Went here for some dessert for the first time and girllll let me tell you, it was good af. I usually never do soft serve but Pipers wanted to make do a double take. First of all location is sups cute. Worker was such a sweetheart and the ice cream was fast and bomb. Definitely gonna bring all my gals and boyfriends and get them hooked. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Soft Serve (lactose free) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Was very excited to try a new ice cream spot in the Cincinnati area, however, if you are expecting a normal experience, think again. There was no line, but we were told there was a 20 minute wait. At first, totally understandable. When it hit 45 minutes of us waiting, it became clear that the system they had of putting ice cream in a line of orders rather than just making it as it comes backfired. Not to mention when seeing what others were waiting 30 minutes for! The $4 small cone was smaller than a cone at chick fil a, and they waited 30 minutes for it. We didn't make a scene, just ended up going to the Wendy's down the street. Definitely looking for good soft serve recommendations. read more

I want to love this place, I really do. I moved to the mainstrasse area in November and patiently waited for the opening dates of Piper's. However, the older man working the front is rude and lacks customer service. Thinking we may have just caught him late in the evening and he was ready to go home... I decided to try another day to find he still has the same negative energy. Icecream is 7/10 and presentation is nice. Just not a very welcoming environment unfortunately. read more

Love this place! We come every time we are in the area. I wish we had one in Georgia. The soft serve ice cream can be any flavor you want. I don't know how they do it but it's delicious. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Salted Carmel and chocolate on a sugar cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

The ice cream was pretty good but the guy at the counter was very rude to us. I guess it was the last day before they closed for the season and he was ready to get out of there or something! read more

Pipers is definitely Mainstrasse's most unexpected, hidden little gem! Don't let the walk-up ice cream shop appearance fool you, Pipers dishes out really creative, health-conscious and super veggie-friendly food (including breakfast all day) too! As a vegetarian, I'm kind of a veggie burger snob, and Pipers has one of my favorites - easily tops the list in the Cincy area. All the flavors, spices and good ingredients packed into that little thing - SO GOOD. Their ice cream, on the other hand, is soft serve that you can order with your own flavor combos..made with flavored syrups. It tasted really good, but I wasn't really a fan of the syrup method. Nonetheless, I come back for the awesome food! They switch out seasonal items every few months, so I'm always checking back to try something new! read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Seasonal item - Chipotle beet tacos & a side of the okra salad with jalapenos and corn. Delicious combo! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

This place is so cool. The ice cream is so good. Please come there it's near the playground! AMAZING place!

Reason for my mediocre rating is the man who either runs or owns this business - he is flat out condescending and gives you the impression they your simple request for a hot dog is a burden. I ordered a hot dog and cream soda. He acted majorly bothered and asked what size soda. Then, asked me "what kind of hotdog?" I replied "what do you have?" Assuming a hotdog, at a walk up window is, well - a hotdog. The man says (visibly annoyed) beef, turkey or idk pork? I answer. He says- what bun, what kind of mustard? Etc etc. each time I replied he had some other annoyed expression. This isn't my first experience with him either. I came a few weeks ago to get ice cream and he was miserable. I can't tell you how disappointing this is. I don't appreciate the way he spoke to my son when he placed his simple ice cream cone order. Cute concept, but come on and lose the attitude. If your menu is too complicated for your level of stress/burden- simplify it. If ordering a hotdog requires you to ask 3-4 questions that annoy you, as owner either check your attitude or change your menu. read more

Piper's is so great! The lady working the outdoor dining area was sweet and knowledgable. The french fries are pretty good, they're like small shoestring style of cut&fried potato. I had the pistachio blended soft serve ice cream and it was very refreshing to enjoy it in the warm afternoon sun.There's a wonderful canopy of mature trees overhead providing just the right amount of shade and comfort. All-in-all I would recommend Piper's for warm hot dogs or cold ice cream. A good place to take the family on a nice day. read more

Best Ice Cream I had in years plus plenty of options. Very busy for a Monday but worth the wait.

