The Soda Fountain

When I was growing up, my family would go to Ocean Park every summer. This summer, well, today actually, I returned for the first time in a long time. It’s been at least 7 years. I was VERY happy with how the fountain still has the charm I remember from childhood! The kids working the counter are nice and the food is the classic comfort food I remember (grilled cheese, hot dogs, eggs and fixings for breakfast through 11 a.m.). The ice cream is great; I highly reccomend Dinosaur Crunch and Boston Blackout. Improvements that could be made are really only that the staff members are clearly teens/​college kids working a high turnover summer job, and they seemed a bit scatter-​brained by the busy line, but it’s not like you can really blame them. Overall, my take away points are: quick cheap comfort food (note, 10 $ card minimum), memorable atmosphere, a good location for ice cream with indoor and outdoor seating, and just as wonderful as I remember from being a kid.

Our waitress didn’t know how to get me dry toast and was convinced the kitchen didn’t use butter. They wouldn’t let me finish my coffee. Family tradition makes me keep going back though. The small town shop feel is great.

The Soda Fountain is the quintessential Summer in America type of stop. The diner style breakfast never disappoints — my tradition is always the ham and cheese omelet. Ice cream sundaes are the perfect thing to end a summer night on the beach. Mostly college students work the line that you order from and are always happy to serve and accept a tip for tuition:) The place has such a summer camp nostalgic feel. I have been coming here since I was a child and fee that no summer is complete without a Soda Fountain stop in Old Orchard Beach!