Highest-rated ice cream shops in Cleveland 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 Cleveland 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.
#19. Pickwick & Frolic Restaurant and Club
- Rating: 3.6/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2035 East 4th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: american, lounges, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Malley's Chocolates
- Rating: 3.8/5 (32 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13400 Brookpark Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: candy stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Tutti Frutti Mix
- Rating: 3.9/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 17109 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, waffles, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Shake Shack Downtown Cleveland
- Rating: 4.1/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1965 East 6th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: fast food, burgers, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Inca Tea Cafe
- Rating: 4.2/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5300 Riverside Drive Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Apple Cart
- Rating: 4.3/5 (18 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4313 Superior Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Remixx Ice Cream + Cereal Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 11512 Clifton Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Sweet Spot
- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 11440 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: donuts, desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. East Coast Original Frozen Custard
- Rating: 4.5/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5618 Mayfield Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Mango Mango Dessert
- Rating: 4.5/5 (117 reviews)
- Address: 3133 Payne Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Honey Hut Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6250 State Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Mason's Creamery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (387 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4401 Bridge Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food stands, ramen
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Kamm's Corners Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3764 Rocky River Drive Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#6. The Copper Moon
- Rating: 4.7/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1127 Euclid Ave. Ste 104 Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: coffee & tea, juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Honey Hut Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4674 State Road Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Kake Kutters
- Rating: 4.7/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 11607 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: desserts, cupcakes, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream - Uptown
- Rating: 4.7/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11444 Uptown Ave. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream - Cleveland
- Rating: 4.8/5 (663 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1867 West 25th St. Cleveland, Ohio
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Mount Granita Italian Ice
- Rating: 4.8/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2024 Murray Hill Road Cleveland, Ohio
- 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.
