Mouthwatering Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt in Raleigh

Citizen Pops

★★★★☆ 4.3 (74) • $

"We have traveled the east coast trying different FroYo's along the way. We feel like this is one of the best ones! The yogurt is creamy and the flavors are diverse. They have over 50 toppings, including fresh cut fruit. They also have some experimental toppings like homemade marshmallows (who knew you could make them at home), along with 4 mason jars of other toppings like peppermint. They also have bubble tea and hot chocolate. You can get the bubble tea as a smoothie. (I must confess, I still am not sure what bubble tea is...but they have it...and people seem to like it.) For their hot chocolate, they have 3 types of marshmallow topping...regular, toasted and scorched.The ambiance is very clean and peaceful. They charge $.45 per ounce. Don't forget to get a punch card. After 8 yogurts, you get one free (up to $6). Citizen Yogurt is not a chain/franchise. If you have to choose, please choose to shop locally."

Salt N Cocoa

★★★★★ 5 (49)

"Hubby and I came here after a nice dinner on a Saturday evening. We were both wanting something sweet so when searching on Yelp we came across Salt and Cocoa. Soooo glad we did! There was only one couple here. We told the young man behind the counter it was our first time so he explained the whole menu to us. I opted for the banana Nutella rolled ice cream with the red bean taiyaki. Hubby ordered the matcha rolled ice cream with custard taiyaki. Omg. These were amazing!! My ice cream was a sweet treat for my mouth. And that taiyaki was delish!! The red bean inside was hot while the fish shaped waffle was crispy and warm. The store was very cute with drawings from school children on the wall and colored stools and tables. Both ice cream roll ups and 2 taiyaki totaled up to almost $21. I'd love to come back again and try another roll up. This dessert was the topping on our date night!"

The Cookie People

★★★★☆ 4.3 (17) • $

"Food Truck Time: The Cookie People at Cary's Downtown ChowdownThe variety of cookies that this food truck offered was a good selection. I tried the butterscotch caramel and it was just okay, I would pick a different one next time. You can order 1 cookie for $2.50 or 5 for $10. I was not impressed with the service, the people working the truck were not very friendly or welcoming."

Louie & Co Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.8 (6)

"First off, it's a food truck, not a physical brick & mortar store. That said, the ice cream is VERY good.It's located on side road near a horse farm."

Locopops

★★★★★ 4.5 (179)

"TLDR: Flavorful, delicious popsicles with unique flavors.Unfortunately I did not get a chance to visit their Chapel Hill and Raleigh stores before they closed. However, some places in Raleigh do sell Locopops. Recently I found them at Riparian. I chose the Mexican chocolate and Key Lime Pie. The flavors are unique and taste delicious. The popsicles have strong flavors and ideal textures. They were pricy, but may be cheaper at the Durham location. Prices are comparable to other local Popsicle stores. The quality is high and exceeds those you can find at grocery stores. Overall, we enjoyed Locopops and recommend these popsicles to others!"

Milk Lab - Durham

★★★★★ 4.5 (160) • $$

"Milk Lab is a really good place to satisfy my boba cravings! It's located in a plaza with plenty of parking, and they have an online ordering option. I got their brown sugar milk tea. It was ready really quickly, faster than the initial time estimate I was given, which was very nice. The store itself is spacious and clean, with both indoor and outdoor seating.I think that for boba, I make distinctions between a good drink and a good tea. A good drink just has to be harmonious, but a good tea means I am judging the flavor of the brewed tea itself. With that being said, I think my brown sugar milk tea was a fantastic boba shop drink. It was creamy and had that nice caramelized flavor from the brown sugar, without any odd aftertaste. However, I think the brown sugar overpowered the tea in this drink. I got this drink at a reduced sweetness but I still couldn't really taste the tea. I think that does tend to be the case with brown sugar drinks though, so I may opt for a non brown-sugar drink next time I am here. All in all I enjoyed this drink even without a super strong tea flavor, so I am still looking forward to my next trip here."

