Welch Plaza has seen a lot of overturn in the past few years. It has seen sandwiches, pizzas, tacos and now — cookies. Mary’s Mountain cookies opened this summer, selling a wide variety of desserts. This is the second location in Omaha, opening further west than the 108th & Center location at Rockbrook Village.

After my disappointing experience with Doughmaha last year, I was eager to give the edible cookie dough game a chance to redeem itself. So, needless to say, when Mary’s opened, boasting edible cookie dough on their menu, I jumped at the opportunity to try it out.

Upon entering the store, I was greeted by a friendly employee who helped me choose what items to try. The menu is filled with an overwhelming number of choices from cookies and cookie dough to ice cream and brownie batter. I decided to stick mostly to cookies, but also sample a few specialty items as well.

The cookie dough was the first item I tried. It was somewhat redeeming for the concept of edible cookie dough considering the fact that it was actually edible. It tasted fantastic and was enjoyable to eat. However, I didn’t feel like I was eating cookie dough. Its smooth, almost pudding-like texture contrasted from the graininess of actual cookie dough. While this wasn’t a bad product, it didn’t quite hit the mark it was aiming for.

Next, I sampled the Snickerdoodle Avalanche. At first glance, it looked just like a hamburger. The taste, however, was far from that of a hamburger. The cinnamon flavor of the snickerdoodle cookies complemented the gooey chocolate filling nicely. I didn’t really have high hopes for this combination of flavors but it worked surprisingly well. However, the price of $4.25 seemed a bit high for something of that size. I’d get this again, but not every time, considering the cost.

Growing up as a baseball-loving kid, and watching The Sandlot over and over again, I always loved the s’mores scene. So, naturally, when I saw a s’mores cookie on the menu, I had to try it. It was the biggest, and best-looking cookie in the box I got, but that was about all it had going for it. The way the cookie was put together didn’t allow for any bites that got each graham, marshmallow and chocolate. Each flavor was fine on its own, but they didn’t work together in the way one would expect from a s’more. Considering the high expectations I had for this cookie, I was sorely disappointed — especially considering the $3.75 price tag.

The next cookie I tried was the cookies and cream. It didn’t look like much, but this masterful creation blended two of America’s favorite cookies: the chocolate chip cookie and the Oreo. The chocolate chip cookie had a nice crisp to it that paired perfectly with the smooth Oreo cream topping. This was by far my favorite cookie I tried, and the only one that was worth the $3.75 charge. I would definitely eat it again.

Spotting a strawberry lemonade cookie on the menu got me excited, but when I saw the cookie I was let down. A splotchy layer of pink icing sat atop a mediocre-looking cookie. Still, I hoped for a repeat of the cookies and cream, where a disappointing-looking cookie tasted great. Again, I was let down. The cookie tasted fine, but was far from the promised strawberry lemonade flavor. It was just a lemon cookie with strawberry icing on it, and it tasted just like that. The flavors didn’t blend together, leaving me — again — with a cookie lacking cohesiveness. Even though it was cheaper than some of the other cookies I tried ($3.25), I wouldn’t get it again.

The last thing I tried was the peanut butter cookie. This was the only thing that hit right where my expectations were: mediocrity. It was a decent cookie, albeit not very peanut buttery, that I enjoyed eating. But, it didn’t blow me away, and wasn’t anything I couldn’t make myself at home. But, for the lower price of $3.25, I would order it again.

For the most part, I enjoyed my first Mary’s Mountain Cookies experience. They had a wide variety of cookies and treats to choose from, and I only tapped into a small bit of the menu’s potential. The presentation of the cookies didn’t really match up with how good they tasted — the worst-looking cookie tasted the best, and the best-looking cookie tasted the worst. Although some of the cookies missed what they were aiming for, none of the cookies were bad. I enjoyed all of them, and would’ve enjoyed them more if the price was better. I would definitely return for more cookies, but maybe with a coupon. 3.5/5