For context, I rate products and businesses on a simple scale: 5 stars means I love it, 4 stars means I like it, 3 stars is okay, 2 stars means I didn't like it, and 1 star means I hated it or think it's unsafe. This is already my fourth visit here this season, and I've been coming to Control Tower Ice Cream for years. It never disappoints. They have a huge variety of both soft serve and hard ice cream flavors, along with a ton of sundae options. Portion sizes are very generous too, both for sundaes and cones. Today I had the Chocolate Overload Sundae with Moose Tracks ice cream. It came with delicious hot fudge, little peanut butter cup pieces in the ice cream, Oreo crumbles, whipped cream, sprinkles, a cherry, and even a fun size Hershey bar on top. So good. While I was there the people in line in front of me got slushes that looked very much like bomb pop flavors. I bet there's awesome! Almost changed my choice but I stuck with my original sundae choice. I've also had their brownie sundae in the past, and that was excellent too. Trust me when I say a regular size is already pretty large. The large is enormous. This is probably my favorite ice cream place in the area, with Kurver Kreme right behind it. Another thing I really like is how quickly they move people through. Even when there's a line, I've never had to wait very long to order or get my ice cream. They also have go-karts and batting cages, which makes it a fun place overall. The go-karts aren't open until May 16th, but it's nice having those attractions there. 5 stars. read more

Located next to a mini golf course and batting cages, Control Tower is such a great spot for a post activity reward! They have an extensive menu of soft serve and hard ice creams but they're definitely well known for their sundaes which is what we got this time! Sooo decadent and delicious and you get to choose what soft or hard ice cream to go with it! So many options you can't go wrong! We got the coconut caramel, pb trashcan, and another peanut butter themed one which were so good! So easy to order and everything came out quick! They also have indoor seating during hot summer months read more

Control Tower - Sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

What a great place to relax and unwind. We drive by on our way to dinner and afterwards came back for dinner ice cream. Very popular spot, lots of people but they had three windows open taking orders so things went quickly. Av lot of tables around to sit and enjoy the night. We saw the place is right next to the Albany airport and we enjoyed seeing the planes cover in for a landing. A lot of choices for styles of dessert offered and plenty of flavors. Soft serve on a cone was delicious and the shake I had was good. One note about the sizes for floats and shakes, they had regular and large. Both are good sized but the large is more of a supper size. read more

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Been here a few times this summer and it's such a great spot to grab ice cream, play mini golf, watch the planes, and maybe even hit the batting cages or go karts! Definitely a 5/5 for vibes and overall experience. The ice cream is really nice! I love the variety of flavors they offer, and the sundaes are huge. They're generous with portions, so you really get your money's worth. Parking can be a bit limited and it's usually busy, so just a heads-up. But there are plenty of tables to sit at and enjoy your treats. read more

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One of my favorite ice cream places in the Capital Region! I'm obsessed with their Doughnado - a scoop of edible cookie dough with your ice cream of choice. It's incredible! Their large selection of hard and soft ice creams, and specialty sundaes is amazing. They also have several non-dairy options and at least one sugar-free option too. There's definitely something for everyone here! They also have a lot of covered and uncovered seating and you can watch the planes take off and land from the nearby airport. They also have go karts and batting cages. It's a great spot to spend with family or friends! read more

Control Tower - Doughnado - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

This review is just for the ice cream! It was packed when we went but the lines go pretty fast due to the number of lanes that they had open. There is some table seating available but not much. The parking lot is kind of small but they had plenty of street parking available too. We liked all of our sweet treats :) Good ice cream and fair prices. read more

Control Tower - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

We finally made it to this local ice cream shop, and were impressed. The lines of customers we often see here while driving past over time made us wonder what draws folks in. First off, they have plenty of private free parking, and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The space overall was clean and organised, and it was easy to navigate our way around. The chocolate moose track had fudge chunks and the chocolate ice cream was decent. Their maple walnut was one of the better ones I've had, and the crispy walnut chunks definitely helped. The covered outdoor seating gave us a view of cargo planes in the distance, and I guess that's where the name comes from. Staff was friendly, and based on this first experience, we'll certainly go back. read more

