The 50 best ice cream shops in Massachusetts - according to you
BOSTON - If you live in Massachusetts, no matter your neighborhood, a top-notch homemade ice cream shop is likely just a short drive away. In fact, Bay Staters may have won summer's sweet tooth jackpot.
"I think Massachusetts probably leads the country in homemade ice cream," said Sundae School owner Paul Endres, whose Cape Cod shops were crowned the 2021 "Ultimate Favorite" in WBZ's Ice Cream Social bracket tournament. "The competition is so tough. There are so many great ice cream places."
"I have traveled this country for CBS News, been to every state," said CBS News' Steve Hartman in announcing the award. "And I can attest that no one knows ice cream better than New Englanders!"
So with help from our WBZ viewers, we assembled this handy guide to the most popular ice cream stands in the area – from the North Shore to South Shore, Metro West to Cape Cod.
Thousands of you answered our call, nominating more than 400 individual shops, when we asked to hear your local favorites.
So grab a cup, a cone, or splurge on a sundae! Here are your top 50 favorites in Massachusetts, broken out by region. Those in bold were named to our 2021 Sweet 16 bracket, based on the number of nominations. Most of these establishments offer their own homemade selections, but some do serve ice cream from larger providers like Richardson's and Gifford's.
NORTH OF BOSTON:
Richardson's Ice Cream in Middleton
Cal's Creamery in Reading
Meletharb Homemade Ice Cream in Wakefield
Soc's Ice Cream in Saugus
Benson's Homemade Ice Cream in Boxford
Hodgie's Ice Cream in Amesbury
Treadwell's Ice Cream in Peabody
Sullivan Farms Ice Cream in Tyngsboro
Sully's Ice Cream Stand in Chelmsford
Cherry Farm Creamery in Danvers
Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe in Peabody and Gloucester
Putnam Pantry in Danvers
Carter's Ice Cream in Haverhill
WEST OF BOSTON:
Kimball Farm in Westford, Carlisle, Lancaster, and Jaffrey NH
Bedford Farms in Bedford and Concord
Rota Spring Farm in Sterling
Uhlman's Ice Cream in Westborough
Trombetta's Farm in Marlborough
Black Cow Ice Cream in Millis
Bubbling Brook in Westwood
Erikson's Ice Cream in Maynard
Cherry Hill Ice Cream in Lunenburg and Townsend
Lickity Splitz in Winchendon
Pizzi Farm in Waltham
Christopher's Homemade Ice Cream in Millbury
Gibby's Ice Cream Shop in Worcester
Madulka's Ice Cream in Worcester
SOUTH OF BOSTON:
Crescent Ridge Dairy in Sharon
Peaceful Meadows in Whitman, Middleborough, and Plymouth
Daddy's Dairy in Randolph, Stoughton, Brockton, Braintree, and Norwood
Flannel Cow Creamery in Mansfield
Hornstra Farms in Norwell
Dairy Twist in Pembroke
Nona's Homemade Ice Cream in Hingham in Scituate
Somerset Creamery in Somerset and Cataumet
Farfar's Danish Ice Cream Shop in Duxbury
The Ice Cream Barn in Swansea
Foley's Ice Cream Shoppe in Braintree
Heidi's Hollow Farm in Hanson
Tom and Jimmy's in Taunton and West Bridgewater
CAPE COD:
Sundae School in Dennis and Harwich
Smitty's Homemade Ice Cream in Falmouth, Mashpee, and Orleans
Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour in Mashpee
Twin Acres Ice Cream Shoppe in Sandwich
Four Seas Ice Cream in Centerville
Ice Cream Smuggler in Dennis
IN AND AROUND BOSTON:
Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream in Hyde Park and Dedham
Cabot's Ice Cream in Newton
Hough Many Scoops in Quincy
Frozen Freddies in Quincy
New City Microcreamery in Cambridge (as well as Hudson, west of Boston)
In July 2021, The Krause Family drove 500 miles in four days to try every ice cream shop in our Sweet 16 tournament – and documented their adventure on Twitter.
Can anyone answer our new challenge, and visit all 50 favorites by Labor Day?