This Nebraska Ice Cream Shop In Omaha’s Old Market Makes Every Flavor In-House Using Old-Fashioned Methods
The plan was a quick walk after dinner, nothing more. Then a small brick building with a vintage feel pulled me inside, and a scoop of something rich and cold turned a lazy evening into a story worth telling.
Nebraska has plenty of places to grab dessert, but very few still churn ice cream with rock salt, ice, and machines older than most of the people eating it. Here is why this one deserves a spot on your next trip downtown.
A Scoop Shop on Jackson Street
Brick streets, old warehouses, and the smell of waffle cones drifting out a front door. That is the scene at 1120 Jackson Street in Omaha’s Old Market, home of Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Ice Cream.
The shop is small, but the idea behind it is big. Every single flavor is made right on site, from plain vanilla bean to rotating creations that change from day to day.
Nothing arrives in a tub from a factory truck, and nothing is shipped in from somewhere else.
What sets the place apart is how the ice cream gets made. Antique freezers turn each batch using rock salt and ice, the same basic method families once used on back porches with hand-crank machines.
The result is a scoop with a texture you simply cannot fake with modern shortcuts.
For anyone exploring downtown Omaha, the shop sits right in the middle of the action. Restaurants, galleries, and shops line the nearby blocks, so dessert slides naturally into an evening stroll.
It is easy to find, easy to love, and very hard to walk past once the smell of fresh cones reaches the sidewalk.
How an Architect and an English Teacher Started It All
Back in 1984, two friends with no obvious ties to the dessert business opened an ice cream shop in Lincoln, Nebraska. Ted Weber was an architect.
Dean Kirschenman, better known as Wally, taught English.
Their pairing sounds unusual, yet it worked. Within two years, a second location opened in Omaha’s Old Market in 1986.
That first Omaha shop sat on Howard Street before eventually moving to its current Jackson Street address around 2000.
Change came again when siblings Joe Pittack and Jeanne Ohira bought the business. Both had worked behind the counter years earlier, so they already knew the freezers, the recipes, and the rhythm of a busy summer night.
Taking over meant keeping a good thing going rather than reinventing it.
Today the shop remains family-owned, and the owners have chosen not to franchise. Growth through copies of the store would make handmade batches nearly impossible to protect.
Instead, the focus stays on one craft done well, in one place, the same way it has been done for decades. It is a rare kind of patience in a world full of chains.
The Old Standard Oil Station
Ever ordered a sundae inside a former gas station? On Jackson Street, that is exactly what happens.
The building once served as a Standard Oil station, and its bones still show through.
Choosing it was no accident. The owners picked the spot partly because of their own family history, giving the space a personal meaning that goes beyond good real estate.
Few repurposed buildings in Omaha carry that kind of backstory.
Inside, the vintage style fits the old structure perfectly. Retro touches fill the room, including an old-school Pepsi vending machine that tends to draw a grin.
The menu hangs on the back wall, and the whole space feels more like a corner shop from a different era than a modern dessert bar.
Nebraska has a long list of buildings reborn as something new, from depots to banks to churches. A filling station turned ice cream parlor belongs on that list.
Cars once pulled in for fuel here. Now people line up for scoops, and the building keeps on serving the neighborhood, just with a much sweeter product than it started with.
Rock Salt, Ice, and Antique White Mountain Freezers
Crunchy rock salt pours over cracked ice in a wooden barrel while a metal canister spins in the middle. That simple scene is the heart of every batch at Ted & Wally’s.
The shop uses antique White Mountain freezers, machines built around a method many Nebraskans remember from childhood birthday parties. Salt lowers the temperature of the ice, and the cold slowly freezes the cream as it churns.
The process is described as the most old-fashioned still in daily use in Omaha.
Modern machines are faster. They are also more predictable and need far less hands-on work.
But speed was never the goal here, and the barrels have been turning in this shop for roughly 40 years.
Better still, you can often watch it happen. The churning takes place right in the store, so a wait in line can double as a little lesson in how ice cream used to be made everywhere.
Kids tend to stare at the spinning barrels with real fascination, and adults are not far behind. It is dessert and a demonstration rolled into one quick stop.
Twenty Percent Butterfat
Most grocery store ice cream lands somewhere around ten percent butterfat. Ted & Wally’s goes for twice that, at 20 percent, which the shop notes as the highest available nationally.
So what does that mean on a spoon? Richness, first of all.
The flavor lingers on the tongue, and the first few bites carry a smooth, heavy creaminess that cheaper products cannot match. One scoop goes a long way.
