91 Best Restaurants in USA

The local go-to place for authentic, old-fashioned, New England-style ice cream, Michael's Dairy has been a fixture on the campus of Mitchell College since 1943. The 39 flavors (plus sherbet, sorbet, frozen yogurt) range from old favorites like butter crunch, orange pineapple, and black raspberry to more modern flavors like salted caramel chocolate pretzel, campfire s'mores, and birthday cake.

We love frozen pudding ice cream, found only in New England!

With about 50 flavors to choose from, everyone is going to scream for ice cream at this popular spot, frequented by locals and visitors alike. There are the classic flavors and the not-so-classic scoops like Vietnamese coffee, salt-and-pepper pine nut, Arnold Palmer cobbler, and peanut Butterfinger.

Madagascar Vanilla Bean has specks from beans scraped from vanilla pods—just one example of the prep work that goes into creating these heralded artisanal ice creams (there are also a few sorbets) at a nearby production facility using as many local ingredients as possible. The shop's French doors open along the sidewalk, welcoming passersby right in; grab a seat or head across the street to the Village Green to savor every bite.

Sit inside or outside at this classic ice cream parlor, right next to the Mystic River Drawbridge, and enjoy homemade ice cream and other soda fountain favorites—maybe a New York egg cream or an ice cream shake. This ice cream has half the air whipped into it compared to other "homemade" and mass-produced products, making it richer, creamier, and more flavorful.

A little inner child indulgence is encouraged at this playful ice cream shop that also serves up cocktails, boozy milkshakes, scoops and cones, espresso drinks, and eight different varieties of hot chocolate. Sundaes with toppings like brownies, marshmallows, and cinnamon rolls are the focus, and there's also a banana split with all the fixings. Quick breakfast bites are also available every morning.

An architecturally significant century-old bank now houses the Nimble & Finn's artisanal ice cream parlor and a small room with historical Guerneville displays. Along with cups and cones of ice cream handmade from local organic dairy products, the shop sells cakes, candy, shakes, floats, and coffee drinks.

A neighborhood favorite, this artisan shop isn’t quite a trip to Italy but the gelato is the real deal, including stracciatella, pistachio, and other classic flavors, all with high-quality ingredients. The namesake-for-a-reason Nutty Squirrel swirls salty peanut butter with dulce de leche caramel and chocolate chips. 

Fresh gelato made with locally sourced ingredients is the big draw here (try Surfing Goat Dairy's Lilikoi Quark flavor and thank us later). You'll also find jams, jellies, and dressings from Jeff Gomes, coffees from Maui Coffee Roasters, and picnic lunches from Hana Lunch Co.

Step back in time at this old-fashioned ice-cream parlor, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. Choose from homemade ice cream in flavors like cappuccino and butter pecan, complete with a cone dipped in chocolate. Offering shakes, malts, floats, and banana splits, Petersen’s has a fix for any sweet tooth.

Head to the "cave" (a jolly colorful ice cream shop) to treat yourself to an array of traditional and unique flavors including "Death by Chocolate," an in-your-face punch of chocolate-y deliciousness that features super-creamy chocolate ice cream with a swirl of fudge and dark-chocolate chips. There are also options for a variety of dietary restrictions, sundaes, and made-to-order ice cream cakes and pies. 

With its "farm-to-cone" approach and its sometimes-wacky flavors, this Portland-based ice cream chain feels right at home on Capitol Hill. Tomato gelato with olive brittle may not be for everyone, but double vanilla is a source of near-universal bliss. There's also a location in Ballard.

Enjoy a scoop or two of rich homemade ice cream at this 10th-generation dairy farm a couple of miles from Lake Sunapee. Interesting flavors like hazelnut, lemon cookie, and maple pecan keep regulars coming back for more, but the barnyard with adorable goats, bunnies, and other critters is almost as big a draw. Although the scoop shop is only open seasonally, you can drop by the solar-powered farmstand year-round.

Homemade crepes and fresh-brewed coffee come second to the artisanal ice cream made with just a handful of ingredients. Even vegans can get their scoop on, with flavors like strawberry shortcake, cookie dough, and chocolate made with cashew milk, cocoa butter, organic carob beans, and other natural goodness.

Historic Cook's Hotel, built in 1886, is the setting for a true, old-fashioned ice-cream-parlor experience. Try a sundae, and take home cookies made from scratch. If you don't feel like ice cream, the homemade soup is a great choice on a rainy day.

Take a break from your stroll through downtown Concord and treat yourself to a dish or cone of small-batch ice cream at this cute parlor across the New Hampshire State House. Top flavors include bourbon vanilla, maple latter, and roasted strawberry, but watch for seasonal specials, too.

