I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. It’s going to be a toasty summer, and what better way to cool down than with an icy treat?
We’ve rounded up the best ice cream spots in Charlotte (and beyond!) for all the deliciousness you can handle, sorted by neighborhood for your convenience.
Uptown
Red Salt By David Burke
North Tower, 555 S McDowell St. Tower
So many sweet desserts can be found at Red Salt By David Burke, including our favorite, the Caramelized Apple Tart with fig caramel and cinnamon ice cream. Other fan favorites include Mochi Ice Cream, Strawberries and French Macarons, and the Tin Can of Cake with warm chocolate red velvet cake, caramel ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and heath bar crunch. Catch us devouring these icy treats all summer long.
MOA Korean BBQ
128 S Tryon St.
Save some room for dessert when eating at MOA because this upscale Korean Barbecue eatery serves fried ice cream — a tradition we can’t get enough of. Expect deep-fried ice cream topped with chocolate sticks, blueberry syrup, whipped cream, graham cracker crumbles, and blueberry compote. Delicious.
Golden Cow Creamery
601 South Tryon (Uptown)
170 West Summit Ave. (South End)
720 Governor Morrison St. (SouthPark)
Locally owned by native North Carolinians, Golden Cow Creamery is Charlotte’s first scratch-made ice cream company. With 3 locations in Charlotte, the newest being Uptown’s first stand-alone ice cream shop, Golden Cow Creamery is sure to satisfy all your ice cream needs this summer. Stay up to date on the rotating flavors by following them on Instagram.
They also serve protein and Belgium Liege waffles at the Uptown and SouthPark locations. Yum.
Fahrenheit Charlotte
222 S Caldwell St.
Enjoy a cold treat with a view of the city at Fahrenheit. Try their House Made Ice Cream Flight that’s sure to please, or opt in for their weekly special milkshake like the Strawberry Pineapple Dole Whip milkshake pictured above.
Day & Night Cereal Bar
127 Brevard Court
As Charlotte’s first exotic cereal bar, Day & Night has changed the way we think of breakfast. Stop by and treat yourself to a cereal shake – your favorite cereal and toppings all blended together with ice cream and topped with whipped cream. Flavors on our radar include the Cookies & Cream (Cookie Crisp, Hershey’s Cookie and Cream cereal, chocolate Donut Sprinkle) and Unicorn Breath (fruity Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, whipped cream, and strawberry drizzle).
South End
Urban Sweets
Coming soon ~ July 2022
Get ready Charlotte, this new ice cream shop opening up in South End offers a monthly subscription service, and we’re so here for it. You might have seen an Urban Sweets ice cream cart rolling around the Queen City in the past, but coming soon they will open an indoor and outdoor seating location at 222 West Blvd. Expect creamy ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, and hand-painted chocolates along with a monthly subscription service that will deliver four pints of ice cream to your home for $300 a year. We’re sorry Netflix, but this is the best thing we can subscribe to.
Two Scoops Creamery
1616 Camden Rd. (South End)
913 Central Ave. (Plaza Midwood)
119 Landings Dr., Suite 104 (Mooresville)
161 W. Main St. Rock Hill, SC (Rock Hill)
What’s better than one scoop of freshly churned flavorful ice cream? Two. Better yet, three. At Two Scoops Creamery expect 32 homemade and house-churned playful ice cream flavors year-round, as well as seasonal specials to keep you on your toes.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
1920 Camden Rd. (South End)
416 E 36th St., Suite 400 (NoDa)
4203 Park Road (Park Road Shopping Center)
Jeni’s offers best-selling flavors and scoops made without synthetic flavorings, dyes or off-the-shelf mixes. Crowd favorites include Powdered Sugar Donut, Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks, and Everything Bagel (sounds weird, we know — but it’s SO good!).
