Dairy Joy

Dairy Joy might be one of the most beloved places in Lewiston — I grew up in this area and have nothing but fond memories of the place. My mom used to bring my sister and I here before heading off for a summer adventure when we were kids, in high school my field hockey team and I would walk over for a treat after practice, and during my college years, when my grandfather wanted to cheat on his diet, he would call me and discreetly asked to be picked up so we could get some pistachio ice cream («just a small, so Mama doesn’t know»).
The lines are so long they reach out to the street at the beginning of the season (usually late March/​early April) and even at the end of the season (late October) when everything on the menu is half off (yes, HALF off EVERYTHING at the end of the season).
For me, this place has always had the feeling of «coming home» — it’s always looked the same and the ice cream’s always tasted the same. Consistency and reliability like that is rarely found in non-«Mom & Pop”-esque places.
So, if you’re looking for a simple treat (a hot fudge milkshake, perhaps? a banana split? or maybe the beautiful simplicity of [the best] chocolate soft serve [you’ll ever eat in your life] on a sugar cone?) come here and support a staple in Lewiston’s economy.

Great Family Owned ice cream shop with a huge selection of flavors! Service was great and employees were friendly. Great prices too!

Like Joe C. I am used to southern New England prices so when my sister’s mint chocolate chip ice cream and my soft serve rang up to be less than $ 5 (I think it was $ 3 and change, actually) I was shocked in a good way. As a Lewiston native, I grew up coming here on occasion. It’s always a bit nostalgic to be back.
Variety is quite good with a list of Shain’s of (Sanford) Maine hard ice cream as well as numerous soft serve options. I got a raspberry and vanilla twist and the ice cream itself was great, hit the spot, but the cone was not quite but on the borderline of being stale. In addition to these offerings you can also order sundaes and other kinds of combos creations. Great ice cream at unbeatable prices. I’ll take it!

If Dairy Queen and Dairy Joy got married and had a baby girl, would they name it little Queen Joy?
Beats me. Why are you asking me?
I just can’t get over the quantity of ice cream $ 2.25 gets you here. It was hard ice cream and while it wasn’t the best ice cream I’ve ever had, it was dirt cheap and it hit the spot. Plus, it was Shain’s of Maine which I never had before and is, surprise surprise, from the state of Maine. Sanford ME to be exact.
Soft serve ice cream is their main draw. Think of it as a privately owned Dairy Queen. I think they have a one or two other branches somewhere in northern Massachusetts.

This is one of those soft-​serve ice cream places that have been around for an extremely long time and EVERYONE goes to. Very reasonably priced, with a wide selection menu, they cater to the everyman in all of us. YUM…

It may have been cold and rainy, but the peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter cups mixed in brought me great joy. I got a regular mix in and it was more ice cream than I could handle — which was a good thing.
I thought the prices were reasonable, especially coming from Boston. There were lots of ice cream options. Great place to come on a hot summer evening or any night you need a treat.
(Dairy) Joy to the world!

What can I say, you grow up in Lewiston and everyone enjoys their summer treats at Dairy Joy. I remember going on trips with my friends to get sundays, mix-​ins, or chocolate-​dipped soft serves. Oh man did it hit the spot after a long day at school! Back in the day I probably would have rated Dairy Joy 4 stars, but I had to give it 3 because there was a change in their soft serve! Used to be much creamier — but just hasn’t been the same over the last couple of years.

I don’t think another ice cream stand could ever live up to this one. I have sweet sweet memories coming to this place. They serve Shane’s of Maine ice cream. My staple is the cookie dough in a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles. The pieces of cookie dough are golf ball sized. It’s just the best.