Restaurant Name: Silver Dipper

Location: 201 E State St. West Lafayette, IN (map it)
Phone: 765-743-7511
Hours: 1-11 daily

Cuisine: Dessert

Review: I’m ashamed to admit the frequency with which I have the opportunity to review this establishment, so let’s just say I’m qualified to review it. This is hands down the best ice cream in Lafayette. One of the things I dislike about chains like DQ is that they no longer have real ice cream, it’s all machine made soft serve in your choice of chocolate or vanilla. When I want ice cream, I want real ice cream, scooped onto a cone. Something with serious flavor that melts in my mouth. I want to be able to walk around and see all my choices, and I want choices. I want to have difficulty making up my mind.

So when I found out about the Silver Dipper, I was pretty stoked. Not only is it a local establishment (which I love!) but the owner is exceptionally friendly (he knows my kids by name). The place is very clean with ample seating and benches outside if you prefer to eat it outside. They have ever flavor you could ever want, to be served in every available kind of cone, and they can also do shakes, sundaes, and more.

Kid friendly: Yes.

Menu Recommendation: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream in a dish

Related Sites: Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream

Note: The Silver Dipper does not accept credit cards, so remember to bring some cash.

Restaurant Name: Kathy’s Kandies & Chocolate Lounge

Location: 611 Main Street, Lafayette (map it)
Phone: 765-429-5176
Hours: Sun-Thu 7:00a-8p, Fri-Sat 7:00a-10:00p

Cuisine: Dessert

Review: I’ve been to Kathy’s Kandies on a few occasions, but we went again tonight because I really wanted some crème brûlée and I knew they had it there. The proprietor, Kathy, really knows her candies. In the past when I’ve gone in, I’ve always felt that Kathy was a bit surly. In fact, after the first few times, I stopped taking it personally and just assumed that was her demeanor but tonight she was friendly and efficient. The shop is larger than one would expect, and very nicely organized with large glass cases full of delightful looking chocolates. I haven’t tried much on the menu, but my kids seem to think the blueberry muffins are great, and I really dig the crème brûlée. If the service is occasionally surly, I can deal with that.

Kid friendly: Yes.

Related Articles: Journal & Courier Article on Main Street move, Journal & Courier City Guide Menu

Menus: Dessert Menu, Candy Menu (pdf)