24 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“

“Yum! We've tried several of the non-dairy GF flavors and none have disappointed. Currently, I'm trying not to polish off a pint of non-dairy Golden Milk by myself in one sitting.“

“The line to get served was long for a Saturday night but the ice cream was good. I wouldn't say it was the best ice cream I've ever had, but it was good enough to leave a smile on my face. I don't know if we will visit again with other choices out there.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Owners are kind and decor is cute! Along with your standard flavors they have unique and unexpected ones like Cucumber, Saffron Pistachio, and sour cherry with falooda all done with well balanced profiles. They also serve fresh espresso and a rotating menu of traditional homemade desserts. There is some seating inside but more outside. Parking is a little tricky during peak hours. Not great for large groups unless you are passing through.“

“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!!!“

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

“this is great ice cream plus has magnificent view“

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

“I have not had a snow cone in years so Pelicans surprised me! My memory of them were semi-dense small ice chunks, syrups with the artificial aftertaste, and either pure syrup or pure ice at the bottom. Pelicans was none of that! The ice was really surprisingly fluffy and they have tons of great flavor options. I ordered tigers blood (mostly coconutty) and mango and it was perfect for summer.“

“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!“

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

“A nice variety to choose from“

“Ice cream! Anything made with Lavender is my favorite!“

“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!“

“Came here today for a smoothie, the employees were very nice and friendly there was one girl with red hair that was helping me she was extremely friendly and professional! They had everything down looked like a lot of teenagers were running the store while waiting for my smoothie I witnessed a difficult customer get loud and rude with an employee I was impressed by the way this young lady handled the customer! Not only that but her coworkers had her back as well. I know service working can be hard and I am sending best wishes to the team working today.“

“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…“

“Bella and Maddie are probably the best employees at crumbl. I’ve been in there a few times but it always seems to be the best when Bella and Maddie are on the shift, they greet all costumers and explain the flavors of the week perfectly! They definitely make the experience worth the trip!“