Dairy Phil Ice Cream Parlor

So desperate for ice cream tonight, I ventured to Dairy Phil — one of the only places open on a Sunday evening in Clare.
Even though the staff was fast and friendly, their compassion was lacking and the portions were very small this evening. I have had so much better and for much less money. I was very sad and this evening barely satisfied my cravings.
I ordered 4 ice creams — for 4 people — but I was by myself. There was no offer for lids, a bag, a helping hand when my ice cream spilled on the glass case — not even a fresh one – just a towel for ME to clean up the mess. Moreover, she asked me why I did not tell her they were to go and that I needed lids and a bag??? REALLY?
All of the ice creams were such pitiful portions that I felt very ripped off. I was not a happy camper tonight. I hope the next time I venture into downtown Clare — and want ice cream here, it will be better than what happened to me tonight. :(I will give an updated review if I go again.

The draw here is the BBQ. My favorite is the pulled pork sammy. Authentic southern-​style. Actual pulled pork, not shredded/​processed. Sauce on top of the meat (sauce is phenomenal, whichever one you choose). Grilled bun. Make sure you get it with the slaw on the sandwich. Southern slaw, not the white and sweet stuff we Northerners are used to. It really makes the sandwich complete.
There is no place I’ve been to in Michigan that replicates the North Carolina BBQ style as well as Dairy Phil. In fact, no other place even tries. The sides are very good, the smoked potato salad is outstanding.
I would rather have one of these sandwiches than ice cream, and I have a sweet tooth. Honestly.

Average ice cream at best. Sorry!

Great old fashioned little icecream shop with good food. Takes you back to the 50’s!

The «dairy» part of the Dairy Phil menu is swell — they have a lot of special sundaes and other ice-​cream based desserts, AND they even twirl their soft-​serve old-​school style to make those cute, smooth, rounded cones with the little topknot — but to me Dairy Phil’s big draw is the barbecue. This is the real, home-​smoked deal. We love the pulled pork and chicken; they also serve ribs, brisket, even turkey breast. They offer three different sauces for your q’: sweet, hot and Carolina mustard. And they have great side dishes, including deep-​fried okra — how often do you see THAT in outstate Michigan? — and a unique smoked potato salad that I have been trying unsuccessfully to replicate at home.;-) You get huge portions for your money, too. This is a hidden mid-​Michigan gem — if you find yourself getting hungry on US-​127 somewhere between Mt. Pleasant and Houghton Lake, take the Clare exit and look for the Dairy Phil on Clare’s main street!

This is a great place. Great homemade food, friendly staff, good prices.
The BBQ is really good, and authentic (no sauce on the meat). The slaw on the sandwich is good. Plus they deliver!
Rock on, Dairy Phil.
Note to Phil: Charging 50c for using a credit card is cheap, and probably against the terms of service with your card processor. Cost you a star, Phil.

Driving home from camping up in Manistee, the boyfriend and I decided we had to pull over for the Cops and Doughnuts bakery. Driving though Clare, we noticed this place and their BBQ sandwich specials. Seeing it was dinnertime, it was basically a given that we were going to stop here.
This little walk-​up restaurant offers BBQ sandwiches, ice cream, frozen yogurt, Dole-​whip and other yummy food selections. The girl who took our order at the window was the sweetest, nicest girl I probably have ever met. I don’t think anyone could be as thorough, accommodating and sweet as this girl was as she took our orders for a BBQ pulled pork (for him) and BBQ Chicken sandwich (for me). They offer four different BBQ sauces and plenty of sides if you decide to make your sandwich a combo. I opted for the sweet BBQ sauce… so good, it’s got Slows beat (no joke)! The sandwiches were definitely the highlight of the meal, as I can’t even remember what sides we chose… I think I got fries, but I’m not exactly certain as the BBQ sandwich topped with cole-​slaw definitely stole the show! When bring the food to our picnic table, the sweet server even offered complementary doggie cones for the dogs. Dairy Phil definitely made four bellies very, very happy! Of course, to finish off dinner, the humans also had to get some cold treats. Amazingly, sweet and tart raspberry Dole-​whip for the man and I went with my old favorite of a twist cone dipped in chocolate. A perfect ending to a perfect meal! Oh, the price is definitely right here… two dinner combos were around $ 10. I cannot wait to return here on my next trip up north!

All we had was hand-​scooped ice cream, but it was great and cheap.