Tony’s Ice Cream Company

4.5 actually.
This is a cute little ice cream shop and grill. We were there strictly for the ice cream but someday will try their burgers and dogs. The ice cream was very tasty and they have a good selection of flavors. The prices are incredibly reasonable and the place has a retro feel to it. Simple and cute inside, a nice place to end up at the end of an evening out.
I feel like somehow I should write more about this nice little place, because I really do like it a lot. I will sum it up in a quite appropriate, simple, and monosyllabic word… YUM! Tony’s, you’ve got a fan in me.

What a lifelong and multigenerational family favorite!

This won’t be the first time I eat ice cream for breakfast. Awesome prices and even better ice cream!!! I had the Almond Joy ice cream and my friend had the peanut butter ripple and both were absolutely incredible!

I have been coming here ever since I moved to North Carolina back in 1998. I remember the first time I came in and smelled the good breakfast aroma. Not only do they make their own Ice-​Cream right next door that’s sold all over the place, they make Cherry-​Lemon Sundrop drinks and slushes in house. I always get the Livermush, Egg and Cheese on a bun. It never misses with me everything is hot and fresh every-​time. They have tried to update the décor but it’s the same year after year. You come here for great service, value and ice cream. I know that it brings back so many memories for me and if you are ever in the area be sure to stop by and check it out for yourself.

Good ice cream and a lot of it! Theres probably a reason this place is crowded, no matter when you go. Not overpriced at all. I actually found it while looking on Unilocal the night before an interview at the Hospital. If you’re passing through town, get a milkshake, ice cream or something. you definitely won’t regret it! Only downside is it is on the smaller side, and not a whole lot of parking (but what can you do). Easy to find on the main drag of gastonia

Sounds crazy — but this is the go to place I take my kids for after we hike Crowders Mountain on our way back to Charlotte. Yes, it neutralizes all the calories burned — but it makes them look forward to hiking at a young age so the ends justify the means.
Best milkshake I’ve had — and I don’t use the word «Best» lightly. Plus — you have to love one of a kind dives with throw back prices !

Hey Tony!
Hey Michael!
Hey Tony, can I get some ICE CREAM?
If you know anything about Gastonia, you’ve probably heard of Tony’s. It is an institution in Gastonia. It has survived floods, plagues, recessions and earthquakes, because when you make a solid, great tasting product, people will buy it no matter what. Okay, maybe I’ve exaggerated a little bit, but not about their ice cream. People travel miles for this stuff and fill coolers/​ice chests to take home. Now that’s product loyalty.
The building is right off the main drag, old 74 with plenty of parking. Inside, the shop is pretty bare bones. There’s always a steady flow of customers, but plenty of staff to help them. You may have to wait for a seat though.
My only gripe and it’s a small one, is that I wish I could order a Root Beer Float or a Coke Float, Unfortunately, they do not carry Root Beer and they only have Pepsi products. Pepsi floats just aren’t the same. Cheerwine Floats are popular but I’m a purist and less adventurous when it comes to ice cream. The milkshakes are my favorite product — enormous and delicious!
The portions are very generous and the staff are young, but friendly, patient and helpful. There’s also a grill that does short order cooking. Dogs, Burgers, Fries, etc.

Guys – don’t bother.
When I moved to Gastonia, everyone ranted and raved about Tony’s Icecream. And I love icecream, so I knew I’d have to try it. And I did. Repeatedly. But it’s not good. It would be a lot cheaper and better to just go buy a gallon from the grocery store. The icecream I’ve had at Tony’s is consistently freezer-​burned, and it lacks any flavor – very dull. You can taste the cream, but the chocolate/​mint/​cherry/​what have you flavor is muted. It’s like they forgot to mix it right. Also, the cashiers are beyond rude – they look like they’re rather jump over the counter and kill you than serve you.
I suppose if you’ve grown up in Gastonia you’ve already been brainwashed and conditioned to like this place, everyone else: they’re unwelcoming and the product is bad. There it is.

