We saw Spotted Duck Creamery online as a unique place to stop while we were visiting the area and decided to stop by and try a flight of gourmet, small-batch frozen custard. After all, who doesn’t want deliciousness made from a quacker’s butt nuggets?
To sum it up, don’t bother. Perhaps we have just been spoiled to live where we have with ready access to delicious creameries, but the Spotted Duck was, to be polite, a remorse-filled expenditure of money.
The prices were rather, in my articulate summation, “Meh,” but the website promised us an opulent frozen experience and the opportunity to even meet the geese (er, ducks) who lay these mythical golden eggs. Maybe New York ducks are different than we have back home, and I wanted to find out, not to mention thank them for their sacrifice. YOLO, right?
The flavors seemed promising, and I was greatly anticipating the bougie experience of eating frozen balls of heaven from little jelly jars in a wooden board while staring into the eyes of the feathered parents whose offspring I was consuming. Our hopes were high, because we were led to believe that our hopes should be high. This was creamy frozen custard made from freaking duck eggs with only natural ingredients and flavors! This is allegedly the pinnacle of frozen deserts!…at least if you believe the website.
To reiterate an earlier point, don’t bother. If our level of disappointment were an image on the evening news, it would be censored for fear of disturbing the public. I’m assuming it warrants the label of custard only on some obscure technicality as there was little to nothing actually creamy or custardy about it. The alleged custard was thin and watery with little body or substance to it. Apart from the dull-lustered evidence of fat content left behind on the cold spoon, there would have been nothing to convince me this wasn’t simply iced milk.
And flavorful? Perhaps if your only exposure to food since birth was boiled tofu. The flavors weren’t unpleasant, but they definitely weren’t vibrant or full-bodied. The Fleur Blue was fairly decent, though mild, but when it’s infused in a Temu-equivalent desert, it’s still a disappointment.
Eating it all in front of the ducks was still mildly satisfactory.
Perhaps I’ve just been spoiled by past experiences elsewhere. Perhaps I simply don’t know good custard or truly healthy ingredients. But if the selling point is the “crunchy-ness” of it all, they’re not going to gain a pachouli-wearing convert here. And if the aim was to create an exemplary palate-pleasing desert, they hit the mark about as squarely as a blind man playing golf in a subway tunnel.
I know, I know, the place is loved by reviewers and allegedly voted “Best desert in New York State.” But, I’m sorry, I simply cannot abide pretending that the emperor is wearing clothes on this one.
Save your time. Save your money. Go look at ducks in your local park.
I gave one star because, surprisingly, we were actually able to meet the ducks who gave of themselves for this charade. Another star is for their effective marketing strategy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
James McGregor
What a amazing place for ice cream highly recommended
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frozen Custard
Ted Kidd
Java Junction was the best!
Emily Schuchman
Every time we've been here the service has been incredible and the custard never disappoints! Even when there are flavors in the flights that we try aren't our favorite they are still fantastic. Incredible little area, we love being able to watch the ducks while enjoying the custard. And the cones themselves are to die for! Definitely a place to stop and visit.
A must stop when we are in the area! Amazing ice cream, it even sticks to the spoon as well as your ribs! We hope to be in the area one more time this fall.
Parking: Don't park under the walnut tree in autumn, lol.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ice Cream Flight
Jenny Twardowski
A friend recommended this place, and my husband and I were finally able to check it out. After realizing the scoops of ice cream were only golf ball sized, we opted to share a sundae. We received about $5 worth of ice cream for $9.45. The vanilla had no detectable flavor, and the cookie was disappointing. Make the drive to Watkins Glen if you want a worthwhile ice cream experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Teresa Hobe
Creamiest ice cream that I have ever tried ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
L Dandignac
We visited the Spotted Duck after our waitress in Watkins Glen recommended it. I enjoyed a scoop of the Seneca salted caramel and a scoop of java junction frozen custard. It was well worth the extra miles to get there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Java Junction, Salted Caramel
Josh Harper
It's possibly the best ice cream I ever had. That's something that I don't say lightly.
I love ice cream, and this was no exception. Scout Vineyards (our fave) recommended Spotted Duck to us. It is a little pricey but completely worth it.
Voted the best ice cream (in the state?) - and our party of six concurred. Flavors were all different and well done.
