Highest-rated ice cream shops in Charleston, South Carolina by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in Charleston, South Carolina 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 Charleston 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.
#22. TCBY South Windermere Shopping Cente
- Rating: 3.2/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2 Windermere Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Republic Ice Cream
- Rating: 3.4/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 431 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Fudgery
- Rating: 3.6/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 90 North Market St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe
- Rating: 3.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 1319 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Ste 109 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream
- Rating: 3.8/5 (300 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 474 Savannah Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, hot dogs, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#17. TCBY James Island
- Rating: 4.0/5 (14 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 520 Folly Road Ste 30D Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Bubbie's Cookies and Treats
- Rating: 4.1/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 370 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Jack's Cosmic Dogs
- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 801 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: hot dogs, ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Turbo Cone
- Rating: 4.2/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 828 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, customized merchandise
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Tinto Y Crema
- Rating: 4.2/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6 Vendue Range Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Peace Pie
- Rating: 4.2/5 (338 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 223 Meeting St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Freddo Charleston
- Rating: 4.3/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 239 1/2 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Le Macaron
- Rating: 4.3/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 227 Meeting St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: bakeries, macarons, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Coach's Canteen
- Rating: 4.3/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 710 Hopewell Drive Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, american, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Booze Pops
- Rating: 4.4/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 424 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Buzzed Bull Creamery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 595 King St. Suite 130 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Holy Rolly Charleston Food Truck & Catering
- Rating: 4.5/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Luckhaus & Brubaker
- Rating: 4.6/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1939 Maybank Hwy Ste B2 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: cupcakes, ice cream & frozen yogurt, custom cakes
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Off Track Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (364 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6 Beaufain St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Life Raft Treats
- Rating: 4.7/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Holling's Cafe
- Rating: 4.8/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 86 Jonathan Lucas Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: cafes, breakfast & brunch, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Pineapple Hut
- Rating: 4.8/5 (18 reviews)
- Address: 99 South Market St. Ste 5 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- 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.