I got the mint chocolate chip milkshake here the other night after I got stung by a Charlotte hornet. It helped ease the sting some, but I wish it was a thicker milkshake and that all the bits of chocolate chip didn’t just fall to the bottom of the cup. If I were to come back here again, I’d probably try a scoop of the grape ice cream instead — this time around I really wanted a milkshake and couldn’t envision a grape-​milkshake tasting that great. It also feels good to support a local institution.

I did not visit Tony’s to eat ice cream. My husband did. I came along for the nostalgia. Growing up in the area, I can’t remember a time before Tony’s. Established in 1915, it has been dishing out ice cream to beat the band. I remember eating their black cherry ice cream, stuffed with sweet, juicy orbs tucked in cold creaminess and exploding with flavor. Once, Tony’s was part of my 10^th birthday as a surprise, along with a picnic at Rankin Lake and a visit to the zoo. That was before parents invested in bounce houses and magical clowns.
I appreciate that Tony’s still operates in their original building. The interior still has the red booths and yellow tile on the walls. Such a pleasant quality when the current trend is to tear it all down and make it shiny and new.
My husband ordered a cup of chocolate ripple ice cream in a cup, despite my hinting about black cherry in a cone. He shared a few bites with me, and it conjured up memories of a special treat. So, why didn’t I order a cone of black cherry? The portion size is humongous, and I wasn’t hungry. Besides, sadly (or gladly), I have lost my taste for ice cream. But, I still have those sweet memories. Thank you, Tony’s for retaining your authenticity.

Went to Tony’s a couple weeks back. Tried to hot dog and it was GROSS! Do not go there to eat a meal. What you really want is the ice cream. I am here to tell you that I Loved the Hot Fudge Cake. Shoney’s use to have one that me and my mom would share. Tony’s is far better than Shoney’s. It was huge and to be honest three people could have shared. They put so much hot fudge on it. I am telling you I was in my own little heaven. If you get a chance try it. You will be happy you did!

Highly recommend eating elsewhere and coming here for what they do best — sweet treats.
The food was passable. The burger was of the frozen and cooked in a steam table variety. Think your school cafeteria — the kind of patties with little bits of gray sludge on the patty. The hot dog was actually pretty good, despite I’m guessing it’s kept in a steam table/​water also, as the bun was very soggy after a minute or two. Fries were awful. Choose bagged chips.
I passed on ice cream but my kids loved it! They raved. My older son had a chocolate shake, which was huge. I tried a small bite and it was pretty okay. Mild chocolate flavor, which I prefer. My younger son had a cup of mint chocolate chip. I didn’t care for the flavor at all. Personally, my big hang up with the ice cream was the texture. It’s just different. That doesn’t make it bad, just for me, it was off putting. Clearly, this is a lower fat product vs a premium ice cream. More of an ice milk if you recall that type. Just not my thing, but that’s just me.
The best part of the trip, and the reason I would take my kids back (just for ice cream) was the experience. Really nice, down to earth people — staff and customers alike. It was fun just to sit in the old booths and watch everyone’s ice cream creations go by. It’s hard to look grouchy with a huge ice cream cone in your hand. The fudge cake and banana splits were especially crowd pleasing. Worth a stop for sure.

Small town feel… Great southern food, and the perfect place to get a homemade milkshake or hot fudge cake.
The building is old and small, and you may even have to wait in line, but every once in a while, it’s a wonderful thing to experience something that hasn’t been touched by the high maintenance of this world.

Ignore my earlier review — people don’t come here for the hot dogs. People come here to eat ice cream cones, sundaes, banana splits, and milkshakes. Tony’s Ice Cream excels at those wonderful creations.
I dropped by for a chocolate milkshake on my way home from having dinner in the Queen City on a warm Springtime Saturday evening.
The parking lot was a zoo.
The restaurant must have had seventy-​five people inside, with about forty of those people standing in four or five order lines. Imagine the crowds at the Varsity in Atlanta and you’ll have the general ideal.
Patience and good manners are required, but it’s worth it.
My chocolate milkshake was properly thick, but not as chocolaty as the shakes that I remember from my youth. I remember those milkshakes well from the 70’s — they cost 45 cents and they were about a third larger. Milkshakes today cost $ 4.
The employees here are superb. VERY, very, patient and courteous and Christian. The crowds here are never ending, but they seemed to take it all in stride. While the lines didn’t move quickly, they DID move.
OBSERVATIONS
I noticed that the kiddies all seem to prefer the grape ice cream flavor.
I also noticed that their banana splits look KILLER. That’s what I’ll be ordering on my next visit. Now that Spring is here, I’m sure that visit won’t be too long in coming.