A cute place with top-notch gelato and panini; fresh and handmade are the best words to describe the items here, from the gelato to the pickles and mayonnaise. They import their meats and cheeses from Italy and so far have created more than 125 flavors of gelato, although they only rotate 20 flavors a day. You'll just have to keep coming back to try them all.

Stop by Sugar 'N Spice for a Balboa Bar that is a slab of vanilla ice cream dipped first in chocolate and then topped with your choice of other sweet treats. It's also home of "The Original Frozen Banana" created back in 1945. They also have a frozen cheesecake an frozen tiramisu on a stick, plus ice cream cookie sandwiches.

Painted portraits of neighborhood locals adorn the arched walls of this husband-and-wife-owned, small-batch scoop shop. The selection of about 10 ice-cream flavors rotates seasonally; try summer favorites like "Sweet Socialism," a foolproof dairy-free sorbet with an incredibly creamy texture made with single-estate Madagascar dark chocolate, or "Chairperson of the Board," a blueberry cheesecake fan favorite. The "What's up, Doc?" is a play on carrot cake ice cream, and "The Unicorn" is as colorful as it sounds. In the winter, opt for a hot chocolate topped with a scoop of ice cream and a ring of torched marshmallow. There are two other locations; one farther uptown, and one on Lexington Avenue on the east side.

Creative interpretations of classic ice cream flavors reign at this popular student hangout. All the ice cream is made from scratch. 

If you're looking for a pick-me-up after climbing the entire Swiss Family Treehouse, stop by the Sunshine Tree Terrace for a root beer float. Kids will enjoy fresh orange or strawberry ice cream just as much as vanilla or chocolate. If you're heading to the parade next, grab an order of pot stickers to split as an unusual afternoon treat.

After working her way through school at a chain ice-cream shop, UW graduate Lois Ko bought the space and opened up her own ice creamery, committed to making each batch daily from scratch, using organic, local ingredients whenever possible. The passion for quality shows both in standard flavors like sweet cream and salted caramel, and in the originals, like makgeolli (Korean rice beer) or kettle corn. Plenty of vegan options round out the selection, and the cones and cookies for ice cream sandwiches are both baked in-house.

Sweet Rose Creamery is the next-best thing you'll find to homemade ice cream—only with a much posher atmosphere in the Brentwood Country Mart. From-scratch offerings feature local farmers' fare and are all-natural. Come for the salted caramel and stay for seasonal specialties like the Santa Teresa lemon buttermilk sherbet. There are even heavenly options for the lactose-intolerant.

The scent of waffle cones baking draws patrons into this family-run parlor serving artisanal ice cream made fresh daily. Peach melba, Oreos and cream, and salted caramel are among the alternating flavors that include sorbets and sometimes sherbets, and always vegan options.

Willy Wonka would be impressed with this authentic candy shop with barrels and bins piled high with gummies, drops, jellybeans, sour candies, and other nostalgic treats. There’s even ice cream to cool you down on a hot summer day.

The original Swensen's has been a neighborhood favorite since 1948.

If you liked the Dole Whip pineapple float in the Magic Kingdom, stop here for another, or upgrade to the Pineapple Crisp Sundae. 

Careworn flooring, wainscoting, and a high tin ceiling lend an old-timey feel to this ice cream shop whose house-made offerings include quirkily contemporary ones like saffron-rose pistachio and blueberry matcha gelato. Double-chocolate, vanilla-bean, strawberry, and more conventional flavors from other brands supplement the Treats selections.

Stop by the UConn Dairy Bar in the UConn Department of Animal Science Creamery for the most delicious ice cream you've ever tasted. Students produce the 24 regular, two seasonal, and occasional limited-edition flavors. To see the ice cream--making process from start to finish, begin at the barn at the Kellogg Dairy Center on Horsebarn Hill: mingle with the cows and watch them being milked (1--4 pm), then walk to the manufacturing plant where more than 50,000 gallons of ice cream are produced each year. You don't have to start at the barn, though; there's an observation window in the Dairy Bar where you can see the delicious treat being made.

This Gotham ice cream superpower now has three locations in the City of Brotherly Love (there's also one in Rittenhouse Square and Fishtown). It's a great spot to satisfy your sweet tooth with classic ice cream flavors like cookies and cream and mint chip or more inventive options like Earl Grey and honeycomb; there are vegan flavors, too, as well as chocolate chip cookies, cookie sandwiches, sundaes, and milkshakes.

This travel-inspired artisanal ice cream brand famous for its use of malted crunch may have nine outposts across Southern California now, but this is the scoop shop that started it all. The brainchild of an American-Filipino food science major/former mixologist/native daughter of the S.F.V. packs a bag for your palette, taking you to the four corners of the Earth, one creamy sphere at a time. On any given trip to Wanderlust, you could find yourself in New Zealand (Hokey Pokey), Japan (Sakura Crunch), Brazil (Passionfruit Cacao), or the Pacific Northwest (Smoky Road).