LP_031419

20 | March 14, 2019 | the lockport legend dining out
lockportlegend.com
The Dish
More than just a Creamery
Mokena, Frankfort,
Orland Hills locations
try new things
Megan Schuller, Assistant Editor
The sunshine is coming out,
the temperatures are slowly rising
and the ice cream machines
are firing up at Jillian Hersted’s
Mokena and Frankfort Creamery
locations. That means one thing:
springtime is around the corner.
The Creamery has been around
since 1981 and has had several
different owners. Hersted’s family
has owned those locations —
along with Orland Hills — since
2015. The one thing that Creamery
has been known for all these
years is its commitment to consistency
and quality.
“We keep many things the
same, because that’s what people
love about the Creamery, but
we also want to keep it fresh and
new, too,” Hersted said.
Through February and March,
the Creamery has been running
daily a name game on Facebook,
choosing different first names to
receive a free small cone each
day. The also play up the days of
the week in special such as Milkshake
Monday, Turtle Tuesday,
Weenie Wednesday, Sloppy Joe
Thursday, Beefy Friday, Coffee
Saturday and Sundae Sundays.
Hersted’s locations — separate
from those in Homer Glen,
Manhattan and New Lenox —
have rolled out new menu items,
such as edible cookie dough and
the Candyland sundae, to step up
their sweet tooth game.
The Candyland sundae ($3.99
small, $4.99 large) creates a colorful,
swirly hue as the cotton
candy flavored sprinkles and
“blue goo” melts into the ice
cream. It is topped with whipped
cream, gummy bears and a cherry.
“It was a huge success,” Hersted
said of the Candyland sundae.
“We like to try new things.
Some things stick and others
don’t. This stuck.”
The most recent addition
to the menu was a bigger size
blaster ($10.49), which is handmixed
ice cream with candy in a
32-ounce cow-print cup.
“It’s just like the blaster everyone
knows and loves, except
it’s a quart of it,” Hersted said.
“Instead of going to the grocery
store, you can swing by the
Creamery, custom make whatever
you want and put it in your
freezer.”
Hersted said that while some
customers seem to enjoy the
newer items, others just love
sticking with the classic Creamery
items.
“Our cones ($2.29 small) are
our best seller, next to the blasters
with the candy mixed in,” she
said.
Another hometown favorite is
the Original Rainbow Cone ice
cream ($4.39 small) and Original
Rainbow Cone cakes ($27.99 for
a 6-inch), which the Creamery
employees have been licensed
and trained to make.
During the winter off-season,
only the Mokena location
stays open of the three, though
the Frankfort location recently
opened for the season. During
the off-season, Hersted said that
their best seller is the Rainbow
cake.
“A lot of times, people think
we are just an ice cream store,”
long-time General Manager
Robyn Curbis said. “There are
a lot of things we sell, like our
sloppy Joes or Italian beef, that
you wouldn’t expect from an ice
cream place.”
While the Creamery has many
ice cream choices, the food menu
continues to grow, as well.
“There is something for everyone,”
Curbis said.
The beef sandwich ($6.59
regular price, $5 on Fridays) is a
favorite of many of the customers
Hersted said. The fresh beef
Creamery
• 459 W. Nebraska St. in
Frankfort, (815) 469-2107
• 19100 Wolf Road in
Mokena, (708) 479-5706
• 9320 171st St. in Orland
Hills, (708) 873-1297
Hours
• 11 a.m.-9 p.m. in the
winter
• 11 a.m.-10 p.m. in the
summer
For more information ...
www.mycreamery.com
is layered between two slices of
garlic bread, and topped with
peppers and cheese of choice.
Their jumbo Chicago-style hot
dog ($3.79 regular, $1.79 on
Wednesdays) combines a mustard
relish with cucumber, tomato,
onion, sport peppers and
celery salt.
“I love the jumbo hot dogs,
but the Italian beef is a true hidden
gem here that few realize is
Creamery co-owner Jillian Hersted holds up cookie dough and a
Reese’s Blaster quart ($10.49).
available,” Hersted said. “I think
the Italian beef is our best food
item.”
Curbis said that the Creamery
was a tradition that began
in Frankfort and has been going
strong since in several locations.
“We are similar to something
like Dairy Queen, but as a family-owned
business we have more
of a comfortable family feel,”
Curbis said.
Hersted is a Lincoln-Way Central
graduate and said she tries to
give back to the local community
by bringing in local talent
for events, performances or for
things like designing their new
logo. The Creamery is to host an
Easter egg hunt on April 14 at
the Mokena Location, and plans
to have local musicians perform
acoustic sets on the patios of
both locations in June.
Hersted said that the thing
she hopes her customers enjoy
the most is the lasting memories
they make at the Creamery locations.
“The thing people will really
remember is not just the ice
cream; it is their good memories
they’ve had here together,” Hersted
said.
The garlic bread Italian beef topped with hot peppers ($6.59 regular price, $5 on Fridays) and the
jumbo Chicago-style hot dog ($3.79 regular price, $1.79 on Wednesdays) are little-known gems at the
Creamery locations in Frankfort, Mokena and Orland Hills. Photos by Nuria Mathog/22nd Century Media