I love the blueberry ice cream! Everyone is so kind and helpful. Love their attitudes and helpfulness. A must when in Covington! read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Had bro and family visiting from NY, spent the morning having fun at Smale Park and needed lunch but with gluten free options. I already knew how good the food is at Pipers and they also have great GF options! My SIL was so happy she could have a burger with bun and french fries too! Often fries are fried in oil used to also fry food with gluten so she usually cannot eat fries. BUT, thanks to Pipers and their gluten free bun and frying only dedicated only to "naked" potatoes, my SIL thanked me twice for suggesting Pipers. Her burger was perfectly cooked at Medium too. Bro had biscuits and gravy with lamb over which he swooned; his two sons had goetta chili made with Guiness beer!!!! that was shared by all because we all loved it!!! Too bad - I tried to buy more chili but the two sons got the last of the chili until they could make more. Pipers also has their own potato chips which are nearly translucent, they're so thin! Freshly fried and crispy - OMG. I had my fave: lamb breakfast burger with home fries - all great, as usual. Unfortunately for bro and fam, they can't come back to Pipers very easily. But,.I am going back very soon for the chili, homemade chips AND I will try something new as well. GREAT menu!!! Great service from happy people, too. read more

Happily stumbled upon this little gem when a neighboring establishment we planned to visit was closed for Labor Day. Love that this place uses locally sourced ingredients and has a dog friendly patio! Good biscuit breakfast sandwich and corned beef hash. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Corned beef hash - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

A charming walk up. Close enough to walk to from the park. As others have stated, Piper's has 60 yogurt flavors. With the ability to mix up to 3 flavors there is something like over 3,000 flavor combinations. One flavor or three we all found our yogurt to be light on flavor. The flavor seemed to disappear after five licks. The yogurt taste like plain vanilla or chocolate (for the order that had chocolate in it,) after those first five licks. We found it rather disappointing. Not sure if this is a regular occurrence, but it happened on all of our orders. Seating is located outside. The day were were there a folk group was playing in the far side of the courtyard. Unlike many independent yogurt/soft serve/ice cream places, Piper's is open all year around. read more

See all

Best vegetarian and Ice Cream shop (soft serve) in Covington or Cincinnati! The Pipers Veggie burger was delicious and house made with a bit of spicy taste. You have a tons of choices for ice cream with bowl, waffle, sugar, regular cone options. Licorice is most unique flavor but I went with Creme de menthe (mint) and it was excellent! Worth the walk or drive, with nice outdoor eating views and spots across from park. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

I love Pipers Cafe. I love it so much that I have procrastinated for so long to review it because I didn't know how I would cover all the awesomeness that is Pipers. Let's start out with the food. All the food at Piper's is locally sourced, and you can taste it. The freshness of their food is my favorite thing about Pipers. They have all day breakfast, which is awesome for someone who never actually eats breakfast for breakfast. I would suggest "The Scrambler" or their "Biscuit & Gravy" for breakfast food at Pipers they are my favorite to get. It's just hearty warm comfort food at it's best. They also have all you can eat pancakes (Regular or Gluten Free) for $9.75. For lunch/dinner foods I really love their "Grilled Cheese" Or their "Chili Dog". Everything is really great here though so don't be afraid to try everything. Haha. What's even more awesome about Pipers is that they are very friendly when it comes to your dietary needs. If you want something vegetarian or gluten free they can hook you up. They even have gluten free bread for their sandwiches. With that being said, I'm lactose intolerant. The first time I went to Pipers is because I read somewhere, probably on Yelp! that they had lactose free soft serve ice cream. Which as someone who has this allergy and LOVES ice cream. This was true excitement for me and my stomach. Haha. They have 67 flavors of soft serve and you can mix up to three flavors (No extra charge) to make up your dream flavors. My favorites are "Red Velvet Cake + Cheesecake" and "Fudge Brownie + Black Cherry". They also have sprinkles, so don't forget those. Pipers is also super affordable for the quality and quantity of food you are getting. A lot of places that have the same local based food upcharge you in stupid amounts. It's nice that everyone that goes to Pipers can afford a healthy meal. One of the things that bug me with newer reviews of Pipers is that people say they don't have indoor seating. They do have outdoor seating, but they DO have indoor seating. It's a room off to the left behind the outdoor seating you can go and sit in. It's pretty nice and they will bring your food to you. Pipers is just all around an awesome place. The guy who works there/runs the place is always super nice and cool. You can tell how much the product they are selling means to them and the quality. Plus, when you go eat at Pipers you get to hang out in the Cov. I love the Cov and I love Pipers. read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised by Pipers! We were in the neighboring park and noticed the ice cream sign and made our way over. I checked in on Yelp and was surprised to see so many great reviews for such a small shop with just a window for ordering a couple of tables for seating. HOLY SOFT SERVE! They have a TON of soft serve flavors and honestly, I'd like to try them all. We tried root beer, watermelon, peppermint, and "rainbow chill". All were really tasty! Ice cream can be served in a cup, cake cone, or waffle cone and up to three flavors can be mixed! If you're in the area, it's definitely worth coming by. You won't find these flavors available in many other places! read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Serious selection of soft serve flavors. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

