Highest-rated ice cream shops in Asheville by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in Asheville by diners
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 Asheville 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 Asheville 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.
#16. The Creamery At Biltmore Estates
- Rating: 3.9/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: One Lodge St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Pi Squared Pizza - Arden
- Rating: 4.0/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 2615 Hendersonville Road Arden, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Whit's Frozen Custard of South Asheville
- Rating: 4.0/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1840 Hendersonville Road Ste B103 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Yolo Frozen Yogurt
- Rating: 4.1/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 505 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Hop S&W
- Rating: 4.2/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 56 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Ultimate Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.2/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1070 Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. The Sweet Escape
- Rating: 4.2/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 27 Schenck Pkwy Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#9. The Freeze of Asheville
- Rating: 4.3/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1091 Patton Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Ultimate Ice Cream Company
- Rating: 4.3/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1070 Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. The Hop
- Rating: 4.3/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 640 Merrimon Ave. Ste 103 Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. The Hop West
- Rating: 4.4/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 721 Haywood Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Asheville Chocolate
- Rating: 4.5/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 25 Broadway St. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Whit's Frozen Custard - Asheville
- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 565 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Custom Cakes
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Sunshine Sammies
- Rating: 4.5/5 (365 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 99 South Lexington Ave. Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Pelican's Snoballs
- Rating: 4.7/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2601 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, North Carolina
- Categories: Shaved Ice, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Annie B's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 5.0/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 64 Long Shoals Road Arden, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
