6 North Carolina Ice-Cream Shops To Skip & 6 That Totally Get It Right
When summer heat hits North Carolina, nothing beats a scoop of creamy, dreamy ice cream. After tasting my way through dozens of shops across the state, I’ve uncovered the spots serving pure frozen bliss, and a few that fall short.
Craving a perfect vanilla or a wild, inventive flavor combo? This guide will lead you straight to the sweetest, most unforgettable ice cream experiences in the Tar Heel State.
1. Baskin-Robbins – Raleigh (Six Forks Rd)
Chain mediocrity defines this Baskin-Robbins location. The ice cream sits too long in freezers, developing those unpleasant ice crystals that ruin texture.
Flavor options sound exciting on the menu but taste artificial and forgettable in reality. The staff seems perpetually understaffed and overwhelmed, leading to long waits even when the shop isn’t busy.
Save your money and calories for somewhere that puts love into their frozen creations.
2. Cold Stone Creamery – Raleigh (Poyner Village Pkwy)
The gimmick of mixing toppings on a cold slab doesn’t make up for the lackluster base ice cream at this Cold Stone. Premium prices don’t translate to premium flavor – just excessive sweetness masking any subtle notes.
Portions have shrunk while prices have climbed, making this a particularly poor value proposition. My nephew once waited fifteen minutes for his creation only to discover they’d mixed in the wrong toppings entirely.
The constant upselling of larger sizes gets old fast.
3. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – Raleigh (Durant Rd)
Despite claiming freshness, this Bruster’s location serves ice cream that tastes like it’s been sitting in the freezer case too long. Flavors lack intensity, with even supposedly bold options like mint chocolate chip tasting muted.
The waffle cones often arrive stale instead of freshly made. Outdoor-only seating means you’re either sweating in summer or freezing in winter while trying to enjoy your less-than-stellar scoop.
Pricing feels steep for what you actually receive.
4. Ben & Jerry’s – Chapel Hill (Franklin St)
Campus-adjacent doesn’t mean quality at this Ben & Jerry’s outpost. The nationally-available pints in your grocery freezer offer a better experience than the scoops here, which often taste freezer-burned.
The tiny shop gets overwhelmingly crowded with students, creating chaotic lines and nowhere to sit. Staff training seems minimal, resulting in inconsistent scooping and frequent errors on orders.
I once watched them scoop my Cherry Garcia with the same scoop just used on someone’s peanut butter cup – not great for allergy concerns.
5. Kilwins – Raleigh (North Hills)
Kilwins banks on nostalgic charm while delivering underwhelming ice cream. The overly sweet base overwhelms any nuance in flavors, leaving everything tasting essentially the same.
Their focus clearly lies with chocolates and fudge, with ice cream feeling like an afterthought. The North Hills location specifically suffers from inconsistent temperature control – sometimes serving ice cream so hard it bends spoons, other times delivering soup-like consistency.
The tourist-trap pricing doesn’t help matters either.
6. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream – Morrisville
Handel’s reputation doesn’t match the reality at this location. The supposedly homemade flavors taste suspiciously uniform, lacking the character true small-batch ice cream should have.
Long lines move at glacial pace due to disorganized service systems. The outdoor-only setup becomes unbearable during North Carolina’s humid summers – nothing ruins ice cream faster than trying to eat it while sweat drips down your face.
Pricing feels particularly aggressive for what amounts to fairly standard frozen fare.
7. Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream – Angier
Worth the drive to Angier, Sunni Sky’s showcases what real homemade ice cream should taste like. Their 130+ rotating flavors range from perfect classics to wild experiments like Carolina Reaper pepper ice cream for the truly brave.
The family-run shop creates everything in small batches, ensuring peak freshness and flavor intensity. Last summer, I drove 40 minutes just for their black walnut ice cream and didn’t regret a single mile.
The country setting adds charm to an already delightful ice cream adventure.
8. The Parlour – Durham
Downtown Durham’s ice cream jewel crafts flavors that celebrate local ingredients with sophisticated flair. Their commitment to seasonality means you’ll taste strawberries at peak ripeness and pecans with perfect toasty notes.
The shop’s modern-yet-welcoming atmosphere makes it ideal for both date nights and family outings. Their vegan options actually taste like real ice cream rather than sad alternatives, with coconut-milk based scoops converting even dairy devotees.
The salted butter caramel should be declared a North Carolina treasure.
9. Two Roosters Ice Cream – Raleigh
Creative collaboration fuels Two Roosters, where local partnerships inspire truly unique flavors. Their rotating menu features concoctions like Cheerwine bourbon swirl and coffee infused with Counter Culture beans roasted just miles away.
The streamlined shop focuses entirely on ice cream excellence rather than unnecessary frills. Their texture achieves that perfect balance – substantial enough to satisfy but melting seamlessly on your tongue.
Their food truck origins give them authentic local cred that chain shops can’t touch.
10. Boombalatti’s Handcrafted Ice Cream – Wilmington
Coastal charm meets culinary creativity at this Wilmington gem. Boombalatti’s creates ice cream with both higher butterfat content and less air than commercial brands, resulting in an extraordinarily rich texture.
Their flavors celebrate coastal Carolina with options like sea salt caramel and Carolina peach cobbler that capture authentic local tastes. The shop’s beachy vibe perfectly complements a day exploring historic Wilmington or recovering from sun-soaked beach adventures.
Their handmade waffle cones smell so good they should bottle the scent.
11. Simply Natural Creamery – Greenville
Farm-to-cone perfection defines Simply Natural, where dairy from their own herd creates remarkably fresh ice cream. You can see the cows that produced your dessert at their nearby Ayden farm, while the Greenville scoop shop is in town.
Their straightforward approach focuses on doing simple flavors extraordinarily well rather than relying on gimmicks. Taking my city-dwelling nieces to visit last summer, they were amazed to connect real animals to their favorite treat for the first time.
The butter pecan uses nuts from North Carolina growers.
12. The Hop Ice Cream – Asheville
Mountain town creativity shines at The Hop, where Asheville’s eclectic spirit infuses every flavor. Their commitment to inclusivity means incredible options for vegans, the lactose-intolerant, and those with allergies without compromising taste.
Local ingredient sourcing connects their ice cream to the surrounding Blue Ridge region. The shop hosts community events like story times and live music, making it more than just an ice cream stop but a neighborhood gathering place.
Their lavender-honey ice cream captures mountain wildflower essence perfectly.