Special Report

Best Ice Cream Shop in Every State

La Lecheria, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Courtesy of Kim N. via Yelp

Ice cream is quite possibly the ultimate comfort food, especially in hot weather, so it’s little wonder that we’ve been enjoying it so enthusiastically in recent weeks. (Whether having a famously ice cream-loving president helps or hurts sales of this frozen delight probably depends on where you fall politically.)

While major food companies have become big players on the ice cream scene (Nestlé owns Häagen-Dazs and Dreyer’s; Unilever owns Ben & Jerry’s), and chains like Baskin-Robbins, Carvel, and Cold Stone Creamery seem to be almost everywhere. (Believe it or not, ice cream is one of those “junk foods” that might not be so bad for you.)

Independent ice cream parlors are an enduring American tradition, however. There are hundreds and hundreds of such places around the country, most of them making their own ice cream on an artisanal scale, and many of them creating unusual flavors – sweet maple bacon, jackfruit, roasted beets & fresh mint – as well as standbys like chocolate and vanilla.  

To assemble a list of the best ice cream store in every state, 24/7 Tempo considered ratings and reviews on a variety of food and general interest sites, including Food & Wine, Eat This Not That, The Daily Meal, Taste of Home, and Reader’s Digest, as well as numerous local and regional sites. Note that suggested flavors may be seasonal or occasional and may not always be available. (Taking the country as a whole into consideration, these are the best ice cream parlors in America.)

Click here to see the best ice cream shop in every state

We left frozen yogurt shops off the list (though frozen yogurt might be on the menu at some of the places here), and while some of the ice cream shops listed have several locations, we have also omitted regional enterprises that have grown to have a nationwide presence, like Graeter’s from Cincinnati and McConnell’s from Santa Barbara, California. 

Photo by Aleeta P. via Yelp

Alabama: Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe
> Location: Mobile
> Flavors to try (if available): Mexican vanilla, prickly pear

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Photo by Kathryn K via Yelp

Alaska: Wild Scoops
> Location: Anchorage (2 locations)
> Flavors to try (if available): AK birch almond, Fruity Pebbles

Courtesy of Mary Coyle Ol' Fashion Ice Cream via Facebook

Arizona: Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream
> Location: Phoenix
> Flavors to try (if available): Black licorice, salted caramel cashew

Courtesy of Loblolly Creamery

Arkansas: Loblolly Creamery
> Location: Little Rock and Benton
> Flavors to try (if available): Arkansas Mud, honey lavender

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Courtesy of Ran C. via Yelp

California: Mother Moo Creamery
> Location: Sierra Madre
> Flavors to try (if available): Apricot crumble, organic triple milk

Little Man Ice Cream / Facebook

Colorado: The Little Man Ice Cream Co.
> Location: Denver and Englewood
> Flavors to try (if available): Salted Oreo, banana pudding

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Connecticut: Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream
> Location: Salem
> Flavors to try (if available): Grapenut, cappuccino fudge

daquellamanera / Flickr

Delaware: The Ice Cream Store
> Location: Rehoboth Beach
> Flavors to try (if available): Delaware peach, Madagascar vanilla

Courtesy of Ice Dreammm Shop

Florida: Ice Dreammm Shop
> Location: Lutz
> Flavors to try (if available): Strawberry shortcake, chocolate bacon toffee

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Courtesy of Alexi Y. via Yelp

Georgia: Butter and Cream
> Location: Decatur and Atlanta
> Flavors to try (if available): Honeycomb forest, marmalade pine nut cookie

Courtesy of Jeanine D. via Yelp

Hawaii: Black Sheep Cream Co.
> Location: Waipi’o and four other Oahu locations
> Flavors to try (if available): Banana crème brûlée, honeydew melon cream

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Courtesy of Idaho The STIL via Facebook

Idaho: The STIL
> Location: Boise
> Flavors to try (if available): When in Rome (lemon olive oil), Picnic in the Park (raspberry, goat cheese, walnut)

Courtesy of Richard's Super Premium Ice Cream via Facebook

Illinois: Richard’s Super Premium Ice Cream
> Location: Chicago
> Flavors to try (if available): Sweet potato pie, peach cobbler

Courtesy of Sundae's Homemade Ice Cream via Facebook

Indiana: Sundae’s Homemade Ice Cream
> Location: Indianapolis
> Flavors to try (if available): Bing cherry chip, butter brickle

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Courtesy of Iowa Over the Top via Facebook

Iowa: Over the Top
> Location: Pleasant Hill
> Flavors to try (if available): Apple cobbler ala mode, caramel macchiato

Photo by Tina H. via Yelp

Kansas: Foggi Ice Cream
> Location: Mission
> Flavors to try (if available): Thai tea, sweet maple bacon

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Courtesy of Allison F. via Yelp

Kentucky: Louisville Cream
> Location: Louisville
> Flavors to try (if available): Mascarpone and strawberry, coffee with bourbon cream

Courtesy of John B. via Yelp

Louisiana: Ice Cream 504
> Location: New Orleans
> Flavors to try (if available): King cake with cream cheese, white chocolate mint

Courtesy of Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream via Facebook

Maine: Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream
> Location: Bar Harbor and Portland, plus Washington D.C. and Matsumoto and Azumino, Japan
> Flavors to try (if available): Bay of Figs, coriander lemon curd

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The Charmery / Facebook

Maryland: The Charmery
> Location: 3 Baltimore locations), plus Columbia and Chevy Chase
> Flavors to try (if available): Indonesian cinnamon, Fitzgerald’s Rickey (gin and lime)

Courtesy of Ivanna S. via Yelp

Massachusetts: Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream
> Location: Cambridge
> Flavors to try (if available): Carrot cake, sweet cream

