I was in King George Virginia, attending a festival on a warm fall day. Afterwards, I was in the mood for some local ice cream. There was such a place in nearby Colonial Beach, Virginia, an historic beach town situated on the Potomac River. Located near the boardwalk area, covered with bright colors, The Pink Poodle can’t be missed.

The Pink Poodle is a relatively new establishment, as it opened in May of 2023. But it replaced an iconic Colonial Beach institution, Nancy’s Ice Cream, which had been a mainstay of the town for 17 years. The owners, Joey and Nancy Straughan retired in May of 2022. But Nancy’s legacy continues in The Pink Poodle, which uses uses her recipes. I’m not exactly sure who the new owners are, but they include Carey Geddes and “Smurf” Keene, both members of Colonial Beach’s Chamber of Commerce. I wouldn’t be surprised if a consortium of local business leaders bought the place, recipes and all.

The Pink Poodle — as its predecessor was — is known for its soft serve ice cream. It is served in a cup or a cone, with toppings or as a sundae.

Additionally, they have hand dipped ice cream. It looks to be a new addition to the menu. I don’t know who makes the hand dipped; I get the impression that it is not made in house. There were 16 flavors of ice cream the day I was there. They included the standards: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Cookies & Cream. Notable other flavors were: Carrot Cake, Sea Turtle, Michigan Pothole, and Carolina Peach.

Other offerings are Banana Boats, Milkshakes, and Ice Cream Nachos. Another recent addition to the menu is ice cream sandwiches from Nightingale, a Richmond based ice cream seller.

I decided to get one of the specials: an Apple Crisp Peach Sundae. The sundae is served in a large cup and consists of soft serve ice cream mixed with peaches, apples, and some sort of short bread which gives it a bit of crunch. On top is whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a cherry. It’s a great combination of textures and flavors. I can see why the Pink Poodle is well regarded (and why Nancy’s is missed), as the soft serve is first rate. The ice cream is smooth, creamy and sweet without being overpowering. The whipped cream is a non-diary creamer (a la Cool Whip), which I do prefer to the canned stuff. My one complaint: I could have used more of the caramel sauce.

It turned out that I was there during the weekend of the Bike Fest, the town’s annual motorcycle festival. The whole town was packed with people and motorcycles.

Because of the festival, there was a bit of a line at The Pink Poodle, but it moved quickly. And the clerk at the window was welcoming and helpful. Before too long, I had my order. There is a fair amount of outside seating, so there was space even with the crowd. I sat down at a picnic table with a group of bikers and had a very pleasant conversation with them.

The Pink Poodle has good ice cream and a charming environment; I’ll be sure to stop there again the next time I am in the area.