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The ice cream place is very popular: lines can get long! They do not have small "sugar" cones, only waffle cones or giant sugar cones. There is NO food other than ice creams. There IS an air conditioned room with a view of planes taking off in case it's too hot outside. I did not love the soft vanilla- better last ok elsewhere if that's your passion or try another flavor. read more

Very friendly place to get ice cream or Slushies on a hot day after playing miniature golf right next door the service and ambiance was great. I like they had different varieties read more

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First, I want to thank Yelper Nischinth S. for making me aware of an ice cream stand that sells rum raisin ice cream. My wife and I both ordered it, along with other flavors, and were quite pleased. There really are a lot of interesting flavors available in addition to the classics. My wife ordered a small dish of the Rum Raisin and Caramocha (coffee ice cream with fudge chips and swirls of salted caramel). To my small dish of Rum Raisin, I added Cinnamon Bun, which might just be my new favorite flavor of ice cream, and it really does taste like a cinnamon bun with its chunks of dough. Their "Small" serving costs $4.75 and consist of two good sized scoops. But who knows what my next discovery tasting will consist of? Maybe Peanut Butter Pie, or Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream, or PB Party, or Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Dough, or Midnight PB Marshmallow, or Banana PB Moose Tracks! Hmmm, I sense a theme in my tastebuds. But take note, Control Tower is not just a place to go for ice cream, both hard and soft. They also have miniature golf, batting cages, and go-karts. Did I mention that you can also watch the airplanes landing and taking off at the airport? Wow, a place for all ages. read more

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Whoa!!!! The vegan (non dairy) ice cream flavors are amazing!!! Not just the typical Dole soft serve flavors...I had the blueberry pancake ice cream and it was so good... literally tastes like a blueberry pancake with syrup. The service was super fast and they moved through the line efficiently. There's also go-karts, batting cages and mini golf on site if you wanna hang for a bit. I can't believe I haven't been here sooner! Can't wait to come back. read more

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Great ice cream!! Must have for those hot summer nights and they have Dole Whip too!!

One of my guilty pleasures is to buy those cheap Friendly's dessert cups (Reese's Pieces flavor) in the supermarket when they are on sale for $1. I think they have been discontinued, and I have been lost searching for a suitable replacement. Five words: Peanut Butter Trash Can Sundae. I came for only one thing. I left with at least half of it uneaten. And I only ordered the "regular" size. You take ice cream (I selected peanut butter ice cream), cover it with hot fudge, Reese's Pieces, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles, and a peanut butter cup on top. You only get a flimsy plastic spoon to try and eat it. And what a challenge it is! I love peanut butter, and to find an ice cream sundae engulfed in the stuff is heavenly. It is almost too much of a good thing, as I enjoyed my leftover ice cream for three consecutive days and then had to let it go to the great beyond. It was just too much ice cream, peanut butter, and chocolate (it pains me to even type that). Walken would definitely NOT say "I gotta have more peanut butter!" Perhaps next time I will order it with regular vanilla ice cream instead of PB to provide some relief. Or maybe I will go with someone who likes PB instead of my wife, who looked at my sundae with disdain and thanked me for not having my spoon touch her sundae while I sampled what she ordered. Hopefully my son will grow to appreciate the stuff as much as I do. I don't know the solution. But man, this is a problem I need to find myself in more often. Next season I will be back (and I am bringing a proper metal sundae spoon)! read more

The best part about this place is that you can watch the planes take off while you sit an enjoy your scoop. I was excited when I saw the thin mint sundae ..it's wonderful that they came up with this creation of incorporating girl scout cookies into their menu ...it's a win win and they have it only for a limited time so grab one before it's gone. The sundae is layered alternating with ice rae and crushed thin mint and warm fudge and further topped with more thin mint cookies. It's an overload of goodness and guilt with every bite. read more

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Very good ice cream and it is fun to watch the planes come in and out The service has always been pretty good read more

