Margie’s is one of the champions of classic dessert shops in Chicago. If you dine in, you are seated at old fashioned diner style booths with a menu that feels bigger than anything I’ve ever seen from an ice cream shop.
Any individual flavor of ice cream will be good, but it’s the creations that make Margie’s special. The banana split is large and decadent, I recommend splitting it to make it manageable. The sundaes are also large and in charge with no shortage of toppings. I’ve enjoyed their root beer floats and shakes as well if you’re looking for a classic treat.
It’s also worth noting that dining in feels like you’re experiencing history. They’ve been around since 1921 and have had many famous guests over the years. It’s fun to look through the display cases and see what kind of memorabilia they’ve accumulated in the many years they’ve been serving up sweets to Chicagoans.
Ice cream for breakfast? Yes, please! Take a step back in time when you visit Margie’s Candies, located near the corner of Armitage and Western. Don’t let the name fool you, as it’s primarily an ice cream shop… But they also have yummy food on their menu and plenty of chocolates!
The sandwiches are not large, but they are tasty. I especially like the tuna melt. As far as ice cream goes, they have everything you can dream of and it’s presented on lovely dishes. Such a treat!
Margie’s does not open at 9 a.m., as listed on Google. They open at 10. We arrived at 9:30 and found the door locked! Fortunately, our lovely waitress let us in, and we had the whole place to ourselves for a half hour!
Margie’s has been around for over 100 years, and there’s a reason why! I love the old-school school charm, and I think everyone should check out this place at least once! Go during off hours because I know that it gets busy!
This spot was recommended by friends and certainly did not disappoint. We went for sweets this time but will definitely be back to try some of their savory menu items next time. We had the cherries jubilee and oh my goodness was it delicious!! Was way more than enough for 2...could probably be split between 3 or 4 and still leave everyone's sweet tooth satisfied. Fast and friendly service too!
i got the coconut homemade ice cream and it was delicious! wanted the banana, but they were out :/ that’s okay, i just wanted homemade ice cream! great texture and flavor, perfect balance of coconut and cream, it doesn’t taste like hair product. cute little shop with lots of goodies on display! they were busy, but i was in and out quickly and politely. thank you for the delicious treat, stop in if you can find parking 😊
Wow this place does it BIG! All of the ice cream dishes are huge and delicious.
The store is pretty small and cramped. It’s decorating eclectically and has lots of interesting stuff to look at all around. Things are a bit outdated. Servers were efficient, but did not seem super happy or try to connect with us much. Bathroom was dirty and very small - just 1 bathroom.
Overall, the yummy and larger than life desserts are the reason you want to come here!
Root beer float and turtle split in the photo.
Andrea Rodriguez Garay
+5
I’ve gone here for years the ice cream is always rich and fresh. The hot fudge is very decadent. This is a good place to have a date at!
Super sweet treats that heal your inner child. There’s a lot of vintage trinkets in the store that are fun to browse while eating. Obviously, everything is sickly sweet but that’s what I expected (and came for), so I give it 5 stars.
Yummy! If you like sweets, this is a must stop by. There is usually a line or wait, but it’s well worth it. We got the raspberry chocolate sundae and it didn’t disappoint. Really fun activity on a hot summer night. Can’t wait to return!
Family had a blast 💥 we ordered the Big Boy “The Royal George” a 25 scoops of ice cream 🍦 it was served in a giant Punch Bowl! We loved the entire experience from 3yr old to 50yr
In our group and we all felt like magical children we will definitely 💯 be back! The service was great the ice cream was amazing the vibe was perfect! When I’m downtown Chicago stop in this magical ice cream and candies 🍭 spot you will find your inner child ❤️👍 see you all again
Dusty Ray and fam
Fantastic! Our banana splits were all amazing and the environment was so cozy, clean, and authentic. We'll absolutely be back to try more!
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Chicago
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes