The Best Budget-Friendly Ice Cream Spot in 40 Cities
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If you’re an ice cream lover, you’re not alone. Eighty-seven percent of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time, according to IceCream.com. And in 2015, Americans spent $12.2 billion on ice cream and frozen novelties, according to International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.
To celebrate Americans’ love for ice cream, as well as National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 17, GOBankingRates.com took a look at some of the best ice cream shops across the U.S., assessing them in terms of popularity, quality and price.
From New York City to Honolulu, here are the coolest ice cream spots in the U.S. and how much they’ll cost you. Click through to find out where you should celebrate National Ice Cream Day 2016 and if your city — or favorite ice cream shop — made the list.
1. Philadelphia: Capogiro Gelato
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Hazelnut, Thai Coconut
- Two Scoops: $5.56
- Three Scoops: $6.97
- Four Scoops: $8.37
2. Baltimore: Pitango Gelato
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Hazelnut (Nocciola) Gelato
- Regular Size: $5.65
- Large Size: $6.99
3. Washington, DC: Ice Cream Jubilee
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Cookies & Cookie Dough, Banana Bourbon Caramel and Thai Iced Tea
- One Scoop: $2.95
4. Virginia Beach, Va.: Confetti
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sea Salt Caramel, Stracciatella, Belgian Chocolate Chip and Pistachio
- Cup or Cone: $3.49, $4.49, $5.49
5. Raleigh, N.C.: Fresh Local Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Milkshakes
- Cost of Classic Milkshake: $4.95
6. Atlanta: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
7. Miami: Azucar Ice Cream Company
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Abuela Maria (flavor)
- Cost: $4.28
8. Orlando, Fla.: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelati (product)
- Cost: $3.25-$6.60
9. New Orleans: The Creole Creamery
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Black and Gold Crunch, Golden Summer Fig, Creole Cream Cheese, Salty Smoky Chocolate Almond, Green Fairy and Lavender Honey
- Single Scoop: $3
- Double Scoop: $5.75
10. Dallas: Steel City Pops
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Lavender Lemonade
- Per Pop: $3
- Four Pops: $11
11. Houston: SweetCup
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Texan Kulfi Gelato
- Small cup (choice of 3 flavors with a free house made waffle chip): $4.60
12. Austin, Texas: Dolce Neve
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelato on a Stick
- Cost: $5.30
13. San Antonio: Paciugo Gelato & Caffé
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Pistachio, Wedding Cake (flavors)
- Small: $4.29
- Medium: $5.39
- Large: $5.89
14. Tucson, Arizona: Allegro – Il Gelato Naturale
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelato Allegro and Cinnamon (flavors)
- Small Cup/Cone: $3.75/$4.40
- Medium Cup/Cone: $4.75/$5.40
- Large Cup/Cone: $5.75/$5.90
15. Phoenix: Sweet Republic
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Toffee Banofi Sundae
- Cost: $7.75
16. San Diego: Mariposa Homemade Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Mexican Chocolate (flavor)
- One Scoop: $2.75
- Two Scoops: $4.50
17. Los Angeles: Gelateria Uli
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Chocolate Sorbet and Speculoos Cookies (flavor)
- Kiddie (1 flavor and 1 scoop): $4
- Small (2 flavors and 2 scoops): $5.75
- Medium (3 flavors and 3 scoops): $7
18. San Jose, Calif.: Sweet Rendezvous
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Fudge Ana Sundae
- Single: $5.95
- Double: $6.65
19. San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Salted Caramel and Honey Lavender
- Single Scoop: $4.50
- Double Scoop: $6
20. Sacramento, Calif.: Gunther’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Fruit Freeze (product)
- Small: $3.75
- Medium: $5.60
- Large: $7.45
21. Portland, Ore: Salt & Straw
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons
- Kids: $2.95
- Single Scoop: $3.95
- Double Scoop: $5.95
- Ice Cream Flight of Four Flavors: $9
- Pint Go Go: $9
22. Seattle: Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Passionfruit and Marionberry
- Cup: $3.75
- Small: $3.90
- Medium: $5.90
- Family: $12
23. Honolulu: Frostcity
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Green Tea (flavor)
- Cost: $4.95-$7.75
24. Las Vegas: Gelatology
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelatology
- Cost: $4-$8.50
25. Denver: Sweet Cow
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Cookies & Cream (flavor), Pretzel Cones
- Single: $2.95
- Double: $3.75
- Triple: $4.50
- Pretzel Cone: $0.95
26. Omaha, Neb.: Ted and Wally’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Dutch Chocolate
- One Scoop: $2.69
- Two Scoops: $4.19
- Three Scoop: $4.79
27. Minneapolis: Izzy’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Salted Caramel
- 5.33-ounce size: $5.55
28. Madison, Wis.: Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Bang!! Caffeinated Ice Cream
- Single Scoop: $3.38
- Double Scoop: $4.54
29. Chicago: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
30. Kansas City, Mo.: Glace Artisan Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Christopher Elbow Dark Chocolate
- Small: $3.75
- Regular: $4.75
31. St. Louis: Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Concretes (ice cream product with different flavors to choose from)
- Mini: $2.60
- Regular: $4.20
- Large: $5.50
32. Memphis, Tenn.: Jerry’s Sno Cones
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sno Cone Supreme
- Cost: $2 to $4
33. Nashville, Tenn.: Las Paletas
- Best ice cream dish, flavor or products: Hot Chocolate with Chili (flavor)
- Cost: $3.50
34. Indianapolis: Brics
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Monon Tracks (flavor)
- Briclet (kid size): $2.75
- One Scoop: $3.49
- Two Scoops: $5.05
35. Detroit: Treat Dreams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Kooky Monster (flavor)
- Single Scoop: $3.45
- Double Scoop: $5.19
- Triple Scoop: $6.25
36. Columbus, Ohio: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
37. Cleveland: Sweet Moses
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Brownie Sundae
- Cost: $7.50
38. New York: Ice & Vice
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Milk Money and Tea Dance (flavors)
- Single: $4.36
- Double: $6.20
39. Pittsburgh: The Milk Shake Factory
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Classic Shake
- Cost: $5
40. Boston: FoMu
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Peanut Butter Mud Pie (flavor)
- Small: $4.50
- Regular: $5.50
Keep Reading: 30 Ways to Avoid Spending Money This Summer
Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed ice cream, frozen yogurt and frozen dessert shops from throughout the United States via Yelp. Ice cream establishments were selected based on the following criteria: (1) ice cream shops must be categorized as “Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt” on Yelp; (2) ice cream shop prices must be categorized as “Inexpensive” or “Moderate” on Yelp; (3) ice cream shops must have over 250 reviews on Yelp. Ice cream establishments were then sorted by the highest rated to provide the selected shops for the study. Prices were sourced from Yelp, the shops’ official websites and/or through customer service representatives.
About the Author
Andrew DePietro
Andrew DePietro is a finance writer with years of experience covering topics such as taxation, Social Security, entrepreneurship, investing, real estate and housing markets. His work has appeared on MSN, Yahoo Finance, Fortune, Forbes, CBS and U.S. News. Before writing for GOBankingRates, Andrew worked as a research assistant and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in History.
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If you’re an ice cream lover, you’re not alone. Eighty-seven percent of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time, according to IceCream.com. And in 2015, Americans spent $12.2 billion on ice cream and frozen novelties, according to International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.
To celebrate Americans’ love for ice cream, as well as National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 17, GOBankingRates.com took a look at some of the best ice cream shops across the U.S., assessing them in terms of popularity, quality and price.
From New York City to Honolulu, here are the coolest ice cream spots in the U.S. and how much they’ll cost you. Click through to find out where you should celebrate National Ice Cream Day 2016 and if your city — or favorite ice cream shop — made the list.
1. Philadelphia: Capogiro Gelato
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Hazelnut, Thai Coconut
- Two Scoops: $5.56
- Three Scoops: $6.97
- Four Scoops: $8.37
2. Baltimore: Pitango Gelato
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Hazelnut (Nocciola) Gelato
- Regular Size: $5.65
- Large Size: $6.99
3. Washington, DC: Ice Cream Jubilee
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Cookies & Cookie Dough, Banana Bourbon Caramel and Thai Iced Tea
- One Scoop: $2.95
4. Virginia Beach, Va.: Confetti
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sea Salt Caramel, Stracciatella, Belgian Chocolate Chip and Pistachio
- Cup or Cone: $3.49, $4.49, $5.49
5. Raleigh, N.C.: Fresh Local Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Milkshakes
- Cost of Classic Milkshake: $4.95
6. Atlanta: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
7. Miami: Azucar Ice Cream Company
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Abuela Maria (flavor)
- Cost: $4.28
8. Orlando, Fla.: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelati (product)
- Cost: $3.25-$6.60
9. New Orleans: The Creole Creamery
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Black and Gold Crunch, Golden Summer Fig, Creole Cream Cheese, Salty Smoky Chocolate Almond, Green Fairy and Lavender Honey
- Single Scoop: $3
- Double Scoop: $5.75
10. Dallas: Steel City Pops
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Lavender Lemonade
- Per Pop: $3
- Four Pops: $11
11. Houston: SweetCup
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Texan Kulfi Gelato
- Small cup (choice of 3 flavors with a free house made waffle chip): $4.60
12. Austin, Texas: Dolce Neve
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelato on a Stick
- Cost: $5.30
13. San Antonio: Paciugo Gelato & Caffé
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Pistachio, Wedding Cake (flavors)
- Small: $4.29
- Medium: $5.39
- Large: $5.89
14. Tucson, Arizona: Allegro – Il Gelato Naturale
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelato Allegro and Cinnamon (flavors)
- Small Cup/Cone: $3.75/$4.40
- Medium Cup/Cone: $4.75/$5.40
- Large Cup/Cone: $5.75/$5.90
15. Phoenix: Sweet Republic
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Toffee Banofi Sundae
- Cost: $7.75
16. San Diego: Mariposa Homemade Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Mexican Chocolate (flavor)
- One Scoop: $2.75
- Two Scoops: $4.50
17. Los Angeles: Gelateria Uli
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Chocolate Sorbet and Speculoos Cookies (flavor)
- Kiddie (1 flavor and 1 scoop): $4
- Small (2 flavors and 2 scoops): $5.75
- Medium (3 flavors and 3 scoops): $7
18. San Jose, Calif.: Sweet Rendezvous
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Fudge Ana Sundae
- Single: $5.95
- Double: $6.65
19. San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Salted Caramel and Honey Lavender
- Single Scoop: $4.50
- Double Scoop: $6
20. Sacramento, Calif.: Gunther’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Fruit Freeze (product)
- Small: $3.75
- Medium: $5.60
- Large: $7.45
21. Portland, Ore: Salt & Straw
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons
- Kids: $2.95
- Single Scoop: $3.95
- Double Scoop: $5.95
- Ice Cream Flight of Four Flavors: $9
- Pint Go Go: $9
22. Seattle: Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Passionfruit and Marionberry
- Cup: $3.75
- Small: $3.90
- Medium: $5.90
- Family: $12
23. Honolulu: Frostcity
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Green Tea (flavor)
- Cost: $4.95-$7.75
24. Las Vegas: Gelatology
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Gelatology
- Cost: $4-$8.50
25. Denver: Sweet Cow
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Cookies & Cream (flavor), Pretzel Cones
- Single: $2.95
- Double: $3.75
- Triple: $4.50
- Pretzel Cone: $0.95
26. Omaha, Neb.: Ted and Wally’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Dutch Chocolate
- One Scoop: $2.69
- Two Scoops: $4.19
- Three Scoop: $4.79
27. Minneapolis: Izzy’s Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Salted Caramel
- 5.33-ounce size: $5.55
28. Madison, Wis.: Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Bang!! Caffeinated Ice Cream
- Single Scoop: $3.38
- Double Scoop: $4.54
29. Chicago: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
30. Kansas City, Mo.: Glace Artisan Ice Cream
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Christopher Elbow Dark Chocolate
- Small: $3.75
- Regular: $4.75
31. St. Louis: Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Concretes (ice cream product with different flavors to choose from)
- Mini: $2.60
- Regular: $4.20
- Large: $5.50
32. Memphis, Tenn.: Jerry’s Sno Cones
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Sno Cone Supreme
- Cost: $2 to $4
33. Nashville, Tenn.: Las Paletas
- Best ice cream dish, flavor or products: Hot Chocolate with Chili (flavor)
- Cost: $3.50
34. Indianapolis: Brics
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Monon Tracks (flavor)
- Briclet (kid size): $2.75
- One Scoop: $3.49
- Two Scoops: $5.05
35. Detroit: Treat Dreams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Kooky Monster (flavor)
- Single Scoop: $3.45
- Double Scoop: $5.19
- Triple Scoop: $6.25
36. Columbus, Ohio: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Double scoop cones of Salty Caramel, Milkiest Chocolate, Darkest Chocolate and Ndali Estate Vanilla Bean
- One Scoop: $4.65
- Two Scoops: $6
- Waffle Cone: $1+
37. Cleveland: Sweet Moses
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Brownie Sundae
- Cost: $7.50
38. New York: Ice & Vice
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Milk Money and Tea Dance (flavors)
- Single: $4.36
- Double: $6.20
39. Pittsburgh: The Milk Shake Factory
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Classic Shake
- Cost: $5
40. Boston: FoMu
- Best Ice Cream Dish, Flavor or Product: Peanut Butter Mud Pie (flavor)
- Small: $4.50
- Regular: $5.50
Keep Reading: 30 Ways to Avoid Spending Money This Summer
Methodology: GOBankingRates surveyed ice cream, frozen yogurt and frozen dessert shops from throughout the United States via Yelp. Ice cream establishments were selected based on the following criteria: (1) ice cream shops must be categorized as “Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt” on Yelp; (2) ice cream shop prices must be categorized as “Inexpensive” or “Moderate” on Yelp; (3) ice cream shops must have over 250 reviews on Yelp. Ice cream establishments were then sorted by the highest rated to provide the selected shops for the study. Prices were sourced from Yelp, the shops’ official websites and/or through customer service representatives.
About the Author
Andrew DePietro
Andrew DePietro is a finance writer with years of experience covering topics such as taxation, Social Security, entrepreneurship, investing, real estate and housing markets. His work has appeared on MSN, Yahoo Finance, Fortune, Forbes, CBS and U.S. News. Before writing for GOBankingRates, Andrew worked as a research assistant and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in History.