From classic vanilla to more out of the box flavors like ricotta lemon thyme, there’s no shortage of sweet, ice cream treats in the Queen City. Here, we have the scoop on scoops, rounding up all the places you can go in Charlotte for your next ice cream run.
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South End and Uptown Ice Cream
Tutti Gelato
1700 Camden Rd, Suite 101
For gelato that will transport you straight to Italy, try Tutti Gelato in South End. Their real artisan gelato flavors rotate, but you can expect to see things like strawberry cheesecake, cookies and caramel, tiramisu, mango, and peach on the menu. Once you try Tutti’s authentic gelato, there’s no going back.
Morelia Gourmet Paletas
1425 Winnifred St #104
Paletas are a Mexican frozen treat that look like popsicles, but are actually much more complex. At Morelia, there are three steps to creating your perfect treat. First, you’ll choose your gourmet paleta flavor. Then, you’ll dip it in your dip of choice. Lastly, you’ll select your topping. There are over one million possible combinations to try, so you’ll be able to get something different every time you visit.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
1920 Camden Rd (South End)
4203 Park Rd (Montford)
416 E 36th St, Suite 400 (NoDa)
9828 Rea Rd (Ballantyne)
If you’ve ever been to or seen a Jeni’s in the Charlotte area, you know that there’s almost always a line out the door — and that’s for a good reason. Jeni’s is a national chain known for its unique ice cream flavors and homemade waffle cones. Pop into one of the four Charlotte locations to try flavors like coffee with cream and sugar, gooey butter cake, and brambleberry crisp in one of their signature cones. Or, you can pick up a pint of Jeni’s in your local supermarket.
Swirl Dessert Bar
2822 South Blvd, Suite B (South End)
1640 Oakhurst Commons Dr, Suite 103 (Oakhurst)
Swirl features made to order cupcake, cookie, and ice cream creations. Their signature ice cream treat is the “Swirl” with your choice of soft serve and toppings mixed together. You can customize your own Swirl, or get one of their pre-made creations like the shorty, with vanilla ice cream, strawberry filling, and raspberry sauce, or the duke, with vanilla ice cream, cookie dough, brownie bites, and caramel sauce.
Golden Cow Creamery
601 South Tryon St. (Uptown)
170 West Summit Ave. (South End)
720 Governor Morrison St. (SouthPark)
Golden Cow has three locations in the Charlotte area, so you’re bound to be near one to get your ice cream fix. The creamery serves 14 flavors at a time, with six standard flavors and eight rotating flavors. Plus, there’s always one vegan flavor, too. All of Golden Cow’s ice cream is scratch made without any flavor bases, syrups, or commercial mixes, so you know you’re getting fresh ice cream at every visit.
Day & Night Cereal Bar
127 Brevard Court
At Day & Night Cereal Bar, your favorite ice creams and cereals come together for one perfect dessert. Order a shake or bowl off the menu like the Buttercup, made with coco puffs, Reese’s cup cereal, whipped cream, peanut butter drizzle, and chocolate donut sprinkles. Or, opt for a build-your-own option.
NoDa & Camp North End Ice Cream
Popbar
3123 N Davidson St, #102B
Popbar specializes in all-natural, handcrafted gelato on a stick. Their menu has 60+ different flavors, and tons of different ways to customize your pop exactly how you want it. Other treat options include gelato shakes, pop-wiches, which are two crunchy chocolate cookies on either side of a pop, hot chocolate on a stick, and waffle pops, which are Belgium-style waffles on a stick.
Seemingly Overzealous
701 Keswick Ave #102
For 100% egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free ice cream, head to Seemingly Overzealous in Camp North End. With ice cream and waffle chips and cones completely free of various allergens, Seemingly Overzealous is a great place to get your ice cream if you have dietary restrictions. Choose from orange creamsicle, mint chocolate, coffee, and more flavors.
