Flint Farm in East Mansfield, Mass., Features a Classic Ice Cream Stand

Article and photos by Eric H. 

Flint Farm, located in the southwest suburban Boston town of Mansfield, Mass., reigns as one of the best ice cream stands in the Boston area by offering "cream-of-the-crop" Richardson's Ice Cream and a relaxed, scenic outdoor setting that feels like some place one would discover on vacation.

Mansfield can be a busy, bustling mid-sized town, but turn the corner off Route 106 onto the instantly-peaceful section of East St. (Route 106 is the noisier version of East St.) in East Mansfield , and Flint Farm feels like a million-miles-away destination. The feeling of quiet, the big sky, open farm fields and crickets chirping provide the rural backdrop for a classic ice cream stand at this farm that, otherwise, sells a truly impressive array of fruits, vegetables, flowers, wood, herbs, mulch and loam during its day job.

A charming long, wooden outdoor front porch -- with a post-and-beam ceiling -- offers cozy seating including Adirondack seats and other country-style benches under beautiful ambiant yellow lighting. Hanging flower baskets, a variety of well-placed flowers and Christmas lights (somehow, this adds to the great atmosphere) enhance this  In the driveway, you'll find picnic benches, swinging benches and a variety of other outdoor seating (including a supersized bench, perfect for Paul Bunyan) under the original form of ambiant lighting: the moon. 

Then there's the ice cream. For those of you not familiar with Richardson's, this Middleton, Mass.-based brand (with a legendary ice cream stand in that town) makes some of the best-tasting ice cream we've experienced, anywhere  -- they make ice cream with 16 percent butterfat.  Our favorites include black raspberry, cake batter, Maine Black Bear (red raspberry ice cream with chocolate chips and chocolate covered raspberry truffle), cherry vanilla, vanilla (made with pure vanilla extract from Madagascar) and an amazing chocolate (a wonderful chocolate made with Bensdorp cocoa imported from Holland).

Fortunately, Flint Farm has chosen to offer a wide variety of Richardson's Ice Cream as opposed to other local ice cream stands that offer a limited menu of this fantastic brand. Proof: Flint Farm even offers some of the more fringe Richardson's flavors like green tea, coconut and strawberry cheesecake.

The lines reflect a more serene version of the nearby commuting traffic, so be prepared to wait a while at nighttime. Day time crowds can vary, so if it's fast service you want, this might be the time to go. There's something incredible, though, about enjoying an ice cream cone under the stars in a nice country setting. Flint Farm is just that place -- ice cream, country ambiance and all.

Flint Farm
789 East St.
Mansfield, MA
Tel. (508) 337-6473

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