Mitchell's Ice Cream (Ohio City Kitchen & Shop) — Restaurant in Cleveland

on our midwest road trip, we have been trying the "best ice cream" in each city. mitchell's seemed to be a top choice in cleveland. nice interior and seating, provides samples, but personally i did not think the ice cream flavor selection and taste was anything special.

pricing: double for $6.55 (fairly average, little pricey for the area)

flavor variety: there are a lot of flavors to choose from on their menu, from ice cream to yogurts to sundaes. they accommodate dietary restrictions.

flavor uniqueness: i don't think mitchell's had many unique flavors. many were pretty traditional that you can buy in a grocery store. when paying for ice cream at a shop, i gravitate toward unique flavor combinations and homemade flavors (ex: jeni's and salt & straw), so i was disappointed in this category.

// flavors //

coffee chocolate chunk: my mom tried this flavor and dark roast coffee. she said neither was very strong coffee flavor (more like coffee with cream and sugar) so she opted for the chocolate chunks. it was average to me.

wildberry crumble: i got this because it seemed more original. i believe it is vanilla ice cream with berry and pie crumble. it was good but pretty sweet.

caramel fudge brownie: pretty standard, similar to a grocery store flavor tbh.

i also tried the fall seasonal autumn caramel apple but didn't like it as much because it has more of an apple cider flavor than a cinnamon or apple...

I've never not seen a line out the door here. It's often pure chaos, with staff flipping back and forth and, because of that, maybe you'll wait at the register by yourself for a minute or four while your ice cream melts. And maybe that's annoying. BUT! the instant you walk in and smell the freshly prepared waffle cones, something perks up in you. And while you wait you can appreciate the bright white factory, model train running the full distance between customer dining area and the staff in the back, making all of Mitchell's ice cream for shipping elsewhere. Afterwards, when you get the ice cream, you can head upstairs to get a birds eye view on the production (something that kids love), all the while you're enjoying your delicious, homemade (right in front of you!) frozen treat made with locally and organic ingredients.

At first it seems like more trouble than it's worth, but the ultimate product is so gosh darn incredible (for it's taste, it's price, and it's sustainability) and the presentation to that point is just as remarkable (in a rehabilitated theater, in a bright white production facility, with all of the smells and sights that would make your mouth water) that it easily becomes worth it and worth inviting all of your friends and siblings and parents and dogs to come in and share the experience with you...

June 2021: Mitchell's is a renowned ice cream maker in the Cleveland area. Every summer I indulge in the Maple Walnut flavor.

I encourage you to stop in and give them a try...I bet you $100 that you will like it. 😋😉

April 2022: Stopped in for a quick shake and after sampling a few new flavors (to me), I finally decided on the Blue Cosmo.

Pros: Huge place with ample seating area. I just learned today that they have seating upstairs and around the corner from the cashier. Wow. The ice cream making process is very open for the public to see as well as very clean. Delicious flavors to choose from ranging from the Wildberry Crumble (my fave) to the Maple Walnut. Prices are pretty much on par with other top tier ice cream makers in the area. Friendly staff that very courteous and willing to help. There is an amazing Black Lives Matter mural hanging in the hallway. As a fellow Cleveland artist, I can appreciate good art 👍🏾👍🏾. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on circumstances) Sarah Ridley, the artist of the mural does not work there anymore.

Cons: It seems like every time I visit, there are new people working there. Not sure what that is about, but I've never had any issues with service.

Conclusion: I will be back for sure. Mitchell's Ice Creamery in Ohio City is still a 5/5⭐️...