14 Unique Ice Cream Shops In The US Worth Knowing
Summer’s turning up the heat, and your ice cream game better rise to match. Across the country, scoop shops are going wild with flavors – think bourbon-laced swirls, roasted corn ripple, and vegan blends so rich they defy dairy.
Vanilla and chocolate? That’s just the warm-up. Coast to cone, these 14 spots are serving scoops so bold, you’ll chase them all the way to the last lick.
1. Frankie And Jo’s – Seattle, WA & Northern California
Plant power reaches frozen perfection at this 100% vegan scoop shop! Their ice creams transform fruits, nuts, and veggies into mind-blowing flavors that’ll make dairy-lovers question everything.
Standouts include their beet-strawberry-rose combo that tastes like summer in a cone. Who knew cashews could create such creamy magic?
2. Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery – St. Louis, MO
Ever wanted booze in your dessert? Clementine’s has you covered with their “naughty” line featuring up to 18% alcohol that doesn’t freeze out during churning. Talk about adult brain freeze!
Without compromising taste, their “nice” options accommodate vegans and those who are sensitive to dairy. Imagine the perfect combination of salty candied pecans and maple bourbon!
3. Sugar Hill Creamery – Harlem, New York, NY
Family heritage meets Harlem culture in every scoop at this Black-owned gem. Their roasted corn jalapeño flavor? Mind-blowing combination of sweet and heat!
Sweet potato brown sugar tastes like Thanksgiving dessert in ice cream form. The shop itself feels like community – walls adorned with local art while soul music plays softly in the background.
4. The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory – New York, NY
Since 1978, this family-run legend has been scooping Asian-inspired flavors that’ll blow your mind! Black sesame? Rich and nutty perfection. Lychee? Sweetly fragrant and refreshing.
The classic dessert ingredient is transformed into creamy joy by their red bean ice cream. Without consuming the infamously foul-smelling fruit, where else can you sample durian ice cream?
5. Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream – New York, NY
Food scientist meets ice cream wizard at this modern parlor where flavor boundaries don’t exist! Their burnt sage scoops? Herbal, smoky, and surprisingly addictive.
Black coconut ash turns your tongue gothic-chic while tasting like tropical paradise. How about salt and pepper pine nut that somehow works perfectly? Taste buds, prepare for delicious confusion!
6. Humphry Slocombe – San Francisco, CA
Breaking ice cream rules since 2008! Their signature Secret Breakfast combines bourbon-soaked cornflakes for morning-inappropriate deliciousness. Rebel ice cream at its finest!
Hibiscus beet sorbet glows magenta while delivering tangy-sweet refreshment. The shop’s punk rock attitude extends to flavors like “Government Cheese” and “Elvis The Fat Years” – dessert with attitude!
7. Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream – Seattle, WA
Sustainability tastes amazing at this Seattle staple! Every ingredient tells a story – local honey, organic strawberries from nearby farms, and compostable packaging that doesn’t trash the planet.
They have a honey lavender flavor? Fragrant without the taste of grandma’s scent. With pieces of real pie crust blended throughout, the vegan blueberry pie alternative is a dairy-free paradise!
8. Fifty Licks – Portland, OR
Portland weird meets frozen treats at this quirky shop!
Every subtlety of the popular dessert – creamy, fragrant, and perfectly chewy – is captured in their Thai rice pudding flavor.
Cornbread honey butter is a frozen version of Southern comfort food. Vegans should be happy because their plant-based menu isn’t an afterthought; rather, it’s the main attraction. Your perception of ice cream will be permanently altered by toasted milk!
9. Ice Queen Paleteria – Portland, OR
Cultural heritage never tasted so cool. At this Chicana-Indigenous owned treasure, each Mexican paleta is a tribute to tradition – like tangy mangonada swirled with chamoy or silky horchata laced with cinnamon.
Vegan soft-serve is impossibly creamy, and the shop’s altar-inspired décor radiates pride and history. Even the sprinkles carry meaning, turning every frozen treat into a celebration.
10. Salt & Straw – Multiple U.S. Cities (Origin: Portland, OR)
Flavor mash-ups hit peak creativity at this wildly inventive scoop shop. Goat cheese marionberry habanero might sound chaotic, but it delivers creamy richness, bright fruit, and a slow-building kick that just works.
Seasonal menus spotlight local farmers and unexpected inspiration – think black cat licorice for Halloween or turkey and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. Even bone marrow cherry somehow turns into pure magic here.
11. Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats – Washington, DC
Time-travel through your taste buds in this restored vintage ice cream truck! Their frozen custard contains more egg yolks than regular ice cream, creating ridiculous creaminess that melts perfectly on your tongue.
Classic sundaes get upgraded with house-made toppings.
Their root beer float? Childhood nostalgia with grown-up quality. The 1950s aesthetic makes every visit feel like a delicious flashback!
12. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams – Multiple U.S. Locations
Chemistry and creativity collide at this nationally adored brand, where every scoop is a masterclass in flavor and texture.
Founder Jeni Britton rewrote the rules of ice cream, ditching artificial stabilizers in favor of pure craft. Gooey butter cake delivers dense, indulgent bites of real cake in tangy cream cheese ice cream, while watermelon taffy channels pure summer nostalgia. Even the dairy-free dark chocolate truffle stuns with luxurious depth – no cream, no compromise.
13. Melt Me Creamery – Berkeley, CA
Culinary boundaries don’t exist at this fearless Berkeley scoop shop. What sounds like a dare ends up a revelation – cheddar cheese ice cream stuns with savory-sweet depth, while smoked corn channels the soul of a backyard barbecue in frozen form.
Mango sticky rice nails the balance of bright fruit, creamy coconut, and tender grains for a scoop that eats like dessert and memory all at once.
14. Mayday Ice Cream – St. Augustine, FL And Other Florida cities
Florida sunshine takes sweet, frozen form at this playful scoop shop bursting with charm. Aviator blends brown butter ice cream, shortbread cookies, and ribbons of dulce de leche into pure dessert lift-off.
And those dairy-free options? Silky, lush, and so rich you’d swear they were full-fat cream. Every visit feels like a vacation in a cone.