Highest-rated ice cream shops in Austin 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 Austin using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
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!
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific ice cream shops listed or the items they serve.
#27. Sugar Pine
- Rating: 4.4/5 (398 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8578 Research Blvd. Austin, Texas
- Categories: japanese, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Omg Squee
- Rating: 4.4/5 (330 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4607 Bolm Road Ste A Austin, Texas
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, gluten-free
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Sweet Caroline's Snow Shack
- Rating: 4.5/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 13497 Hwy 183 North Austin, Texas
- Categories: food stands, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Bahama Freeze
- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8213 Brodie Lane Austin, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Pinkberry
- Rating: 4.5/5 (17 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2901 South Capital of Texas Highway Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Love Bubble Tea
- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1614 East 6th St. Ste 107 Austin, Texas
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Churro Co
- Rating: 4.6/5 (573 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1906 South 1st St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: desserts, food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Gati
- Rating: 4.6/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1512 Holly St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Jim-Jim's Water-Ice
- Rating: 4.6/5 (234 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 615 East 6th St. Ste A Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Zeds Real Fruit Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (164 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1814 Harvey St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, beer, wine & spirits, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Casey's New Orleans Snowballs
- Rating: 4.6/5 (363 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 808 East 51st St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Bésame
- Rating: 4.6/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 3901 Promontory Point Drive Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. South Austin Sno
- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5300 Manchaca Road Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Dolce Neve
- Rating: 4.6/5 (700 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1713 South 1st St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Milky Way Shakes
- Rating: 4.6/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2324 East Cesar Chavez Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Big Nonna's
- Rating: 4.6/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12601 Tech Ridge Blvd. Ste 300 Austin, Texas
- Categories: pizza, vegan, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Tropical Island Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (17 reviews)
- Address: 14735 Bratton Lane Ste 107 Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#10. D'Lites of Austin
- Rating: 4.6/5 (217 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4404 West William Cannon Drive Ste G Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Michoacana Natural Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9426 Parkfield Drive Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Love & Cookies - South Lamar
- Rating: 4.7/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 1701 South Lamar Austin, Texas
- Categories: desserts, bakeries, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Luv Fats
- Rating: 4.8/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7135 North Lamar Blvd. Ste A Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, vegan, food stands
- Read more on Yelp
#6. CJ's Tacos
- Rating: 4.8/5 (66 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5804 Burleson Road Austin, Texas
- Categories: tacos, food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Gelato Paradiso
- Rating: 4.9/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1400 South Congress Ave. Ste B160 Austin, Texas
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Mom & Pop's All-Natural Frozen Pops
- Rating: 4.9/5 (16 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2013 Wells Branch Pkwy Ste 304 Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Merry Monarch Creamery
- Rating: 4.9/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 5000 Burnet Road Austin, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Manolis Ice Cream, Pops, Sorbet & More
- Rating: 4.9/5 (543 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8907 Circle Drive Austin, Texas
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Danny's Ice Cream Truck
- Rating: 5.0/5 (93 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Austin, Texas
- Categories: food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Chia-Yi Hou, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 237 metros.
