Washtenaw Dairy

Went in for a quick dessert after dinner and ended up staying longer than planned. The ice cream selection was solid, with a good mix of classic flavors and a few interesting ones I hadn’t seen before. I tried a scoop of cookies and cream and another of mango, and both tasted fresh and creamy. The place was clean and had a relaxed vibe, nothing fancy but comfortable. Staff was friendly enough and didn’t rush us even though it got a bit busy. Prices felt fair for the portion size. Overall, a nice spot if you’re craving something sweet and don’t want anything over the top. I’d probably go back to try a milkshake next time.

We stopped here after dinner on a Saturday night and it was so busy! Despite this, the employees were so helpful with their flavor and portion suggestions. I got the kid's scoop of the Irish Mint and it was ginormous! The flavors were complex and rich. They have such cute decor inside and several outdoor seating options. I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you have time and room for dessert!

My mom and I visited Washtenaw Dairy yesterday to celebrate her 70th birthday, and the experience was simply wonderful. From the moment we walked in, the warmth of the place wrapped around us like a comforting blanket. The décor, the cheerful hum of families and friends, and the scent of freshly made donuts all contributed to a genuine “small-town but heart-big” atmosphere. (Yes, even in the heart of Ann Arbor!) Our servers Gustav and Taylor deserves special recognition. Not only were they friendly, efficient, and full of bright energy, Gustav kindly offered to take a photo of my mom and me together. His kindness turned a simple outing into a cherished memory. He made my mom feel celebrated—like the guest of honor she was—and made me feel like I’d picked the perfect spot for our milestone celebration. And of course, the treats themselves were top-notch: generous scoops of rich ice cream, a wide selection of flavors (including some I’d never tried before), and a classic donut that took me back to childhood. Washtenaw Dairy has clearly built a legacy on more than just dairy—they’ve built a place where people feel welcomed, included, and cared for. If you’re looking for a place to make an ordinary day feel special, or to mark a milestone like a 70th birthday, look no further. Gustav and the team (including Ryan) at Washtenaw Dairy made our day brighter, and I can’t wait to come back.

Just hanging around Ann Arbor for a couple hrs and on our way out of the area, my wife says "you know what sounds good.... a shake". Decided to splurge on something good quality and noticed we were literally going to be driving by Washtenaw Dairy... and it hit the spot. My wife's was gone in fairly short order. Staff was friendly too!!

Donuts were nice 9/10 Ice cream was delicious & huge portions - 11/10 Customer service was phenomenal - 100/10 Never seen such awesome customer service before. Keep up the good work!

Great stop on my trip to Michigan!! The portions are huge and the butter praline ice cream was great. You can taste the quality dairy. It also felt like a real neighborhood spot that is well loved.

We waiting in line for 40 minutes to give this place a try. The line wrapped around the inside of the building and extended outside. Unfortunately, I don’t think the ice cream was worth the wait. Though it was good, it tasted just like average ice cream you can buy at the grocery store. Additionally, the line moved soo slow, with just 3 people working at a time. With the amount of business, they likely could’ve hired some more help for the busy evening. Finally, the place does not lend itself well for indoor seating due to the long lines. However, I will give them props for probably the most reasonable prices in town and for the most generous serving sizes! Bravo for catering to large groups and families as well. Would I wait in a long line for the ice cream again? No. Would I come back if there was no line? Sure. (Pictured are single scoop cup/waffle cone. Attached are videos of some of the flavors- we weren’t able to look at the options before ordering due to the chaos at the register.)

The best ice cream place in town! I have stopped here numerous times and the portions have always been generous! The Pirates treasure ice cream is amazing! The milkshakes are also great!

Absolutely love! The donuts are so good and the ice cream is just as good and great flavors to choose from. I definitely recommend this spot! Love how cozy and small it as! Many things to buy and try definitely worth the try

I went on the Saturday night of U of M's parents weekend and it seems like everyone and their MOM were there...literally! The space is very small for the amount of customers they serve but I guess their busyness is a positive sign! Line was wrapped inside the building and out the door, wait was probably ~15 minutes but went by fast. I was impressed with the prices and amount of ice cream we got given the economy these days! LOL! I am a big fan of Moose Tracks and this one did not disappoint! I know there are a lot of great ice cream places in Ann Arbor including Blank Slate, Ben and Jerry's, and Michigan Creamery. In all honesty, we went to Blank Slate first but came here due to the crowds there. I would say they match up evenly but probably will always be a loyal Blank Slate customer as well! I guess that's just how the cookie (or should I say ice cream...) crumbles!

