David's Dairy Treat

2609 State Route 26, Cincinnatus, NY - (607) 863-4330

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Posted By Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle on November 11, 2008 8:35 PM

As we enjoy our chili dogs and burgers and fries at a picnic table partially shaded by a big tree (there is no indoor seating at all at David's Dairy Treat), we note to each other how much the meal reminds us of the kind of "dining" one might find at the snack bar at the town pool, right down to the pale, twiggy fries. That's not quite a fair assessment, actually, because the food is better than that, but not enough so to make it especially noteworthy.

So why, then, are we taking the time to write about David's Dairy Treat? In a word, maple. Maple sundaes, to be more specific. The dairy part of David's Dairy Treat is good, creamy soft-serve, and the list of sundaes that you can have made with the stuff is long. We assume that the toppings are pretty much standard issue, but there is one topping listed as maple syrup. Real maple syrup is a luxury item, yet the "maple syrup" sundae is priced the same as the rest, so we had our doubts.

So we asked about it and, sure enough, the woman said it is real maple syrup. Not only that, they use locally made syrup from the current year's spring tapping! The sundae made with this syrup is delicate and extraordinary, a mellifluous conjunction of cream and vanilla and wood and smoke. The ice cream is not drowned in syrup; there's probably only a couple of tablespoons of the sweet elixir, but the flavor is insinuated into every spoonful.

Cincinnatus is a tiny town in New York State maple country, on the way to nowhere in the triangle between Utica, Syracuse, and Binghamton. You do not drive through Cincinnatus, you drive to Cincinnatus. And that is just what we recommend you do the next time you are near any of those three cities. Keep in mind that David's Dairy Treat is a very generic-looking, outdoor-only, walk-up drive-in; expect to find it open only during those seasons such places are ordinarily in business.

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Posted By Jennifer Burrows on March 21, 2011 6:53 PM

David's Dairy Treat has been one of my favorite places to get ice cream and simple eats since I was little. I am now 19 and I still have a soft spot in my heart for David's soft serve ice cream. As my dad once told me, "It's good because it's local." You can taste the community in every sweet bite.

No soft serve can compare! It's rich, thick, and decadent. When I was little I used to get the vanilla soft serve with "Blue Goo" flavoring on top. I knew even then that this was one of my favorite places in the world to be.

There's more to this place than just the ice cream! When I was younger, and still to this day, my dad would get the onion rings. There are two things you must understand about the onion rings: 1) They are delicious, and 2) They aren't served in your normal little to-go container. They come to you in a bucket. Well, not literally a bucket, but a quart, and that is pretty awesome. Their burgers, too, are great.

The setting couldn't be more perfect. Everything has that 50s diner feel. While it IS near the road, it is a great place to bring the little ones to catch frogs in the creek that's right behind the establishment, or to climb the tall, beautiful trees that shade the picnic benches. It has a "homey" smell that just makes you feel young again, even if it's your first time there. The only things I can imagine being wrong with this place is that there is not a public restroom, at least not since I was last there. It can get very busy!

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French Fries

Cheeseburger

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