Union Dairy

Ok where do you go when its 90 degrees out and want to relive your childhood? The Union Dairy of course. This is the real deal. From the neon signs outside to the indoor red counters and bar stools you know you have made it to a piece of Americana. There are so many flavors of Cedar Crest Ice Cream to choose from that i couldn’t even decide — and by the way its a bit ironic that this Illinois establishment serves Wisconsin ice cream but hey it means they have good taste.
Order your favorite in line at the ice cream bar or sit at the large U-​shaped counter and order up from the menu (they do have more than just ice cream). But if you are super hungry get the Pig Order — 12 scoops of ice cream heaven.
I didn’t opt for that but instead got a classic single scoop chocolate chip cookie dough. And oh my gosh then it was gone! what happened? i gobbled up that delicious summer treat before you i could scream for more ice cream.
No worries as there is always more. Staff was friendly, helpful and prompt (all young-in’s mostly) but nice as pie in these parts of town.
if you want to refresh outside there’s lots of outdoor seating or you can hang out in the park just steps away.
So glad i dropped in for a cool-​down. There aren’t many places like this one any more. Don’t miss your chance to appreciate this special place that is more than 100 years old now.

Great experience with one small exception. The service was a little slow. Food was great. I had tuttie burger and wife had the pork tenderloin. PT wasn’t the typical frozen one, it appears to be hand made. Very good. The tuttie burger was good but the green olives were a little strong but still good. Ice cream was excellent.

You know the days are going to get better when you hear Union Dairy is open for the season. I am glad I don’t live closer or be there so much I would eventually not be able to fit through the door!!!

This is so cute and quaint inside like an old fashioned soda shop from the 50’s.
(Sunday, Monday, Happy Days!!!) Lady Bug is my favorite!

Really cute place. Locals were very friendly We were in Freeport for a softball tournament.
Ice cream was good. Would go back.

Everything about this place deserves 5 stars. The young workers are very attentive and polite. Try the german chocolate cake and ice cream if you haven’t already!
I’m not a Mid-​Westerner so I do not eat «Chicago dogs», but I did try a chili cheese dog and it was very good.
Went twice in 3 days of staying in Freeport, so we also tried the BLT sandwich was also good.
I brought a Union Dairy T-​shirt home!

This ice cream is hands down one of the best, if not THE best, I’ve ever had. We were visiting from Northern California Bay Area, which is a hot spot for artisanal… well, everything, but ice cream is one of the more popular items to be artisanal about. Most places there have great quality ice cream (hand churned, slow churned, in the back room churned) in fancy or posh flavors, such as basil or earl grey, something that is oriented towards a crowd that likes to think of itself as haute couture and the like.
However, Union Diary blows them out of the water in two ways: 1) It is amazing ice cream. The texture, quality, and flavors are those of ice cream out of the imagination and fairy-​tale land where children are lured to their deaths with ice cream this enticing. And, 2) It stands for what ice cream fundamentally represents to me, which includes family, happiness, and simple joy. I love how unassuming their options are, with black cherry and whatever that neon blue flavor is called as clear favorites among other guests. In addition, the traditional ice cream bar setting only accentuates their longstanding history with ice cream (100 year anniversary!). All in all, I love that Union Dairy is a place where ice cream is not really art, it’s heart.

Fantastic ice cream in a wonderful setting. The serving sizes are no joke as the single dip is two generously sized scoops, and you can mix and match your flavors.

Too bad they close for the winter. Great old style ice cream parlor. They also serve sandwiches Monday-​Sat. Very reasonable prices. Generous portions. I’ve learned to order the child-​sized cone, because what they call a single would be considered a double scoop in most other places.

If you’re visiting Freeport and looking for a dessert treat you must come here. It’s a Freeport institution. It’s an old fashioned soda fountain type place that’s been here for a hundred years. Fun summer night stop on the Harley or whatever! After you’re done you can stroll across the parking lot and visit the site of the Lincoln Douglas debate in the cute little park the city has put there in tribute. They have great burgers too. Trust me… I’m a local… it’s really good!

A MUST stop if you are in Freeport. The ice cream is wonderful.

Came here on our journey to Kansas due to searching for a geocache. We were delighted to find this architectural gem next to Debate Square. We immediately loved the 50’s style ice cream parlor and red stools and the ice cream was out of this world. I had the 100^th Anniversary ice cream with salted caramel and my husband had Coconut Explosion. So wonderful on a hot afternoon. Don’t miss this!

Saying this place is a blast from the past is an understatement. Hand-​dipped malts and shakes top the list of local favorites. Dozens of specialty ice cream flavors line the walk-​up counter. Vintage menu items from bacon burgers to patty melts line the classic menu. It’s definitely a dynamite diner in the heart of Freeport, IL. The only thing it’s missing is a drive-​in and servers on roller skates. Need to cool off or get your cool on? Cruise on over to Union Dairy.

Drove 30 minutes to find out they had only 12 out of the 40 flavors… waited in line for 10 min then sat down thinking it would be faster. Nope they helped 3 other groups first… took almost 25 min befor my order was even taken! Staff was friendly but they seemed unorganized!
Almost? 7.00 and it came with a prepackaged brownie? But it was still good…

Whenever we come through Freeport we always stop! Great old fashion soda shop. My boys love to sit at the big counter and see everyone enjoying their ice cream. This place is a must stop!

