Trails End Cafe Brings Local Ice Cream Back To Bala

Anyone with children knows the value of a good ice cream shop in the neighborhood.

For years, local business Lix fit that bill, located just off the busy intersection of Montgomery and Levering Mill.

But Lix closed in 2014, leaving an unquenchable void.

Now that void is vanishing, as the Trail's End Cafe at Cynwyd Station, open each night until 9PM, serves the best soft serve ice cream with sprinkles and jimmies, espresso shots, and a host of other flavors.

The new owners, Julia Barol and Tracy Katz, said in a news release that they surveyed shops in the region and tested several brands before settling on the ice cream that fits their vision of a hub for the Lower Merion community.

“The ice cream has to be the creamiest, with the distinct chocolate and vanilla flavors, not just brown and white cold something that you couldn’t distinguish if you were wearing a blindfold,” Julia Barol said in the release.

“Our ice cream has real ingredients, is certified kosher, and meets our goal of being locally sourced,” Katz said. “With everything we serve -- coffee, espresso, tea, pastries, paninis -- we strive to reach the mark of sustainability, health mindfulness, and great taste. People tell us they cannot believe how good this ice cream tastes.”

After testing a number of providers, the two settled this week on Turkey Hill, the Lancaster County dairy and ice cream maker, the release states.

“We both raised two children in Lower Merion and we spent many nights waiting in line at the Lix window. When we opened the Café, we thought, 'why not do what we can to fill the void,'” said Katz, “So we added soft serve ice cream. People stop by and thank us for bringing this back to the community.”