26 Best Places to Find Ice Cream in NoVA

Ice cream and frozen custard leave you with delicious memories. We sent our critics on a licking mission: Find out NoVA’s best creamy delights. Here are their picks.

By Olga Boikess, Dawn Klavon, Alyssa Langer, and Alice Levitt

Amoo’s Restaurant

McLean
The ice cream company that these floral, eminently aromatic scoops spawned is now based in Los Angeles. However, diners at this Persian restaurant can still sample the Oveysi family’s recipe for this sunny-yellow ice cream both on its own or sandwiched between wafers.
Flavors to try: Saffron ice cream, bastani sonati sandwich
6271 Old Dominion Dr., McLean

Blue Cow Ice Cream Co.

Fredericksburg
Founded in Roanoke by a husband-and-wife team, Blue Cow boasts 32 distinct flavors. Be tempted by creative combinations like banana pudding, strawberry balsamic, or sea salt brickle with caramel swirl.
Flavor to try: Triple berry crisp
607 William St., Fredericksburg

Bôn Tea House 

Centreville
The soft serve here is available in two flavors at a time — matcha and a monthly surprise. Get yours swirled in a cone or cup, or better yet, melting in an affogato made with either classic espresso or even more matcha. 
Flavors to try: Matcha, lychee 
5718 Pickwick Rd., Centreville

Campbells Frozen Custard

Woodbridge
The family-owned Campbells offers vanilla and chocolate frozen custard daily, along with two more flavors that change every other day. (Check out the shop’s monthly flavor calendar to see what’s being scooped before you go.) You can’t go wrong with the Turtle Supreme, a sundae with three scoops of vanilla, hot fudge and caramel sauces, crunchy pecans, whipped cream, and a cherry.
Flavors to try: Banana, Nutella, birthday cake (when available)
4125 Merchant Plz., Woodbridge

Carl’s Frozen Custard

Fredericksburg
Carl’s opened in 1947 and serves as a neon-clad landmark in Fredericksburg, drawing lines of fans for cones, malts, and shakes. Make sure you bring cash because that’s all the frozen custard joint takes.
Flavors to try: Classic vanilla, chocolate, strawberry
2200 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg

Effee’s Frozen Favorites

Warrenton
Dessert seekers will be impressed by this popular roadside stand’s standard flavors, plus a flavor of the week. Fans rave about the funnel cake sundae and Funky Monkey sundae, as well as milkshakes like Oreo cream and Boston cream pie.
Flavor to try: Chocolate
5051 Lee Hwy., Warrenton

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats

Alexandria
It is all about the goodies at this vintage-inspired food truck turned brick-and-mortar frozen custard shop. Goodies is not only known for its Wisconsin-style custard, but also for its baked goods.
Flavors to try: The Big Apple Donutwich, The Boogie Woogie (turtle pecan sundae), cinnamon roll “cinnawich” special
200 Commerce St., Alexandria

Great Falls Creamery

Great Falls
Homey vibes define this cottage-based ice cream stop, with tree-shaded outdoor seating. Here, friendly staff dip ever-changing flavors into crunchy waffle cones, sundaes, shakes, and floats. Perennial favorites like cookie dough vie with seasonal flavor treats like black raspberry, making for tough choices.
Flavors to try: Oreo, lavender
766-C Walker Rd., Great Falls

Gruto’s Soft Serve

Purcellville
Enterprising owners Don and Erin Wilson whip up soft, creamy delights at their adorable yellow brick Leesburg townhouse and memorabilia-filled cottage. Swirled and customized with toppings or served as milkshakes, malts, or floats, the soft serve flavor choices include chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, and seasonal specials.
Flavors to try: Peach, banana
141 W. Main St., Purcellville; 107 S. King St., Leesburg

