One of the best ways to experience Dallas is by exploring its neighborhoods, and there’s no sweeter way to do it than with a scoop of ice cream along the way. From handcrafted gelato in Lower Greenville to small-batch favorites in Bishop Arts and hidden gems worth the drive, these are the shops serving the best ice cream in Dallas and the ones we’d recommend to anyone staying at our Dallas bed and breakfast, along with exactly what to order when you get there.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (Deep Ellum)
2649 Main St.
If you’re exploring Deep Ellum, save room for dessert. Van Leeuwen has become one of the neighborhood’s best stops when you’re craving something sweet, especially if you’re traveling with friends who are vegan or dairy-free.
Instead of offering just one dairy-free option, you’ll usually find an entire lineup of vegan flavors like Chocolate Cookie Dough, Cookies & Cream Caramel Swirl, Banana Bread Pudding, and Strawberry Shortcake, all made to be just as rich and satisfying as the traditional ice cream. They also serve vegan cookies, cookie sandwiches, milkshakes, sundaes, and pints to take home, so no one has to settle for an afterthought.
After your scoop, take your time wandering Deep Ellum. Browse the neighborhood’s murals, pop into a record store or local boutique, catch some live music, or end the evening with dinner and drinks.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (Lower Greenville)
2012 Greenville Ave.
Jeni’s might be a national brand, but don’t let that fool you. Dallas has plenty of independent ice cream shops, and Jeni’s still earns a place on almost every local’s list.
There’s one flavor everyone should try at least once: Brown Butter Almond Brittle. The buttery ice cream is rich without feeling heavy, the roasted almonds add just the right amount of crunch, and the brittle gives every bite a little salty-sweet finish.
If you’re getting two scoops (and honestly, this is the place to do it), pair it with Burnt Orange Dreamsicle. It’s bright, creamy, and tastes like an upgraded version of the frozen treats you grew up with. Buttercream Birthday Cake is another fun choice if you’re leaning toward something nostalgic.
Grab your cone and wander Lower Greenville. Pop into a few local shops, browse the bookstores, or settle onto a patio with a drink before dinner.
Botolino Gelato Artigianale (Lower Greenville)
2116 Greenville Ave.
If you ask us where to go for gelato, this is the answer every time. Botolino makes authentic Italian gelato fresh daily. It’s smoother, denser, and has more intense flavors than traditional ice cream, so a small cup will satisfy even the biggest sweet tooths.
Start with the Salted Caramel. It’s rich, silky, and perfectly balanced without being overly sweet. If you’re more of a traditionalist, the Pistachio is excellent, and the rotating fruit sorbets are hard to beat during a Dallas summer.
One of our favorite ways to experience Lower Greenville is dinner first, then a short walk to Botolino for dessert. Order your gelato, take a stroll, and enjoy one of Dallas’s liveliest neighborhoods after the sun goes down.
Parlor’s Handmade Ice Creams (Lakewood)
6465 E Mockingbird Ln, Suite 465
At Parlor’s, everything is made from scratch using grass-fed milk and pasture-raised eggs from local DFW farms, with ingredients sourced from local businesses like Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters and 5 Mile Chocolate. There are no pre-made bases, no shortcuts, and no ingredients they can’t account for.
The flavors rotate, so you won’t always find the same lineup, but some regulars include Mint Chip (made without artificial flavoring), Cookies & Cream (with real house-baked cookies), and seasonal favorites like Sweet Peach and Pecan Praline. They also do a “single split” so you can try two smaller scoops of different flavors, which is perfect if you’re like us and can never decide on a flavor.
White Rock Lake is about five minutes away. Pick up your scoops and head there for a romantic walk along the trail.
MELT Ice Creams (Bishop Arts)
405 N Bishop Ave
No ice cream guide to Dallas would be complete without MELT. This Bishop Arts favorite has been serving scratch-made ice cream for years, and you’ll smell the fresh waffle cones before you even walk through the door.
If it’s your first visit, order the Salt Lick. This buttery, salty caramel flavor has become one of MELT’s signature scoops and is an easy crowd-pleaser. If you’re already planning your next visit, try another one of their “Always Flavors,” like Cup of Texas, a coffee ice cream with chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl, or Plant-Based Peanut Butter Explosion, a dairy-free option loaded with peanut butter flavor that even non-vegan ice cream lovers rave about. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, don’t skip the seasonal flavors. MELT is known for creative, small-batch combinations that change throughout the year.
Afterward, spend some time exploring Bishop Arts. It’s one of Dallas’s most charming neighborhoods, with independent bookstores, local boutiques, coffee shops, murals, and plenty of great restaurants.
Howdy Homemade Ice Cream (North Dallas)
12300 Inwood Rd, Suite 200
Beyond serving fantastic ice cream, Howdy Homemade Ice Cream is known for creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and that welcoming spirit is part of what makes it so special.
When you visit, skip the classic flavors and order the Dr Pepper Chocolate Chip. It sounds unusual until you taste it, and then it makes perfect sense. Rich chocolate ice cream with hints of Texas’s favorite soda has become the flavor everyone associates with Howdy Homemade. Cookie Nom’ster is another favorite if you’re visiting with kids at heart.
Worth the Drive
Tongue in Cheek Ice Cream (Richardson)
526 W Arapaho Rd, Richardson
There are plenty of great ice cream shops in Dallas, but Tongue in Cheek is one of the few we’d tell visitors to leave the city for. When locals start debating the best ice cream in Dallas, they almost always enter the conversation, and after one visit, it’s easy to understand why.
With 28 rotating homemade flavors, including eight vegan and non-dairy options, there’s always something new to discover. If it’s your first visit, start with the Banana Pudding or Butter Pecan, two of their most-loved classics that keep regulars coming back. Feeling adventurous? Ask for a few samples before you decide. Blueberry Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie, Cappuccino Crunch, Coconut, and the aptly named Caramel Crack all have devoted fans.
Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream (Carrollton)
1020 W Main St, Carrollton
Beth Marie’s leans fully into old-fashioned ice cream parlor nostalgia, and that’s exactly why people love it. The menu is enormous, the scoops are generous, and it’s hard not to leave smiling.
Instead of stressing over all the flavor choices, order one of the classic sundaes or split a banana split if you’re visiting with someone else. Sometimes the old-school options really are the best ones.
Find Your Favorite Ice Cream in Dallas
Whether you’re after a perfectly made gelato, a nostalgic scoop of butter pecan, or an over-the-top seasonal creation, Dallas has an ice cream shop for every craving. The hardest part isn’t finding great ice cream. It’s deciding where to stop first.
At The Gaston, you’re just minutes from many of our favorite neighborhoods, making it easy to spend your days exploring and your evenings chasing the best ice cream in Dallas. Stay with us and discover a few favorite scoops of your own.
