Kokomo Restaurants to Visit Purely for Nostalgia - Part 2
Hey Kokomo! If you’re a longtime resident, you’ve grown to appreciate the nostalgia of certain classic restaurants in our city. Take a trip back in time with part 2 of restaurants that helped shape the food scene in Kokomo’s history!
Photo from Kokomo Frozen Custard Facebook
Kokomo Frozen Custard
Over the years, ice cream shops in Kokomo have come and gone. But still today, Kokomo Frozen Custard is serving the same delicious recipe that has kept them in business for the last 35 years. In 1985, Mike Hinkle took a leap of faith and left the farming world to become the proud owner of Kokomo Frozen Custard. So what’s the difference between ice cream and frozen custard? The machine used to make frozen custard produces it with 17% air, compared to 30-50% with ice cream. Frozen custard is also made at a warmer temperature than ice cream, making the flavor stronger. With basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla and rotating flavors of the day, there’s always a flavor to satisfy your sweet tooth. Unfortunately for us, you’ll have to wait until June to get a treat from Kokomo Frozen Custard. But we promise it will be worth the wait! Facts pulled from this article from The Kokomo Perspective.
Photo from Dan’s Variety Bakery Facebook
Dan’s Variety Bakery
If you’re a long time Kokomo resident, you probably know this place as Dirty Dan’s. On Memorial Day weekend in 1975, Kokomo changed forever. Okay, that might be an over-exaggeration. But the line of customers outside of Dan’s, waiting for them to open at 1 AM speaks for itself. From basic glazed donuts to maple and jelly-filled, Dan’s makes and sells around 200 dozen donuts a day, and sometimes triple that amount on the weekends. Go check them out, a donut from Dan’s never disappoints! Facts pulled from this article from The Kokomo Tribune.
Louie’s Coney Island
Locally owned and operated since 1937, Louie’s Coney Island is at the top of our list for bringing the most nostalgia to Kokomo. Lambrinos “Louie” Volikas, met his wife Sophia after they both moved to New York after leaving Greece. After getting married, they both came to Kokomo to run the family restaurant, Union Grill, with Louie’s uncle. Louie’s father, Gus, later joined them and the restaurant was eventually renamed Louie’s Coney Island. There are a couple of specialties that you should know about next time you visit Louie’s. The first one being an item simply referred to as a “bake”. It’s a baked hamburger in the shape of a hotdog, in a hotdog bun, with coney sauce; simply delicious. Some other menu items to look out for include, feta fries, the greek salad, and finally, a classic coney dog. Facts from Duffy, Reid. Reid Duffy's Guide to Indiana's Favorite Restaurants: with a Recipe Sampler. Quarry Books, 2006.
Ray’s Drive-In
Since 1948, Ray’s Drive-In has been a gathering place for Kokomo. What was once a log cabin, the original building was destroyed by a fire almost 20 years after opening. It was rebuilt as a drive-in and was considered the first Drive-in restaurant in Kokomo. When you go to Rays, you absolutely have to get a tenderloin, named the best sandwich in Indiana by USA Today, it will not disappoint! Facts pulled from this article from The Kokomo Perspective.
And that’s a wrap to this blog series about the most nostalgic restaurants in Kokomo. We hope you’ve enjoyed this series! What Kokomo restaurant is the most nostalgic for you? Let us know below!
