Double Your Pleasure

Howie’s Six Mile Restaurant and Howie’s Ice Cream Satisfy Locals and Out-of-Towners Alike

Writer / Amy Lant-Wenger
Photographer / Kari Lipscomb

When Howard Miller was a youngster, his mother had a job working at a charming yet simple roadside cafe, located along the highway that traverses the town of LaGrange. The eatery was known as Marner’s Six Mile Restaurant.

Years later, she can still be found lending her culinary skills to the establishment, along with several additional members of the family. It has been one year since Marner’s became Howie’s Six Mile Restaurant. Nestled by vast expanses of farmland with a ribbon of roadway just beyond the entrance, it may be peaceful and tranquil on the outside, but the kitchen and dining spaces are positively buzzing.

“It was always a dream of hers to own and operate a restaurant,” Miller says. When the sale officially transpired in October of 2021, along came a name change, incorporating Miller’s casual nickname.

In a region that is fully immersed in tourism, Howie’s Six Mile Restaurant has seen some very active seasons, with locals as well as visitors from afar coming to partake of a hometown-inspired and country-infused meal. Breakfast is served all day, and there are lunch and dinner entrées available as well. Traditional favorites such as hamburgers, chicken and fish are paired with hearty sides, soups and salads. For the diner who wants to sample uniquely Hoosier specialties, Howie’s can provide the experience with dishes such as haystacks and fried mush. Miller notes that some time in the very near future, he plans to add steak and ribs to the menu.

So what’s for dessert? Well, patrons can opt for menu treats like pies and cookies, or they can simply wander outside and visit the adjacent family establishment known as Howie’s Ice Cream. There are several flavors of both soft serve and hard ice cream, with an impressive array of toppings, cones and more. Kemps is the featured ice cream supplier, and their products sport whimsical names like Coconut Castaway, all designed to spark both curiosity and tastes.

The shop is structured for both walk-up and drive-through service, with shaded outdoor seating. There are also a few savory choices at Howie’s Ice Cream including corn dogs, wraps, fries and chili.

Combining the two family enterprises into one location has led to success for both, as folks seek out dining adventures with a nostalgic flair. The restaurant in particular harbors generations of memories spanning several decades. While Miller isn’t sure exactly when the original Marner’s Six Mile was founded, framed aerial photos along the walls just inside the main entrance show that the building was operating as a restaurant as far back as the early 1960s. Prior to that time, Miller says, the site was formerly a service station.

Howie’s Six Mile Restaurant and Howie’s Ice Cream sit on one of northern Indiana’s most picturesque state highways. Sample some of the area’s best Amish-style cooking, and top off the meal with a scoop or two of premium ice cream, at 5975 West U.S. Highway 20 in LaGrange. Call 260-214-4921 for more information.