There's No Other Ice Cream Place In Illinois As Retro As The Twistee Treat Diner
By Melissa Mahoney|Published April 16, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Maybe you’ve seen it – after all, it’s hard to miss as you’re driving along historic Route 66. A large pink elephant beckons visitors to get off at the next exit as it advertises an antique mall, food, and (best of all!) ice cream. Curiosity and hunger set in and you must find out what this place is all about! Upon arrival, you are transported into another world, one from the past in all its vintage glory. Welcome to the Pink Elephant Antique Mall and its retro-style sidekick, the Twistee Treat Diner where you can satisfy your hunger with delicious diner fare and frozen treats.
You can't miss the bright pink elephant on the side of the road. Like any roadside attraction, it lures travelers to stop, take some photos, and, hopefully, stay awhile, do some shopping, and have a bite to eat.
The antique mall first opened in 2005 in the former Livingston High School building and, several years later, the owner added a cone-shaped ice cream shop with a walk-up window where visitors could order frozen treats.
Pink and turquoise adorn the interior along with checkered floors, a neon jukebox playing all the 1950s hits, and images of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elvis.
Weary travelers can pull off Route 66 for some diner grub like fried fish, fried shrimp, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, and chicken strips which all come with fries,
But, we are here for the ice cream! Soft-serve ice cream comes in chocolate and vanilla, which you can order separately or as a twist. The flavor burst soft serve ice creams, which are as colorful as the diner itself, cost a little extra and come in strawberry, butter pecan, watermelon, banana, green apple, caramel, blue goo, and orange.
This retro-style ice cream place also has a variety of Twistee Specialtees. Order one of the homemade drumsticks made with vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and peanuts. Yum!
You can't have a bad day with a visit to The Twistee Treat Diner! After you do some browsing at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall, treat yourself to an ice cream cone, sundae, shake, or Twistee Specialtee and take some pictures at this whimsical roadside attraction.