Elizabeth, Plaza Midwood & Optimist Park Ice Cream
Two Scoops Creamery
913 Central Ave (Plaza Midwood)
1616 Camden Rd, #100 (South End)
119 Landings Dr, #104 (Lake Norman)
Two Scoops Creamery is a staple in the Charlotte ice cream scene, with locations in Plaza Midwood, South End, Lake Norman, Rock Hill, McAdenville, and Spartanburg. The menu is lengthy, with vanilla based flavors, chocolate based flavors, coffee based flavors, mint based flavors, miscellaneous flavors, vegan options, and even soft serve at certain locations.
Cheat’s Cheesesteaks
913 Pecan Ave
While Cheat’s is obviously known for their cheesesteaks, did you know they were also serving up some delicious soft serve ice cream? You can get vanilla, Dole Pineapple™, or a swirl of the two in either a cup or a cone. If you’re feeling fancy, get any of the three flavors as a float with your favorite soda.
Cold Hearted Gelato
1308 The Plaza
Swing by this female-owned, chef-driven gelato shop in Plaza Midwood to get yourself a creamy dessert. Cold Hearted Gelato serves a variety of gelato flavors that change on a rotating basis — on the current menu you’ll find frozen hot chocolate, ricotta lemon thyme, tahini chocolate chip, pistachio, lime mint sorbet and more. To truly elevate your ice cream eating experience, get your favorite flavor in one of the house-made, brown butter waffle cones.
Honeysuckle Gelato
1115 N Brevard St
Conveniently located in Optimist Hall, Honeysuckle Gelato is the perfect way to top off a visit to the local food hall. Choose a “Good Day” (small) or “Better Day” (large) with flavors like birthday cake, salted caramel brownie, cinnamon roll, honey lavender and more. And if you’re really hungry, you can pair your gelato with fresh baked cookies to make a gelato sandwich. Yum!
Marble Slab
1509 Central Ave (Plaza Midwood)
7800-C Rea Rd (Ballantyne)
At Marble Slab Creamery, small batch ice cream is made fresh daily. You’re able to customize your dessert completely by choosing your flavor, then adding in as many complimentary “mix-ins” as your heart desires. With fruits, nuts, candies, and cookies available to mix in to a wide variety of flavors, there’s truly something for everyone at Marble Slab Creamery.
Ocha Tea Time & Creamery
2001 Commonwealth Ave
Ocha Tea Time & Creamery sells a wide variety of sweet treats. From taiyaki, which is a Japanese fish-shaped cake, to bubble waffles, boba teas, and rolled ice cream, you can definitely get your dessert craving satisfied here. Check out their speciality, which is Thai rolled ice cream, featuring flavors like s’mores, Vietnamese coffee, cereal milk, banana split, and matcha, for a unique and delicious treat.
Elizabeth Creamery
1535 Elizabeth Ave #100
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.
Myer’s Park
Ace No. 3
829 Providence Rd (Myer’s Park)
1001 Belmont Ave (Belmont Village)
8520 Pit Stop Ct NW #10 (Concord)
Ace No. 3 is known for its delicious burgers and fries, but they also have ice cream, too. Next time you stop in for lunch or dinner, don’t forget to grab a sweet treat with a chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies n’ cream, or confetti cake milkshake.
South Charlotte Ice Cream
The Local Scoop
5355 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Suite 100 (Ballantyne)
1600 E. Woodlawn Rd, Suite 110 (Montford)
105 W. Charles Street (Matthews)
378 Technology Center Way (Rock Hill)
The Local Scoop offers mouthwatering ice cream made with locally sourced ingredients, and has a mission of getting back to the basics with ice cream. Inside their four stores you’ll find 16 premium ice cream flavors and eight dairy-free flavors. Plus, on their website, you can even suggest a flavor for them to make! If they select your flavor, you’ll get a pint of it for free.
Carolina Scoops
105 Dover St (Pineville)
Carolina Scoops is a locally owned ice cream shop serving up 16 different ice cream flavors, sundaes, milkshakes, and ice cream floats. The variety of flavors may make your choice difficult, but that’s just more reason to come back, right?
