San Francisco is the best city for ice cream lovers, with a Walk Score of 86 and 61 locations to eat ice cream that collectively have an average Yelp ranking of 4.26. This is according to a new report by Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage, which analyzed 100 major U.S cities by combining Yelp and Walk Score data to find the best cities for ice cream lovers.
After discovering the top 100 cities in the United States with the most ice cream shops, Redfin factored in average Yelp rating and Walk Score. To account for quality over quantity of ice cream shops, the average rating for shops was factored to be twice as valuable as the Walk Score and number of shops. Redfin real estate agents shared local expertise and revealed their favorite ice cream shops to visit.
Top Five Cities for Ice Cream Lovers
1. San Francisco, CA
Number of ice cream shops: 61
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.26
Walk Score: 86
“San Francisco has several ice cream options but my favorite is Smitten. Smitten hand makes each scoop to order and super freezes the raw ingredients using a special freezing machine called a Brrr. Located in charming Hayes Valley, you can grab a sweet scoop and shop to your heart’s content after!” – Gabrielle Bunker, Redfin Listing Agent in San Francisco
Notable ice cream shops: Mitchell’s Ice Cream, The Baked Bear, Smitten Ice Cream, Swensons, Bi-Rite Creamery, Humphry Slocombe, Fentons Creamery
2. Seattle, WA
Number of ice cream shops: 50
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.26
Walk Score: 73
“Frankie and Jo’s is an all vegan ice cream shop, and you wouldn’t know that from the line around the block they have almost nightly. One flavor, California Cabin, has a uniquely pine-ish smell… but my favorite is salted caramel ash. It basically tastes like same ol’ salted caramel, but with activated charcoal making it gray colored. It’s one of their more popular flavors!” – Roger Kilburn, Redfin Buyer’s Agent in Seattle
Notable ice cream shops: Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, Kurt Farm Shop, Old School Frozen Custard, Frankie & Jo’s, Bluebird Ice Cream, Shug’s Soda Fountain and Ice Cream
3. Los Angeles, CA (tied)
Number of ice cream shops: 50
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.28
Walk Score: 67
“LA has some of the most amazing ice cream I’ve ever tasted. I could write a novel about my many favorites but if I had to pick one it’d be Merci Clement. I like to frequent their truck that’s usually parked on 1st Street in Little Tokyo. Their ice cream is frozen on a stick, dipped in something sweet and sprinkled with a crunch. The whole experience is customizable. You’ll start by picking your flavor, followed by the dipper (like my favorite, dark chocolate) and topped with things like almonds, rainbow sprinkles or chocolate chips. Not only is it fun but each bite is better than the last!” – Nikki Kilmer, Redfin Buyer’s Agent in Los Angeles
Notable ice cream shops: Magpies Softserve, Merci Clement, Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co., Afters Ice Cream, Coolhaus, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
3. San Diego, CA (tied)
Number of ice cream shops: 72
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.31
Walk Score: 51
“My favorite Ice cream shop is Creamistry and I love to order the Affogato! I’m able to get my ice cream and coffee fix all in one.” – Amando Butalid, Redfin Buyer’s Agent in San Diego
Notable ice cream shops: Mariposa Ice Cream, JoJo’s Creamery, Creme & Sugar, ICMonster, TREET Ice Cream Sandwich Company
4. Denver, CO
Number of ice cream shops: 54
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.3
Walk Score: 61
“Little Man Ice Cream is hands down my favorite ice cream shop in Denver. When I’m in the area on a tour, I always make sure to stop by and invite my clients I’m touring with to join. The atmosphere, customer service and homemade ice cream are always exceptional!” –Karla Kirkpatrick Adams, Redfin Buyer’s Agent in Denver
Notable ice cream shops: Little Man Ice Cream, Sweet Action Ice Cream, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream, Milkroll Creamery, High Point Creamery
5. Miami, FL
Number of ice cream shops: 42
Average rating of all ice cream shops: 4.34
Walk Score: 79
“Morelia Gourmet Paletas in Coral Gables is my favorite place to grab an ice cream bar! They serve a variety of fruit and chocolate flavors. After that, you can dress up your Paleta with melted chocolates, chopped nuts and even melted marshmallow topping that’s torched in front of you! Its convenient location on Coral Way is also fantastic. I usually visit in the evening while walking my two dogs!” –Jessica Johnson, Redfin Buyer’s Agent in Miami
Notable ice cream shops: Dasher and Crank, Mad Lab Creamery, Morelia Gourmet Paletas, Taiyaki, Sweet Melody, Serendipity Creamery
To read the full report, complete with all fifteen cities, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/blog/2018/08/best-cities-ice-cream-united-states.html.
