reviews by abby

Abby Headrick is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in Public Relations. Abby spends her weekends playing tennis, watching college football, and planning her upcoming wedding. Originally from Dalton, Ga., Abby now resides in Duluth and is still getting used to traffic.

Scoops Fill Up Station

There are few things better in autumn than a quaint, downtown setting. Coming from a small-ish north Georgian town as I do, it’s always a treat to find places like this in the Atlanta area (I know, Gwinnett “isn’t Atlanta,” but we small town girls equate anything within spitting distance of the perimeter as Atlanta).

I was pleasantly surprised to discover Scoops in downtown Lawrenceville. Scoops is exactly what every true downtown needs – an old fashioned ice cream parlor that also serves soups, salads, and sandwiches. Scoops has the quintessential lunchtime menu, as well as the perfect prices – about $4 - $7 sandwiches, and portions large enough for one.

What sets Scoops apart from any other downtown eatery is that it is located in an old fill-up station. The garage door remains, as does trendy red flooring. The nod to stainless steel and contemporary décor highlight the previous use of the building, while the atmosphere takes you back to the days of Archie and Jughead. Quirky accessories complete the look – my favorite were the elementary school condiment containers which held the hand soap in the restroom.

When The Unnamed Fiancé and I walked in on a Friday evening, there were two people drinking coffee and discussing theology, a father and daughter eating ice cream, and a group of teenagers enjoying milkshakes. Thankfully, there is no dress code at Scoops, because we came in cold and in tennis clothes. We were excited to see that Scoops served Illy coffee – a brand we’ve recently become addicted to, thanks to our friends Mike and T.G. We warmed up with a cappuccino and caramel macchiato ($1.89 each) while waiting for our chicken salad melt ($6.90) and California wrap ($6.50) to be prepared.

After dinner – during which Unnamed Fiancé found out why chicken salad is the most popular item on the menu – we each enjoyed ice cream for desert. Unnamed Fiancé had the cappuccino ice cream ($2.50 for two scoops), which he declared could only be made better with Kahlua. My chocolate malt was perfect and large enough to split ($3.30).

On the whole, Scoops was a perfect way to spend a casual Friday night. The ambiance was cool and casual, as was the food. As Scoops’ slogan says: “Come in, fill up, leave happy.” We did.