Waxhaw Creamery
109 E North Main St (Waxhaw)
This Waxhaw family-run ice cream shop has been a fan-favorite for years. Visitors can enjoy homemade ice cream made in-store every day, in the form of sundaes, shakes, cups, and cones. Plus, there’s always something new to try with their seasonal flavor options.
Worth the Drive Ice Cream
Scoop N’ Swirl
753 Crossroads Plaza (Fort Mill)
The ice cream treats are plentiful at Scoop N Swirl. Try flavors like banana, mint, sweet cream and cheesecake in a cup, cone, or homemade waffle cone/bowl. If you’re craving something a bit more indulgent, try a shake like the batter n’ dough, made with cake batter ice cream and cookie dough. Or, opt for a classic sundae like a banana split or strawberry shortcake.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
4923 Trojan Dr, Suite 150 (Steele Creek)
2272 E Franklin Blvd, Suite 110 (Gastonia)
20545 Torrence Chapel Rd (Cornelius)
9716 Red Stone Dr, Suite 100 (Indian Land)
Handel’s has locations in Gastonia, Cornelius, Indian Land, and Steele Creek. At each store, there’s no shortage of ice cream flavors to choose from for your cup, cone, or pint. From the fruity like banana and cherry cordial, to the chocolate like french silk pie and midnight madness, to the sherbets like lime and pineapple, Handel’s has a treat for everyone.
Ninety’s Dessert Bar
9009-4 J. M. Keynes Dr (University Area)
502 Cherry Rd, Suite 105 (Rock Hill)
For ice cream with a side of nostalgia, visit Ninety’s Dessert Bar. This dessert shop aims to transport you back to the nineties, with artwork and menu creations centered around your favorite childhood memories. Try milkshakes like “Dunkaroos” and “Drumstick” or ice cream flavors like cotton candy and cookie dough.
Nova’s Ice Cream
7008 E W.T. Harris Blvd, Suite 1
At Nova’s, you’ll find homemade ice cream, custom milkshakes, Italian ices, and sundaes. Choose from vegan butter pecan, rainbow Italian ice, cookie monster, strawberry cheesecake, and more, for a sweet treat you’re sure to love.
Whit’s Frozen Custard
428 S Main St (Davidson)
10410 Arahova Dr (Huntersville)
1642 Highway 160 West (Fort Mill)
Whit’s ice cream has all the flavor you could ask for. They like to keep it simple, offering vanilla, chocolate, and Whit’s special weekly flavor. There’s fruit toppings, nuts, and candies that can be blended into custard for their famous Whitser™. Or, opt for a hand-dipped waffle cone to make your experience even sweeter.
Abbott’s Frozen Custard
10070 Edison Square Dr NW e100 (Concord)
Indulge in frozen custard at Abbott’s with their chocolate, vanilla, chocolate almond, and special weekly flavor. Toppings are plentiful, and you can even get your custard as a sandwich smashed between two delicious cookies.
The Percantile and Creamery
8635 Concord Mills Boulevard (Concord)
Coffee and ice cream come together at The Percantile and Creamery. The scratch-made ice cream flavors include cotton candy, red velvet cake, chocolate peanut butter, oatmeal cream pie, and more. Get your treat as a single, double, or triple scoop in a cup or a cone.
Revival Coffee & Ice Cream Truck
Traveling
Revival Coffee and Ice Cream Truck serves ice cream made from the milk of Jersey cows in Lincolntown, North Carolina. The ice cream is always incredibly fresh and incredibly delicious, with flavors like cake batter, butter pecan, and classic chocolate and vanilla. Plus, you always have the option to combine their coffee and ice cream by ordering a cold brew float, espresso milkshake, or affogato. Find Revival’s weekly schedule on their Instagram account or website, or book them for an event.
Author’s Note: This article was written by Alex Maloney. You can find more of her Charlotte-related content on Instagram, @slicesandsushi.