There is a twist, though. The texture runs a little lighter and stretchier than some expect, almost like taffy, and it softens quickly once it leaves the freezer.
On a warm Omaha evening, that means eating with some purpose.
Sweetness is also dialed back compared to many commercial brands. Flavors taste clean and natural instead of sugary or artificial, which suits anyone who prefers cream to candy.
People who crave an extra-sweet treat may notice the difference right away.
Pacing helps. A single scoop lets the subtle flavors shine before your tongue gets too cold to pick them up.
Starting small and coming back another day is a smart strategy for a shop with this much going on.
Ingredients From Forty Nebraska Partners
Picture a jar of local honey, a crate of fresh fruit, and a carton of eggs arriving at the back door. Those are the kinds of building blocks behind the flavors on Jackson Street.
Ted & Wally’s makes its ice cream from scratch with natural ingredients, starting with real cream and eggs. Stabilizers and preservatives are left out entirely.
The owners point to that labor-heavy approach as the key to quality.
The sourcing goes further than most dessert shops ever bother with. The business works with more than 40 local farmers, chefs, and artisans to gather produce, honey, and other components.
Those partnerships feed directly into the menu, and many of the unusual options exist because of what a nearby grower or maker has on hand.
For Nebraskans, there is a nice ripple effect. Money spent on a cone helps support other small businesses in the region, not just one shop.
It turns a simple treat into a quiet vote for local food. That is a satisfying thought to have while finishing the last bite of a waffle cone on a summer night.
Thousands of Flavors and Counting
Over the years, the shop has created somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 different flavors. That is not a typo.
Very few kitchens anywhere can claim a list that long.
On any given day, roughly a dozen or more choices fill the case. Some stay put, like Dutch chocolate and vanilla bean.
Others rotate in and out based on the season, the ingredients available, and plain creativity.
Recent examples show the range. Salted white chocolate almond, dulce de leche, orange-tang, candy apple caramel, and salted caramel have all appeared.
Even a pomegranate sorbet made with an energy drink has shown up. Some experiments land better than others, and that is part of the fun.
Because the lineup changes daily, two visits rarely look the same. A flavor spotted last week may be gone today, replaced by something nobody saw coming.
Sampling a few before deciding is a good habit here.
Here is a friendly debate starter for Omaha folks: classic Dutch chocolate or whatever wild seasonal flavor is on the board today? Both camps have a strong case, and the menu makes sure neither side ever runs short of options.
Hot Fudge That Steals the Show
Glossy, warm, and thick enough to cling to the spoon, the homemade fudge sauce might be the sneakiest star on the menu. It does not need a fancy name.
It just needs a scoop underneath it.
The Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae pairs that sauce with a brownie and two scoops, such as vanilla bean and salted caramel. A simpler two-scoop hot fudge sundae works beautifully with dulce de leche, which tastes like caramel but creamier.
Fudge also plays well with lighter picks. A scoop of cookies and cream topped with the sauce makes a fine late-night order.
Peanut butter syrup is on hand too.
Not seeing a flavor that clicks? The staff can build something custom.
One example is a Buckeye made from vanilla ice cream, peanut butter syrup, and hot fudge, a nod to the classic chocolate and peanut butter candy.
Toppings here are made with the same care as the ice cream, so nothing tastes like an afterthought. If there is one splurge to make on a first trip, the sundae route is a strong choice.
Just bring napkins, because warm fudge on cold cream gets messy fast.
Malts, Vegan Scoops, and Keto Choices
Not everyone wants a cone, and the shop seems to understand that well. The menu stretches in a few useful directions.
Malts come first for many. Blended thick with that high-butterfat ice cream, they deliver an old soda fountain feel that matches the vintage building.
On a hot afternoon, a malt can be easier to manage than a fast-melting scoop.
Dietary needs get attention too. Vegan ice cream appears regularly, which is good news for anyone avoiding dairy.
Sorbets add a fruity, refreshing option, and keto-friendly choices are available for people watching their sugar.
Mixed groups benefit most from this range. One person can order a rich sundae, another a dairy-free scoop, and a third a malt, all without anyone feeling left out.
Families with a range of preferences can settle on one stop instead of hunting for several.
Availability rotates along with everything else, so the exact vegan or keto flavor will vary. Asking at the counter is the simplest way to see what is in the case that day.
The staff are quick to point out options and happy to offer a sample.
