2226 Wilmington Pike
Kettering, OH 45420
937.252.3355
website
A small chain of a few dozen ice cream shops primarily oriented toward the Midwest United States, Ritter’s Frozen Custard is a group of little frozen custard and frozen yogurt stands best enjoyed in the summer, when their outdoor-only dining brings out lots of families and groups looking for cool treats. It’s a fun concept of course; custard, frozen yogurt, ice cream cakes, smoothies, and just about anything cold you could desire on the menu. There is a lot to be enjoyed at these spots, but the namesake frozen custard is what you really ought to be going for.
The basic custard is soft and fluffy. It’s a little bit lighter than your normal ice cream, but that volume does nothing to lessen the taste. The best things? Trying them as a sundae. A few of my favorites:
- Peanut butter mountain: This sundae is made with peanut butter sauce (not as thick as real peanut butter) and peanut butter cups. It’s a peanut butter explosion, but a little extra chocolate brings it home.
- Turtle sundae: This one is topped with hot fudge and hot caramel sauce mixed. Not too much so, and by the time it finds its way to you, the sauces can melt the custard a little. But that vanilla custard is just fantastic. The toasted pecans on top really make nail the whole thing.
- Brownie sundae: Chocolate on chocolate is the key to this one, with brownie bites and hot fudge being the key to the custard here. The brownie gives a little bit of crunchy texture, and that chocolate-vanilla is great.
- Pumpkin pie: This one has a bit of nutmeg and a hint of pumpkin. It can be found on the menu in the fall. And it’s perfect.
- Strawberry Delight: A confection with sweet strawberry syrup, some chunks of strawberry and crunchy wafers. It’s sweet on sweet, but the strawberry is great. The bit of sweet and the crispness is fantastic.
- Lime Italian Ice: A frozen ice treat between layers of that delicious frozen custard. Lighter and still very sweet. Great!
- Strawberry custard: Probably my favorite custard flavor, the taste of that strawberry is not too artificial, but it is sweet!
- Mango custard: One of the other more exotic flavors for frozen custard. On the sweeter end to be sure, but the custard is a good and cold dessert.
The spots are pretty consistent, Ritter’s is a small, octagonal stand surrounded by outdoor stone benches. But in spite of those, the custard joint is open in the winter and some of the locations even have a mobile truck that brings frozen custard to events. It doesn’t just offer frozen custard though, the spot has plenty of other frozen treats like smoothies. And some spots have savory counterparts, like chili dogs, perfect for the warm months.
The service is great, some of the spots have drive through locations but people like to come here and bring families. All told, it’s a great experience.
Recommendations
- The sundaes are great, and definitely one of the best things to try. They are usually pretty simple, but the size of them is great.
- The spots are mostly outdoor seating only, so it’s best to go on warm, sunny days.
- Also, some of the spots have hot dogs and other food, but very sparse menus outside of frozen custard.
Another Food Critic 