4 words!!!!! Peanut butter trash can!! It's soooo delicious and keeps you coming back for more. Pulled up to a busy busy place on a Saturday night at 8pm. Note they close by 9pm. Bonus: Found a parking spot in the lot though. Long line goes very fast as they have many workers and many open windows. Great customer service. Sorry there's no picture, I was craving the peanut butter trash can and ate it too fast. The peanut butter brownie sundae was also amazing, only was able to steal one bite of that from the husband . Would recommend to any peanut butter lovers or ice cream enthusiasts out there to go and try it out! On the grounds they have mini golf, go karts and batting cages. Place gets very loud and busy. Beware of kids running through the parking lots and on the road. read more

Love the large selection of soft serve. Not just vanilla, choc and twist, but raspberry, dole whip and a mango whip too. Check out all the boards and specials before you decide. Also a large selection of cone "coatings." Been driving by on way to Union College for 4 years and finally stopped on the last trip. read more

This place has several things to offer from batting cages, go carts, and miniature golf. They have lots of ice cream flavors and sundaes and their website touts the number of options. Servings are quite large some come hungry or order down a size. The miniature golf was really busy on a Sat afternoon some come prepared to play through pretty quickly. With the airport, go carts and music piped through the course it is quite loud. I found myself kind of yelling after a while. The course is well maintained and landscaped very nicely. There are a few benches through out the course to rest but not many and with it being busy there is little opportunity to play at a leisurely pace. The nearby airport planes taking off and landed may be an added bonus for younger kids. My nephew who is 5 thought they were great! read more

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Our ice cream crawl continues. Today, after watching Melissa and Terry Peterson repeatedly come here, we came to Control Tower Ice Cream for stop number three ! Madame had a flurry with heath bar pieces, and I tried the Elvis Sunday. The Elvis sundae had peanut butter swirl with bananas, chocolate chips, and a peanut butter topping. The bananas weren't just on the top, they went all to the bottom. Whip cream and cherry topped off one of the best sundaes I have had. Super busy on a Tuesday night, could be the fact that it is still in the 80s at almost 8 o'clock at night. Only drawback I would say is parking, as they are co-located with a go cart and batting cages. Right off of Route seven, with a great view of the approach to Albany international airport, Being an aviation geek. It was great to see planes come in and out while we ate our ice cream. Cleanliness, fast, customer service, and a pleasant staff made this visit a fantastic visit. 4.5 out of five stars. Will definitely come back again. read more

Control Tower - The Elvis Sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

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Control tower was fine, this review is for the guys working the All4Fun go karts on June 23rd 2024, at around 4-5pm. Absolute jerks. They were laughing at me and my friends entire time we were doing gokarts. I lost my phone, told them that I thought it was either in the gokarts or on the track. They just said "oh no" in a sarcastic tone, laughed at me, and let the people drive around on the go karts. I had to go get another attendant from the golf shed to help us, and then they finally looked. My phone was in fact in the go karts that just went around the track and very well could have fallen out. They also swore at my friend, asking her "what the fuck are you doing?" Because she went in the wrong lane by accident. They were absolutely vile and rude and had no respect for any of us, and swore several times. Immature teenage boys. read more

Yum! Tasty little soft serve joint with family outdoor activities in the back. I've never done the carts/golf/etc, but I can say their soft serve is worth the trip. I would say their speciality is fun sundaes, so treat yo self! I got the cookie dough sundae, and even the smaller size is gigantic. Bring a friend and indulge! read more

Control Tower - Cookie dough sundae (regular size - so big!) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

Delicious ice cream. I only got a small chocolate cone dipped in a cherry dip. What I noticed was that it was not melting all over the place which usually makes me eat is so fast I don't enjoy it! Service was fast and friendly! Will be sure to stop in again soon! read more

Why have we never been here before? I got the 518 foodies special called "take 5 foodie" so so good but too filling I couldn't finish it. My boyfriend got his favorite (everywhere we go) the banana split. I deducted a star only bc the pineapples on his sundae were sour and tasted like they were going bad. Other than that it was def better than guptills in my opinion. read more

Control Tower - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

Nice atmosphere, good location, a bathroom (great for little ones, and shady spots. All great! But the ice cream was just "okay."