Inside a Cozy, Quirky Parlor
Warm lighting, a menu painted across the back wall, and an old soda machine in the corner. Walking in feels a little like opening a family photo album from decades ago.
The interior leans fully into its retro roots. It is cozy rather than roomy, and seating is limited, so plenty of people take their cones outside to wander the Old Market.
Sticky tables can happen during big rushes, a side effect of how busy the place gets.
Quirk is part of the appeal. The vintage Pepsi machine, the churning barrels, and the old-station architecture all add personality without feeling staged.
It never comes across as a theme park version of the past.
Service keeps the mood bright. The staff greet people warmly, offer samples without fuss, and move quickly when a line starts forming.
That friendliness matters in a small room where everyone is waiting for the same thing.
The overall effect is relaxed and a bit playful. Couples on date night, friends after dinner, and families out for a treat all fit easily into the scene.
It is the kind of place where lingering over a spoon feels completely natural.
Lines, Crowds, and Timing Your Stop
A summer Saturday night in the Old Market usually means one thing on Jackson Street: a line out the door. Popularity comes with the territory for a shop this well established.
Fortunately, the line tends to move fast. When a crowd builds, employees shift into high gear to keep orders flowing.
A typical wait runs around five to ten minutes, though peak times can stretch longer.
Big events add to the traffic. During the College World Series, the shop fills with fans looking for dessert after a game, since it stays open late and sits close to parking.
Warm evenings bring a steady stream of downtown diners too.
Want a calmer visit? Earlier in the day or on a weeknight usually helps.
Arriving before the dinner crowd finishes eating is another easy trick.
Still, a short wait is hardly a hardship. Watching the barrels churn and reading the flavor board make the minutes pass quickly.
Lines here feel more like part of the ritual than an obstacle, especially when a fresh scoop is waiting at the end.
Who Will Love It Most
Some people go for ice cream. Others go for the experience of how it is made, and those folks will feel right at home here.
Fans of rich, cream-forward desserts get the biggest payoff. The high butterfat, natural ingredients, and gentle sweetness suit adults who like tasting what is in their scoop.
Adventurous eaters will enjoy the rotating board, where something new seems to appear constantly.
History buffs have reasons to stop too. A repurposed gas station, antique freezers, and roughly four decades of family-run tradition give the shop a story that goes well beyond dessert.
Families should plan a bit. Prices sit on the premium end, so a large group of young kids with simple tastes may find a basic cone stand easier on the wallet.
Older kids who love watching the barrels spin may get a kick out of it, though.
Late-night snackers are well served. The shop stays open later than many dessert spots, which makes it a natural capper after a ball game, a show, or dinner downtown.
Few things end an Omaha evening more pleasantly than a cone eaten under the streetlights.
Hours, Prices, and Getting There
Finding the shop is simple. Head to the Old Market district in downtown Omaha and look for 1120 Jackson Street, a short walk from the area’s restaurants and shops.
Hours run from late morning into the evening every day of the week, with later closing times on weekends. That generous schedule makes it easy to fit in as an afternoon treat or a late dessert.
Checking the shop’s current hours before a special trip is still smart, since schedules can shift.
Parking is nearby, which helps during busy events downtown. Street spots and public lots serve the Old Market, though they fill quickly on warm weekend nights.
Walking in from elsewhere in the district is often the easiest move.
On cost, expect premium pricing rather than bargain scoops. Portions are generous, so a single scoop may satisfy most appetites.
Sundaes and malts cost more but deliver plenty.
The menu lives on the back wall, and pricing can be a little tricky to spot at first glance. Asking the staff clears up any confusion quickly.
They are used to helping first-timers sort through the choices.
Why the Barrels Keep Turning in Nebraska
Forty years is a long time for anything to stay the same. Phones, cars, and entire neighborhoods have changed since the first batch was churned in Lincoln, yet the rock salt and ice still do their job every day.
That steadiness is the real story. Ted & Wally’s could have swapped in faster machines, added stabilizers, or sold franchises across the country.
Instead, the owners kept the process slow, the ingredients local, and the shop small enough to protect what makes it special.
The payoff shows up in every cup. A rich, natural scoop.
A fudge sauce worth planning around. A flavor board that rarely repeats itself, served in a building with its own past.
For Nebraskans, it is also a point of pride. Not many places anywhere still make ice cream this way, and one of them has been sitting in the Old Market all along.
Plenty of Omaha residents have passed it dozens of times.
Next time you are downtown, follow the smell of waffle cones to Jackson Street. Grab a sample or two, pick a scoop, and watch the barrels spin while you eat.
