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Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, American (Traditional) [Edit]
1237 Green Bay RdMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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This place reminds me of Walt Disney World circa 1985. It's like Americana, but instead of a "vintage" or "historical" Americana...it's kinda like a "run down" Americana atmosphere. For instance, you can hardly read the ice cream menu because it is set back so far. The place just needs some major updating...
....but who the hell cares about that! You're going for the a-MAZING ice cream! It doesn't get any better than Homers. Truly, one of a kind taste that can't be beat. Everytime I have Homers I am reminded that it is truly some of the best ice cream in the country.
I stared at a Homer's advertisement all through dinner and decided, okay, let's get some ice cream for dessert after dinner. The sad thing is, the ice cream wasn't that great. It wasn't bad by any means, but I can get pretty similar things in tubs at the grocery store. Maybe I've been spoiled by the lovely folks at Nicecream or the geniuses (geniuii?) at Jeni's in Columbus...but I don't think it was worth the drive. I'd much rather go to Ben and Jerry's or even Coldstone in Evanston.
The other half of the restaurant has food. It has a grilled cheese on their menu that is apparently available cold (?!) which I didn't really understand.
Maybe this is ice cream mecca if you are a suburban teenager, because that's pretty much all the people that were in the store. They were funny to watch but annoying at the same time.
My mother remembers going here with her father as a child. They've been around for 74 years. and the "homey and quaint" is teetering on the edge of "run down". While some of the employees are helpful when asked, it's not exactly a cheery high customer service environ - the workers seem kind of run down as well. Of course, the important part is the product, their locally-famous ice cream; it was good, sure, but not a 4 or 5 star concoction. The mint chip was pleasant (I hadn't had any for a while) but they definitely had preservatives in it. I couldn't try the hot fudge because it was 85mg sodium for every half tablespoon; that was disappointing, as I sort of had my heart set on a very small hot fudge sundae.
Good? Yes. Full of neighborhood character? I'd say so; old Wilmette probably comes out very well. Would I clamor to return? Nah; I'll save my dairy and sodium treats for something else, thanks. I will go with someone if they want to, though.
Bonus: ice water with a lid for free. That was a nice touch.
Last year I won a year's supply of Homer's ice cream at a breast cancer charity raffle. That's what got me going to Homer's. If you are like me and not from Wilmette, you might not have heard of this place and you're missing out!
I've been here every month for 10 months to claim my free 1/2 gallon of ice cream. I've never actually eaten here or tried any other flavor besides the limited varieties that are prepacked but I don't care... the Oreos & Cream is so awesome... I always wonder why it is so good! I love digging for the big chunks of Oreos.
Homer's is a really cute little shop with some decent ice cream. Not as amazing as people carry on about. I enjoyed the Moosetracks ice cream and watching awkward teens getting dumped off at Uncle Homer's for a while by Mom and Dad. Seems more like that kind of place than a true contender for the "#1 Tasting Ice Cream in America" that they are claiming. A pint of any given flavor of Ben and Jerry's or a waffle cone full of Coldstone's Birthday Cake Remix easily bests Homer's. Not bad though, give it a shot, but take the "#1" claim with a grain of salt (or some jimmies).
Delicious ice cream served with a side of a snobby ice cream girl. Thanks for asking me and my friends FOUR+ TIMES if we were ready! I'm pretty sure if I was ready I would, you know...tell you my order. I don't appreciate my ice cream choice being rushed. Relax, North Shore. Minus one star.
I tried their vanilla ice cream, cookie dough ice cream and Oreo milk shake. YUM. Very rich and creamy.
They also serve food. Quick, diner-like food...burgers, fries, etc. I've tried their cheese fries (I think they use cheddar cheese as opposed to the neon yellow-orange nacho cheese sauce, so it is tangier and different) and the chicken stir-fry.
Nice place to drop in for dessert after visiting Ravinia. That assumes you're headed south from Ravinia afterwards. The ice cream is tasty and rich and not overly sweet. We had peach and coconut. Waffle cone was fresh but more firm/crispy than others. Restaurant feels a bit dated, and it's in a dark, not well lit, area at night (typical of the north shore however).
