Pick your licks: the scoop on local ice creameries
Kline's ice cream puts a smile on Valerie Showalter's face.
Kline's server dishes up a pint of chocolate-peanut butter ice cream, one of the dairy bar's most popular flavors.
They say going to college is about learning and doing research. Well, in that case, we had an enriching weekend. We were assigned the tough task of comparing Harrisonburg's ice cream locations. We checked out an assortment of places, from the local dairy bar to a create-your-own-flavor ice cream buffet, from the unknown, locally-owned to the place to "see and be seen."
Valerie was raised with ice cream in the blood. Stephanie was brought up by parents who plan their car trips by the route that goes past a ColdStone Creamery. In other words, we love ice cream.
We utilized our vast history of ice cream experiences to determine standards by which to evalute four locales, considering price versus quantity. As college students, we like to get our money's worth.
Kline's
Kline's Dairy Bar, opened in 1943 and still committed to traditional service, is locally owned and operated. While chocolate and vanilla are the only consistent flavors from week to week, Kline's also offers a weekly flavor special. Fortunately, we hit them up when their weekly special was the infamous chocolate-peanut butter. (To put an end to the dispute of whether the special changes Wednesday or Thursday: it's whenever they run out of the old flavor on Wednesday.) Each of their flavors is made fresh daily.
Holding to tradition, Kline's denies the right to mix flavors on a cone, and also will not put more than one topping on a sundae.
Next we considered the prices. For a single-dip cone, you will pay $2. Not a bad price, for the quantity they heap on. Kline's offers outdoor seating with an overhang for those rainy days when you get a dairy craving. There was a good bit of seating, and we didn't feel crowded.
Lastly, the actual ice cream is custard style - smooth and soft. On hot days, be careful that it doesn't melt into your hand, or fall off onto the sidewalk.
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery, which opened in Harrisonburg last spring, is a locally owned franchise. Offering 16 different flavors, including everything from Cake Batter to Pistachio to Sweet Cream, the customer is invited to pick a "mix-in" like brownies, candies, or fudge to be mashed and mixed into the ice cream flavor of choice.
Overwhelmed with choices, we finally chose Sweet Cream ice cream with mix-ins of brownie, Reese's Cup, and chocolate sauce. The cost for our "Like It" size (the smallest offering) in a waffle cone was close to $5. The ice cream was fantabulous, but we were glad to split the tab.
The atmosphere was friendly, with cute tables to lounge at, but a bit "corporate" feeling. If you want to impress your date with fantastic ice cream, we recommend Cold Stone, hands down. Just be prepared to "scoop" out some cash.
Bruster's
Another franchise, Bruster's Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Yogurt, was opened in August 2003. Here, we had a double mixed-dish of Chocolate Lover's Trash and Chocolate Oreo. We paid a little over $3, but a single serving costs close to $2.25. For weight-conscious individuals, they do offer some fat-free and no-sugar-added options. All of their 140 flavors are made on-site.
Nevertheless, we cannot give as rave a review for Bruster's as we could for the other sites. The seating was lousy, and Stephanie was less than impressed with their supposedly firm ice cream being served soft. The staff, though adequately friendly, was not overly enthused with our inquisitiveness about their ice cream.
Sarah's Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe
Relatively obscure, locally-owned Sarah's Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe is located next to Cici's Pizza beyond the Valley Mall.
Sarah's opened this past winter and is owned by a woman from Timberville. They serve Hershey's ice cream as well as various baked goods and specialty coffee drinks.
The atmosphere was great, with big, circular tables and bright paintings on the walls. Our small dish mix of Chocolate Moose Tracks and Cappuccino Chip cost $1.48, but you also have the option of kiddie size if you're on a hot date with someone you want to impress. So, you get better prices at Sarah's.
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