If you’ve been following along with this blog, you may have already read Brendan’s post on Flat Top Grill. Now that you’re sold and planning on going there, you’ll want to know where to get dessert after your dinner. You just happen to be in luck, because just a couple storefronts west is the fabled Andy’s Frozen Custard. This is one of my favorite places in all of Evanston and based on the bustling activity when I go there, I’m not alone.

Andy’s starts with something pretty simple: vanilla custard, or if you’re feeling bold, chocolate. But of course they can’t stop there. They have a huge list of toppings to mix in so you can customize however you want, or choose one of their premade selections. I tend to get a mix of cherries and chocolate. Unlike other dessert places, they actually put in enough cherry and chocolate that every bite is filled with the flavor I’m looking for. It always bothers me when the top is the only part with the topping I asked for, and Andy’s seems to understand my worry.

When I decide to mix it up, I always look for their seasonal special. My absolute favorite special is their Thin Mint Concrete that comes out around March when all the Girl Scouts are selling their cookies. Some of their other specials are a Pumpkin Pie Concrete and an Apple Pie Concrete in the fall; in honor of the campus music festival, they even make a special Dillo Day Concrete with mint and Oreos.

In sum, it’s a great place to stop by every once in a while, and it always performs. I’ll stop by to grab something or meet up with a group of friends and hang out. So next time you stop by Flat Top, save some room for Andy’s.

–Jason Smith

(Photo: eatandys.com)