Jake’s Ice Cream

Falls Church
A staff of adults with disabilities is partly responsible for creating and serving small-batch scoops that are notable for their high-quality ingredients and the care with which they’re crafted. 
Flavors to try: Mike’s Minty Surprise, lucuma (a fruit commonly found in South America) 
6353 Columbia Pk., Falls Church

JB’s Ice Cream Shoppe

Stephens City
JB’s doles out soft serve ice cream in appealing flavors and offers a rotating flavor of the day. This simple stand offers standard but refreshing fare in generous portions for satisfied locals.
Flavors to try: Banana, raspberry
380 Fairfax Pk., Stephens City

Jimmy T’s Soft Serve

Lil City Creamery

Falls Church
This ice cream nook, close to a small park, offers 18 powerhouse flavors sourced from Woodside Farm Creamery in Delaware. Among them is Steam Oil (coffee ice cream with chocolate and caramel swirls). For added pizzazz, order a shake, float, sundae, or an espresso-based affogato.
Flavors to try: Coconut, butter pecan (the owner’s favorite)
114 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Nicecream

Arlington
This hipster spot in Clarendon is a cut above. We got a kick out of the bewitching liquid nitrogen the staff used to freeze the ice cream. Nicecream sandwiches and cookie sundaes are quite delish.
Flavors to try: Lemon lavender, coconut ash
2831 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington

Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream

Alexandria
In the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Pop’s is exceptional. The housemade ice cream flavors are extensive and are just the treat you need after grabbing dinner.
Flavors to try: Black raspberry, pistachio, peanut butter chocolate pretzel
109 King St., Alexandria

The Creamery

Alexandria
Just steps from the Alexandria waterfront, this long-running scoop shop churns its ultra-creamy ice cream and frozen custard in a rainbow of flavors. On the menu, you will find Southern regional choices like lemon custard and banana pudding. Hot fudge or old-fashioned caramel sauce and whipped cream take the experience over the top.
Flavors to try: Orange chocolate chip, black raspberry cheesecake
110 King St., Alexandria

The Dairy Godmother

Alexandria
This Del Ray neighborhood spot is wildly popular, offering frozen custard and nostalgic treats to the masses. Don’t let the long line discourage you; vanilla, chocolate, and flavor of the day frozen custard creations are worth the wait.
Flavor to try: Lime cherry
2310 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria

The Meadows Original Frozen Custard

Ashburn
A monthly calendar informs guests of the daily flavors of this classic sweet. Frozen custard gets top billing, but there’s also Italian ice. Combine the two for a frosty, milky delight.
Flavors to try: Mint chocolate chip, apple cinnamon
20548 Easthampton Plz., Ashburn

Tipped Cow Creamery

Purcellville
This rustic shack, tucked behind its sibling, Monk’s BBQ, serves up house-crafted flavors of ice cream in cones, sundaes, and shakes. Toppings galore dress up choices like cookie dough, plus specials like matcha. There’s picnic table seating inside, plus perches outdoors.
Flavors to try: Butter brickle, vegan oatmeal chocolate chip
251 N. 21st St., Purcellville

Toby’s Handmade Ice Cream

Arlington, Vienna
The base of the ice cream is at least 16 percent butterfat, translating to an ultra-rich mouthfeel. Owners Toby and Monina Bantug usually have around 24 of their rotating flavors available at any given time. 
Flavors to try: Ube, coconut chocolate crunch 
5849 A Washington Blvd., Arlington; 280 Cedar Ln. SE, Vienna

Woody’s Ice Cream

Fairfax
From milkshakes and floats to soft serve and sundaes, Woody’s is the perfect place for a group because there is something for everyone. With 23 different flavors of hard ice cream and sorbet, you can’t go wrong. The ice cream is sourced from Baltimore-based Cloverland Farms Dairy and Great Falls Ice Cream.
Flavors to try: Soft serve twist (don’t skip the toppings), cherry blossom sorbet, peanut butter lover milkshake
10435 North St., Fairfax

Feature image by Alyssa Langer