As the temperatures rise, all thoughts turn to an ice-cold treat as a way to refresh and cool off. Topeka is fortunate to have a variety of excellent local establishments catering to diverse tastes, from traditional frozen custard and pineapple whips to healthy, fruit-filled treats and a shake for cookie lovers.
Since 2002, Sheridan's has served its renowned frozen custard to ice cream lovers. Their choices include concretes, sundaes, shakes, smoothies, and traditional cones and cups. This location also offers a selection of freshly prepared foods, including burgers, chicken tenders, chili dogs, and pork tender sandwiches.
For those who enjoy a refreshing pineapple whip cone, Pineapple Dream is the place. KSNT's weatherman, Matt Miller, and his wife started the business as a food trailer in 2020 to give their teenagers a place to work. Now, it has evolved into a retail business offering a variety of Dole pineapple whip and soft serve flavors. Many of their options are gluten and lactose-free, as well as vegan-friendly.
For a fruity treat, check out Hanebe (pronounced honeybee). Open since August 2023, this small shop features bowls, smoothies, and shakes made primarily with organic ingredients — no artificial sweeteners, dyes, or flavors. The fresh fruit is cut up every day, and any sweetness comes from the fruit or local honey.
If cookies are your go-to treat, Dirty Dough makes shakes with their cookies blended into the ice cream! Of course, the shop, which opened in November 2023, has a variety of soft, gooey cookies to go with that shake.
Sheridan's Frozen Custard
5937 SW 29th Street
Hours: Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SheridansFrozenCustard.com
Enjoy a classic favorite with this Dirt and Worms concrete, made of vanilla frozen custard blended with Oreo cookies and topped with chocolate sprinkles and gummy worms.
Hanebe
2855 SW Wanamaker
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
HanebeTopeka.com
This Acai Bowl is the favorite at Hanebe. The smooth, refreshing acai is topped with granola, seasonal fruits, chia seeds, nuts, coconut flakes, a dollop of ricotta, and local honey. You can change the toppings to your liking.
Pineapple Dream
6750 SW 29th Street
Summer hours: Sunday-Thursday, 12 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 12 to 11 p.m.
Facebook.com/PineappleDreamTopeka
Few things are more refreshing on a hot summer day than a Dole pineapple whip cone. Here is the orange flavor and the pineapple-pomegranate twist, both in a waffle cone.
Dirty Dough
2727 SW Wanamaker Road
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
DirtyDoughCookies.com
Check out The Terry Shake. It combines a Reverse cookie (chocolate fudge filling wrapped in a peanut butter cookie, topped with peanut butter, chocolate, and Reese's peanut butter cup pieces) with peanut butter syrup and chocolate ice cream. It is topped with whipped cream and chunks of peanut butter cups.