Mary T.
Yelp
Change isn't always a good thing...
Still riding high from my trip to AT&T with the P's I decided to treat myself to some ice cream. I grew up in Oak Park and coming to Petersen's was always a treat. I remember sitting in the booth eating my kid's sundae - it came in the old fashioned metal cups and was decorated with animal crackers and a paper umbrella. Blue ribbons and ice cream scoops adorned the walls from state fairs and other competitions won.
Sadly today the Petersen's I visited today wasn't the one with all the great old memories. A while ago the restaurant/soda fountain portion of the place closed leaving only the sweet shop open. Here's what I thought of the sweet shop:
(1) The sweet shop hasn't aged gracefully, in fact it needs a face lift - desperately. I don't think it's gotten one since some time in the mid-80's. Some fresh paint, new wall paper, and a new menu board would do wonders for the place. It could also stand to improve its curb appeal too, you know like an actual sign or something, just sayin...
(2) Ice cream. At least some things stay the same. I got a waffle bowl of the cinnamon ice cream and wasn't disappointed. It was totally worth the stomach ache I got later (stupid lactose intolerance). Thick, rich, creamy with just the perfect amount of cinnamon.
(3) Prices. This place is a bit pricey and I'm not sure why. I know the ice cream is homemade, not mass produced like Baskin Robbins, but really. Since they obviously aren't investing in redecorating and there was only one person working the overhead can't be that bad. My single scoop in a waffle cone was nearly $5 and I was in the burbs, ouch!
(4) The atmosphere. Maybe it was the decor, but this place had a sad, defeated vibe about it. Except for a table of parents with screaming kids, how is it they know how to scream at just the right octave to make my ears bleed, this place was dead. I know Tuesday afternoon isn't a popular time to get ice cream, but somehow I don't think this place sees much action.
Bottom line: The ice cream is as good as it ever was, but the ambiance is lacking. Hopefully, they'll spruce the place up so it's around for a long time to come; I'd really hate to see a place like this die.