14 Best Ice Cream Shops in Williamsburg

“The market had a variety of vendors. There were too many to count. We came at the tail end of the market day, and it was still crowded.Be sure to park in the parking garage, because it's frustrating finding a place to park elsewhere. Aromas coffee shop is ridiculously busy, so be sure to get coffee along the way to the market.“

“Visited The Big Scoop for the first time today. Was not disappointed. We ordered medium sized Twisters and a sundae. Large portion and plenty of cookie dough pieces in both the twister and sundae! The service was friendly, a little bit of a wait but nothing too bad. The ambiance I'd say is a bit loud, between the music playing , people talking and the shake machine going it was hard to hear what questions were being asked about the order and hard to keep a conversation at the table. Tasted great ! If it was a bit warmer would have sat outside !“

“After drooling over their social media, my husband and I decided it was high time to pay The Meadows Original Frozen Custard a visit! This charming frozen custard shop is located just off Colonial Williamsburg, and they boast an ever changing menu of specialty flavors.What I’ve learned from Facebook is that The Meadows truly does take time and care to create the most exciting and unusual flavors, fresh daily, and today’s specialty flavors were lemon lavender shortbread and chocolate peanut butter cup.Of course, we are creatures of habit, seeking out the best Oreo frozen treats one could possibly find, so we both ordered the Oreo Arctic Swirl, in vanilla custard - we were given the option to try chocolate custard as well.An Arctic Swirl is a blend of sizable Oreo chunks; in fact, I believe I saw half-pieces of cookies tucked away in the folds of the luxurious frozen custard. I’ve never had such rich frozen custard, and my husband explained to me that custard contains egg yolks, which ice cream does not.Given the friendly and helpful customer service we received on our first visit, we’ll likely be returning soon! I’m keeping an eye on those flavor specials, as I am a die-hard chocolate mint fan myself!Parking: If you can't find a spot directly behind the shop, there is plenty of parking in the adjacent lot.“

“Soft serve is my favorite ice cream and this place has the best! Twist is also my favorite and not a lot of places carry chocolate soft serve! Love that they have both chocolate and vanilla ? My kiddos love their shaved ice! Only thing I wish they had was waffle cones! Get waffle cones and you'll see me more often ?Parking: Parking is small, but if the company is closed next to them you can usually find a spot right next door! But when busy, there's only about 6 parking spots.Kid-friendliness: They have a few outside tables and space for kids to run around a little while your enjoying your ice cream!Wheelchair accessibility: It's all ground level, so if you need to use a wheelchair, you are definitely able to!“

“Ordered delivery from Cookie Chris while staying the night at the Great Wolf Lodge. Cookie selection was good. Cookies were excellent! Not over cooked at all and the perfect amount of gooeyness. They tasted like they were hand made from scratch using quality ingredients. In my opinion they blow crumble cookie out of the water. And the icing on top? is it’s locally owned! I would have posted pictures except we snarfed the cookies way too fast.?“

“Wow! I have found the store that has all I have been looking for in great desert! I love ice cream and especially soft serve and I love fruit and chocolate. Also, I only go to establishments that put the customer first. This shop has it all, creamy high quality soft serve with all my favorite flavors including rich chocolate and fresh fruit choices! You can combine two flavors in a swirl and then go the to next spot you choose to continue to add the amount you desire into your cup. You have quite a number of toppings to choose from as well. They weigh the cup and charge you by weight. The focus is on the customer and on serving and supporting the community. Very pleasant staff and they know how it all works. The best of the best!“