Homer's still has just about the best classic ice cream I've ever eaten. It is DELICIOUS in every flavor, and the line usually isn't too long for an ice cream cone. You can also order the ice cream in pints / gallons to take home, although I would get really fat if I bought it by the pint. The interior itself is classic and old fashioned and a fun place for families and adults alike. When I'm back in Wilmette I always come back here for my ice cream fix.
I've been eating Homer's ice cream about once or twice a year since the late 90's. The last few times, I've noticed that it's not as awesome as I remember. Has their quality degraded or have my tastes changed? Unknown. I do know that in general, I don't care for their version of my favorite flavor (mint chocolate chip), so I usually go for the moose tracks.
Last night my lady friend and I tried their hot food for the first time. It's just your standard burgers/dogs/etc. I went with a turkey burger and onion rings. One good thing about their setup is that you can get whatever toppings you want on your sandwich. The guy didn't even blink when I asked for barbecue sauce, onions, and pickles. On the other hand, the food is mediocre. There is nothing to set it apart from the usual hot-dog stand fare. I also hate how there is no "combo" option. You have to order your sandwich, fries, and drink a la carte, to the tune of (in our case) twenty bones for two burgers, two drinks, an onion rings, and a junior cheese fries.
Oh, and I finished my meal with a chocolate malt, which wasn't that good either. I don't know how they screwed it up because I watched the kid make it--ice cream, chocolate syrup, malt powder, milk. The only possibility is the quality of the ice cream and/or syrup, or the proportions. Oh well, I still drank it. A bad malt is sort of like a bad blow job, I guess.
My friends carried out a couple of pints from Homer's for a bbq at their place. I volunteered to be the designated scooper. First off, this is real, authentic, hard ice cream; the way ice cream is supposed to be. We had to microwave it for 10 seconds to loosen it up enough to scoop. Their favourite flavour is cappuccino chip. Now, it's one of my favourites too! Delicious ice cream with the right amount of chips. Skip the grocery store. Go to Homer's and get the real thing!
Homer's is the epitome of ice cream deliciousness. It has been around since 1935 and I have been going there since I started walking and craving the creamy yummy flavors.
The ice cream is all phenomenal. The mint chip, pistachio, cappuccino chip, coffee, seasonal peach and chocolate chocolate chip will leave you craving for more. The Oberweis, Haggen Dazs and Ben and Jerry's doesn't even come close. I often have to get 2 scoops of ice cream because I can't decide what I want and often get a waffle cone because I can't have too much of a good thing. This place also has the best hot fudge sundays with home made hot fudge oozing everywhere.
The only thing I would not recommend is the fast food. I only had it once and its nothing spectacular. Better yet skip dinner all together and go wild on the ice cream.
The major draw in my mind with Homers is the nostalgia factor.
The food is standard fare, not bad but not outstanding, and the ice cream is very good. As a kid, I loved the root beer floats, now I generally go for a scoop of the apple cinnamon or peppermint stick ice cream. Those two, in my opinion, are really the stand-out flavors that are either hard to find anywhere else or just plain made better. I like finding the little chunks for apple or peppermint, respectively, in each bite.
Memory-lane standards include the bubble gum machine that would send your gumball through an obstacle course with all the bells and whistles before it got to your hand and all the post-high school dance gatherings. Seems like I would end up here after field trips in grade school on occasion too.
Based on this, chances are that if someone is raving to you about Homer's, there is some kind of emotional connection behind it. If you don't have that, don't go completely out of your way for the experience, the wow-factor probably won't be there. But if you're around, stop by and experience a piece of history and some darn good ice cream.
Having gone to Northwestern and worked in Libertyville I've passed Homer's frequently over the years. Every time I went past it I'd make a mental note try it one day though I never did. "One day" finally came this Friday and I headed to Homer's for dinner and ice cream.
The food was fine. I got a bacon cheeseburger with everything and cheese fries. Note that Homer's "everything" includes pickle relish, which I've never seen on a burger before. It was kind of disgusting. Pickles on a burger yes, relish no. I did like that Homer's offers two sizes of fries and that the small is actually reasonably small.
