Highest-rated ice cream shops in Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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.

1 / 25

#25. Raleigh Rolls

- Rating: 4.1/5 (86 reviews)
- Address: 411 West Morgan St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 25

#24. Two Roosters Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.2/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 4025 Lake Boone Trl Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 25

#23. Two Roosters Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.2/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 215 East Franklin St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 25

#22. Captain Cookie

- Rating: 4.2/5 (43 reviews)
- Address: 500 East Davie St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 25

#21. Morelia Gourmet Paletas - Raleigh

- Rating: 4.3/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 500 North West St. Ste 135 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 25

#20. Videri Chocolate Factory

- Rating: 4.3/5 (303 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 327 West Davie St. Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 25

#19. Bumble Tea

- Rating: 4.3/5 (196 reviews)
- Address: 3221 Avent Ferry Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 25

#18. Citizen Pops

- Rating: 4.3/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 25

#17. La Michoacana Premium

- Rating: 4.3/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1716 Saint Alabans Drive Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 25

#16. Lumpy's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.3/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 306 East Wait Ave. Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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11 / 25

#15. Goodberrys Frozen Custard

- Rating: 4.3/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2421 Spring Forest Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 25

#14. FRESH Local Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.4/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 138 East Chatham St. Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 25

#13. Andia's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.4/5 (53 reviews)
- Address: 2201 Iron Works Drive Ste 129 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 25

#12. Fresh Local Ice Cream- Raleigh

- Rating: 4.4/5 (384 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6033 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Food Trucks, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 25

#11. MILKLAB - Smoky Hollow

- Rating: 4.4/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 526 North West St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 25

#10. Milk Lab - Cary

- Rating: 4.4/5 (548 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6418 Tryon Road Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 25

#9. Two Roosters Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.5/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 7713 Lead Mine Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 25

#8. Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 100 Dairy Lane Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 25

#7. Vida Dulce

- Rating: 4.6/5 (206 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 836 East Chatham St. Ste 104 Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 25

#6. The Ice Queen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Greensboro, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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21 / 25

#5. Sugar Koi

- Rating: 4.6/5 (187 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 116 Kilmayne Drive Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 25

#4. Andia's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1008 Ryan Road Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 25

#3. Champloo Desserts

- Rating: 4.7/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8320 Litchford Road Ste 150 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Desserts, Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 25

#2. Geluna Gelato

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 111 East Chatham St. Ste C Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 25

#1. SweetWater Ices

- Rating: 5.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp