Circle S Ranch House West Lawn, PA – Ice Cream Creation Destination!

Today's sunshine after yesterday's sleeting miserableness made me want to take a retro road trip to grab an ice cream, and if I weren't so beat from work a perfect destination would've been The Circle S Ranch House in West Lawn, PA.

Luckily Retro Roadhusband and I roadtripped up there last week, so I can tell you all about it!

Serving Greater Berks County since 1973, RRH and I were intrigued by the great neon sign and the western motif. Decorated in a 1970's interpretation of the old west, replete with knotty pine paneling, cowboy paintings, faux old signs and giant wagon wheel chandeliers with spurs on 'em, it's a bit like the Brady Bunch interpretation of the wild west. Pardner.

While trying to research the restaurant online the only review I saw mentioned that it was her "grandmother's favorite restaurant" and I could totally see that. There were grandmas mixed in with families with kids and when I posted a photo of the neon sign to my Facebook account, friends were reminiscing about showing up here after junior high school dances!

They've got a bit of a "western" flair to some of their names, but alas their "Wagon Wheel" was a burger and not a slab or slice or chunka, as we products of the 70's TV think of a wagon wheel! The food is affordable and a nice alternative to the chains in the area. As I said to RRH when I ate my BLT, "There's nothing wrong with regular food for regular folks".

I wasn't  planning on having ice cream and in fact our next stop was supposed to be a giant dairy twirl down the street in Wernersville (we'll get there soon, don't worry). But when I saw trays go by filled with ice cream sundaes, banana splits and dishes of ice cream ALL WITH A PRETZEL perched on EACH ONE I was POWERLESS to resist the lure  of my favorite flavor combo "the crunchy salty with the sweet cold smooth" - powerless, I tellya.

"the crunchy salty with the sweet cold smooth"

The ice cream was smooth and flavorful, they had butterscotch topping and you just can't get that everywhere nowadays and even Retro Roadhusband was thinking he should've gotten a sundae after he kept tasting mine. I'm hooked.

The place was bustling when we were there (hooray!) so I did not get to ask anyone about the reason behind the pretzel on each ice cream. Since this is practically pretzel country with Tom Sturgis pretzels are made just down the street, that must have something to do with it.

Who am I kidding? They put a pretzel on each ice cream because it sells ice cream to folks who weren't planning on eating it- folks like me! I fell for it, but that's fine, it was sweet and delicious and I'll be glad to bring them my ice cream business and help keep their great retro signs lit.