I scream, you scream, we all scream for Andy’s

Ava Okai

As the temperatures continue to rise, more people find themselves craving a delicious and cold, sweet treat. With the recent opening of Andy’s Frozen Custard, Lagrange has expanded its options for summer sweets!

While other chains like Baskin Robbins, Coldstone, and Oberwise are popular spots for ice cream, Andy’s stands out amongst them with their frozen custard.  I wanted to check out the newest Andy’s location that recently opened in LaGrange, which is only a 5 minute drive from school. 

Let’s first clear up some confusion about the difference between ice cream and custard. Both ice cream and custard are made with milk, cream, and sweetener. But what differentiates the two? The answer: Egg yolks folded into the mixture make custard a richer, thicker, and creamier treat compared to ice cream. 

It turns out, Nazareth’s students have a sweet spot for Andy’s. Out of a random sample of 80 students, 90% said they have been to Andy’s before. 

The survey also revealed the most popular cold treat that students crave from Andy’s is a concrete mixer, which 60% of students picked as their favorite item to order. 

Some of the popular flavors of the mixers included the Snow Monster, a strawberry and chocolate concoction and the Triple Chocolate, a super-chocolatey choice. 

In April, the new location was still working through some logistical issues. New staff, new location and lots of customers has presented some challenges.

English teacher Jeanne Paliatka didn’t love the way they took orders from the drive through. “Taking orders before seeing a menu does not allow me to see all of the flavors,” said Paliatka. However, as a mom of two, Paliatka said it was a good place for kids because of the variety of flavors and sizes. 

Senior Noah Barnes shared his mixed experience at the new location. “They messed up my order and gave my mom the wrong thing,” said Barnes. But, he also said he would go back for a strawberry and OREO concrete mixer. 

In terms of pricing, senior Justin Taylor said, “I just find it too expensive for ice cream.”

Math teacher Patrick Broncato describes himself as an “Andy’s lover.” Broncato says his favorite creation is vanilla custard with OREO and hot fudge. In terms of service, Broncato said, “The service is pretty good and I can understand that a lot of families go there.”

Here’s what I thought: My first visit was on a chilly weekday. I used the walk up window and ordered a BootDaddy Custard. The vanilla custard, OREOs, carmel, and fudge complemented each other perfectly. I finished the whole cup and the sweet treat left me satisfied afterwards. 

The second time I visited, the weather was a bit warmer. The place was busier than it was during my first visit. Ordering and receiving my custard took a bit longer than before, too. This time, I got a strawberry and OREO shake. I was a huge fan of this dessert and had to pace myself so I didn’t inhale it in seconds. 

Overall, I enjoyed both of my experiences at Andy’s Frozen Custard. My favorite item was the strawberry and OREO shake because it was easy to drink in the car and it was delicious. 

Whether or not you’ve already been to the new Andy’s, I recommend you pay a visit over the summer for some frozen custard! By then, some of the new-location challenges should be smoothed over. And even if you do have to wait, it is well worth it.