Andia's Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.7 (394) • $$

"The ice cream is incredible. The creme brulee ice cream gimmick is what I came for but the manager came out and bruleed it without notifying me and I was quite disheartened not to have gotten to see the show lol. But all in all, the ice cream comes pre packaged from their facility so it's not customizable, but vanilla bean is visible in it and the combo was incredible. $6. The cake batter, rose pistachio and ube were also fantastic. Rich, creamy, flavorful, and unique. I'd recommend this spot for sure! I was just a little emotional driving 26 min to see my ice cream get brulee'd without me. :("

Andia's Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 (158) • $$

"Went here for dessert. I was too full, but wanted to try this place. They are nationally known. There was so many flavors! I was in heaven and everything I sampled was good! I decided to get the Rose Pistachio and it was delicious!!! There was a long line but it went by fast. There were seating inside and outside. Also you are able to take a pint of the ice cream, some come prepared with a cooler and ice!! So if you're in the area, stop by and give it a try!!!!!"

Pistachio

★★★★★ 4.5 (20)

"Delicious inventive ice cream paired with a classy mad-hatter tea party ambiance. Inside is clean and bright with a nice amount of intimate indoor seating. Tables are small, so smaller groups would feel more comfortable for indoor enjoyment of your ice cream, coffee or pastry. Outdoors there is a large garden area that has plenty of eclectic seating options, including chair swings! A little play area for younger kids is a nice touch too.The ice cream was decidedly delicious. We opted for a ginger rose water and matcha green tea and both were fantastic. I definitely recommend this unusual little spot filled with whimsy."

S & T Soda Shoppe

★★★★☆ 4 (166) • $

"S & T Soda Shoppe is a great place to dine while in Pittsboro. The diner with its 40s decor takes you back in time for its cozy feel. The diner has two floors but we asked to stay on the first level as I wasn't sure if there was all the nostalgic decor upstairs.I love that the building was restored to how it would have looked in the 40s with the mahogany wood; tin ceiling; marble counter; bar stools and tile floor. The details are stunning. The place is busy and has a large food menu as well as ice cream menu. The menu has a lot of sandwiches to select from. I went with the tuna melt on sunflower bread with provolone cheese. The sandwich came with chips but I went with steak fries instead. The sandwich was good but I think I'd go with something else next time after looking at what others were ordering.Service was very friendly and attentive."

Fresh Local Ice Cream - Holly Springs

★★★★☆ 3.9 (16)

"This area already has two close ice cream spots but I was excited to see Fresh open a location in downtown Holly Springs. I ordered a kids scoop of the Carolina Crunch and my husband ordered a small scoop of the Sweet Dark Bliss, both were fantastic selections. I usually order the Butter Pecan but was so glad that I tried another flavor. I can't wait to return."

JT's Creamery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (32)

"Not bad. I've been sort of doing a Triangle Tour of ice cream spots. I just happened to land here after hitting up Lovegrass Kitchen. It's a good one/two punch.The Salted Caramel scoop was okay. It didn't do much for me and I routinely enjoy that flavor. The Butter Pecan, however, was excellent. Not a lot of love from the inside. But I guess not every place has to have a friendly atmosphere. Also, it's almost time to get off work as I write this, so there's that. I won't burn them on stars. The ice cream and location are enough to recommend taking a look.A."

Yopop Frozen Yogurt

★★★★☆ 4.1 (63)

"Updating my review since it has been a while. We continue to recommend Yopop to others. This frozen yogurt shop is not as modern/updated as similar places in the area. However, it is still serve your own toppings. On one hand this is nice since you can control how much of each topping you want. On the other hand it is less sanitary and increases the chance of cross contamination. Plus, it offers unique frozen yogurt flavors (like taro) and toppings (like mochi). The tarwas running out and one of the toppings was missing a spoon. The employees are friendly and they immediately fixed the taro and got an extra scoop. Prices are about the same as other self serve frozen yogurt establishments. These places are on the pricier end, but okay for the occasional treat. I highly recommend the coconut fro yo and I like that they offer dairy free options. Overall, we continue to have positive experiences here and recommend it to others!"

