Kiltie's - great frozen custard in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

My kids go to summer camp in Oconomowoc, and we spend a fair amount of time driving back and forth. This weekend I had occasion to chaperone a group of kids for the weekend on a trip to the camp. Having at least an hour to kill before the rest of the group arrived, I decided to take them for one of my favorite treats -- frozen custard at Kiltie's.

For my family, a trip to Oconomowoc is not complete without a side trip to the Kiltie. You can see the huge sign over the treetops as you drive down Rte. 16 towards Oconomowoc. It's the real deal -- an old fashioned drive-in with carhops. The place is kind of run down, but always busy. The local teens hang out on the weekends and in the evening. There are a few picnic tables in the back, overlooking the highway.

The food is what you would expect from such a place. Burgers, brats, pork sandwiches, fries, onion rings, chicken tid-bits, which I think are homemade nuggets. The aroma of fried food as we pulled up was overpowering and made my stomach rumble in anticipation.

I told each of the kids they could get one custard treat of their choice. I personally opted for a hot fudge sundae, which came adorned with a cherry on top. Jimmies, whipped cream and nuts are optional, for a price. A couple of the kids had black cows, one had a blizzard-type concoction and some had freezes, which is custard made into a thick drink with fruit flavored syrup. I noticed that the strawberry and banana freezes had actual pieces of fruit in them. I've had the lime freeze in the past and I'm pretty sure it was syrup without a trace of real lime in it, but it still tasted good.

While Kiltie's does not have the flavor options of Kopp's, they have a great product. Custard comes in vanilla or chocolate. You can order a variety of frozen treats. Service is friendly. I highly recommend Kiltie's if you find yourself in the neighborhood. You won't be disappointed.

Someone else on the web really loves the Kiltie, too. I'm linking to his site because of the great photos:

http://www.cheeseheaduniversity.com/OCONOMOWOC.html

Suzy

Kiltie Drive in
8w36154 E Wis Ave
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
(262) 567-2648

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know the Kiltie is still open. I have fond memories of the place going back to the early eighties.

Yesterday I joined forces with another family and the two moms drove up to Oconomowoc to drop off our daughters. I was happy to have company for the long ride home and was eager to try a different restaurant in town with my friend, Debbie. She asked if we could just eat at the Kiltie. I wasn't thrilled with her suggestion, but I do love the custard there and so we braved the in-town construction and went to the Kiltie for lunch. Both of us ordered cheeseburgers, fries and iced tea.

I was very pleasantly surprised. I don't know if there is a new cook there or not, but the ice tea tasted freshly brewed (not powdered as I would have expected) and the cheeseburger and fries were really good -- I asked for only lettuce, tomato and pickles on my burger and could taste some celery salt in there, too. It was cooked perfectly and the crinkle-cut fries were crispy and hot. I doubt they were cut fresh, but they tasted really, really good.

We did get custard on the way out of town. It was, as usual, delicious, although not quite as delicious as Kopp's custard. But there was so much construction traffic I had no desire to stop and compare the two. As it was, we didn't get home until nearly 5:00 because of all the traffic.

I'll be back up in a month and it is traditional for us to stop on our way out of town at the Kiltie so our kids can meet and hug goodbye all their camp friends that they just left a half hour ago. I'll probably order food this time instead of asking my husband to stop elsewhere for sandwiches on the road.

Suzy

I remember the days long ago when I went to camp in Oconomowoc and the best counselors brought in Kiltie's when we were excellent! Such wonderful custard, alas, lactose intolerance has hit me now and I can't appreciate such goodness.

Found ourselves pretty unexpectedly in Oconomowoc this weekend, and the Kiltie made the stay much more palatable. I mean we had it twice.

It's a classic, outta the books kinda drive-in. I like the fact that now, with the re-built route 67, the Kiltie will always be a bit remote (and a bit hard to find). I can vouch for the bbq beef, the burgers, the custard, the brat, the onion rings and the fries, and I can say that all are of enough quality for this kinda place.

Even if you do not find yourself stuck in Oconomowoc, the Kiltie is worth a visit.