PHOTO BY COURTNEY RYDER / THE BREEZE
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COOKIE CRAZE O’Neill’s classic cookie skillet voted ‘Best Dessert in the ’Burg’ By AMY NEEDHAM The Breeze
It’s no secret that O’Neill’s Grill has been a staple of the JMU community for years. It’s the home of many university athletic press conferences, and it’s often frequented by students and staff alike. Walking inside, customers will find its walls adorned with JMU memorabilia and TVs turned to the latest sports game. They’ll also find what students voted the best dessert in Harrisonburg: the cookie skillet. For decades, the O’Neill’s cookie skillet has attracted customers with its gooey chocolate chip cookie base, homemade hot fudge drizzle and two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream. Since its creation in 2004, variations to the concept have been made — like its cousin, the S’more Cookie Dough Skillet — but assistant manager Sharmen Back
said the original treat is special because of its homemade recipe and long history. “We have the same prep cook who’s been making it for [around] 20 years,” Back said. “It’s one of the most popular things on the menu.” The dessert previously won the same title in 2017, and Back said she thinks the cookie skillet has remained so popular in the Harrisonburg community because of its consistency. She said the restaurant’s connection to JMU also has a large influence on its success. “We try to always make sure it looks good [and] tastes good,” Back said. “And we’ve gotten wellknown in here with JMU, so we always try to support them, and I think that they do the same to support us.”
“We’ve gotten well-known in here with JMU, so we always try to support them, and I think that they do the same to support us.”
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Sharmen Back O’Neill’s assistant manager