We had a couple of Burgers. They were cooked to order... and done the level asked for not over, not under cooked. Owner says they make their own catsup, mayonnaise and mustard. You can taste the distinct difference. I had chipotle cheese on the burger, nice touch of flavor and spunk. Soft drink made from seltzer and syrup. Tasty. Owner and cook were very friendly. Good service. Guests eating in greeted us and began conversations. What a uniquely personable and pleasant experience. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Cooked just right. Great flavor. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Their ice cream is so freaking amazing! And I love the walk up window so much. They also offer the cutest little cones for kids, but it's perfect for when you want enough ice cream to crush your craving, but not too much! read more

I'm quite possibly addicted to their breakfast and I LOVE that you can order it all day. My favorite item on the menu is the biscuit breakfast sandwich, which I order with goetta, egg, and white cheddar cheese. The goetta is always cooked to perfection, crispy but not burnt and full of flavor. I love that so many of the ingredients are local and fresh. When the weather is nice they have a lovely outdoor seating area, where I love to enjoy my food. They also have a small indoor seating area which I have taken advantage of when the weather was rainy. They also have the option of calling your order ahead and it is typically ready in ten minutes. In addition, they have TONS of soft serve options. You can mix up to three flavors and the list of choices is unbelievable. Strawberry cheesecake ice cream is quite possibly my favorite concoction I have tried to date. They also have a winter ice cream club called the "Frostbiter Club" where if you buy ice cream in the winter months you are given a token, and the tokens can be redeemed for free or discounted frozen treats! read more

The ice cream was phenomenal and the staff was incredible friendly and helpful. We got non alcoholic ice cream today but will get alcoholic next time. Lots of locals came by and said how wonderful the place was. read more

This was my first visit here.. I really enjoyed my breakfast biscuit. It was fresh and hot. The chicken sausage is to die for. The two gentlemen working this morning were really nice. Its nice to visit a new place and feel welcomed. Ill Definetly be back next month when I come to visit. Oh and the ice cream is super yummy read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Very tasty ice cream. Waffle cones leaked which was a messy. Otherwise, highly recommend.

Such a gem! I am kicking myself for never checking this place out and having lived in the area for a few years. What's wrong with me? Don't answer that, we don't have the time. So, after a perusal of the menu and an introductory convo with the owner (believe his name was Chip) I decided on the vegetarian burger and side of antipasta. Yummy! The burger, like almost everything else on the menu was either handmade or locally sourced and was great. The antipasta was fine as well. The meal was actually preceded by a cup of soft serve ice cream with a few flavors that hit the spot. I will definitely be back and will try to bring a few more people that can enjoy this feel good kinda place. Oh, and the outdoor seating area is perfect for enjoying passersby and great weather. You can hear the bell chimes from the nearby Carroll Chimes Bell Tower. See photos of it here: http://therivercitynews.blogspot.com/2012/04/photos-inside-carroll-chimes-bell-tower.html read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Hamelin Square. Outdoor seating and stage - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

I've been to Piper's a million times to grab soft serve. Today I grabbed a veggie burger and I am obsessed! I love a good veggie burger and this one was definitely a good one. Finding a good veggie burger that actually has a good texture is rare, but the blend of oats make this one go to the top of the list! I also got chips, they were very fresh... I wish I would have tried the rat tail fries. The homemade ketchup was delicious. The meal was light enough that I didn't feel heavy, but also fulfilling enough that I was satisfied. I highly recommend giving Piper's a shot for more then just the amazing soft serve! You won't regret it. read more