Creative Cone

★★★★★ 4.8 (6)

"Wendell NC is a lovely small authentic NC town which consists of several small shall shops, mainly bars and restaurants. One of those special small little shops is the creative cone, a family-owned frozen dessert business focused on delivering something deliciously unique to main street. Unlike DQ or any convenience store, the ice cream is small batch more delicious than any big box brand. The ideal ice cream shop goes beyond serving delicious frozen treats; it creates an immersive experience that delights customers through visual appeal, enticing aromas, high-quality ingredients, and friendly service. It becomes a place where customers can create cherished memories while indulging in their favorite frozen delights, and this is the focus of the creative cone.The creative cone brings a "build a bear" experience in the form of frozen desserts. They can build a cake or even flavor a soft serve and deliver it in a freshly baked waffle cone with all the fix-ins, without breaking a sweat. Wendell is lucky to have the creative cone, Cheers!"

Pincho Loco

★★★★★ 4.8 (172) • $

"The ice cream here is really good! They have some very interesting flavors that I've not seen elsewhere. Also the people working here are super nice. Takes a little while to get through the line, but it's worth it!"

Vida Dulce

★★★★★ 4.6 (202) • $$

"It was a hot day and we wanted to cool it up with some ice creams ! Good location in Cary .. they have seats inside to sit and eat. Nice interiors .. service was average . Not much crowd but it takes them time to take orders and deliver . They have lots of options . Ice creams , churros , sweet corn cups , milkshakes , cola sticks , slushy , fried plantains etc .. they were taking orders in Spanish and I didn't know :) asked for a strawberry fresh ice cream but ended up getting a strawberry with cream ! Kid got ice cream and it was good . Wanted to give 3.5 stars but gave a 4 ! Overall a OK experience ."

Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery

★★★★★ 4.6 (66)

"My wife and I are fans of Howling Cow ice cream. We get it from our local Harris Teeter stores in Chapel Hill and Durham. Howling Cow is a product of NC State, but the ice cream we get from Harris Teeter is actually produced in my hometown of High Point. I wonder how that came to be.The prices we've paid have been $4.49 (price with VIC card discount, regularly $4.99) and $3.50 per pint (on sale).I rank the flavors we've had as follows:1. Campfire Delight2. Cookie Dough^23. Cookies & Cream4. Butter Almond5. Chocolate Chip MintMy wife disagreed with me, as she often does when it comes to food. She liked Butter Almond the best and said the rest of the flavors were about the same. In addition to disagreeing on the flavors, we disagreed on the consistency. Currently, the ice cream brand we buy the most from grocery stores is Tillamook (from Oregon). I think Tillamook ice cream is richer and creamier than Howling Cow and therefore, better since I prefer creamier ice cream. My wife thought Howling Cow had denser, less airy texture compared to Tillamook. So, I inferred she preferred the consistency of Howling Cow to Tillamook.Overall, we agree that Howling Cow ice cream is delicious and we haven't had a single bad flavor yet. It's good ice cream.The Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery is located south of Raleigh proper and NC State's main campus. It's on farmland used by NC State for teaching (e.g., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences). You can get Howling Cow ice cream at the parlor here (to enjoy on-site and in take-home pints), on campus, at the state fair, and in stores like the aforementioned Harris Teeter."

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.9 (16)

"Came here in a Sunday afternoon for some ice cream and it was a wonderful experience! Very clean shop with fresh toppings and thick and creamy ice cream full of flavor. They had dairy free, coconut and salted caramel flavors. Staff is friendly and helpful."

Coffee Lodge

★★★★☆ 4.3 (76)

"Cute spot! Decently quick for the small place that it is. It's was nice to see that they have smoothies and such if you've already had too much coffee for the day."

Fresh Local Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 (82)

"Our group was in the mood for late night ice cream. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live just a few minutes away so we decided to head over to Fresh Local Ice Cream.I decided on a small cup with brookie and birthday cake. Hubby ordered a regular cup with birthday cake and Carolina crunch. All 4 of us loved the ice cream! It was smooth and perfectly sweet. We appreciated their unique and tasty flavors. The birthday cake was the best! Sprinkles and cake crunchies were tough to beat. The brookie was delicious as well, rich chocolate ice cream with brownie and cookie dough pieces. The Carolina crunch was yummy, I will probably get that flavor next time.The staff members were friendly and welcoming. They offered us samples and didn't get cheap with us. My brother-in-law loves samples so he was very happy. He even made another trip later in the week to pick up pints for July 4th weekend. Fresh Local Ice Cream is a must try while in Apex!"

