TRADITIONAL

Bluebird Ice CreamBluebird crafts wonderful, ultra-smooth small-batch ice cream in flavors like chocolate pudding, Elysian stout, and snickerdoodle, as well as an array of from-scratch sodas. Both are good on their own, but even better together in an ice cream float.PhinneyPickup, delivery

Creamy Cone Cafe Like Add to a List Flavors at this cheerful Rainier Beach ice cream parlor run the gamut from passionfruit guava to banana pudding to salted caramel swirl. Other offerings include root beer floats, sundaes, and coffee beverages.Rainier BeachPickup, dine-inCupcake RoyaleCupcake Royale was started in 2003 in Seattle as the first cupcake bakery and cafe outside of New York City, and has since expanded from the original Capitol Hill locations to include multiple locations across the city. They have a variety of classic and seasonal flavors, house-made ice cream (some studded with cupcake pieces!), and espresso drinks.Multiple locations: Ballard, Burien Like Add to a List , Downtown, Madrona, and West SeattlePickup, delivery

FogRoseThis “ice cream boutique” serves locally sourced, handcrafted flavors made with liquid nitrogen to create a smoother texture. Customers can choose from five bases (custard, cream, chocolate, gelato, or sorbet); flavors like quinoa, olive oil, rhubarb, or pistachio rose; optional waffle cones or bowls; and stunning toppings like edible flowers or chocolate pearls.BellevuePickup, delivery, dine-in

Frankie & Jo’sFormer Stranger print editor Christopher Frizzelle once wrote Like Add to a List of this popular plant-based creamery, “It’s… just like regular ice cream. Not only is it vegan, it’s gluten-free. You could’ve fooled me. The Chocolate Date was amazing, tasty, perfectly textured, made with dates, cocoa powder, sea salt, and coconut milk. I enjoyed it more than regular chocolate ice cream; granted, I love dates. I also had California Cabin, made with ‘apple-wood smoked vanilla and pine ice cream, with black-pepper cardamom shortbread.’ Its ingredient list also includes ‘roasted cashew nut milk’ and ‘locally foraged fir needles and bark.’ That sounds weird, but oh my god it was good—subtle, spiced, with bits of cookie crunch.” The business is celebrating Ice Cream Day this Sunday with an all-vegan ice cream social Like Add to a List at the KEXP Gathering Space, hosted in collaboration with the hip coffee company Minor Figures (which makes oat milk and other products for coffee drinks) and Caffe Vita. The festivities will include free Frankie & Jo’s ice cream and free Minor Figures cookie milk lattes for the first 25 customers, free Minor Figures swag while supplies last, and tunes from KEXP DJs, plus treats like affogatos, cold brew floats, and scoops for sale. Multiple locations: Ballard, Capitol Hill, and University District Like Add to a List Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Full Tilt Ice CreamThe various Full Tilts offer a rotating menu of more than a dozen flavors—including raspberry ripple, toasted coconut, corn and chili, vanilla bean, and mint chocolate chip (with vegan options, too)—arcade and pinball machines, and beer.Multiple locations: Ballard, Columbia City, and White CenterPickup, delivery, dine-in

Husky DeliAt West Seattle’s most excellent and old-school Husky Deli, you can buy European candy and all sorts of things, but mostly you’ll want to get their homemade ice cream—they’ve been making it on-site since “Herman put an ice cream machine in the front window” of the “farms store” in 1932 (seriously).West SeattlePickup, delivery, dine-in

KRYSE Like Add to a List You might be familiar with Kryse Panis-Martin’s sensational ice cream in distinctive flavors like salted duck egg and blueberry Moscow mule from her work at the now-defunct Central District Ice Cream Like Add to a List , which she co-founded. She’s since launched her own brand of ice cream, with pickup available from The Station Like Add to a List in Beacon Hill. Her flavors, such as ube queso, chamomile calamansi, and halo-halo, consistently sell out fast, so watch her Instagram for updates and place your orders early. Beacon HillPickup

Laina’s Handmade Ice Cream Like Add to a List This small-batch, family-owned neighborhood ice cream shop is run out of the Stonehouse Cafe Like Add to a List and offers flavors such as sweet corn and lilikoi, available on their own or in sundaes and floats.Rainier BeachPickup, deliveryMolly Moon’s Ice CreamThe ubiquitous name in the Seattle ice cream scene has been around since 2008 and scoops up gourmet handmade ice cream, with four special flavors rotating seasonally and an unchanging list of ten “classics,” including Scout mint (a fan favorite made with Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies), salted caramel, and honey lavender.Various locationsPickup, delivery, dine-inMora Iced CreameryThis ice cream shop owned by Ana Orselli and Jerry Perez, natives of Buenos Aires, prides itself on fresh ingredients and “old world” flavors like marron glacé (glazed chestnut), dulce de leche, and gianduja (chocolate hazelnut mousse). Peruse the 48 flavors on hand—given the ecstatic reviews from many fans, you are unlikely to be displeased with the choices.Multiple locations: Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, KingstonPickup, dine-in

