One of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day is with some scoops of your favorite ice cream. No matter if it’s served in a cup, a crispy waffle cone or in a dish atop a split banana drenched in hot fudge, the sweet, creamy treat is a surefire way to beat the heat.
But what’s even more important than choosing one (or more!) of the many tempting flavors such as cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip or butter pecan is deciding on where to get them.
With July designated as National Ice Cream Month, we asked you, our readers, to nominate your go-to ice cream shops in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties for this month’s Best of South Florida Dining series.
With hundreds of votes counted, here are the top five most-nominated shops serving up crave-worthy cold creations, in alphabetical order:
- Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor, Dania Beach
- Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream, Delray Beach
- Razzleberry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach
- Whit’s Frozen Custard, various locations
- Wilton Creamery, Wilton Manors
Tamarac resident Lisa Shaw likes to order a cup of chocolate chip ice cream at Jaxson’s.
“It’s delicious, and it’s dense and creamy, and the variety of flavors provide something for everyone,” she wrote in her nomination. “Their chocolate chip and double chocolate chip are exceptional with thick pieces of chocolate embedded in the ice cream. Their cherry vanilla is a little slice of heaven also. The serving size is tremendous, but then again, who can stop at one scoop?”
When nominating Razzleberry’s, Hollywood resident Joe Agri wrote that “the variety of flavors and the changing of special flavors weekly makes this place stand out above all others.”
His favorite flavor? Butter pecan in a cup or cone.
Fans of Wilton Creamery pointed out the shop’s limited batches featuring “unique,” “creative” and “unusual” ingredients in their nominations.
“Wilton Creamery is the bomb! Their ice creams are so silky smooth,” Fort Lauderdale resident Jeffrey McKinley wrote. “They always have boutique flavors of which they only make a very small amount, 5 gallons or so. These are usually my go-to because they are so unique and ALWAYS tasty! Their dog-friendly flavors are a hit with my best friend too!”
Fresh ingredients and homemade taste were frequently mentioned by those who submitted Lily’s for the competition.
“This ice cream is unbelievably creamy, with not a hint of iciness,” Delray Beach resident Amanda Christon wrote. “Made on premises, they have created just the perfect vanilla and chocolate ice creams to serve as the base for its outstanding flavors! My favorite is the cookies and cream — it is to die for.”
On the frozen custard front, Connie Valli, of Boca Raton, craves the chocolate flavor at Whit’s. She even adds hot fudge on top to double up on the chocolate.
“The quality is excellent; they always have fun and exciting changing weekly and daily flavors,” she wrote in her nomination. “They also offer great ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cakes. Great selection of pint flavors as well. Just an overall addictive place.”
Now it’s your turn to pick the winner! Fill out the form below and vote for your favorite. You have until Sunday, July 28, to make your voice heard. (If you can’t see the form, click here.)
Thank you for participating! And don’t miss previous votes:
