With this summer heating up, it’s only fair that we here at the Charlottesville Guide settle a hotly contested debate: who has the best ice cream in Charlottesville? We’ve got some suggestions for you to try so you can see for yourself! Here’s our list of the creamiest, tastiest, most addictive ice cream shops in C-ville.
Surely a fan favorite in Charlottesville, Chaps is a 1950’s-style ice cream parlor with a longstanding spot on the Downtown Mall. Crafting ice cream from a 75-year-old recipe, they offer delicious homemade waffle cones along with sundaes and shakes. As if that wasn’t enough, Chaps has full grill service, cooking up breakfast sandwiches and platters, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and sides – plus their self-proclaimed “best burger in Charlottesville.” Whatever your fancy, Chaps makes it. Check ’em out today!
Location & Hours:
223 East Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Everyone knows Ben and Jerry’s for their inventive, creatively named flavors and their consistently good ice cream. The city of Charlottesville was lucky enough to have a franchise opened at Barracks Road Shopping Center, and business has been booming there ever since. With flavors like Cherry Garcia, Americone Dream, and Tonight Dough, these fun and delectable flavors are worth a try if you’re in the mood for a cold treat.
Location & Hours:
1112 Emmet St N, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Monday – Thursday: 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
What began as a traffic-stopping ice cream pull-over on 29 North near Culpeper has expanded into another traffic-stopping ice cream mecca in The Dairy Market. That’s right, MooThru, which makes arguably the best shakes in the Commonwealth, has expanded into Charlottesville’s sleek new mixed-use development at the corner of 10th Street and Preston Avenue. The all-natural ingredients come from a family of Virginia dairy farmers, and there’s nothing like local dairy to bring back childhood nostalgia, which, after all, is the purpose of an ice cream session anyway. Run don’t walk to MooThru. Join the herd. They’ve got the good stuff.
Location & Hours: 946 Grady Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903 Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Friday – Saturday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Now, we know certain ice cream purists wouldn’t consider frozen custard in this debate, but the custard Kohr Brothers sells is way too good to leave off the list. Inspired along the Jersey Boardwalk not far from where Bruce Springsteen was welped, Kohr Brothers have a ton of different frozen custard flavors available in a cup or cone, and they also sell shakes, smoothies, and other tasty, ice-cold treats. Best of all? Kohr Brothers has a Nickel Cone day every once in a while – every cone you buy is just 5 cents! It sounds too good to be true, but this frozen custard joint is the real deal.
Two Locations & Hours:
NORTH: 1881 Seminole Trail, Charlottesville, VA 22901 & EAST: 2151 Richmond Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911
Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thanks for checking our list of the Best Ice Cream in Charlottesville! Want more? Check out our complete Guide to Charlottesville Restaurants HERE