Highest-rated ice cream shops in Kansas City 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 Kansas City 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.
#20. Yogurtini Shoal Creek
- Rating: 3.4/5 (18 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8375 North Booth Ave. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Shake Shack Country Club Plaza
- Rating: 3.5/5 (219 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 239 West 47th St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: burgers, fast food, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Paul's Drive In
- Rating: 3.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10424 Blue Ridge Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: burgers, sandwiches, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Frozen Gold
- Rating: 3.9/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4144 Pennsylvania Ave. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Ice Cream Bae
- Rating: 4.0/5 (50 reviews)
- Address: 418 Nichols Road Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Yogurtini Plaza
- Rating: 4.0/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4853 Main St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Frutopia KC
- Rating: 4.1/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 3737 Independence Ave. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: mexican, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Miami Ice
- Rating: 4.1/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1624 West 39th St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, shaved snow
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Tropical Sno Kansas City
- Rating: 4.3/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 222 West 85th St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Dos De Oros Taqueria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 650 East Blue Ridge Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: mexican, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. French Custard
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 5905 Main St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. The Borough
- Rating: 4.5/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 8026 The Paseo Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: coffee & tea, breakfast & brunch, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Taco Rico
- Rating: 4.6/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8238 North Oak Trafficway Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: tacos, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Paleterias Tropicana
- Rating: 4.6/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 830 Sw Blvd. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: mexican, ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Betty Rae's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (506 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7140 Wornall Road Ste 102 Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Betty Rae's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (333 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 412 Delaware St. Ste D Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Alice Scooper's
- Rating: 4.7/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 10207 North Oak Trfy Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. One More Scoop
- Rating: 4.7/5 (15 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3522 Northeast Vivion Road Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#2. High Hopes Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (69 reviews)
- Address: 5536 Troost Ave. Ste A Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Scoop at Martin City
- Rating: 5.0/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 411 East 135th St. Kansas City, Missouri
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- 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.
