Highest-rated ice cream shops in Norfolk by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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!
#24. Shake Shack Virginia Beach
- Rating: 3.4/5 (411 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 296 Constitution Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Fast food, Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Dairy Queen Ltd Brazier
- Rating: 3.4/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9636 Granby St. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Doumars Cones & Barbecue
- Rating: 3.7/5 (733 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1919 Monticello Ave. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Barbecue, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
- Rating: 3.8/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4640 Shore Drive Ste 111 Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Skinny Dip Frozen Yogurt Bar
- Rating: 3.8/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 985 Providence Square Shopping Center Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Cupcakes
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
- Rating: 4.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5308 Princess Anne Road Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Scratch Bakery
- Rating: 4.2/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 19 East Mellen St. Hampton, Virginia
- Categories: Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Cupcakes
- Read more on Yelp
#17. On Ice
- Rating: 4.2/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1101 West Little Creek Road Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp
#16. The Skinny Dip Frozen Yogurt Bar
- Rating: 4.2/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1619 Colley Ave. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Cupcakes
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Yo Mama
- Rating: 4.2/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4540 Princess Anne Road Ste 110 Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Famous Uncle Al's Hotdogs and Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1269 North Military Hwy Ste 5 Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, American
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Delicias Ice Cream Factory
- Rating: 4.3/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 528 Newtown Road Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Mexican, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#12. aLatté Cafe
- Rating: 4.3/5 (189 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 321 Granby St. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Rick's Frozen Custard
- Rating: 4.4/5 (192 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2829 Airline Blvd. Portsmouth, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Sno To Go
- Rating: 4.5/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2229 Richmond Road Williamsburg, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#9. The Sweet Spot
- Rating: 4.5/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5216 Providence Road Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Desserts, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Look Up Dessert Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1032 Volvo Pkwy Ste 1 Chesapeake, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bakeries, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Lolly's Creamery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 5109 Colley Ave. Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Firehouse Coffee
- Rating: 4.6/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Ruckman Road Hampton, Virginia
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Penguin's SnoBalls
- Rating: 4.7/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2388 East Little Creek Road Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Desserts, Shaved Ice, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Sundae Scoop
- Rating: 4.8/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1832 Kempsville Road Ste 113 Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Gelati Celesti
- Rating: 4.8/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 613 Volvo Parkway Chesapeake, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Gelati Celesti
- Rating: 4.8/5 (70 reviews)
- Address: 4485 Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#1. S'mores Amore
- Rating: 4.9/5 (104 reviews)
- Address: 208 East Main St. Unit 103 Norfolk, Virginia
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