I read somewhere that there is a special donut that they make right on Michigan game days. The shop is mostly an ice cream shop, but they also have some donuts and like I said on game day they had the special go blue donuts which were basically cake, donuts, with icing and maize and blue sprinkles. This was one of the best cake donuts I have ever had in my life, and it was worth the 10 minute walk from the parking area past a bunch of athletic buildings into a small neighborhood. Donut and ice cream shop. They weren't too busy at the time we were there, but I heard that they can get pretty busy. They did have stacks and stacks of dozen boxes of donuts that obviously had been ordered for tailgates, so they obviously do pretty good business. They had a number of other items for sale in the store drinks, etc., and a little seating area, but this is a nice little local donut shop that's obviously been around for a long time, and loves their local team.

The ice cream was soooooooo good. Their servings are ridiculously humongous. I had to tell them to chill out cuz I didn't want to waste any because I knew I wasn't going to finish it. The place was crowded but the line moves fast. I wish they had a board that showed the description of the different flavors. It's their take on regular well known flavors. Definitely worth the money and better than any chain ice cream parlors.

When I was in school in Ann Arbor, I'd always heard about Washtenaw Dairy, but I was never able to find it. (I think I missed it by a few blocks.) Since then, I have found it on several trips back to the city. I'm surprised to see that I hadn't reviewed it before now. After being caught in downtownish traffic for a while (seems many students were back & some roads were closed off), I decided I wanted a treat before heading home. I got some kind of peanut butter crunch flavor. (I originally wanted that with coconut, but they were out of that.) It was actually two generous scoops! I was expecting that it was going to be expensive, so I had my credit card ready -- and I was pleased that it was under $4.00 for a LOT of ice cream! So good, too.

Stopped in for a breakfast bite and sampled some of the donuts. All of them were delicious but the apple cinnamon, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles were my top picks out of this batch. Looking forward to trying more varieties and the ice cream selection. Friendly and helpful staff.

Classic neighborhood spot serving up classic treats at neighborhood prices. Used to go here especially for their doughnuts, but also love that they have Superman and Blue Moon ice cream here. So Michigan summer! They make a variety of ice cream treats too, like shakes, floats, coolers, sundaes. You can make their floats with any of the pops they have and any ice cream flavor. They also have fridge/freezers with additional dairy products, some prepared foods/snacks, beers. Plenty of street parking nearby. I had no wait on 2pm on a Sunday.

If you want to treat yourself any time of day, Washtenaw Dairy is the place to go! One of Ann Arbor's longtime ice cream shops, they are a still serving up generous portions with tons of delicious flavors to choose from. Tonight I got Mackinac Island Fudge and Chocolate Peanut Butter. Yum.

BEST ICE CREAM IN THE ANN ARBOR AREA!!! I stopped in for ice cream and couldn't have been more pleased, the line was very long but it was a quick wait. This shop sells everyday food products along with tshirts, mugs and bakery items. All the workers were very nice college age kids with their University of Michigan merch on! The inside was so cute and very welcoming. The prices for ice cream were some of the best I've ever seen, $3.50 for a kids, $4.00 for a single- very generous scoops! Such a nice experience here, I'd highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area!

This place is so good because of the homey neighborhood vibe it gives along with the delicious ice cream. The flavors are amazing, the texture is really creamy and fresh, and the portions are huge. You really get a bang for your buck here.

The ice cream was delicious and the staff was friendly. It was a nice neighborhood experience.

I had to pick up dozens and dozens of donuts for an event very early in the morning. The donuts were ready when I arrived. The large boxes had a good mix and everyone enjoyed this early morning treat.

Great assortment of ice cream. Friendly staff. Will return when back in the area. Tastes great!

Such wonderful staff with over the top customer service. They helped me with a special delivery to my son for his birthday. Very much appreciated!

