The gas may be pricey, and the store nothing special, but the X-tra Mart in Tolland, CT on Route 30 is THE spot for soft serve ice cream. I grew up in the same area this store is located and have head pretty much all the ice cream within a 20 miles radius...outside of that I can't say I've had ALL the ice cream, but I've had a lot. Even outside of Connecticut, the Tolland X-tra Mart has some of the most phenomenal soft serve ice cream you've ever had.
They don't offer a lot in terms of flavor...pretty much your basic vanilla, chocolate of twist. You can get "flavor blasts" which are vanilla ice cream with a twist of some other flavor (cheesecake, grape and pineapple are a few examples) but I don't highly recommend them...not because they're not good, but because good ice cream shines without any fancy flavors added in.
There is also the usual array of toppings...sprinkles (jimmies), or a dip....but only one cone option other than the basic cone; waffle.
Now, I know I've painted a rather dismal picture....afterall, most good ice cream places nowadays pride themselves on the sheer variety of flavors, toppings and cones they offer. But if you're looking for something a little more simple...I promise you, you will not be disappointed. The ice cream here is creamy, and flavorful, and always perfect. I didn't know just how good soft serve ice cream could be until I started becoming a regular at this unassuming X-tramart. Give it a try...you'll probably become one too!
Two tips for those who want to give it a try;
-Give a shot to their soft serve sundae....it's simple, just ice cream, hot fudge or caramel (you pick), whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles and a cherry, but it is amazing. The pure goodness of the ice cream underneath all those toppings makes it a far-above ordinary experience!
-If you're planning on going on a hot summer day (the perfect time for ice cream!) be aware that the lines can get LONG. The ice cream here is hardly a secret among the locals, and especially between the hours of 4 and 7 there can be an impressive amount of people for such a small establishment.
I'm giving X-traMart five stars based on its ICE CREAM...I can't really speak for it's service station portion! Even despite it's simplistic variety, what X-tra Mart HAS, it does very well. read more