The ice cream, however, was a huge disappointment. I got a scoop of Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream and was expecting something transcendent based on all the Homer's buzz I've heard. It was very, very average. I honestly don't think I could have told the difference between Homer's ice cream and Edy's (for a local ice cream chain, I think Oberweis is far superior).
The restaurant is cute and family friendly. It was nice to see so many teens and pre-teens willing to join their families for an evening out. Overall, though my Homer's curiosity is sated and I feel no need to return.
Woot! I love Homer's! Anyone familiar with the North Shore will tell you that Homer's is your quintessential burgers/fries/ice cream joint. Their food is made fresh off the grill and their ice cream cannot be beat.
The restaurant is divided into two sections: the food counter & the ice cream counter. Their lunch/dinner menu has all the basics including burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, etc. It's greasy American food at its best! The ice cream counter covers any dessert lover's dreams: sundaes, shakes, double scoops... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. They have a huge variety of flavors and you can't go wrong. Their ice cream is such a hit with the masses that you can buy it online and have it shipped, and I've even seen it sold in independent grocery stores down in the city.
My favorite Homer's meal: Cheddar grilled cheese, jr. fries, and an oreo milkshake. YUM!
The ice cream is the star and I can't wait to be back - this is a definite higher experience than retail ice cream or other chains. The food is just ok - reminds me of a lunch board at an ice skating rink or something - we had the turkey burger, bacon cheeseburger, and fries.
Great ice cream. Family owned and operated since 1935. Recently revisited after several years away -- and the ice cream is sooo goood! I won't wait so long to visit here again. The restaurant is medium sized with a fair amount of seating -- love the hand painted ceilings!
You can order their frozen goodies for overnight delivery.
Being a Kenilworth native, I just have to give Homer's 5 stars. My first boyfriend and I used to walk here after a hard day at New Trier and have grilled cheese and oreo shakes. Amazing. And recently I went on a mint chocolate chip ice cream binge while staying in the burbs for a week... seriously, I maybe ate a pint every night. Definitely ask for a hand-packed pint of it if you go - it's soft and delicious and basically perfection in a pint.
Oh, and they also have amazing mozzarella sticks.
It's cash or check only, fyi.
Cappuchino Chip, Peppermint Stick, Triple Berry, Mint Chip...I could go on, but I won't. I've had a serious relationship with Homer's for most of my life. It was the place to go after soccer practice and little league games, after cub scouts, or after just about anything. You really didn't need an excuse to hit up Homer's for a scoop (or two) of their outstanding ice cream.
The food side is pretty good too, but it's not the main reason to go. I love the cheddar fries along side a nice, heart-healthy double cheese burger.
Homer's draws the local crowd, so be prepared to deal with screaming kids, moms/nannies with double-wide strollers, and pre-teens who are hanging around because there is no other place in the area that's open past 10 pm.
A very popular place with local families.
It can get crowded with loud children - but that's just about anywhere.
The ice cream is so yummy.
My personal faves are peppermint stick and pistaccio.
But they are all good. (In fact I think I might go and try to get an egg nog shake when visiting the parents this holiday weekend).
They are a North Shore institution (at least in my eyes).
They have won [national] awards.
And for good reason.
I went here last went, since I wanted a MAJOR change of pace from the places I normally hit up, and since Homer's has been on my list of places to try for quite a while. Definately didn't disappoint me at all, and I was very happy I went here(since I'm still not completely over the recent closure of Petersen's Ice Cream in Oak Park).
Got a cone of peppermint ice cream and cookies and cream, and it definately didn't disappoint! Not to mention, I was a little surprised that they have a decent variety of regular food on the grill side of the place, too, which I may try another time I come here.
I just wish that since A Taste of Heaven(in Andersonville) used to serve Petersen's Ice Cream, they(Taste...Heaven) could get w/the program of other places serving Homer's(such as one ice cream place in Naperville serving it), and start serving Homer's ice cream, as I suspect that Taste/Heaven no longer serves Petersen's Ice Cream(as the signs indicating this have been taken down for quite some time). Despite that I doubt my personal wish will happen anytime soon, I'm glad that my discovery of Homer's has helped me somewhat get over the closure of Petersen's.
