MONTVALE—Who can remember when Huff’s was the place to go for a cold treat on a hot summer day? The ice cream parlor, located on Grand Avenue across from Montvale Lanes and next to the Octagon House, opened in 1946.
In the mid-20th century, Huff’s Ice Cream Bar offered an old-fashioned community atmosphere and some memorable selections on its ice cream menu—like the “Heavy,” an extra, extra thick milkshake, or the gigantic sundae called a “Pig’s Dinner.” Huff’s also sold savory food such as burgers, fries, and sandwiches.
Owner George Huff was the mayor of Montvale 1946 to 1959. In 1957, when the Garden State Parkway was extended through the Pascack Valley, Huff was integral in ensuring the route included an interchange in Montvale.
The Huff family lived next door in the borough’s famous Octagon House. In 1925, George’s father, Frederick Huff, bought the Octagon House from the Hering estate. Frederick suddenly passed away just two years later, but the widowed Wilhelmena Huff and her children lived there until 1932. The family had a business harvesting and selling ice from the mill pond on the Pascack Brook adjacent to the property (formerly known as Hering Pond, later Huff Pond). George continued to operate an ice plant there until 1959. Many locals probably remember ice skating on Huff Pond in the wintertime.
Today, the former location of Huff’s is a popular Italian restaurant, Uncle Louie’s Pizza.
