Here Are The Best Places For Soft-Serve Ice Cream In Every State

What keeps people coming back: The dipped cones.

"I really enjoyed my hot fudge cake sundae! I've been here a few times over the years and still a favorite spot for a cool, sweet treat." —Kevin R.

"I've only tried their soft serve, but it is worth the stop alone. It's good, old-fashioned, soft serve perfection." —Amanda C.

What keeps people coming back: The Fancy Nancys!

"If this is your first time, try getting a sweet and fruity Italian ice flavor and pair it with a soft-serve for a 'Fancy Nancy' that tastes like a float." —Stephen S.

"I like the 'Fancy Nancy' idea of combining their Italian ice with vanilla soft-serve. It's a nice combination of textures and flavors." —Kit S.

What keeps people coming back: The chocolate-vanilla swirl!

"David's Burgers was surprisingly awesome! I've been twice in the last 30 days and like In-N-Out, the service is just wonderful!" —Franklin C.

"They go above and beyond to make sure you have a great experience!" —Nhi S.

What keeps people coming back: The tSoynamis.

"Oh Nami, why? I have a sweet tooth, and this place definitely satisfies it. My favorite is the cookie dough tsoynami." —Paige F.

"Their tsoynamis never disappoint and with so many options for mix-ins, you can try something new every time you go! The chocolate soft-serve is my favorite (they also have vanilla or swirl) and their ricemellow fluff is the yummiest mix in!" —Gabriella P.

What keeps people coming back: The matcha soft-serve.

"Eat matcha soft-serve here. Drink a matcha latte here. It's all the hype and then some. Ridiculous. I have nothing bad to say here about the food." —Michael L.

"Organic Matcha tea soft-serve is served only in a cup with an extremely generous amount of Matcha powder. Incredibly refreshing, light and smooth." —Jennifer L.

What keeps people coming back: The generous portions!

"Excellent prices and quality! Highly recommend! Swing by and grab a soft serve and give it a try. You won't be disappointed!!" —Scott L.

"This place is awesome. You have your choice of frozen treats: Ice cream, gelato, or soft serve. There portion sizes are huge so keep that in mind when ordering. Great value for sure." —Chad J.

What keeps people coming back: Cookie dough soft-serve.

"Let’s start with the ice cream counter, GET THE COOKIE DOUGH. DO IT. Their ice cream is also amazing and my friend says it’s like cream cheese! Everything is delicious here.” —Bridget W.

"I call Stew Leonard’s 'The Happiest Place in CT' and it is my most favorite place to shop when I visit Norwalk.” —Angela B.

What keeps people coming back: The java cookie flavor.

“Trickling Springs soft serve is divine smooth, creamy and full of flavor.” —Shia G.

“The Java Cookie flavor… wow! Coffee-flavored ice cream with pieces of Oreo cookies (no cream, just the cookie part). Yummy!” —Sophany S.

What keeps people coming back: The sundae options.

“One of the best places for soft ice cream that I’ve ever gone to. I’m a vanilla/chocolate twist soft serve nut and this is a place that I keep coming back to since I discovered it last year.” —Larry H.

“Just two flavors of soft serve, vanilla and chocolate, but that is all you need with the huge number of different sundaes and a huge selection of candy to add into your sundae or shake. Very good.” —John P.

What keeps people coming back: Gelatis!

“So I admit it. I was a little skeptical when the boyfriend suggested we try this place — I mean Italian shaved ice and soft-serve ice cream layered over each other? Seemed a little strange to me. But I gave in and I have to say that I am now a believer in Mr. Penguin’s concoction. I chose chocolate soft-serve layered with salted caramel and strawberry ice. It was so good I wish I had ordered a bigger size!” —Sarah L.

“How have I gone through my whole life and am just discovering gelati?! This heavenly mixture of soft-serve and Italian ice is a dessert lovers paradise!” —Kristen B.

What keeps people coming back: All of it!

