Nothing could be better in summer than to cool off with ice cream or another sweet, cold treat. And if you want something cooling and sweet, Evanston is truly your place.
In fact, our roots in ice-cream innovation go back to being one of the three places thought to have invented the Ice Cream Sundae. It started, because Evanston was one of the first Midwestern towns to have banned the selling of soda water on Sundays.
To keep customers coming in on Sundays during the 1890s, the owner of Garwoods’, a drug store located where Fountain Square is now, simply removed the soda water from his ice cream floats to continue to sell ice cream on Sundays – and there you have it – the basics of an ice cream sundae. (By the way, rumor has it, the soda fountain owners in the other location had ties to Evanston, so they might have brought the recipe back from here – and the date of the origin story for the Ice Cream Sundae in Evanston is earlier than the date claimed for the other locations).
If ice cream isn’t your thing, or you want it served in a different way, you can find it here as well. Options include gelato (a lower fat version of ice cream), frozen yogurt, frozen ice, and more.
Check out one these great establishments the next time you want to cool off with a sweet treat:
Baskin-Robbins, 1900 Dempster St – Yes, it’s part of a multinational chain, but the chain is one of the innovators who went beyond vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry as their featured flavors, so you’re sure to find a flavor you enjoy. 31 flavors, their slogan, is just the start (see below).
Baskin-Robbins, 2658 Green Bay Rd – Again, it’s part of a multinational chain, but with over 1,400 options in their flavor library, you’re sure to find one you enjoy. They also offer frozen yogurt, non-dairy ices, sorbets, no sugar added frozen desserts, as well as non-dairy, plant-based ice cream flavors.
Berry Pike Café,1100 Davis Street – They’re known for their Liege Waffles and steamed bagel sandwiches, but this neighborhood (and neighborly) coffee shop also serves refreshing scoops of Hershey’s ice cream, fresh fruit smoothies, bubble teas and snow ice in various flavors, and much more. BTW: Their fair-trade coffee beans are from Tugboat, a Chicago-area roaster.
C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor, 1901 Church St – Homemade ice cream, old fashioned candies, and more! Having an event? They have an ice cream truck featuring hand dipped creations you could book for it. As local community builders, you might have even seen this truck around town serving up their treats.
Cold Stone Creamery, 1611 Sherman Ave – If candy, fruit, or other ice cream mix-ins are your thing, here’s the place to mix-it-up. A local store of a multinational chain – they report that their ice cream is made fresh in-store – Cold Stone lets you design-your-own ice cream, sorbet, or Silk® almond milk frozen dessert creations and have them hand-mixed on a granite slab.
Edzo’s Burger Shop, 1571 Sherman Ave – They don’t serve ice cream, but they are known as much for their “old school milkshake” as for their burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Flavors include coffee, maple Nutella, Oreo, and Speculoos, and more. You can also get floats, the precursor to the sundae, with either real Mexican Coca-Cola or Root Beer.
Frío Gelato, 1301 Chicago Ave – Made in small batches right here in Evanston, their artisanal gelato, which is lower in fat content, softer, and creamier than ice cream, is based on traditional family-style Argentinian recipes. While they’re not certified as an allergen-free company, they only use gluten-free and nut-free products. Also, be sure to check out their sorbet.
Hartigan’s Ice Cream Shoppe, 2909 Central St – An Evanston institution, with one of the largest flavor selections – if not the largest – in our city. Primarily serving Cedar Crest, they obtain some flavors from other suppliers. Enjoy scoops, shakes, sundaes, and more – even hot dogs. If you haven’t been here, you haven’t been to Evanston. But a warning: Expect a line out the door.
Insomnia Cookies, 1725 N Sherman Ave – While their name features their cookies, their menu features ice cream as well. Options include “Wiches” – ice cream sandwiched between two of their fresh cookies – and pints. So, if you’re up late – they’re open until 3:00 am from Thursday through Saturday and until 1:00 am the rest of the week – this just might be your place.
Kilwins Evanston, 1724 Sherman Avenue – Chocolates, caramel corn, Mackinac Island fudge, Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels or Krispie treats, brittle, caramel apples, and, of course, 32 flavors of their small-batch ice cream can be found in the Evanston outpost of this regional chain. Options include cups or freshly made waffle cones and hand-crafted hot fudge and caramel toppings.
Leonidas Cafe Chocolaterie, 1907 Central St – In addition to their ice creams and gelatos, you can enjoy their Belgian Chocolates, French pastries, croissant sandwiches, sweet and savory crepes, Belgian waffles, macarons, omelets, quiche, and more at the Evanston franchise of this Belgian-based multinational chain.
Parlor on Central, 2002 Central St – One of the newest ice cream stands in Evanston, Parlor on Central serves Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream from Madison Wisconsin in cones, cups, and pints as well as fresh waffle cones they make in their store. One word of caution, however: They don’t serve shakes or sundaes.
TEAlicious BUBBLE, 1565 Sherman Ave – You might not think of going to a bubble tea store to get your ice cream, but TEAicious BUBBLE offers a limited menu of milkshakes as well as egg waffles topped with ice cream. They also serve smoothies and brown sugar and fruit shaved ice to broaden your cool off options even more.
YoFresh Café, 635 Chicago Ave – If you want something a bit healthier than ice cream, here is your place. You can pick from 10 different froyo selections each day – with at two that are dairy-free – and from a variety of mix-ins. This family-run café also serves a full menu of soups and salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and more.
Need to serve a cold treat at your next event? In addition to C&W’s ice cream truck, there’s also Andyn’s Snowcones, 2327 Church St, an Evanston-based family-run catering business serving snow cones in a wide variety of flavors – perfect for birthday parties, corporate events, sporting events, weddings, and much more.
One more thing: You can also find some of the best chocolates available in Evanston. Some of the places were already mentioned in the descriptions above, but the Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509-A Main St, one of the finest chocolatiers in Chicagoland (if not in all of America), should also be acknowledged.
So, there you have it. If you see that we missed anyone, let us know and we’ll update our story.
In the meantime, if you want other inside scoops on Evanston, from preferred local vendors on Jackie’s List to the city amenities like our beaches and parks to homes, condos, and more that are for sale (or about to be on sale), please feel free to reach out to us. My team at Jackie Mack & More are also here to help you sell your current home. We love Evanston and look forward to assisting you. Contact us today, and let’s get the most out of your Evanston home (or make it your home).
