North Andover
Mad Maggie's is on 125 in North Andover - technically "inside" 495 east of 93, but far enough east that 495 is no longer a "ring" but is already heading north1 to the New Hampshire border. They have a bunch of parking, indoor and outdoor serving windows, and indoor and outdoor seating.
My first visit was a couple of years ago - it turns out that it's a ten minute walk (on sidewalks!) from Lots Of Eats Thai Kitchen which is really tasty and has lots of Vegan and GF options - and does have a short list of Asian desserts but sometimes you're after more variety, or are in the mood for ice cream instead - or perhaps you just want that ten minute walk between dinner and dessert. That first time I went with "Candy Store Floor" - a flavor they still have (listed under Specialty Flavors which are described as "usually available but may run out" rather than "seasonal") which is a light "malted chocolate" base with m&ms, crushed malted milk balls, chocolate chips, and Nestle Crunch bits. Not for everybody, but it had a lot of flavor and a lot of crunch to it, it certainly hits some specific cravings.
Even as late as 1 November they're still open until 9pm2. They have the usual cups, cones, pints, quarts, and sundaes; they apparently have soft serve but it's shut down for the season (not sure which season.) Toppings include gummy bears and strawberry; they also have Jimmies (no sprinkles though.) The menu also lists frappes, ice cream soda, root beer floats, and cold brew coffee; in addition to ice cream they have a few flavors each of yogurt, sorbet, non dairy, and no-sugar-added. I didn't see them on the main menu, but the parlor has a sign about ice cream cakes, slush by the gallon, and 4-pack cookie sandwiches.
In addition to plain cold brew coffee, one of the window-signs lists a "mad latte" and a "mad chill-a-ccino", both blended ice cream and cold brew drinks; this might be comparable to Berlin Farms Coffee Pick Me Up (which is basically an iced coffee frappe.)
They also list seasonal specials like "Witches Brew" and "Monster Mash", without any further explanation4; the Apple Crisp Sundae is explained in more detail (apple crisp, caramel, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, on any ice cream) and is a fall-only special.
Worth mentioning that they have a sign stating that they make their ice cream on site! This is less common than you might assume - at least for small shops that make their own, the production site is often somewhere else so they don't have to try to fit separate deep freezers and ice cream making equipment into an undersized retail location, where it would take space away from serving coolers and inventory.5
This Visit
While "Candy Store Floor" brought back memories, I started with Maple Walnut - solid maple flavor and large crunchy walnut pieces, a well done example of a New England staple.
Followed that with Mad Moose - I figured it was just "Moose Tracks but fitting into the Mad (Maggie's) theme", which it was - but they point out that "The more common name of this flavor is trademarked by Denali Flavorings" - which is now Denali Ingredients and also owns Eskimo Pie. Apparently it's originally a Michigan Upper Penninsula flavor with mint and chocolate variations and a giant moose brand ambassador/mascot. (Yes, sometimes the "background research" part of this blog takes longer than the "enjoying the ice cream" part, even if you include the driving...)
The specialty flavor list actually goes into a lot of detail on flavor provenance and trademarks - while trademarks are (somewhat) protected, recipes generally aren't, so it's good to see them credit their inspirations, like Bi-Rite Creamery for their particular Salted Caramel flavor.
Wait - what season is that?
Their Seasonal flavors page has some gems like "Maple Bacon" that they make in "late-February / early-March" specifically for Maple Sugaring Season (though they now source their syrup from New Hampshire, since the very local Turtle Lane Maple Farm closed in 2015.)
They further include "Girl Scout cookie season", February and March, for production of the Caramel deLight-based "Coconut Scout Cookie" flavor, and more importantly, "Mint Scout Cookie" from white mint ice cream with crushed Thin Mints. Yes, I've already marked that on my calendar, and plan to borrow a friend's Yeti Cooler to stock up.
The list goes on, for very specialized "seasons" like Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday, as well as having Summer and "Hot Weather" flavors - overall, an interesting take on the New England view that ice cream is always in season.
Artwork
Mad Maggie's is decorated inside and out in ice cream themed art. From this neon sign above the main counter...
To this stained glass window in the indoor "parlor" area (this being New England, stained glass windows are entirely unsuitable for use as actual windows, so hanging it as art where it can still get sunlight is appropriate.)
This weathervane seems like it should be outside, but I'm not sure that vane is enough to turn it (and the cone itself is not flat enough to serve either.) Fine as decoration of course.
The Name
According to their FAQ, it turns out that Maggie is one of the owners and the MAD part is that Mike, Amanda, and David are the kids6 that have been involved in the shop from the beginning.7
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In fact, as of this posting this is the northernmost (in Massachusetts) ice cream shop I've reviewed - but it looks like Hodgies Too, Harbor Creamery, and Biggarts could all claim that title, once I get to them. ↩
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Fine print on one of the signs suggests that the indoor "parlor" closes early, but that might just be the indoor serving counter... or maybe they're just nice3 about it when it's cold out, either way they didn't chase the two or three lingering tables out. ↩
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On their about page they specifically note that "we pay very little attention to signs, and remain open until every customer in line has been helped, regardless of our stated "closing time" which is unusual but a "family shop" kind of thing. ↩
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Monster Mash is actually documented on their website, it's basically a purple and green version of Candy Store Floor, or close to it. ↩
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Sullivan Farms even has a standalone freezer about the size of a 20ft shipping container, behind their shop, trading inventory space for parking instead. ↩
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From the Candy Store Floor explanation, David was around twelve years old when the store was founded in 2003 so they're all in their thirties now... ↩
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Mad Maggie's opened in 2003. Mad Willies (a handful of shops south of Boston that I haven't gotten to yet) didn't open until 2006, but also doesn't explain themselves at all beyond that. There's also a Mad Martha's that dates back to 1972 - but that seems to just be named for being on Martha's Vineyard, though the website has a kind of unconvincing backstory tale. ↩