Patches Family Creamery — Restaurant in South Lebanon Township

What a great place to come for a refreshing treat! Outside the creamery is a petting zoo with goats, donkeys, a few turkeys and a convenient handwash station. There is also a playground for the kids with standard play equipment, and several benches; some in shade for the adults to keep an eye on things. Parking is abundant, many spaces in the front, side, and an additional stone lot off to the side. Just outside the front door are cute tables for folks to enjoy their cones. Once inside there are more tables, and a kid's activity center. You can watch the milk process through several large windows into the work area. There were baskets of fresh produce, and tables with baked goods and treats, soaps and candles, refrigerated cases for milk and eggs, and a freezer case for cakes and ice cream. School is out so the lines are long but move really fast. The staff was super friendly. I was so thrilled that they had many sizes of cone or cup to choose from, as well as several kinds of cones, some made right behind the counter. How wonderful that they offer a "Tiny Cone" option for those of us who want to enjoy ice cream with our friends but don't want to pack on extra pounds. I had the strawberry tiny cone, my friend had the one-scoop raspberry. Both were delicious! This place is a true gem in Lebanon County. It's so adorable, and absolutely a perfect little side trip for adults and kids alike. We will...

The ice cream here is quite good and made on their farm. It's not as high in fat/creamy as some others, which is why I prefer it to any other - it's delicious! They also sell fresh produce in season (blue berries, tomatoes, etc.), milk, butter, cream, and cheese (made by September Farms in Honey Brook, Chester County, PA). And, drum-roll, world-famous Shuey's Pretzels (a perennial Lebanon, PA favorite). Nice playground for children and have both indoor and outdoor seating areas. They have a drive-through, as well, though I haven't tried it out. The one mystery about this place (to my English ways of thinking) is their hours. They close at 4:00pm on Saturdays, 7:00pm on Mondays, and 6:00pm Tuesday-Friday. They are, of course, closed on Sundays. It's odd to me that any retail icre creamery would close before dark during the summer months, which is why I usually get a gallon or two to take home. Many flavors to choose among and well...

We love coming to Patches. The ice cream is delicious, lots of flavors & options as far as cones, waffle cones, sundaes, milkshakes, etc. The folks working there are nice. You can buy animal food inside for the farm animals. There is seating indoors and outside seating under a nice porch. In the summer, that's the place to be, out of the sun. There is a playground too for the Littles. My only concern is not ice cream related. I don't see any run-in sheds for the animals to escape the hot sun. There is also a rabbit outside inside a small box pen. Rabbits especially do not tolerate heat well and can die from heatstroke quicker than you think.

Aside from my own animal care issues, it's a great place for a family outing or even a date.

I hope they'll make better accommodations for the animals. Especially because the animals bring in a lot of profit from people buying food for them. I'd love to see them...