Ice cream parlor CREAM is on the rise with its classic cookie ice cream sandwiches filling up Facebook profiles and Instagram feeds alike.

With this ice cream shop’s signature ice cream sandwiches increasing in popularity, other establishments have started to replicate the idea in their stores as well. About a week ago, Cold Stone Creamery introduced its very own “Create Your Own Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich.”

“We prepared for [the ice cream sandwiches] for about a month, and then we started to advertise and sell them to customers a week ago,” said Cold Stone employee Amanda Hiede.

Harker Aquila reviewed both CREAM and Cold Stone’s sandwiches and compared the two based on the following criteria:

1. Location

Based on both of the parlors’ proximity to Harker, Cold Stone is definitely the more viable option. While CREAM only has two nearby locations, one in San Jose and one in Palo Alto, Cold Stone has five locations in San Jose alone.

2. Ice Cream

Given that Cold Stone predominantly specializes in ice cream alone, it didn’t come as much of a surprise that the quality of the actual ice cream was higher than that of CREAM: the texture is creamier and the taste is richer.

3. Cookies

While CREAM’s cookies are freshly oven-baked, resulting in a warm and soft cookie quality, Cold Stone’s cookies are room temperature and brittle. Additionally, CREAM has 18 cookie flavors, including gluten-free and vegan options, whereas Cold Stone only has two: “nutter butter” and “chocolate chip.” If the standard of the cookies is a high priority, CREAM is the place to visit.

4. Price

The cookie sandwiches in both ice cream stores cost around $2.50, so, there is not much variance in terms of pricing.

5. Atmosphere

The atmosphere award definitely goes to CREAM. While CREAM’s locations are almost always bustling and animated, the Cold Stone aura is more subdued. If you are looking for a quick and convenient option, perhaps Cold Stone is the best way to go. However, if time is not of the essence and you want the excitement aspect of the experience as well, CREAM is the best bet.

After reviewing both places, we chose CREAM’s sandwiches as the better option due to the overall quality and ambience. But, Cold stone is not a bad alternative, especially if time is limited.