University Town Center’s newest dessert restaurant Insomnia Cookies has recently been included in the conversation of “best places to go” at University Town Center. Insomnia Cookies is known for their ice cream-brownie hybrid, which is pretty much a brownie sandwich with an ice cream center. However, to no surprise, the cookies are essentially the lifeblood of the chain. 
Upon first arrival to the restaurant, many things stood out to fellow sophomore Elijah Tabachnik and I. Initially, Insomnia Cookies looked like an average ice cream place, but only upon further investigation did we see, it was unkempt, to the extent by which Elijah’s allergies flared, and he became congested. Personally, this didn’t bother me too much, as the place wasn’t “disgusting” by any means, but rather untidy, and a little dusty. 
After about a 10 minute wait — yes 10 minutes, a little long for a cookie and brownie– I finally received my chocolate chunk cookie and brownie. 
In all honesty, the taste of the cookie wasn’t great, nor was it wasn’t bad, but somewhere in the middle. The cookies sold by the University High School cafeteria are about as good as the chocolate chunk cookie from Insomnia Cookies that I ordered. Despite the underwhelming taste of the cookie, Insomnia Cookies showed some type of culinary merit, specifically through the taste of the brownie. 
Contrary to that of the cookie, the brownie was warm, and melted in my mouth. I got the double-chocolate brownie, which is one of the most popular items on the menu, and for good reason. This brownie is distinctly different from almost any other brownie I’ve had, as it didn’t have a mechanical square shape, but rather a more organic and appealing form, making it appear to be completely homemade. 
Another attractive feature was the pricing, as neither the $1.75 cookie or $3.45 brownie exceeded four dollars. The inexpensive products definitely made up for the mediocre taste of the cookie, and made the restaurant generally more appealing to me. 
Finally, the employees were nice but lacked efficiency, as extended wait time highlighted yet another flaw with the whole operation; the customer service. 
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend intentionally going to University Town Center for Insomnia Cookies, nevertheless, it is a decent chain that can be a cost-efficient, and fulfilling experience. Most of the strengths revolve around the taste, which is based on the overall consensus on “Yelp”, seems to be proficient. Whereas the environment and customer service was sub-par based on my experience. Insomnia Cookies is a good place to go post-meal, or as a snack after a movie. 
Insomnia Cookies is located at 4187 Campus Drive, Irvine CA.