Top Ice Cream Shops in Each State
Summer’s here, and the heat is on! What better way to cool down than with a scoop (or two) of delicious ice cream? But with countless shops across the country, finding the perfect pint can be a daunting task. From classic flavors to unique creations, get ready to embark on a virtual ice cream road trip across the USA!
Alabama: Big Spoon Creamery, Birmingham
Known For:
- Handmade artisanal ice cream focusing on local and seasonal ingredients
- Flavors ranging from sweet corn blackberry to sweet basil ice cream
- Big Spoon specializes in sundaes and sammies (pictured)
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Alaska: The Ice Cream Shop, Girdwood
Known For:
- Unique ice cream flavors like Huckleberry Heaven, Maui Waiui, and Fireweed and honey
- Choices ranging from sodas, floats, and affogatos
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Arizona: Novel Ice Cream, Phoenix
Known For:
- Contemporary ice cream shop serving small-batch handcrafted ice cream
- Known for their famous doughnut melt
- 12 flavors avaliable in a cup, cone or float
Overall Rating: 4.9/5
Arkansas: Spark Cafe Soda Fountain, Bentonville
Known For:
- Located where the Walmart Muesam was
- Handcrafted ice cream and sundaes are available
- Unique flavors like F-150 and Spark Cream (represents Walmart)
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
California: Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co., Alhambra
Known For:
- Over 100 years old and serving old-fashioned ice cream in the Los Angeles area
- Unique flavors like Macapuno, Lemon Custard, and Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
- Tons of menu items like shakes, sundaes, floats, and more
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Colorado: Bonnie Brae Ice Cream, Denver
Known For:
- Bonnie Brae Ice Cream is an iconic old-fashioned ice cream shop serving over 120 handmade flavors
- Unique flavors like Blue Moon, salted oreo, and lemon custard
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Connecticut: Rich Farm, Bristol
Known For:
- Rich Farm has over ten different menu items incorporating ice cream and much more
- Unique flavors like Mint Marshmallow Brownie, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Chocolate Chiquita
- Able to sample four different ice cream flavors as a sampler
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Delaware: Vanderwende Farm Creamery, Greenwood
Known For:
- Proud to serve homemade, farm-fresh ice cream
- Ice cream is available in cones, cups, homemade waffle cones, sundaes, banana splits, and floats
- Known for their ice cream flights, sampling 6 different flavors
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Florida: Sea Maids Creamery, Tampa
Known For:
- Unique ice cream flavors like Beach Bum, Sponge Bob, and Sirens Love Potion
- Not only does Sea Maids specialize in ice cream but also coffee, teas, and a selection of sweet treats
- The biggest star of the show here is their delectable sundaes (pictured)
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Georgia: Leopold’s Ice Cream, Savannah
Known For:
- Unique homemade flavors like Savannah Socialite, chocolate chewies and cream, and rum bisque
- Banana splits, old-fashioned fountain sodas, milkshakes and malts, ice cream sandwiches, and much more are offered
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Hawaii: Lappert’s Hawaii, Honolulu
Known For:
- Signature flavors like Big Island Inspiration, ube haupia, and Auntie Mabel’s Lilikoi Dream Pie
- Sorbet and handmade ice cream flavors are constantly rotating
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Idaho: Ice Cream Alley, McCall
Known For:
- Offering over 20 handmade ice cream flavors
- Unique flavors like Huckleberry, Espresso Explosion, and Lemon Pie
- Known for their heft ice cream scoops in each purchase
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Illinois: Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Chicago
Known For:
- Tons of flavors are offered for those with dietary restrictions, from vegan flavors, soy-free, peanut-free, without egg, and without tree nuts
- Unique flavors like black licorice, gumball, and kitty kitty bang bang
- Awarded Grand Master Ice Cream Maker 3x
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Indiana: Sundae’s Homemade Ice Cream, Indianapolis
Known For:
- The number one staple flavor from Sundaes
- Unique flavors like bourbon praline pecan, orange pineapple dreamsicle, and nuts & bolts
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Iowa: Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe, Prairies City
Known For:
- There are many menu items, from overload twisters, slushies, slush creams, and specialty sundaes
- Features a flavor of the week during every week in the year
- Unique flavors like butter beer, buttered popcorn, and cantaloupe
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Kansas: Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream, Olathe
Known For:
- Make ice cream and waffle cones daily with a plethora of innovative flavors
- Unique flavors like PB and Waffles, pot of Gold, and Drumstick
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Kentucky: Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream, Lexington
Known For:
- Unique flavors like gooey butter cake, strawberry balsamic sorbet, and bourbon and honey
- Known for their sampler flight of four ice creams, spiked scoop (ice cream with a shot of booze), and homemade waffle cones and bowls
