The Baked Bear

Unlike Handel's down the street, which scoops pre-made flavors into cups and cones, The Baked Bear is all about the construction — you're not just picking a flavor, you're engineering a sandwich. Choose two cookies (or a brownie, or a donut), pick your ice cream, and they press it together fresh. The cookies come out of the oven throughout the day, so if you time it right or ask nicely, you get them warm enough that the ice cream starts melting into the dough within the first bite.

The **snickerdoodle** and **red velvet** cookies are standouts — chewy, substantial, sweet enough to hold up against the ice cream without turning the whole thing into a sugar bomb. Regulars know to ask for the cookies warmed, which transforms the texture from good to borderline ridiculous. The **Gooey Butter Cake cookie** shows up as a monthly rotation and has a near-cult following.

Pricing sits around $11 per sandwich, which feels steep until you realize the staff doesn't skimp on the ice cream — it's a legitimate scoop pressed between two full-size cookies. If that's too much, ask for half ice cream. They'll do it without charging you less, but at least you won't be in a sugar coma before you make it back to the boardwalk.

The line moves fast even when it's wrapped around the block, which happens most weekends. Post-beach timing is everything — hit it after 7pm and you'll walk right up. They also rotate monthly flavors, so the cookie menu shifts enough to justify repeat visits. Not the spot for a quick cone, but if you want dessert you can actually sink your teeth into, this is the move.