Summer in Atlanta runs on ice cream. The good news: the metro has more serious ice cream shops than at any point in the last decade.
Here’s my ranked list, from best to best-but-not-quite-as-best.
1. The Varsity — Midtown
The original location, open since 1928, is the platonic ideal of an Atlanta ice cream shop. The frosted orange (a Technicolor orange-vanilla milkshake) is the only correct order. Yes, the hot dogs are also great. That’s a separate list.
2. Butter & Cream — Decatur
Walk-up window, opened 2021, has the best small-batch ice cream in the city. The brown-butter-cake flavor is the one to drive across town for. Limited menu. No indoor seating. Worth the wait in line.
3. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Multiple locations
The chain gets a bad rap in foodie circles because it is a chain. Ignore that. The brambleberry crisp is the best ice cream flavor being made commercially in the United States right now, and Jeni’s is the only place to get it in Atlanta.
4. Queen of Cream — West End
Newcomer (opened 2024) and the most interesting ice cream project in the metro. All vegan and dairy-free — and you’d never know. The toasted-coconut-vanilla is the standout. Worth going to West End for.
5. Morelli’s — multiple locations
Old-school Atlanta ice cream parlor chain. The black-cherry-vanilla is the order. Don’t overthink it. Morelli’s is the right answer for “I want ice cream and I don’t want to make a decision about it.”
6. Jake’s Ice Cream — Inman Park
Tiny shop with rotating flavors. The olive-oil is the one to try. Sounds weird, tastes incredible.
7. Frosty Caboose — Chamblee
Converted railroad caboose in downtown Chamblee. The novelty is part of the appeal. The ice cream is also good. The butter-pecan is a sleeper hit.
8. High Road Craft Ice Cream — Ponce City Market
Small-batch, locally-made pints available at Ponce City Market and select Whole Foods. The brown-butter shortbread is the reason to know about this brand. Take a pint home; don’t eat it on-site.
9. The Hop — Avondale Estates
The newcomer of the moment. The strawberry-balsamic-black-pepper is a polarizing order — you’ll either love it or you’ll never forgive me for recommending it. The chocolate is the safe pick.
10. Southern Custard — Mableton
Cash-only, no-frills, best fresh-fruit custard in the metro. Closed Sundays. Worth the drive south for the peach cobbler custard in summer.
How I tested
I ordered the signature item at each shop on the same day for three weeks in a row. I evaluated on flavor, texture, and consistency. I excluded chains I’d already recommended in past years (Cold Stone, Marble Slab, Cold Stone Creamery) — those are fine, they’re just not the list.
A note on what didn’t make the cut: Bruster’s (good but generic), Kilwins (candy-shop vibes, ice cream is a side product), and Salt & Straw (excellent ice cream, but the wait at the Atlanta location has become untenable).
Kira Tomlinson covers Atlanta’s food, arts, and family scene for WACN 21. Reach her at ktomlinson@wacn21.com.
