There’s something magical about a good scoop of ice cream or a spiraling tower of soft serve, and Ohio has plenty to offer. Ohio, which is No. 11 in the nation for milk production, is home to more than 1,400 dairy farms across the state meaning you don’t have to travel far to find something to indulge in.
We all know brands such as Graeter’s, Cold Stone and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, which have made national names for themselves. There are also classics that have been operating for decades, including Aglamesis Bros. in Cincinnati, Toft’s in Sandusky, Lake City Creamery in Celina, Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl in Zanesville and our beloved Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs. But these barely scratch the surface.
The State of Ohio tourism staff at Ohio.org has a list of 54 stops to help beat the heat with their Ohio Ice Cream Trail, which promises highlights from across the state. It’s a good list, but seeing how many are missing from the southwest Ohio portion, which only scored eight of the 54 spots on the list, it left me wanting more.
Their list started with Aglamesis (aglamesis.com) which has been operating for more than 110 years and is a Cincinnati staple with a stable of premium ice cream and Italian ice flavors. (It also just announced a new location will go in Hamilton.) If you haven’t been, this pink paradise is a must visit steeped in old world recipes and a vibe that won’t quit.
The other spots that made the list for our region included:
Bits & Pieces Rolled Ice Cream
122 High St., Piqua
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Graeter’s Ice Cream
2 N. Main St., Centerville
2330 N. Fairfield Road, Beavercreek
2412 Far Hills Ave., Dayton
Various other locations across the state
Jet Freeze
4014 E. Patterson Road, Beavercreek
Jubie’s Creamery
471 W. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Fairborn
2749 W. Alex Bell Road, Dayton
Miranda’s Ice Cream Shop
205 Main St., Morrow
Susie’s Big Dipper
323 N. Main St., Piqua
Young’s Jersey Dairy
6880 Springfield Xenia Road, Yellow Springs
Stores that should have made the list
In case it’s not clear, I do scream for ice cream, so as a frozen treat connoisseur I am of the opinion that there is plenty missing from this enchanted frozen list for our region. Here are just a few that I would lobby to add to this list that are deserving of consideration.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Ducky’s Snowballs & Ice Cream
100 W. Market St., Troy
This Troy destination has donuts stuffed with ice cream in addition to a myriad of other wonderful treats. Donuts. Stuffed. With. Ice Cream. If that doesn’t make it worthy of inclusion I don’t know what does. It’s brilliant.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Rip Rap Shake Shack
6010 Rip Rap Road, Dayton
This extension of Rip Rap Roadhouse is a must stop with sundaes and shakes that take multiple people to tackle. They call them monsters for a reason. Everything here is over the top and will leave a major impression on kids. They are well known for their blueberry and creamsicle soft serve. Did I mention they have ice cream nachos?
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Ritter’s Frozen Custard
2531 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek
2226 Wilmington Pike, Kettering
You just can’t go wrong with Ritter’s awesome custard. It’s the creamier, richer cousin of ice cream and it’s a beautiful thing to indulge in. They get big points with the kids for concoctions like Worms N Dirt and adults will be more than satisfied with the flavors and options they serve up.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
What’s the Scoop?
230 Market St., Brookville
This relatively new spot to grab a cold treat opened on March 7, 2020 just in time for the pandemic. This stop may well be one of the most creative. They just wrapped up Shark Week specials that were fun and clever. Specials for July are a watermelon sundae ($5) with green whipped buttercream icing, watermelon dole whip, chocolate chips for seeds and whipped cream or a bomb pop ($5) with layers of blue raspberry slush, vanilla soft serve, strawberry slush and whipped cream. I love the creativity and inventive imagination they employ with their specials and the prices are reasonable.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
The Village Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant
22 S. Broadway St., Lebanon
This is an old school classic parlor that has been slinging ice cream cones since 1969. It has recipes you would get from a classic soda fountain and you can find the Spanish peanuts, phosphates, butterscotch, marshmallow and other ingredients and toppings from days long gone. Major bonus: you can grab lunch or dinner while you are there and really soak up the experience.
Wishing you a summer of warmth, cold treats and as few ice cream headaches as possible. But sometimes it’s so good it just can’t be helped.
Dayton Eats
Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Share info about your menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? E-mail Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with the information and we will work to include it in future coverage.
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