101 S. Walnut St.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
937.319.1788
website
Yellow Springs is a hamlet best known for its quirky attitude, but in the Dayton area it’s got a better reputation as a place that brings a lot of outdoor folks because there’s just so much to do here. Bike trails, hiking and rock climbing. A great many people come here in the summer, so it only makes sense to have an old-fashioned walk-up ice cream shop to serve a quaint town like this. That’s how the Corner Cone has prospered, a simple walk-up operation with a soft-serve menu and plenty of customers on the evenings.
Ice cream is the name of the game here. Some of the other great things to try:
- Soft serve: Of course the first thing you’re likely to try here is going to be the ice cream cones. This one is very simple! Soft serve is universally wonderful, but a comment that this ice cream is perfectly mixed to a thin, almost velvety consistency that makes for a wonderful cone.
- Sundae: Fun for how inexpensive it is and yet delicious. Soft serve topped with two big, fudgey brownies and topped with some nuts, whipped cream and thick chocolate sauce. Probably best if two people share this big beauty, but then again, why not take it down on your own?
- Buffalo Dog: One of the couple of savory delights on the menu here, this one is a thick beef hot dog topped with a buffalo sauce, onion strings and banana peppers for good measure. The toppings add a bit of warm heat but the dog is piping hot and that’s the best part.
A big part of the charm of this place is the experience, of course. It’s an outdoor stand with a big indoor patio area and most commonly it’s busy in the evenings as kids get out of school and adventurers come back from the parks nearby. Probably ideal as a family stop, of course, but to be clear this is an experience worth having if you’re of any age.
While they don’t make any specialized kind of ice cream the way some better-known brands do, there is a distinct reason this shop routinely lands in lists of favorite ice cream stops in the Dayton area and indeed the state. It’s just an endearing small-town spot.
Recommendations
- Best as a family place, in good weather, and in the evening! But expect company! People love this place.
- There are some hot dogs and other goodies if you want something more substantial than ice cream.
- An off-the-wall idea, the spot also does Uku-Newbies, a program to teach children the ukulele and even give a few away. That would be on the website.
Another Food Critic 