We love Washtenaw Dairy! Even when the line is long, the service is fast. The free samples are great! I tip them every time because the servings are generous.

Stopped here on a quick date since we found an extra 10 minutes before we got to our appointment. The ice cream was sooo good!!! I've always driven by but never had enough time to stop. Love the cows outside and the staff was incredibly friendly!

I was visiting Ann Arbor and kept driving by this place, and there was always a line...so of course we had to see the hype! The line moves fast, so don't hesitate to wait! Staff very friendly! Ice cream creamy and smooth with a great punch of flavor! A definite place to go! One last note...portions a huge and prices are SO Reasonable ($3.75)

It's in a chill part of town, so I could see walking around on a summer evening and stopping by. I'll eat anybody's ice cream (not sure that came out like I intended...), so I don't have an opinion on how grocery adjacent theirs is, but it's been good and plentiful the few times I've visited. I inhale donuts though, and unfortunately theirs aren't my area favorite. Could be that I'm more of a raised donut person than cake donut, and usually I experience these by way of someone's work-meeting donut kindness. My local obsessions are Dom's, DJ's and Dexter's. Definitely worth a visit though, I remember having a good milkshake.

Great ice cream for MANY years (90 I think). Reasonable prices and large portions. They have donuts now too but stick with the ice cream for a sweet treat!

Came here on a Thursday night and the place was poppin outside, but no wait for ice cream. I got a double scoop of raspberry chip cheesecake (my fav) and peanut butter moose tracks - a MUST try combo - tasted just like pb&j. I think this double scoop was $4.50 and it was so much ice cream I could not finish it all, but totally worth it for two scoops (never limit yourself ). Parking on a popular night is understandably not the best so we had to park a street over. However the team inside was super friendly and quick.

Updating my review as I finally visited in-person! I've been following Washtenaw Dairy on Twitter. They have awesome pint giveaways around sports win. They've also been posting about their Fritter Fridays! After a few weeks of eyeing Fritter Friday, I finally made the trek. It's actually not too far from me at all! I was also worried they wouldn't take CC for some reason, but they do & have a snazzy Square system. Anyways, the fritters were pretty great. The perfect amount golden goodness and texture. Great bits with actual apple without making it soggy. Yum. $2/fritter! I don't know why I imagined the space to be like a regular donut shop with a big glass case of donuts, but it's actually mostly a large/long ice cream case and a small case of donuts. The other half is a small market. I'll have to come back for some ice cream - especially some blue moon ice cream

I finally made it here! After hearing my boys rave about this place since elementary school, I came after dinner on a hot summer night. The decor is reminiscent of a 50s ice cream parlor, but they sell many foodstuffs, including g wine. I love that they have all the necessities! The staff was very friendly and gave great recommendations. I went with the dairy free chocolate, which was made with coconut milk. It was incredible. Great flavor and traditional, rich ice cream texture. The servings are astronomical, so be prepared. I could barely finish the single scoop. I will return to follow the recommendation of adding raspberry sorbet in.

Washtenaw Dairy was hopping when we arrived! No problem - there are two large cases of ice cream to peruse, plus the donuts. We opted for some cinnamon sugar donuts and cookies and cream ice cream in a cup. The ice cream scoops were quite generous. All of the goodies were tasty. The staff were friendly and efficient. Street parking - we found a spot around the corner.

Best Ice cream in Ann Arbor. Cheaper, largest portions and more tasty than anywhere else. Super nice staff and local vibe too.