SaYum Jamaican Food

★★★★☆ 3.9 (43) • $

"Leaving out the "Why the hell am I here?" portion of the story, lets fast forward to food, shall we? *the train & rail systems have more issues than Harper's Weekly**Little did this town with a population slightly north of Bozeman, Montana foresee the rush of delayed travelers before it's early screeching halt. In we poured and the register sang Zippidy Doo Da out of its cash drawer.I sat sipping and supping the delicious brown drippings sauce of Ox Tail marrow, onion and carrot that seductively absorbed into my brown rice, you sexy thing. An unusual suspect of shredded cabbage joined the mix in its own individual to go box compartment. Chunks of tender Ox Tail tipped the scales to a triple digging meal session. Two of the three sessions occurring in the train leaving the fragrant yet pungent sent of Jamacian spices."

Sugar Shack at Brown Dog Acres

★★★★☆ 3.6 (5)

"Driving through Knightdale I decided I wanted some ice cream and after looking at the reviews I decided to try this place even though it was a little out of my way. It ended up being a nice little gem. Two young men were running the stand and were both polite. They have a cute playground for children and several places to sit including a swinging bench. Multiple flavors and reasonable in price. I ordered the peanut butter with chocolate. This was some of the better peanut butter with chocolate that I've had. There is a porta john near by should you need one. The building is a little off the road but if you look for the sign that says ice cream you shouldn't have any problem finding it. I will definitely come by again when in the area."

The Scoop at Willow Oak Farms

★★★★★ 4.9 (22)

"A new ice cream shop has opened up in Fuquay Varina (it's in the Northern Harnett County area). In addition to scoops of ice cream, they serve milkshakes and sundaes. The list of flavors is small but they have two seasonal and a "Flavor of the Month". I tried a scoop of chocolate in a small waffle cone and my husband tried a scoop of peach (a seasonal flavor) in a cup. The ice cream was good but I wouldn't travel too far out of the way for it. We took our ice cream to enjoy on the road but they have picnic tables outside. There is also a playground if you have kids that need to burn off the sugar rush."

The Peach Cobbler Factory - Fuquay Varina

★★★★☆ 4 (27)

"The Peach Cobbler Factory has a location in Fuquay Varina. This spot serves up dessert items which includes cobblers, banana pudding, cookies, cinnamon rolls and shakes. My mom and I split the peach cobbler. The cobblers come with an optional scoop of ice cream, we opted for a scoop but asked that it be served on the side instead of on top. It is pricey but it was good. I'll have to return to try another flavor soon."

Hwy 42 Cafe & Hershey’s Ice Cream

★★★★☆ 3.9 (39)

"Better than Starbucks!!!!We've eaten here a few times and the food is good. The prices are extremely reasonable, especially with how much everything has increased in price. But the star of this show is their coffee bar. We got some breakfast, a raspberry white mocha, and an iced caramel macchiato. The drinks had a cleaner flavor than Starbucks and they don't cheat you by overloading the ice! I got a small and it had as much, if not more drink in it than a large at Starbucks (I know that's not what they call it). If you are in the area, I highly recommend coming here before going to the other place.."

Shake Shack Village District

★★★★☆ 3.5 (17)

"I'm a Shake Shack fan and this was my first visit to the Village District location. I went on a weeknight and it wasn't very busy. I placed my order online ahead of time and while it was a few minutes late, it was hot and correct. My family and I ended up eating outside on one of their sidewalk tables. They had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating while we were there. My son loved the bacon and avocado cheeseburger, while I always opt for the traditional Shack burger. Sometimes simple is just the best! I like their fries, I don't love them. I also do thoroughly enjoy their shakes and love how they have different special flavors every month. Overall a solid spot to grab a burger and order online if you are hoping to cut down on some of the wait!"

Milk Lab - Cary

★★★★☆ 4.4 (540) • $$

"Accept that it's busy and there is minimal indoor seating, and it's a five star experience. I'd recommend order ahead. QR code in the pics. Ice cream is slower than tea. Tried on a Saturday. 4 employees on tea, 1 then 2 on ice cream. Waited 15-20 min. Lost track of time coming out in a corner. Not made. Just waited. Got two. Mango slushy. Real mango with jasmine tea. Fantastic. Would order again. Second was a Hong Kong tea- black tea, cream, brown sugar. Serious caffeine. Kept me up late. I'd order again but only get in the morning. Again, tasty. Super fresh tapioca boba. Lots of outdoor seating. Watched 5 groups leave due to the crowds. Kiosk ordering at door or in person at register."

