Did you ever notice how ice cream and happiness just go together? Ohio is the cream of the crop when it comes to this delightful treat – we're home to more than 2,200 dairy farms and hundreds of shops each with their own unique flavor. That means you can share your ice cream dreams with friends and family nearly anywhere you wander in Ohio. But don't leave it to chance. Here's the A to Z list of scoop shops on the Ohio Ice Cream Trail, where frozen confection paradise is yours for the tasting!
You can also download a printable copy of the trail map.
1. Toft's* • Sandusky
You know the ice cream is going to be good when it's connected to the dairy that founded it! Toft's creamy ice cream has been attracting visitors since the 1940s with game changers including Lake Erie Cookie Island Monster and Muddy's Sea Salt Slam. This Sandusky-based shop serves up scoops in its ice cream parlor and at local spots like Cedar Point and Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens.
2. Mason's Creamery • Cleveland
Small batch ice cream with big time flavor, Mason's Creamery serves up some seriously cool vibes (and ice cream of course!). We're talking vanilla and lemonade sorbet, partnerships with Great Lakes Brewing, Vegan Almond Joy soft serve, Black Sesame and Thai Tea ice cream and more. Mason's is constantly reinventing the wheel so while you may not know what will be on the menu that day, it's sure to be outstandingly delicious.
3. Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream • Cleveland
It's impossible not to feel great about eating Mitchell's. Your mouth will relish every hand-crafted bite of incredible flavors – try Wildberry Crumble or Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk (or both!). And you can feel good about supporting a business that uses locally sourced and sustainable products. Make the trip to Ohio City (Cleveland) or remain unhappy and Mitchell's-less. The choice is yours.
4. Honey Hut Ice Cream • Cleveland
Boy, are we glad that Frank Page "churned" an old shoe repair store into the honey-sweetened ice cream shop that now graces Northeast Ohio. With time-tested favorites like Honey Pecan, Honey Hut’s twist on butter pecan (sweetened with honey of course!), and Orange Blossom, an orange zest ice cream with orange blossom honey, you'll be buzzing with delight after a trip to their original shop in Old Brooklyn.
5. Rosati's Frozen Custard • Northfield Center
It doesn't get fresher than Rosati's which makes its traditional Vanilla, Chocolate and a unique daily flavor on an hourly basis. Using seasonal fruits and locally sourced dairy, nuts and chocolate, this custard expert cranks out flavors like Maple Walnut, Chocolate Stracciatella and Strawberry Lemonade. We can hardly stay away and we’re just going to stop resisting. After all, there are 150+ special flavors for to try!
6. Dietsch Brothers • Findlay
For a scoop of summer refreshment, you can’t beat Dietsch Brothers' Lemon Custard or Orange Pineapple! Top selling scoops including Moose Tracks (vanilla base with chocolate ripple and mini peanut butter cups) and their seasonal creations are amazingly creamy and flavorful. For your next party, head to their Findlay shop and pick up ice cream slices to-go!
7. Bluffton Dari Freeze • Bluffton
The Dari Freeze has been a small town staple in the village of Bluffton for nearly 70 years. This small corner shop serves up big flavor. Create your own milkshake, order a classic twist cone with Krunch topping, or choose from one of their dairy free options to beat the summer heat. Pair your treat with a bite to eat!
8. Hartzler Family Dairy's Ice Cream Shoppe* • Wooster
This family owned operation added dairy to its farm-fresh offerings in the early 1990s and never looked back. It's now known almost as much for its creatively named flavors as its high quality treats, boasting varieties like Ditch Tea Delight (mint and chocolate cookies) and the shop's signature, peanut butter-packed flavor, Heifer Trails.
9. Milk & Honey • Canton
It doesn't get much better than an ice cream shop that also makes all of their own chocolates using an over 50-year-old recipe. Try the fan favorite Orange and Pineapple ice cream, or one of their classic sundaes covered in nuts from the candy shop for a dessert you won't regret!
