Kline’s Dairy Bar

Don’t know what to say… I was really excited to take my mom here when she came to visit due to the raving word of mouth reviews from a few friends, but when we got there the place looked like a dump, and the staff were cold (colder than the ice cream lol) not friendly at all, and the ice cream was not good. I have honestly eaten grocery store ice cream that tasted either the same or even better. Cold stone or ben and jerrys way better.

Go here! Legit the best ice cream you will ever eat in your life! And always get the flavor of the week, it’s the best! And I would say just get one dip on a cake cone because the dips are huge!

ny is better… boriiiiinngggg. no sprinkles? what…

Limited to two flavors, I believe. Wasn’t a big fan of that at all. The employees were not very friendly and seemed like they were rushing us. The ice cream wasn’t bad, but I’ve definitely had better. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to come back.

Really good ice cream. Doesn’t leave that sickly sweet film in your mouth that you get from ice cream that’s too creamy and rich. Light, refreshing ice cream! Flavors are subtle but there. They have only 3 flavors. We got chocolate and their flavor of the day — orange creamiscle. Best combo ever. A little pricey but would go back next time we visit.

The ice cream here is supposedly a custard, but I thought it lacked the eggy richness and fatty mouth feel of a custard. I tasted many bits of ice crystals in both chocolate and vanilla and it made the ice cream watery. The texture was reminiscent of Wendy’s frosties.
I tried the vanilla, chocolate and a special flavor, peach. The peach tasted like watered down candy peach versus real peach so I opted for the flavors the server said they’re well known for.
This ice cream would probably be good in a milkshake, but alone it didn’t do the trick for me. Sprinkles/​jimmies fanatics: beware they do not offer them as a topping!
—EDIT—
The business actually reached out and corrected me to state that this ice cream is not intended to be a custard and has no egg!
So custard lovers, be aware that this will not be eggy, but it is a little denser than regular soft serve, and they do use a custard machine.

Double dip ice cream is HUGE! The quality of the ice cream superb! The hot fudge and carmel toppings on the sundae make it very tasty!

Delicious ice cream. Wish they would offer more flavors daily, but every time I get something there with my wife, we enjoy it. She always gets hers with a pretzel cone. During the warmer months, the ice cream does melt pretty fast, so make sure you have plenty of napkins.

If you’re going anywhere else for ice cream, it won’t be as good as Kline’s. It’s a Harrisonburg classic.

We stopped by here after having some dinner close by, in search of some good ice cream. The waffle cone here is so good but the ice cream only comes in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate peanut butter. The portions are pretty big and it does taste like custard but the girls at the front said there were no eggs in it. It’s not a bad place but I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.

Although I was really hoping that my first visit to Kline’s would be to the «other» Harrisonburg location for which our own Gretchen P. is the cover photo girl, I ended up being just as happy to visit this location, which was conveniently located on the outskirts of downtown H’burg, on my way back to I-​81 and NoVA. It was recommended to me (an ice cream and dessert aficionado) by two gal pals (who are H’burg locals).
I was happy to see the Kline’s was located off of a main thoroughfare and had ample parking in its own private lot, which it shares with a BBQ joint that looked tasty, too. I must admit that I was put off a bit by the long line at the time of my visit, but that indicated to me that Kline’s must be a good spot for a cool treat on a hot Virginia summer day.
Don’t worry about suffering from a bout of «analysis paralysis» here at Kline’s; you’re limited to choosing among chocolate, vanilla, or the weekly/​monthly special flavor. All three flavors are homemade and of the custard variety, which differentiates itself from ice cream in that its egg yolk content is much greater, lending to a distinctly smooth mouth feel and rich taste. Don’t scoff, either, at the sign suggesting you order your custard in a cup during the hotter months; they’re not joking. I made the rookie mistake of ordering my «single dip» (which was a HUGE amount of custard, BTW) in a sugar cone (perhaps a waffle cone would have been more advantageous to catch drips), and not one moment after the girl at the window handed me my cone of chocolate custard deliciousness was it drip, drip, dripping away.
Oh well, that just meant I had to enjoy my treat faster than I would have liked, while driving (a manual transmission) and juggling a bottle of water (don’t try this at home). Did I mention that they also sell bottled water?
Kline’s seems like a quintessential piece of Americana that is growing more and more difficult to find. It’s the kind of spot where teens, families, and friends can gather and enjoy their frozen custard on hot summer days and steamy summer nights, into the cooler fall months. There are a few benches and tables outside the window where you order and pick up (and they accept credit cards).
It would also be fun to eat at the BBQ spot adjoining Kline’s and thne enjoy some frozen custard…

On the drive down to Virginia Tech, I stopped by with my boyfriend and two other friends to visit this place. It definitely looked as good as it tasted! I shared a two dip cinnamon waffle cone with vanilla and chocolate frozen custard mixed. The two dip was definitely more than enough for us, we should have listened to the reviews noting that one dip is enough for any person. The frozen custard was soft and definitely one of the best I’ve so far in the VA area. I’m more a vanilla fan so if I went back, I would just get a one dip vanilla to share.

