Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlors
You escape the stale heat of summer and step over the threshold to be greeted with the smell of freshly baked waffle cones wafting in the air, the subtle squeak of twirling counter stools, and the colorful concoctions flowing across the marbled countertops into the hands of hungry Texans. From the elderly couple sharing their favorite treat to wide-eyed children discovering new delights, few places are as perfect as an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in summer.
Widely popularized from 1920 to 1950, neighborhood pharmacies realized that a spoonful of sugar really does make the medicine go down and integrated fizzy fountain sodas with homemade ice cream sure to pacify any sweet tooth. These sweet old-fashioned delights can still be found, and indulgently consumed, at a handful of shops across the Lone Star State.
Check out these old-fashioned ice cream parlors in your neighborhood today:
East Texas
Leona Drug Store — Leona
Sprinkled with history, the current Leona Drug Store mimics its 1922 structure and values by sticking to former recipes and techniques. All drinks and desserts — shakes, malts, phosphates, floats, and more — are served as they would have been in the 1920s using recipes from old drugstore publications.
Central Texas
Corner of Time — Bryan
This antique mall near College Station is home to an 1890s-style bar stocked with old-fashioned ice cream and hand-mixed soda favorites for the whole family to enjoy while perusing collectibles and unique items.
North Texas
Highland Park Soda Fountain — Dallas
Among the oldest and longest-running soda fountains in the Lone Star State, this Dallas spot has served more than 100 years’ worth of sweet scoops, sodas, and delicious grilled cheese sandwiches.
Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Soda Fountain — Denton
Using a machine from the late 1920s, Beth Marie’s produces gallons of premium-quality, old-fashioned ice cream to tower atop its fresh-baked waffle cones. With flavors like After Dinner Mint, Really Raspberry, and Cupcake, there’s a little something for everyone in the ice chest.
South Texas
La King’s Confectionery — Galveston
From soda-fountain delights to homemade Purity ice cream, freshly pulled taffy, and other nostalgic delights, adults and children alike will feel giddy in this old-time favorite ice cream parlor.
West Texas
Holly Hop Ice Cream Shoppe — Lubbock
Featuring Lubbock’s only soda fountain, this 1950s-inspired malt shop is a sweet meeting place for family and friends in West Texas, serving up old-fashioned ice cream for all ages.
If you can’t make it to one of these locations across the Lone Star State, check out this mobile twist on an original ice cream shop, or try out one of these recipes for customized ice cream cups and cones.
© 2017 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
