Summer evenings call for ice cream and it tastes all the better at a small neighborhood shop that is only open for the season. The best is when the little shop is shaped like an ice cream cone, or a puppy, or … a barrel.
Get your sugar fix this summer at Barrel of Fun Ice Cream, in Okolona. Tucked at the end of a small strip of stores and shaded by mature trees, the red-and-white striped, teeny barrel-shaped building gives you that carnival feeling. Serving up soft serve and Ruggles ice cream treats, the staff somehow keeps the steady stream of orders moving along quickly from within the tiny space.
First-timers should get the Brown Derby. It’s available in small and large – go for the large. It’s the basics, but oh so good: a giant cone of soft serve dipped in a chocolate shell.
Or go for the classic banana split with the works: three scoops of ice cream, strawberry and pineapple toppings, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top. So good when it all melts together.
If you’re ordering dinner first, you might want to wait to put in your ice cream order after you eat – they’re fast at Barrel of Fun and you’ll have to gobble your ice cream before it melts, either way.
The cheeseburger is the all-American classic, with American cheese and a soft bun.
Or try the hot dog or grilled sausage with sauerkraut and onions.
Take your pick from milkshakes, sundaes, sno cones and various other hand-made treats, too. Barrel of Fun is the kind of place where most everybody seems to know each other from the neighborhood, so take a seat at one of the picnic tables and ask for recommendations. You have all summer to try each one.
Barrel of Fun is located at 9421 Smyrna Parkway, Okolona.
Bring cash – no credit cards!
Photos: Kachina Shaw