Highest-rated ice cream shops in Myrtle Beach 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 Myrtle Beach 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. Hershey Ice Cream
- Rating: 3.2/5 (15 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 399 7th Ave. South Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Scooby's Ice Cream & Grill
- Rating: 3.3/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 2007 South Ocean Blvd. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Sugar Kingdom Myrtle Beach
- Rating: 3.3/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 2307 South Kings Hwy Unit A Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: candy stores, desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Ocean Bay Creamery
- Rating: 3.6/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 4036 River Oaks Drive Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Coastal Creamery
- Rating: 3.7/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 2702 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. I Scream Candy
- Rating: 3.7/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 1316 Celebrity Cir unit 175 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: candy stores, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Mad Myrtle's Ice Creamery
- Rating: 3.7/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 918 North Ocean Blvd. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Groupers At the Pier
- Rating: 3.9/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 9700 Kings Road Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: seafood, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Sugar Life Ice Cream & Candy Bar
- Rating: 4.0/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2016 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, candy stores, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#10. The Crazy Mason
- Rating: 4.2/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2461 Coastal Grand Cir Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Sweet Ice
- Rating: 4.2/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1943B Mr Joe White Ave. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Asian Mart
- Rating: 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1943 Mr Joe White Ave. Ste B Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: bubble tea, grocery, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Coffee & Cream Cabana
- Rating: 4.3/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 8014 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Pop Stroke
- Rating: 4.3/5 (16 reviews)
- Address: 1187 Celebrity Cir Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: mini golf, ice cream & frozen yogurt, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Kirk's 1890 Ice Cream Parlor
- Rating: 4.3/5 (300 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2500 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Kirk's Ice Cream Parlor
- Rating: 4.3/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6101 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Sweet & Hot Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.4/5 (14 reviews)
- Address: 1611 US-17 BUS Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, juice bars & smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Saltwater Scoops
- Rating: 4.7/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 9670 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Beach Treats Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 1802 North Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bubble tea
- 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.
