My Kids Always Loved Cold Stone Creamery, But These 14 Ice Creams Now Top Their List

For years, whenever we wanted a sweet treat, my kids and I have always chosen one place: Cold Stone Creamery. We always loved to walk in, pick out our flavors and a few toppings, and then watch the nice employees prepare the ice cream snack right there in front of us.

It's fair to say that we're ice cream fanatics! That's why we started looking around at other places to satisfy our sweet tooth, and we found them. From similar shops like Marble Slab Creamery to premium eateries like Oberweis, there's a lot out there to love. Check out this list and you may find your new favorite too.

First, let's talk about why my family always loved Cold Stone Creamery for so long. Basically, it comes down to the ability pick your flavors and create the perfect cone. Plus, the staff is always pleasant and the prices are fair. It's not that Cold Stone Creamery is bad, I have just found other places that offer what they have and more.

For those not yet familiar, Salt & Straw offers a wide variety of ice cream flavors that will melt in your mouth. They have flavors like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Brittle Caramel Fudge. The cream is taken from family cows that are free of antibiotics and hormones. Customer reviews on Yelp are incredible and include quotes, like that it's the "most amazing ice cream I have had in my life."

While you can get Ben & Jerry's in the frozen section of the supermarket, you can also go to various stores around the nation to get a scoop. They have tons of flavors, a friendly staff, and many of their products are sustainably produced. Customer reviews are always positive. One of the best from Yelp is that, "you can't go wrong with ice cream from Ben & Jerry's!"

Oberweis is one of the best ice cream places if you love high-quality dairy and a variety of tasty flavors. You'll rarely find ice cream more smooth and tasty. This is premium ice cream, so while the price may be higher, it's worth it. As far as customer reviews, some of them mention the incredible milkshakes. One review says, "Nobody does Butter Pecan ice cream better than Oberweis!"

Carvel is similar to Cold Stone Creamery, in that they offer unique flavors and high-quality ice cream. Flavors here include cherry vanilla, cake mix, dragonfruit lemonade sorbet, and peanut butter treasure, among others. If you've never heard of Carvel, let the reviews convince you to try it. Many customer reviews mention the quality of the soft serve and the quick service.

Sometimes, the best ice cream is found within a fast food establishment, and that's certainly the case with Culver's. They're famous for two things: butter burgers and frozen custard. The custard consistency at Culver's is similar to Cold Stone, and they have many great flavors, including their famous Turtle Sundae. Just about every Culver's restaurant gets rave reviews and words like "delicious" are often thrown around.

Friendly's is another fast food restaurant with a lot of style and great ice cream. You'll notice that this is like a retro ice cream shop. You can get tasty treats, like the famous Retro Royal Banana Split, which is just like you used to get in the old days. Customer reviews often refer to the unique flavors and the polite and responsive staff.

People who love Cold Stone Creamery often also call Marble Slab Creamery as one of their favorites. It's the same idea where they make the ice cream on a slab and allow you to choose your own ingredients. In fact, this ice cream place allows unlimited options. One customer review remarked that they probably have "probably has the best ice cream I've ever had."

Though not exactly like Cold Stone Creamery, Twisted Treat is a famous ice cream joint that will satisfy your sweet tooth. This eatery is famous for the unique buildings that has a twisting roof like an ice cream cone. You can't modify your ice cream as much as you do at Cold Stone, but you can get a great treat in many different flavors.

If you want to go to an ice cream shop in which you know you can depend, it is Baskin-Robbins. After all, they have all of those tasty flavors. You don't get quite as many customization options as at Cold Stone, but there is sure to be a flavor you like. Customers continue to say that this is a great place to visit.

Yes, Dairy Queen is just as good as it always was, if not better. You can go there for a cup of ice cream in any number of flavors or get one of their famous ice cream cakes. The prices are great. You can treat the whole family without going into bankruptcy. Customer reviews continue to be sterling, with many people still praising the flavors.

Braum's currently has about 300 stores, and they're all within 300 miles of the family farm, where they produce the milk. This is really high-quality stuff and it comes in a variety of flavors. As far as reviews, you can't go wrong. Especially when you listen to Lonny on Yelp, who says that "the crew is always friendly and knowledgeable. I always get what I ask for and it tastes good."

Like Culver's, Freddy's Frozen Custard is part of a larger fast food restaurant. They have a number of tasty flavors and you can get a great burger on the side. As far as customer reviews go, this one Yelp review from user Delilah says it all: "Amazing food, very good service, a very clean restaurant, the workers are very nice, and the food tastes great."

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is one of the best family-owned ice cream shops on the planet. They serve more traditional ice cream in flavors like banana, blueberry cobbler, and cherry vanilla. Customer reviews mention things like, that it's an "amazing experience" and that the "ice cream was creamy and light."

Blue Bell does not have its own retail stores, but you can often find the ice cream in your grocery isle. If you see it, grab a pint. There are many tasty year-round flavors, including Dutch chocolate, A&W Root Beer Float, and banana pudding, among others. People often give Blue Bell good reviews and it's a very popular ice cream brand, especially in states like Texas.

If you're looking for something a bit different from Cold Stone Creamery, consider Cream. This is a restaurant that serves premium ice cream in a variety of tasty flavors, including French vanilla, very berry strawberry, and chocoholic. The shop also sells ice cream sandwiches, ice cream tacos, sundaes, milkshakes, and more. Customer reviews mention the variety of options and the creamy ice cream.