There's a guy in Florence, Kentucky everyone used to call "the Colonel." His real name is Don Lambert, and he's the founder behind The Colonel's Creamery, a small-batch ice cream shop that's quietly become one of the most decorated in the region. Most people in Cincinnati have no idea it exists.
Don's no longer running day-to-day operations — the shop has new ownership now — but his fingerprints are still all over the place. The current owners stay in close touch with him and still lean on his knowledge and standards. He's a recognized expert in the field, and a few years back he won the "Iron Scoop" award for flavor innovation at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association convention. That's the national stage, the room full of people who make ice cream for a living, and he walked away a winner. The Winners' Circle Dutch Chocolate and Signature Vanilla are both blue-ribbon prize winners too, which tells you this isn't a one-flavor fluke.
This is hard-packed ice cream, not soft serve, and that distinction matters. The shop sources its base from a well-established provider rather than making it from scratch, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's ordinary. The team builds out inventive, sometimes exotic flavor rotations alongside classics they execute perfectly, and the result runs high in butterfat for that exceptionally creamy, almost decadent texture.
The shop leans hard into an Americana nostalgia theme. Walk in and you're hit with the smell of freshly baked waffle cones and music from radio's golden era playing in the background. There's even a photo booth, because the team wants families to leave with more than just a stomach ache from too much ice cream. Beyond the scoops, they do thick milkshakes and pints to go, all built around the idea that you should slow down and actually savor what you're eating instead of inhaling it in the car.
It's a quick trip across the river from Cincinnati, in Florence, Kentucky. With a 5.0 rating, this is the rare case where the reviews and the reputation actually match up.
Visit
The Colonel's Creamery 8854 Bankers St, Florence, KY 41042 Sun: 4–9 PM | Mon–Tue: Closed | Wed–Sat: 4–9 PM thecolonelscreamery.com
