Steven G.

Awesome ice cream! Best deal is to get a half gallon for only 10$! Vs 8 dollars for only three scoops.

Kiley L.

Loved every bite, best ice on this month long trip. The town is quite beautiful too.

Kevin S.

It's really sad. I have to do this, but your ice cream is not clean. It's full of bad preservative try sodium phosphate that is used as an industrial machine machinery detergent it's terrible for your body. Why do you have to put so many chemicals in your ice cream? It's really disappointing to know a little dairy/creamery out of Ely Iowa has to put this bad, crap and ice cream look at Tillamook ice cream. It's clean and pure your ice cream could be the same way you don't have to have potassium sorbet and Carrageen and just you don't have to do that. You don't have to put that in ice cream. why are you doing that you're taking a possible wonderful product and destroying it with preservatives and chemicals I'm really sorry I have to do this, but people have to know the truth. You need to read the labels people and Dan and Debbie's should be cleaning up their ice cream. There is absolutely no reason they gotta put this crap in there, which begs me to ask the question who's really making it blue bunny, which is the worst ice cream in the world made up in northern Iowa who's making it it begs the question somebody's gotta be making it. And it's probably a large conglomerate cause they always do this crap poison our food. And propylene glycol is a food grade antifreeze that's used in trucks and food grade tankers that hall, corn syrup and everything on the highway. It's used as an antifreeze in the engine and in the heat jack of a tanker it is food grade but you're not supposed to be eating it. And FDC yellow is used in the production of asphalt. It is a carcinogen a poison. The FDA has banded along with the red, blue. They are banned food dies. They could be using natural dies, but these are poisons and they are banned. I believe they got to the end of the year or next year to take them out of all the food and don't get me wrong. I like that and Debbie's I just wish they would've took a cleaner path for a small creamery they could be on the side with Tillamook creamery. And a healthier product.

Lee L.

Whenever I return to Iowa, I try to find time to go down to Kalona to get some cheese curds. It's a bit of a haul but I do love me some squeaky cheese. On a recent trip, however, I found myself in the Mercy Hospital cafeteria where I discovered cheese curds from Dan and Debbie's. Intrigued, I looked to see where they came from. Ely? That's right down the street (in a manner of speaking) from the family home in Shueyville. Though I was tempted to pick up a bag that day, I wanted to go straight to the source for some fresh curds, to ensure the greatest degree of squeakiness. A few days later I made the short trip (with a brief detour to the OHV park nearby) to the business, and was surprised by what I found. It is indeed a working creamery, and they produce their own cheese, bottle their own milk, and churn their own ice cream. In addition to a variety of dairy products, they offer some meats (including more exotic fare such as elk), a few jams, and small collection of gifts. The place is decorated with paraphernalia from the bygone days of the milk industry, such as bottle caps from the glass bottles that used to be delivered to your front door every week. There is a large viewing area where you can the staff hard at work preparing the cheese curds or bottling their milk. There is a large and brightly lit dining area with several tables where you can enjoy your enormous scoops of ice cream. On my first visit, there was a group of day campers and their chaperones creating a controlled mayhem as they got their sugar fix for the afternoon. While the place was quite inviting, I was there for a specific reason: to sample their cheese curds and compare them directly with those from Kalona. I had picked up a bag from that other creamery earlier that day and then headed back for a blind tasting with other family members. The consensus was that both cheese curds had their merit. The Kalona ones were lighter and saltier and were the preferred ones, but the Dan and Debbie curds had a better squeak. Dan and Debbie offered a greater variety of flavored curds, however. A day later I returned with a larger group for their ice cream. They have a broad variety of flavors, both standard and more unique, such as strawberry rhubarb. As there were 10 of us that day, we were able to sample nearly half of what they had. The portions were generous and the ice cream was rich and creamy and very satisfying. Since discovering this place a couple months ago I've been here five times, and have been pleased each time. The workers behind the counter are friendly and helpful with only a slight hint of the expected teenage cynicism. Prices for the ice cream is almost stunningly reasonable. Definitely recommended, though I'll still be making trips down Highway 1 from time to time.

Jason W.

Yummy ice cream and great service! There are lots of options for every pallet. They even have a sampler where you can get several small scoops.

Greg J.

