Our favorite chocolate ice cream may be unfamiliar to those outside of Oregon. Chocolate lovers, take note! In a recent Daily Meal taste test, we ranked eight store-bought chocolate ice cream brands based on both flavor and texture. The relatively unknown Umpqua Ice Cream, based in Southern Oregon, was our favorite.
Its mousse-like texture was comparable to that of Tillamook chocolate ice cream, which came in third, but its creaminess and flavor were even better. Our reviewer continued, saying, “Compared to other brands I’ve tried, this chocolate ice cream has a richness and complexity that is unmatched.”. “.”.
In 1931, Ormond Feldkamp and Herb Sullivan opened a small ice house next to the railroad tracks, selling ice cream and other dairy products to train passengers passing through Roseburg, Oregon. Since our reviewer had never tried Umpqua before, who is this ice cream whiz? It remained in the Feldkamp family until 2020, when it was purchased by Producers Dairy, a Fresno, California-based family-run dairy. Over the years, Umpqua’s vanilla and chocolate ice creams have both taken home numerous accolades.
Where to find Umpqua ice cream
For an ice cream with this much longevity and so many accolades, it’s surprisingly difficult to locate. It’s not among our list of the top 21 ice cream brands for a reason: unless you live in Northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, or Washington, you won’t be able to find it at your neighborhood grocery store. The good news is that Umpqua is the least expensive of our top three chocolate ice creams, if you do live in its distribution area!
But people in Oregon are familiar with it. For many people who grew up taking summer road trips along I-5, the KandR Drive Inn in Rice Hill, close to Roseburg, is a nostalgic place to stop for a burger and an Umpqua sundae or ice cream scoop. This small ice cream and burger joint helped spread the word about Umpqua Ice Cream throughout the west coast over the years. The Lemon Bar flavor from Umpqua, the 2024 ice cream grand champion at the World Dairy Expo Championship, is a must-try if you visit. In order to ensure that you are ready for a burger and fries with an Umpqua Ice Cream Sundae for dessert, pack some healthy snacks for when you stop at a mini-mart the next time you are traveling up I-5 through Oregon. You will thank us for it later!