Mystery Diner in Minooka: From smoothies to sundaes, Minooka Creamery the place for frozen treats

Minooka — It’s a hot summer so far around here, and different people have different ways to beat the heat.

Some like swimming. Some like air-conditioned spaces. Some like cool drinks.

We like ice cream.

So very late in the afternoon on a recent sweltering day, I met a few friends at the Minooka Creamery to quickly enjoy some ice cream even as it melted over our hands.

We chose the Minooka Creamery because it was a favorite childhood spot of one person in our group, who said: “I love Minooka Creamery. I don’t know if it’s [the] good ice cream or nostalgia, but it always hits home and it always makes me happy.”

And because, to borrow a quote from the original “Blues Brothers” movie, “This place has got everything.”

Low-fat smoothies in two sizes and eight flavors. Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry twist ice cream in seven sizes.

Dairy-free and fat-free Italian ice in flavors that change each week. Hard-pack ice cream in four fun flavors (vanilla, mint chocolate chip, cotton candy and Superman). Shaved ice in seven flavors.

Specialty sundaes in 11 choices. Regular, single-topping sundaes with 11 choices (ever have cinnamon sauce?) and eight sizes. Novelties like ice cream sandwiches and monkey tails.

Tornadoes with 20 flavor choices and specialty tornadoes in eight varieties, such as banana cream pie. For special occasions, pick up an ice cream cake or Oreo or Re So what did we get?

The nostalgic friend ordered chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone, and said, “It was every bit as good as I remembered it: soft ice cream with a thick crunch waffle.”

Another friend ordered the “Death by Chocolate” specialty tornado, which came with chocolate ice cream, mini chocolate chips and chocolate syrup. It was perfect for someone who likes sweet stuff – and this person does.

You can learn a lot about the last friend by the ice cream this person chose: “Exhausted Parent.”

This was bourbon-spiked espresso ice cream swirled with bittersweet chocolate chunks. The ice cream was very good, and the bourbon flavor wasn’t overpowering.

I am a kid at heart. I had a waffle cone with vanilla swirl ice cream and chocolate topping, my favorite ice cream stand ice cream of them all. My only complaint was that it melted too fast for me to properly savor, because of the heat.

We felt the prices were reasonable and the staff was very pleasant. The lines (and there were lines, let me tell you) in the drive-thru and at the window moved quickly.

Good ice cream, great company, and a nice ice cream shop made for a lovely evening.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Minooka Creamery

WHERE: 111 McEvilly Road, Minooka

WHEN: Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Saturday

INFORMATION: 815-467-9699, minookacreamery.com