Serving Up Soft Serve: This Ice Cream Shop in Kentucky Won Me Over

I've loved soft serve ice cream for as long as I can remember. When I was a young girl, my family often went through the drive-through of our local soft serve ice cream shop. I have fond memories of joking and laughing with my sister in the back seat of our minivan over strawberry soft serve in a waffle cone. Since then, I've tried soft serve ice cream all over the country. Its versatility makes it a crowd-pleaser; you can order soft serve dipped in chocolate, mixed with various candies, and topped with anything from cereal to chocolate chips. My family recently tried the soft serve ice cream at Dairy Del in Louisville, Kentucky, and we all loved it!

We pulled up to Dairy Del one weekday evening in May. When it's not raining, spring weather in Kentucky is nearly perfect, often with warm sunshine and a cool breeze. The weather had us relaxed and happy, the perfect vibe for ice cream. We studied the menu, noting a wide range of dessert options, as well as savory food items. The ice cream menu featured chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshakes, sundaes, hand-dipped cones, smoothies, and additional treats. The food options included chicken strips, nachos, corn dogs, Polish sausage, and bratwurst. With so many options, it took a while to make a decision, but eventually we ordered at the walk-up window.

The friendly employees quickly prepared our ice cream orders, ranging from a vanilla milkshake to sundaes and flurries. We sat at one of the metal tables near the pick-up window, watching the cars and walkers moving down Shelby Street. One by one, we picked up our ice creams. I ordered a Hot Caramel Sundae—smooth vanilla soft serve ice cream topped with rich caramel sauce and chopped nuts. It was delicious, and the size small was the perfect amount. My family also gave rave reviews of the vanilla milkshake, orange sherbet, and cookies and cream flurry.

Dairy Del offers several seating options, all of which are outdoors. There are three tables with retractable umbrellas facing Shelby Street and a line of grey picnic tables along the right side of the restaurant. Dairy Del's drive-through is also extremely popular. Cars pull in on the right side of the restaurant and wrap around the back of the building. At peak business hours, there are numerous cars and happy customers arriving and departing.

For more details, visit Dairy Del's Facebook page.

Louisville is heaven for dessert lovers. In addition to delicious soft serve, the city offers fantastic small-batch ice cream at Louisville Cream and an epic dessert selection of homemade cakes and pastries at The Café. Smør Nordic Bakery is an authentic Scandinavian bakery, featuring treats with flavors such as cinnamon, lingonberry, cardamom, apple, and almond. 

After eating sweets around town, you may crave some time in nature. Cherokee Park is located in the heart of the city and offers excellent walking, hiking, and biking opportunities. The Scenic Loop is a 2.3-mile scenic paved trail featuring separate lanes for vehicles and pedestrians. AllTrails+ is a wonderful option for hikers to navigate Louisville's trails, providing wrong-turn alerts, 3D flyover previews, and additional trail details.