My husband left for OKC two weeks ago. He likes it there and I am eager to join him in a couple weeks....One thing he tells me is that so far he hasn't seen any ice cream stores like we have here in NY, where you get soft serve. Is he just missing them or do they really not exist? I was in Gainesville, FL visiting my friend a few weeks ago and we did stop for a soft-serve and it was ice milk, not nearly as good as the real thing.

Are you referring to Gellato style ice cream??

I'd go to Braums. They have all the traditional ice-cream, but they also have all that "soft stuff" that tastes so good. If Braums can't rock your world, you are a tough cookie to please.

Isn't the soft serve at Braums really frozen yogurt?
Cake Lady, I know what you're talking about- I really miss soft serve stands. Especially this great place in Vermont that used to have like 100 flavors... good stuff.
Unfortunately (in my experience, at least) soft serve seems to be mainly confined to the east coast. There's not really anywhere that I know of where you can get the same thing here.
Braums has good "hard" ice cream, we also have Baskin Robbins here, and we have the mix-in chains (like Cold Stone, etc.).

Something we have here that is unlike anything they have in NY is our snow cone stands (yes, they have "snow cones" in NY, but it isn't the same)-- be sure to try one this summer.

My husband left for OKC two weeks ago. He likes it there and I am eager to join him in a couple weeks....One thing he tells me is that so far he hasn't seen any ice cream stores like we have here in NY, where you get soft serve. Is he just missing them or do they really not exist? I was in Gainesville, FL visiting my friend a few weeks ago and we did stop for a soft-serve and it was ice milk, not nearly as good as the real thing.


Hey Cake Lady, where from NY are you from? We moved here from the Syracuse area about 3 1/2 years ago, and no, there is no ice cream shops here like there are in NY. Braums is not any where near the same. When we go back home every year, I make sure to get some ice cream, steamed clams and good pizza!

You might try the frozen custard places, like Freddys and Shakeys in Edmond.

I think Shakey's is gone...an Asian place is there now.

I loved Shakey's :(

Visit Rusty's in Norman
(2 spots: Main just east of SW24th & over on E. Alameda, just west of SE 12th)
Not bad, not bad at all, quite good actually, though I think it is all frozen yogurt.

Visit Rusty's in Norman
(2 spots: Main just east of SW24th & over on E. Alameda, just west of SE 12th)
Not bad, not bad at all, quite good actually, though I think it is all frozen yogurt.

We used to go to Rusty's all the time when they were at 122nd and May....but then they closed. Norman is a bit far to go for ice cream from NW OKC! ha ha But it was good....still doesn't compare with soft serve from the north east.

ok, ok, it ain't right around the corner, but it's a bit closer than heading out to the north east (not that I have anything against road trips mind you, I've made some odd ones myself)
Besides, coming to Norman is good for what ails ya, except for certain Saturdays in the fall, and then it's really an adventure through the looking glass

There is a Rusty's at SW 134th and Western, too.

If you could all pardon my ignorance here...I have two questions.

What does McDonalds have, if it's not soft-serve?

And WHERE THE HELL DID ALL MY DAIRY QUEENS GO?

If you could all pardon my ignorance here...I have two questions.

What does McDonalds have, if it's not soft-serve?

And WHERE THE HELL DID ALL MY DAIRY QUEENS GO?


Yes, McDonald's and DQ's have soft serve but it is not the same. The soft serve that is in the northest is produced by the local dairy companies and sold primarily thru little roadside stands that are usually open just during the summer months....maybe it's something Hiland should look into here!

And I'm with ya on the DQs.....they need to come back to the metro!

Hey Cake Lady, where from NY are you from? We moved here from the Syracuse area about 3 1/2 years ago, and no, there is no ice cream shops here like there are in NY. Braums is not any where near the same. When we go back home every year, I make sure to get some ice cream, steamed clams and good pizza!