After many visits I've come to the conclusion that Washtenaw Dairy is a very good, neighborhood corner ice cream shop and convenience store. Of course, it is also an Ann Arbor institution. For me, it's mostly a reasonably priced place to take kids for a sweet treat. This isn't gourmet ice cream that's hand made in small batches. Don't expect any inspired, seasonal flavor options from locally sourced ingredients. There is no fair trade, directly sourced, hot fudge from a cocoa farm in Panama. But that's okay. The highlights are ice cream and donuts. Don't sleep on the donuts. Now, to be fair, the donuts don't really look like much. There is just a small plexiglass case sitting on the corner of the counter, with a few, small, dark cake donuts in a handful of flavors. The shape resembles donuts that are made by machine, and as a jaded donut eater I though I knew exactly what to expect from these specimens. My expectations were pretty low. That said, I had to try one... for science. I've gotta say, these were much better than they looked, largely thanks to a great fry in hot oil which gave the donuts a much crispier exterior than I had suspected. A great crust on a cake donut is a thing of beauty indeed. As good as the donuts are, most of my trips to Washtenaw Dairy are for milkshakes and the midwestern marvel that is the Boston Cooler. To the uninitiated, a Boston Cooler is vanilla ice cream blitzed with the spicy ginger kick of Vernor's soda. On those days when you want a milkshake, but all that diary might be just too heavy? That's why God invented the Boston Cooler. Milkshakes, at five bucks a pop, are the big draw here for my family. At other traditional ice cream shops in the past, we always made a point to order our shakes "extra thick". Do not attempt to do so at Washtenaw Dairy. The standard issue milkshakes are so thick it can occasionally be a challenge to suck them up with a straw. Accordingly, the Washtenaw Dairy shakes are served with both a straw and a spoon. Still, I say the spoon is for amateurs. Real shake lovers can muster up the suction needed to suck one of these ultra thick treats down. My favorite part however, might be that the scoopers behind the counter are more than willing to combine ice cream flavors in the shake canister. I was delighted by a shake made with half strawberry and half chocolate. One of my favorite combinations of flavors is chocolate with citrus, and a chocolate milkshake made with one scoop of lemon custard ice cream has become my top choice. I'm less thrilled with their malteds. Washtenaw Dairy uses a malt syrup instead of a powder, and to my taste it's too sweet. So be it. When I'm looking for fancy ice cream, I'm going elsewhere. But when a kid has their braces tightened, or otherwise has a bad day, I'm heading to Washtenaw Dairy for treats. There is little in this world that a really thick milkshake can't fix.

Great family ice cream parlor with delicious ice cream with generous portions and a friendly staff. This place is a precious Ann Arbor institution. They also carry some nondairy ice cream and sorbets.

One of the best ice cream shops in the area. My boys love coming here. The prices are so reasonable, I have twin 5-year-olds who can never eat a full scoop of ice cream even when they try so I always ask for a toddler-size scoop and it is a perfect portion. I doing except a price adjustment for this but they only charge me 1.00 which is so thoughtful and kind.

Today I got to try the Bear claw ice cream from Washtenaw Dairy. It was a great day for ice cream on this warm day. The ice cream was very flavorful and I loved the crunch of the cone. They give you a great amount of ice cream for the price and for that I will be coming back.

I didn't eat any of the donuts (was a gift but I know they must be good as they were received excitedly and devoured by the people I gave it to) but the service was excellent. Free street parking (if available), the inside is definitely reflective of the 86 years it's been around and the staff was attentive and helpful. I have had their ice cream in the past (many years ago) which was extremely delicious.

The donuts are amazing, Ice cream is amazing. Always busy but they are good at keeping the long line a short wait.

The ice cream is a slow con. This is one of those places that's only still in business due to its location. I hope the owners realize this. Similar to those beach front snack bars and grills with loads of business from beach goers. The operators think "wow I'm a great business man." Nope. It's a fun meet up place situated on a neighborhood on the edge of the U-M campus. The location is gold. It's accommodating. The donuts are cake only. They are good, but no variety other than round cake. No bear claws, no innovation. The ice cream is Strohs, e.g. grocery store ice cream. As others have said and more have said under their breath after realizing the lack of quality. This move is akin to ordering a hand tossed Detroit style pizza and after over tipping the driver receiving a heated up Digiorno pizza. Okay that wasn't fair. At least they heated the Digiorno. Even for catering some shlub is scooping the ice cube like ice cream in little styrofoam bowls with lids. What planet are these people from? Have they not seen quality ice cream? At the very least if they continue this pattern they could at least get Breyers! Grocery ice cream means is hard, ice crystals, and generally a poor experience that can be had from the slime-ball ridden Kroger on Maple. A bin of Strohs can be had there (I'm not kidding), pretty cheap in comparison. Obviously if you're a 3 yr old you don't really care too much . But if you're any other age it's just unacceptable lowly ambitious and pure lack of respect for the customer. I guess they could charge a fair 25 cents possibly 50 cents for a couple scoops but they don't. It feels like a scam. The customer doesn't have a choice. Well, the lack of thinking by this operation needs to change. Someone needs to LEARN how to make ice cream. It's not difficult. You don't operate in a vacuum. It's all part of the old blue-collar-Ann-Arbor-family-owned-business syndicate spawned by Schembecklers Michigan Football.

