The Bethel Sugar Shack in Bethel, Maine

The Bethel Sugar Shack does burgers, subs, and chicken sandwiches, but it's really an ice cream parlor that happens to serve lunch. People drive hours for the Gifford's flavors and custom sundaes. It's open all year in a seasonal mountain town, which means locals and visitors alike treat it like home.

• Gilford's ice cream, house-made sundaes worth driving hours for
• Fast, attentive service and staff who make visitors feel local
• Allergen info printed on menu, no guessing required
• Open year-round in a seasonal mountain town

The honey mustard chicken wrap and brownie sundae have loyal fans. Try the chicken bomb sandwich if you want something beyond standard fare, or stick with a grilled cheese on your choice of bread, toasted right. Milkshakes are thick and creamy. Shamrock Shake shows up seasonally and vanishes fast.

Spare, clean, and genuinely welcoming. No fussiness or mountain town pretense. It reads as a local's joint, not a tourist trap.

Order a burger or a wrap if you're hungry, but go in knowing the ice cream is the real draw. Gifford's is the house brand. A milkshake here is thick and creamy. The sundaes are generous. If flavors are limited on a given day, it's worth asking what just came in.

Guests who visit once often become repeat customers, some driving five hours or more just to return. People praise the ice cream as among the best they've had. One recent visitor called the staff 'so nice' and said they make you 'feel like a local.' The food is described as solid; the ice cream is what turns a lunch stop into a destination.