My wife and kids and I just got back from a trip around the state, visiting all the Lincoln-​Douglas Debate Sites. Driving into town after traveling many long and lonely country roads, we vowed we’d celebrate the end of our journey with ice cream after visiting our final debate site. We had our fingers crossed that Freeport would have an ice cream parlor, or at the least a Dairy Queen. As it turned out, Union Dairy is right next door to where the Second Debate was held. We only ordered ice cream, so I can’t speak for the food they serve, but it is mighty, mighty tasty ice cream. I had a malt which was wonderfully chocolatey and malty. The kids liked their Superman ice cream, and my wife had the Tortoise and the Fair. Allll were well-​satisfied. Not a fan of retro-​places, but the fifties décor isn’t too ridiculous. Debate Square is a pleasant place to hang out before and after as well.

Besides Mrs Mikes potato chips and Cannova’s, this is the only other «must have» in Freeport.

Great ice cream, and fantastic setting. It feels like stepping into a 50’s restaurant.

Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?
GOOD NEWS: The Historic Union Dairy, located near the site of the Lincoln-​Douglas debates deserves 5 stars based solely on being an ice cream parlor
BAD NEWS: If you order food here, you’re in for an experience that is worth LESS THAN TWO STARS. The food is NOT GOOD and it is way overpriced.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me tell you about the Union Dairy. It was founded in 1914, but the feel is classic ‘50s & 60’s. The walls are white with red vertical stripes, and the old fashioned soda fountain countertops are red with round red padded stools. Classic 60’s music plays throughout the inside and even out in front of the building where there are six tables and two benches where you can enjoy your frozen delicious treats on warm summer days. On my first visit, I heard Daydream Believer by the Monkees and Little Darlin’ by the Diamonds.
Union Dairy serves only Cedar Crest Ice Cream which is made at a creamery right here in Freeport, IL! Cedar Crest, IMHO, is one of the creamiest ice creams around! They serve a wide variety of flavors, which makes it difficult to choose, but they will give you as many free tastes as you need to make up your mind. I had never had Cedar Crest ice cream before so it took several tastes my first time to decide which were my favorites, but I wouldn’t abuse the privilege now that I am more familiar with their offerings. I have liked all the flavors I have tried. So far, my favorites are Coconut, Blue Moon (almond), Elephant Tracks (chocolate ice cream with pieces of peanut butter cups and chocolate fudge swirls), Mackinac Island Fudge (Vanilla with fudge pieces and chocolate butter fudge swirls), Play Doh (almond with pieces of sugar cookie dough), and Pirates Booty (caramel ice cream with m&m’s and chocolate sandwich cookies). I have also tried tastes of the orange pudding ice cream and the cinnamon ice cream and they were good, too.
They also serve sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes, malts, and ice cream sodas. On another visit we ordered food and a chocolate malt. The malt was thick, creamy, and very tasty; they served it in a glass, and then delivered the extra in the tall metal cup that it had been mixed in — bonus points for that.
NOW for the not so pretty part of the review. We tried eating dinner at the grill portion of the Union Dairy and it WAS NOT a happy experience. Our waitress was lovely; she was friendly, feisty (in a good way) and provided EXCELLENT customer service. The problem was with the food. They advertise that their burgers are hand formed which may be the case but they are tiny; they are dwarfed by a normal sized bun, and all of them were way overcooked. The burgers ranged in price from $ 4.35 for a regular hamburger to $ 6.10 for the Willy Burger ($ 10.95 if you wish to double the burger, bacon, & cheese), but the quality was on the level with Hardees and far below an In-​n-​Out burger, and was priced far higher.
One of my friends ordered a cheeseburger with a small handful of sweet potato fries ($ 4.95+$ 2.65=$ 7.60) which was totally not worth the cost (see posted pic). I can get a gourmet gastropub burger and fries for that price. I ordered the Willy Burger which came with bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and your choice of cheese (American, cheddar, or Swiss) with french fries ($ 6.10+$ 1.79=$ 7.89). Honestly, except for the bacon, it was the same basic burger and fries that you can get at In-​n-​Out for under $ 4. My other friend ordered the Chicago style hot dog which he said was nothing special. We all agreed we’d NEVER return for the food, even if someone offered to treat us — just not good.
So just how can I justify giving this place five stars if the food is AWEFUL? Well, it is only listed on Unilocal as an ice cream parlor, not a restaurant, and yes, the ice cream and the atmosphere is just that good.
The ice cream parlor portion of the Union Dairy is an absolute must not be missed stop if you’re anywhere in the vicinity of Freeport, IL, but if you’re hungry enough to want dinner just remember you’ve been warned.

Awesome lunch in a retro diner! This place is impossible to resist, which is probably true of the locals, too, judging from the crowd that was coming in and out for to-​go orders. The front is an old-​style diner, brightly decorated in red and white, a long, curving counter with chrome and vinyl stools, and a huge stainless steel fountain that runs the length of the counter. A separate freezer for ice cream cones/​sundaes is on the other end of the dining room. There is also a separate room in the back of the store, with plenty of booths for Dobie and Zelda after school. The walls are covered with vintage advertising (some of which looks suspiciously reproduction, but who cares?) and a huge sign in the window that advises they serve Cedar Crest Ice Cream.
Ironically, Cedar Crest makes ice cream back home, not that far from home. One might think it silly to drive over two hours to have ice cream that I can buy in the freezer at Pick ‘n’ Slave, but the grocery store just doesn’t have the atmosphere.
Nor a Chicago style hot dog and a malt.