Photo Courtesy of Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop
Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop is located at 5435 Main St. in Lexington, Michigan. Rita MacDonald
Photo Courtesy of Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop
Photo Courtesy of Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop
Owners of Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop, Taryn Strausser (left), and her mother Debbie Paradoski. Photo Courtesy of Debbie Paradoski
Located in downtown Lexington, the recently opened Mama's Eatery and Ice Cream Shop is creating a buzz in the community.
Located at 5435 Main St. in the former Lighthouse Creamery, the establishment is owned and operated by Lexington resident, Debbie Paradoski, and her daughter, Taryn Strausser, who have exciting plans for this new venture. The mother-daughter team has run several successful food trucks together over the years including The Cheese Wagon, Top Dog, and The Sandwich Scoop. They say when the previous owner of the building approached them with the idea of a lease agreement offering them the opportunity to sell their homemade creations at a permanent location, they were intrigued.
“We never dreamed we would actually have a real brick-and-mortar location, but here we are!” say Strausser and Paradoski.
The menu at Mama’s Eatery incorporates many of Paradoski’s homemade recipes as well as several favorites from their food trucks. One of their most popular items includes the chicken and waffles with bourbon syrup and the fried chicken made with their top-secret batter.
"People can't get enough of our fried chicken sandwiches and wraps,” Strausser says laughing. “I'm frying chicken all day long!"
For those with a sweet tooth, Michigan-based Ashby's ice cream from Ludington is also on the menu as well as a variety of freshly baked goods.
Strausser and Paradoski say that they intend for Mama's Eatery to be more than a traditional café but also a strong presence in the community. A few of their plans for the establishment include creating a children’s play area and bringing other games such as Jenga and cornhole, as well as sponsoring a farmer's market in the spacious parking lot, welcoming a variety of vendors offering locally-produced syrup and honey, flowers, and fresh produce. The first event kicked off this past weekend and will be held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Aug. 26.
“We really wanted to create a space where families will plan to come back to just to hang out,” they share. “We plan to eventually provide delivery service to the local beach and boats and also offer family picnic packages with sandwiches and soft drinks.”
Mama’s Eatery and Ice Cream Shop is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information about current offerings, visit facebook.com/Mamaseateryshop.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.
Rita MacDonald is a U.S. Army veteran and a full-time registered nurse who claims that her Irish and Scottish heritage is the reason for her love of storytelling. She is the mother of two adult sons, “Gummy” to her three grandchildren, loves talking with anyone who will engage in a conversation, and “eats life with a shovel!” In addition to her work with The Keel, Rita is a contributor for the Thumbprint News, an author of three books, and writes a blog at
kitchentabledevotions.com.