The 26 best ice cream shops in Chicago

For almost a century, the awning-covered picnic tables of this South Side ice-cream shop have been packed with locals indulging their sweet tooth. The signature five-flavor Rainbow Cone features layers of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), pistachio and orange sherbet stacked one on top of the other to form an unbeatable classic. Aside from the original Beverly shop, you can also swing by locations at Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Wicker Park and the suburbs.

It’s nostalgia that draws people in droves to this kitschy diner and ice-cream parlor. Fancy silver trays, paper doilies and saucers filled with chocolate and caramel sauces bring back fond memories for many who’ve made this place a tradition since it opened in 1921. Equally reminiscent of the good old days are the display shelves, which are crowded with memorabilia from the Beatles, who just had to have some Margie’s ice cream after they played at Comiskey.

The cold case at Yahya and Nataki Muhammad's cheerful Bronzeville scoop shop is packed with hand-churned homemade ice cream in flavors like Jamaican rum raisin, honey cinnamon graham cracker and bourbon butter pecan. But it won't take long to spot someone devouring the creamery's crown jewel: a generous serving of peach cobbler crowned with melty vanilla ice cream. Once you try this summertime delicacy, prepare to crave it for the rest of your life.

Walk into Scooter’s and disregard the hot dogs, Italian ice and anything else that doesn’t contain the words frozen and custard. Purists should order a cone of vanilla or chocolate and savor every last lick of the cream-laden treat. If you're hankering for something a bit more involved, opt for the banana splice: vanilla custard, banana, chocolate, strawberries, pineapple and nuts. It's big enough to split, but we won't judge if you're selfish.

The technicolor soft serve at Little Italy's Kurimu (and its sibling locations in Wicker Park, Lincoln Park and Schaumburg) is inspired by the always-trendy desserts of Japan, Taiwan and Korea, with a rotating list of flavors like Okayama peach, taro, and matcha (you can even get your soft serve wrapped in gold or silver foil, if you're feeling fancy). Pair your cone with a boba milk tea or frothy Dalgona coffee, and consider ordering a pint of ice cream to go.

Inspired by the memory of standing at the end of her driveway with change in her pocket and waiting on the ice cream truck, Dana Cree opened Pretty Cool Ice Cream with Michael Ciapciakin in Logan Square in 2018 and added a Lincoln Park location in 2022. The cute-as-a-button shop slings beautiful popsicles in fascinating flavors: Lick a peanut butter-potato chip custard bar, a plant-based blue moon pop or a strawberry buttermilk bar. Keep an eye out for limited-edition flavors and community partnerships as well.

After peddling her gelato all over town to the city's best chefs and markets, Jessica Oloroso found a fitting home in Ukrainian Village. There, she lures folks with boundary-pushing scoops of gelato such as lemon ginger marshmallow and cucumber rosewater sorbet.

With locations in Edgewater and West Rogers Park, this custard shop is a community staple for families and sugar fiends alike. Guests can get their custard by the cone or dish or have it whipped into a sundae or concrete. Spring for the OMG—chocolate or vanilla custard dotted with peanut-butter fudge brownie pieces and a shot of hot fudge. As if that weren't enough, you'll also find cookies, cupcakes and chocolates behind the counter.

This seasonal, family-owned walk-up window is the stuff that sweet sweet dreams are made of. From funnel cake sundaes and ice cream tacos to Italian ice and banana splits, you might just experience a sugar rush while browsing the menu. Order whatever makes your heart happy and take a seat at one of the umbrella-covered tables—you're in for a treat at this Bridgeport shop.

When Ohio-based Jeni's moved to Chicago, it immediately upped the city's ice cream scene. Buttermilk ice cream with swirls of peach jam? Check. The richest, darkest chocolate ice cream you'll ever taste? They've got that, too. When you factor in toppings like salted caramel sauce, the decision about what to order is that much harder. Luckily, Jeni's workers are happy to dish out as many samples as your heart desires.

Vaca’s Creamery co-owners Dylan Sutcliff and Mariana Marinho met working at a vegan ice cream shop in Austin, Texas, and now have their own business with locations in Noble Square and Lincoln Square. Chicago’s first exclusively vegan soft-serve shop doesn’t sacrifice decadence or deliciousness in the name of dairy-free—indulge your inner child with creative, over-the-top sundaes like the appropriately-named “Inner Child,” which features confetti cookie dough bites, strawberry sauce and sprinkles, or the S’mores sundae with toasted marshmallows and chocolate sauce. You can also pick up pints and seasonal baked goods including cookies and Brazilian cheese bread.

Sean McGuire brings the flavors of his native Ireland to the West Loop, with ice cream varieties including Guinness, Jameson and Irish mint chip. For a traditional treat from across the pond, try a soft-serve cone garnished with a crumbling milk chocolate Cadbury 99 Flake bar. Tickle your taste buds with a piece of frozen cheesecake on a stick or the Sprouting Shamrock, a sundae topped with oreos and gummy worms. A party room makes a perfect place for a kid’s birthday celebration.

If you’re spending the day in Lincoln Park, make a stop at Annette’s Italian Ice, where in addition to the namesake treat you'll find premium ice cream flavors such as puppy chow, key lime pie, carrot cake and more. The walk-up shop also offers more indulgent treats like an ice cream sandwich or a brownie sundae covered in peanuts and hot fudge. And pups can cool off with a frozen dog treat. Annette’s is cash only.

