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Highest-rated ice cream shops in Tucson by diners

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Markus Photo and Video // Shutterstock
Markus Photo and Video // Shutterstock
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Nothing makes people quite as happy as a trip to the ice cream shop. Thankfully, there are endless options offering enough goods to tantalize anyone's palate. Across the U.S., nearly 17,800 ice cream shops serve up tasty treats to satisfy Americans' cravings.

While most of us would agree that there's no such thing as bad ice cream, there are still elements that keep customers coming back to one ice cream shop over another. A sense of newness and surprise are two big draws. Shop owners aim to please by using quality ingredients to experiment with new mashups—consider the rising trend of ice cream combined with pie. Some put unique spins on global treats, like Japanese mochi and Italian gelato. Others create giant Instagram-ready concoctions that become the highlight of social media.

Consumers have learned that smaller scoop shops may be more adaptive to real-time reactions, which means embracing new concepts, such as delicious dairy-free options. They can also ditch chemicals and give plant-based food coloring a try to see how it resonates with their customers.

But where artisanal shops really shine is in their ability to push the envelope to create amazing new flavors and limited-edition offerings that have customers eager to not miss out on what's next.

Seasonal ice creams feature fresh ingredients and flavors that evoke a particular time of year. Partnerships with local businesses can result in crave-able combinations highlighting local specialties. Many local shops also dabble with exotic flavors—savory ice cream, anyone?

To find out who's scooping up the best options, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in the Tucson area using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 24, 2025.

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 20 reviews and within a 10-kilometer radius of Tucson were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.

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1 / 20

#20. Dairy Queen Store

- Rating: 3.2/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 501 North 4th Ave. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 20

#19. Pinkberry

- Rating: 3.3/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: 3820 West River Road Ste 140 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 20

#18. Gema Raspados & Delights

- Rating: 3.3/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2860 West Ina Road Ste 116 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Shaved Ice, Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 20

#17. Paleteria Y Neveria La Michoacana

- Rating: 3.4/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3774 South 6th Ave. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 20

#15. Dairy Queen Store

- Rating: 3.6/5 (30 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5762 East 22nd St. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 20

#14. Sonoran Sno-Cones

- Rating: 3.9/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 120 South Avenida Del Convento Ste 120 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 20

#13. HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery

- Rating: 3.9/5 (1540 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 266 East Congress St. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: American, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 20

#12. Fruit Shack

- Rating: 4.0/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 5420 East Broadway Blvd. Ste 234 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 20

#10. Revive Fresh Bowls & Creamery

- Rating: 4.2/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 6890 East Sunrise Drive Ste 140 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Acai Bowls
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 20

#9. Paleteria Y Neveria La Michoacana

- Rating: 4.3/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 4444 East Grant Road Ste 101 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 20

#8. Frozen Delight

- Rating: 4.4/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1101 North Wilmot Road Ste 107 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 20

#7. The Screamery HandCrafted Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.4/5 (307 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2545 East Speedway Blvd. Ste 145 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 20

#5. Bella's Gelato Shoppe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2648 East Speedway Blvd. Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 20

#4. Purple Tree Truck

- Rating: 4.7/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Food Trucks, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 20

#3. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

- Rating: 4.8/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 4210 North 1st Ave. Ste 4210-100 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 20

#2. Blue Ice Gelato

- Rating: 4.8/5 (189 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6878 East Sunrise Drive Ste 140 Tucson, Arizona
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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