Blueberry waffle cone ice cream is so amazing here, bonus points if you get it in a waffle cone too. I highly recommend recommend!!!

Washtenaw Dairy is a solid neighborhood ice cream place. The portions are quite large, so I usually get the kiddie size and even then there's a lot of extra. I also come here to grab groceries because it's the closest available option in the area if you don't have a car. From memory they have milk (duh...dairy!), eggs, bread, cheeses, ice cream (also duh), and some ready to eat foods. Lastly, if you come here close to closing, you may be able to score some doughnuts!

TLDR: good serving size, friendly staff, close by parking, crazy good prices went in with a gift card to get some ice cream for my little brother thinking what's 5 dollars going to get us a baby scoop but no that was practically enough for a double scoop all on its own the staff there at the time were also very generous with the portion they'd cooped out. also 1/2 an hour parking nearby is amazing.

Washtenaw Dairy just celebrated their 85th birthday over the 4th of July and it's stayed in business through the decades because it is awesome. It's a sweet, unfussy neighborhood ice cream shop with delicious house made donuts and a small smattering of other beverages and such in thes wall lined coolers. Be forewarned, a "single scoop" is more like a triple. We hadn't been in a while and my husband and I had forgotten just how generous they are. We were each floored by the amount of ice cream they gave us in our order. I got a single scoop (lol) of Superman in a waffle cone and it was SO good but also SO MUCH ice cream. I couldn't finish mine and took the rest of the cone and stuck it in my freezer for another sweet treat the next day! But if I don't have access to my freezer right after I'll definitely be requesting a kiddie cone!

We recently visited on a whim and loved this little dive. We ended up walking about 1/2 mile in drizzle to get here but had no regrets. The ice cream flavors were great and the portions were generous. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. 10/10 would recommend.

"I saw it on Instagram" might be a tired refrain, but it's what brought me to Washtenaw Dairy recently. After seeing a colorful scoop in a tasty-looking come, I couldn't help but want to check the place out for myself. One steamy evening, I set my GPS to Washtenaw Dairy in search of a treat that would also provide relief from the summer heat. "Open 365 Days a year" a sign proclaimed on the door. I stepped inside and was struck by the retro interior. Wood grain paneling covered the walls and linoleum was on the floors, but it seemed charming instead of dated. I tried a few samples before finally deciding on a small scoop in a cup of birthday cake. And what a scoop it was! Barely contained in the paper cup, I hurried to pay and run outside before it began melting o to my hand. I could only finish about 1/3 of it before I was too full for more. When beating the heat, I'll head back to Washtenaw Dairy, but next time with a friend in tow to help me with the huge scoops!

Next time you are in Ann Arbor treat yourself to this family owned ice cream shop! Top 5 things you need to know: 1. The Ice Cream is Great, probably 30+ options. Combine different flavors into the same dish/cone 2. They also serve Donuts & have Michigan Wines / Beers 3. Portions are Large and good price 4. Many Seating Options...inside & outside 5. Street Parking & small lot across the street Rock On!

Absolutely loved this place. We were only here for the weekend and we stopped in 3 times. The place is very cool, old fashioned ice cream shop. The folks behind the counter were super nice and helpful. We stopped in and got 2 dozen donuts. I can't believe how good they were and how inexpensive. My favorite was the apple cider donut! Microwaved for 12 seconds and it was unreal! I had THREE! Stopped in again for coffee and snacks. Finally came back for Ice cream. Everyone loved the flavors they got. But I had the black cherry, which is one of my favorite flavors. I don't know I have ever had a better black cherry ice cream. And coming from NY, again, the prices were great. I plan on coming back hear EVERY time I visit!

Love it love it love it! Absolutely fenomenal ice cream. It's so amazingly creamy and deliscious. On top the portions are overly generous. What you see on the picture it's actually a child cone :) every time I'm in ann arbor i stop there. Extremely highly recommend!

