Most Fridays after school, my mom or my aunt would take my brother, my cousin, and I to Loard’s Ice Cream on MacArthur Blvd in East Oakland’s Dimond District for ice cream cones. In those days I was a Rainbow Sherbet fiend, Lara was a Mint Chip girl, Sean would usually go with Rocky Road or Chocolate Showers, and our moms would always get Mocha Chip.
Bill, the rosy-cheeked old man who worked the counter, was always sweet and generous as he served us over the years – even though he was often hobbled by a bad back. His crew-cut, white apron, and easy smile enhanced the old-fashioned charm of a place that thrived on it’s simplicity and delicious premium ice cream.
When we were promoted from elementary school, we attended Bret Harte Middle School right across the street, which made our Friday tradition even easier. Though our schools changed, our orders didn’t.
Fast forward 15 years or so and little has changed. In fact, the original Loard’s I’ve always patronized at 2825 MacArthur Blvd. has never really changed. After 63 years it remains frozen in time.
At the company’s inception in 1950, co-founders Russ Salyards and John Low (the name Lo-ard’s is a combination of their surnames) strived to make their brand a living and edible testament to old-fashioned hand-made ice cream. It remains rooted in that tradition. No frills. No elaborate concoctions. Just amazing ice cream by the cone, pint, or hand-packed gallon.
I’ve since adopted my mother’s affinity for Loard’s Mocha Chip, but you really can’t go wrong no matter what you choose. This afternoon my girl was raving about the Toasted Almond and my best friend was big-upping the Pistachio, but just plain old strawberry was Salyards’ favorite flavor till he passed in 2011.
Loard’s is now under new ownership and no longer carries their famous ice cream cakes (at this location anyway), but their ice cream and candy factory is still in San Leandro producing over 100,000 gallons of ice cream in 59 flavors. New ownership by a former high-tech executive means growth, and there are plans to open several more locations in Silicon Valley, but it’s heart and soul will always remain in the Formica counters and bright pink trim of the Loard’s at MacArthur and Coolidge.
Read the inspiration for our East of the Lake series HERE.
December 5th, 2013at 10:06 pm(#)
love it! been going there all my 40 years, just like my mom used to when she went to Bret Harte in the early 50s.