Celebrate National Ice Cream Month at 12 local shops with funky flavors

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month at one of these 12 Virginia ice cream shops offering unique flavors. 

July is National Ice Cream Month — a time to celebrate the sweet, creamy treat that brings joy to people of all ages. While chocolate and vanilla are classic favorites, Virginia boasts an array of ice cream shops that offer funky and unique flavors sure to tantalize your taste buds.

From sweet to savory, and everything in between, here are 12 local spots that are serving up scoops that are anything but ordinary.

Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato

111 S. Payne St. Alexandria, VA 22314

Family-owned and operated, Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato brings what it describes as “a taste of world-class Argentine gelato and sorbet” to Alexandria. Founder and owner Benjamin Umansky takes the science of gelato-making quite seriously. After spending 30 years as a chemical engineer, he started making gelato as a hobby in 2004. He spent a decade perfecting his gelato-making technique before opening the shop. 

Although availability fluctuates, there are up to 20 flavors available at any given time. Some unique flavor examples include sweet corn, haroset, chai latte, and sambayon. Those with dietary restrictions may like the vegan sorbet and gelato and sugar-free gelato. All products are produced on-site with natural ingredients. 

Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream

5849 Washington Blvd. Suite A Arlington, VA 22205

Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream, a neighborhood shop, started when Toby made his first batch of homemade ice cream in 1997 while in college. Over the years, he made more and more batches until he opened the storefront in 2008. 

The shop serves rich and creamy ice cream in small batches using all-natural ingredients. It has 20-24 flavors in stock at any given time, including green tea, peppermint, Philippine mango, and coffee Oreo. 

Courtesy Photo/Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream & Coffee

C & C Frozen Treats

409 East Main St. Front Royal, VA 22630 & 4675 John Marshall Hwy. Linden, VA 22642

C & C Frozen Treats comes up with its unique ice cream flavors based on customer demands. It describes its ice cream as being “rich, creamy, and made with some serious love.” It has dozens of flavors, including pineapple upside-down, blueberry cheesecake, and spicy ice cream. Keep in mind that the flavors are constantly changing. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options are available. 

Courtesy Photo/Scoop

Scoop

403 Strawberry St. Richmond, VA 23220

Scoop prides itself on serving gourmet ice cream with a smile. It puts lots of work into even its simple flavors, including days of roasting, steeping, baking, and simmering. The flavors are developed by Jody Spraker, who works to create the right balance of sweet and savory, as well as texture and taste. All flavors served are made on-site in small batches. 

The flavors rotate frequently, but some of the unique ones that are currently on the menu include the gluten-free lemon shortbread, rhubarb crisp, Lady Grey, and banana pudding. 

La Flor Michoacana Mexican Ice Cream Shop

601 Cherry Ave. Charlottesville, VA 22903

La Flor Michoacana Mexican Ice Cream Shop is the place to go for authentic flavors from Michoacán. The shop opened in 2015 with the goal of providing homemade products from fresh ingredients. 

It serves a variety of flavors, including unique flavors like mamey, yellow cherry, and cream cheese. Dairy-free options are available. 

The Split Banana, Co. 

7 W. Beverly St. Staunton, VA 24401

The Split Banana, Co. serves gelato that is made fresh from local grass-fed milk. It offers 24 different flavors at any given time, with flavor availability constantly in flux. Some of the current flavors include pineapple basil sorbet, white chocolate grisbi, mint stracciatella, and black forest. 

Courtesy Photo/The Split Banana, Co.

Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar

1916 Memorial Ave. SW Roanoke, VA 24015

Pop’s Ice Cream and Soda Bar has been a popular parlor destination since it opened in 2006. Its ice cream comes from Homestead Creamery. Some of the standout flavors include coconut fudge, cotton candy, cookie jar, spumoni, and mint chocolate chip. 

Sweet Magnolia

102 N. Main St. Blacksburg, VA 24060 & 3749 Franklin Rd. Roanoke, VA 24014

Sweet Magnolia was established by Tom and Michelle Raub after they relocated to Blacksburg from South Carolina. The establishment grew out of a realization that town residents wanted a place to get hand-dipped ice cream. It was modeled on the idea of the late 19th and early 20th-century drugstore with a soda fountain where people could gather around and connect with friends. 

The flavors change often, but it always serves chocolate, rush hour, moose tracks, Michigan pothole, and sea turtle. Some of the flavors that are currently in rotation include carrot cake, Carolina peach, jacked up Tennessee toffee, and no sugar added country apple. 

Dippers Ice Cream

4970 Greensboro Rd. Ridgeway, VA

Dippers Ice Cream grew out of a love of homemade ice cream. After months of developing recipes and sampling chocolates, vanillas, nuts, and other ingredients, the shop was opened in 2012.

From cream to cone, it churns its small-batch ice creams daily from its own recipes using what it describes as the “finest ingredients.” As it creates new recipes, it’s constantly adding new flavors to its rotating menu. Some of the unique flavors it offers include maple bacon, lemon basil cake, red velvet, and maple walnut. It even has three coconut milk flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, and coconut. 

Bean’s Ice Cream

475 Wythe Creek Rd. Poquoson, VA 23662

Bean’s Ice Cream is a family-owned business that grew out of a desire to offer an environment where children with severe food allergies can feel comfortable and safe after the owner’s daughter was diagnosed with an allergy. Catering to the allergy community, the shop offers around 35 flavors of Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream. 

Flavors rotate out seasonally, but some sample flavors include brown butter bourbon truffle, cappuccino crunch, and marshmallow overload. The OATmazing chocolate chunk, OATmazing cookies, and OATmazing simply vanilla are dairy-free.

Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor

208 Main St. Smithfield, VA 23430

The Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor, with its retro style, has been a staple in downtown Smithfield for over four decades. In 2022, Mark and Alex Edwards took it over from Margaret Carroll, who founded it in 1982.

Although the availability is subject to change, some of its current unique flavors include birthday cake, graham central station, dark chocolate raspberry, and playdough. A reduced-fat turtle sundae is also available. Can’t decide on a single flavor? Ask for an ice cream flight, which allows you to sample four flavors. 

Courtesy Photo/Lolly’s Creamery

Lolly’s Creamery

414 Virginia Beach Blvd. Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Lolly’s Creamery is the culmination of a father and son’s dream of starting a food business together. Dom and Joey complement each other, with one having over 40 years of food industry experience and the other being passionate about entrepreneurism. The idea to open an ice cream shop grew out of Joey’s love of frequenting a local ice cream shop in Harrisonburg while he was in college.

Using fresh ingredients, the shop comes up with unique flavors, like mermaid, banana pudding, and coconut macaroon.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

READ MORE: Inside scoop: 10 unique VA ice cream shops to visit for National Ice Cream Month