Great ice cream is never far away in southwest Ohio. Whether you’re after a cone, a sundae, a cookie sandwich or something a little more creative, these 11 spots are worth the drive.
Aglamesis Bros.
3046 Madison Rd., Cincinnati | aglamesis.com
Aglamesis has been making ice cream and candy in Cincinnati since 1908, which means they were doing this before anyone’s grandparents were born. The family-owned shop uses Old World recipes and simple ingredients — the same approach Thomas and Nicholas Aglamesis used when they opened the first parlor in Oakley. The result is a dense, rich French-style ice cream that has earned the shop a national reputation. If you’ve never been, go for a scoop and a box of chocolates. You won’t regret it.
Bellbrook’s Dairy Shed
55 Bellbrook Plaza, Bellbrook | bellbrookdairyshed.com
The Dairy Shed has been a fixture in downtown Bellbrook for more than 50 years. The menu covers the classics: soft serve, hand-dipped cones, ice cream flights, sundaes, shakes and more. Dole soft serve and peanut butter yogurt soft serve round out the options for those who want something a little different. It’s the kind of neighborhood ice cream stand that the suburbs do really well.
The Dairy Station
704 N. Detroit St., Xenia | thedairystation.com
Hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream, soft serve and Dole Whip are the draws at The Dairy Station in Xenia. The pineapple Dole Whip in particular gets a lot of repeat visitors. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon.
Don’s Creamy Whip
1522 Market St., Reading | donscreamywhip.com
Don Vonderhaar Sr. opened this Reading soft serve stand in 1976, and it’s been a warm-weather institution ever since. The shop is open April through September, noon to 8 p.m. daily. Soft serve, sundaes, frozen yogurt flavors and all the traditional toppings — simple, consistent and reliable.
Graeter’s Ice Cream
Multiple locations | graeters.com
Graeter’s has been making French Pot ice cream in Cincinnati since 1870. Each batch is made in a 2.5-gallon French Pot freezer — the smallest in the industry — which produces almost no air in the mix and results in an exceptionally dense, creamy scoop. The chocolate chips are formed by pouring melted chocolate directly into the pot, which is why they’re more like chunks than chips. With locations throughout the Cincinnati area, there’s probably one close to wherever you’re going.
Jubie’s Creamery
471 W. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn | jubiescreamery.com
Jubie’s makes its hand-dipped ice cream one small batch at a time, which means the flavors stay fresh and the menu can rotate. Beyond the hand-dipped selection, they serve soft serve custard, cookie sandwiches, shakes, sundaes and more. The Fairborn location is open daily noon to 9 p.m. A second location in Moraine serves the south Dayton area.
Mason Whippy Dip
127 E. Main St., Mason | masonwhippydip.com
Mason Whippy Dip is known for its Glaciers — a blend of soft serve, slushy ice and fruit topping — and for its animal-shaped character cones, where the staff sculpts soft serve into penguins, tigers and whatever else you can dream up. Hot dogs are also on the menu if anyone needs actual food first. It’s a proper downtown summer hangout.
Pendleton Parlor
1218 Broadway St., Cincinnati | cincinnatiparlor.com
Pendleton Parlor runs an extensive menu of creamy whip flavors — Nutella Swirl, Peanut Butter Malt and plenty of rotating options — served in cups or cones. The other reason to go: edible cookie dough by the scoop, which can also be blended into a shake or layered into a sundae. If that sounds like too much sugar, the espresso menu is available to balance things out.
Sprinkles Soft Serve & Tasty Treats
1861 Main St., Goshen | sprinklesgoshen.com
Sprinkles is a seasonal neighborhood soft serve shop with a large patio and drive-thru. The menu goes well beyond basic cones — Dole soft serve, frozen lemonade, nachos, pretzels, cookies and more.
The Sweet Retreat
2613 Smithville Rd., Dayton | thesweetretreatdayton.com
The Sweet Retreat serves more than 30 soft serve flavors and nearly 20 hand-dipped options, but the item that keeps people coming back is the ice cream nachos. The Iced Caramel Latte Nachos — coffee ice cream, caramel drizzle, crunchy caramel topping and waffle “chips” — are a good argument for dessert before dinner. The shop operates via walk-up and drive-thru; open Monday through Thursday 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3 to 10 p.m., Sunday 2 to 9 p.m.
Young’s Jersey Dairy
6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd., Yellow Springs | youngsdairy.com
Young’s is a working dairy farm that also happens to be one of the more complete family destinations in the region. Ice cream is made on-site and served at the Dairy Store, which is the main draw for most first-timers. Beyond that: two miniature golf courses, a driving range, batting cages, a carousel, a petting area and daily cow milking demonstrations between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Plan to spend a few hours. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