Dietary restrictions: Had two dairy free options - one of our party has a dairy allergy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yummy duck egg ice cream. Unique flavors
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great creamy ice cream/custard. We had three kids 5 years and younger and the ducks on site were a big hit!
We loved the flights!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Creamy custard was good, but I wouldn't consider it the best in New York. But very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salted Caramel, Frozen Custard
Amazing ice cream! You will not be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We saw Spotted Duck Creamery online as a unique place to stop while we were visiting the area and decided to stop by and try a flight of gourmet, small-batch frozen custard. After all, who doesn’t want deliciousness made from a quacker’s butt nuggets?
To sum it up, don’t bother. Perhaps we have just been spoiled to live where we have with ready access to delicious creameries, but the Spotted Duck was, to be polite, a remorse-filled expenditure of money.
The prices were rather, in my articulate summation, “Meh,” but the website promised us an opulent frozen experience and the opportunity to even meet the geese (er, ducks) who lay these mythical golden eggs. Maybe New York ducks are different than we have back home, and I wanted to find out, not to mention thank them for their sacrifice. YOLO, right?
The flavors seemed promising, and I was greatly anticipating the bougie experience of eating frozen balls of heaven from little jelly jars in a wooden board while staring into the eyes of the feathered parents whose offspring I was consuming. Our hopes were high, because we were led to believe that our hopes should be high. This was creamy frozen custard made from freaking duck eggs with only natural ingredients and flavors! This is allegedly the pinnacle of frozen deserts!…at least if you believe the website.
To reiterate an earlier point, don’t bother. If our level of disappointment were an image on the evening news, it would be censored for fear of disturbing the public. I’m assuming it warrants the label of custard only on some obscure technicality as there was little to nothing actually creamy or custardy about it. The alleged custard was thin and watery with little body or substance to it. Apart from the dull-lustered evidence of fat content left behind on the cold spoon, there would have been nothing to convince me this wasn’t simply iced milk.
And flavorful? Perhaps if your only exposure to food since birth was boiled tofu. The flavors weren’t unpleasant, but they definitely weren’t vibrant or full-bodied. The Fleur Blue was fairly decent, though mild, but when it’s infused in a Temu-equivalent desert, it’s still a disappointment.
Eating it all in front of the ducks was still mildly satisfactory.
Perhaps I’ve just been spoiled by past experiences elsewhere. Perhaps I simply don’t know good custard or truly healthy ingredients. But if the selling point is the “crunchy-ness” of it all, they’re not going to gain a pachouli-wearing convert here. And if the aim was to create an exemplary palate-pleasing desert, they hit the mark about as squarely as a blind man playing golf in a subway tunnel.
I know, I know, the place is loved by reviewers and allegedly voted “Best desert in New York State.” But, I’m sorry, I simply cannot abide pretending that the emperor is wearing clothes on this one.
Save your time. Save your money. Go look at ducks in your local park.
I gave one star because, surprisingly, we were actually able to meet the ducks who gave of themselves for this charade. Another star is for their effective marketing strategy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
What a amazing place for ice cream highly recommended
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frozen Custard
Java Junction was the best!
Every time we've been here the service has been incredible and the custard never disappoints! Even when there are flavors in the flights that we try aren't our favorite they are still fantastic. Incredible little area, we love being able to watch the ducks while enjoying the custard. And the cones themselves are to die for! Definitely a place to stop and visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ice Cream Flight, Frozen Custard
Restaurantji Recommends
A must stop when we are in the area! Amazing ice cream, it even sticks to the spoon as well as your ribs! We hope to be in the area one more time this fall.
Parking: Don't park under the walnut tree in autumn, lol.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ice Cream Flight
A friend recommended this place, and my husband and I were finally able to check it out. After realizing the scoops of ice cream were only golf ball sized, we opted to share a sundae. We received about $5 worth of ice cream for $9.45. The vanilla had no detectable flavor, and the cookie was disappointing. Make the drive to Watkins Glen if you want a worthwhile ice cream experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Creamiest ice cream that I have ever tried ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited the Spotted Duck after our waitress in Watkins Glen recommended it. I enjoyed a scoop of the Seneca salted caramel and a scoop of java junction frozen custard. It was well worth the extra miles to get there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Java Junction, Salted Caramel
It's possibly the best ice cream I ever had. That's something that I don't say lightly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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