Mitchell brothers transformed a historic theatre to offer handcrafted ice creams made in full view with local, organic and fair-trade ingredients. Visit 10 unique shop locations.
I scream. You scream. That’s a lot of screaming, but the ice cream is that good.
Brothers Pete and Mike Mitchell, both Cleveland lifers, decided one day that it might be fun to work together. Whether fun or not, siblings going into business has worked before. Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the airplane. Mario and Luigi saved the princess. So, the Mitchells were on to something.
Sharing a love for frozen treats, the brothers decided to go into the ice cream business, and in 1999 Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream was born in the Cleveland suburb of Westlake. They’ve since expanded their frosty empire to include ten shops total, including a flagship store in Ohio City that features an ice cream shop, private room and 6,000-square-foot production kitchen in which they experiment with new flavors and other products.
What You’ll See
- Friendly faces in a bright, inviting atmosphere. Any Mitchell’s shop you go to looks like everyone’s ideal ice cream parlor. The smell of freshly-made waffle cones floats through the air. A toy train circles the room continuously, capturing the imagination of every kid in the place. Mitchell’s is a popular place, and though you may have to wait in a short line, you certainly won’t mind taking it all in.
- There are more than 20 flavors available at any time, including old standbys like Chocolate, Vanilla or Butter Pecan, as well as house specialties like the Caramel Sea Salt, Dark Roast Coffee or the Ohio City exclusive Porter Chocolate Chunk made with Great Lakes Brewery’s Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Make liberal use of those little tasting spoons because you’re going to want to try them all.
- Mitchell’s found a way to make you feel less guilty eating ice cream. Seriously. The brothers always look for wholesome ingredients from local dairy, fruit and nut farmers that are hormone and antibiotic free. The coffee, chocolate and tropical fruits they use are from growers dedicated to sustainability. All their ice cream is kosher, and there are always vegan and dairy-free options ready to go.
What Else is There to Do?
- That other famous confectioner Willy Wonka would have you scour the globe for a Golden Ticket before he let you behind the scenes of his chocolate factory. Mitchell’s is more than happy to let you look in for free at their Ohio City Flagship store. Check out their huge production kitchen while you sample their many delicious offerings, or head upstairs for a bird’s eye view of all the frosty magic happening below.
Where to Stay
The minute you set foot in The Land, there’s so much to do it might be hard to figure out where to start. Whether you’re making a pilgrimage to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, enjoying a culinary revelation from one of our world-class dining establishments, catching a Browns Game at FirstEnergy stadium or just grabbing a couple scoops from Mitchell’s, it’s all accessible from Downtown Cleveland.
Check out all of the first-class accommodations available to you just across the Hope Memorial Bridge in Downtown Cleveland.
Visit Them All (Because Why Not?)
This is the flagship Mitchell's location, but there are nine more shops to hit throughout the area. It might be a good idea to try them all, you know, for science.