Gifford's Famous Ice Cream — Restaurant in Bangor

OMG. Cookies and cream, two scoops, in a waffle cone. It was f$#@ing amazing! I was taken aback a little, because I've been here years ago; and although the ice cream was great, it was never amazing (I'd always still rather have had Ben & Jerry's - that's the benchmark on which I compare ice creams). This time, however (July '17), I tasted some of the best ice cream I'd ever had in my life! Was it lack of memory? Has Gifford's doubled down and stepped up their game? Did I have very poor taste in the past? Don't know. Don't care. Gifford's makes amazing f@#$ing ice cream now. And serves it up on delightful waffle cones if you so choose. It's pricier than DQ. It makes DQ look like a McYawnold's kiddie cone though. They have a ton of flavors here too! My kid made me stop reading them to her three-quarters of the way through!

Gifford's - in the words of our favorite red eyes cyborg -...

"If you ain’t gettin’ a flight at Gifford’s, you’re doin’ it wrong, bub."

This year’s fall lineup is so good I’m thinkin’ about pitching a tent in the parking lot until they kick me out or plow me in. My new cold-weather survival kit? Pumpkin, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Pie, Butter Pecan, and Maple Walnut. One bite and I swear I heard a loon call, smelled a wood stove, and felt my Nana hand me a sweater.

And if that ain’t your jam, go for the Berries Basket: Cherry Blossom, Strawberry, Wild Maine Blueberry, Black Raspberry, and Vanilla Bean. It’s like summer in a cup—with whipped cream on top—without the mosquitoes, the blackflies, or Uncle Ray yellin’ at the grill because the propane tank’s empty.

Ten outta ten, worth the drive no matter where you live—unless you live in New Hampshire, then it’s eleven outta ten ‘cause you need...

Fun summer hangout ice cream spot. You can find Gifford's quarts in supermarkets all over Maine, but that doesn't compare to the amount of favors you can buy quarted up at the stand. Weekly flavor special gives you two scoops in a waffle cone or cup for $1.99. They use local ingredients, like for their strawberry sauce, whenever available. My favorite flavor are Campfire S'mores, I Scream for Cake, Strawberry Lemonade sorbet, and Moose Tracks... Among others that I love. I run a popular Tri-State area ice cream shop on the East Coast, so you can trust me when I say Gifford's makes GREAT ice cream. And the Bangor locale has good parking and a lovely, shaded picnic...