In New England, we’re all screaming for ice cream. Some reports, in fact, have shown New Englanders eating as much as 30 percent more ice cream than other Americans, even leading the world in ice cream consumption.
And with National Ice Cream Day coming up (it's celebrated on the third Sunday of July) you can be sure we are getting ready to indulge in our region's favorite sweet treat.
If winnowing down the plethora of icy choices feels hard, we’re here to help. Here are some of the best small-batch ice cream spots to visit this summer on the North Shore.
(And if these choices feel a little too conventional, check out some of the ice cream adventures the region has to offer.)
Richardson's
No place can stake a claim to ice cream history like Richardson’s Farm. With a milk pedigree dating all the way back to the 1600s, and nearly 70 years of experience freezing it into a dessert, Richardson’s has an undisputed hold on the market. With roughly 80 flavors on offer at any given time, the creamery balances impeccably produced classic flavors with new and creative variations (like Campfire S'mores and strawberry cheesecake). Visit the ice cream stand at the Middleton farm, or check out a local ice cream shop – dozens throughout the region offer a selection of Richardson's flavors.
156 South Main St., Middleton, 978-774-5450, richardsonsicecream.com
Holy Cow Ice Cream Café
In 2014, Lynnfield native Mike Schifino purchased an abandoned building in Gloucester with the intention of converting it into condominiums. A decade later, his accidental business, Holy Cow Ice Cream Café, is more than thriving. Holy Cow’s Ritzy AF salted butter was awarded the best flavor of the year in 2022 by the North American Ice Cream Association. New seasonal flavors are always rotating on to the menu – wild blueberry pie and toasted s'mores are making a splash this summer. And with three North Shore locations and one on Cape Cod, you're never too far away from a scoop.
86 Andover Street, Peabody, 978-587-2255; 80 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, 978-281-0313; 181 Fort Avenue, Salem, 978-498-4387; holycowicecreamcafe.com
Melt Ice Cream
Christiana Kroondyk developed a passion for ice cream during a 2009 vacation in Cape May, New Jersey, when she happened upon a boutique ice cream shop with compelling flavors. Melt Ice Cream leans into local vendors, locally sourced flavors, and the community at large. The store sells more than 10 permanent flavors, like white minty chip, maple bourbon, and Atomic coffee, as well as a roster of rotating ones, which reflect the season, the zeitgeist, and the moods and vicissitudes of the owner. Recent summer specials include mint ice cream with a blueberry swirl and strawberry basil sorbet.
60 Washington Street, Salem, 978-826-5703, meltsalem.com
Benson’s Ice Cream
Katherine Perley Benson opened Boxford’s Benson’s Ice Cream during the Great Depression, selling plates of ice cream for a nickel on her front porch, says current owner and Katherine’s great-granddaughter, Tina Benson de la Cruz. Today, the ice cream stand, which is open from spring through October, is known both for its small-batch scoops and for their fresh fruit flavors, made with fruits harvested from local farms. The best way to learn whether the native strawberry, red raspberry, fresh peach, fresh sweet corn, fresh baked apple, and other fruit flavors are in stock, she says, is to check the stand’s Facebook page.
181 Washington Street, Boxford, 978-352-2911, bensonsicecream.com
Cal’s Creamery
In a region with so many venerable ice cream makers, Cal’s Creamery is something of an outlier: It’s only been in business for three years. Still, in that short time the shop – easily accessible off Route 95 in Reading – has developed a passionate following. The menu features over 40 flavors, including some innovative mash-ups like birthday cake Oreo and banana chocolate chip. Those with dietary restrictions will appreciate their dedication to providing dairy-free and gluten-free options that go well beyond boring basics.
122 Main St., Reading, 781-872-1873, calscreamery.com
Churn & Co. Creamery
With limited flavors and cultish appeal, Churn & Co., the Danvers-based ice cream maker—which releases a weekly menu and allows only online ordering—is a sweet spot with an appetite for the new and different. Three new flavors are dropped each week (some recent offerings honey-roasted strawberry ice cream with lemon curd swirl and chunks of butter cake; Biscoff cold brew; and peanut butter s'mores), and orders are picked up in Danvers, where customers can occupy themselves while they wait by playing retro arcade games.
10 Garden Street, Danvers, churnandco.com
Putnam Pantry
Putnam Pantry might have started as a candy kitchen – and it still makes and sells a wide variety of sweets – but generations of North Shore families know it for its famous ice cream smorgasbord. The toppings bar lets sundae-lovers choose from more than 30 flavors of housemade ice cream then pile on the hot fudge, Oreos, and strawberries (and cherry caramel, and real whipped cream and…) to their heart’s content.
