Our Oregon Coast road trip was full of firsts; it was my first time in the state, my first long drive along Highway 101, and my first visit to the Tillamook Creamery.
Kel had been once before the modern visitor center opened, and she'd been raving about their ice cream since we started dating. So when we planned our route, there was no question: we were making a dairy-fueled detour.
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About Tillamook
Origins: From Farmer-Owners to a Cooperative
In the mid-to-late 1800s, European settlers in Oregon's fertile Tillamook Valley were producing more cheese and butter than they knew what to do with.
The peaks of the Oregon Coast Range made it challenging to move their products to Portland for trade and sale, so they built The Morning Star and set sail to deliver Tillamook Cheese by river.
On February 13, 1909, a group of independent creameries came together to form the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA). Their goal? To raise the bar on cheese quality and bring some consistency to dairy products in the region.
The cooperative was built on a simple idea: farmer-owners caring for the land, caring for their cows, and doing things the right way - The Tillamook Way. A philosophy rooted in stewardship and quality, passed down through generations of farming families.
When demand for ice cream was growing in the 1940s, Tillamook launched its first varieties in 1947. And while I'm a bigger fan of their ice creams than cheeses, the latter remains their number one selling product. The Tillamook Cheese plant opened in 1949 and still operates today.
The Present Day
Fast-forward to today, and the Tillamook Creamery is one of Oregon's most beloved tourist destinations. It draws in more than one million visitors annually, and some summer days see up to 17,000 people. From school kids on field trips to road-trippers like us, the appeal of Tillamook is near universal.
The visitor experience received a significant upgrade in 2018 with the design of a new 38,500-square-foot center adjacent to the production facility.
Architects at Olson Kundig transformed the Creamery into a modern barn, featuring large windows, soaring ceilings, and expansive spaces that blend warm, rustic vibes with contemporary design.
Inside, you'll find light-filled communal areas, plenty of room to wander, and immersive exhibits that celebrate the co-op's roots and its future.
There's also a generous food hall-style dining area, an expanded café, a larger ice-cream counter, and a gift shop that all but demands a browse.
As a first-timer, I couldn't wait to step inside this beautiful building, with its promise of grilled cheese and all the Tillamook ice cream flavors.
Visiting Tillamook Creamery
Visitors to the Tillamook Creamery can explore the facility at their own pace via a free self-guided tour, which includes views of the factory floor where fresh Tillamook cheeses are inspected, packaged, and prepped for distribution. The elevated observation deck makes it easy to watch the action from above.
At the end of the route, everyone's rewarded with complimentary cheese samples, a perfect touch for snack-loving road trippers.
However, since it was my first visit, Kel and I were both curious to delve deeper. We signed up for the 12:15 p.m. guided tour and cheese tasting experience ($15 per person).
Cheese Tour and Tasting
Each member of our small group was given a personal audio device and headset, which made it easy to hear our guide as we moved around the building. I appreciated this when I stepped away from the guide to peer down at the factory floor.
The tour lasted about 30 minutes and offered insight into the cheesemaking process, the cooperative's history, and how the Creamery continues to grow today.
The real highlight came at the end: a tasting flight featuring Tillamook cheese curds and four cubes of their Maker's Reserve white cheddar, aged 3, 5, 7, and 10 years (2021, 2019, 2017, and 2014).
It was fun to compare how each vintage evolved in terms of texture and sharpness over time. Our tray included tasting notes for each cube, making it easier to appreciate the subtle differences.
The whole experience reminded me of the Parmigiano Reggiano factory tour I took during a food and Ferrari tour in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Lunch
After sampling some of Tillamook's finer cheddars, it was time to grab lunch in the Dining Hall on the first floor of Tillamook Creamery. It's open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
It was about 1 p.m. on a Monday, and there was a small but fast-moving line to order at the counter. Visitors are then given a number and can sit wherever they like. The food is brought out to them.
Tillamook classics are priced from $12 to $15 and include:
- Fried cheddar cheese curds with your choice of dipping sauce
- Cheddar mac 'n cheese
- Double cheddar grilled cheese on sourdough bread
- Cheeseburgers
Plant-based burger patties and gluten-free buns are available for an added cost. You can also make it a double for $4 more, or add bacon for $3.
Kel ordered a cup of chili, and I got the grilled cheese with sharp yellow cheddar and medium white cheddar. As you can see below, it was super cheesy!
The Tillamook menu also includes a rotating number of seasonal specials ($15 to $19), such as:
- Tillamook cheese boards with pickled vegetables, marionberry jelly, and buttered baguettes.
- Cowboy mac 'n cheese "with crispy chicken, buffalo sauce, Spicy Mexican blend, and a house-made cowboy candy panko topping."
- Short rib sandwiches with "sharp cheddar cheese sauce on a house-made sesame seed and smoked medium cheddar bun."
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, you can also try Tillamook's Detroit-style pizza. Lighter fare includes tomato soup and a pair of salad options. And there's a kids' menu with pint-size portions for $8 apiece.
As much as I wanted to try the cheese curds, I preferred to save room for dessert. After all, it's Tillamook's incredible ice cream that more often finds its way into our home.
Tillamook Ice Cream
The cheese tour, tasting, and lunch theme were all well and good, but dessert was always the main event in my mind. The menu behind the ice cream counter listed 25 standard flavors, plus three limited edition and two picks from the Chocolate Collection.
Guests can choose their ice cream on a cone, in a milkshake, as a scoop in a cup, or in a flight. Another short queue at the ice cream counter gave us just enough time to come up with the flavors we wanted to try.
An ice cream flight costs $10 and includes three generous scoops, so between the two of us, we were able to try six different flavors.
Here they are, ranked from my favorite to least favorite:
- Brownie Batter - Super chocolatey with lots of brownie bits!
- Campfire Peanut Butter Cup - Chocolate and peanut butter are always a winning combo in my book.
- Salty Caramel Pretzel - A limited edition flavor that's salty and sweet.
- Marionberry Pie - Celebrating a blackberry bred initially in Oregon.
- Chocolate Hazelnut - Tasty, but lacked the richness and varied texture of the first three flavors on this list.
- Oregon Dark Cherry - I prefer chocolate over fruit-based flavors, but this was Kel's second-favorite after Brownie Batter.
I came away from the tasting with a new favorite Tillamook Ice cream flavor, Brownie Batter from the Chocolate Collection.
In addition to Tillamook's creative flavors, quality ingredients, and eye-catching packaging, I really appreciate the value they offer.
I've tried plenty of premium ice cream brands, and Tillamook consistently delivers some of the best bang for your buck.
See also: Portland's Best Bakeries
Market and Gift Shop
Naturally, Tillamook Creamery provides a market and gift shop where you can pick up anything and everything Tillamook. You'll find all their cheeses, ice creams, plus other craft food products, t-shirts, and cheesy souvenirs.
As we were in the midst of a road trip, with more days still to come, parked in Portland, we didn't pick up anything edible. We left Tillamook Creamery with nothing more than a cute mint-chocolate-chip ice cream keychain, plenty of photos, and full bellies.
Related Read: Craving more road trip inspiration? Check out my drive from San Francisco to Sonoma, packed with coastal views, wine country charm, and plenty of good eats.
Wrapping Up
From curds to cones, Tillamook Creamery served up one of the most delightful (and delicious) stops on our Oregon road trip. Between the cheddar cheese tasting, grilled cheese, and ice cream flights, I may have hit my dairy limit, but let's be honest, I'd brie happy to do it again.
Tillamook Creamery
4165 N Hwy 101
Tillamook, OR 97141
Tillamook.com
