Louie's in Somerville, Celebrity Pizza in Watertown, Dairy Barn in Randolph, Spadafora Slush in Malden, Dairy Freeze in Quincy, Kell's Kreme on Revere Beach, Captain Frosty's in Dennis.
Toscanini's in Central Square has probably the highest-quality product I've tried in this category, but I also like the retro versions served at the other places I list, which all taste kind of the same, like, the vanilla is clearly artificial vanilla flavoring. Still hits my nostalgia button.
Frozen custard is not soft-serve; Abbott's in Brighton is very good, but doesn't belong on this list.
Live around the corner and can confirm louie's does not have soft serve, claiming that the machine broke and is too expensive to replace. Clearly they'd make their money back pretty quickly with the demand shown here
Well besides any McD's, I also noticed that the DD's on Bennington in Eastie (between the Orient Height's T stop and Constitution Beach) has soft serve and shakes--not sure if that's a trial, or what other DD's are doing this. The concession stand at Constitution Beach sells it. Revere Beach has at least Kell's, and maybe others I'm forgetting. There usually isn't much going on at Winthrop Beach at the beach itself (I was there two weekends ago) but there's probably something on the inner streets.
There's almost always an ice cream truck in Southie around City Point Beach, on the outer edge of Pleasure Bay (and usually no line like Sully's), as well as always one on the edge of the Public Garden at the corner of Arlington & Boylston.
These are all more "traditional" soft serve, without getting into higher-end stuff, or things that are "soft" but frozen yogurt or custard.
Someone in the Twitter feed mentioned the truck at the corner of Arlington and Boylston, next to the Public Garden, which used to be called Jennifer's Frosty and then just Boston Frosty -- the one with the scene from "Make Way for Ducklings" painted on it. But I haven't seen that truck there for a few weeks. I hope the people running it are OK.
I had a friend who worked in food services who made me promise to never eat soft serve. That morning he had cleaned the machine at their cafe, the first time it had been cleaned in over a month. He said it was disgusting.
There are lots of moving parts, gaskets, and nooks and crannies within the machine, such that cleaning the machine thoroughly is quite a process. Manufacturers recommend cleaning daily, but most vendors don't do that. Knowing how to do it correctly is often beyond the skill level of the worker assigned the task.
For the same reason I avoid slushee machines and even those burbling beverage dispensers - it's hard to know if, when and how well the machine was sanitized.
Apart from that, soft serve is often made from pre-mix powders including palm oil instead of dairy. Again, hard to know what you're getting unless you watch it being made.
I'm always on the scout for real soft serve ice cream.. none of this frozen yogurt crap that is served. Which, btw, MOST places serve "Frozen Yogurt" and pass it off as soft serve (like McDonald's)
Lewis Bros in PT makes me happy every evening with some *real* soft serve.
Blackbird Doughnuts on Tremont in the South End has DYNO-MITE soft serve. Highly highly recommended, as I recently went crazy trying to find soft serve vanilla. They also do ice cream sandwiches with donuts. #byesummerbody
Green T in Roslindale has good soft serve; and Auntie Anne’s in South Station has Carvel soft serve, which is wonderful and almost impossible to find outside New York.
Comments
Some answers via Twitter
Kell's Kreme
Seconding Kell's Kreme in Revere, really really good.
Abbott's Frozen Custard in Brighton Center is mostly hard scooped. Do they also do a soft-serve?
Celebrity in Watertown also has soft-serve.
Ya
McDonald's!
Surprisingly good
Ice cream at McDonalds.
The sundaes are small - but just the right size to enjoy without having to jog 10 miles to burn off - for a quick and inexpensive treat.
A few soft-serve places
Louie's in Somerville, Celebrity Pizza in Watertown, Dairy Barn in Randolph, Spadafora Slush in Malden, Dairy Freeze in Quincy, Kell's Kreme on Revere Beach, Captain Frosty's in Dennis.
Toscanini's in Central Square has probably the highest-quality product I've tried in this category, but I also like the retro versions served at the other places I list, which all taste kind of the same, like, the vanilla is clearly artificial vanilla flavoring. Still hits my nostalgia button.
Frozen custard is not soft-serve; Abbott's in Brighton is very good, but doesn't belong on this list.
Last time I went to Louie's
Last time I went to Louie's they no longer had soft serve. Maybe it's back though.
Live around the corner and
Live around the corner and can confirm louie's does not have soft serve, claiming that the machine broke and is too expensive to replace. Clearly they'd make their money back pretty quickly with the demand shown here
Roslindale's Frosty Freeze is
Roslindale's Frosty Freeze is what Adam refers to when mentioning the stand next to Wendy's. Glad to hear it's still open. Cheap and plentiful.
Near West Roxbury, maybe 300 yards down Bridge St. (aka Route 109) , is McGolf, whose snack bar has soft serve.
Well besides any McD's, I
Well besides any McD's, I also noticed that the DD's on Bennington in Eastie (between the Orient Height's T stop and Constitution Beach) has soft serve and shakes--not sure if that's a trial, or what other DD's are doing this. The concession stand at Constitution Beach sells it. Revere Beach has at least Kell's, and maybe others I'm forgetting. There usually isn't much going on at Winthrop Beach at the beach itself (I was there two weekends ago) but there's probably something on the inner streets.
There's almost always an ice cream truck in Southie around City Point Beach, on the outer edge of Pleasure Bay (and usually no line like Sully's), as well as always one on the edge of the Public Garden at the corner of Arlington & Boylston.
These are all more "traditional" soft serve, without getting into higher-end stuff, or things that are "soft" but frozen yogurt or custard.
Frosty truck at the Public Garden?
Someone in the Twitter feed mentioned the truck at the corner of Arlington and Boylston, next to the Public Garden, which used to be called Jennifer's Frosty and then just Boston Frosty -- the one with the scene from "Make Way for Ducklings" painted on it. But I haven't seen that truck there for a few weeks. I hope the people running it are OK.
Can anyone explain
why soft serve is such a scarce commodity in the Boston area? In upstate NY it's ubiquitous.
Not a premium product
Don't get me wrong - I love the stuff - but the profit margin is fairly slim and doesn't pay the rent on a shop in these parts.
There's the ice cream shop
There's the ice cream shop next to Lambert's on Morrissey.
I think I've gotten soft serve at the snack bar at the McCormack bath house.
daily cleaning
Sorry to be a Debbie downer -
I had a friend who worked in food services who made me promise to never eat soft serve. That morning he had cleaned the machine at their cafe, the first time it had been cleaned in over a month. He said it was disgusting.
There are lots of moving parts, gaskets, and nooks and crannies within the machine, such that cleaning the machine thoroughly is quite a process. Manufacturers recommend cleaning daily, but most vendors don't do that. Knowing how to do it correctly is often beyond the skill level of the worker assigned the task.
For the same reason I avoid slushee machines and even those burbling beverage dispensers - it's hard to know if, when and how well the machine was sanitized.
Apart from that, soft serve is often made from pre-mix powders including palm oil instead of dairy. Again, hard to know what you're getting unless you watch it being made.
Ben? Is that you?
Or was that Jerry?
You two are such kidders!
Excellent Question
I'm always on the scout for real soft serve ice cream.. none of this frozen yogurt crap that is served. Which, btw, MOST places serve "Frozen Yogurt" and pass it off as soft serve (like McDonald's)
Lewis Bros in PT makes me happy every evening with some *real* soft serve.
Blackbird Doughnuts on
Blackbird Doughnuts on Tremont in the South End has DYNO-MITE soft serve. Highly highly recommended, as I recently went crazy trying to find soft serve vanilla. They also do ice cream sandwiches with donuts. #byesummerbody
Soft serve ice cream
Green T in Roslindale has good soft serve; and Auntie Anne’s in South Station has Carvel soft serve, which is wonderful and almost impossible to find outside New York.