A State College newcomer weighs in: Penn State Berkey Creamery or Meyer Dairy?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The CDT's summer intern set out to taste test two of the most popular ice cream spots.
- Both shops offer bold flavors, generous portions and strong local reputations.
- State College ice cream culture delivers quality and value to summer newcomers.
After securing my first summer internship at the Centre Daily Times, I packed my Ford Focus with toiletries, clothes, bed sheets and food before my 4-hour drive to State College. With no prior knowledge of the college town, I had only three expectations: a new experience, career development — and really good ice cream.
As a native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, a mostly suburban county in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia area (the DMV, as it’s called), I’ve had my fair share of good ice cream. And, before moving here for the summer, I thought I’d had the best of the sweet summer treat. That was until a buddy back home, who so happens to be a Penn State grad, told me how good the ice cream was.
“You gotta try the ice cream,” he told me, boasting about how it’s made with fresh milk. His suggestion promised a sweet reward on the other side of my travels.
Little did I know, I’d be thrust into a delicious, soft-serve debate.
At first, I was led to believe that the Penn State Berkey Creamery served the best ice cream in town. But when I arrived, I learned about a local debate: Berkey Creamery or Meyer Dairy Store?
With my neutral taste buds, the Centre Daily Times staff tasked me with deciding which one was best, warning me that my verdict could be controversial among readers. For that reason, we’re asking you to cast your vote in a poll at the end of this story.
To give fair judgment, I evaluated taste, texture and store atmosphere. Below are my takeaways for each and my final decision.
Penn State Berkey Creamery
Less than a week after I moved into my sublet apartment, I visited the Penn State Berkey Creamery, located on the corner of Bigler and Curtin roads on campus. On their website, the creamery describes their ice cream-making process as “scientific,” which impressed me. The first flavor I got was their black raspberry frozen yogurt, then later their Peachy Paterno and strawberry flavors.
The portion size surprised me, for just $6, I got two hefty scoops of ice cream, a bargain in my opinion. Since it was nice weather that day, I grabbed a chair at their outdoor seating area and tasted my sweet treat.
The taste of the black raspberry was rich, a definite stand-out compared to the ice cream back at home. For the strawberry, I was taken aback by its lack of bright pink coloring found in other versions of the flavor. Still, with a much more natural taste, it was even more delicious than other versions I’ve tried.
Peach was my favorite flavor — it was rich, with nice chunks in the ice cream and the perfect tinted orange color.
As for texture, the Berkey Creamery was certainly better than any other ice cream I’ve had. It was nice and solid, not over-frozen like store-bought ice cream, but also not too soft. But despite its name, Penn State’s ice cream wasn’t as creamy as my next stop.
Meyer Dairy Store
When I first arrived at Meyer Dairy on South Atherton Street, the setup of the shop and the outside scenery gave a more authentic feeling. As I perused their menu, I saw customers hauling out glass bottles of fresh milk — hinting at the farm-fresh ice cream I was about to taste. As the oldest, continuously operated retail dairy in Centre County, I was curious to see what they had in store, literally.
To give a fair comparison to the Berkey Creamery, I tried Meyer’s black raspberry flavor, then later the orange pineapple. Both were delicious. For a little under $6, I once again received heaping scoops of ice cream — a good bang for my buck.
For the black raspberry, the flavor was slightly less intense than the one at the Creamery, but honestly, they were not too different. I later tried the orange pineapple flavor on my own time — and as a lover of fruity flavors — the orange pineapple was probably the best ice cream I’ve eaten.
Though the flavors were hard to rank, the texture was the biggest difference between the two shops. The texture of Meyer’s ice cream was soft and easier to eat. It was creamier than the Berkey Creamery, and after that realization, I came to a conclusion.
The verdict
Both shops have set a higher standard for what I consider “amazing” ice cream. The Penn State Berkey Creamery was delicious, a bargain deal and overall a great experience. For Meyer Dairy, I could say the same — rich flavor, fair prices and a great atmosphere.
Though similar, the amazing texture of Meyer Dairy’s ice cream tipped it over the edge. That said, I believe that Meyer Dairy has the best ice cream.
I’m sure anyone coming to State College would appreciate the high-quality ice cream in this town, and of course I still have time to try places like Big D’s Cones and Shakes, the Meadows of Happy Valley and others.
Regardless of which may be the best, the ice cream here certainly lived up to the rumors. Thanks, State College.
Vote in our poll
Now’s your chance to share your opinion on whether the Berkey Creamery or Meyer Dairy reign supreme. Vote in the just-for-fun poll below.
