Searching for a new go-to ice cream shop (since Coldstone Creamery and Ben and Jerry’s both closed last year), I thought of . Old School opened in 2007; I hadn’t been there since.
After staring dumbly at the menu for 10 minutes considering floats, sundaes, concretes (similar to blizzards) and cones, I ordered a banana split for $7.
This thing, while pricey, was a piece of art: three large scoops of vanilla custard were arranged in a plastic boat—one covered in crushed pineapple, one with strawberries and the last with chocolate sauce. Almond slivers floated in the molten chocolate. A split banana and dollops of whipped cream topped it off.
The first spoonful surprised me. It was thicker than ice cream, but also smoother and creamier, like silk sliding against my tongue. I finished the pineapple third and considered stopping there. It was filling! I devoured the rest anyway. It was too good to waste, especially after the chocolate sauce and custard melted together.
Other menu items include a root beer float, strawberry shortcake, frozen custard pies, take-out pints and quarts that feature a different flavor of the day, every day of the month.
The one employee in the shop at noon was friendly and knowledgeable; the seating area clean and more than adequate. Wooden chairs and blackboards remind customers what schools were like before molded plastic chairs, smart boards and online testing. Pictures of Seattle-centric school buildings from centuries past hang on the wall.
Old School has locations in both Bonney Lake and Seattle.
“There is a lot more walking traffic in Seattle,” admitted Jenny Eiler, who began working at Old School when it first opened in Bonney Lake. “[Custard] kind of an impulse buy, and that influences the amount of business we get here versus our other location.”
“Here our specialty sundaes are big sellers,” said Eiler. “In Seattle people stick to cups and cones—really simple items.”
Old School Frozen Custard offers customers discounts through their library card system, a digital punch card. For every 10 transactions, a customer receives a $5 coupon.
If you’re craving a sugar coma or want to support a local business, Old School deserves your patronage. Their product is delicious and fulfilling.
