I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
It’s been one hot summer, to say the least, and, of course, ice cream is on the mind for a sweet and refreshing treat. Philly may be known for cheesesteaks and water ice, but its ice cream selection is nothing to brush off. From Chestnut Hill, to Fishtown, to West Philly, the city has plenty of top-rated cream places to check out this summer. Read on to find out the inside scoop!
Bredenbeck’s Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor
8126 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Website: http://www.bredenbecks.com/
A Philadelphia tradition since 1889, Bredenbeck’s is this year’s Philly Happening List winner for best ice cream. The bakery and ice cream parlor is located in the historic heart of Chestnut Hill. From creamy hand-dipped Bassett’s ice cream, home-churned in Philadelphia, to refreshing sorbets and gluten-free options, Bredenbeck’s has something for everyone. Some of the flavors include these favorites: Phillies Graham Slam, Guatemalan Ripple, Milky Way, and Gadzooks.
Bassetts Ice Cream
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 410, Philadelphia, Pa 19107
Inside Reading Terminal Market, 45 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19107
Website: https://www.bassettsicecream.com/
World-famous Bassets Ice Cream is a fifth-generation family business and a Philadelphia tradition since 1861. Bassets, a finalist in this year’s Philly Happening List category for best ice cream, also ships its goodness globally through Goldbelly. Some of Bassets flavors include Pomegranate Blueberry Chunk, English Toffee Crunch, Cinnamon, Pistachio, Macadamia Nut, and Raspberry Truffle.
The Franklin Fountain
116 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Also featured seasonally at Spruce Street Harbor Park, 121 N. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Website: http://www.franklinfountain.com/
The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience of an old-time ice cream shop. Employees are decked out in bow ties and collared white shirts, serving you classic ice cream and soda fountain treats. Some of the delicious flavors include Franklin Mint Chip, Hydrox Cookie, Coconut, Green Tea, and Cotton Candy.
Scoop DeVille
1109 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19107
Website: http://scoopdevilleicecream.com/
Scoop DeVille believes in making Philadelphia happier, one flavor at a time. The scoop shop has a passion to create custom-blended flavors for its customers. Scoop DeVille allows customers to make their very own custom blend by picking a base flavor, then selecting unique ingredients to mix in or add on top.
Some of the base flavors include Strawberry Shortcake, Cookie Monster, Vanilla Fudge, and Turtle Nut Latte. Mix-ins and toppings include candy cane pieces, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate-covered pretzels, peppermint patties, and Rice Krispies Treats. It doesn’t end there, as there are also unique mix-in options of bacon bits, coconut shavings, coffee or malt powder, nutmeg, or even protein powder!
Scoop DeVille also has a location on South Street and another at The Bourse, where they offer tasty boozy creations!
Weckerly’s Ice Cream
Fishtown: 9 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19123
West Philly: 265 S 44th Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19104
Website: https://www.weckerlys.com/
Founded late in the autumn of 2012, Weckerly’s has grown from a small ice cream company in the Spruce Hill Community of West Philadelphia to a micro creamery, nestled in a restored textile factory among artists, craftspeople, chefs, and bakers. Each flavor is inspired by the seasons and crafted with local ingredients from small farms throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and sorbets are always on the menu with the flavors varying per season. Perennial ice cream flavors of course include Vanilla and Milk Chocolate. Seasonal flavors for this summer include Blueberry Breakfast, Black Forest Gateau, Black Raspberry Stracciatella, and Thai Tea.
Fairmont Flavors
2004 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19130
Website: https://fairmountflavors.com/
If you see a line of people wrapped around the corner on Fairmount Avenue, you’ve run into the loyal fans of Fairmount Flavors. The ice cream shop offers beyond the custard and cone with sundaes, Italian ice, ice cream sandwiches between waffles, ice cream cakes, and more. Some of their notable ice cream flavors are Mocha Chip, Strawberry Cheesecake, Nutella, and Mango.
Lil Pop Shop
265 South 44th Street, West Philadelphia, Pa 19104
Website: https://www.lilpopshop.com/
Out with the old and in with the new: Lil Pop Shop handcrafts refreshing fruit bars and pies with no artificial ingredients or dyes. Rather, the shop has been using fresh, local ingredients to create their small frozen treats for the past 10 years. Browse through the delectable pops from Garden Mint to Lavender Lemonade, and snag a pie for later starting in October once again!
Milk Jawn
1439 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19147
Website: https://milkjawn.com/
A small batch premium ice cream shop made the Philly way (without eggs), is right at your fingertips at Milk Jawn. What began as a hobby turned into a fully grown storefront with pop-up shops around the city as well. Stop by or order online to try one or several of their beloved flavors such as Cookie Butter, Tahini Fudge Swirl, Earl Grey with Honeycomb, and Lemon Curd with Blueberry Basil Swirl.
Zsa’s
6616 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19119
Website: https://www.zsasicecream.com/
Zsa’s only serves the with their best scoop forward, as all of the ice cream and mix-in is completely made from scratch. You simply can not go wrong with anything on the menu — ice cream cakes, ice cream sandwiches, to simple but delicious ice cream scoops in a cup or one of the various a la carte Konery cones — from Birthday Cake to Midnight Vanilla.
Arctic Scoop
1812 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa 19148
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ARCTICSCOOPHILLY/
Craving exotic flavors? No problem. Walk on over to Arctic Scoop for the newest of the new ice cream flavors serviced in a warm Hong Kong-style egg waffle or a Thai-inspired coconut bowl. Let Arctic Scoop transport you to a sunny beach vacation through their sweet and refreshing treats.