“Amazing ice cream, extremely creamy and delicious. I’ve had their regular ice cream, and their milkshakes and both have been great. This beats chains by a long shot, if you’re definitely in the square I would get this as a treat.” —Billy W.

“The best ice cream I’ve EVER tasted in my life!!!!! I pretty much only go to the square to go to sweet treats! They need to open more locations.” —Charlotte M.

What keeps people coming back: The Chunkadelic!

“I ordered the Chunkadelic with a banana base. It was a new culinary adventure on every spoonful. There was chocolate and coconut shavings and granola and honey and the list continues. It was delicious. It was an experience for sure!” —Frank L.

“I love Banán! Could say I’m bananas for Banán. I still find it hard to believe that something that tastes this good is healthy.” —Janelle N.

What keeps people coming back: The cake batter flavor.

“My mad dash to the ice cream place for one last slushie until spring. I know I can buy them at the gas station....but they do not have Rainbow! My favorite ice cream is cake batter.” —Beonka S.

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for Dane’s ice cream!!” —Jenni H.

What keeps people coming back: The Boston Shake!

“Ohhhhhhh Fanci Freez how I am soooo glad I don’t live closer to you!!! I would literally get ice cream here every day...why? BECAUSE IT’S AMAZING! The Boston Shake (a shake and sundae in one, my personal favorite) is so good. Not to mention the burgers and fries!!! Yay like I said, I’m glad it’s not closer to my house...haha!” —Mandi A.

“This place is a gem. We must roll through the Fanci Freeze drive-thru once a week during the summer. Every time it hits the spot. The only major obstacle you face is what to get. Which is quite a dilemma in itself — but no matter what you choose, you can’t go wrong here.” —Chelsi B.

What keeps people coming back: The zebra cones.

“Traditional soft-serve ice cream (my favorite is the Zebra Cone dipped in butterscotch) and such great sundaes.”

—Gary C.

“Got the vanilla cone in regular and it was so yummy. This is my first time coming here and this won’t be the last.” —Euniishh L.

What keeps people coming back: The banana splits.

“All the expected flavors (pineapple, strawberry, and chocolate) were there along with whipped cream and a cherry. I also had them add the chopped nuts (under the whipped cream) along with the banana halves. All the flavors were on point and reminded me of the splits we made at home when I was a kid. ” —Ken N.

“What a hidden gem in Greenwood! A group of my friends and I went for some ice cream, and it was excellent.” —Corey S.

What keeps people coming back: The fudge in the bottom of the cones

“Would you like fudge in the bottom of your cone? Absolutely! I love, love, LOVE this place. Great customer service at a family-owned business, and not too far from home. The prices are more than fair, and you get plenty for the money.” —C Jude S.

“Great local ice cream store! It’s quiet and I always go their with friends during simmer time. Generous portions & great service.” —Sunny K.

What keeps people coming back: The insane number of flavor options available for soft-serve ice cream!

"Best vegetarian and ice cream shop (soft-serve) in Covington or Cincinnati! You have a ton of choices for ice cream with bowl, waffle, sugar, regular cone options. Worth the walk or drive, with nice outdoor eating views and spots across from park." —Brandon S.

"What's even more awesome about Pipers is that they are very friendly when it comes to your dietary needs. They have 67 flavors of soft serve and you can mix up to three flavors (No extra charge) to make up your dream flavors." —Hollyann H.

What keeps people coming back: The flavorful snowballs.

"Blackberry snowball = best thing I've ever put in my mouth. Y'all, a snow cone is NOT a snowball." —Wen D.

"The snowballs are fantastic!!! But you know what makes this snowball stand one of the best? The excellent service!" —Jamie B.

What keeps people coming back: The vanilla-chocolate swirl!

"Might just have to call it the best soft-serve ice cream I've had. I got the vanilla / chocolate swirl and it tasted natural without artificial flavors. They give you a good amount for a medium cone." —Gerald N.

