Some businesses have a clear origin story. Sugar Shack by the Tracks has one of the best. Owners Erika and John were on vacation with their two sons, standing in line at an ice cream shop, just watching people. And they noticed something. Everyone was happy. Genuinely, visibly happy. They looked at each other and thought — how fun would it be to own one of these? A couple of years later, in June 2023, Sugar Shack by the Tracks opened on the border of Lockland and Reading, right next to active train tracks, minutes off I-75 at Exit 12. They haven't looked back.
The shop is 1950s-themed from top to bottom, with a drive-thru, a covered patio, and a ceiling covered in hundreds of hubcaps. Two interactive murals anchor the walls — one features Gizmo, the owners' beloved corgi, licking an ice cream cone, and the other is a giant milkshake for two that customers line up to pose next to. The trains run right outside on active tracks, which means on any given visit you might be mid-sundae when a freight train rolls through. The railfan community has fully adopted the place as their own, and it's easy to see why. The shop also sits beside Lockland's historic Benson Street Rainbow Bridge and the famous Reading Bridal District, which makes it a genuinely interesting corner of the city to explore.
The ice cream and Italian Ice are made right at the Shack using high-quality ingredients, with fresh waffle cones made daily. They also do soft serve, slushies, Dole Whip, and this year added ice cream cakes to the lineup. The menu names lean hard into the 1950s theme. The Cruisin' for a Bruisin' is a peanut butter sundae. The Knuckle Sandwich is a monster — over a pound of ice cream sandwich. The Cotton Candy Cadillac is the kid's sundae. Shack Swirlies round out the fun side of the menu. On the train-themed side, the Trainwreck Nachos and Caboose Nachos give you something savory, and the All Aboard Cone is exactly what it sounds like. If you want something different entirely, the JCS Taco Truck operates on site.
The events calendar is what separates Sugar Shack from the pack. Classic car cruise-ins run throughout the season. Elvis shows up to perform from time to time. They go all out for Christmas in July. But the crown jewel of the event calendar is Undertaker Eats — a Halloween delivery service where Erika and John dress up in full spooky attire, load orders into their 1972 hearse, and deliver within a 3-mile radius. That's not a gimmick. That's a whole bit, and it's brilliant.
The community piece is real too. Every June, Sugar Shack partners with a local high school to bring in teens with special needs for a job skills program. They've hosted dog adoption events, fundraisers, and charity drives throughout the season. When world-famous singer Noah Kahan's team was putting together a list of Cincinnati spots for fans visiting during his concert, Sugar Shack made the cut — and they created a special themed treat to mark the occasion.
The awards back it all up. Sugar Shack took home Best of the North 2026 from Cincy Magazine, the Hamilton County Clean Kitchen Award in both 2025 and 2026, and Family Favorites 2024 from Cincinnati Family Magazine. For a shop that opened in 2023, that's a remarkable run.
Generous portions, friendly staff, hubcaps on the ceiling, trains rolling past, and a hearse on Halloween. Follow the smell of fresh waffle cones off I-75 at Exit 12 and you'll find it.
Visit
Sugar Shack by the Tracks 405 E Wyoming Ave, Lockland, OH 45215 (513) 813-3008 Tuesday–Sunday: 2–9 PM | Monday: Closed sugarshackbythetracks.com
