For those with a sweet tooth, I-65 from Gary, Indiana to Mobile, Alabama is like being in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with “visions of sugar plums dancing in your head” all in the same dream. Diabetics should be careful to find the treats designed for their needs, and dentists will cringe, but a little something sweet every couple of hours can add great anticipation and enjoyment while you travel the entire 887.3 miles.
INDIANA
- Exit 253 — Albanese Candy Factory Store in Merrillville. Gummies galore of every imaginable flavor and color, plus much more.
- Exit 220 — Fair Oaks Farms, Fair Oaks, IN. Ice cream and milkshakes in the Milkshed. A great product, thanks to their impressively large herd of cows.
- Exit 172 — Triple XXX Family Restaurant, West Lafayette. Root beer floats made with their amazing root beer recipe, dating back to 1895.
- Exit 139 — Donaldson’s Finer Chocolates, Lebanon. This family-owned business will soon celebrate 60 years of chocolate making.
- Exit 139 — Titus Bakery, Lebanon. Swoon-worthy donuts and more served since 1980. You can’t miss the colorful store exterior.
- Exit 116 — Pots & Pans Pie Company, Indianapolis. Pot pies and sweet pies of all kinds. Be sure to try their version of Hoosier Pie with the creme brulee topping.
- Exit 68 — Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor & Museum, Columbus. Serving sodas, sundaes, their signature orangeade, and more, they’ve been in business since 1900.
- Exit 1 — Schimpff’s Confectionery & Candy Museum, Jeffersonville. In business since 1891, their most famous candies are cinnamon red hots and caramel-covered Modjeskas.
KENTUCKY
- Exit 137B — Derby Cafe at Churchill Downs, Louisville. Enjoy a Derby Pie Tart or a Bourbon Pecan Blondie, both synonymous with Kentucky and the first Saturday in May.
- Exit 86 — The Whistle Stop, Glendale. All the traditional Kentucky dishes plus amazing pies served since 1975.
- Exit 38 — Buc-ee’s, Smith Grove. (There is a 2nd location on I-65 at Exit 347 near Athens, Alabama). Fudge of all varieties, plus squeaky clean restrooms and cheaper gas. Win-win-win!
TENNESSEE
- Exit 97 — Chef’s Market Cafe & Takeaway, Goodlettsville. White chocolate banana pudding makes Tennessee’s iconic dessert more decadent than ever. Eat it there or grab a pint to go.
- Exit 82B — Goo Goo Chocolate Company, Nashville. Take a class to make your own or buy a Goo Goo Cluster on the spot.
- Exit 65 — Five Daughters Bakery at The Factory, Franklin. This is the home of 100-layer doughnuts.
- Exit 27 — Lynnville Fried Pie Company, Lynnville. Choose from 9 different flavor fillings inside the homemade flaky crust.
ALABAMA
- Exit 351 — Kreme Delite, Athens. Customers have enjoyed soft serve ice cream and upside-down banana splits here since 1951.
- Exit 340 West — Morgan Price Candy Company, Decatur. English toffee, pralines, and chocolates are made fresh and sold year-round.
- Exit 340 West — Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q, Decatur. Chocolate, Coconut cream, and Lemon Icebox Pies are the most popular with Pecan and Peanut Butter rounding out the top 5. The restaurant celebrated its 100th anniversary of serving smoked meats in 2025.
- Exit 340 East, then Exit 17B off of I-565. Pizzelle’s Confections, Huntsville. Pizzelles was voted one of the Top Ten Chocolate Shops in the country by USA Today.
- Exit 308 — All Steak Restaurant, Cullman. Orange rolls are served with your meal, or they are available to take home.
- Exit 205 — Peach Park, Clanton. Peach ice cream, peach cobbler, peach fried pies, and everything peach-related.
- Exit 142 — Priester’s Pecans, Fort Deposit. Pecan candies, pecan pies, chocolate-covered pecans, with bags available for your snacking or baking needs.
For the sake of your waistline, I wouldn’t recommend stopping at all 22, but, by all means, choose two or more from each state and let me know your favorites. Check websites for specific hours of operation.
Get your copy of my book to read about all the categories of great stops along I-65.
-65Book Travel Food Desserts Sweets Bakeries Candyshops Indiana Kentucky Tennessee Alabama
