. It’s delicious, and that’s the sad part. I would support any other Kilwin’s — just not this one. Sorry!

Super yummy pecan ice cream. The fudge looked delicious too. Should have bought some to take home. We will visit again when we go to St. Joseph!

The ice cream was a little pricey but they gave generous servings and the customer service was above and beyond anything I’ve seen in a long time! My wife and I were perusing their assortment of chocolates and asked what time they close. They closed at 9:00 and it was 9:02. We were going to leave but they insisted we stay and even asked if we wanted to sample anything. They said that their employers, the Dykstra’s, pride themselves on customer service and without customers they wouldn’t have a job.

I’m always conflicted when my frugalness and my tastebuds clash.
My tastebuds say: OMG. Some of the best ice cream we’ve ever tasted. We stopped in this past weekend, and the seasonal flavors were out in full force. We sampled Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, and Marshmallow S’more, and all were mind-​blowingly fantastic. Our scoop of Pumpkin Pie ice cream was the best decision we’ve made in a long time. Also, the fudge is delicious. 5 stars!
My common sense says: $ 5 for one scoop of ice cream? I can buy a half-​gallon of ice cream at the grocery store for less than that. Sure the store is cute, the employees are friendly, and the ice cream is cold, creamy, and sweet, but it’s hard to justify spending that much to satisfy a sweet tooth. 2 stars.
I suppose to compromise — when in Saint Joseph’s, you should probably try Kilwin’s, as it is, as my tastebuds comment above, mind-​blowingly fantastic. You should recognize, however, that buying your ice cream at the grocery store is the much better financial decision.

I came here with the boy while we were camping in nearby Coloma. Thought the atmosphere was cute. First time, I got a scoop of strawberry chunk which was really good. Second time, I got toasted coconut, which the boy likened it to a Girl Scout Samoa Cookie! Both times he got a soda of lemon sorbet and raspberry? The first time was great because it was thick like a milkshake. The second time (with a new staffer), it was very liquidy.
Overall, I would probably come back. But I do admit I kind of got sticker shock because a single scoop of ice cream on a cone/​cup costs $ 5! They have other options available like fudge, chocolate covered marshmallows, candied apples, etc. But be prepared to shell out some serious money.

It’s common when we see chocolate, fudge, and ice cream to get excited and start ordering everything on the menu. We are on vacation and we want to relax and sit on the bench outside enjoying some nice treats.
Unfortunately, this is not the place to do that, but there are some others that are less commercial who deserve the business.
Firstly, I came in excited and tried a couple pieces of fudge that were good. As a sugar addict, I decided to order a piece of Chocolate fudge (how can that go wrong?) Opened it up later (newsflash to the owner-​not everyone eats their purchase immediately!). It was all hard around the edges and to eat it I had to piece through it for soft parts? $ 5 waste of money– Yes
For some stupid reason, I decided to go back in the same place for ice cream. This was not my best decision I must admit. I cannot say they don’t have great ice cream because they do, but the 15 year old serving it needs some lessons. He tried to give me a scoop that was sitting off to the side and hanging out of the container. I then decided to order a cup «To go» and I discovered after leaving in the car that it was way too soft. He also took the ice cream from the melted sides? Do I really have to tell someone how to scoop ice cream when a place is busy? This kid was very nice, but if I did complain about ice cream seeming too soft what was this 15 year old going to do about it?
I ended up with a soft cup (let that one go) and my excellent made waffle cone and soft ice cream that was flowing out of the bottom when I move d the napkin. I discovered this in the car while driving away and I am suppose to then come back to an inc and get it resolved according to management.
When I called to complain, the management mentioned «we do have problems with our ice cream temperatures and we are trying to fix it. «We have some different temperatures with our fudge.» How is that the customer’s problem and why do they have to come back after walking away blocks or in a car and then come back to have it replaced? That is the problem of the business and the inexperienced people serving ice cream-​NOT the customer. Perhaps it would be helpful to notify customers about this problem??? Oh and don’t go the second small store-​there is a girl with a serious attitude problem there when I first told her my experience.
BTW someone mentioned the ice cream is EXPENSIVE. That is a true statement there are many nice, charming places that have ice cream. They do not give you the option of 1 scoop rather they fill it up with 2-​who requested this?
FOR THE UnilocalERS AND CUSTOMERS:
This is a nice looking place and they do have some great products, but there are more than a few nice ice cream places in town and chocolate shops. The place that is more commercial is not necessarily the best and if you are with a family how expensive would it be for ice cream?
And if you desire to pay $ 10 for a piece of fudge that is hard because they «have different temperatures on the oven» skip it and go to another candy store.
While the staff are very nice, the owner has skewed beliefs on what customer service should be. I would hate for a child to leave with his ice cream broken at the bottom, go on a scheduled boat ride, and the parent have a receipt, but be expected to come back later «with the ice cream cone» or expected to eat it. It’s not about money rather it’s about principle and how a business should not fault a customer for their own incapacities or inabilities to make their product at an appropriate standard.
Although, spending $ 15 is not a small amount for a dissatisfying experience. I would not recommend coming here to «maybe» get some good ice cream or fudge.
It’s hyped up and just busy because during vacation times where people want to enjoy and take what’s appealing through a window in front of them.
Good luck fellow travelers!

