Highest-rated ice cream shops in Tucson by diners
Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year round, although the volume produced during the hotter months signals otherwise. The majority of ice cream and other frozen desserts in the U.S. are made between March and August, with July being the busiest month of all, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Many Americans have memories of their pastel green mint chocolate chip scoop dripping down their waffle cone at the height of summer or cooling down with their sprinkle-covered chocolate and vanilla soft-serve twist. Ice cream tends to scream nostalgia, but the range of available flavors has evolved since the days when the dessert was mainly limited to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Of course, that doesn't mean those aren't still top-tier choices. According to a May 2024 survey of 2,200 American adults by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult, the top 10 ice cream flavors today are still the three classics (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, in that order) followed by butter pecan, cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip, rocky road, and peanut butter or peanut butter cup.
Nowadays, many ice cream shops offer fresh combinations and ingredients you may never have imagined could be made into ice cream, concoctions like black sesame cookies and cream or honey lavender. Some ice cream shops boast flavors with even more unheard-of ingredients and combinations, like the savory tarragon olive oil or pineapple with pink peppercorns.
Ice cream creators have also expanded into rethinking frozen yogurt, soft serve, and vegan options. Dairy-free folks no longer have to order the only sorbet on the menu. There are nondairy milk ice creams made from plant-based milks like oat or almond and other plant-based products like avocado or sunflower butter.
And then there are the toppings, one of the best parts about getting a scoop at your local shop. Pour on the condensed milk or dulce de leche. Sprinkle bits of honeycomb or your favorite childhood cereal.
Ice cream shops everywhere have made it their job to serve up the smoothest, creamiest, and most crave-able options. To find out who's doing the best job of it, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in Tucson using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 10 reviews were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to determine where you'll get your next cup or cone from!
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific ice cream shops listed or the items they serve.
#21. Froyo Fresh
- Rating: 3.6/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 8245 North Silverbell Road Ste 127 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Fruit Shack
- Rating: 3.8/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 5420 East Broadway Blvd. Ste 234 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. The Screamery Hand Crafted Ice Cream
- Rating: 3.9/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5920 West Arizona Pavilions Drive Ste 100 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery
- Rating: 3.9/5 (1469 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 266 East Congress St. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: american, ice cream & frozen yogurt, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Sonoran Sno-Cones
- Rating: 4.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 120 South Avenida Del Convento Ste 120 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Unitea
- Rating: 4.1/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1710 East Speedway Blvd. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Frozen Delight
- Rating: 4.3/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1101 North Wilmot Road Ste 107 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Revive Fresh Bowls & Creamery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 6890 East Sunrise Drive Ste 140 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt, acai bowls
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Sundaze Yogurt
- Rating: 4.4/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4777 East Sunrise Drive Ste 139 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Screamery HandCrafted Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.4/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2545 East Speedway Blvd. Ste 145 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Screamery Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 250 East Congress St. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Variety H2O + Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (14 reviews)
- Address: 6330 East Golf Links Road Ste A-138 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, water stores, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Oasis Fruit Cones
- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4126 South 12th Ave. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. The Screamery HandCrafted Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 50 South Houghton Road Ste 120 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Bella's Gelato Shoppe
- Rating: 4.6/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2648 East Speedway Blvd. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Purple Tree Truck
- Rating: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Blue Ice Gelato
- Rating: 4.8/5 (176 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6878 East Sunrise Drive Ste 140 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: coffee & tea, gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Licks Ice Cream & Coffee
- Rating: 4.9/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: 16130 North Oracle Road Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Delicias De Michoacan
- Rating: 5.0/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 1608 South Craycroft Road Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. 7 Plus
- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 2031 East Irvington Road Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: water stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Cones For Bones
- Rating: 5.0/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 6121 East Broadway Blvd. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, pet stores
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Chia-Yi Hou, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 237 metros.