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Louisiana: Creole Creamery, New Orleans
Known For:
- Unique ice cream flavors like cafe au lait, lavender honey and creole cream cheese
- Unique sorbet and sherbert flavors like cucumber, creole tomato, and satsuma
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Maine: Gorgeous Gelato Portland, Maine
Known For:
- Gelato is made fresh each day using all-natural ingredients and no preservatives
- Unique flavors like Ferrero Rocher, tiramisu, and white chocolate
- Known for their highly velvety texture and intense flavor of gelato
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Maryland: BMORE LICKS, Baltimore
Known For:
- Carry at least 30 flavors of their homemade ice cream daily
- Unique flavors like holy cannoli, honey baklava, dirty grasshopper, and much more
- Famous not only for their ice cream but also their flurries, sundaes, and ice cream tacos
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Massachusetts: The Ice Cream Barn, Swansea
Known For:
- All ice cream is “barn made” on-site at the Ice Cream Barn while utilizing milk from their cows
- Unique flavors like cranberry jubilee, Kahlua brownie, and Grape Nut
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Michigan: Ray’s Ice Cream, Royal Oak
Known For:
- 50+ flavors of velvety smooth and slow-churned ice cream,
- Banana splits, shakes, and malts are all available
- Unique flavors like lemon zest cheesecake brownie, Mackinac Island fudge, and white Russian
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Minnesota: Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream Cafe, Minneapolis
Known For:
- Being the original markers of supreme ice cream (natural and premium ice cream together)
- Made with fresh ingredients daily with several flavors that rotate
- Unique flavors like Pavarotti and Nicollet Avenue Pothole
- Ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes, and Joe’s brrr Bars are avaliable
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Mississippi: Velvet Cream–The Dip, Hernando
Known For:
- Known for a plethora of sweet treats, from concerts to ice cream shakes, custard, and handmade ice cream
- A very unique ice flavor is the Tahitian medicine man ( lime and coconut syrups poured in ice)
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Missouri: Central Dairy Ice Cream Parlor, Jefferson City
Known For:
- There are tons of different flavors, including Bear Claw, Tiger Tracks, and Texas Pecan
- Sundaes, shakes & malts and different types of splits are also available
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Montana: Big Dipper Ice Cream, Missoula
Known For:
- Unique flavors like El Salvador coffee, Mexican chocolate, cardamon, and white mint Oreo
- Known worldwide and has been chosen as one of America’s Best by Food and Wine Magazine, USA Today, Yahoo News, and Budget Travel, among others
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Nebraska: Coneflower Creamery, Omaha
Known For:
- Handcrafted farm-to-cone ice cream
- known for homemade waffle cones and homemade sprinkles
- Unique flavors like Butter brickle, along with signature flavors offered that are not typically associated with ice cream
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Nevada: Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt, Las Vegas
Known For:
- Over 100 flavors of ice cream, along with vegan and sorbet, sherberts, and ice options
- Unique flavors like buckeye, cherry cordial, and cinnamon sticky bun
- Specializes in ‘hurricanes’ which is blended ice cream and toppings
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
New Hampshire: Hayward’s Ice Cream, Nashua
Known For:
- Unique flavors like banana cream, pie, chocolate tsunami, and Tollhouse
- Other treats offered include NSA ice cream, lactose-free ice cream, sherbert, sorbet and soft-serve
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
New Jersey: Torico, Jersey City
Known For:
- Fresh and natural ingredients used in all 65+ ice cream flavors
- Unique flavors like chocolate blackout, pound cake, and green tea
- Seasonal flavors of ice cream and sorbet are also offered
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
New Mexico: I Scream Ice Cream, Albuquerque
Known For:
- Ice cream manufactured from Blute Bell, as well as some specialty flavors
- Unique flavors like red velvet, southern blackberry cobbler and moo-llennium crunch
- Icrea floats, sodas, shakes, malts, sundaes, and more are available
Overall Rating: 4.9/5
New York: The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, New York City
Known For:
- Has been creating delicious ice cream for over three decades
- Unique flavors like red bean, don tot, and Thai iced tea ice cream flavors
- Tons of ice cream flavors are available, both exotic and native
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
North Carolina: Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream, Angier
Known For:
- Home to over 130 ice cream flavors
- One of the most unique flavors offered is ‘cold sweat’; it’s made with three kinds of pepper and two kinds of hot sauce and requires a waiver to be signed beforehand
- Sundaes, shortcakes, banana splits, and much more are offered at Sunni Sky’s
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
North Dakota: The Silver Lining Creamery, Fargo
Known For:
- Homemade ice cream offering fresh seasonal and rotating flavors, known only to have 14% butterfat
