Taro, grasshopper pie, tequila white chocolate raspberry? Yelp recently released its annual Top 100 Ice Cream Shops—just in time for National Ice Cream Day—and Chicagoland is home to two of the site’s picks.
Yelp looked at the total volume and ratings of reviews, among other factors, between Jan. 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 to determine the top shops.
Coming in at No. 1? Coneflower Creamery in Omaha, Nebraska, for their “farm-to-cone” flavors such as Sun-Ripened Strawberry and Sweet Corn.
Several trends emerged over the past year, like the increase in vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free flavors, as evidenced by the artisanal flavors featured at Coneflower Creamery and Surfin’ Spoon (No. 15).
Here are the Top 25 Ice Cream Shops, according to Yelp:
- Coneflower Creamery (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Let’s Chill Homemade Ice Cream (Coral Springs, Florida)
- I Scream Ice Cream (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- La Paleta (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Fluffy’s Sno-Balls (Long Beach, California)
- Moo Moo Cows (Baltimore, Maryland)
- Tricycle Ice Cream (Providence, Rhode Island)
- Meadowlark Dairy (Pleasanton, California)
- Confetti Italian Ice & Custard (Costa Mesa, California)
- Mitchell’s Ice Cream (San Francisco, California)
- The Paleta Bar-Shanghai Plaza (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Joey’s Custard (Sanibel, Florida)
- Deep Barrel Roasters & Creamery (Norco, California)
- Ryder’s Poke and Shave Ice (Oahu, Hawaii)
- Surfin’ Spoon (Nags Head, North Carolina)
- Page’s (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Sugar Koi (Cary, North Carolina)
- Antojitos Colibri (Reno, Nevada)
- Sweet Aloha Ice Cream (Davie, Florida)
- Ozzie’s Ice Cream (Greensboro, North Carolina)
- Manolis Ice Cream, Pastries, & Cakes (Austin, Texas)
- Fox Meadows Creamery (Ephrata, Pennsylvania)
- Kirk’s Ice Cream Parlor (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)
- Ginther’s Swirls Ice Cream (Orlando, Florida)
- Botolino Gelato Artigianale (Dallas, Texas)
At No. 48 and 65, Lickity Split (Chicago) and The Plush Horse (Palos Park, Illinois), respectively.
And the area might just be getting started. Just last month, Gino’s East and Rainbow Cone teamed up to host a sweet-and-savory kiosk at Gino’s East, 162 E. Superior St., off the Magnificent Mile.
This is welcome news, considering the recent retail closures in the area. Consumer demands are changing, and it’s up to businesses to evolve, or else, dissolve.
“As a business that has been in that location since the 1960s, we’ve seen all the ups and downs of Michigan Avenue, said Jordan Himmel, CIO at Bravo Restaurants, the restaurant group of Gino’s East. “We’ve got to do our part to keep our city moving in the right direction.”
Read Yelp’s full list here.