Every day is a good day for ice cream. This sweet concoction is sometimes the only answer for a sweet craving. Dedicated ice cream parlors across Louisiana serve up batches of their own signature blends and flavors, reflecting themselves and their community. Here are the best ice cream parlors in the state.
This New Orleans tradition has been in operation since 1905. Having its original location in the French Quarter for almost 80 years, the Brocato family decided to move to its current location in Mid City where the charming shop currently resides today. Amaretto, pistachio, and chocolate chip are some of the favorite flavors at this traditional Italian ice cream parlor though there are dozens of more varieties available. Grab a cannoli, Italian ice, or pastry while you’re there too. Want a bite for home? They sell prepackaged ice cream as well including chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, and more!
Providing a unique ice cream experience to the New Orleans community, Creole Creamery prides itself on its adventurous selections. Besides the classic like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies n’ cream, and more this shop has a revolving menu. Still, the classics are always available like the banana split, malts, milkshakes, scoops, and ice cream float. Some of the specialties include a peanut butter fudge sundae, the “Skyscraper,” which is their tallest sundae, and fudge brownie a la mode just to name a few. Keeping things fresh what they’re all about, so to see their latest menu please call the store or simply drop in.
Down on the bayou in Houma, Scarlet Scoop has become a staple to not only the people of the community but people from all around the world. Having opened the shop decades ago in an old Sinclair gas station that sits along the Mardi Gras day parade route, owner Bryant Nelson actually closed the store for an entire year. Though the response from locals and visitors, who literally started putting sticky notes on the glass door requesting his return, was so overwhelming that he decided to re-open. The flavor craze here is real, as Nelson not only provides classic flavors but ones that represent the tastes of the area. Featured flavors like king cake and bread pudding directly reflect the hometown spirit of this great little Cajun town on the bayou. They also serve up a variety of desserts with that same spirit.
This happening spot on the north shore offers over 30 flavors of handcrafted ice cream every day! They are the sweet shop in Mandeville having New Orleans style snow balls, stuffed sno balls, ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and so much more. It is a great place to bring the family as they have both inside and outside seating along with a huge chalkboard for kids to write on while the parents are getting the order straight. The ice ceram sandwiches include a generous scoop of their handcrafted ice cream placed neatly between two freshly baked cookies. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Located on Louisiana State University campus, this shop is a wonderful place to hit on the weekends. Take a stroll around the picturesque campus that is littered with old oaks and historic buildings, then pop into the dairy store where the AgCenter employees whip up the freshest dairy products in town. They offer over a dozen different flavors alongside their line of freshly cut meats and home-made cheeses. Ice cream flavors include regulars like chocolate cookies & cream and strawberry though gets more adventurous with flavors such as butter pecan and English toffee. Try the Tiger Bite to get a taste of LSU!
Though only opening in 2011, the flavor experience at Ice Cream 504 can be traced back to the owner’s childhood in Napoleonville. It was here that the kids would wait under the shade of a pecan tree to churn Aunt Ruby’s ice cream that was rich and refreshing. Along the way, she taught the kids how she came up with all that flavor, resulting in the deliciousness of 504 today. They make their ice cream only in small batches using the freshest of ingredients. No preservatives or gum is added to these delightful concoctions just real milk, sugar, and a passion for that cold sweet treat.
This 1960s-designed soda shop opened its doors in 1988. Their goal was to make a place to create memories, a place where you will remember going to as a kid. They’ve done just that as this charming little place serves up flavored soft drinks, sandwiches, po’boys, and homemade premium ice cream! Made with 14 percent cream fat ice cream mix, they make over 300 flavors with 27 of them being served at any time. Unique flavors like Creole cream cheese, Play Doh, Bordeaux cherry amaretto, and Dreamsicle truly catch the eye. Still, others like Rocky Road, Ponchatoula strawberry, and Banana’s Foster provide creative, yet comforting selections. They put their own signature on many known flavors, like Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, while providing a classic feel to their establishment. Stop in this fun store for some variety of flavors in an old-school environment.