Highest-rated ice cream shops in Asheville by diners

Written by:
June 25, 2024
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Highest-rated ice cream shops in Asheville 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 Asheville 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.

#15. The Creamery At Biltmore Estates

- Rating: 3.9/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: One Lodge St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Yolo Frozen Yogurt

- Rating: 4.0/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 505 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, desserts
- Read more on Yelp

#13. The Hop S&W

- Rating: 4.3/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 56 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Whit's Frozen Custard of South Asheville

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1840 Hendersonville Road Ste B103 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#11. 10th Muse Comfort Food

- Rating: 4.3/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 1475 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Ultimate Ice Cream Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 195 Charlotte St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: desserts, gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Ultimate Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.3/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1070 Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#8. The Hop

- Rating: 4.4/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 640 Merrimon Ave. Ste 103 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#7. The Hop West

- Rating: 4.5/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 721 Haywood Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp

#6. The Sweet Escape

- Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 27 Schenck Pkwy Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Asheville Chocolate

- Rating: 4.5/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 25 Broadway St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: chocolatiers & shops, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Sunshine Sammies

- Rating: 4.5/5 (339 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 99 South Lexington Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

#3. Whit's Frozen Custard - Asheville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 565 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, custom cakes
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Pelican's Snoballs

- Rating: 4.6/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2601 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#1. Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 33 Town Square Blvd. Unit 130 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: cupcakes, bakeries, 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.

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