Milkcow Cafe

240 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills, IL 60061

The summer’s getting hotter.

And the treats are getting larger!

You could fly on an Airplane! to South Korea, home of Milkcow Cafe, to experience the new Premium Milk Soft Serve sensation. Or you could go to Vernon Hills or a few other select locations in North America. And I do mean a few. (Check out photo number three.)

Which came first, the milk or the cow?

The cafe.

I came a little later, not by much, with Lisa, Roy and Adele. This was our first visit to that curious place with the more curious name. I had learned that Milkcow Cafe originated in South Korea, opened in Australia where it started to make a name for itself worldwide, and came to Vernon Hills where we would walk up to this cozy place and begin to understand the popularity and fandom for Milkcow Cafe.

Scroll down to see more photos and read more about Milkcow Cafe.

“The Macao Dream soft serve and hazelnut CoCo sauce are delicious. The chocolate macaron is light with a full body flavor.”

Roy and Adele ordered their Premium Milk Soft Serve treats. Roy decided to try the Mont Blanc. Adele went straight for the Macao Dream: hazelnut CoCo sauce decorated with a chocolate macaron (pictured in the header).

Of course Roy knew soft serve. But this was Premium Milk Soft Serve. Now he tasted quality that was on another level. He was eating fast but his eyes were glassy, almost reflecting the overactivity of his processes. Poetically, Roy described the Mont Blanc, “The cotton candy surrounds the soft serve like a giant brain. The soft serve and chocolate are really good.” Brain freeze?

Adele thought that was ridiculous, but soon she too flowed with words in direct proportion to her Macao Dream, “The Macao Dream soft serve and hazelnut CoCo sauce are delicious. The chocolate macaron is light with a full body flavor.” We had someone who could handle their soft serve with aplomb!

After a brief wait to coordinate the coffee with the soft serve, I was ready to try my hand at the Milky Peace. Friends, Romans, Countrymen (and women), lend me your spoons. This was smooth, rich, fresh, pure and nothing at all like what used to pass for soft serve. This was the new soft serve. Suprisingly, I liked the rainbow cereal; in fact, I could see how it would appeal to kids or the kid in everyone. It was great fun to expand my expectations of soft serve and pair the dessert with some new and exciting toppings. And this was just one of many menu items. Or you can customize your own Premium Milk Soft Serve. Next time?

I almost forgot the coffee! You might think that a place called Milkcow would not be ideal for nice java. The name is Cafe. Milkcow Cafe.

When I placed my order, I couldn’t help but notice the massive shiny metal machine in the middle of the kitchen gleaming like a Cylon. It was a Casadio dual espresso machine by Gruppo Cimbali. And there was a glowing sign above it that said, “Caffe L’Antico.” To see this photo and more, follow my Instagram page (link available at the end of this post).

I thought that the coffee would be something for the adults to sip while the kids devoured their soft serve. That much was true. But wait, there’s more! When I took a sip of my coffee, I thought, “The iced Cow Latte tastes robust yet smooth, mellowed by a touch of honey and condensed milk.” I also thought that I would be stopping in for just coffee from Milkcow Cafe. Yes, it is that good!

Lisa was up next with the Mango Tree, a trio of macarons and a hot Hazelnut Latte. The macarons were there for everyone to taste. As Lisa started to climb her tree she stopped to say, “The cotton candy tastes like blue raspberry while the green apple sauce isn’t too strong.” She turned to her Hazelnut Latte with a great reaction much like mine to my coffee, “The Hazelnut Latte isn’t too sweet and has a smooth hazelnut flavor.” Two coffees—one iced, one hot—and two elated coffee drinkers.

“The iced Cow Latte tastes robust yet smooth, mellowed by a touch of honey and condensed milk.”

It was time to try the macarons: pistachio, tiramisu and matcha. We were all impressed by how fresh and tender the macarons felt. The taste was flavorful but not too strong. The macarons offered more in the way of authentic flavor rather than overpowering sweetness. Each macaron tasted distinct and better than any macaron we could recall.

I mentioned that I would be stopping at Milkcow Cafe again for coffee. I was being modest. Premium Milk Soft Serve. Macarons. Tea. I hadn’t tried the tea yet! There will be soft serve. There will be soft serve.

You need not travel the world to try the world’s hottest soft serve, the Premium Milk Soft Serve from Milkcow Cafe. If coffee or macarons are more your thing, they’ve got you well covered there too. Take a little trip and see Milkcow Cafe – Vernon Hills

To see more photos of Milkcow Cafe in Vernon Hills, follow my Instagram page at Instagram – The Simple Luxuries