On the way home from a recent trip to the Cincinnati area, we stopped at Handel's for a sweet…read moretreat. We used to have a location closer to us in Pittsburgh, and we very much miss it, so we make sure to stop anytime we are on a trip and come near one!
This specific Handel's Ice Cream location is on Feder Road, just down from the Feder and Hilliard Rome intersection. It is close to the business district on Hilliard Rome, but just far enough off that it is not too loud or busy. The building sits by itself, and can be accessed via Hartford Village Boulevard, or an unnamed road to the right of the store.
There is a large sign that sits near Feder Road, so you will know exactly where to go. Since the building sits by itself, there is dedicated parking on both the right side and in the rear. I can see potentially at peak times this being full, but there are other parking lots adjacent to Handel's that potentially could be utilized.
Some Handel's locations have an inside, but like most in Ohio, this location is completely outdoors. So, to place your order you simply walk up to the windows, and can then enjoy their bench seating or take your items to-go. When you approach the windows, you will see all of the signage, menu items, and flavors.
The overall ambiance here is nice. There is a lot of bench seating and grass area to socialize and enjoy your ice cream at. There is also a fence at the front of the property to prevent anyone getting too close to Feder Road. The building itself is a classic, older Handel's design, that is very recognizable if you are familiar with the brand. They have a very nice, bright mural painted on the right side of the building that brings a lot to the space.
Our visit was on a Sunday evening in September, around 6:30 PM. It was not too busy, as it was lightly raining when we stopped. We briefly waited for the few groups ahead of us to order, but then got waited on less than 5 minutes after arriving (including the time we took to look at the menu).
The menu had a lot of different flavors to choose from. There were some fall options being that is was mid-to-late September, including Pumpkin flavors! Like all locations, they had cones, cups, milkshakes, sundaes, novelty items, cakes, pies, and much more.
My typical order at Handel's is a 4 Scoop Sampler. This is a takeout-like container with four singular scoops of up to four different flavors. It is a great way to try several different kinds of ice cream, or simply when you cannot decide what you want to have. It is a good size if you are wanting a large sweet treat, or to split with someone else. You are able to get anything that is scooped in the 4 Scoop, which includes the sherbets, ices, and other non-traditional flavors.
We were not super hungry when we stopped, so my mom, sister, and I shared the 4 Scoop Sampler. For the flavors, we chose Confetti Brownie Batter, Frosted Animal Cookie, Knot Your Average Dough, and Blueberry Cobbler. I had never tried the Knot Your Average Dough before, so I was excited to taste it. The Confetti Brownie Batter and Frosted Animal Cookie were new to my mom and sister, and then the Blueberry Cobbler is a personal favorite for my sister.
I really enjoyed Knot Your Average Dough! It is a Cookie Dough-flavored ice cream with a Salted Pretzel Ripple and Cookie Dough Pieces. The ripple was my favorite part, and I would definitely order it again. I am not a huge fan personally of Confetti Brownie Batter (nothing wrong with this one, I just believe there are much better flavors Handel's makes) and Frosted Animal Cookie (in my opinion, does not taste like Frosted Animal Cookies except for the actual cookie inclusions), but both were made well. Blueberry Cobbler had a ton of Blueberry Ripple, and was great. No complaints about the quality or taste of the ice creams! We all enjoyed getting to try some new-to-us flavors.
Since it was raining, and were were trying to get back to Pittsburgh, we took our ice cream to-go. Though, I would love to come back and enjoy the outdoor area on another visit.
Pricing here was fair. A small scoop will run about $5 after tax. Our 4 Scoop Sampler was around $7 after tax. Most single-serve items are less than $10, so very normal as far as ice cream is concerned. Considering they make all of the ice creams in-house and with high-quality ingredients, I definitely believe the value is there.
All of the staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful. As stated, our service was very prompt and quick. I have no complaints about anything relating to the staff or the overall customer service here.
Had a great visit to this Handel's location! Service was excellent, the ice cream was all very well-made, the location is clean, and the overall atmosphere is great. Glad that I got to have some delicious ice cream, and check out a different Handel's location. I highly recommend stopping at Handel's if you have never been, or are simply in the mood for some incredible ice cream!
