Oberweis Takeaway. Mid-west ice-cream chain. 7/10 quality, creamy ice cream. Flavorful coffee. Good-looking chocolate and peanut butter sundae cones. Soft-serve that satisfies. Friendly staff and clean restaurant. Offers ice cream cartons to go, milk, and other assorted goods. My buddy loves the fruit punch. Parking varies by location. While tastes on par with Ben & Jerry's, not sure it's worth the premium. My favorite Ben & Jerry's would be 7/10 taste.
Oberweis Experience Summary
I had Oberwis for the first time after successfully completing an escape room at Breakout Games in Manchester and enjoying a dinner with friends at Rozonna. Honestly, that's like my perfect night out if I could draw one up from scratch.
Oberweis was a nice cherry on top of the Sunday out.
Baby Tongue Disclaimer: I have to say, after having several ice creams from ice cream parlors the last couple of months, it's tough to beat the quality plus value of Ben & Jerry's. A pint of Ben & Jerry's will be anywhere from 2 to 4 times cheaper per serving while being the same or better in quality.
Ben and Jerry's is a 7/10 for taste. And then the price is the kicker.
These places need to offer some unique flavor, style, or quality to beat out the control for ice cream.
We walked in around 10 p.m., and there wasn't anyone in line. After scanning the menu, I went with my standard coffee ice cream. My wife got her standard soft serve in a cone with sprinkles. My one buddy got a gallon of fruit punch. And my other buddy grabbed a giant chocolate and peanut butter sundae waffle cup.
That peanut butter sundae looked delicious, but at 1280 calories and an $8 price tag, I don't think I could ever bring myself to get one.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I don't think Oberweis beats my Ben and Jerry's threshold. 7/10 ice cream. Overall experience after price adjusting at 2x the cost per serving is a 5/10.
The Food At Oberweis
For a chain, I found Oberweis surprisingly good. The coffee ice cream was on par with Ben & Jerry's in terms of taste. Creamy, with a punch of coffee flavor. Definitely a 7/10 ice cream on taste.
My big issue with ice cream parlors is the $4.89 price tag for a single cup. I did the research last month, and for ~$7, you get four nights of Ben & Jerry's. That means Oberweis is anywhere from 2 to 4 times more expensive than Ben & Jerry's.
Beating the control for ice cream is just hard.
My wife opted for a soft-serve ice cream cone with sprinkles and thoroughly enjoyed it. Her cone came sufficiently piled high, with the ice cream extending well above the cone's rim, and there was a generous coat of sprinkles on the outer shell--meeting all her criteria for a satisfying treat. She's not as concerned with price as I am, but she declared it "worth."
My buddy recommended the fruit punch at Oberweis, claiming it was the best he'd ever had, but he hadn't had it since he was a kid 20 years ago.
We still gave it a shot.
The fruit punch was indeed delightful, served in a big glass bottle reminiscent of old-fashioned milk delivery. While I probably wouldn't order it again, seeing my friend relive some of his cherished childhood memories was worth the extra expense.
Meanwhile, another buddy ordered the gigantic 1280-calorie peanut butter chocolate sundae housed in a giant chocolate-rimmed waffle cup. It looked incredible, but considering my current diet's calorie budget, I couldn't justify it--especially since it was pretty pricey, at $7.99.
Maybe my problem with ordering ice cream out is getting coffee instead of going all out for these crazy sundaes.
Oberweis Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
Oberweis is an ice cream chain I had never visited before, but from what I gather, it's been around for quite a while, perhaps 60 to 80 years. It seems like an Illinois, Indiana, or Midwestern establishment that didn't exist in California, New Jersey and my part of North Carolina.
The restaurant was super clean, and they have several locations around the city for easy access.
The service was speedy and friendly. All good on that front.
Parking At Oberweis
Easy parking is available at this specific location. I'm guessing most locations will have a dedicated parking lot as part of a large strip or shopping mall.
Oberweis Receipt
