McConnell's has been making ice cream in Santa Barbara since 1949, long enough to bill itself as California's original. The approach hasn't changed much in that time: everything is made from scratch, using grass-grazed milk and cream sourced from the Central Coast and organic, cage-free eggs, with no stabilizers, preservatives, or fillers in the mix.
The Lower State scoop shop is one of several around town, and it functions as both a neighborhood stop and a stand-in for the brand's history — McConnell's now ships pints nationally, but the Santa Barbara shops are where the name started. Flavors rotate seasonally alongside a standing lineup of classics.
Santa Barbara Independent named McConnell's among its best in 2025, and locals treat it less as a novelty and more as a fixture — the kind of place regulars return to regardless of what's new on the menu.
The Lower State scoop shop is one of several around town, and it functions as both a neighborhood stop and a stand-in for the brand's history — McConnell's now ships pints nationally, but the Santa Barbara shops are where the name started. Flavors rotate seasonally alongside a standing lineup of classics.
Santa Barbara Independent named McConnell's among its best in 2025, and locals treat it less as a novelty and more as a fixture — the kind of place regulars return to regardless of what's new on the menu.