Scream for Superior Dairy
By Shawn GadberryDan Sozinho lives in Fresno with his wife Andrea. But Hanford, he says, is his hometown. “Mom and Dad used to come in to town on Saturday and we’d always stop at Superior Dairy,” he says.
Superior Dairy opened its doors in 1929 in the heart of Hanford, right across the street from Courthouse Square. Back then, it was a full-service dairy. While retaining its lunch menu — which has been basically the same since the early 1960s — by 1972 the focus switched from full dairy to just ice cream.
“The ice cream was always the big thing,” says Susan Wing, who co-owns the business with her brother Tim Jones. “That’s what we are famous for.”
Flavors such as chocolate chip, cookies, banana and maple nut are served up next to classics like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry in shakes, sundaes, banana splits and floats. Superior Dairy makes its ice cream fresh, churning out an estimated 78,000 gallons a year using the same recipes Judson Bowden, founder and Wing’s grandfather, used when he first opened nearly 80 years ago.
“People come off of I-5. That’s like an 80-mile detour just to get ice cream,” says Wing.
“The ice cream is nice and creamy,” says Ryan Portugal, manager. “It’s really good.”
Sticking with the traditional recipes is part of the charm of Superior Dairy. Another aspect is its old-fashioned atmosphere. “It looks the same,” Sozinho says. “It hasn’t changed in all of these years.”
Like the fabled ice cream parlors of yesterday, Superior Dairy has the look and feel of a bygone era. Large pale-pink padded booths and matching bar stools around the lunch counter make up the seating area. Antique-looking light fixtures hang from a coffered ceiling. The long service bar dominates the center of the building where the delectable ice cream treats are created.
“I think right now we’re the oldest, family-owned [ice cream parlor] operating in the same location in the western United States,” says Wing.
Superior Dairy doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In an era of chains and national brand names, Superior Dairy still reigns in Hanford. “It’s just word of mouth,” says Wing of its continued popularity. “Hanford has grown tremendously, but people still seem to find out about it and come.”
One word of advice, though, for first timers: Be careful when ordering multiple scoops and sundaes — Superior Dairy’s scoops aren’t what you see at an average ice cream place. Come hungry and you won’t be disappointed.