Jersey Junction — Restaurant in East Grand Rapids

One of my go-to ice cream places. I don't even need to explain, every local knows this place. The serving is a lot as you can see in the pictures (compared to the cup), and the price is fair and reasonable in my opinion. I always love the combo of watermelon sherbet and belgian cookie butter (?), thats my all time go to. And I do need to emphasize this again but the portion is huge, so their small one is not quite so small actually (at least for me). The selection is wide, and every cup can get at least 2 flavors, I'm not quite sure but that's what I have been doing, 2 flavors per cup regardless of its size. I like how they have vegan friendly options as well. As for the service and wait time, I have read a lot about how the wait is extremely long and how sometimes the service is "bad", in all my visits to this place, I can see that yes the wait line could be long but not quite bad, I mean I have been in a longer line before and to be honest, if you cant wait and feel that its a waste of time then just go to another place, they only have so many people to serve everyone so it's understandable about the line. And also, if you're a local, you would know about this place always have a long line and should be prepared to wait. The service has always been good to me, I mean they're busy all the time and truly just wanna get things right so sometimes I could see why some behaviors might come across as harsh/straightforward but not to the point of being rude. I stutter sometimes when I'm nervous and my accent becomes stronger when that happens, but they always patiently listen and ask again if they dont quite catch my orders. There are places to sit, both inside and outside, and also available restroom to use. I like the rowdy atmosphere in general, definitely not for everyone in some aspects but...

MASSIVELY amazing ice cream servings. The service and atmosphere were all around wonderful.

Dish: Waffle Cone with Michigan Pot Hole Ice Cream. Simply delicious. Similar to moose tracks, but with a chocolate Michigan twist. Love it! Probably my new favorite. The waffle cone was on the softer side, a great texture, and a bit on the sweeter side (but not too much at all). The price is a tad higher, but for the amount you get is WELL worth it!

On a second visit, I also got the Peanut Butter Cup (has peanut butter flavor ice cream). It was good, but missing that rich peanut butter flavor. However, you can definitely taste the unique quality homemade ice cream nuance.

On a third visit, my son had the Superscoop. I tried it and it was like many others: rich and delicious. This one was a bit complex of a flavor and not my preference, but definitely a child’s flavor!

Service: We asked questions and were answered politely, VERY positively, and informatively. The staff there seem to have a great handle on things! We were helped rather quickly and there was virtually no wait.

Atmosphere: Very historic and old fashion. The memorabilia is fascinating and you could spend hours just looking at it all. They had a toy train running a circuit around the ceiling that was so fun to watch with the kids!

The bathroom needed an update, though. Tiny, but functional.

Conclusion: This is an awesome place to take anyone special, but especially kids, for a birthday or other celebration.

Stopped by several Saturdays in the afternoon in 2024 and 2025.

Dietary restrictions: “Please notify staff if you have any food allergies. All ice cream is manufactured at facilities that handle and consume different food allergens. More information available...

Jersey Junction is a fun tradition for our family! Great place. Chris VanAllsburg started this lovely nostalgic ice cream and candy shop. Kids of all ages enjoy the model train that travels above eye level around the small shop. Sit in the vintage school desks while you wait, or take in the historical photos and newspaper clippings adorning the walls. So much history about Ramona Park, the Park that used to be on Reeds Lake where John Collin’s Park is now. (This is a vote to bring back Ramona Park!) There is also a deck with seating and a bench just below under a tree. The bike rack is often full of kid and adult bikes!

Have you read or seen The Polar Express? Chris VanAllsburg’s son, also named Chris, created the story and the book and movie both have references to Grand Rapids. This train is sorta like the first Polar Express!

There is a seating area & tiny restroom up one step, next to the staff waffle-making goodness.m. Unfortunately, the restrooms paper towels are not accessible for those with some disabilities (or shorter patrons). Because of the historically small size of the shop, the restroom itself is also small, unable to accommodate wheelchairs or walkers well. The Starbucks a few shops down has a wheelchair accessible one in the back parking lot, or the D&W across the street.

All in all, it’s a darling ice cream shop with old charm and the young staff were professional and courteous. They even offered our group a “pup cup” for the dog on the very hot day. Umbrellas weren’t out and would be helpful in 100* heat, however! Thanks for all these years of fun, Jersey!

We get excited for April 1st when you open...