F&W...Best Soda Fountains in the U.S.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

I still love going to the old fashioned malt shops, and soda fountains.


http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshow...ins-in-the-u-s

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

As a kid growing up The soda fountain at the drug store was a favorite place. Green Rivers, cherry phosphates, etc.

&, since I started earning my way quite young, I was often the one to treat other kids.

A half-block away, there was an ice cream/sandwich store, Reed's, and that was another favorite place.

[ronparise Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ronparise]

Before there were any Marriott timeshares or hotels JW Marriott operated a chain of family restaurants called Hot Shoppes. I worked at the one on University Blvd (University of Maryland) in 1963-1968 (got me through college) I worked the fountain.. milkshakes, banana splits, icream sodas, Sundays and the specialty of the house.. The Hot Fudge IceCream Cake

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I think I went to that one in Galveston when I was very, very young. I remember going for walks with my grandmother and getting soda in a little paper cone cup in a silver holder. Thanks for posting this!

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Fond memories of the soda mixes. Haven't seen a shop like it since high school.

[Tammybelle Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tammybelle]

Just saw this post and had to add - we still have a local owned soda fountain downtown in Foley, AL. The cherry sodas are still wonderful.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

Zaharako's is The Indiana soda shop, but I really like the South Side Soda Shop in Goshen, IN a lot. Admittedly, although I often get a shake or a green river there, what I really love it for is their chili -- which they serve in a soda glass -- but chili-heads probably wouldn't like it because it's sort of a mild Cincinnati version. Every time I go I plan to have something else, because they've got a lot of cool stuff, but unless I've made Cincinnati chili myself recently, it's the chili. Zaharakos feels like the early 1900s soda shops; South Side Soda Shop has more of a 1940's or 1950's diner feel. The main building for South Side Soda Shop goes back to the 1900s, but the current owners added one of those chrome-covered dining cars to the side. South Side probably has an edge of nostalgia for me because it reminds me of the place my grandpa took me to in his hometown of Kiester, MN when I was a kid.

Niles has a soda shop that gets pretty good reviews, and it's much closer, but we're never out there. Meant to get to the Archaeological Open House at Fort St. Joseph again, but we had stuff going on that weekend. I should make an effort to get downtown -- there's a history museum in Niles that's been on my list forever. And Veni's Chocolates is in downtown Niles, and I really like their chocolate (although I like the South Bend Chocolate Factory's caramel better; need to find someone who uses Veni's chocolate to cover the Chocolate Factory caramels!).

[Icc5 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icc5]

Owens in Newport,Washington near Blanchard,Idaho has a great soda shop from the 1930's. I had a milkshake that tasted great. It was done with homemade ice cream and we got the metal container with it. Works out to two large glasses and the price was $3.69. I haven't seen that price in 20 years. At the ice cream shops by my house that make their own ice cream this would cost around $8.00 and the ones that don't make thei own this would be about $5.00 for a glass and no metal extra. We really felt we went back in time in taste,quality, and cost.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I don't know if it's nostalgia or really so, but it seems everything tasted better in the past. In the past year, I made one stop at McDonalds and 2 at Burger King and was disappointed in everything I had - not as good as I remembered.