10. Handel's Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt • Youngstown
Every scoop of Handel's incredible concoctions, from Graham Central Station to Chocolate Pecan, is packed with fistfuls of candy pieces and nuts. With more than 100 flavors on the menu, you better plan on at least two scoops! The business Alice Handel started at a Youngstown gas station in 1945 now has shops sprinkled throughout Ohio and as far away as Oregon.
11. The Creamery • Delphos
It's no wonder this creamy attraction received the most votes in our 2018 Ice Cream Trail popularity poll to be added to the Ohio Ice Cream Trail! The Creamery dishes up soft serve and sandwiches in addition to their traditional hard dip ice cream. Ice cream lovers can't go wrong with the soft serve Orange Sherbert Vanilla Twist or one of their incredible thick malts.
12. Lake City Creamery • Celina
Lake City Creamery satisfies late-night cravings with creations like the decadent Bananas Foster, Goodie Cheesecake Swirl and the delicious Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. Pack your sweet tooth and head to Celina for a swoon-worthy scoop.
13. Velvet Ice Cream • Utica
Originated in Ohio, Velvet Ice Cream tastes even better at Ye Olde Mill in Utica which dates back to 1817 and sits on 20 beautiful acres. Ohioans can take pride in Velvet's famous Buckeye Classic or venture out and try something new like Raspberry Fudge Cordial.
14. Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams • Columbus
Founder Jeni Britton is an ice cream mastermind, delighting taste buds with incredibly creative combos including Middle West Whiskey & Pecans, Brambleberry Crisp and Goat Cheese with Red Cherries (a.k.a. heaven). Once you try one, you will want to try them all! Find Jeni's colorful pints and scoops in Cleveland and Columbus, or in select grocery stores.
15. Johnson's Real Ice Cream* • Bexley
On your first visit to Johnson's, insiders suggest the decadent Fudgie Dessert. This vacation in a dish combines the texture of chocolate cake from Resch's Bakery (another Columbus favorite) topped with ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry – taste bud nirvana! If chocolate isn’t your thing, Johnson's has plenty of tantalizing flavors including Blueberry Pie and Lemon Cha Cha.
16. Tom's Ice Cream Bowl • Zanesville
Tom's Ice Cream Bowl serves up super-sized, diner-style portions. Don't pass up the popular Black and White sundae (three scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with house-made chocolate syrup and marshmallow sauce) in a soup bowl. Bring a friend to help devour this tasty feast and spend some quality time together! Head to the shop in Zanesville to be super-sized satisfied.
17. Young's Jersey Dairy* • Yellow Springs
It's easy to feel like a kid again eating ice cream, and at Young's you're encouraged to find your inner kid! Relish in Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie or savor the Peaches & Cream. Then head out with friends or family for some mini-golf at Udders & Putters, pet the goats and cows or hit a few balls in the batting cage. Check their calendar for events and flavor of the week.
18. Whit's Frozen Custard • Athens
What ice cream trail is complete without authentic, rich frozen custard? The Whitman family has perfected this dessert and keeps visitors on their toes with weekly rotating flavors, all of which pack a punch. Ten out of ten people recommend the Waffle Caramel Brownie, the Lemon Drop and mixtures called Whitsers at 30 locations throughout Ohio.
19. Aglamesis Brothers • Cincinnati
Aglamesis brings the exotic to ice cream! You haven't been there if you haven’t tried the rave-worthy Banana, a decadent scoop with touches of Madagascar vanilla and honey. The Greek immigrant founders even bring something special to French Vanilla that is so inexplicable, you'll have to head out to their Cincinnati shops and try it for yourself.
20. Graeter's • Cincinnati
There are only four words you need to know at Graeter's: Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. The chocolate "chips" are dark chocolate chunks that harmonize with rich raspberry ice cream to create perfection in your mouth! Even Oprah Winfrey gushed on her show in 2002, "This is the best ice cream I ever tasted!" Taste for yourself at shops in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton.
*OHIO PROUD partner