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John McCoy
July 04, 2025
Good morning all, and Happy 4th! You know, since it is the 4th, and patriotism as in full swing, you’d think I’ll be talking about small town fireworks shows or blowing up stuff on my farmstead. Nope. We didn’t buy anything this year (although we will be watching our neighbors light off thousands of dollars and we’ll sleep just fine).
No. Instead, I’m talking ice cream.
Why is food central to Americana?
So, a big part of my idea for rebranding this newsletter into an American/Americana theme is admittedly oriented around eateries. And why not? Food is great! But more than that, food is a recurring theme that paints the landscape of the American Dream. I mean, what could showcase this more perfectly than “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”, a show entirely devoted to an obnoxious guy driving rented muscle cars around to the nation’s best hole-in-the-wall joints?
Americana is food; you can’t separate the one from the other.
An Overview of Wamego, Kansas
This inaugural ice creamery review is for a shop that is very near and dear to me. The Kreem Kup Restaurant is an iconic establishment from yesteryear, set in scenic and idyllic Wamego, Kansas.
Wamego isn’t just any small town in Kansas; no sir. It is the home to all things Wizard of Oz in Kansas. The Wizard of Oz Museum is located right there on Main Street in a lovely little downtown district, which is adjacent to the city park that is entirely Wizard of Oz themed.
Courtesy of Google Maps
The rest of the block is pure America, with classic brick and stone buildings that are filled with standard classic storefronts like The Flower Mill floral shop, Toto’s TacOz, The Oz Winery, and, of course, a BBQ joint. And don’t forget The Yellow Brick Road, which leads you from downtown to the city park. If I were forced to live in town again, Wamego would be high on my list, especially since it is only 20 minutes away from Manhattan, a small city of about 50,000.
The Kreem Kup Restaurant
Wamgego is located on U.S. Highway 24, which is a significant East/West artery that stretches across this fine state and well into the West. My mother’s side of the family has owned a family farm about 45 minutes west of Manhattan for the past century, and I spent many summer weeks going up there during the wheat harvest season, which is usually right about now.
The drive between my tiny hometown and the family farm is about two and a half hours, and Wamego is around halfway there, and it just so happens that the Kreem Kup sits on Highway 24. So, we would usually stop there to grab lunch and ice cream. Okay, mostly ice cream.
It had been quite a few years since I’d been there, and on a whim, my wife and I drove out there to grab dessert after our weekly Thursday evening date. There is a wonderful overlook just outside of Manhattan that showcases the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen, and if we could get the timing just right, we could get ice cream and catch a sunset.
Courtesy of ME because I actually took this pic.
Walking into The Kreem Kup was like walking into my childhood again. The decor is exactly the same as it was 30 years ago: orange benches, wood paneling, and stone veneer walls.
Courtesy of Google Maps
But this is part of the charm; it hasn’t changed. How many locals like me have gone there since their childhood? Changing up the decor would destroy our memories of the good days of a bygone world, a time when you couldn’t just take pics of your food or the eatery in general. Those memories are kept in our minds and nowhere else.
Courtesy of Google Maps
Outside of the nostalgic vibes, the ice cream is fantastic. It is real soft serve with real milk, so, you know, it actually tastes good. Serving sizes there are pretty standard: too much, but who cares because ice cream calories don’t actually count.
I know that I have eaten other menu items there before, but it has been way too long ago to remember what it was, but I’m sure it was awesome, too. The menu is pretty typical American drive-in fare, but the quality is next-level.
Final Thoughts
Memory Lane is now almost closed. But for real, the Kreem Kup has some of the very best ice cream around. I see the never-changing aesthetics as a bonus, but not related to the overall excellent food.
If you’re ever in the area, stop by and check it out. If you’re never in the area, find your own version in your area and give them your business and make your own memories with your kiddos.