There was a super friendly gentleman in there who greeted me with a smile when I came in. I almost didn't see the small cabinet with donuts in it, but quickly found them and ordered a dozen for my coworkers. They were fresh and delicious, and my coworkers and I inhaled them! I will definitely be back. P.S. Thank you for having coconut donuts. You're my donut hero!

I had these donuts at the junior high school I worked when another teacher brought them in. Haunted my taste buds for years, all I KNEW was they were made in Ann Arbor. When started date a retired professor the spring before I met EBS, I asked about the good donuts. George took me to Washtenaw Dairy and my search was over. Taste of heaven found. When I told EBS about these wonderful donuts and how I loved the maple iced ones, he laughed that laugh of his. He knew all about them because his daughter loved those also. Driving out to Ann Arbor for our dates, I had a reason to stop so I could get them for us, including her brother. Smaller than other places just gives you an excuse to eat more than one. Maple, chocolate, vanilla, or sugar, with nuts or sprinkles, anyway is delicious. Since no calorie count is posted, you have the freedom to just enjoy, but a warning that my weight gain last fall was mightily helped by these donuts. Maybe it is a good thing that I have not found a place with donuts even close to these in Columbus Ohio. That is why I got 6 today and had 2 for lunch. With no kids, I don't have to be a good example.

Ordered a birthday cake here. Looked kinda boring but with some easy decoration, looked much better! Cake tastes amazing and for a great price! Unlike other ice cream cakes where it's lots of cake and little ice cream, this is literally 99% ice cream!! Well worth the price!

This place is still going strong! Stopped by around 4 pm Sunday (yesterday) to pick up a quart of lemon custard ice cream: this is the only place I have been able to consistently find this. Tried a couple new-to-me flavors. Be aware that a double here is actually a quadruple: portions are gigantic. Ps you may want to wait until your order is complete before tipping: staff stopped for a five minute discussion about what they were ordering for dinner while in the middle of scooping my order.

Washtenaw dairy is the place to go for classic Ice cream shop environment. They have all the classic flavors and they all taste good. However, I don't think their quality is the greatest. I bought a pint to-go once, and the ice cream completely crystallized and got unbelievably hard once I put it in the freezer which makes me think that it has a high water content. Also, unpopular opinion-- their donuts are not very good at all. Pros: wide selection of classic ice cream, friendly employees, also sells some grocery items, huge portions Cons: not the greatest quality but still tasty, donuts aren't the greatest, location is also in a random spot Don't get me wrong-- their ice cream is still good, but I don't choose to go to it often.

Great ice cream cones! Went by myself, but seems like a friendly neighborhood place to meet up with some friends. When I was there, average age of customers was around 15-25, with some of us older folk sprinkled around for good measure. My lemon ice cream was delicious, and I will definitely return when I am in the area. Free street parking, right next to the building, makes visiting even easier.

Big scoops, big selection of flavors, big on good customer service = big fan! Tucked into a little neighborhood pocket at the bottom of a hill, this is one of those spots that makes you feel like you wandered off the beaten path and found a hidden local treasure. I love those kind of places! We visited just as the sun was going down on a kinda rainy day so the lights outside and in the windows sparkled and glittered. I was charmed! It was a little like stepping back in time. Inside, the ice cream cases were well stocked with all your favorite basic flavors plus plenty of others like coffee, lemon, cookie dough and then some pretty colorful, crazy ones that kids would surely love. Servers were friendly, helpful and quick and the prices were great. There were also some yummy looking donuts in the case which would make this a fun place for breakfast too. And, if sweets aren't your thing, there's beer for sale as well as yogurt and other fresh dairy products, all at great prices. Got milk? Got milk! Got donuts! Got ice cream! Got authenticity!

It's the new improved washtenaw dairy with friendly staff and generous soda water . They might even welcome women to their coffee klatches these days who knows....

The size is overwhelming. I asked for a double scoop and ended up with 1.5 pint of ice cream stacked in one cup. Great value!! The ice cream itself is average to me. I got blue moon and pistachio. Neither was impressive. Tried their donuts before and not a huge fan. Overall, very cheap place, but I'd rather buy pints from grocery stores and eat them whenever I want at home.