About Us

Peterson’s Ice Cream Depot – 5 years of History

The Peterson family loves sports, the beach, and ice cream. One day, while on vacation, we stumbled upon the recipe for the finest ice cream we had ever tasted. We realized that a lot of places offered good ice cream (but not this good) however it was a shame the ice cream shops always seemed to be located in strip malls where we were left to eat in the parking lot or car. We (along with our children Rachel, Carleigh, and Turner) longed for a place to frequent and enjoy our ice cream in a pleasant atmosphere.

Living in the beautiful Historic Town of Clifton, having the perfect location for a storefront in our garage, and possessing a secret recipe, we put the three together and decided to open Peterson's Ice Cream Depot. We selected the name “Depot” to honor Clifton’s rich railroad history. Did you know that Clifton was once Devereaux Station, then Clifton Station, and is the only location in Fairfax County that still has a railroad crossing?

And ice cream wasn't our only dream as we conceptualized what we could do to offer the town fun, family dining, with a “come as you are” feeling. Jean frequently reminisced of her summers in "upstate" New York and the popularity of the local hot dog stand. The “aha” moment had arrived and a year after Peterson's Ice Cream Depot opened we introduced “The Dog Pound” serving the Mid-Atlantic's most unique and exceptional hot dogs. We designed the patio to be a welcome spot to relax after a ball game, play cards, a board game with your kids, check out a sporting event on T.V., catch some music, or just watch the trains go by. In April 2011 we introduced our "Fantastic Fries" and have received rave reviews. We take a regular potato and after a lenghty process turn it into one of the best order of fries you'll ever taste.

We truly hope some of your family history will include times spent enjoying Peterson's Ice Cream Depot and The Dog Pound. We're worth the trip!!