- Unique flavors like One Night at the Ritz, double dough dare you, and lemon Poppyseed
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Ohio: Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Cleveland
Known For:
- Handcraft ice cream in small batches using all local dairy and fresh ingredients
- Unique flavors like Bing cherry chocolate chunk, strawberry jalapeno, and peanut butter pretzel yogurt
- Sundaes, cream cakes & pies, milkshakes, and malts, and floats are all available
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Oklahoma: Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store, Oklahoma City
Known For:
- Home to some of the best sundaes and banana splits, along with that, they have malts, sherbert freezes, mixes, and frozen yogurt available
- More than over 100 homemade flavors
- Unique flavors like Bordeaux cherry amaretto, dream cooler, and coconut chocolate cheesecake
Overall Rating: 4.2/5
Oregon: Cloud City Ice Cream, Portland
Known For:
- Small batch, handcrafted ice cream made with natural and local ingredients
- Unique flavors like caramelized banana, circus friends, and marionberry crisp
- Offers 5+ vegan flavors and several seasonal flavors
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Pennsylvania: Fox Meadows Creamery, Ephrata
Known For:
- Ice cream churned right in-store during operating hours
- Unique flavors like brown butter almond brickle, honeyed lavender, and strawberry rhubarb crumble
- Specializes in hot pressed sweet outer shell cookies with ice cream inside called the “baked fox”
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Rhode Island: Lincoln Creamery, Lincoln
Known For:
- Over 50 flavors to choose from; dairy-free and frozen yogurt options are also available
- Unique flavors like deep dish apple pie, fluff-n-udder, and midnight caramel river
- Cones, cups, banana splits, sundaes, and much more offered
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
South Carolina: Meyer’s Ice Cream Parlor, Surfside Beach
Known For:
- Over 50 ice flavors and 16 sundae flavors
- Unique sundae creations like the ACC, banana pudding paradise, and Hawaiian split
- Offers a diverse array of flavors, from traditional to innovative spin-offs of the conventional flavors
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
South Dakota: Armadillos Ice Cream Shoppe, Rapid City
Known For:
- Serves 20 flavors throughout the year with a different flavor of the day
- Ice cream, sherbet, Italian ice, slushes, freezes, ice cream floats, sundaes, and much more are available
- More than 20 specialty sundae creations are available
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Tennessee: Cruze Farm Ice Cream, Knoxville
Known For:
- Freshly churned ice cream from local dairy farms
- Known for their churns (ice cream blended with toppings)
- Unique flavors like key lime cheesecake, cherry orange dole whip, and fruity pebbles sweet cream
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Texas: MELT Ice Creams, Fort Worth
Known For:
- Create small batch ice cream with seasonal flavors and special flavor drops
- Shakes, ice cream sammies, ice cream pints, and ice cream cakes are available
- Unique flavors like lemon blueberry pie, Texas lavender honey crunch, and berry basil
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Utah: Farr Better Ice Cream, Ogden
Known For:
- Severing over 100 possible ice cream flavors for 100 years
- Tons of ice cream, sorbet, and sherbet
- Unique flavors like Brownies on the Moon, Almond Divinity, and Spumoni
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Vermont: Tim & Doug’s Ice Cream Shop, Newport
Known For:
- Known for award-winning Udderly MOO-licious Sundae
- Homemade ice cream sandwiches, soft serve, banana splits and more
- Best bang for your buck, Tim and Doug’s has the biggest portion sizes
Overall Rating: /5
Virginia: Moo Thru, Remington
Known For:
- Real ice cream from real dairy farmers, hand-crafted and slow-churned
- Moothru has sundaes, banana splits, shakes & malts, and hand-dipped ice cream
- 19 flavors served throughout the day
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Washington: Mallard Ice Cream, Bellingham
Known For:
- Scoops, shakes and sundaes
- Handmade 25 ice cream flavors, unique ones like root beer and cookies, vanilla black sesame, and dill and sour cream
- Mallard’s has a robust library of 700+ flavors that are rotating
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
West Virginia: Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ceredo
Known For:
- Unique award-winning ice cream flavors like Grape Pineapple and Smore than a Feeling
- Over 40 flavors made daily by their ice cream chef
- Specialises in sundaes, milkshakes (cereal killer shakes), Ice cream sodas and more
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
Wisconsin: Kelley Country Creamery, Fond du Lac
Known For:
- Ice cream cakes and pies, specialty sundaes, and some of the most unique homemade ice cream flavors
- Flavors ranging from Aime’s Amaretto to Green Dragon (lemon-lime flavor)
- Seasonal flavors are available for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Overall Rating: 4.9/5
Wyoming: Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream, Jackson
Known For:
- Unique ice cream flavors and sorbets
- Home to the award-winning Wild Huckleberry ice cream flavor
- It also has a plethora of alcohol-infused ice cream flavors
Overall Rating: 4.2/5
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