When I arrived in Philadelphia, I started a Tweet thread of ice cream shops that are or aren’t as good as Rain or Shine back in Vancouver, which was the ice cream place I frequented most often since they have a location on the UBC campus. (I don’t have a thread or a list for ice cream shops in Vancouver, but you really can’t go wrong with Rain or Shine or with Earnest.)
Here I collect a list of the shops that are as good as Rain or Shine, ordered from west to east. This isn’t a total ranking of the ice cream shops, because I think they’re all worthwhile to visit if you want ice cream. However, I’ve put stars 🌟 next to the ones I especially like, so if you find yourself equidistant between an entry with a star and one without, do go for the one with a star instead of flipping a coin.
Prices are for the smallest (non-kid’s) scoop in a cup, including 8% tax, excluding tip. This list only has shops specializing in ice cream scoops (which they call “hard” or “frozen” ice cream here, for some reason, as if anyone would want unfrozen ice cream). I will not include soft serve, rolled ice cream, shaved ice, or large ice cream chains like Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs — if I can buy a pint at a grocery store back in Vancouver, there’s no point including it on a Philly-specific list.
Update (2025): Unfortunately, a number of shops have closed since I first started this list. Those have been crossed out below. This post was last updated 8 June 2025.
Brewerytown
Harper’s Ice Cream
2827 W Girard Avenue
Single scoop: 4.32$
Over the Moon Ice Cream
2623 W Girard Avenue
Single scoop: 4$
Centre City
1-900-ICE-CREAM
229 S. 20th Street (bw Walnut & Locust) / 1244 N Front Street (Fishtown)
Single scoop: 6.48$
Good pick if you like lots of things and stuff in your ice cream
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
1901 Chestnut Street / 1322 Frankford Avenue (Fishtown)
“Single” scoop (two flavours): 7.23$
This is a chain store
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
3631 Walnut Street (UCity) / 115 S 18th Street / 119 S 13th Street / 1601 Frankford Avenue (Fishtown)
Single scoop: 7.13$
This is a chain store
Malai
260 S 18th Street
Single scoop: 6$
This is a chain store
Vita
261 S 17th Street
Small gelato (two flavours): 6$
Bottega Rittenhouse
263 S 17th Street
Single scoop: 5.29$
Gran Caffè L’Aquila
1716 Chestnut Street
Small gelato: 6.48$
Also sold at Alice Pizza
La Sera Dolce e Cafe 🌟
1610 South Street
Small gelato: 3.78$
“Small” really means small here
Passyunk
Birdhouse Gelato 🌟
806 S 6th Street
Small gelato: 4.16$
Kind of a cool anarchist vibe tbh
Irv’s Ice Cream
932 E Passyunk Avenue (by Carpenter)
Single scoop: 7.56$
Milk Jawn 🌟
9 E Passyunk Avenue (by Dickinson) / 946 N 2nd Street (NoLibs)
Single scoop: 5.94$
Sunny Scoop 🌟
2 E Passyunk Avenue (by 13th & Moore)
Single scoop (w/ topping and drizzle): 6$
Flavour highlights: sesame, ube, pandan
Bella Vista
Anthony’s Italian Coffee & Chocolate House
903 S 9th Street (by Christian)
Single scoop: 5$
Queen Village
Cuzzy’s Ice Cream Parlor 🌟
618 S 5th Street (by South)
Single scoop: 4.50$
They had the best sour cream + blueberry + streusel and I miss it dearly
Fishtown
Weckerly’s Ice Cream
9 W Girard Avenue (by Frankford) / 1600 Spruce Street (Rittenhouse)
Single scoop: 6.48$
I swear the flavours have gotten more boring ever since the brand was sold off
Cloud Cups
2311 Frankford Avenue (by Dauphin)
Single scoop: 5.40$
Float Dreamery
1255 E Palmer Street (on Thompson)
Single scoop: 5$
Entirely vegan flavours only
Mount Airy
Zsa’s Ice Cream 🌟
6616 Germantown Avenue
Single scoop: 5.94$
Closing at the end of 2025 😔
Manayunk
Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory
4369 Main Street
Single scoop: 5.12$
Honourable Mentions
Cocco’s Gelato
They are currently just a single gelato cart doing popups around Philadelphia during the summer.
Bodhi
Society Hill — 410 S 2nd Street
Oat milk ice cream: 5.40$
A coffee shop that makes their own oat milk
and a very thick, pudding-like delicious oat ice cream.
Safa Plant Company
Manayunk — 4165 Main Street
Rose and saffron ice cream: 4.86$
Not in the main list since it’s not an ice cream shop,
but for some reason this teahouse-turned-plantstore has
one (1) single ice cream flavour that’s pretty good
Matcha Panda Cafe
Chinatown — 202 N 9th Street (by Race)
Soft serve: 7.29$
They have a matcha and a hojicha flavour.
A little ridiculously expensive, but the flavour is excellent and very strong.
The Igloo
Graduate Hospital — 2223 Grays Ferry Avenue (in front of Grays Ferry Triangle)
Single scoop: 5.93$
Despite being froyo-focussed, they have surprisingly decent in-house ice cream as well.
Lil Pop Shop
Spruce Hill — 265 S 44th Street (by Spruce)
One pop: 4.86$
They used to be colocated with Weckerly’s,
but are now selling pops inside of a Schmear.
Vanderwende Farm Creamery
Centre City — 243 Market Street
Single scoop: 6.48$
According to their site, they use milk from their own cows, which I think is very unique and impressive.
A shame that the ice cream is incredibly melty, way too sugary, and overall not that good.