Piper's is an unbelievably eclectic spot nestled in the heart of Covington. It's an outdoor walk up counter with a 5 star French restaurant feel. The food is so fresh, and great for a quick Sunday breakfast. My go to is definitely the Scrambler. Highly recommended read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

I love this place. The whole walk-up window and outdoor seating idea works for them. It's a great place for people watching. Chip, the owner, is very nice and is proud to tell you where everything on his menu comes from. It's locally sourced if you're wondering. So far, each visit I've made here I've enjoyed everything I've tried. The soft serve ice cream is definitely a must try. They currently offer 40 flavors and you can combine up to three. It's soft serve like you've never had before. And if you check in, you can get a nice discount on their ice cream. Make a visit to the MainStrasse Village and stop by this little outdoor cafe. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - All you can eat pancakes on Saturdays and Sundays!! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Happened upon this adorable little stand and was delighted to see they have an amazing menu, in addition to the soft serve ice cream that I was expecting. Housemade Veggie sausages -- super cool. Gravy using this was very different and interesting! Breakfast all day = Loved that they had made-to-order potato chips. Biscuit was disappointing and more like corn-less cornbread. Love that most of their packaging and straws are biodegradable or compostable. They have pagers to call you when your food is done and ready for pickup. However, the owner was a bit rude when I asked some simple questions. read more

When I was at Piper's, I didn't see a way to tip--there was no tip line on the receipt or basket at the order window. I asked one of the servers about this and he said he appreciated it, but the restaurant doesn't accept tips because the people working there make a livable wage. If any restaurant does not accept tips, I want that to be the reason why. Aside from that great experience and an amazing burger and beet salad (all of the food was clearly fresh), the cup my water came in was compostable. I was very impressed with my dining experience. This is a great place to visit in the spring and summer since they have so much outdoor seating. read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Fresh food, eco friendly utensil choices. My kinda place. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

The ICE CREAM!!!! was amazing! Wow... how I didn't know about this place earlier makes me mad. It was very intimidating at first not knowing how they had all those flavors in soft serve... and then having to decide from all those amazing flavors! Tried skittles and watermelon and it was the best ice cream I've ever had (soft serve) at least. They have adult dessert drinks and treats too! Love that! Didn't try those but I will be back soon to try those for sure! Didn't eat any food but I would much rather have ate the ice cream any way! read more

Pipers Cafe is a hidden gem located right in the heart of Covington, KY's MainStrasse area right over the river from Cincinnati, OH. My friends and I were craving something sweet after a delicious taco dinner down the street at Frida 602 and I remembered seeing an ice cream cone statue outside of a restaurant down the street. We obviously had to check it out. Let's start by talking about what makes Pipers Cafe standout. I think the most obvious thing is that it is a "walk-up." They do not have seating. This is the perfect opportunity to get some steps with your meal, or do what we did, and take our order to one of the many nearby benches and relax / people watch. From soft serve ice cream to apps and main dishes, you can order just about anything at Piper's. They certainly have a variety of options. Speaking of variety, let's talk soft serve, because that's what we enjoyed on our visit. They have over 60 flavors that can be mixed into your "soft serve base." To add to the variety, you can blend up to 3 flavors per ice cream cone. WHOLY WOW. For someone who can be indecisive about food this certainly was a challenge. There were literally thousands of options... how does one decide?! From mocha, to espresso to chocolate to brownie. They had fruity flavors like strawberry and nutty flavors like pistachio or walnut. They had more unique flavors like cinnamon or pumpkin pie. Seriously you name it they had it. I ultimately decided to go for two flavors (3 seemed like overkill) and did pumpkin + peanut butter. While a tad out of season for a June summer night, I enjoyed it. While the flavors were not overwhelmingly pronounced, you could tell it was pumpkin + PB without it being overly sweet. I've had better soft serve in my life, but that's not important. What makes Pipers fun and worth it is the creativity you get to have when ordering. Plus, their staff is friendly, chatty and makes a return visit seem incredibly likely in my book. :) read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Hi yelpers - I want to update my review on Piper's. While the rating didn't change, the park across the street from Pipers did, I feel like it needs mentioning that if you need a space to stop while you're on a road trip, especially with children, this is your spot. Pipers does have lotsof seating, but when you have small children sitting is for a limited time only. The playground across the street is huge, and much more playable than the one they removed. The second piece and update my review is that Pipers has a lot of food options. I basically had come here before for snacks and softserve, but we have now tried the hotdogs and hamburgers they offer - not only is the meat offered local (most food have local options available) but they have what's called "smart side" which is a healthier side option. You'll probably see us at the spot throughout the summer! read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

We went for the first time last night. We had never been. It's a little outdoor ice cream/adult beverage bar. My son got cookies and cream and I got the Reese cup shake. The ice cream was so thick and tasty. It tasted home made for sure. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Great atmosphere. Great ice cream. Guy working the window ruined all of that. Super rude.

