Highest-rated ice cream shops in Charlotte by diners

Written by:
July 22, 2025
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Highest-rated ice cream shops in Charlotte 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 the Charlotte 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 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!

#13. MOOYAH Burgers Fries & Shakes

- Rating: 3.4/5 (174 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2233 Matthews Township Pkwy Ste C-2 Matthews, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Shake Shack Park Road

- Rating: 3.6/5 (405 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1605 East Woodlawn Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Elizabeth Creamery

- Rating: 4.0/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1535 Elizabeth Ave. Ste 100 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Ocha Time Tea & Creamery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2001 Commonwealth Ave. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Golden Cow Creamery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 720 Governor Morrison St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Ninety's Dessert Bar

- Rating: 4.2/5 (393 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9009 J M Keynes Drive Ste 4 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Golden Cow Creamery

- Rating: 4.3/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 170 West Summit Ave. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Two Scoops Creamery Southend

- Rating: 4.4/5 (106 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1616 Camden Road 100 Ste 100 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Two Scoops Creamery Plaza Midwood

- Rating: 4.6/5 (390 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 913 Central Ave. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Smallcakes Steele Creek

- Rating: 4.6/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4847 Shopton Road Ste East Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Cupcakes, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

#3. Morelia Gourmet Paletas

- Rating: 4.6/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1425 Winnifred St. Ste 104 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Kosher
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Matcha Cafe Maiko

- Rating: 4.6/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8128 Providence Road Ste 900 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

#1. The Local Scoop

- Rating: 4.7/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5355 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy Ste 100 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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