The Very Best Ice Cream Parlor in Each State

According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the average American eats roughly 20 pounds of ice cream per year. It comes as no surprise then to see that in the U.S. alone, ice cream makers produced 1.38 billion gallons of this frozen treat, and it is estimated that the ice cream market will reach 104.96 billion worldwide by 2029. Ice cream is quite possibly the ultimate treat, especially in hot weather, when it can be refreshing and even momentarily cool us off. 

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. Not to leave out those dairy-free loving populations, many of these companies also produce this beloved treat in non-diary forms as well. 

Ever since the first ice cream parlor opened in Paris in 1686, this chilled dessert has been a global favorite. With the opening of the first shop in the U.S., in New York in 1790, ice cream has become an American tradition, with independent parlors retaining much of their nostalgic charm. 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.  

24/7 Tempo considered ratings and reviews on a variety of food and general interest sites as well as numerous local and regional sites to assemble a list of the top ice cream parlor in each state. Note that suggested flavors may be seasonal or occasional and may not always be available. (Considering the country as a whole, these are the best ice cream parlors in America.)

Frozen yogurt shops were not included on 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. (Believe it or not, ice cream is one of those “junk foods” that might not be so bad for you.)

Here is the top ice cream parlor in each state

Alabama: Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe

• Location: Mobile
• Flavors to try (if available): Mexican vanilla, prickly pear

Alaska: Wild Scoops

• Location: Anchorage (2 locations)
• Flavors to try (if available): AK birch almond, Fruity Pebbles

Arizona: The Screamery

• Location: Phoenix
• Flavors to try (if available): Drunken Cowboy (with Maker’s Mark Bourbon), white chocolate raspberry fudge

Arkansas: Loblolly Creamery

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

California: Mother Moo Creamery

• Location: Sierra Madre
• Flavors to try (if available): Apricot crumble, organic triple milk

Colorado: Bonnie Brae Ice Cream

• Location: Denver
• Flavors to try (if available): Cappuccino Crunch, Sinfully Cinnamon

Connecticut: Salem Valley Farms Ice Cream

• Location: Salem
• Flavors to try (if available): Grapenut, cappuccino fudge

Delaware: The Ice Cream Store

• Location: Rehoboth Beach
• Flavors to try (if available): Delaware peach, Madagascar vanilla

Florida: Ice Dreammm Shop

• Location: Lutz
• Flavors to try (if available): Strawberry shortcake, chocolate bacon toffee

Georgia: Butter and Cream

• Location: Decatur and Atlanta
• Flavors to try (if available): Honeycomb forest, marmalade pine nut cookie

Hawaii: Black Sheep Cream Co.

• Location: Waipi’o and four other Oahu locations
• Flavors to try (if available): Banana crème brûlée, honeydew melon cream

Idaho: The STIL

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

Illinois: Richard’s Super Premium Ice Cream

• Location: Chicago
• Flavors to try (if available): Sweet potato pie, peach cobbler

Indiana: Sundae’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Indianapolis
• Flavors to try (if available): Bing cherry chip, butter brickle

Iowa: Over the Top

• Location: Pleasant Hill
• Flavors to try (if available): Apple cobbler ala mode, caramel macchiato

Kansas: Foggi Ice Cream

• Location: Mission
• Flavors to try (if available): Thai tea, sweet maple bacon

Kentucky: Louisville Cream

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

Louisiana: Ice Cream 504

• Location: New Orleans
• Flavors to try (if available): King cake with cream cheese, white chocolate mint

Maine: Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream (closed for the season)

• 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

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)

Massachusetts: Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Cambridge
• Flavors to try (if available): Carrot cake, sweet cream

Michigan: MOO-ville Creamery

• Location: Nashville, Ionia, Zeeland, and Eaton Rapids
• Flavors to try (if available): Almond Joy, Mackinac Island fudge

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)

Mississippi: The Oxford Creamery

• Location: Oxford
• Flavors to try (if available): Milk and Cookies, fresh mint chip

Missouri: Betty Rae’s Ice Cream

• Location: Kansas City
• Flavors to try (if available): S’mores, blood orange creamsicle

Montana: Big Dipper Ice Cream

• Location: Missoula, Helena, and Billings
• Flavors to try (if available): Cardamon, espresso Heath

Nebraska: Coneflower Creamery

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

Nevada: Steve’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Fernley
• Flavors to try (if available): Black raspberry, chocolate peanut butter swirl

New Hampshire: Memories Ice Cream (closed for the season)

• Location: Kingston
• Flavors to try (if available): Frozen fruit pudding, bananas Foster

New Jersey: Torico Ice Cream

• Location: Jersey City
• Flavors to try (if available): Jackfruit, avocado

New Mexico: La Lecheria

• Location: Santa Fe
• Flavors to try (if available): Butterscotch miso, red chile honey

New York: Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream

• Location: New York City (2 locations)
• Flavors to try (if available): Durian banana, strawberry pink peppercorn

North Carolina: Vida Dulce

• Location: Cary
• Flavors to try (if available): Key lime pie, cranberry

North Dakota: The Silver Lining Creamery

• Location: Fargo and Rapid City
• Flavors to try (if available): Root beer float, chili roasted pistachio

Ohio: Coppa Gelato

• Location: Westerville
• Flavors to try (if available): Lemon-lime basil, white chocolate pretzel

Oklahoma: Rose Rock Microcreamery

• Location: Tulsa and Broken Arrow
• Flavors to try (if available): Ube and blood orange, Vietnamese coffee

Oregon: Fifty Licks

• Location: Portland (3 locations)
• Flavors to try (if available): Cornbread honey butter, mango sticky rice

Pennsylvania: Uncle Mike’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Warminster
• Flavors to try (if available): Mike’s Chocolate Elvis, Coconut Crazy

Rhode Island: Tricycle Ice Cream

• Location: Providence
• Flavors to try (if available): Callebaut chocolate, passionfruit

South Carolina: Sweet Cream Company

• Location: Columbia
• Flavors to try (if available): Sweet corn, Madagascar vanilla

South Dakota: Leones’ Creamery

• Location: Spearfish
• Flavors to try (if available): Horchata, mountain huckleberry

Tennessee: Mike’s Ice Cream and Coffee Bar

• Location: Nashville
• Flavors to try (if available): Pralines and cream, black cherry

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

Utah: Dolcetti Gelato

• Location: Salt Lake City
• Flavors to try (if available): Strawberry balsamic, grapefruit

Vermont: Mountain Creamery

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

Virginia: Peterson’s Ice Cream Depot (closed for the season)

• Location: Clifton
• Flavors to try (if available): Carnival cotton candy, Cindyrella (butterscotch with chocolate drops)

Washington: Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Seattle (9 area locations)
• Flavors to try (if available): Cookies & cream, milk chocolate fudge stripe

West Virginia: Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream

• Location: Charleston
• Flavors to try (if available): Hazelnut, mocha almond

Wisconsin: Purple Door Ice Cream

• Location: Milwaukee and Mequon
• Flavors to try (if available): Whiskey, Nutella Brownie Blast

Wyoming: Big Dipper Ice Cream

• Location: Laramie
• Flavors to try (if available): Butterfinger, peppermint crunch