"So good! Some of my favorite soft-serve ice cream. I really like how they use syrup to add the flavors, and use a vanilla ice cream as the base. Very unique and very tasty!" —Julian B.

What keeps people coming back: The upside-down banana split!

"It was probably the best ice cream I've ever had I'm definitely going back for more at another time. I got the upside down banana split and it was really delicious. I love the fact that the bananas weren't mushy." —Yvette W.

"This is probably as simple as ice cream can get and I LOVE IT." —Tamika B.

What keeps people coming back: The Disneyland-like Dole Whip soft-serve!

"DOLE WHIP SOFT-SERVE! WHAT! The only other places I've had this were Dinseyland and the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. Though it wasn't as good as the originals, it still met my needs." —Ashley W.

"Great tasting soft-serve with a goof selection of flavors. Cone was crisp and flavorful." —John I.

What keeps people coming back: The Motown Mash!

"I had a bite of my wife's Motown Mash...YOU NEED TO GET THIS! Probably the best thing they offer." —Alex M.

"Water ice is AMAZING — it's a 100% necessity to stop here anytime you are in the area." —Chloe S.

What keeps people coming back: The twisted flavors!

"If you see a line then please know that there is a good reason: this is an exceptional little gem. Their soft=serve is just by itself delicious, but they do a great job with mixing up some pretty tasty concoctions. Try this place, and you'll have no regrets." —Andrew K.

"The best ice cream cones this side of the Mississippi River and I'm somebody that knows for a fact what a good ice cream cone tastes like!" —Hmmmm O.

What keeps people coming back: The "concretes."

"First of all, I am a native St. Louisian and am no stranger to the concrete. The 'Terramizzou' was fantastic, as was the peanut butter cup, banana chocolate concrete and the Crater Copernicus concrete. Amazing!!" —Curtis H.

"Fantastic frozen custard at reasonable prices. They are the ORIGINALS, and I love how they turn over every single concrete before handing it to you." —Laura M.

What keeps people coming back: The chocolate malts.

"The milkshakes come with fat straws! We had chocolate malt, vanilla and cookies and cream shakes and they were all delicious!" —Ginny C.

"It was good overall. Ice cream was amazing!" —Jaclyn B.

What keeps people coming back: The Blizzits!

“There are lots of options to choose from here and I saw so many great dishes but I could not tear myself away from the dipped cones. Gigantic cones of soft-serve dipped in hard shell toppings (so many to name). My favorite was Banana.” —John M.

“Softies is THE place to go in Billings for a frozen treat! So many options, there is something for everyone.” —Chris K.

What keeps people coming back: The variety of flavors.

"It stands apart due to its entire soft-serve selection. We’re not just talking vanilla and chocolate here either. I’m talking about 15 different soft-serve flavors, tons of toppings to choose from, and baked goods to boot.” —Scott S.

“Exceptionally creamy with tons of flavor. Nothing at all like what the fast food joints call soft-serve. The pumpkin pie ice cream was fantastic, and the dreamsicle “flavor burst” even more so.” —Brian S.

What keeps people coming back: The dipped cones.

“Zesto’s exceeded my expectations. I am a New Englander, where we have an abnormally high ice cream stand to population ratio, so I consider myself an ice cream expert. We got the Butterfinger super shake which was delicious! Nice and thick and lots of pieces of the candy.” —Kendra D.

“Always hits the spot!!!! Zesto, I give you the best ratings in Omaha for your great ice cream cones and delicious food!!!” —Shelia C.

What keeps people coming back: The generous servings!

“If you like soft-serve ice cream, this is a great stop. They have the usual vanilla and chocolate a of course, the swirl, but also others like mint and banana.” —Steve K.

“I grew up eating King Kones for more than 10 years. They have the BEST soft-serve, and they change their flavors weekly. My favorite is black raspberry!” —Adrien C.

What keeps people coming back: The green tea flavor.