Morelia Ice Cream Paletas
1425 Winnifred St #104
This gourmet Mexican popsicle shop is on our radar as temperatures heat up. Located in South End, Morelia’s offers 16 different flavors of hand-made, artisanal paletas, which are bigger than the normal ice pop. Pick your flavor of paleta, then head to the dipping station where you can choose from dipping flavors such as cookie butter, dark chocolate, crunchy hazelnut, and more. Afterward, choose a topping such as Oreos, sprinkles, graham crackers and more, and then you have a deliciously cooled layered treat.
Shake Shack
930 Camden Rd Ste 235 (South End)
9824 Rea Rd Suite A (Ballantyne)
1605 E Woodlawn Rd. (Park Road Shopping Center)
Shake Shack may be known for its burgers and crinkle-cut fries, but it’s also worth braving the long lines for their frozen custard concretes. Try a seasonal shake like the Chocolate Pudding or the Strawberry Rhubarb.
Steak N’ Shake
*Multiple locations in Charlotte, Rock Hill, Concord, and Gastonia
Since 1934, Steak N’ Shake has been serving up their hand-made creamy milkshakes to pair with their savory steakburgers. Try flavors such as chocolate chip cookie dough, Snickers, Oreo mint, and much more. The best part? You can try any shake half off during their happy hour, weekdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
NoDa
Popbar
3123 North Davidson St., Suite B, 270 Camp Rd Suite 105 (Camp North End)
Get creative at Popbar and customize a pop just to your liking. Choose from the freshest natural ingredients (think coconut, chocolate, pistachio and more) to dip your popGelato, popSorbetto, or yogurtPop in. Another great option (and very photogenic) is the gelatoShake in strawberry, chocolate, vanilla caramel, coffee, or green tea.
SouthPark
800° Woodfired Kitchen
6815 Phillips Pl Ct.
Pizza isn’t the only thing 800° Woodfired Kitchen does right, their dessert list has us drooling every time we visit. Ice cream lovers, we recommend the Ernest Hill Chocolate Chip Cookie with a handmade chocolate chip cookie cooked in a 5” skillet in their 800° oven and topped with a scoop of Häagen Dazs Ice Cream.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Creamery
1601 Elizabeth Ave.
This family-run shop makes each flavor and waffle cone with natural, fresh ingredients. Grab a classic flavor or try something different like Green Tea or Ginger. In addition to old-fashioned scoops, you can try a shake or sundae.
Ballantyne
Marble Slab Creamery
7800 Rea Rd. (Ballantyne)
1509 Central Ave (Plaza Midwood)
Marble Slab is the place to be if you’re looking for unlimited options for your creamy dessert. Choose from a variety of traditional flavors, seasonal flavors, and unlimited mix-ins to craft the perfect cup (or cone) of ice cream. Don’t forget other treats such as sundaes, shakes, smoothies, cakes and cupcakes.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
16631 Lancaster Hwy suite 106 (Ballantyne)
2015 E Arbors Dr Suite 260 (University City)
Choose from Italian Ice made fresh with real fruit, frozen creamy custard, or gelati – layers of Italian Ice and custard. Don’t forget to try a Blendini, which is custard blended with your favorite flavor of Italian Ice and toppings. Or opt for a concrete, milkshake,or custard cookie sandwich . Either way, RIta’s has everything you need to cool down this summer.
The Local Scoop
5355 Ballantyne Commons, Suite 100
Grab the family and friends and head to The Local Scoop where you can enjoy ice cream and soft-serve gelato made with ingredients from locally sourced farms and dairies. Choose from 16 premium flavors and 8 dairy-free flavors.
P.S. Every Wednesday, they choose two random names and post them via Instagram; if it’s your name, you get a free scoop that day.
University City
Ninety’s Sandwiches & Ice Cream
9009 J M Keynes Dr.
This quaint spot in University needs to be on your radar this summer. There’s always something new and unique to try, from cereal milkshakes to brownie sundaes, ice cream macaroon sandwiches, and so much more. Follow @ninetysmilkshakebar on Instagram to drool daily over these lively creations.
