Our 8 favorite ice cream spots for snagging emotional support pints

Ice cream is a staple to birthdays, holidays, and breakups, but it’s also a staple of Philly, seeing that we’re known for practically starting the American ice cream business in the 1800s.

From Bassetts, considered to be the oldest ice cream parlor in the country, to small-batch artisans like Harper’s, Philadelphia’s ice cream landscape is vast and highly talented. Stroll down South Street, through Midtown Village or Old City, and you’ll find purveyors of some of the best dense custardy creams and lighter, refreshing frozen treats.

Whether it be the presentation, expansive flavor menus, or sourcing of ingredients, here are a few of the best spots in Philly to pick up a pint of ice cream.

» READ MORE: Best ice cream in Philadelphia: Where to get the best scoops, soft serve, water ice and other frozen treats

For some of the city’s most photogenic ice cream treats, Arctic Scoop doesn’t disappoint with decadent desserts featuring Asian-inspired flavors served in Thai coconut bowls, Hong Kong-style egg waffles, or flavored cones. Arctic Scoop focuses its menu on interesting flavors Philly has come to enjoy, like lychee rose, matcha green tea Oreo, and mint chip, plus limited offerings like Vietnamese coffee and red bean ice cream. Pick up a $12 pint of something new at its East Passyunk storefront.

📍 1812 E. Passyunk Ave. 📞 917-607-0616 🌐 arcticscoopphilly.com

This sixth-generation ice cream maker, and one of the original vendors of the Reading Terminal Market, still reigns supreme. Whether you visit its stall in the market or happen upon its ice cream through the hundreds of shops, restaurants, and cafes that use its ice cream (like Thirsty Dice’s milkshakes), Bassetts serves up a light and refreshing ice cream. Choose among dozens of flavors like peanut butter swirl, butterscotch vanilla, and coffee fudge truffle to be hand-packed into a $9.50 pint. According to Alex Bassett Strange, a sixth-generation Bassett ice cream connoisseur, the ice cream is produced using a perfected “Philadelphia-style” (a.k.a. American-style) technique, which doesn’t use eggs in its mixture. This allows for an ice cream with a light, creamy density.

📍 45 N. 12th St. 📞 215-925-4315 🌐 bassettsicecream.com

Franklin Fountain may have opened its doors in 2004, but its refined ice cream and vintage shop interiors will have you believe it’s been around since 1904 — even the shop’s namesake, the Franklin soda fountain (which it still uses), is from the early 20th century and workers wear old-timey soda bar outfits. The Fountain pairs Philadelphia-style ice cream with traditional and must-have flavors, like sea salt caramel and fudge brownie to deliver ice cream classics. Visit the East Market Street shop to be transported back in time. Next door, the Franklin Ice Cream Bar offers grab-and-go freezers filled with ice cream sandwiches, house-made toppings, and $13 pints.

📍 116 Market St. 📞 215-627-1899 🌐 franklinfountain.com

Nestled among the small businesses and eateries along Brewerytown’s stretch of Girard Avenue, Harper’s Ice Cream is a small-batch ice cream joint that takes community seriously, especially in its ingredients. From Pennsylvania dairy from three farms out of Chambersburg, locally sourced fruit, and no artificial sweeteners or syrups, Harper’s leans into all-natural goodness. Its rotating menu keeps the flavors fresh and leaves you wondering what next week’s batch has in store, like lemon sponge pie or carrot cake. The best part? Everything is made in-house, including all the cookies, pies, jams, and toppings for the ice cream. Stop by the Brewerytown shop for a $10 pint, order online, or find it in local grocery stores.

📍 2827 W. Girard Ave. 📞 215-789-6597 🌐 harpersicecream.com

An ice cream purveyor in the city since 2020, Milk Jawn uses 16% butterfat for a rich and creamy base, studded with fresh fruits, homemade chocolates, and other toppings to deliver interesting flavors. Milk Jawn is passionate about its flavor combinations, from tahini fudge swirl and Earl Grey honeycomb to strawberry rhubarb crisp and lemon curd with a blueberry basil swirl. In fact, its Earl Grey honeycomb won a North American Ice Cream Association award for best new flavor in 2021. Pick up a $12 pint at its East Passyunk scoop shop, order pints for delivery, or find it at your local grocer.

📍 1439 E. Passyunk Ave. ✉️ milkjawn@gmail.com 🌐 milkjawn.com

At Scoop DeVille, you likely won’t hear, “Sorry, we don’t have that,” when asking about ice cream flavors. The local mad scientists of sugarcoated flavor explosions developed a soft-serve ice cream that allows them to create up to 14 million flavors, according to owner Spencer Philips. Besides custom ice cream, there are Scoop DeVille’s signature flavors like “Parking Twix-et,” a chocolate ice cream with Rice Krispies and Nilla wafers, to a simple vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles (or is it jimmies?) called “What Are You 5?” Whether you like to go big or keep it low-key, Scoop DeVille has everything. Grab a pint for $8.50 to $12 from its shops in Midtown Village and on South Street.

📍 1109 Walnut St. / 538 South St. 📞 215-988-9992 / 267-639-4565 🌐 scoopdevilleicecream.com

From classic chunky chocolates and vanilla bean to natural floral flavors, Weckerly’s broke into the local ice cream scene with its large and beautifully designed ice cream sandwiches but won our hearts by scooping up consistently delicious small-batch ice cream. Jen Weckerle, Weckerly’s owner and a local pastry chef, is as connected to bold, exciting ice cream flavors as she is to sourcing locally, like coffee beans from Kensington-based Càphê Roasters. Stop by its Fishtown or West Philly scoop shops to pick up a $10 pint of small-batch ice cream, with a rotating flavor menu and new flavors being created frequently.

📍 9 W. Girard Ave. / 265 S. 44th St. 📞 215-423-2000 / 215-222-5829 🌐 weckerlys.com

Zsa’s takes the cake when it comes to local small ice cream makers. It has a distinctive ice cream style and creativity, with banger ice cream cakes, ice cream pies, and cake ice cream cones. While most scoop shops focus on a specific style, Danielle Jowdy of Zsa’s strikes a balance between the lighter American-style ice cream with techniques used to make gelato, a denser treat. Together, Zsa’s ice cream is dense and flavorful but won’t leave you with a heavy ice cream hangover. Try the crowd favorites like double chocolate peanut butter chunk, time-honored classics like cookies and cream, or a refreshing vegan chocolate sorbet. Pints are available at $11 to $12 for pickup at its Mount Airy shop, and you can order ahead online.

📍 6616 Germantown Ave. 📞 215-848-7215 🌐 zsasicecream.com