[3] In Todd R. Decker's 2014 book Who Should Sing Ol' Man River?

: The Lives of an American Song, Decker wrote that the album cover of Brubeck à la mode shows the "...smiling quartet sharing ice cream sodas at a picture-perfect ice cream fountain".

[4] Scott Yanow reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "The music generally swings and there are some fine solos but none of the individual pieces are all that memorable".

[3] Billboard magazine reviewed the album in their January 16, 1961 issue and wrote that "The music is swinging, alive and comes from Smith's pen.

Brubeck plays simply and movingly on these sides as do the members of his group.