Like any food, the best ice cream is all a matter of personal taste and preference. Luckily, Boston offers plenty of options to explore, which means lots of tasty trials to learn what flavors suit you best.
With a dozen stores in and around Boston, J.P. Licks might just be the ice cream shop that Bostonians think of first when they’re craving a scoop of the sweet stuff. The 30-year-plus company, which began in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, has a fiercely loyal clientele, who swear by their fresh ingredients and proprietary formula. During the summer, patrons can grab a scoop of delicious fresh peach ice cream, but they won’t find the seasonal flavor on the menu in, say, December.
That’s okay, though, because tempting options like pumpkin custard or cranberry orange sorbet take its place when the weather changes. J.P. Licks also offers frozen yogurt at their locations, makes an assortment of ice cream cakes and pies, and even roasts their own coffee beans.
Emack & Bolio’s is another local creation, which began as a small operation in 1975 and has since turned into a sizeable franchise, with a dozen shops in Massachusetts, including four in Boston proper. The original owners claim to have invented the flavored cone in 1980 -- cones covered with cookie pieces or sugary cereals, or dipped in chocolate and rolled in any number of candies, nuts, or other sweets. Creating your own unique ice cream and cone combination is half the fun of getting ice cream at your local Emack & Bolio’s.
Another Boston ice cream institution is Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream and 20th Century Bowling. This Hyde Park neighborhood spot has been churning out homemade ice cream since 1974, serving it up as people line up to bowl a few rounds of candlepin. As you can imagine, the joint ice cream parlor and bowling alley is popular with families and large birthday parties. In addition to ice cream, homemade ice cream cakes are also available, which makes any celebration at Ron’s that much easier to plan.
Of course, there’s any number of large chain ice cream and yogurt shops to be found in Boston. But this city takes pride in their history, even when it comes to decades old ice cream parlors, and it’s always a treat to eat the same flavors, at the same shop, as your family did a generation ago.
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Coffee & Treats in Swansea
Cinnabon
$12 for Two Groupons, Each Good for $10 Worth of Cinnamon Rolls at Cinnabon ($20 Value)
Ooey, gooey cinnamon rolls are baked fresh daily before being topped with icing, caramel and nuts, or other sweet treats
Providence Place Mall
$10 $6
1.5-Dozen, One Dozen, or Two Dozen Assorted Cupcakes at Sugar Plum Bakery (Up to 52% Off)
Sugar Plum Bakery
Kingston
$33
$17
View Deal
Baked Goods or Specialty Cupcakes at Baked (Up to 50% Off)
Baked
Cohasset
$30
$15
View Deal
Dinner for Two or More or Four or More at Link Café & Bar (50% Off)
Link Café & Bar
Sheraton Needham Hotel
$50
$25
View Deal
Two Dozen Assorted Gluten Free and Nut Free Mini Cupcakes at cupcakes on centreLLC (43% Off)
Cupcakes On Centre
Newton
$30
$17
View Deal
Custom Baked Goods or Frozen Yogurt at Sweet Tart (Up to 50% Off). Four Options Available.
Sweet Tart
Commonwealth
$30
$15
View Deal
Pastries, Drinks, and Other Treats at Trixie's Bakery & Cafe (Up to 50% Off). Two Options Available.
Trixie's Bakery & Cafe
Westerly
$8
$4
View Deal
$8 for Four Groupons, Each Good for $5 Worth of Tea, Smoothies and Shaved Snow at Tealosophy ($20 Value)
Tealosophy
Allston
$5
$2
View Deal
$16 for a Light Afternoon Tea for Two at Tea Leaf ($32 Value)
The Tea Leaf
Historic Downtown Waltham, MA
$32
$16
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$12 for Four Groupons, Each Good for $5 Worth of Food and Drinks at Sudbury Coffee Works ($20 Value)
Sudbury Coffee Works
Sudbury
$5
$3
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Select Local Merchants
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt's network of self-serve dessert shops treat taste buds without expanding waistlines. Like Willy Wonka's prized collection of gum drops, each cup of creamy frozen yogurt is priced by weight, and comes in an endless assortment of possible flavor and topping combinations. Guests can spoil their dinner without spoiling their diet thanks to Orange Leaf's sensible selection of low-fat treats, some of which clock in at as few as 25 calories per ounce. After diners top their fruit, candy, or chocolate flavored desserts with crumbled graham crackers, peach slices, berries, or granola and they can dig in amid the shops’ bright green-and-orange-color scheme.
1080 Fall River Ave.
Seekonk,
MA
US
FroyoWorld fills its self-serve stations with a monthly rotating lineup of 12 yogurt and sorbet flavors, including varieties such as dairy free, no sugar added, and nonfat. A selection of up to 140 toppings include candies, fresh fruit, and drizzles of chocolate and caramel. Between spoonfuls, customers can make use of the free WiFi to check emails and look up holistic brain-freeze cures.
1201 Fall River Avenue
Seekonk,
MA
US
From cupcakes to calzones, snackers can find a variety of sweet and savory treats at The Sweet Tooth Bakery & Cafe. Besides it's ever-present selection of cookies and specialty chocolate-caramel pretzels, Sweet Tooth's bakers can also design customized cakes for special occasions.
99A Taunton Avenue
East Providence,
RI
US
The chefs at Portsmouth Publick House put their own twist on classics. They douse the bison burger with mango chutney; pair lobster with a croissant; and stuff quesadillas with marinated shrimp, fresh cilantro, and jalapenos. The rest of the menu, including piping-hot pizzas and soup, refuels patrons during contests and other forms of entertainment. On Thursday nights, guests put their heads together over trivia questions. Saturdays feature live music from 7?9 p.m., and $1 Raw Bar is an everyday occasion.
600 Clock Tower Sq
Portsmouth,
RI
US
The bakers, confectioners, and designers at Sweet Indulgence continually roll out gourmet goodies that are just as appealing to the eye as they are delicious. The staff can prep sprawling color-coordinated tables that gleefully enhance events such as weddings, parties, and celebrations by showcasing treats such as cupcakes, chocolate-covered fruits, and candies. Mounds of frosting pile high on cupcakes in flavors such as apple pie, carrot cake, and lemon-raspberry, covered in extras such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, and fresh fruit. Lines of frosting adorn cake pops in clever shapes such as Santas, football helmets, or simple, pastel patterns of pink and green, and pies, cannolis, and cakes attract the eye and appetite.
905 Warwick Ave
Warwick,
RI
US
