I was in Chestertown, Maryland for their yearly “Tea Party” festival. On the main street in town (which has the very English name High Street), I found an interestingly looking old fashioned ice cream parlor. After a few hours of festive going, I returned. Turns out, Stam’s serves fabulous home made ice cream.

Stam’s had 12 flavors that day. They included many common flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Cookies and Cream. But I noticed several more exotic flavors, including: Mango, Coffee Toffee, and a dairy free option called Rainbows.

I chose two from the latter category: Honeycomb & Graham and Bananamisu. Both were excellent. The Honeycomb has a mildly sweet honey flavor and contains a good amount of Graham crackers mixed in. It’s a great combination with a distinctive flavor.

I was not sure what I was going to get when I ordered the Bananamisu, and assumed it would be a sweet and sour combination. That’s not what it is at all. The base is a caramel ice cream with cooked bananas and a crunchy caramel sauce mixed in. Because the banana was cooked, it’s taste was mild but still present. The taste is reminiscent of a Banana’s Foster. Absolutely fantastic!

Other ice cram offerings include milkshakes and sundaes. Sundae’s include Hot Fudge, Jurassic Sundae (dinosaur gummies, crushed Oreos, and an upside down cone) and a Unicorn Sundae (whipped cream, “unicorn dust”, butterfly gummies, and a cone). One of the specials of the day was The Flying Purple Eater Sundae which features Nerds candy, a purple cone, and a gummy eyeball.

In addition to their ice cream, Stam’s also serves lunch from 11 to 3. The menu includes Grilled Cheese, several choices, of salads, a Turkey Wrap, and a Cup of Tomato Soup. I had eaten at the festival and did not get any of these offerings, but the Butter Burger (a burger grilled in butter) was popular.

But one item I could not resist was the Doughnut of the Day. This was an “old-fashioned” doughnut covered in icing with sprinkles on top. It was deep fried and It was way too greasy; the oil penetrating into the doughnut about half an inch. I don’t recommend it.

Chestertown is an historic town on Kent the Eastern Shore of Maryland, founded in 1706. The Chestertown Tea Party festival celebrates the town’s colonial history. Stam’s opened as a pharmacy and soda fountain in 1877. The pharmacy part was operated until 2016 when the place became solely a lunch counter.

As I was at Stam’s on a festival day during the lunch hours, the place was packed. Despite that, the line moved quickly and the staff was pleasant and helpful. There was a single serving line for both ice cream and lunch, but it worked efficiently. A good amount of the customers were only getting lunch. That surprised me, but most of the other restaurants on High Street are high end. Stam’s is a good fast food option, especially since the food lines at the festival were quite long. Stam’s was able to handle the crowds with ease.

The ambience at Stam’s is terrific. They have the old fashioned ice cream parlor feel down cold. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as they have been an ice cream parlor since the 19th century. With great ice cream in a scenic, historic setting, Stam’s is a great place to go.