They no longer serve food which is a good thing. I never liked the food I got here and the management was very poor. The good news is they still serve ice cream and the location can't be beat! I do enjoy it as an ice cream place. I got a dole whip mango/vanilla twist. It was very refreshing on a muggy day. My son enjoyed his very large, 2 scoop small mint chocolate chip. My nieces enjoyed their big one scoop "kiddie" cones. We sat outside and the view can't be beat. If they get it together and reopen as a food place under new management I would give them another try. read more

Excellent service and treats. Everything was good and we plan to return all summer. The selection on favors is amazing.

Watch the planes takeoff and land at Albany International Airport from the north end of the 1-19 runway, and stay for the food and ice cream! You can see the real control tower in the distance! The Control Tower is a great place the bring the family for ice cream treats and drive-in food, plus they have batting cages and miniature golf too! The menu offers ice cream treats (hard & soft ice cream, sundaes, splits, crunch cream, floats, malts, shakes, slushes), burgers, hot dogs, fish frys, clam rolls, sandwiches, paninis, fries, rings, salads, soup, and cold drinks. Seven combo meals are offered ($5.99-$7.69). The food is made to order so be patient. There are separate outside takeout windows for ice cream and regular food, outdoor covered table seating, and picnic table seating. There's also an indoor area with another order counter and seating, air conditioned for comfort. I enjoy the soft serve on a hot day, which is very creamy and refreshing. I get the small size ($2.16 with tax) which seems very large. I wish there was a similar drive-in like this place at the end of the runway at the Manchester Boston Regional Airport in Londonderry, NH, which would be very cool and I'd sooo be there a lot! read more

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Thank goodness for their non-dairy options! I know that's not what most people look for in an ice cream joint, but as my body's become more lactose intolerant, non-dairy ice cream's been a gift from the heavens. Try their blueberry pancake flavor! read more

Nice staff, very patient. Generous portions. Spaced tables and trees you can sit under. Bathroom closed for covid. Right at the end of the airport runway so bonus views. read more

Control Tower - Banana cream pie, small (big!) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

Ice cream stand with lots of flavors of hard ice cream and rotating soft serve flavors. The highlight is their wide variety of interesting sundaes. I wish they had mini versions of the specialty sundaes because the regular size is a bit overwhelming. Good service which usually improves as the summer goes on and the kids figure out the job. The location is great - you can watch planes and there is a covered sitting area that protects from rain and sun. We have been here plenty of times when it has been pouring. Also has bathrooms and an indoor seating area for cold days read more

I love goin here with the airplanes and good food The staff is really nice and the business is always clean! Would recommend this place read more

We were here on Saturday so I was confused how the Yelp page said closed when I went to check in but that's okay! I got a regular sized chocolate milkshake and it was so creamy and perfect that I can still make out the taste a week later. I have a thing against Vanilla, but my two year old seems to really enjoy it so I hate stealing bites of hers when she doesn't finish the whole thing. This vanilla ice cream was tolerable for me! It was really nice, smooth, and creamy. We were in New York visiting family and they said this place was a must stop. I didn't understand because we live near farms so we get some of the freshest ice cream year round. However, I would make this place a regular stop while in the area. The view of the Albany air port is also really pretty. Parking can be a nightmare since they share a lot and a dead end road with a go kart and mini golf place. read more

I really enjoy control tower, and frequent with my friends. A great place with fast service and a family/large-group friendly environment! Great ice cream too! Anything from sundaes to their version of the blizzard to a good old fashioned cone. Really recommend, very adequate service too! read more

Neat to be at the end of the airport. The ice cream was fine but not what I'd call premium, not rich and creamy.

