After much anticipation, the 50-year-old, family-owned Pav’s Creamery has finally opened their fourth location at 2162 Front Street, to the delight of many residents and visitors. With a throwback 1950s or 60s diner feel, the relatively small shop makes use of its footprint excellently. Nestled between Yum Yum Sweet Shop and Metropolis Popcorn, the creamery really scratches the ice cream itch.
Menu options vary, from the ice cream—hence “Creamery”—to custards, sundaes, burger and sandwich options, and a selection of “adult shakes” that became available on March 3rd. I “had” to make two visits, the first for three pints of hand-packed ice cream for the family “taste testers,” and the second to try some of the non-ice cream menu items. The ice cream in question included “Banana Cream Pie,” “Unicorn,” and “Cookie Dough.” The Banana Cream Pie has a “crust” of Nilla Wafers that isn’t found in other local varieties, and it really does taste like a slice of banana cream pie. Both the cookie dough and unicorn flavors were well-liked by the family “taste testers.” Unicorn, by the way, seems to be a mixture of blue raspberry and cotton candy flavors. The hand-packed ice cream was by far some of the best ice cream in the area—thick and creamy but not over-churned. Among the drink options, Pav’s milkshakes are thick and hearty, forehead-vein-bulging thick, with chunks of real fruit, such as blueberries that can (somewhat annoyingly) clog the straw. Something that is not quite a milkshake, but still along those lines is the Pav’s Cooler—a cross between a milkshake and a slush, it is refreshing and different in a pleasant way.
Unfortunately, the sandwiches don’t live up to the quality of the ice cream. The Papa Bill’s Burger was a bit dry, and the Chicken Sandwich used the same chicken strips as the Chicken Tenders meal. The onion rings and french fries are good, but a few of the onion rings had some unmixed, powdered batter mix left on them. On a positive note, all food items come with chips and Lawson’s Chip Dip, which is the only acceptable chip dip for this reviewer.
Pav’s Creamery Cuyahoga Falls is open year-round from 12pm to 9pm.