Salt & StrawAside from its lengthy queues, the Portland-based artisan ice cream chain is known for its creative flavors and intriguing collabs with local producers. Each month, they also release a lineup of limited edition flavors around a different theme. For July, they’ve brought back their seasonal “Berries Berries Berries” series. Flavors include Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero, Birthday Cakes and Blackberries, Wild-Foraged Berry Slab Pie, Boysenberry Oat Milk Sherbet (a vegan and dairy-free flavor), and Besharam’s Yogurt Lassi with Raspberries. In honor of National Ice Cream Day, the business is also debuting a series of “culinary perfumes” which are intended to enhance ice cream flavors for the wearer.Multiple locations: Ballard, Capitol Hill, Kirkland Like Add to a List Pickup, delivery

Scoop Du Jour Ice CreameryScoop du Jour, which has a long history in the Madison Park neighborhood, serves brightly colored local sherbets and ice creams, as well as lunch fare like burgers and sandwiches.Madison ParkPickup

Shug’s Soda Fountain and Ice CreamThis retro-style, pastel-colored dream of a shop, all built around a restored 1930s-era soda fountain, features egg creams, sodas made with housemade syrups, 15 ice cream flavors from Lopez Island Creamery (including a few vegan options), sundaes, and floats. There’s beer and wine too, as well as a short menu of savory soups, sandwiches, and salads.DowntownPickup, delivery, dine-in

Sweet AlchemyThe top three words used to describe the ice cream sold at Sweet Alchemy are creamy, creamy, and creamy! With unique flavors ranging from banana Nutella to a dirty chai affogato, there seems to be a sweet treat for everyone.Multiple locations: Ballard, Capitol Hill Like Add to a List , University DistrictPickup, delivery

GELATO

Bottega ItalianaAuthentic gelateria Bottega Italiana was opened in 2003 in Pike Place Market by native Italians Luca Guerrieri, Antonella Ragazzi, and David Arato. The owners are committed to quality, natural ingredients.DowntownPickup, delivery, dine-in

D’Ambrosio Gelateria ArtigianaleFounded by university-certified “Master Gelataio” Enzo D’Ambrosio, this gelateria uses only the best organic dairy and fruit. You won’t see any experimental hoo-ha involving bacon or cayenne pepper here, only traditional flavors such as nocciola (hazelnut), crema all’uovo (egg cream), and caffe scuro (dark coffee). It’s damn good, rich without being too heavy, it’s not at all icy, and unlike even the densest ice cream, there isn’t so much as a molecule of air whipped into it. It is 100 percent flavor.BallardPickup, delivery

Fainting Goat GelatoPeople love this family-owned gelato place with its rotating roster of flavors like avocado, amaretto, banana cream pie, bilberry, biscotto, and chocolate (and that’s just the first half-dozen). They use organic milk from Fresh Breeze Farms in Lynden and organic sugar, and they seek out seasonal berries and “the best nuts” (yes!).Multiple locations: Fremont and WallingfordPickup, delivery, dine-in

Nutty Squirrel Gelato“True to the Northwest, our flavors change with the seasons,” say the owners of Nutty Squirrel Gelato, which uses local fruit and nuts in its house-made gelato and sorbetto, as well as gelato popsicles and cakes.Multiple locations: Magnolia and Phinney RidgePickup, delivery

