La King's

in
cover-photo.jpg

La King’s Confectionery and Ice Cream Parlor on The Strand is situated in a building that is 150 years old, and the shop itself is reminiscent of a soda fountain of the 1920s. Admittedly, it is my favorite destination in Galveston’s historic downtown area!

MSH_LaKings159hotfudgesundae.jpg

Daily, La King’s scoops up delicious Purity Ice Cream to fill the endless orders of its tasty cones, floats, malts, shakes, sodas, sundaes and splits. Purity, by the way, has its own illustrious history; it is Texas’ first ice cream manufacturer, founded in 1889, and on Galveston Island.

Purity was about the only ice cream you could buy in Galveston until the death of the company's owner, G.B. Bryston, in 1979. For a few years, there was no Purity ice cream to be found anywhere. But, thankfully, the brand was revived in 1983 when La King's bought the equipment and the recipes. Today, the small factory makes only enough of the 36 flavors for La King's ice cream parlor.

MSH_LaKings188.jpg

La King’s also features an enormous candy counter showcasing more than 50 kinds of candies, all made from century-old recipes handed down by the owner’s family. Some of the most popular of these candies include the Peanut and Pecan Brittle, Divinity, Pecan Pralines, Fudge and La King’s famous Salt Water Taffy. There are also high quality, hand-made chocolates, as well as the classic “dime store penny candy.” Some visitors are thrilled to see a wide assortment of rock candy and overjoyed to find bubble gum cigarettes and cigars. These, most likely, remind them of their childhood days.

History of La King’s
In 1927, Jimmy King began making candy in Houston while learning the trade from Old World candy makers. Nearly 50 years later, in 1976, Jimmy’s oldest son, Jack, moved his family to Galveston to open his own confectionery on The Strand. He used the 19th-century formulas and methods handed down to him, using traditional equipment and procedures to make the confections.

-