Short Lane Ice Cream Co — Restaurant in Gloucester Courthouse

Short Lane Ice Cream Co is one of our favorite stops when we're in the area. It’s become a bit of a tradition for our family especially because my in-laws are huge fans of their peach ice cream. Any time they’re in town, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll end up here for a sweet treat. The peach is their go-to, but I like to try something new every time we visit. Their seasonal flavors are always interesting, and you can tell everything is made with care.

My husband sticks to the classic vanilla it’s his favorite and he says it’s some of the best he’s ever had. Last time, our kids got strawberry and absolutely loved it. They said it tasted like fresh strawberries and even loved the color! The portions are generous, and the quality is always consistent.

The staff here are incredibly friendly and patient, especially when it takes us a minute to decide what we want. The store is always clean, including the bathrooms, which is something I really appreciate, especially with young kids in tow.

There’s plenty of indoor seating, but we love going upstairs it’s quiet, a little more private, and offers a fun view of the shop. On nice days, the outdoor seating is a great option too. Whether we’re here for a quick stop or lingering after dinner, Short Lane Ice Cream Co is always a hit for everyone in our group.

We’re so glad to have this local gem nearby. It's a place we’ll keep coming back to, not just for the ice cream, but for the memories we make there...

A great place to take the kids. Many different novelties to order. As for the ice cream, I thought it was rather pedestrian. I tried butter pecan but rather than having lots of nuts was kind of flavored with powdered pecans? The chocolate chip was better but still not first rate. UPDATE: My brother owned three national franchises that were reputed to have the highest fat content which apparently gives the best flavor. I apparently used a misnomer in suggesting that the butter pecan ice cream was flavored with “powder”. I said this because the ice cream had a yellowish appearance that I never saw before in any butter pecan ice cream. He also told me that while toll house bitter sweet chocolate chips are great in cookies, they are not so good in frozen ice cream. He told me they used shaved chocolate that was formulated to melt quickly in a consumer’s mouth so the full flavor of chocolate was experienced. My thanks to the owner for commenting. I did give the shop four stars and think it is quite unique in the area. Just not a five-star experience.

June, 2022 after several more visits to short Lane, I have decided that they are certainly worth a five star review. Their butter pecan ice cream is now as good as I’ve ever had and it’s no...

We are from out of town and saw the place and decided to try it. There was 3 young girls behind the counter. From the time we went in until we left, there was 2 little girls running around upstairs and squealing. At first it did not bother me, but the running on the floor was pretty loud. I never saw or heard any adults up there.

My husband asked for coffee and was told they did not have any even though there was a sign outside that said they did. When he finally got the coffee (he ordered large), it was in a tall cup that was half full. When I questioned an employee, she mumbled something about the cup. 🤷‍♀️ 😒

The sundae with poundcake sounded great. Unfortunately, the poundcake was old and stale and tasted bad. When I mentioned it to one of the employees so no one else would be given the last piece, again there was a mumble and something about telling someone. I was not offered any replacement so I threw the sundae away and went to the restroom so we could leave. I walked into the restroom and there was something brown on the toilet seat. 🤦‍♀️

Needless to say we will...