What a cute, price reasonable and unique place to eat. Very limited space for seating outside, right across from a park and in a very antique street. The food was soooooo good! Best veggie burger I had ever had! They take pride in the produce used as well as the recyclable utensils. I had the sweet baby watermelon salad ( red/yellow watermelon with chopped mint) with my veggie burger. For dessert, a cone of coconut ice cream mixed with green tea. The head chef even came out to ask how our food was and he was very kind to us. Don't miss out if you are in the area! Is a MUST! read more

Piper's Soft Serve Bar - Veggie burger with watermelon salad! Wow! Wow! Perfect sizing, homemade ketchup and mustard and super fresh veggies/fruit used for this meal - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

See all

Great location, nice looking place and the food is delicious, hands down. That said, I did not feel welcome, at all. I asked for menu recommendations and got zero feedback, worker appeared frustrated over such simple question. I took a menu with me, sat down to study it for a few minutes. I then decided, upon taking my order he asked what I'd like to drink, I asked what they had, and again he became irritated. I had to open a menu just to pick a drink. Do they serve alcohol, teas, coffee, special juices, fountain drinks, shakes (?) Je ne sais pas. So rather than picking up the menu again to search for a drink I told him I would make it easy for him and to just give me water. There's a really cool giant ice cream cone in front of the business, I took dozens of pictures from different angles for social media purposes, in other words, to promote THEIR business on FB, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Well that didn't go very well. A snarky remark came quickly about taking too many pictures, I stopped. I was SO craving an ice cream (or froyo) after the meal but decided to bypass, I felt uncomfortable having to engage with this worker again. The food is great, where the locals go, but tourists beware. read more

What a great little spot, good food and 40 flavored of soft serve ice cream blends that can be combined. Today a workmate and I took our wifi cards and laptops and had ice cream outside while we worked at one of the tables there. We got up and walked over to watch the clock tell the story of the Pied Piper... It was just perfect. This is my kind of place, nice staff relaxing and in a great neighborhood and beautiful little nook of Covington, I wish we had a little place like this in Raleigh. read more

While attending Covington's MainStrasse Oktoberfest over the weekend, we stopped into Piper's Cafe for ice cream. They have a walk up window and feature 24 flavors of soft serve ice cream in addition to hot dogs, burgers, and breakfast served all day. All of their flavors start out as vanilla, flavor extracts are added and mixed in, then the newly flavored ice cream is pressed out into a cone. You can combine up to three flavors, or we found that the $1 kid's cone was a great way to give multiple flavors a try without mixing. Piper's is located near Goebel Park and with so many festivals taking place in the MainStrasse Village I'm sure we will be back for more. read more

I am so glad to have found this spot, every one calling it a little gem is absolutely right. Tucked away on a side street, you'll literally miss it driving right by if you don't know to look. But stop, check it out, and you'll be so happy you did. Food is great, outdoor seating (in appropriate weather) is so very pleasant, and the local, healthy, options abound. Or you can go indulgent, and those are very good too. The staff is friendly, the prices are fair, there's nothing not to love about Pipers. read more

I had the tower platter for breakfast - meat, eggs, hashbrowns, toast for $8. Price fits the quality of meal. It just wasn't that great but I do cook a mean breakfast myself. Wanted it to be sooo good & think if we could've ate lunch vs breakfast, it may have been better. Unfortunately for us, the timing wasn't great. We were out of town on mini vacation & coronavirus hit - making it difficult to find restaurant with accomodations. This cute, quaint, lil house is in walking distance of Radisson Hotel in downtown Covington. If we were to redo this trip, I would choose Waffle House for breakfast & try Piper's for lunch/dessert. read more