What an escape from reality. This is located near the airpirt, and who doesn't love watching the planes come in with ice cream in hand. Amazing service, speedy and accurate to orders. Try the soft serve while it's open for the season read more

Control Tower - Strawberry Shortcake Sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

Three words: Pineapple Dole Whip. This is the same stuff from Disney World, hadn't had it since the 80s. It's as good as I remember! And it's fat free, only 90 calories a cup. Turns out they rotate each Monday night between pineapple, strawberry and mango. I'll be back...often! Sorry I can't review anything else. But the Dole whip rocks!!' read more

Great clam roll but when I paid for POTATO SALAD they gave me macaroni salad because they were out of potato salad. (Without asking me first) I HATE mac salad (which was why I did not purchase it) and when I asked to switch to french fries they refused!!!! Need to learn better customer service. read more

This is a summer staple for me since it's only a half mile from my workplace. I am a big fan of dairy bars and a big fan of airplanes - so getting to sit outside and watch the planes take off and land is awesome. The food is just OK; I feel like its quality has kind of declined in recent years. My favorites are the cheesesteak, buffalo chicken sandwich (it's hot!), and fried clam roll. I've had the (bacon) cheeseburger, and it's pretty basic, reminiscent of Burger King in flavor but a bigger patty; not the best dairy bar burger I've had, so I probably won't be ordering one again. The menu is very large for a dairy bar, going beyond the standards. They have salads, wraps, and specialty paninis, as well as more sides than just fries and onion rings. And they have meal deals that come with cole slaw, fries, and a drink. In case you're wondering, the ice cream is not homemade; it is Perry's brand, which is commonly served at dairy bars. They offer probably 15 or more flavors, but I've been to places with more Perry's flavors available than here. The servings are large, even the kiddie cones. Prices on everything pretty standard--not terribly expensive. My boyfriend was disappointed with his chocolate milkshake, though; he said it was about the consistency of chocolate milk - weak and no thickness. He didn't ask for another, so I can't say how they would handle that in terms of service, but all the cashiers I've encountered have been friendly, usually the standard seasonal teenagers. The large outdoor eating area is covered with a roof, but toward the back end there are some tables in the sun, so you have a choice of shade or sun, which is nice. There is a large indoor area too for not-so-nice days, with the same (maybe better?) view of the aiport. You have to order from the window outdoors, though. I must say that I love that there are bathrooms indoors - large and clean ones! All in all I'm a fan. Like I said, the food is mediocre - not bad but not *great.* I think they've changed owners in the past few years; not sure if that made the difference. And I haven't been yet in 2015, so I will have to update with any substantial changes for better or worse. read more

I first went there because I wanted to have ice cream and watch the planes taking off and landing. Unfortunately the Albany airport is not that busy, there were like 1 plane an hour. And they are all narrow body jets. So for commercial plane fans, it will be quite disappointed. However, aside from that, the place is super relax. And the fries are really crunchy. read more

Control Tower - Cheeseburger - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

The venue for this place is legitimately cool. Even though we showed up after the sun had set (and I wish we had shown up at least an hour earlier), we were still able to see and especially hear the planes take off and land, and that was pretty sweet to me. Now for the down side. The product sort of stank. When I order a milkshake, my expectation is for something that is frustratingly hard to drink. The moment I sipped it, I was able to draw way too much of it into my mouth on the first sip, and what I got was really bland. I kept sipping because, well, you know, I paid for it, but I already knew that I thought it was mediocre. The further I got, the thicker it got, and the flavor got stronger closer to the bottom. Which was good, I guess. I mean, my complaint was that it was flavorless to begin with. But the thing is, at the bottom, the flavor was almost TOO strong. This tells me that the thing wasn't mixed right (or maybe wasn't mixed at all). I'm no expert at making milkshakes, but I think the people I pay to make me one should be. So points off there. We also ordered some ice cream for my son, and that was run of the mill. Not disgusting, by any means, but nothing special, either. It was like they pulled it off the shelf at the nearest grocery store. I could've done that myself and brought it to the airfield. So points off for blandness there as well. Maybe my expectations were too high (we had just gone to Emack & Bolio's in Albany the night before), but I don't know. I realize it's just ice cream, but ice cream can be special. And this wasn't. I would return here in a bind, but I would never crave it. read more