Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant
128 S. Federal Hwy.
Dania, FL
954-923-4445
By Jane Feehan
It’s been years and years since I last visited the iconic
Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant. When I heard on national news that
their ice cream truck was stolen (and not found as of this writing), I
returned.
South Florida fans of
Jaxson’s (open since 1956) are a dedicated bunch so what I’m about to say may
sound, well … almost blasphemous. Gone was the ice cream parlor ambiance; it
was replaced with a roadside tourist trap look with its hanging license plates, silly road signs, a gift shop with barrels of candy, and most
telling of all – an automated gypsy fortune teller in a box. This is the stuff of boardwalk
amusements and joints between New York and Florida off I-95 beckoning travelers with a host of silly reasons. (For a
mere buck, the gypsy spewed out a card that read I am about to meet a blonde Pisces; I hope it’s a guy.)
That fortune was better than the lunch. A hot chicken sandwich
with peppers and onions, though plentiful was just so so. A bar-b-que pork
sandwich was tough. We ordered onion rings. Ordinary and obviously out of a freezer bag. We should have skipped sandwiches and ordered sundaes. Watching
our waist lines, we bypassed the jumbo ice cream creations ($10 and up) and settled
for a bowl each though that is what people love this place for – the humongous sundaes and spectacular toppings.It could be said that Jaxson’s excels in presenting ordinary food in extraordinary ways. Onion rings were
With all that said, Jaxon’s is a fun place; kids, even adult
ones, enjoy it. A takeout window is available if you’re in a hurry and not
interested in the indoor hype. Part of the South Florida experience, Jaxson’s
is also a piece of its history. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.
Tags: Ice cream parlor, South Florida restaurants, giant sundaes,
