Original Rainbow Cone Chicago: 5 Reasons to Visit

You haven’t had a true Chicago experience until you’ve been to Original Rainbow Cone, home of the tasty and towering ice cream cones. The Original Rainbow Cone flavors are a truly unique mix, guaranteed to surprise and delight your tastebuds.

Surely, you’ve seen an Original Rainbow Cone on social media: five slices (not scoops) of brightly colored ice cream sitting atop a sugar cone, just daring you to eat it all.

I’ve been sampling Rainbow cones for more than 25 years and still think they are delicious. Here’s my list of five reasons you need to try an Original Rainbow Cone.

Rainbow Cone History

The Original Rainbow Cone has been serving up its signature five-flavored cone for almost 100 years, making it a true Chicago institution. Started in 1926 by Joseph Papp, the original store was located on Chicago’s south side and steadily grew in popularity. It’s now part of iconic Chicago food culture, right along with deep dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches and trying the Rainbow Cone is a must-do for any visitor to the city.

It’s Sliced Not Scooped

One of the most unique things about the ice cream sitting atop your rainbow cone is that they are slices of ice cream, instead of scoops. The slicing not scooping doesn’t deter from the flavor; it just makes it even more unique. Who needs a scoop when you can have a slice?

Original Rainbow Cone Food Trucks

You can visit one of their 14 Chicago ice cream shops and kiosks in and around the city, or you can get your cone right from one of their food trucks in and around the city. The Original Rainbow Cone food truck travels around the city, spreading the joy of ice cream throughout Chicagoland. You can also find the food trucks at Shedd Aquarium and the Lincoln Park Zoo throughout the summer and fall, weather permitting.

Five Fabulous Ice Cream Flavors

Here’s what I love best about the Original Rainbow Cone flavors: the unique combination. This is not-your-mama’s Neapolitan, with boring Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate. T

he five flavors of Rainbow Cones are orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), strawberry, and chocolate. Put these flavors into a cone or a cup, and you’ll have a colorful and flavorful treat that you won’t find anywhere else.

Their Ice Cream is Truly Delicious

The ice cream doesn’t just look good, it tastes good, too. The ice cream is made from fresh ingredients, including real strawberries and fresh berries in the Palmer House flavor. You’ll also find other homemade sweet treats like Rainbow Cakes (five flavored layers), Rainbow sundaes pretzels, donuts and more.

Visit an Original Rainbow Cone

If you are looking for a unique and delicious ice cream experience in Chicago, you need to go to the Original Rainbow Cone.