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 Boston 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.
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#29. Blackbird Doughnuts - Fenway
- Rating: 3.6/5 (224 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 20 Kilmarnock St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: donuts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#28. Emack & Bolio's
- Rating: 3.6/5 (284 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 290 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#27. Blackbird Doughnuts - South End
- Rating: 3.7/5 (581 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 492 Tremont St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: bakeries, donuts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#26. Caffe Lil Italy
- Rating: 3.7/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 178 Salem St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: coffee & tea, breakfast & brunch, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#25. Code 10
- Rating: 3.7/5 (129 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1638 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: sandwiches, soup, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#24. Ben & Jerry's
- Rating: 3.8/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1 Central Wharf Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#23. Blackbird Doughnuts - Beacon Hill - West End
- Rating: 3.8/5 (54 reviews)
- Address: 175 Cambridge St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: donuts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#22. J P Licks - Charles Street
- Rating: 3.8/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 150 Charles St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
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#21. J P Licks - Boylston Street
- Rating: 4.1/5 (261 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1106 Boylston St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea, bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
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#20. Amorino Gelato
- Rating: 4.1/5 (572 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 249 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, macarons
- Read more on Yelp
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#19. Sweet Sip
- Rating: 4.1/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 285 Adams St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: coffee & tea, juice bars & smoothies, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#18. Taiyaki NYC - Boston
- Rating: 4.1/5 (706 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 119 Seaport Blvd. Ste B Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts, japanese
- Read more on Yelp
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#17. Sullivan's Castle Island
- Rating: 4.1/5 (421 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2080 Day Blvd. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: fast food, burgers, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#16. C Fruit Life
- Rating: 4.1/5 (248 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 171 Brighton Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, pizza
- Read more on Yelp
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#15. LimeRed Tea House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1092 Commonwealth Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: coffee & tea, bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#14. J P Licks - Newbury Street
- Rating: 4.2/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 173 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
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#13. Jennifer's Frosty
- Rating: 4.3/5 (12 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#12. FoMu Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.3/5 (50 reviews)
- Address: 140 Brookline Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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#11. Fort Point Market
- Rating: 4.3/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 369 Congress St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: beer, wine & spirits, grocery, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#10. Crescent Ridge
- Rating: 4.4/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 100 Hanover St. The Boston Public Market Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#9. The Bittersweet Shoppe on Newbury
- Rating: 4.4/5 (111 reviews)
- Address: 257 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: cafes, ice cream & frozen yogurt, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
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#8. FoMu
- Rating: 4.4/5 (314 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 655 Tremont St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, bakeries, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
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#7. Chill On Park
- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 142 Park St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#6. North End Creamery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 121 Salem St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#5. Matcha Café Maiko
- Rating: 4.6/5 (237 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 115 Jersey St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: bubble tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#4. Helados Juli's Frozen Dessert
- Rating: 4.6/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8 Brooks St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: desserts, coffee & tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
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#3. Wild Pops
- Rating: 4.6/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 3213 Washington St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: desserts, ice cream & frozen yogurt, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
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#2. Slush King
- Rating: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 211 Bennington St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: ice cream & frozen yogurt, gelato
- Read more on Yelp
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#1. Lazy Bear Creamery
- Rating: 5.0/5 (18 reviews)
- Address: 383 Neponset Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: 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.
