21 Best Ice Cream Shops near Chapel Hill

“We walked in to Ben & Jerry’s UNC with 14 worn out volleyball players and 3 tired coaches. John and Haddie (I hope I got the names right!) showed no fear and gave us the much-needed scoops with smiles! Thanks for reviving our troops with sweet treats and sweet greetings! #gcavolleyball #uncchapelhillvolleyballcamp“

“We made three visits to Chapel Chill in a single weekend…That’s how good it is! The ice cream is delicious, and after trying 6 flavors, I still cannot decide on which one is my favorite because they are all amazing. Chapel Hill Toffee, Banana Pudding with Biscoff, Buckeye (O-H), Mocha Chocolate Lace, Coffee Oreo and Butter Pecan are all winners in my book. My daughters, 8 and 12 yo, also enjoyed the Half Birthday Cake, Cookie Dough, S’mores, Mint Chocolate Chip and the non-dairy Ube…and now I have been told I need to find more ube ice cream. The servings are generous, and who doesn’t love free sprinkles? The scoopers were all lovely, patient (especially with some indecisive kiddos who wanted all the samples), and happy to be there. My only complaint is that we have to drive 500 miles to have it again!“

“Best bubble tea place in town :) Milk tea, thai tea and mango-peach smoothie is my favourite! Love it“

“Ahhhh, how could I not love Cold Stone? Their ice cream is rich in flavor and texture, making it all-around satisfying to eat! The Oreo Overload signature creation is my absolute favorite, and I visited Cold Stone on Thursday afternoon due to my craving for it (substituting Sweet Cream with Oreo Crème for maximum effect + added rainbow sprinkles). As always, it tasted amazing!

Albeit I’d like to give a special shoutout to Aleaha, the ice creamer who was working that day! I was the only one in the store when I first entered, and we had a really good conversation as she rung me up and I settled down. Also, Aleaha exhibits quality customer service! When she saw a piece of hair in my ice cream, she immediately remade it and didn’t try serving it to me. I highly respected her for that, because not every ice creamer (or food service worker in general) is observant of that type of stuff.

You can definitely expect great customer service and a real treat if you walk into Cold Stone while Aleaha’s working. Rock on, Aleaha!“

“Delicious chocolate chip cookies!“

“Nice old gritty yogurt shop, a Chapel Hill staple. Yogurt/cones are great. The sloping, hand rail-less, sharp-edged brick steps are a death trap, no idea how this passes any city standards. But the yogurt is good and you get to watch people trip on the steps as they try to get in and out.“

“The best thing here is the gelato. It’s super high end. Smoothies >$7 latte >$7. Served in to go cups. Not a ton of natural lighting, but some seating decent for working. The gelato is really nice actually, esp spicy mango.

Some outdoor seating.

I have had their smoothies and one of their lattes, Rocky Mountain latte. I asked for less sweet and it was still too sweet to finish.“

“Mouth watering 🤤I really recommend“

“Thank the Carolina Blue heavens for getting a Shake Shack in CH!!!! I used to frequent the original in NYC (hat tip to Danny Meyers) and now it’s a 10 minute drive vs a plane trip. And yay for the onion rings sneaking on the permanent menu. I actually did a little jig!

The manager is AMAZING! I can’t say enough good things about her! So kind, generous and compassionate. I even got a hug on an especially bad day. I came in crying, no, sobbing and left with a smile. I applaud her and her staff!“

“We love this place! Come here every time we pick up or bring back our NCSSM student. Today, she graduated and we made sure to visit one more time before we head home to NE NC for the summer (don’t worry, we’ll be back - go Tar Heels)!!! Look what the sweet owners did for her?! Thank you ❤️“

“We had strawberry lemonade vegan popsicle. It was the best 👌🏾 highly recommended!!!“

“this is great ice cream plus has magnificent view“

“Always a family favorite! Great staff and awesome frozen yogurt.“

“Absolutely love this place! From the moment you walk in you’re greeted with friendly, family-run vibes and a cozy atmosphere that makes you want to stay awhile. Their rolled ice cream, made-to-order taiyaki, boba drinks, and soft serve are all top notch — rich in flavor, beautifully made, and never too sweet. Watching them prepare the treats is part of the experience, and every visit feels special. They also do an amazing job with coffee drinks and have options like oat milk available. This is hands-down one of Durham’s best dessert shops — worth a visit for families, date night, or anytime you’re craving something sweet!“

“A nice variety to choose from“

“Amazing frozen yogurt and amazing people that work there!“

“love the mangonadas :).. I recommend this place:)“

“We've enjoyed dinner at Napoli multiple times in the last few months. Every time it's been excellent. Delicious pizza and salads, with frequent creative specials. Good vegetarian options. Amazing house made gelato and sorbetto available in modest portions. Attentive service. Wonderful food and outstanding value. Highly recommended!“

“The Crumbl cookie—ah, such a decadent creation. I savored it with great pleasure… and were fate to offer it again, I would not hesitate to indulge once more. No, I would welcome the temptation, again and again, until even the stars grew cold…..“

“After managing various locations in different states, I’m really a critic when I come to a store. I can’t help it, I’m always seeing if things are how they should be. They had it going on during a busy Sunday in the holiday season. The counters were clean, the tubs were scraped, they were offering samples and the ice cream was tempered just right. Def a vast improvement from this location years prior. Proud of the streets of southpoint.“

“This ice cream is very good! Affordable and delicious! It’s a perfect place to run out for an ice cream in your PJs or sweats since they have a drive thru! We usually sit in the parking lot and enjoy the ice cream and watch traffic on Guess Rd…“