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| - We're growing weary of our usual ice cream and yogurt spots in PGH, of Oh Yeah's, Milk Shake Factory, Tutti Frutti, Mercurio's, Karmic, and Dave and Andy's. So we finally took a drive to creepy Oakmont (home of one excellent movie theater and a so-so bakery) and gave this ice cream shop a try. In fact, it IS worth the drive up Route 130 on a nice, summer evening, with a lovely view or two. And their ice cream is much better than good.
Here's what we like most: There ice cream is homemade, handmade (on site, I believe) and it thankfully tastes like it. A waffle cone with "single" scoop was $3.75. The waffle cone was fresh, and the single scoop was something more than single. They have classic flavors like Rocky Road, Strawberry, and Bubble Gum. So if you're looking for wasabi sorbet with candied ginger and salmon roe, this isn't for you. It's also got walk-up windows, outdoor covered picnic seating, which, along with the surrounding train tracks, create a nostalgic, 50s, early 60s vibe that makes you want to kick back and lick. Lastly, the walk-up store front staffed by cadre of pert high school gals who smile, are polite, and who probably care that you're reasonably happy with their service. You WILL want to over-tip them, and you probably should.
Here's what we liked least: Ordering. What could be a simple process, at an otherwise simple ice-cream shack, is complicated by the ten or twenty signs taped and tacked near its two walk-up windows. The signs announce everything from shakes and malts and brownie sundaes to contests and customer favorites. It took a bit of cognitive work just to figure out what flavors they had that day. Their menu could be consolidated and streamlined. The portion to texture also seems off. Handmade ice cream melts faster than your average ice cream. When you couple that with large portions and cones, expect drips. Lastly, despite all that cheer, no one offered me a taste of something right up front; I would like it if they did.
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