“I recently visited The Swirl, a delightful local ice cream shop, and had an absolutely wonderful experience. The staff member who assisted us was incredibly kind and helpful, adding to the warmth of the place. The fact that they had not just one, but four different vegan options – raspberry, lemon, strawberry, and chocolate – was a pleasant surprise for my plant-based preferences.I opted for the raspberry and chocolate combination, and it was a delightful burst of flavors. My husband, on the other hand, indulged in a banana split and a black and white cookie, both of which he thoroughly enjoyed. The diverse menu catering to various preferences showcased the thoughtful consideration put into creating a truly inclusive and enjoyable experience for all customers.The atmosphere at The Swirl is nothing short of charming. The fun and vibrant decorations create an inviting environment that immediately puts you in a positive mood. It's evident that the owner(s) poured a lot of love and care into curating not just a menu, but an entire experience for their patrons. This little ice cream haven is a testament to the passion and dedication behind its creation, making it a must-visit for anyone seeking a sweet escape with a side of kindness.“

“Visiting in town for Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. This ice cream shop was our last stop before heading home.I got a good, old-fashioned vanilla and chocolate milkshake, and it was great! Not overly sweet like some shops tend to do. Excellent!“

“My grandson and I are frequent guests and it is always such a pleasure! Not only is the ice cream the BEST, it is always spotlessly clean and owner and staff make it a fun time. I can’t say enough great things about them!Kid-friendliness: Owner and staff always remember us and are so playful and fun with my grandson! It’s his favorite place to go for a treat out.“

“This place has been one of my favorites for at least 15 years! Both owners have been great!!!! It's one of the place you always have on your must do list when friends and family are visiting!!! Staff is nice and they are slinging cones non stop!!! I even created and named the flavor one week!!! Love this place!!!“

“I've been hearing so much about this place that I figure I give them a go?. The online ordering process was quick and easy, and pick-up was perfect for getting in and out, !! Now, let's get into these vast cookies. So they have different flavors every week. This week's flavors were of interest: Honeybun, pumpkin brownie, strawberry cheesecake, and carrot cake. I was anticipating adorable cookies.The cookies have a dough-like taste, so they were not sweet—a good balance. The icing was equally balanced and not sweet. You have to keep them in the refrigerator. Otherwise, the icing gets too soft. The cookie was better at room temp. From mild again, it was a kind taste, but the icing was an excellent balance so that it was not extremely sweet.I question their price, but I can say that they are worth the price. My $4, I total out at $20.“

“I love this place. I do. But my god, they cycle through slack-jawed teenage dimwits faster than any fast food place I've ever seen. It's fortunate that much of the job is scooping ice cream, because if they had to make decisions about how much heat and how long to apply it, they'd burn the place down in the opening 20 minutes.e.g. You don't get a lid on your ice cream at the drive-thru unless you ask for it. Like think about that. You're in your car, visibly alone, and they want to hand you a giant heaping bowl of ice cream already dripping down the sides, with no lid. Now imagine you ordered something for your people at home, for whom they will hand you 2, 3, 10, however many you want, all uncovered, like instead of your grandpa's outmoded car with cup holders you're riding around in some kind of elite clown car stocked with a dozen ice cream crevices and your own hose to rinse away the gooey mess.Try ordering a sundae without a 20 questions about how you want it done. I dunno, how about the way it's described on the freaking sign? Like when I go to McDonalds and order a burger, they don't ask "do you want ketchup? mustard? pickle? cheese? rare, well done or regular?" Sphinxes don't ask as many questions as these folks. I was interrogated less when I applied for a passport.The end result, once you coach them to it, is generally very satisfying. I only wonder if they could do something to train and retain staff (and/or reexamine some extremely basic customer service practices) to make the daunting task of transferring your ice cream from a bucket into a [lidded] bowl less excruciating.“

“We're long-time fans of Rita's Ice in general, but of all the Rita's we have shopped over the years this is by far our favorite. They always have a good, diverse line up of flavors, and they are fresh. But mostly we enjoy the gentleman who (I assume) runs the store. He is always friendly, helpful, and bringing a smile to our faces“

“It’s a B-R. Tastes like it. Smells like it. Looks like it.What really stood out though was the person that helped us. She was so absolutely cheerful. It’s really nice to be served by someone so happy. I hope they give her a raise.But, yeah, our ice creams and smoothies were wonderful. As expected.“