Vida Dulce

★★★★☆ 3.8 (11)

"I tried Vida Dulce 3 years ago in Cary for the first time (via YES event!) and absolutely fell in love!! I hadn't been in a while because they're so far from me now that I'm back in Clayton. Well, it's like they read my mind because they just opened a new location in Clayton a couple of months ago!I initially had my mind set on getting the mangonada but ended up getting the Gansito Shake because Gansito is my favorite Mexican snack and why wouldn't I get that?!! It was soooo good to say the least! I can't wait to go back to try more!What we tried:- Strawberry Banana Paleta- Gansito Shake- Churros Split with Chocolate, Stawberry, and GANSITO"

Videri Chocolate Factory

★★★★☆ 4.3 (292) • $$

"What a fun place! Protip - before you come here, make sure you follow the instructions on the website regarding getting your parking validated. If you don't, they won't. When you come in, it has a over the counter service feel with a cafe feel on the other side. When it comes o the chocolate, you're allowed to try samples as long as you keep the mini cup they give you. If you don't do this, you're totally missing out on the biggest part of the experience! :) Another thing you need to do is to walk forward to the self-help guide that has videos, explanations, and fun tips about the chocolate process. And while we were there we of course had to try the coffee.... it's about as exquisite as you'd expect. If you're in the area this is definitely a place to visit!Food Taste: 5Overall Service: one person I think was having a bad day.. she gets a 1.. the other person was super friendly.. she gets the 5.Value of food to cost: 4Facility: 5Ambiance: a bit rustic and fun. Provides a great overall experience, can just get a bit crowded if you go in and it's super busy. Repeat customer: yesDog Friendly: no"

Yogurt Pump

★★★★☆ 4.4 (179) • $

"My wife is "kind of a big deal" when it comes to food, and The Yogurt Pump (aka "YoPo") is one of her favorite places. We probably come here once a month."

Vida Dulce

★★★★☆ 3.9 (23)

"As always, the treats here are delicious!I ordered a strawberry aqua fresca and a fruity pebbles popsicle and wasn't left disappointed. They have so many wonderful and delicious looking things to choose from. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other menu items!"

La Vita Dolce

★★★★☆ 4.1 (93) • $

Bumble Tea

★★★★☆ 4.3 (193)

"Came here for a Yelp event and we had a great time! I tried four different boba drinks and all four were good. I think my favorite was the Jasmine or the plain Thai milk tea, but my wife also especially enjoyed the taro. Their Nutella taiyaki was doughy and delicious. We even bought a few macarons to bring home, and my favorite had to be the matcha berry. And the place itself is rather nice inside with plenty of seating. The whole staff was super friendly and helpful, even through what was clearly a stressful night for them. They were quickly taking orders and making dozens of drinks with smiles on their face the whole time. Absolutely top notch service!"

Dairy Depot

★★★★☆ 4.3 (97) • $

"The place in Wake Forest for soft-serve ice cream available in numerous mouth-watering flavors. Park and walk up or drive thru to pick up creamy soft-serve ice cream.Flavors we enjoyed so far:Cake BatterAmarettoPomegranate Pros:- Friendly employees who are all wearing masks- Numerous flavors and options to pick from- Drive thru option- Deals for senior citizens, large groups, and first responders- If you want multiple flavors in the same cup/cone they will swirl them together- Non-dairy options availableCons:- They don't seem to have pint containers for their business so they use soft drink cups.- They were out of waffle cones"

Nancy Jo's Homemade

★★★★☆ 4.3 (24) • $$

"Small, local Cafe in quaint part of Clayton. My chicken salad sandwich had the sweetest tomato known to mankind. The pasta salad was tasty but the amazing part was the chocolate cake. They offer a range of cakes and pies that leaves your mouth watering Love that they also have outside picnic tables. Plus they offer a full range of Hershey ice cream flavors."