Restaurant Review: Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream

Located in the booming metropolis of Cleveland, the small neighborhood of Ohio City is a hidden gem. It houses many rare restaurants, delicious desserts and hip hotspots. I always love visiting, whether it’s for dinner at Market Garden or just a lazy Saturday morning at West Side Market. However, one of Ohio City’s numerous attractions stands above the rest: Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream.

The second you walk through the door, a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere makes you feel instantly safe and secure. Fashioned from an old silent movie theater, Mitchell’s Ohio City campus is certainly unique. Since first opening the retail/production center in 2014, the company has adopted numerous environmentally beneficial practices. According to their website, solar panels now power the store, skylights allow for natural light, furniture is made from reclaimed wood, water conservation has become a priority and waste heat from freezers is used to heat water throughout the building. These eco-friendly practices make me more likely to support this business, but are only a small portion of the reason I’m drawn to this store.

One reason that my family loves Mitchell’s is the ice cream itself. The experience of eating ice cream there is certainly one that can never be replicated. It has a flavor for everyone, no matter how diverse the tastes. While my personal favorite is Vegan Chocolate or a Vanilla Bean Shake, my brother prefers Key Lime Pie and my mom likes Wildberry Crumble. It’s ice cream, so you obviously can’t go wrong no matter what you choose, but they have a wide variety of flavors to satisfy even the most selective of palates.

When you first walk in, your senses are almost overwhelmed by everything there is to see and smell. The artwork on the walls, photographs of a small farm in Wooster, are the first sight my eyes register. Large panes of glass make it possible for customers to see the production of the ice cream they’re eating and are a component of Mitchell’s commitment to transparency. I can’t wait to walk back into the familiar store and experience all of the sights and sounds I used to take for granted. After the quarantine has ended, make sure to check out Mitchell’s, either in Ohio City or one of its other numerous locations in Northeast Ohio. I know it will be my first stop.