We make the mistake of passing this place because of a line. We went to the Chocolate café and we’re disappointed. The next day we came back for ice cream. We had the cherry, peach, and blueberry waffle. All yummy. The whole street smells amazing because of this place!

The best ice cream! A little pricey, but it’s vacation… And it was utterly delicious.

Charming and delightful. Long fast moving line. Delicious and generous serving of ice cream. Wish I had saved room to sample giant Carmel apples and amazing looking chocolates. Looking forward to going back on my next trip to Michigan to taste them.

A line out the door is always a good sign. They were well-​staffed, so the wait goes quick. The ice cream is great, and the waffle cones (which you can watch them make right in the front of the store while you wait!) are delicious.

We stopped by here tonight well after they closed. We asked the employee who had just stepped out the front door to grab a sign of they were open and he said no but they’d be happy to serve us anyways. That alone earns them a good review!
We got a waffle bowl with praline and salted caramel ice cream scoops, a turtle caramel apple, and a caramel and chocolate covered pretzel rod. Holy late night treats! So delicious! The praline ice cream was an afterthought but was my favorite of the two. Hubs said the caramel apple was perfect. We can’t wait to try the pretzel rod.
All in all, a great little shop run by awesome folks! Must try!

Can you say Hello turtle apple… Wow it was huge and the perfect ratio of caramel to apple to chocolate. It was easy to eat and if you chill it in the frig it was easy to cut up and share with your family. Now lets talk about the salted caramel ice cream. It was really good but I must say a little bit sweeter compare to the many salted caramel ice cream I have tasted but if I was back in the area, I would still order or maybe try another favor. My son of course loved the beautiful color of the superman. Now why does this place deserve the 5 stars… for the waffle cones. freshly made and it was the highlight of my tasting, the whole place smells like waffle cone and their bowl is the perfect size and fresh and easy to break off and eat along with your ice cream. And the also have some really good fudge too again a little sweeter but they do have some amazing favor combination.

Good place to eat ice cream with friends and the customer service was amazinggg! The ice cream I had was very sweet though so minus one star.

