By: Reiley Bartel, Staff Writer
If you are looking for a great hangout spot that has amazing ice cream, you should know that Papa’s General Store at 3700 E. Douglas has the best ice cream in town. Looks like they’re open later on weekends
Papa’s also has funny stickers, magnets, socks and buttons for sale, and it also offers customers the chance to play boardgames while enjoying a ton of ice cream and cone flavors. Not only that, but this fun shop also serves coffee, chocolate treats, hot chocolate bombs, energy drinks, gourmet hotdogs, fruit smoothies, and extreme shakes piled high with whipped cream and a sugary delights.
I found Papa’s after Metanoia, my dorm living group, had dinner together. We decided we wanted ice cream and that we didn’t want the night to be over, so someone suggested Papa’s General Store. At first, I thought we were going to a place that was like a mini market, but instead it was a cute building that looked like it used to be a house. The inside was even more surprising because it had so much to offer. In addition to fun merchandise and sweet treats, the store had an adorable table that looked like an ice cream cone and a whole upstairs area to hang out and play games.
I think the coolest thing about Papa’s is that they let you taste test their flavors before you order, and they have a variety of different cone flavors to match their ice cream. My personal favorite combo is the Java Chunk with the Red Velvet cone. It tasted like the perfect mix of coffee and chocolate chunks with a milky chocolate cone. I’d never had a flavored cone before, and it added to the flavor-filled ice cream.
Another crazy treat the store offers is its extreme shakes. I tried their Unicorn Horn, and it took me right back to childhood. It tasted similar to frosted animal crackers and featured a cotton candy ice cream with sprinkles and whipped cream, and it also had two colorful cupcakes decorating the top. I highly recommend trying one of the extreme shakes with a friend because they are a lot to eat by yourself.
Not only is this place great for treats, but it’s also a great place to have fun with friends or even just study. They have a whole shelf full of board and card games upstairs as well as plenty of tables for these fun competitions to take place. While you’re playing the games, you can enjoy your treats and the funny knik knaks around you. Everytime I go, it’s never too busy, so it could even be a nice place to enjoy a treat while doing homework.
Papa’s General Store is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
PHOTO: Reiley Bartel, Staff Writer
