You meet the nicest people at Dean's and the ice cream cannot be beat. The staff are the best in the bussiness. read more

My husband and I have visited several times before deciding to write this review. The staff has always been friendly, and the ice cream is delicious. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end for us. The portion sizes are very small for the price, and it feels like every scoop is measured to give as little as possible. On top of that, service is consistently very slow. While the employees are kind, there doesn't seem to be much sense of urgency, and the workspace behind the counter appears poorly organized. You can see employees constantly walking back and forth, making the whole process seem inefficient. We genuinely enjoy supporting local businesses, but it seems the new owners still have some work to do when it comes to operations and overall customer experience. We gave it multiple chances, but unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

Terrible ! For the prices the portions are so small, the descriptions are so off. Very disappointed with what I thought was going to be a "banana split". Deans sucks . They don't have to make things so complicated a banana split doesn't come in a cup and next time someone asked for extra Oreos on a sundae give the crumbs and not the whole cookies ! Weird ! read more

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DATE & TIME OF VISIT: September 21, 2024 @ 11:49am. They were not busy (there was no wait line). AMBIANCE & CLEANLINESS: Such a neat place to visit, it is located in a small Plainwell neighborhood right by the river and park! All the character is still beaming through in this cute little joint. SERVER: The young man that took our order (& filled it) was friendly enough (for a lack of words, he wasn't rude but not friendly either). FOOD: This is what we ordered.... Pumpkin Sundae -- Taste: was alright. Honestly it was nothing special, ice cream was basic/not much of a flavor profile. Cinnamon roll must have been from a can. Just alright overall. Price: $6.00 2 Scoop Waffle Cone -- Taste: Again very lack luster unfortunately. Price: $7.50 Large Chocolate Shake -- Taste: Sadly just basic, nothing exciting. Price: $7.50 OVERALL THOUGHTS: He charged us $25.00 (we were overcharged, it should have been $21.00!) which we didn't say anything because we added it up ourselves after we had paid. Ice cream is mediocre (there is a much better place just around the corner in the city of Plainwell). Atmosphere is wonderful, love the history in the building (you can read about it in the picture in the frame), like the ambience of the river and natural area. WOULD I RETURN? Unfortunately not for us. We would go elsewhere. read more

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My family may be a little biased since my grandma worked at Dean's when she was in high school... but in a family taste test which just consisted of trying both Plainwell Ice cream and Dean's in the same weekend (very scientific), Dean's came out on top! For us, the key differentiators were 1) such wide variety of ice cream options and 2) the awesome setting right by the river. There will always be something for everyone and new things to try. You can't beat sitting by the river on a summer day with a tasty sundae. I still haven't tried any of their hot food items but, again, they've got a huge selection that all sounds very satisfying. Totally recommend stopping by! read more

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Can't find their French Vanilla flavor any more. Not sure if they are not currently making it. Their ice cream taste to me is not quite as good as before I believe their company was sold and they are making a comeback probably by different owners and are now going cheaper in their recipes. read more

I imagine this place is pretty popular in the summer but when it's 40° outside there is no line. There are so many options to choose from it can be a little overwhelming but the staff was helpful and letting us know their top favorites. Portion sizes are large and there are a lot of fun mixes to do!! Staff was very pleasant and we look forward to coming back again but will expect to stand in line. read more

Always the ice cream place for families to go to for many years. Come to Plainwell and see for yourself!