Pretty much a North Shore institution. Ice cream is great, make sure to try the peppermint, the peanut butter cup, and the unique Prairie Berry. Old fashioned ice cream parlor feel with plenty of good seating for groups.
Food? OK, but very much overshadowed by the ice cream. I always did enjoy their grilled cheese though.
This place is awesome. I grew up in Kenilworth, and this was the only place you could hang out. After Drop In's, Dances, Parties, we went to Homer's. One night Jim Belushi showed up and we all rushed up to him for his autograph. He was pretty pissed and yelled at us and left. That was probably pretty messed up of us. But I would have to say the Ice Cream is the best. I don't eat meat any more, but would love to go back for a plate of fries and a grilled cheese.
I would say 3.5 if I could. Good junk food (a la Dairy Queen from youth). Cheese fries, heavy shakes, burgers, etc. Indie fast food as it were. I have yet to try the ice cream although everyone there was eating it happily.
I had their Spumoni - loved it. Cute place, stop by to get a scoop of their ice cream. Beware, this place gets packed with junior/high school students, so it's best if you get your scoop to go. Friendly service, okay-priced, and parking can be a pain on the busy Green Bay.
The ice cream is good, the food is gross. I tried to get a Chicago-style hot dog here and they said they didn't make them that way. Don't they realize where they are? Hell, I bet I could even get a hot dog Chicago-style at a Dairy Queen around here.
I grew up walking to Homer's for lunch, attending basketball reward parties in their scary party room, and using their really small bathroom. But their ice cream is unbeatable. Mint chocolate chip - I'd get two servings. Their greasy food lunch is also unbeatable. Grilled cheese, cheese fries... Amazing!
All time favorite place to go in High School. I would say one of the few good burger joints in the north shore.
We live down the way from Homers and it is the best place for Ice Cream!! My husband spent a lot of time there in high school and is a HUGE fan. Their grilled cheese is to die for.
You can also get Homers at many of the Potbelly's!
Only cash or checks are accepted.
This place is phemonenal, best homemade ice cream on the North Shore for sure. It's a good cheesy date place, family place, or just plain carryout, but don't miss the Moose Trax and Cappucino Chip!
*Note that if Homers is closed for the night, you can pick up pints at the 7-11 in Hubbard Woods for your late night munchies...
Although they have a grill, go for the ice cream! Without a doubt, the best in the Chicago area. My wife craves the peppermint stick. One of my biggest High School memories was going to Homer's and getting a Oreo Cookie shake, MMMMMMMMMM. Many restaurants and coffee shops in the Chicago area serve Homer's. Among these are the equally delicious Cookie Dough Creations in far away Naperville.
Delicious is an understatement. I've sampled everything from the hot dog to the chicken salad. The peach ice cream is so good I can't even start on it. I love the shakes too.
Awesome ice cream and they have some really wonderful flavors. If I am ordering ice cream without toppings, their mint chocolate chip is out of this world. Hot fudge sundaes call for coffee toffee ice cream--yum! My only complaint is that their sundae prices and sizes are inconsistent. Sometimes, they give you a huge serving and charge $3.50, other times they charge almost $5.00 for the same size. Also, all of their sundae sizes are served in the same size plastic cup, which sometimes overflows and makes a mess. That keeps me from giving them five-stars
I know I'm in the minority here but Homer's ice cream just doesn't cut for me for one sole reason: it's too melted. It's served so melty to begin with, by the time I eat it, it becomes soup. I detest ice cream soup. Now don't get me wrong, I like soft ice cream but this is ridiculous soft right off the bat. There's no fun in eating it because you have to rush to finish it before it becomes soup. If I wanted it that melty, I'd stick it in my oven.
I love this North Shore favorite. The fresh peach ice cream is superb and they have lots of unhealthy little greasy snacks on the menu that little kids love and get addicted to and adults try to stay away from. The peach ice cream is GRRRREAT.
i love homer's. the peach flavor is awesome. i hate the food there. it is really bad. they are really know for their peach ice cream.
I have been going to Homer's since I was a little girl. They have the best cheeseburgers and oreo shakes in the entire world! I heart Homer's!
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