”I always order a green tea soft-serve — so creamy and the tea flavor is just right without being too overwhelming! ” —Alyson Y.

“My hype of Mitsuwa is really about the soft-serve ice cream at Matcha Love. Our group of 4 out-of-towners were all craving it so we came here.” —Ling X.

What keeps people coming back: The milkshakes!

"The oreo milkshake was delicious and cooled off my fire-mouth.” —Shannon C.

“The line is long but that is for a reason! The coffee is outstanding and the milkshakes are so creamy and rich.” —Kimberly C.

What keeps people coming back: The Dole Whip Float!

"Thank God for Chilly Jilly’z because their Dole Whip tastes just as good, if not better than Disneyland! Best part? I don’t have to fork over an arm and a leg to get my fix!” —Jordan I.

“The Dole Whip is why I stop here and it is everything I want it to be. It brings back the fond memories of Disneyland when they were one of the only places to get it and the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. After a long hike there is nothing that I crave more than their Dole Whip Float.” —Ed V.

What keeps people coming back: The black sesame!

"They have some pretty excellent flavors: matcha, black sesame, ube, and coconut. My girlfriend got the matcha and black sesame, but I opted for the Ube/coconut swirl. They were fantastic!" —Eamonn H.

"Soft Swerve is a dessert shop where it not only looks good (that people take videos/ pics of it all the time), but has great flavored soft-serve that I would want to keep coming back here whenever I am in the LES area." —Audrey H.

What keeps people coming back: The soft-serve, duh!

"Their soft-serve is the best around, and the standard I measure all the malts I've had since by." —Jeremy B.

"Hands down the creamiest vanilla ice cream this side on Cincy! Always packed which speaks volumes about their ice cream!" —Brian D.

What keeps people coming back: The variety of delicious options.

"Best soft-serve around and low cal.” —Lindsay D.

“OMG yummy. Not overwhelmingly sweet. Very creamy and very balanced. Great crunchy waffle cones.” —Amanda L.

What keeps people coming back: Soft-serve dusted with espresso powder!

“Tried the Espresso Dusted Vanilla soft-serve and that was delicious!!!” —Kathy T.

“We each got a vanilla cone either dusted with espresso powder or matcha powder. It was a nice finish to a wonderful afternoon and it’s a place I’ll go back to and recommend to others!” —Tammy W.

What keeps people coming back: Peanut butter soft-serve!

“Soft-serve was delicious (had the chocolate and cake batter). Tasted the most ‘real’ of any vegan ice cream I’ve had thus far. So much flavor.” —Amber P.

“It’s a 50 mile drive from Philadelphia but super worth it. We tried their berry soft- serve and the Peanut Butter Bomb. Both treats were super tasty and decadent. I wish I lived closer because I’d be back every week.” — Vincent S.

What keeps people coming back: The topping selections.

"It was amazing. They let me try two different flavors, and I went for the key lime pie with Oreo crumbs. The word heaven sums it up. Very creamy and smooth texture and very strong flavor.” —Clara S.

“Lovely Thai iced tea and chocolate ice cream! Very light and pleasant, not too sugary, perfect for a warm day without giving you a sugar headache.” —Stephanie N.

What keeps people coming back: The quality taste.

“Twisters Soft-Serve is the best! The portions are great and the prices fantastic. It’s the best soft-serve ice cream around.” —Dana H.

“This is some of the best soft-serve i have had in a long time. I love their malts, reminds me of when I was a kid. They go to endless expense to use the best quality of mixes. You can taste the difference. A must-go.” —Joel F.

What keeps people coming back: Vanilla and chocolate soft-serve!

“I love armadillos. For soft-serve in a small town it’s my favorite.” — Casey P.

“This place is absolutely worth the wait! Everything ranges in size from baby to jumbo, the ice cream is out of this world delicious, and the options are endless!” —Nichole R.

What keeps people coming back: The wedding cake flavor.