Why yes… I do not need a lid! (Code for… Please put an extra scoop of ice cream on TOP of my milkshake!!) Thank you for asking! Need I say more… Really?! No.

Blew my mind that this place was this good. I normally post long reviews but I don’t even think that I need to. Good food, it came out super fast, and the ice cream was on point.
Classic hole in the wall burger joint that has great value.
I am going to have to up my workout regiment to fit in more ice cream.

An old school 50s type burgers and ice cream joint. I only had the ice cream but it was amazing! Thick and creamy, you could tell you were eating the real deal. After I ordered my ice cream I noticed people getting the milkshakes which looked even better! This is a great mom and pop!

Seriously bad, read these great reviews and thought this would be fun and delicious. Sadly I was mistaken. The vanilla shake was bland, like no sugary taste? Plus they obviously use ice milk. It baffles me that they sell that stuff commercially, it’s that bad. I had a hot dog all the way which is chili and mustard. Ewww. Chili was definitely out of a can or possibly a bag, no taste. Reminded me of something from a cafeteria. Do yourself a favor and shoot down Franklin to the Cook Out. Better food and just as cheap. Wouldn’t come back and do that to my insides again. Urp.

There’s a reason this place has been around for so long!!!
No offense Ben ‘n Jerry’s but I’m not a big fan of chocolate, so when I go to an ice cream place and they have like two non-​chocolate options, I’m not a happy camper. This happens at a lot of ice cream places I visit.
But Tony’s has tons of quirky flavors you wouldn’t find elsewhere… like grape for example!
The neon clock in the middle of the kitchen reminds me of a by-​gone era. It’s super retro yet super clean inside. Last time I went, I grabbed an ice cream cone and walked around the area. Downtown Gastonia doesn’t have much to it, but Tony’s is always busy and delicious.

If you want to get a sense of what Gastonia is all about and want to be taken back to a simpler time, then you should go to Tony’s. Tony’s is just part of the thread that makes up Gastonia, NC. When you walk in the door, you quickly realize that it is a popular place amongst the locals. There are people from all walks of life here. Just glancing from booth to booth you’ll see suits and ties, mechanics uniforms, overalls, and boots. This place is in the blood of the people of Gastonia, which is probably due to the fact that their ancestors grew up with this place as well. It has been there for decades.
The place has an atmosphere from yesteryear, with neon clocks, old fashioned homemade ice cream, vinyl booths, and an old pepsi sign hanging out front. I’m a sucker for this nostalgia, so I quite enjoy this place. No one seems to be in a hurry and it is a great place to relax and just enjoy some of the food that makes America great: hot dogs, french fries, hamburgers, and ice cream.
I sampled two hot dogs «All the way» (onions, mustard and chili) and then added slaw as well. I love that they slopped it on. They did not hold back on the toppings. The hot dogs themselves had a good flavor to them and a good snap. The slaw was nice and moist with a sweet flavor. The chili was about average, and could have used some more spice. I’ve also had the turkey club here and it is very good. Tastes like something your grandma would cook up for you when you were out playing in the yard as a kid. The fries here were the downfall for me. They tasted very similar to standard McDonald’s fries and were a bit soggy. They have Cheerwine on tap and Sun drop in cans, which is definitely a plus. The sweet tea is also southern approved.
I’ve only tried the ice cream in milkshake form, but that is definitely a high point. I got the Peach Milkshake, which seemed to have real chunks of peach in it. It was thick and creamy. So refreshing on a hot July day.
The price here is also tough to beat. My girlfriend and I got 4 hot dogs, fries, two drinks, and a milkshake for under $ 15.
I also decided to go hiking at Crowder’s Mountain after this meal (maybe from feeling guilty about gorging). I would recommend stopping by here if you’re passing through Gastonia to go to Crowder’s or for any other reason. Tony’s has good old fashioned food, with a friendly staff, and unique nostalgic atmosphere. I would recommend.