How Sweet(sies) It Is

Aliya McDonald (right) and Addy Zeigler with a couple of Sweetsies treats. 

The sweet treats of a throw-back oasis have become a reliable staple in Clear Spring

By April Bartel 

On warm afternoons along the historic National Pike in Clear Spring, the rhythm of summer feels refreshingly unchanged. Especially at Sweetsies Eats & Treats where families drift between picnic tables and children clutch melting cones.  

As leaves rustle overhead, the scent of something fried…and something sweet…hangs seductively in the air. An oasis of sorts, Sweetsies Eats & Treats owner Penny Hose has created a place that feels as much like a hometown ritual as it does a roadside stop. 

Hose is a lifelong Washington County resident with deep roots in the area, and her connection to this stretch of road runs back decades. Long before she owned the business, she was a kid pedaling her bike down what was then Ridge Road, stopping at a long-ago gas station to fill a small can for her family’s mower. That same spot, transformed over time into an ice cream stand, is now Sweetsies and it carries her imprint, shaped by heartfelt memories and an abiding sense of community. 

Hose took over Sweetsies in 2018, drawn to build something of her own. Since then, the menu has expanded well beyond ice cream. Today, it reads like a greatest hits list of comfort food: custom-made hot dogs, burgers, subs, fried favorites like cheese curds, and a rotating cast of seasonal meals and homemade soups. In cooler months, those soups, made in-house from October through March, draw hungry locals who know exactly when to show up. 

Among all this nostalgia and food, the hot dogs have earned a following. Special-ordered in bulk and known for their distinctive plump juiciness, they’re a year-round staple that Sweetsies sells in droves when the weather turns warm. Hose places sizeable orders, usually between 500 and 1,000 pounds at a time. 

Alongside the tasty dogs are regional classics like steamers. Created in Washington County and beloved by locals, these soft, steamy sandwiches are served on Martin’s potato rolls. Customers can dress them up with mustard, onions, or ketchup, though purists keep things simple. 

Still, Sweetsies is as much about indulgence as it is tradition. Their inventive ice cream “nachos” are a treat. Servers start with waffle cone chips that are piled with the scoops of ice cream and toppings. They are heralded in the summertime, when soft serve arrives multiple times a week to keep pace with insatiable demand. Newer additions like “dirty sodas,” bursting boba teas, and even glitter sodas (complete with edible shimmer) add a playful twist that delights visitors young and old. 

Visitors can wander from an ice cream cone to shelves stocked with aged cheeses, farm products, and old-fashioned candies, then back again for a second treat.

Wilson’s Store in Clear Spring. 

Lifelong Washington County resident Penny Hose owns Sweetsies and the Wilson’s Store.

What sets the place apart, though, is its commitment to local sourcing. Hose buys beef from nearby processors and supports the Washington County 4-H program by purchasing livestock raised by local youth, including her own family members. In summer, homegrown corn, tomatoes, and lettuce find their way into the kitchen, while even the eggs—sometimes in shades of brown, white, or pale green—come from her granddaughter’s flock. 

Just steps behind Sweetsies sits Wilson’s Store, another piece of local history that Hose acquired more recently. Together, the two create a kind of micro-village experience. Visitors can wander from an ice cream cone to shelves stocked with aged cheeses, farm products, and old-fashioned candies, then back again for a second treat. It’s not uncommon to see people moving between the two, stretching out an afternoon into something slower and more deliberate. 

That sense of place will take center stage this summer as the property becomes part of a larger community celebration. On June 27, the site will host a daylong event marking the United States’ 250th anniversary, complete with live music, food, pony rides, and family friendly activities. It’s exactly the kind of gathering that feels at home here—unpretentious, welcoming, and rooted in shared experience. 

For all its evolving menu and growing popularity, Sweetsies remains, at its core, a simple idea done well. Picnic tables invite people to linger. The atmosphere stays relaxed. And the connection between past and present—between a childhood memory and a thriving local business—feels tangible in every detail. 

In a world that often moves too quickly, this small corner of Clear Spring offers something else entirely: a place to slow down, walk a few steps between neighbors, and savor the familiar. 

Sweet treats can also be found at Wilson’s Store, also owned by Penny Hose.