“Wedding cake supreme, I am committed. My boyfriend always tries a new flavor, but the wedding cake supreme always delivers!” —Shameka O.

“Their supreme snow cone is my favorite...layer of vanilla soft-serve ice cream followed by a layer of ice flavor of choice, and then repeat the process...you can’t pick a wrong flavor, but my favorite is wedding cake!” —Chase P.

What keeps people coming back: The Cubano coffee flavor.

"As a lover of ice cream and a lover of waffle cones, this place has it all.

You think vegan ice cream can’t be creamy? Wrong.” —Lindsey B.

“Now for the flavors. I’m a HUGE fan of the Cubano coffee ice cream even though I’m usually not a coffee kind of girl. I’ve also enjoyed the avocado lime from a different visit and the salted caramel. Just try as many flavors as you need till you find your favorite. Loved this place!” —Rini S.

What keeps people coming back: The Dole Whip vanilla twist.

"No better way to seal the end of the night than with a great cookie, dole whip (almost as good as Hawaii's), brownie, ice cream, or some crazy combination. The prices are pretty reasonable, and the flavors are full. No dole-flavors here.. Haha, see what I did there?” —Jake M.

“Stopped in for a dessert on a hot day here. The dole whip was amazing. And the dole whip vanilla twist was even more amazing. Can’t believe how inexpensive it was!” —Rebecca W.

What keeps people coming back: Nutella flavor.

"I’m not usually a huge fan of soft-serve but this was exceptional! I would highly recommend the Nutella flavor. I got the Nutella and fresh strawberry twist which was really good” —Schyler P.

“Their soft-serve ice cream is excellent! So creamy, smooth, and flavorful.” —Kimberly J.

What keeps people coming back: The creemees!

“You should get the maple creemee for a little local flavor. It’s so smooth and rich, it’s not like any soft-serve I have ever had.” —Richard D.

“This soft-serve is unlike any other soft-serve we’ve ever had before. It is incredible. Extraordinarily creamy, and a bazillion flavors to choose from. And like, delicious real flavors — not just flavors from artificial syrups (i.e. the oreo has real chunks of oreo in it!).” —Liliana C.

What keeps people coming back: All the custard options!

“Reasonable prices and a vast menu or create your own. I opted for the homeroom. Fresh vanilla custard with brownies and warm fudge. Wow just wow. It wasn’t overly sweet and was the perfect treat on a warm day.” —Demetri R.

“Its really hard to decide what to get because there are so many options and all of them sound amazing. This is one of those places that you will crave so be careful! We can’t get enough!” —Serena G.

What keeps people coming back: All the homemade toppings.

"Oh. My. Word. This is seriously the best soft-serve I have ever had. I got the peanut butter mudslide mixed in with chocolate soft-serve and added malt powder at my Dad’s recommendation. It was out of this world!!” —Rachel M.

“My wife is an ice cream/soft-serve addict AND she’s picky pants to boot. When she loves something then it’s good. Remember this is soft-serve not ice cream. She says it’s the best she’s ever had. Peanut butter flurry with home made peanut butter cup on top is a fave. Plus the price is great too.” —Rich S.

What keeps people coming back: The flavor drizzles.

"The soft-serves were great because of the options of flavor drizzle. Usually it’s just vanilla and chocolate, and that’s what they have here for the base, but you can choose from one of six or so delicious flavors to go with it.” — Tony D.

“This was some of the creamiest soft-serve I have ever had. I had the butter pecan and it was delicious. I’d never had anything besides chocolate/vanilla/twist soft-serve before so it was a treat.” —Suzy D.

What keeps people coming back: The Sinks Canyon Freeze!

”I recommend a Sinks Canyon Freeze (like a Dairy Queen Blizzard) with triple chocolate brownies, it’s awesome!” —Food N.

“Over the week we’ve been here we’ve gone 3 times!! They have hand-dipped ice cream as well as soft-serve available." —Erin H.