Highest-rated ice cream shops in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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.
#27. 1-900-Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.4/5 (118 reviews)
- Address: 229 South 20th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Pop's Homemade Water Ice
- Rating: 4.4/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1337 West Oregon Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Matcha Panda Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 202 North 9th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#24. El Pueblo
- Rating: 4.4/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1142 South 9th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Surreal Creamery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 3818 Pa-3 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, bubble tea
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Tranzilli Real Italian Water Ice
- Rating: 4.4/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5901 Belfield Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Tsaocaa
- Rating: 4.4/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4415 Main St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#20. John's Water Ice
- Rating: 4.4/5 (341 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 701 Christian St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Mango Mango Dessert
- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 6830 Bustleton Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Weckerly's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (381 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9 West Girard Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Blazin Flavorz
- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 2406 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: desserts, pretzels, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Great Awakenings Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1466 East Cheltenham Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: coffee & tea, bakeries, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Marlei's Sweet Tooth
- Rating: 4.6/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 433 West Girard Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea, soup
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Miller's Twist
- Rating: 4.6/5 (411 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11th & Arch St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: pretzels, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Custard & Cakes Creamery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (264 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5461 Ridge Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Michael's Water Ice
- Rating: 4.7/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6188 Ridge Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Jimmy's Water Ice
- Rating: 4.7/5 (16 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2251 South Front St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, cheesesteaks
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Arctic Scoop
- Rating: 4.7/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1812 East Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Chucks Homemade Water Ice
- Rating: 4.7/5 (13 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1835 Snyder Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, pretzels, pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Philly's Famous Italian Ices
- Rating: 4.7/5 (10 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1950 East Lehigh Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, pretzels
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Somerset Splits
- Rating: 4.7/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 2600 East Somerset St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Dati's Homemade Water Ice & Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2235 West Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Milk Jawn
- Rating: 4.7/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1439 East Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Coco's Cookies & Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 3632 Powelton Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Siddiq's Real Fruit Water Ice
- Rating: 4.8/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 264 South 60th St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Harper's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 2827 West Girard Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Chilly Banana
- Rating: 4.9/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 932 East Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, vegan, desserts
- 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.
