It's too bad a 6-year-old can't write this review, because a 30-something can only imagine the incredible impact Baker's Ice Cream Parlour & Eatery, 15175 W. National Ave., has on a kid.
Case in point: An old-timey candy section greets Bakers' customers, complete with gigantic suckers and a swell selection of "penny" candy favorites. But just beyond the packaged sweet treats is where the real magic happens.
Rubber-ball red walls, colorful Tiffany-style lamps, balloons at every table, a player piano belting out "The Entertainer," and a cheerful staff rushing around in old fashioned outfits -- complete with Styrofoam skimmer hats -- announce that this is birthday party heaven.
So, it's no surprise that there is indeed a birthday party next to our table, although we are somewhat taken aback when the birthday dessert -- a "Hot Fudge Volcano" complete with 30 (!) scoops of ice cream -- is brought out on a stretcher. Owner Patrick Baker and an employee put the massive sundae on a "stretcher" and run it -- yes run it-- around the restaurant while a siren blares.
Ten years ago I might have thought that I had somehow made a wrong turn and ended up in the devil's diner, but parenting softens even the most cynical, and suddenly this seems sweet, exciting ... and familiar.
It's no wonder: Baker modeled his ice cream eatery after Farrell's, a chain of restaurants with a similar motif that was popular two decades ago. Baker worked at the Southridge location (there was also one inside Northridge) and, years later, wanted to bring back the Farrell's-esque fountain fantasy.
"I wanted to create a wholesome, family-friendly restaurant that would take our guests back to a simpler time," he says.
But how's the food, right? It's nothing fancy, but it's good. Unlike other joints supposedly designed for kids that are really germy pits of violent video games and bad grub, Baker's offers classic entertainment and quality, no-frills fare. The kids' grilled cheese ($2.95), for instance, is darn near perfect: brown and toasty bread with oozy cheese in the middle. Plus, it's stabbed with a little American flag. Are we in Mayville?
The kids' menu also offers a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich ($2.95), chicken strips ($3.95) and the usual hamburger-and-hotdog options. All of the sammys come with waffle fries or applesauce.
The adult menu is a tad more sophisticated, with a variety of salads and sandwiches along with the classic hamburgers and hotdogs. We ordered a Reuben ($9.35) that was piled with corned beef, layered in well-melted Swiss and had a reasonable amount of Thousand Island dressing. We also tried the Deluxe Turkey, Cheese and Bacon ($7.45), which was, again, a really good sandwich.
We felt there could have been a few more fries with our sandwiches, but overall, found ourselves surprisingly impressed with the quality of food. We ended our meal with a tin roof sundae ($5.35) and found it absolutely delicious. Even our custard-favoring palates were impressed.
The dessert menu is dreamy, featuring pages of yummy cold concoctions including the fudge mint marvel ($6.45), turtle sundae ($6.95), ice cream shakes and malts ($3.95), banana splits ($5.85) and something called the "hot caramel nutty nutty" ($6.35).
For large groups, like birthday parties, Baker's features "Colossal Creations," which include the Matterhorn ($20.95) that serves up to four; the Big Top ($45.95) and the afore-mentioned Hot Fudge Volcano ($45.95) that serve up to ten.
Baker's Ice Cream Parlour and Eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (262) 784-7700.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
