Oliver and Benjamin Bathauer of Clovis do their best to finish the three pounds of an S.O.S at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford on Wednesday afternoon (Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel)
McKinley and Elijah Bailey enjoy a mid-day ice cream break at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford on Wednesday afternoon (Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel)
A banana split awaits its delivery to a customer at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford on Wednesday afternoon (Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel)
Ruby Turner, a 28 year veteran of Superior Ice Cream, makes a banana split at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford on Wednesday afternoon (Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel)
Meredith Moreno takes a photo of her daughter Josephine Morenio eating a banana split at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford on Wednesday afternoon (Gary Feinstein/The Sentinel)
HANFORD — Superior Dairy received national acclaim last week after Yahoo! Travel named it as one of the best shops in the country to eat ice cream this summer.
The shop was one of eight spots across the country highlighted in the article and was one of only two shops mentioned from California. The other business was the Bite-Rite Creamery and Bakeshop in San Francisco. Article writer Jenny Adams applauded Superior Dairy for its small-town atmosphere and large servings of ice cream.
“What started in 1929 as a full-service dairy just an hour past Fresno now focuses on pleasing customers with simple, delicious, no-nonsense ice cream in a handful of flavors and massive presentations,” Adams wrote. “The building is virtually untouched, with a beautiful pressed tin ceiling and the charms of small-town life.”
Adams specifically mentioned the shop’s S.O.S. serving, which features, bananas, hot fudge, strawberries, whipped cream and cherries and enough ice cream to serve half a dozen people, as an example of the shop’s reputation for large portions.
Superior Dairy owners Susan Wing and Tim Jones didn’t even know about their spot in the article until it was brought up in an interview with The Sentinel. Wing said Yahoo! Travel didn’t notify them that Superior Dairy would be featured in an article and said no customers had spoken to her about it after its release, so it came as a complete surprise.
“I’m not a big computer person, so I didn’t see anything online about it,” she said. “It’s been crazy busy for us this time of year anyway.”
Although Superior Dairy has received many accolades from local and state organizations, she said this is only the second time the shop has been recognized on a national scale. The shop was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.com and ranks No. 1 out of all the restaurants in Hanford.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” she said. “We’ve been recognized before, but it’s great to keep that streak going. I can’t believe I didn’t hear anything about it.”
Wing believes that it’s the shop’s ice cream quality and consistency that keeps it growing strong and drawing in thousands of customers every year.
“It’s been here since 1929 and we’ve tried not to change anything,” she said. “Everything still looks and tastes the same. It’s the consistency that keeps people coming. I believe that if something works, don’t mess with it.”
To see the Yahoo! Travel article, go to http://tinyurl.com/lg4ez7x.
The reporter can be reached at 583-2429 or by email at jluiz@hanfordsentinel.com.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