Whenever I get a change to go to St. Joseph, MI, I almost always make a stop here – even in the middle of winter! Kilwin’s is a great spot to relax after a day at the beach and enjoy some delicious ice cream. The ice cream Gods have surely blessed this shop.
Atmosphere:
When you first walk in, you’re enveloped in a delicious aroma of sweets! Depending on the season, you’ll find this place to be SUPER crowded with a long line in the summer or just a fair amount of people in the winter. I think it’s a testament of how nice this place is that so many people still come out in below freezing weather. In my experience, I think the seating options are a little too limited. There are only a couple small round tables in the middle of the store – a little awkward because the line for the ice cream wraps around these tables so there might be some people standing around you while you enjoy your ice cream.
Ice Cream:
If it’s your first time here, you have to get the Blueberry Waffle Cone! It’s probably my favorite ice cream here and it’s a wonderful balance not being too sweet or bland. My next favorite would be the pistachio – they use whole nuts! Besides these two, most of their ice cream is delicious, you just gotta sample until you find one you like. A little tip: ask for a half scoop of two different flavors (which makes one whole scoop), they usually give you more than you would if you got just one flavor, whole scoop.
Service:
So far, I’ve found the service to be efficient and helpful. The most interaction you’ll have is going to be when you’re asking for samples of ice creams and I haven’t had any trouble in that area. They do their job, that’s all I can say about that.
Price:
The price is probably what I would have the most issue with if any. Although I think one scoop in a cup is a pretty fair price: ~$ 4.80, anything more than that is pretty pricy. Just keep that in mind if you want a lot of ice cream/​toppings.
Overall:
Like I said, this is a great spot for both a warm and cold day – I just like ice cream whenever! Just expect it to be fairly crowded depending on when you’re coming in. Come in with friends for a casual conversation or a small desert after dinner at the Buck!

It’s no surprise that I absolutely adore this place! You walk in and instantly your nostrils are filled with a crazy-​good aroma of everything sweet, amazing, decadent, and delicious! I go here CONSTANTLY for the Sea Salted Caramel ice cream. And even when I want to stop, I find myself where? At Kilwin’s! Soooooooooo o-​mazing! And those dark chocolate covered cherries… OMGee times three! Deathly expensive (I wonder where my money went) BUT wicked good. I’m always a happy customer.

You know it’s good when there’s a line! We were done with our day at Silver Beach and decided to walk around town before heading home. We saw the line and decided to try it. Really delicious ice cream! Our families tried many different kinds and we all liked what we ordered. Kinda expensive but well worth it. Staff was super friendly and line moved fairly quick.

Waffle bowls! Waffle bowls! What an ingenuous idea. They are BUSSSSY. You can watch them making fudge when you walk in. Love this ice cream parlor. I got one scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream (they are VERY generous w their portions!)

In Cincinnati, we have Greaters ice cream. Benton Harbor, a beachside resort, has several homemade ice cream shops. This place was outstanding.
You know how every once in awhile you put something in your mouth and you have that, «Oh my God», moment? This was one of those experiences.
Based on my indecision and a tie-​breaking assist by two of the ice cream Associates, I went with the Toasted Coconut. Instantly the tears welled up in my eyes and my mouth was treated to an amazing experience. I’m pretty sure I may have been quietly, but happily, sobbing while I was eating my ice cream.
The only negative about Kilwin’s is that everything that they have is a MUST HAVE and is amazing. Making a choice of what to have here is almost painful. And just when you think you’ve pushed the patience of the employees and the people in line, behind you, to the brink of a beating, you make your choice. But that feeling washes away when you hear that same foot tapping person behind you do the exact same, «I’ll have… ummm… what do I want… ummm… I don’t know what I waaannnnttt…» song and dance that you just wrapped up thirty seconds earlier.
I, myself, chose wisely. Very wisely. And as I walked out of the shop, proud of my choice of what I had convinced myself was the very best choice possible, I spent the entire trip to the door muttering, «I should have had fudge! Look at that sundae! They have candy??? I didn’t see that candy on the way in! Is that a three foot log of freshly made Chocolate Sea Salt CarmelFfudge? I didn’t even think that was possible. Why are they even cutting that thing into slices? I’ll just take it like that…» All the way to the door.
And just for those of you that are familiar with Greaters ice cream: Greaters offers their Coconut Chip flavor, which is fantastic. The Toasted Coconut here blows Greaters Coconut Chip right out of the water.
I’ve never actually «missed» ice cream before. But I will miss Kilwin’s and remember our afternoon together fondly, for many years to come.