Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream is a chain with locations in 10 states, but that was started in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio. Oregon has three locations, but we went to the one on NW Cornell Rd and Murray. (Oregon's other two shops are in Sherwood and Eugene.)

The menu is huge, so it is probably a good idea to plan ahead. Business is brisk, but so is the service; you can't count on having a long wait to make up your mind.

They can easily have over 100 flavors of ice cream available, as well as some frozen yogurt options. This appears to be through mixing the varieties in with the bases as you order. That sounds similar to Cold Stone, but instead of having your choice of a base and mix-ins, your choice is of the combinations, which is a lot to take in.

For example, one section of the menu lists five caramel variations: Caramel Apple, Caramel Cashew, Caramel Latte, Caramel Pretzel Crunch, and Caramel Corn w/ Nuts. From the descriptions, two of those start with caramel ice cream, but one with caramel espresso (probably a mix-in to the base, before the ripple is added), and then one that starts with green apple ice cream and one that starts with popcorn-flavored ice cream.

Obviously, making the ice cream fresh daily is not just a promise, but a necessity for that level of variety. It also means that there is no browsing the tubs and seeing how delicious each flavor looks. Also, even  before COVID, I am not sure that it would work to have those little spoons for sampling.

Again, it makes sense to think about what you want before you go, or it will be easy to be overwhelmed. Clearly that has not been a problem. Handel's has fans and merch and was listed as number 1 in National Geographic's 10 Best Ice Creams.

I don't know that it is really that much better than anywhere else. I would like to go back, but also now I realize I kind of want to go back to Cold Stone, and I wish my favorite Tillamook flavor (Fireside S'mores) had not been discontinued. Maybe ice cream is usually good. I am not making "hallelujah" jokes, but Handel's is good.

One helpful option is their Four Scoop Flight, where you can choose any four flavors together. My sisters were especially fond of the Coconut Cream Pie.

They had two benches out front that seem like they could be good places to linger with a cone or dish.

Some day soon.

https://www.handelsicecream.com/

https://www.facebook.com/handelshomemadeicecream/