No summer bucket list is complete without a trip to Pilsen to visit La Michoacana Premium, Chicago's premiere paletería. Upon entering this cheerful shop, you'll be pulled to the display case, which is jam-packed with dozens of paletas in flavors like blackberry, kiwi-strawberry and creamy pistachio. The shop's mangonada is another fan favorite, blending tangy mango sorbet, hunks of fresh fruit, lime juice and Tajin chili powder.

With locations in Wicker Park and Lincoln Park, Eiffel Waffle serves the warm and crispy egg waffles popularized in Hong Kong, loaded with big scoops of ice cream and heaped with toppings like marshmallow, chocolate chips, sprinkles and graham crackers. The signature waffles are also served on plates or on skewers covered with Nutella or cream cheese glaze, with a scoop of ice cream on the side in decadent flavors like chocolate hazelnut ganache and Mediterranean sea salt caramel.

The walk-up dessert window attached to Bar Siena is perhaps best known for its Italian donuts (it’s in the name, after all), but the housemade gelato is equally enticing. Try flavors like cookie monster, cannoli and strawberry chocolate chip or indulge in a gelato shake. If you’ve got your furry best friend in tow, they can enjoy dairy-free gelato or a Pawsibly Sundae.

Ice cream doesn’t get any cuter than the creations from Eli’s Ark. The mom-and-pop shop scoops a variety of gelato flavors and shapes them into adorable animals like dogs, pigs and unicorns. No matter your age, you’ll get a kick out of these delightful treats.

A name like “Super Premium” comes with some pretty high expectations, and this Pullman institution delivers. You can always go classic with the likes of vanilla or butter pecan, but the menu highlights here are the rich and creamy creations inspired by classic desserts like banana pudding, sweet potato pie and peach cobbler. It’s like getting a hug from your grandma in dessert form. Visit their factory outlet store near 111th Street, or order online to let the pints come to you.

Summer days and evenings often bring lines out the door at FRÍO Gelato, which is located just a few blocks from Lake Michigan in Evanston. The Argentine gelateria offers rich flavors like café con leche, malbec with berries and egg custard with marsala wine, plus ice cream sandwiches made with alfajor cookies dipped in chocolate. Cut the sweetness with a cortado or combine the flavors with an ahogado—gelato drowned in espresso. FRÍO Gelato also has a location at Navy Pier.

For those who appreciate the cone as much as the ice cream, this Lincoln Park shop is the place for you. The frozen treats are served in cute Japanese fish-shaped cakes, known as taiyaki, that come filled with Nutella, red bean or ube. Once you’ve chosen a soft serve flavor—there’s no wrong option but we love matcha—you can add sauces and toppings like crushed Oreos and rainbow mochi.

Refreshing rolled ice cream takes center stage at this Chinatown spot. Originating in Thailand, the frozen dessert is made right in front of customers, similar to the experience at Cold Stone Creamery. Staff pour a milk-based mixture onto a frozen pan and form the resulting cream into rolls. It’s served in a cup with toppings such as fruits, cookies, candies, syrups and more.

If you've driven past the busy Milwaukee-Ogden-Chicago intersection, you've probably noticed this teal-hued gelato shop. Gelato world champion and chef Pawel Petrykowski has taken the artistry of frozen treats from Poland and brought them to River West, presenting four unique categories: classic, vegan, no sugar added and chef's signature. Taste classic Italian flavors, including fior di latte and straciatella, or try fruitier options like passion fruit, raspberry and strawberry. The menu rotates daily so be sure to come back often for new offerings.

Nothing says summer like lining up on the rainbow sprinkle–coated blacktop with the crowds outside this ice-cream shack, waiting for a soft-serve cone dipped in chocolate or cherry coating. Grab a spot on one of the benches for people-watching that reflects a great cross-section of city types. If you’re feeling indulgent, try the Buddy parfait, made with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and salted peanuts, or one of the myriad of funky-flavored shakes, like caramel or marshmallow.

This Michigan-based brand might be best known for its decadent slabs of fudge, but you'd be remiss to not check out the tubs of creamy, small-batch ice cream also tucked under its glass display cases. Classic flavors are loaded up with treats like caramel, nuts, chocolate chips and other dreamy confections (yes, including fudge), then piled into house-made waffle cones that you can smell baking from across the block. Pop by locations in Andersonville, Navy Pier, South Loop, Hyde Park and River North.

It may sound odd, but chili and ice cream have been an inseparable pairing at this South Side institution for decades. Stop in for a bowl of chili, followed by one of Gertie’s famous desserts. From banana splits and super sundaes to triple rich shakes and ice cream floats, this is a classic experience that never goes out of style.

Ever had the dream (or nightmare) of puppet ice cream servers? Then Sugar Hole is the perfect spot for you! Place your order with entertaining furry figures at this literal hole-in-the-wall ice cream spot. Human servers, however, will be sure to hand over the actual frozen bites around the corner. Initial flavors are limited to chocolate, vanilla and swirl, but this spot is definitely an experience to remember. Open only this summer through Labor Day so make sure you visit lickity-split!