Oh wow!: Local creamery named among best in America

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It's a local favorite — and now a national one, too.

Owowcow Creamery said Monday that USA Today 10Best named it the third-best indie ice cream shop in the country. Its ranking placed it first on the East Coast.

While it wasn't among the three Lehigh Valley ice cream shops to make the recent Pennsylvania Ice Cream trail, it did get a shoutout from LehighValleyNews.com as a local favorite.

"No way this happens without you, our loyal customers, neighbors and friends and your amazing support over the past 15 years," said Owowcow Instagram and Facebook posts from owner John Fezzuoglio. "With deep gratitude, I thank all of our local farm partners.

"And most especially our dedicated, passion driven team for the creation of endless ice cream memories."

The post had hundreds of likes on both platforms, with customers sharing their congratulations and appreciation for the creamery.

"You have the absolute best ice cream in the US!" MaryLou Marazi said in a Facebook comment. "I live in Florida and really miss it! Can only get it when I visit Hellertown!"

Owowcow has five locations throughout the state, including in Easton and Ottsville in upper Bucks County.

All shops use locally-sourced ingredients — a selling point the USA Today listicle mentioned.

"One of a handful of ice cream companies in the country that's licensed by the Department of Agriculture to make its ice cream base from scratch, Owowcow Creamery's flavors are created daily with local roasted produce, organic extracts, hand-baked inclusions, and top-quality cocoa," said the 10Best Reader's Choice awards .

The creamery's website says all made-from-scratch products are truly that, down to pasteurizing ice creams, roasting fruit and hand-making and dipping signature popsicles by hand.

The Ottsville location is at 4105 Durham Road and the one in Easton is at 1262 Simon Blvd. in the old Simon Silk Mill property.

Although monthly specials and seasonal flavors are offered, Owowcow always has its 12 signature flavors stocked. Those include: house vanilla, I Hate Chocolate, strawberry, cookie monstah, sweet honey cream, blueberry lemon, cashew caramel, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, almond coconut chocolate chip, espresso and honey lavender.