255 Newbury St., Danvers, 978-774-2383, putnampantry.com
DownRiver Ice Cream
Joe and Amy Ahearn, who opened Essex's DownRiver Ice Cream in 2009, are fastidious about sourcing flavorings: Honey comes from local farms, organic producers provide the maple syrup, and chocolate is dark and Belgian. Flavors enjoy playful and unique names (instead of French vanilla, expect custard cream; instead of mint chocolate chip, expect Green Head, a nod to the Essex County pest), and the perpetual line into the petite parking lot proves that the ice cream is worth waiting for, so get there early and often.
241 John Wise Avenue, Essex, 978-768-0102, downrivericecream.com
Meletharb Ice Cream
For nearly 50 years, Meletharb has been making one-of-a-kind flavors like Baklava and Nutella, and perfectly rendered classics. Everything is homemade here, right down to the whipped cream. A choice of fountain drinks, from thick frappes to lime rickeys, will quench your sweet tooth with a satisfying slurp. They’ll even send you packing with ice cream and toppings for a do-it-yourself sundae at home.
393 Lowell St., Wakefield, 781-245-4946, meletharb.com
Cherry Farm Creamery
Open since 1976, Danvers’ Cherry Farm Creamery is one of the North Shore’s most iconic ice cream shops. Cherry Farm’s original store, located near the Beverly-Salem Bridge in Beverly, was closed in 1988 after the land was taken by eminent domain by the state. Today, locals can find more than 30 flavors of ice cream and sherbet at the Danvers location, as well as ice cream cakes, frozen yogurt, non-dairy sorbet, vegan ice cream, sundaes, soft-serve, frappes, lime rickeys, freezes, and more.
210 Conant Street, Danvers, 978-774-0519, cherryfarmcreamery.com
Captain Dusty’s
At Captain Dusty's each flavor is produced in small batches, with ingredients like cookies and nuts stirred in by hand to create the perfect chunky crunch in each and every bite. Visit often to try the "flavor of the moment" like the recent mint Oreo and coconut cream options.
60 Beach St., Manchester By-the-Sea, 978-526-1663; 642 Hale St., Beverly Farms, 978-921-5311; facebook.com/captaindustys
Treadwell’s Ice Cream
One of the few places open year round, Treadwell’s has had a loyal following since it opened in 1946. Known for generous portions of extra-luscious ice cream, those who also love chunks, pieces, and swirls rave about the amount of goodies in each bite. A diverse menu serves up several kinds of sundaes, from classic banana split to brownie, and the must-share, topping-loaded 12-scoop Kitchen Sink. Try the hard yogurt (it really tastes like ice cream) in flavors like coffee Heath Bar and black raspberry chip.
46 Margin St. (Route 114), Peabody, 978-531-7010, mytreadwells.com
Harbor Creamery
Seasonal fruits, locally baked cakes and cookies, and maple syrup from Massachusetts trees all make appearances in Harbor Creamery’s weekly rotation of small-batch ice creams made on-site at their downtown Newburyport shop. New owners recently took the reins, but the creative flavors and dedication to quality remain.
39 Pleasant St., Newburyport, 978-255-2440, harborcreamery.com
White Farms Homemade Ice Cream
Just look for the cow on the roof as you make your way from Crane’s Beach along Route 133. This old-fashioned ice cream stand has been making fun flavors like Purple Cow and Cotton Candy since 1953. Light and fruity sherbet and sorbets, as well as frozen yogurt and soft serve, make it easy to please any palate. Devotees anticipate the opening of White Farms every year and were more than thrilled when a second location opened in Gloucester.
326 High St., Ipswich, 978-356-2633; 76 Essex Ave., Gloucester; 978-559-7489; facebook.com/whitefarmsicecream
Mad Maggie’s
Mad Maggie’s offers a wide range of homemade flavors, from the classic to the creative, but is an especially attractive destination for chocolate lovers, with flavors such as Big City Brownie – chocolate ice cream, brownie chunks, and a fudge swirl – and Double Dark Cookie – extra dark chocolate ice cream loaded with crushed Oreos. Rotating seasonal flavors add to the fun – orange pineapple and mango creamsicle are currently making summer a little more refreshing.
1025 Osgood St., North Andover, 978-685-2814, madmaggies.com
Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Jeanne O'Brien Coffey, Brandy Rand, Hannah Selinger, and Sarah Shemkus contributed to this story.