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Courtesy of MOO-ville Creamery in Nashville, MI via Facebook

Michigan: MOO-ville Creamery
> Location: Nashville, Ionia, Zeeland, and Eaton Rapids
> Flavors to try (if available): Almond Joy, Mackinac Island fudge

Photo by Jonathan E. via Yelp

Minnesota: Milkjam Creamery
> Location: Minneapolis
> Flavors to try (if available): Uma (Greek yogurt with passion fruit lychee swirl), PB vs Everybody (peanut butter banana with Oreo chunks)

Courtesy of The Oxford Creamery

Mississippi: The Oxford Creamery
> Location: Oxford
> Flavors to try (if available): Milk and Cookies, fresh mint chip

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Courtesy of Betty Rae's Ice Cream via Facebook

Missouri: Betty Rae’s Ice Cream
> Location: Kansas City
> Flavors to try (if available): S’mores, blood orange creamsicle

Courtesy of Erin D. via Yelp

Montana: Big Dipper Ice Cream
> Location: Missoula, Helena, and Billings
> Flavors to try (if available): Cardamon, espresso Heath

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Courtesy of Terry S. via Yelp

Nebraska: Coneflower Creamery
> Location: Omaha (2 locations)
> Flavors to try (if available): Grandma Minnie’s lemon bar, brown butter

Courtesy of secretcreamery via Facebook

Nevada: Secret Creamery
> Location: Las Vegas
> Flavors to try (if available): Pandan coconut, black sesame

Courtesy of Memories Ice Cream

New Hampshire: Memories Ice Cream
> Location: Kingston
> Flavors to try (if available): Frozen fruit pudding, bananas Foster

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Courtesy of Florence C. via Yelp

New Jersey: Torico Ice Cream
> Location: Jersey City
> Flavors to try (if available): Jackfruit, avocado

Courtesy of Kim N. via Yelp

New Mexico: La Lecheria
> Location: Santa Fe
> Flavors to try (if available): Butterscotch miso, red chile honey

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New York: Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream
> Location: New York City (2 locations)
> Flavors to try (if available): Durian banana, strawberry pink peppercorn

Photo by Nikia W. via Yelp

North Carolina: Vida Dulce
> Location: Cary
> Flavors to try (if available): Key lime pie, cranberry

Courtesy of Silver Lining Creamery via Facebook

North Dakota: The Silver Lining Creamery
> Location: Fargo and Rapid City
> Flavors to try (if available): Root beer float, chili roasted pistachio

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Photo by Deanna C. via Yelp

Ohio: Coppa Gelato
> Location: Westerville
> Flavors to try (if available): Lemon lime basil, white chocolate pretzel

Photo by Robert H. via Yelp

Oklahoma: Rose Rock Microcreamery
> Location: Tulsa and Broken Arrow
> Flavors to try (if available): Ube and blood orange, Vietnamese coffee

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Courtesy of Mark W. via Yelp

Oregon: Fifty Licks
> Location: Portland (3 locations)
> Flavors to try (if available): Cornbread honey butter, mango sticky rice

Courtesy of Uncle Mike's Homemade Ice Cream via Facebook

Pennsylvania: Uncle Mike’s Homemade Ice Cream
> Location: Warminster
> Flavors to try (if available): Mike’s Chocolate Elvis, Coconut Crazy

Photo by Genevieve R. via Yelp

Rhode Island: Tricycle Ice Cream
> Location: Providence
> Flavors to try (if available): Callebaut chocolate, passionfruit

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Photo by Yoojin C. via Yelp

South Carolina: Sweet Cream Company
> Location: Columbia
> Flavors to try (if available): Sweet corn, Madagascar vanilla

Photo by Ethan T. via Yelp

South Dakota: Leones’ Creamery
> Location: Spearfish
> Flavors to try (if available): Horchata, mountain huckleberry

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Courtesy Mike's Ice Cream and Coffee Bar via Facebook

Tennessee: Mike’s Ice Cream and Coffee Bar
> Location: Nashville
> Flavors to try (if available): Pralines and cream, black cherry

Courtesy of Lick Honest Ice Creams via Facebook

Texas: Lick Honest Ice Creams
> Location: 9 locations in Austin, San Antonio, College Station, and Houston
> Flavors to try (if available): Caramel salt lick, roasted beets & fresh mint

Photo by Mostafa A. via Yelp

Utah: Dolcetti Gelato
> Location: Salt Lake City
> Flavors to try (if available): Strawberry balsamic, grapefruit

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Courtesy of Mountain Creamery

Vermont: Mountain Creamery
> Location: Woodstock
> Flavors to try (if available): Myers rum raisin, Vermont maple walnut

Courtesy of Peterson's Ice Cream Depot via Facebook

Virginia: Peterson’s Ice Cream Depot
> Location: Clifton
> Flavors to try (if available): Carnival cotton candy, Cindyrella (butterscotch with chocolate drops)

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Washington: Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
> Location: Seattle (9 area locations)
> Flavors to try (if available): Cookies & cream, milk chocolate fudge stripe

Photo by Greg A. via Yelp

West Virginia: Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream
> Location: Charleston
> Flavors to try (if available): Hazelnut, mocha almond

Courtesy of Natalie W. via Yelp

Wisconsin: Purple Door Ice Cream
> Location: Milwaukee and Mequon
> Flavors to try (if available): Whiskey, Nutella Brownie Blast

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Big Dipper Ice Cream Shop / Facebook

Wyoming: Big Dipper Ice Cream
> Location: Laramie
> Flavors to try (if available): Butterfinger, peppermint crunch

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