Ice Cream Spots Worth a Drive
X-tra Ball Ice Cream & Pinball (Charlotte)
2914 Mt Holly-Huntersville Rd.
Grab the family and head to X-tra Ball for dessert and games. This part ice cream shop, part pinball parlor offers hand-dipped ice cream, hand-spun milkshakes, and authentic pinball.
Whit’s Frozen Custard
428 S Main St. (Davidson)
10410 Arahova Dr. (Huntersville)
1642 Highway 160 West (Fort Mill)
Whit’s has all the extra creamy ice cream you could ask for, with tons of flavor. They like to keep it simple, offering Vanilla, Chocolate, and Whit’s Special Weekly Flavor with fruit toppings, nuts, and candies that can be blended into custard for their famous Whitser™. Opt for a hand-dipped waffle cone to make your experience even sweeter.
Carolina Cones
20801 N Main St. (Cornelius)
Over the past thirty years, the family behind Carolina Cones has been churning out new flavors to keep Cornelius families coming back for more. The variety of flavors may make your choice difficult, but that’s just more reason to come back, right?
Rocky River Coffee Co.
4350 Main St. Ste. 109 (Harrisburg)
Espresso drinks aren’t the only thing that Rocky River is serving up. Visit their dessert bar to indugle in ice cream, house-made Italian cannoli’s, and other delicious desserts. Mix up your morning routine by blending ice cream with espresso, you’ll thank us later.
Abbott’s Frozen Custard
10070 Edison Square Dr. NW, E100 (Concord)
Abbott’s is the spot to be this summer. Try their homemade custard (they always have Vanilla, Chocolate and Chocolate Almond, but other flavors rotate daily) or fun treats like Chipwheels (cookie custard sandwiches), cakes, milkshakes, sundaes, floats, and more.
Cabarrus Creamery
21 Union St. S (Concord)
Don’t miss this sweet spot in Concord. Cabarrus Creamery has something for everyone, from nondairy and low fat, protein smoothies to no sugar added options.
The Percantile & Creamery
8635 Concord Mills Blvd. (Concord)
This adorable coffee, ice cream, and chocolate spot will have you falling in love. Choose from ice cream flavors including cake batter, southern peach, cherry blossom, moose tracks and more. Don’t forget to check out their brownie cookie ice cream sandwich and their Cake Walk milkshake (pictured above and only available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) for a real treat.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
*Multiple locations including in Fort Mill, Indian Land, Cornelius, Monroe, Mooresville and Matthews
With over 150-flavors in rotation, you’re sure to always find something new at Bruster’s. Made fresh in-house daily, you can choose from creamy ice cream on a waffle cone, sundaes and splits, blasts and shakes, and ice-cream sandwiches. They also offer no-sugar-added flavors as well as fresh yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, or Italian Ice.
Andy’s Frozen Custard
9921 Rea Rd (Waxhaw)
17055 Nat Bynum Ln (Cornelius)
8835 Christenbury Pkwy. (Concord)
Since 1986, Andy’s has been serving frozen custard to loving fans. Originally from Missouri, the custard shop has a spot in Concord, Waxhaw, Cornelius, and coming soon to Matthews. Enjoy concretes, malts, shakes, sundaes, freezes, and more.
Waxhaw Creamery
201 W South Main St. (Waxhaw)
This Waxhaw family-run ice cream shop has been a favorite for years. Visitors can enjoy homemade ice cream made in-store every day. Waxhaw Creamery also serves up sundaes, shakes, cups, and cones. As for flavors, there is always something new and fresh with their seasonal flavor options.
Scoop n’ Swirl Homemade Ice Cream
753 Crossroads Plaza (Fort Mill)
Scoop n’ Swirl offers 24 flavors daily with multiple toppings – making the options endless. Create-your-own shake, try a custom or traditional sundae, or opt in for a refreshing smoothie. Oh, and don’t forget to try the ice cream pizza (doesn’t it look delicious?!).