Okay, yes, I love the large malts at the Plainwell Ice Cream, but the ice cream at Dean's is very, very good too. And because the hours at the Plainwell Ice Cream have been recently truncated, I have turned to Dean's. Because Dean's has malts too. And for a couple dollars less. Yet, still yummy. read more

Dean's Ice Cream - "Ta da!" Tristan said.  "Check out the chest hair." - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Plainwell, Michigan

The main issue we've always had with this place is the rudeness of the owner. Having a Bad day here and there is understandable, we're all human, but EVERY encounter with her has been less than desirable. read more

It was my first visit...so i was hoping for the best. The lady that waited on us was rude and seemed annoyed that we ordered food. Kinda put a damper on the evening. And the food wasn't even tasty! Too many other places to checkout in the area, wont be returning! read more

We eat lunch from here more often than ice cream. We have a few favorites from Deans. Our favorite is a Chicken Supreme which is chicken strips on a sub bun with cheddar, Mayo, lettuce and tomato. It's so delicious! They also have tots, fries (I'd order them crispy) and they even hand dip their own onion rings! They do offer daily food specials which is cool. We've also ordered clams and fries, chicken strips, hot dogs and chili cheese fries. As far as dessert goes, that's good too. My favorite ice cream options would be a chocolate malt or shake, an Oreo flurry, a turtle sundae, an upside down banana split or maybe even an ice cream cookie. They do make their own ice cream which is pretty awesome. If you're up for sharing a shake or aren't already full, go for the MONSTER! It's huge! You can't go wrong ordering from here. They do offer call ahead ordering which is convenient. It's located next to the river and the playground so that's always fun to watch the river or play after you're done! read more

Pretty crappy ice cream- you can find better ice cream at a gas station. I tried several flavors and they aren't anything to talk about. If you like creamy, delicious ice cream with quality guarantee... go to Plainwell Ice Cream right around the block. read more

I remember as a child my cousins and my family would meet at Hicks Ave where my grandmother lived before the Plainwell Memorial Day parade. We would watch all the floats go by. After the World War I Vets would fire their riffles in the air and the wreath was tossed in the Kalamazoo river, we would end up at Dean's Ice Cream. My aunts would tell stories about growing up in Plainwell and some of them even worked at Dean's. I have nothing but fond memories of Dean's nut just appreciating the premium ice cream but as a gathering place for friends and family. I now live in Seattle, WA and I can tell you there is nothing that comes close to Dean's Ice Cream. If you should find yourself in Plainwell, MI, it's not just a great scoop of ice cream. It's something else. Tommy M Seattle, WA read more

Been going here since I was a kid living in Richland. Now I live in California and every time I come back to the area, going to Deans is a must. So glad they still have the upside down banana split on the menu. The onion rings are also the best around. read more

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I like that they have soft serve but service is eh and the parking lot sucks. I like that they do the old car thing though

The owner is absolutely rude and acts annoyed or bothered that you're even there ordering food or ice cream. I will no longer give my business to these owners. I hope they sell quick because clearly this lady is MISERABLE. Oh and the ice cream is gross and usually freezer burnt. The only thing I recommend is their malts. So when you go there to order food or ice cream be ready for her rolling her eyes, sighing EXTRA DRAMATIC, and mumbling rude comments to herself because lord forbid you come to her establishment. I will give my business to Plainwell ice cream or dairy freeze in Otsego, They go above & beyond to make you feel welcomed. Good luck! Fingers crossed they sell quick. read more

Good soft serve ice cream. Heard the owner is awful to employees though. Not the nicest to customers either.

food was great and very well priced! they had so much more than expected and it all tasted great!! would recommend strongly!!

I say, better than the "other" place in town. Great car shows in the summer, too. read more

Dean's Ice Cream - The old creamery. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Plainwell, Michigan

Love taking the kids here food & I e cream always hits the spot! Then the kids can get there energy out at the park!

Great ice cream and great food. It's located next to a large, riverfront park which makes for the perfect place to relax during the summer. Parking is never a problem. read more

This was always good! Some people like this better than Plainwell ice cream but I enjoy Plainwell more. This place usually has a line and the staff is always friendly. It was sad to see the place burn down but it did get opened back up. read more

Awesome family place, we stopped here on a Monday and they had a bunch of cool old cars there for a cruising night. The owner was outside talking to everyone, the food was great and the ice cream is awesome. read more