Trowbridge’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop is an iconic spot in Alabama, known for its old-school charm and delicious orange-pineapple ice cream. The sweet treat has been making customers smile at the soda fountain in Florence for more than a century, and has been featured on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.”

Now Trowbridge’s is getting extra kudos from Southern Living, which has named the ice cream parlor as one of “The South’s Most Legendary Restaurants.” The opinionated list, published in mid-December, highlights 18 eateries that have stood the test of time.

As far as we’re concerned, that description certainly applies to Trowbridge’s, which has been drawing customers to its location at 316 N. Court St. since 1918. Visiting the shop is a special experience, from the vintage decor to the warm hospitality to the Southern favorites on the menu. (Pimento cheese sandwiches, anyone?)

Here’s what Southern Living had to say about Trowbridge’s:

“At Alabama’s oldest ice-cream shop, consistency has always been key. Step inside today, and it’ll feel just like what Paul Trowbridge envisioned when he first opened for business in 1918. Back then, Trowbridge, a dairy farmer from Texas, passed through the small Alabama town and became so enamored that, by the time he got home, he’d decided to turn right back around. Today, the shop is still owned by the same family, and though ice-cream production was turned over to Nashville’s Purity Dairy, all the flavors and familiar sights remain: vintage Coca-Cola signs, checkered mint green floor tiles, and lots of ice cream and nostalgic Southern snacks. Generations have found joy in a freshly scooped cone or cup of their favorite variety.”

Trowbridge’s is the only Alabama restaurant hand-picked for the list by Southern Living, but it’s in good company with eateries that include Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas; Ajax Diner in Oxford, Mississippi; Bertha’s Kitchen in Charleston, South Carolina; Brennan’s in New Orleans; and Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville.

Alabama is home to several old-fashioned ice-cream parlors, of course, such as Carlisle’s in Alexander City, Toomer’s Drugs in Auburn and Gilchrist in Mountain Brook. They’re all worth a visit, even during the winter months. And if you haven’t sampled the orange-pineapple ice cream at Trowbridge’s, we think it deserves a spot on your must-have list for 2024.