Highest-rated ice cream shops in Seattle 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 Seattle 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.
#28. Husky Deli
- Rating: 4.3/5 (574 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4721 California Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, sandwiches, delis
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Full Tilt Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.3/5 (359 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9629 16th Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: arcades, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Cold Plate
- Rating: 4.3/5 (137 reviews)
- Address: 5240 University Way Northeast Ste- B Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, bubble tea
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.3/5 (490 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 321 West Galer St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery
- Rating: 4.3/5 (452 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4301 University Way Northeast Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bakeries, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Full Tilt Columbia City
- Rating: 4.3/5 (360 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5041 Rainier Ave. South Ste 105 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, arcades
- Read more on Yelp
#22. MOTO Pizza - Belltown
- Rating: 4.3/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3131 Western Ave. Ste 301 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: pizza, desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Chuck's Hop Shop
- Rating: 4.3/5 (258 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2001 East Union St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: beer, wine & spirits, food trucks, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. D'Ambrosio Gelato
- Rating: 4.4/5 (423 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5339 Ballard Ave. Northwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato, cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Street Treats
- Rating: 4.4/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 309 South Cloverdale St. Ste C 36 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Gelatiamo
- Rating: 4.5/5 (818 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1400 3rd Ave. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: bakeries, ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4822 Rainier Ave. South Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Saleh's Delicatessen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2401 Northwest 80th St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: beer, wine & spirits, ice cream & frozen yogurt, grocery
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Nutty Squirrel Gelato - Phinney Ridge
- Rating: 4.5/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7212 Greenwood Ave. North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: gelato, ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Frankie & Jo's - Capitol Hill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (719 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1010 East Union St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Pink's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, food stands
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Frankie & Jo's - Ballard
- Rating: 4.6/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1411 Northwest 70th St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Seattle Pops
- Rating: 4.6/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1401 North 45th St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Baiten
- Rating: 4.6/5 (118 reviews)
- Address: 500 East Pine St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
#9. MOTO Pizza - West Seattle
- Rating: 4.6/5 (217 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4526 42nd Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: pizza, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Nutty Squirrel Gelato - Magnolia
- Rating: 4.7/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2425 33rd Ave. West Ste B Seattle, Washington
- Categories: gelato, desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Hellenika Cultured Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1920A Pike Place Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Lil' Tiger Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.8/5 (90 reviews)
- Address: 12348 Lake City Way Northeast Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Creamy Cone Cafe
- Rating: 4.9/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9433 Rainier Ave. South Seattle, Washington
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Jollidaze
- Rating: 4.9/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 519 6th Ave. South Seattle, Washington
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, themed cafes
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Baxter & Frost
- Rating: 4.9/5 (14 reviews)
- Address: 1419 1st Ave. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: bakeries, desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Seattle Sorbets
- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 4611 36th Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato, shaved ice
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Jilted Siren
- Rating: 5.0/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 1802 Bellevue Ave. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: cocktail bars, moroccan, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- 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.