I enjoy the fact that it is a small town locally owned business, That said, I went for the second time just the other night. The first time I went, which was last year, they didn't have any ice cream. Yes, they advertised ice cream, but there was not a scoop in the store. We drove down to Ely just to have some hard scooped ice cream, and the line was about 8 people deep. That sounds like a large cord for such a small town. But the system that they had in place that evening was 'silly'. Two teenage girls were working. One of them was filling all of the orders, so if a family ordered 4 cones, she did all of the work, while the other girl just leaned on the register waiting for the customers to pay. Why she did not help the next person on line to get their order, and do some scooping was beyond me. She was perfectly content to look at her nails, while the other girl did 95% of the work. The ice cream itself was pretty good, although the flavor I ordered Coffee Oreo had very little, if any coffee flavor at all. They did have a nice selection of flavors, so perhaps I will try something else the next trip. They also stock other dairy products as well as jams, granola etc. from other local businesses. They have a good sized parking lot, and the place is directly off of the bike trail. There is a large seating area inside as well as an ample outside deck.

Ashley S.

My go to creamery!!! All the ice cream flavors I've tried have made me so happy, and crave more. Funny story: my mom came to visit (from Las Vegas) and she is a sucker for corn ice cream (she is Filipino and it is a very popular Filipino flavor). She came during the summer when their sweet corn ice cream was available and grabbed a scoop. As we were heading out of the creamery I turned around to see that my mom was nowhere to be found. Before I could walk back to see where she had gone she came jogging back to the car with a half gallon of sweet corn ice cream! To say she loved it is an understatement! I also LIVE FOR their limited edition banana cream pie ice cream. One time I craved it so bad I left home early before work just so I could go out of my way to grab a couple of scoops! I don't even regret it. I'd totally do it again.

Hayley B.

Dan and Debbie's Creamery has quickly become a house favorite. I first had the opportunity to try out their delicious cheese curds and fresh ice cream last summer at the culmination of a bike ride (after stalking them on social media) and they've been one of my go-to ice cream spots ever since. Their cheese curds (which are sold at local grocery stores and come in a variety of flavors) are outta this world awesome, and this family dairy really cares about the quality of their products. It's truly a family operation from top to bottom and you taste the quality - particularly in their silky soft ice cream. They offer at least one limited edition flavor every month and their regular flavors are delicious as well. A drive up to Ely is worth the trip to enjoy a scoop (or two, or three, or a sample dish) of their ice creams out on their large patio. Plus, they carry products from many other local businesses so you have so many opportunities to support local!

Paul V.

Simply put, a wonderful place. Charming interior seating and retail area with a variety of Iowa-made products from the area makes it just more than just an ice cream stop. A variety of flavors including seasonal flavors (I had black licorice on one trip) makes it enjoyable to and easy to get whatever you're in the mood for. Their location right along the bike trail makes for an easy stop if you're out for a ride as well. Don't forget to pick up some cheese curds while you're there.

Lori C.

I've bought their cheese at market and loved it so I was super excited to try their store. It's so worth the trip. Lots of goods from local artisans like meats, elk, butter, milk and goodies. Do not skip the ice cream. It's amazing. Since everyone seems to want to sell soft serve and I love old fashioned frozen ice cream I was ecstatic. Don't miss the peach and for a specialty offering they had black raspberry cheesecake. It was so good. This place is right off the bike trail so a great place for a break after a ride. They have indoor seating and a nice porch so it's great to take kids for an outing. I can't wait to go back for another treat

Elle B.

Dan & Debbie's is the sweetest little place! Farm to table is the key concept here. From start to finish, the entire process is family owned and operated. Think local and homey. The decor is cute and rustic with vintage-y farming equipment and photos throughout. There is seating indoors and on the patio, even an up and coming party room! They have a variety of homemade dairy products on sale, including cheese, cream top milk, and ice cream. All delicious! They also feature products from other local vendors - maple syrup, jewelry, felted soap, pastas, etc. It was totally unexpected and very neat. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and the prices were very affordable. People were streaming in while we were there. Great vibes!

Lauren D.

Okay, I almost don't want to write this review because I want to keep this secret to myself. My husband and I went out here on a whim on a Friday night. Granted, it's a bit of a drive (but 15ish minutes on pretty back roads on a last-couple-days-of-summer type evening? easy choice), but this is SO. WORTH. IT. I ordered the peaches and cream single scoop, and my husband got the purple cow pie (black raspberry pie) single scoop. First of all, this is the best peach ice cream around, not a single question. I consider myself an aspiring peach ice cream connoisseur, and I take this role seriously. I've had maybe one peach ice cream better than this in my life, and it's not even close to here. I liked his too, especially with the crumbles, but the peach is too hard to turn down! I'm excited to go back to try more flavors - crossing my fingers for that pumpkin soon!