If you’re «just visiting» or «new to the area», this is a MUST STOP in Harrisonburg. Contrary to what people may think, this is not a national chain, just a Valley chain (in Staunton & Waynesboro also). While I’ve watched their prices slowly climb over the last 9 years of being a Valley resident (kinda pricey for ice cream now in my opinion), it is by far still the best place in town for ice cream.
They always have their 2 «go to» flavors – vanilla & chocolate (both very good) – and then change up their one flavor every week on Wednesdays (some Kline’s locations have 2 special flavors that change, but not the Hburg locations). My favorite specialty flavor is either the chocolate peanut butter or the lemon gingersnap. [Check their website or their sign out front of the building for their flavor of the week.] When I don’t get the lemon gingersnap, I always do the make my own sundae with a vanilla scoop and add caramel and fresh peanut butter – YUM! (Note: It’s warmed up, smooth peanut butter thats drizzled all over your sundae! What more could you ask for in a perfect sundae?!)
All of their ice cream is homemade and made fresh daily. You can usually count on waiting in a line here, but it’s totally worth it. Lots of options for cone types and such and they even have «doggy bowls» for pets too! They sell their ice cream I believe by the pint/​quart and gallon also (depending on availability, as I have recently learned). They do have picnic tables and umbrellas that you can sit for a while and enjoy your scoops, but they are usually packed with people. Note that this is an outdoor vendor – you wait in line outside and eat outside – there is no «inside shop» to go in like a normal place. I hope this stays a Valley favorite and Valley staple for many years to come! :-)

Best ice cream in town! The prices are a little steep but I would choose Klines over Coldstone any day

Visiting from NYC this place was awesome! A lot of neon lighting outside makes it pretty attractive to the eyes! They make fresh custard not the ones from the machine! They hand scoop it! They even have custard for your doggie (no joke)! Wet walnuts and strawberry toppings were super tasty on top of my vanilla custard!
Wish I lived closer this will be an all around place to visit!
Accepts credit cards! Closes at 10!

What an awesome place to get dessert, this place really knows what they are doing. The menu is basic, with only a few flavors, but they do rotate special flavors constantly. Honestly, it is the tried and true formula of making just a few things, and doing them well. Once you taste the delicious, creamy frozen custard, you will realize what you are missing when you pick up store bought ice cream. For perfection, get vanilla custard inside of a cinnamon waffle cone… truly amazing. For dessert this good, I’d eat it whether it’s 20 degrees outside, or the middle of summer. Every time visit Harrisonburg, I can’t leave before I go here.

Had the peanut butter milkshake. Perfectly thick, yet drinkable. Not too overpowering with the sweetness or flavors. It was just right. Very good. The workers were not friendly at all and sort of threw the shake and my change at me and then slammed the little glass door shut.

I was in JMU territory to see my little sis. I brought the 10 year old and 9 year old and my sister’s boyfriend. To finish the visit on a high note, we went to Kline’s. My sister said that others on campus rave about Kline’s. I whipped out my Unilocal app and sure enough, it’s popular and described as «magnificent», «yummy», and «amazing». High praise for ice cream.
My first thought when we pulled up was underwhelming. A few tables outside and Kline’s looks like it’s been here for awhile. A long while. But, I’ve seen worse places have some of the best food ever. So we walked over and they have a fairly large menu selection. I want to be a fair so I ordered for me and the kids the cookies and cream on a cake cone. My sister and her boyfriend order a milkshake to share (aw!).
We sat at one of the tables and were loudly serenaded by Latin pop in someone’s car stereo. The ice cream was good. Tasty even. But magnificent? No, I wouldn’t say that. Yummy? Yes. Amazing? Eh… that’s awfully subjective. The kids and I were in agreement that it’s good.
But when I visit JMU, I have no problem coming back to Kline’s and having tasty, custard like, ice cream.

Today was a bit hot — especially because I spent the day unloading the new pool furniture that I wished I could be lounging on instead of breaking it out of boxes and pulling off wrapping for hours. All I wanted was a big ol ice cream cone to cool me down and this got me hankering for the lazy days of summer when I would stop by Kline’s in downtown Harrisonburg. No matter what the weather this place is a hangout so it is always full and always has tasty treats.
The staff has some turnover but everyone I came in contact always seemed passionate about ice cream and happy to be serving me. I don’t live in the area anymore but if I happen to be passing through — this is a must stop destination.
If you are in the need for an all out binge — they sell gallon tubs to take away too!
Day 23 — «May Challenge: What’s in a Name?!»

awesooooooooooome.
Went there basically because we saw 20 other people eating this around the establishment on some outdoor benches, and another 5 – 10 people in line.
Black Raspberry custard ice cream. so creamy and dreamy. I was hooked after the first bite.
But, it’s not cheap :/