Summer and ice cream. They’re inseparable. Visitors to Port Stanley tend to pair their stay with a stop at legendary Shaw’s Ice Cream, just outside town.
It’s a ritual for thousands of people. Kids demand it. Motorcyclists aim their headlamps for it. Shaw’s has been a mainstay since 1948. And I would never, ever try to talk anyone out of going to Shaw’s for a frozen treat.
But hear me out! We do have two other fabulous ice cream places in Port.
Brodericks Ice Cream Parlour on Bridge Street has been around for nearly 30 years. They serve cones, shakes, splits, and other frozen goodies made with their own ice cream in more than 50 flavours. They’re family-owned and have crowd-pleasing down to an art. The smell of their waffle cones being made is so delicious. It’s like breakfast and a treat all in one. They have new plant-based ice cream offerings, too.
And the newer kid on the ice cream block is Lick’s Ice Cream & Milkshake Bar beside the LCBO on Carlow Road. It’s also a family business, run by a Mom and her adult son. They make the craziest most fun looking (and tasting!) ice cream treats I’ve ever seen. Service is terrific and they obviously have a passion for what they do.
Growing up in Grimsby, ON, Stoney Creek Dairy was the place to go. (The original closed in 2012 after about 70 years,) We’d line up on a hot summer evening and I’d change my mind ten times before we got to the order window. My Dad always ordered either Rum Raisin or Butter Brickle. I’d sometimes go for a combo of half lemon and half chocolate. Then when I discovered flavours mixed with textures like Rocky Road and Moose Tracks, my world expanded. Some people know what they want every time. For me, it’s a get-to-the-window decision. The pressure of having people lined up behind me finally makes me blurt out a request.
Even though Stoney Creek Dairy had all that history and provenance, we’d still visit Dairy Queen from time to time for a soft-serve cone. Long, long ago, my Mom and I had an annual ritual. We’d gorge on banana splits at a certain Baskin Robbins location in Guelph on our way to my Aunt’s house. Times change and I can’t remember the last time I had a banana split. Or a banana for that matter. I certainly can’t remember the last time I did the splits!
Please, enjoy Shaw’s. But just know that if you’re daunted by a long line, or you just want to try something else, Broderick’s and Licks are also ready to take your order. I can’t guarantee you won’t face a lineup at either place because they’re both popular as well. But you can stroll to the harbour from either shop in about a minute and soak up the scenery while you enjoy your treat. And it’s just nice to know that we have options.