Ahh you bring a tear to my eye <sniffle sniffle>. I've sort of learned to find substitutes for good things where the real thing doesn't exist. I do have to say that even though soft serve is very good and I do miss it, for ice cream Braum's is really amazing (I go there way too much). Rusty's, although its frozen yogurt, is very good too.

And on the topic of things NY, of course for the pizza Falcone's hits the spot.

I miss good bagels though. Like a little bagel shop that makes them fresh. Bagels and lox. More tears and sniffles...

There used to be a NY Custard/ Soft Serve shop over around 23rd on Meridian. (next door to CiCi's pizza). I can't remember the name of it or know if it is still there or not, but it's much closer to what you are looking for. I bet you would have liked Shakey's as well, although I know most of them have closed down. I bet I can't get a good chicken fried steak in NYC either. Regional items are called regional for a reason.

I miss good bagels though. Like a little bagel shop that makes them fresh. Bagels and lox. More tears and sniffles...


No te gusta los bagels de Panera?

L O L

No te gusta los bagels de Panera?

OH NO.....Panera bagels are no where near as good as fresh bagels from the Northeast! That's like trying to say that Taco Bell is as good as some of the Mexican restaurants here! lol

Panera bagels are fresh every morning.

Panera bagels are fresh every morning.

They may be fresh, but still do not taste as good.

Yeah, I had some great strawberry cream cheese with some bagel on it in New York last March. ;)

Believe it or not, OKC used to have great bagels. When I lived there in the very early 90's there was a place called New York Bagels in the Casady Square strip center at N.Penn and Britton that I would frequent on a nearly daily basis (and this included the year and a half that I lived in Yukon and commuted to OCU!!!). Their bagels were incredible - huge and the perfect balance of chewy and crusty. If memory serves me right, a bagel and lox was like $3.99 - a bargain even at 1992 prices!

My first 3 jobs were at "dairy bars" in Maine. I always liked the twist. Orange-Pinapple and Black Raspberry days were always VERY poplar. I remember having actual training on how to properly fill the cone. I gained 10 pounds the summer I was 15 working for $2 an hour (back then Maine had a "student" wage, lower than minimum). I made up for it in free ice-cream.

Frozen Custard got it's start in New York. Try Sweet Mercy, Frozen Custard at I-240 and Walker in South Oklahoma City. It is worth the drive.

sweetmercy, do you work at Sweet Mercy?

Ya think?

Frozen Custard got it's start in New York. Try Sweet Mercy, Frozen Custard at I-240 and Walker in South Oklahoma City. It is worth the drive.

OK, while I agree frozen custard is good, it's still not the same as soft serve ice cream that you get from little stands in upstate NY. These places usually have 3 flavors - chocolate, vanilla and twist, and they have toppings such as sprinkles and dips.

I had "Mr. Softee" soft serve in NYC this past weekend and I agree that it is better than soft serve frozen yogurt. It's defintely creamier, so it probably has a higher fat content. I think frozen custard is better, but they're not even really the same type of dessert.

No te gusta los bagels de Panera?

Everyone tells me to go to Panera when I whine about bagels (and I'm a Jersey Girl, I know how to whine). They are ok, but its just not the same! To tie back to this forum, its like I can get softserve from Dairy Queen, but its just not the same (OKC Girl you got it right!). Ok maybe its "as good" in a blind taste test, but, oh waaaahhh, its not the same!

And nobody seems to sell lox around here...or do they...


Believe it or not, OKC used to have great bagels. When I lived there in the very early 90's there was a place called New York Bagels in the Casady Square strip center at N.Penn and Britton that I would frequent on a nearly daily basis (and this included the year and a half that I lived in Yukon and commuted to OCU!!!). Their bagels were incredible - huge and the perfect balance of chewy and crusty. If memory serves me right, a bagel and lox was like $3.99 - a bargain even at 1992 prices!

Really? Oh man I've gotta try it! It still appears to be there according to google. Thanks for the tip! You made my day.