SOFT SERVE

Homer Like Add to a List and Milk Drunk Like Add to a List The celebrated Beacon Hill restaurant Homer’s seasonal house-made soft serve is so popular, it spawned the spinoff Milk Drunk, which similarly specializes in luscious swirls of dairy (in addition to fried chicken and cocktails). The flavors, like salted strawberry or chamomile, are fresh and unique.Beacon HillPickup, delivery, dine-inKing’s Deli & Grocery Like Add to a List This Central District convenience store slings bountiful chocolate and vanilla soft serve alongside fried chicken and jo-jos.Central DistrictPickupMoto Like Add to a List Besides burnished, frico-edged Detroit-style pizza (which is so popular it’s only available by waitlist), this West Seattle spot also makes its own candy-colored soft serve ice cream, with flavors like green apple, black cherry, and piña colada. They even make their own “motocones” (their own signature cone inspired by a Transylvanian recipe from 1782, made with choux dough and cinnamon sugar) and offer toppings like Fruity Pebbles and gummy bears. Look for a new location Like Add to a List to open downtown in the former space of Renee Erickson’s legendary Boat Street Café Like Add to a List later this summer.West SeattlePickupLittle Coney Like Add to a List After a day in the sun at Golden Gardens, head to this retro, no-frills counter-serve spot in Shilshole Bay Marina for some classic chocolate and vanilla soft serve in a wafer cone.BallardPickup, delivery, dine-inMatcha Man Ice Cream & Taiyaki Like Add to a List The popular pop-up Matcha Man, known for its eye-catching specialties like taiyaki (Japanese fish-shaped waffles) and soft serve in flavors like matcha and ube, launched a brick-and-mortar shop in Georgetown last summer.GeorgetownPickupMuriel’s All-Day Eats Like Add to a List Looking to treat yourself to a good read and something sweet to go with it? This kosher Jewish eatery and pareve bakery located inside the Seward Place location of Third Place Books Like Add to a List , brought to you by the owner the Pinehurst-based deli and bakery Zylberschtein’s Like Add to a List , recently introduced soft serve on its menu, with your choice of cup or cone and optional toppings (including caramel, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, gummy bears, granola, and cookie crumble).Seward ParkPickup, delivery, dine-inNana’s Green Tea Like Add to a List This Japanese tea house chain offers parfaits, soft serve, and sundaes made with ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from their own plantations in Kyoto, as well as other beverages and desserts. The matcha warabimochi parfait, with matcha pudding, matcha ice cream, red bean paste, warabimochi (jelly mochi), and cornflakes, is an explosion of textures and flavors.South Lake UnionPickup, delivery, dine-inThe Pastry Project Like Add to a List This nonprofit providing pastry and bakery job training to individuals with a barrier to entry reopened its soft serve window in Pioneer Square in June. The shop slings “purple” vanilla and chocolate milk soft serve flavors with optional chocolate, butterscotch, or strawberry-passionfruit hard shell dips and toppings such as crushed Newman-Os, coconut cake crumbs, hot fudge, and rainbow sprinkles. Other offerings include ice cream cake slices, sandcastle ice cream sandwiches, and “quakes” (milkshakes blended with toppings). Better yet, the first 100 people to show up on National Ice Cream Day Like Add to a List will receive a soft serve cup or cone with a topping of their choice for free, so set your alarm and get in line early.Pioneer SquarePickupRachel’s Ginger BeerBecause RGB’s name is so synonymous with spicy-sweet soda, it’s easy to forget that they also offer soft serve ice cream, available twirled into fizzy floats or cold brew (with an optional shot of booze of your choice), or as a cup with optional toppings like Theo Chocolate syrup, frosted flakes, Reese’s peanut butter cups, SKOR bars, and more. They also offer Dole whip, a frosty, refreshing pineapple soft serve treat popularized at Disneyland.Multiple locations: Capitol Hill, Downtown, University DistrictPickup, delivery, dine-in

Rondo Like Add to a List and Tamari Bar Like Add to a List These two izakaya-inspired spots on Capitol Hill have earned a loyal following for their consistently excellent Japanese fare and rotating specials, and their desserts are no exception. Tamari Bar operates a walk-up bakery called Baiten with Japanese sweets like soft serve, sundaes, cream-filled fruit sandwiches, ice cream cookies, and more, while Rondo also sells the same soft serve, with earthy, craveable flavors like matcha and hojicha.Capitol HillPickup, delivery, dine-inSouthpaw Like Add to a List James Beard Award-winning Lark Like Add to a List chef John Sundstrom’s pizza parlor makes its own delightful soft serve in-house.Central DistrictPickupSpice Waala Like Add to a List Much to the joy of denizens of the neighborhood looking for a frosty summer treat, the popular Indian street food spot Spice Waala started offering soft serve ice cream at its Capitol Hill location last summer. The restaurant serves one Indian-inspired flavor at a time and rotates flavors every few weeks—the current special is masala chai.Capitol HillPickup

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Hello Robin Like Add to a List Baker Robin Wehl Martin’s popular cookie shop will sandwich ice cream from Molly Moon’s between any two cookies of your choosing.Multiple locations: Central District Like Add to a List , University District Like Add to a List Pickup, deliveryHot Cakes Molten Chocolate CakeryThe ever-popular dessert emporium is most known for its signature molten chocolate cakes, which are served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, but it’s also got a selection of other creamy delights, including ice cream sandwiches and milkshakes (both boozy and non-boozy). You can even order warm cookies served with vanilla ice cream, dry-burned caramel or chocolate sauce, and toppings of your choice.Multiple locations: Ballard and Capitol HillPickup, delivery, dine-in

Street Treats Like Add to a List Founded in 2010, this mobile dessert truck is beloved for its scratch-made ice cream sandwiches, featuring combos like funfetti cookies with vanilla or oatmeal cookies with toasted coconut.TravelingPickup

ICE CREAM EVENTS

SATURDAY, JULY 23

Ice Cream Social Pop-Up Like Add to a List I scream, you scream, we all scream for this curbside festival showcasing frozen treats from a variety of vendors.South Lake Union Saturday Market, 11 am-4 pm

AUGUST 27-28

Scooped! Ice Cream Festival Like Add to a List Embrace unbridled gluttony at this ice cream festival, which promises two hours of unlimited frozen dairy treats (plus additional scoops available for purchase if you somehow still have room). The event will also include savory food vendors, DJ tunes, cornhole, and a lounge with mixologist-crafted libations.Seattle Center, 12 pm