When I was a kid, my favorite ice cream shop was always the one closest to my house. It was next to the park and my friends and I were able to ride our bikes or walk there so we didn’t have to ask our parents to drive us.
No one ever bothered to learn the actual name of the place because everyone knew it as, “the spot next to the park.” You couldn’t miss it. Almost every night there would be families and soccer teams crowded around one of the few tables or sitting in the grass.
The ice cream spot in my town is one of those places that makes it feel like it’s actually summer when it opens for the season.
Some of my co-workers’ favorite ice cream places range from franchises to one-of-a-kind mom and pop shops. Here are the creameries and some of their flavors or specialties!
And no matter what anyone says – a trip to the ice cream shop can be part of an adequate diet. Moderation is key. You can always ask for a kiddie cone, opt for low-fat frozen yogurt or consider walking or riding your bike to the ice cream place.
CENTRAL NEW YORK REGION
Camillus
- Peter’s Polar Parlor: Blueberry, red raspberry sherbet, watermelon sherbet, pistachio soft serve, very berry twist
Manlius
- Sno Top: Trash can sundae, lemon dole whip, gourmet sundaes, gourmet slurries
North Syracuse
- Big Dip: Homemade ice cream, twin berry twist, peanut butter chocolate twist, sunset twist (orange and lemon dole whip), shark attack sundae, homemade whipped cream
- The Ice Cream Stand: Variety of organic/vegan/non-GMO ice cream flavors, toasted marshmallow toppers
Oswego
- Bev’s Dairy Treat: Brownie sundae, banana split, ice cream twists
Syracuse
- Broadway Café & Arctic Island: Gelato, pineapple dole whip, burgundy cherry ice cream, multiple sherbet flavors
- Gannon’s Ice Cream: Homemade hard ice cream, chocolate raspberry truffle, crème brulee, peanut butter perfection.
FINGER LAKES REGION
Avon
- Tom Wahl’s: Twin kissed soft serve, root beer float, orange float, homemade root beer
Bloomfield
- Shark’s Ice Cream: Chocolate butter fudge, orange pineapple, almond joy
Gates
- Russell’s Ice Cream: Ice cream cakes, weekly new flavors, dole whip
Spencerport
- Lugia’s Ice Cream: Bittersweet sinphony, cannoli, caramel praline turtle
- Village Ice Cream Shop (VICS): Black raspberry, vanilla and chocolate soft serve custard flavors
Victor
- Papa Jack’s Ice Cream: Cookie monster and chocoholic sundaes; frozen custard, frozen yogurt, ice cream pies/cakes and milkshakes
Webster
- Bruster’s: All ice cream made on site. Chocolate raspberry truffle, white turtle, free doggie sundaes. On Thursdays, bring your own banana and get half off a banana split
Pittsford
- Pittsford Farms Dairy and Bakery: Mint chocolate chunk, cookie monster, homemade chocolate milk
UTICA REGION
Boonville
- Mercer’s Dairy: Five percent alcohol by volume wine ice cream, 10 soft serve flavors, and 30 hard serve flavors. All ice cream made on site
Hamilton
- Maxwell’s Chocolates and Ice Cream: Grasshopper sundae, muddy polar bear, half moon milkshake
Utica
- Nicky Doodles: 50 flavors of soft serve ice cream, 30 flavors of hard ice cream, 28 specialty sundaes
Remsen
- Ward’s Drive-In: Sorbet, black raspberry frozen yogurt, campfire s’mores ice cream
SOUTHERN TIER
Elmira
- Big Top Ice Cream: Superbowl sundae, turtle sundae, strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits
Vestal
- Lickity Split Ice Cream Shoppe: Ice cream cakes, milk shakes, bubble tea
Binghamton
- Jones Humdinger: Blueberry cheesecake, oreo joe, cookie dough, peppermint patty
Did we miss your favorite creamery? Add it to the comments section below!
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I grew up in North Syracuse and we were always at Hafner’s Corner Ice Cream stand for the two-berry twist. The stand closed awhile ago but the goodies are still local. Hands down the best place to get ice cream is Kenny’s Corner Ice Cream Stand at the corner of Bear Rd and Buckley Rd in North Syracuse. This is the only place to get the ORIGINAL Two-Berry Twist ice cream….and I highly recommend adding chocolate sprinkles. You will not be disappointed. Many others have a two-berry twist but nothing is as good as the original and ONLY Kenny’s has it. (Well, Kenny’s and Chuckleberries Frozen Yogurt in Liverpool as it’s run by the same guys.) Check it out and enjoy!! http://www.kennyscornericecream.com/
ITHACA NY: Purity Ice Cream Co. – Great locally made hard ice cream selection – cones, sundaes as well as pies, cupcakes, and more… Highly recommended!!!
CANANDAIGUA NY: Cheshire Farms Creamery – Located in a charming little red barn like building in the southern part of the village, Cheshire Farms Creamery provides some of the most unique, yet best quality hard ice cream in the surrounding Rochester area. They also have a quaint coffee bar and plenty of dessert novelties. Look out for their special Riptide flavored ice cream which is infused with bourbon.
Williamson NY: Yia Yia’s. Great prices, huge portions and friendly speedy service. Line is always out the door!
Lewiston, NY: Hibbards Homemade custard…yumm!
The Arctic Island burgundy cherry is amazing.
If you’re in Rochester, you MUST try Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream. My favorite is the salted caramel ice cream in a freshly made waffle cone.
Ditto! The flavors are always changing, and very unique. The salted caramel, strawberry, vanilla, and dairy-free chocolate sorbet seem to be regulars. The other 4 flavors change. Take a peek in their chocolate shop next door while you are there.
The Cornell Dairy has their own dairy processing plant and makes their own ice cream, milk, yogurt, etc. They have a variety of flavors and Cornellians always rave about going there! They also usually have new seasonal flavors to try.
You can also get ice cream sandwiches if you order ahead of time or buy tubs of their ice cream for big events.
Enjoy 🙂
Cornell Dairy Bar*
http://living.cornell.edu/dine/wheretoeat/cafescoffeehouses/cornelldairybar.cfm
E Irondequoit, NY: Netsins
I just discovered “The Ginger Lion” on Winton Rd in Rochester! Homemade ice cream and waffle cones!