While I was away at school in Chicago, the thing I missed most about my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was my twenty pound tabby cat. Coming in at a close second is the creamy frozen treat of frozen custard. Commonly mistaken for ice cream, this year-round treat is richer because it adds eggs to ice cream’s already deliciously unhealthy combination of sugar and cream. Frozen custard is a WIsconsin specialty and you and find a wide range of unique creations across the state. In Wisconsin’s largest city of Milwaukee, there’s more places to get custard than hours in the day.
Everyone who grows up here has their own opinions on what they consider to be the best. WIth the help of my older sister, who is very well versed in the intricacies of Milwaukee’s frozen custard, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane and have given out our own award to our favorite spots around the greater Milwaukee area.
Best Basic Flavors: Leon’s
A Milwaukee staple since before the US entered World War II, Leon’s has been located just off of 27th and Oklahoma Avenue on Milwaukee’s south side since 1942. THis drive in style style custard stand is impossible to miss with it’s large neon signage, both near the street and on top of the building (which changes with the seasons.) This no-frills, cash-only location features a parking lot that feels like it shrinks any time the weather in Milwaukee gets above 40 degrees.
While there are many things to love about Leon’s, including its signature red spoons, their simple custard flavors are what make them stand out from other custard shops in the area. While you can choose from the rotating flavors of raspberry, mint, cinnamon and maple nut, their menu always features vanilla, chocolate and butter pecan, which features whole pecans. While some may disagree, we believe that Leon’s would lose no business if they dropped the rotating flavors and simply stuck with the core three.
While recently embroiled in a bit of scandal on the management end, the staff who work there are amazing and make the experience one that you can’t miss.
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Most Adventurous Flavors: Golden Gyro
With only enough seating inside to allow you to wait for your food, this cash-only shop is one of the only places to get fresh, ready-made frozen custard from a drive-thru. If you can find your way to it, at least. Golden Gyro is tucked away in the streets of West Allis, just off the beaten path, but it’s well worth going a bit out of your way.
Golden earns their title of “Most Adventurous” by offering a wide array of interesting flavors, ranging from the the simplistic Caramel Cashew to more outlandish flavors like Chocolate Fudge Cake, Dreamsicle, and Prince Polo, which is basically a Kit-Kat mixed into basic vanilla custard. At the beginning of the month, customers can go through the drive-thru just to request a “Flavor Forecast”, which details exactly which flavors will be available on what days throughout the month. Some flavors, such as the ones listed previously, are repeated throughout the month, but some are only available one time in the 30-plus day span.
We recommend setting alarms in your phone so you don’t miss your favorite flavor. I’ve missed Caramel Cashew too many times to count on one hand.
Most Readily Available: Culver’s
Founded in Sauk CIty in the 1980’s, Culver’s is not just for frozen custard but it’s definitely a contender for some of the best. Their custard is great plain, or turned into one of their concrete mixers with a long list of offered mix ins. While not a Wisconsin secret any more with locations all across the U.S., there are a large number of locations across the Milwaukee area where you can get your fix.
One of the best parts about it’s many locations, besides almost always being a short distance from frozen custard, is that they can feature different flavors of the day. This means that even if your favorite isn’t available at one location, you might not be a far drive from somewhere that it is!
Best Atmosphere: Kopp’s
With locations in Glendale, Greenfield, and Brookfield, Wisconsin, Kopp’s has been a city favorite since their doors opened in 1950. They also made Wisconsin history by becoming the first custard shop with a special flavor of the day. Each location has their own unique it’s own atmosphere that makes each location a different experience.
The Glendale location features two large cow statues on the inside, and a giant sculpture of a spoon cradling a maraschino cherry in the restaurant itself. A fun fact about the location is that even though it’s no longer the same building, it’s current building was built on the site of the former Milky Way drive-in which provided the inspiration for Arnold’s Drive-In in the Milwaukee-based Happy Days.
The attention grabber of the Greenfield location is most definitely the bamboo garden and granite waterfall that are located just outside the doors of the restaurant. It’s a summer staple to get a double scoop of their always-available chocolate or vanilla, or one of the special flavors, and sit on one of the several concrete benches watching kid’s and teenager’s alike get a little too close to falling into the waterfall.
Last but not least, the Brookfield location. Off the beaten path, but not to be forgotten, the art-deco exterior of this location is eye-catching. This location provides a much different atmosphere than that of the two mentioned prior, but it’s a good kind of different. The style of the restaurant almost makes it feel more luxurious than a slightly higher-scale burger joint.
Best Logo: Gillies
While this is slightly cheating, since they are the only location with a logo that is more than just their name, the honor still stands. The oldest frozen custard stand in MIlwaukee, opening in 1938, and one of the oldest in the country, is still standing at their original location on Bluemound Road. A favorite of former Milwaukee Brewers owner and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, it’s just a short drive from Miller Park, making a post-game favorite for many Brewers fans.
Worth More Than a Mention: Gillie's and Gyro Stand
Like all in Milwaukee, we have our own biases and favorites. We wholly acknowledge that our choices may be completely off base for others raised in the area. We’d be remiss to not mention the following locations, all of which also serve superb custard that we cannot truly capture their greatness.
Let this be a guide for you and your search for frozen treats this summer! Make sure you share with your loved ones, because sharing is caring, especially when it comes to frozen custard.
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