If you've spent any time in Southlake Town Square on a warm summer evening, you’re familiar with a specific scene: Parents negotiating "just one scoop," kids tugging them toward the familiar storefront, and a line that often stretches around the corner toward Starbucks.
For decades, one tradition has remained constant: grabbing a cone at Milwaukee Joe's.
Long before many of today's retailers arrived, Milwaukee Joe's was already serving up smiles in Southlake. Founded in 1995, the beloved local brand became one of the original, pioneering tenants when Town Square first opened its doors in 1999. While storefronts and shopping trends have come and gone over the last few decades, this neighborhood staple has remained an anchor of local life, churning out its super-premium, small-batch ice cream right on Main Street. It’s become far more than just a quick dessert stop —it’s a piece of living Southlake history and a timeless part of the community experience.
And among the dozens of tempting flavors in the display case, one has earned an almost mythical status in Texas: Dr Pepper. In the Lone Star State, the soda is practically its own food group, so it feels only fitting that one of Southlake's most enduring local businesses would transform the state's favorite soft drink into one of its signature scoops.
If you haven't tried it yet, you might expect a gimmick. Instead, the first spoonful surprises almost everyone. Rather than tasting like vanilla ice cream mixed with soda, it's remarkably smooth and creamy, with notes of cherry and caramel followed by the subtle spice that has made Dr Pepper famous for generations. It's nostalgic without being overly sweet and somehow manages to feel both comforting and refreshing at the same time.
That's what makes the flavor — and Milwaukee Joe's itself — so memorable. It's uniquely Texan, unmistakably Southlake and a reminder that sometimes the places that become local institutions aren't the newest or trendiest. They're the ones that quietly become part of our traditions, year after year.
So if this summer has you craving something cold, consider this your excuse to join the line. Whether you're introducing your kids to their first scoop or simply ordering the Dr Pepper flavor you've loved for years, you're taking part in a Southlake tradition that's stood the test of time.