Looking for the perfect way to be the heat this summer? Philadelphia is a great, not to mention delicious, way to cool off during the hottest summer days. From ice cream shops with an old-time feel to hip, progressive shops, ice cream shops in Philly have something for everyone and every taste bud to enjoy.
Franklin Fountain is located on Market Street near Penn’s Landing. It has an old-time feel to it and the staff wears bow ties. The talks of opening the store first started in 2003 and after some struggle, it finally opened in the last week of the summer of 2004 and has been going strong since. They offer a wide variety of flavors, such as this brightly-colored cotton candy.
Weckerly’s first opened on Girard Avenue in Fishtown in 2016. A husband and wife duo own the companyand their rotating menu is made with locally-sourced ingredients. Their ice cream sandwiches now come in Neopolitan on chocolate chip and strawberry shortcake (which can be dipped in chocolate). In addition to their brick and mortar store, they sell their products at retail stores across the city.
Sweet Charlie’s is one of the first Thai rolled ice cream shops in Philadelphia. The store, which now has multiple locations throughout the city, was started by 18-year-old Kyle Billing and his brother, Jacob. The ice cream is made to order, allowing customers to watch as their ice cream is created before their eyes. The combinations of ice cream flavors and toppings are endless, so you can be sure to get an Instagram-worthy picture each time.
This Mount Airy ice cream shop is worthy of an Instagram pic even before you get your ice cream. The shop itself is a literal trolley car parked in front of a diner of the same name. It is located on Germantown Avenue and serves 16 flavors of locally-produced Nelson’s ice cream. The car is a restored 1948 PCC trolley.
Little Baby’s Ice Cream is, in fact, not for the faint of heart. The Philadelphia-born mini chain serves up an eclectic array of flavors, ranging anywhere from the usual coffee toffee and chocolate chocolate cookie dough to the unusual cucumber dill and everything bagel for those feeling adventurous. The store headquarters is located on Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia and they have stores across the city as well as in Washington, D.C. and in Baltimore.
Unicorns and rainbows and soft serve, oh my! Fans of this New York City-based shop were thrilled when this store opened a location in Philadelphia in 2015. Their Center City Philly location is on South Street and they are open late for those late-night cravings. The shop serves ice cream by the pint and they have a variety of Instagram-worthy cones, shakes, and sundaes for sale. Of the most instagrammable ice cream shops in Philly, this is definitely the most fabulous–and colorful.
This cafe, trattoria, wine bar, and gelato shop is your one-stop shop for gelatos and all things Italian in Rittenhouse Square. They have dozens of gelato flavors, all made by Stefano Biasini, the Gelato World Champion. Aside from gelato, the shop offers a wide variety of Italian cuisine and drinks for guests to savor.
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