COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa. (KMTV) — It may be one of the best-kept secrets in the metro. Doozies specializes in homemade ice cream. But as 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole found out, the ice cream is not the only thing you have to try when you go.
Doozies is a hidden gem near Lake Manawa.
"I just wanted to put together a little neighborhood place," said owner Susie Larsen.
It's just what Larsen had in mind when she thought about opening an ice cream shop five years ago.
The name came easy.
"My husband's name is Don and I'm Susie—hence Doozies was born," she said with a smile.
Larsen's the ice cream lady.
"I've been making ice cream since 2008," she shared. "You mix it up, you have to pour it in, pour a little bit out, taste this and that. I write it down and create recipes."
Susie has created 20 flavors. Ten of them rotate daily. The three favorites are always in the ice cream case.
"Our Sinful Chocolate, Vanilla Bean and our Butter Brickle," Larsen said. "In our area for some reason, Butter Brickle is super popular, so if I try to sneak in Butter Pecan instead of Butter Brickle, my Butter Brickle people get kind up upset."
Larsen prides herself in making premium ice cream. That means the highest quality of 14 percent butterfat.
That makes her ice cream rich and creamy.
She's also named some of her favorite flavors.
"When I actually tried this chocolate from this manufacturer, I was like, oh my gosh, this is so sinful. Hence Sinful Chocolate," she explained.
While the ice cream is the star of the show, it's not the only attraction.
The Doozie burger has a following of its own.
General manager Kelsey Ludwick says there are a few reasons their burgers are so good.
One — they grind their meat daily.
And two — their secret sauce.
"The Doozie sauce is a secret sauce we make in-house," Ludwick said. "It's a mayo-ketchup blend. There's some pickle juice in there. Some spices, all sorts of stuff, it's delicious."
The quarter-pound burger comes with all the usual toppings.
She added cheese and of course that Doozie sauce.
They also make a savory Buffalo chicken sandwich.
The chicken's dunked in the sauce and then grilled.
The Pork Tenderloin is also a favorite along with their hand-cut fries.
That Doozie sauce is great with the fries.
It's a doozy of a combination: amazing ice cream and mouthwatering burgers.
"Which one is your best seller?" Serese asked.
"I would say our ice cream is still. But there are days those burgers are getting up there," Larsen said. "I think the ice cream world is a happy world."
As the sign in her ice cream shop says: you can't buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream. And It really is almost the same thing.
Doozies is open Tuesdays through Sundays. It's at 321 Comanche Street in Council Bluffs.
The Doozie burger is $5.75. You can get the combo for $9.25.
One scoop of Larsen's homemade ice cream is $3.75.
By the way, Larsen will soon start making her fall-flavored ice cream. Go to their website for more details. A heads up — Doozies is seasonal. The restaurant closes for the year on October 31.
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