Tootsie’s Ice Cream & More

I was camping near Vinton and stopped here on the way to see the fantastic light display at Koopman’s (a little farther up the road).
The chocolate malt was fantastic — loaded with malt flavor. Even the small size was plenty. The décor is cool with lots of red and yellows and they had the cool red/​white checkerboard floor. There is memorabilia all over the walls including hubcaps, painted tin signs, etc. It’s a very upbeat environment.
I watched other diners who really enjoyed their food. Tootsie’s has a nice sized menu with tons of ice cream dessert items. I’ve been told the food is excellent. Just based on the décor and malt, I can say «I’m a fan» and give them four stars. On the next visit I will try the tenderloin

This restaurant used to be Leon’s Malt Shop, but was renamed this year when it came under new management. (See my review for Leon’s here:
)
The last time I visited family in Vinton, I loved Leon’s, so a visit to Tootsie’s was in order. But would this new incarnation be as delicious as it was when it was Leon’s?
(No need to worry. The answer is yes.)
My mom, aunt, and I split our meals amongst the three of us, so we could sample everything. I got the pork tenderloin sandwich with pickles and mustard, which was crispy and delicious! For sides, we tried the fried pickles and onion rings (both very good) and my favorite, the corn nuggets — fried batter with sweet corn kernels in the middle. I’m sad that no one makes these in the Chicago area, where I live.
The one bummer: My mom ordered the Loose Meat Sandwich, which was as unappetizing as its name suggests. I’d never even heard of such a thing, but it was just loose ground hamburger meat on a bun. There may have been onions as well, kind of like a sloppy joe without the sauce. It was just kind of bland and too messy to eat, so I’d recommend skipping this one.
But my absolute favorite, crazy delicious, haunting-​my-​dreams menu item: THE BREADED HOT DOG.
Oh, whatever, it just sounds like a corn dog or something, right? Who cares?
That’s what I thought, and I was so, so wrong. It’s a hot dog — wrapped in bacon — battered — and deep fried. It was as ridiculous and transcendent as it sounds. I could have eaten ten of them, heart health be damned.
Ice cream and milkshakes are also legit, and I love the variety of shake flavors they offer. How often do you see raspberry AND black raspberry offered as milkshake flavors? (Not often, which is why I went with the black raspberry.) If you’re ever visiting or driving through Vinton, Tootsie’s is a must-​try.