Donut Delights Midwest

Milty Wilty
Wautoma, WI
Photo courtesy Joe Koehler

The neon at Milty Wilty gives travelers through Wautoma, Wisconsin, a good reason to slow down. Standing at Highways 21 and 73, the colorful sign advertises a summertime stop where frozen custard and burgers have been drawing customers for decades. It looks especially inviting once the sun goes down. 08-10

Opened in 1947 as a small custard stand, Milty Wilty grew to include indoor seating, miniature golf, and a playground. Burgers, coney dogs, shakes, and sundaes round out the menu, giving families plenty of reasons to linger beyond an ice cream cone.

UPDATE: Milty Wilty continues operating seasonally under family ownership. Its iconic neon sign still lights the intersection, keeping a colorful piece of Wisconsin’s roadside landscape in service. For anyone passing through during the summer, the custard makes a fitting excuse to stop and admire it. 07-26

Candyland (Gone)
Youngstown, OH
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

The sight of Candyland brings back memories of neighborhood candy counters and Christmas treats. This Glenwood Avenue shop in Youngstown, Ohio, welcomed generations of kids looking for penny candy, popcorn, chocolates, and something sweet to take home. It was the kind of storefront that could make pocket change feel like a small fortune. 05-09

The holidays made the shop especially memorable, with ribbon candy and colorful seasonal sweets filling the shelves. For families on Youngstown’s south side, stopping here became a tradition remembered long after the last purchase.

UPDATE: Candyland has closed, and its familiar storefront and sign are gone. This photograph preserves a little of the shop’s appearance, along with memories of a neighborhood stop where choosing what to buy was probably the hardest part of the visit. 07-26

Long's Bakery
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The marquee at Long's Bakery has been pointing hungry customers toward fresh donuts for generations. Ask just about anyone in Indianapolis where to find the city's best donuts, and chances are Long's will be at the top of the list. 05-09

Long's Bakery opened in 1955 and has built a loyal following with its hot glazed donuts, apple fritters, cake donuts, and other bakery favorites. The original shop on Tremont Street is still a cash-only operation, and it's not unusual to find a line stretching out the door and around the building, especially on weekend mornings. Most customers will tell you the wait is well worth it.

The classic roadside marquee has become almost as well known as the donuts themselves. It's a simple sign, but one that's welcomed generations of Indianapolis residents and visitors looking for a sweet treat.

UPDATE: Long's Bakery continues to serve customers from its original Indianapolis location and remains one of the city's most beloved bakeries. The classic roadside marquee is still there, welcoming another generation of donut lovers. 07-26

Twistee Treat
Clyde, OH
Photo courtesy Mike Engle

A giant ice cream cone makes a pretty convincing advertisement, and Twistee Treat in Clyde, Ohio, certainly gets the point across. The fiberglass building is hard to overlook and even harder to pass without thinking about something cold. This is roadside architecture that leaves very little guessing about the original menu. 08-10

Now operating as The Twist, the stand was among the cone-shaped buildings relocated from Florida to Ohio after the original company closed. Soft serve, shakes, sundaes, and flurries share the menu with sandwiches and other summertime favorites.

UPDATE: The Twist continues operating seasonally in Clyde, and the giant fiberglass cone survives. It remains a fun example of the Twistee Treat design, with similar stands featured elsewhere on Roadside Peek. Fortunately, this oversized cone still comes with the opportunity to order a smaller one. 07-26

Howdy's Dari-Owl (Demolished)
Wellsville, OH
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

Mr. Dari Owl gave Howdy’s Dari-Owl in Wellsville, Ohio, a cheerful roadside welcome. The colorful character sign added plenty of personality to the little stand, making it worth a second look even if you weren’t stopping for ice cream. Of course, spotting the sign probably helped change a few minds. 11-00

The dairy bar served soft-serve cones, shakes, sundaes, hot dogs, fries, and other warm-weather favorites. Like many neighborhood stands, it became a familiar place for families to gather on summer evenings for a treat or quick meal.

UPDATE: Howdy’s Dari-Owl has been demolished, and a commercial retail business now occupies the property. The original Mr. Dari Owl sign is also gone. Photographs preserve the friendly mascot and a reminder of the stand that once gave Wellsville customers a reason to pull over. 07-26

Dairy Twist
Connersville, IN
Photo courtesy Doug Harvey

For many years, Dairy Twist has been a favorite summertime stop in Connersville, Indiana. Whether it's for an ice cream cone, a shake, or a quick bite to eat, generations of locals have made this little roadside stand part of their warm-weather routine. 09-06

The walk-up setup keeps things straightforward, with customers ordering at the window before enjoying their treats. It’s the kind of neighborhood dairy bar where a familiar menu and an easygoing visit can keep people returning year after year.

UPDATE: Dairy Twist remains open seasonally in Connersville, and its roadside sign survives. The stand continues serving customers from its longtime location, keeping a simple summertime tradition going. Sometimes a cone, a shake, and a few minutes off the road are all you need. 07-26

Twistee Treat (Demolished)
Strasburg, OH
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The giant cone at Twistee Treat in Strasburg, Ohio, made this stand an easy place to spot. You didn’t need much lettering to explain what was sold inside. The fiberglass building did the advertising itself, giving passing motorists a playful reminder that an ice cream break might be in order. 03-07

The Strasburg stand was among the cone-shaped buildings relocated from Florida to Ohio after the original Twistee Treat company closed. Its unusual shape made the building as much an attraction as the treats served through the window.

UPDATE: The Strasburg Twistee Treat has been demolished, and the giant cone is gone. Other examples of the design survive elsewhere, but this roadside stop now lives on in photographs. It’s a shame to lose a building that could make you smile before you ever placed an order. 07-26