Highest-rated ice cream shops in Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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.
#26. SOMISOMI
- Rating: 4.2/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3551 Truxel Road Sacramento, California
- Categories: desserts, korean, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Coco Cane Juice and Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.2/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5591 Sky Pkwy Ste 409 Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#24. The Parlor Ice Cream Puffs
- Rating: 4.2/5 (1186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2620 Fair Oaks Blvd. Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Afghan Ice Cream and Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (14 reviews)
- Address: 3045 Arden Way Ste 300 Sacramento, California
- Categories: afghan, ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#22. The Posey's General Store
- Rating: 4.3/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1100 O St. Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Buffalo Pizza & Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.3/5 (468 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2600 21st St. Sacramento, California
- Categories: pizza, ice cream & frozen yogurt, vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Sweet Choice
- Rating: 4.3/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 998 Florin Road Ste C Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, candy stores
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Hella-Halo
- Rating: 4.4/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: Sacramento, California
- Categories: food stands, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Babes Ice Cream & Donuts
- Rating: 4.4/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2417 J St. Sacramento, California
- Categories: donuts, vegan, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Yo-Yo Yogurt
- Rating: 4.4/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2580 Fair Oaks Blvd. Ste 10 Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Firehouse Cookie Company
- Rating: 4.4/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: Sacramento, California
- Categories: bakeries, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Lazi Cow-Sacramento
- Rating: 4.5/5 (49 reviews)
- Address: 2820 Del Paso Road Ste 500 Sacramento, California
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Capital Confections
- Rating: 4.5/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: Sacramento, California
- Categories: chocolatiers & shops, ice cream & frozen yogurt, candy stores
- Read more on Yelp
#13. One Milk Tea - Sacramento
- Rating: 4.5/5 (318 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4443 Auburn Blvd. Unit J & K Sacramento, California
- Categories: bubble tea, juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Handels Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (131 reviews)
- Address: 2820 Del Paso Road Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Krazy Antojitos
- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 7141 Franklin Blvd. Sacramento, California
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Menchie's Market West - Sacramento
- Rating: 4.6/5 (18 reviews)
- Address: 3230 Arena Blvd. Ste 225 Sacramento, California
- Categories: acai bowls, custom cakes, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Gunther's Quality Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (3617 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2801 Franklin Blvd. Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. ICICLES
- Rating: 4.6/5 (354 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1431 Howe Ave. Ste 200 Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Long Island Ice Cream & Coffee
- Rating: 4.7/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5017 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Ice Dream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (181 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8775 Center Pkwy Ste 200 Sacramento, California
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Sweet Tooth Ice Cream Cart
- Rating: 4.7/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Cowtown Creamery
- Rating: 4.8/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Everest Yogurt
- Rating: 4.8/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5635 Freeport Blvd. Unit 3 Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Licked
- Rating: 4.8/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 3400 Broadway Ste 100 Sacramento, California
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Little Rich's Italian Ice
- Rating: 5.0/5 (16 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Sacramento, CA
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, caterers
- 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.
