This announcement is a couple of weeks late but better late than never. The Manteno Creamery opened their doors (windows actually) on the 24th of March. The Creamery is one of the two ice cream shops in Manteno, IL. Perhaps I only favor the Creamery over PJ’s because I live closer to them but each has their own strengths and weaknesses. I will compare these two ice cream shops later in this post but first here is some background information about the Creamery in Manteno.

Manteno Creamery Business Profile

- Location: 399 Southcreek Drive, Manteno, IL 60950
- Phone: (815) 468-6717 ‎
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (I believe they stay open later on weekends)
- Menu: Click here for the Manteno Creamery menu

The Manteno Creamery serves both ice cream and food. There is a Creamery in the following towns: Manhattan, Frankfort, Mokena, Homer Glen, Orland Hills and New Lenox. The Manteno Creamery has a drive-thru but if you want to eat right away you can opt to sit down at one of the benches/tables. The Creamery is very popular during the summer so a moderate wait is not uncommon. They offer a wide range of ice creams, snacks, drinks, sandwiches, hotdogs and several side items.

The Manteno Creamery Vs PJ’s Ice Cream

I have been enjoying both of these ice cream shops for many years. The menu for the Creamery has 10-15X more items than PJ’s Ice Cream so they hold the title on selection. The Creamery in Manteno serves hot food and ice cream. The number of ice cream products at the Creamery includes everything from ice cream pies to frozen yogurt to parfaits and everything in between. You could probably order a different ice cream product every day for the whole summer at the Creamery. PJ’s has a nice selection of ice cream flavors but their menu is limited to ice cream cones, milk shakes and other basic fare.

The hot food at the Creamery includes hot dogs, French fries, sloppy Joe, Italian beef, Polish sausage, nachos, chili and several other items. To be honest I do not really particularly like the brand of hot dog they use and their French fries could be much better. I would strongly suggest switching to Vienna hot dogs and some type of seasoned fries. As far as fast food restaurants in Manteno go the Creamery ranks somewhere between McDonalds and Maria’s Kitchen (the bottom of the spectrum).

They could increase their business significantly by adding a grill and serving hamburgers, chicken and similar foods. They would need someone who knows how to cook but it would put them in competition with the other restaurants in Manteno. If they expanded their business and offers great tasting food like that found at Gallagher’s Pub in Manhattan (superb hamburgers) they could likely triple their revenue.

Even bad fries and hot dog are better than nothing. PJ’s basically just offers ice cream, shakes and a few other basic products.

PJ’s does have a more convenient location, especially if you walk there. Unlike the Creamery you can actually sit down in PJ’s and eat your ice cream. One thing I like about PJ’s is that they have a shelf full of board games and other activities. This makes them a little more kid-friendly. There isn’t much space in PJ’s though.

The last thing I want to compare are the prices. The Creamery is a little cheaper when it comes to smaller items like what one will find on their kids menu. You can get a baby cone for $.50 or a Sunday for $1.89. For adult sized items the Creamery can be somewhat overpriced but they are still significantly lower than PJ’s. A small milk shake at the Creamery will run you $2.69. The same milk shake at PJ’s costs ~$3.50. You will get more bang for your buck at the Creamery but in my opinion both have many overpriced items. Here is some background information on PJ’s ice cream shop in Manteno:

- Location: 41 W Second St  Manteno, IL 60950
- Phone: (815) 468-8680
- Hours: Unknown but they are not open as often as one would think.
- Menu: Unknown but basically just ice cream and drinks (i.e. milk shakes)

Editors note: When you search for the Creamery using Google the map mistakenly lists Taco Bell at 399 Southcreek Drive.