I scream, you scream….5 impressive Philadelphia ice cream shops you won’t want to miss!

Philadelphia is a city full of incredible food; everywhere you turn, there’s a new restaurant to discover. The same goes for Philadelphia ice cream shops! We might be known for our cheesesteaks but I’d argue that we have quite the assortment of amazing ice cream shops, full of unique and different flavors – even including ice cream pies! I’ve compiled a list of the 5 best Philadelphia ice cream shops that you’ll want to visit this summer.

5 Philadelphia ice cream shops

The Franklin Fountain

116 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

I think it would be hard to have a list of Philadelphia ice cream shops without including Franklin Fountain; it’s iconic for a reason. I went when they first opened back in 2004 and was so impressed with the amount of detail that was so thoughtfully put into designing the entire experience. It’s a turn of the century ice cream parlor, complete with historically accurate sweets and the staff in bow ties and aprons. There’s also a bunch of fun candy to check out, and the neighborhood is perfect for strolling around with your cones. 

Bassett’s Ice Cream

45 North 12th Street Reading Terminal Market Philadelphia, PA 19107

Bassett’s is once of the oldest ice cream companies, founded over 160 years ago – and how lucky we are for their retail store to be in Philadelphia! If you’re on the hunt for one of the many Philadephia ice cream shops that the city has to offer, Bassett’s would be a great spot to check out. It’s in the Reading Terminal Market, one of the city’s most famous destinations, so you can knock out two birds with one stone. Sit at the counter on one of the barstools and even take home a pint!

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Weckerly’s Ice Cream

9 W. Girard Ave Philadelphia, PA 19123

The words “ice cream sandwich” probably conjure up visions of those chocolate rectangular ice cream bars with vanilla ice cream in the middle, something you’d pick up at the pool after a long day of swimming. Weckerly’s offers something much different; think locally made and sourced ingredients and truly unique flavors (how good does Thai Tea Coconut sound?). The Fishtown location is open for their ice cream, but you can also purchase pints at a bunch of local retailers (Main Line crowd, Kimberton Whole Foods carries it!).

Zsa’s Ice Cream

6616 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19119

Northwest Philadelphia has entered the chat! I only wish Zsa’s was opened when we lived in Chestnut Hill. Out of all of the Philadelphia ice cream shops, Zsa’s has the most variety in ice cream desserts. Not only do they have the typical scooped ice cream, but they also have ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes and ice cream PIES which honestly just sounds like a dream come true.

Milk Jawn

1439 E Passyunk Ave Philadelphia, PA 19147

Right in our old neighborhood! Walk up Passyunk Ave and end your night at Milk Jawn. Their ice cream has no egg in the base (my fellow allergy parents will understand how awesome this is!) and they serve up scoops in the most delicious sounding flavors, along with standbys like vanilla and chocolate. There are tables outside to people watch, but also a park across the street if seating is tight.

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