Highest-rated ice cream shops in San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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. Lick Honest Ice Creams
- Rating: 4.5/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 639 Hemisfair Blvd. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. El Tropico
- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3534 Fredricksburg Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#25. La Flor de Michoacan
- Rating: 4.5/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4707 Rigsby Ave. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Sebastian's Snack Shack
- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2614 Nogalitos St. Ste 1 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#23. 4 Seasons Yogurt
- Rating: 4.6/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1207 North Loop 1604 West San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Boozy's Creamery & Craft
- Rating: 4.6/5 (368 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 711 South St. Mary's St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bars, chocolatiers & shops
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Ice Ice Baby
- Rating: 4.6/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2113 Bandera Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Peachwave Frozen Yogurt
- Rating: 4.6/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 14249 Potranco Road Ste 103 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Twelve Stone
- Rating: 4.6/5 (16 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1700 South St. Mary's St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Yuyus Pinas
- Rating: 4.6/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 2235 Thousand Oaks Ste 107 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#17. El Paraiso Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1934 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. La Colmena Fruteria
- Rating: 4.7/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15171 Judson Road Ste 105 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, juice bars & smoothies, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Los Regios Fruteria
- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2431 Austin Hwy San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 10003 Northwest Military Hwy Ste 3109 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Fruteria Los Trejo
- Rating: 4.7/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7722 Eckhert Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Yo-Go The Yogurt Shop
- Rating: 4.7/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 7078 Bandera Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Chamoy Dreams
- Rating: 4.7/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 5558 Old Pearsall Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: food trucks, shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Black+White Modern Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 4011 Broadway St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Snak X
- Rating: 4.8/5 (16 reviews)
- Address: 8104 Tezel Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice, candy stores
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Bee Nice Cream
- Rating: 4.8/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8003 Broadway San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Swig
- Rating: 4.8/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 14028 Culebra Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: beverage store, juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Fiesta Palebolis
- Rating: 4.8/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 802 Nogalitos San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Arctic Ape Wild Desserts
- Rating: 4.9/5 (313 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5221 Walzem Road Ste 1 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Michoacan Bajo Cero Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (17 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 14070 Nacogdoches Road Ste 1 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: shaved ice, ice cream & frozen yogurt, waffles
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Freshest Ice Creams
- Rating: 4.9/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8053 Callaghan Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: gelato, juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Snow Heaven
- Rating: 4.9/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 25370 West I-10 Frontage Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Oasis Snack Delights & Purified Water
- Rating: 5.0/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 8373 Culebra Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt, shaved ice
- 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.
