Summer 2025 was my first full summer in the Twin Cities after moving from Wisconsin, and I wanted to make the most of it. I was looking for a way to explore the area on my bike, something the Twin Cities happens to be pretty great for. And, not that I needed an excuse to eat ice cream multiple times a week, but I created a list of ice cream shops that I could bike to from south Minneapolis.
What started out as a manageable list of 10 or 12 stops quickly ballooned to 25. I soon set out on my summer-long adventure with one goal in mind: I would ride my bike to all 25 of these ice cream shops.
There were few rules and no flavor restrictions, but I always ordered my ice cream in a homemade waffle cone when it was an option. Patio seating could greatly influence a place’s ranking. No national chains were allowed. Finally, and most importantly: I had to bike there. If I couldn’t get there on two wheels, it didn’t count. Was this a completely unnecessary personal challenge? Absolutely. But summer in Minnesota is short, and I had ice cream to eat.
What follows is my completely subjective ranking of the 25 ice cream shops I visited last summer, starting from the bottom and working up to my top pick. During these hot months, consider this an invitation—to eat more ice cream, to ride your bike more, or just to make a list of places you want to explore yet this summer.
And if you have suggestions for food I should bike to this summer, I’m now taking requests.
A quick note: some of these shops have multiple locations around the Twin Cities. My ranking reflects the specific location that I biked to, which is the address included here.
25. Cold Front
490 Hamline Ave. S., St. Paul
Warm brownie sundae? More like hard brownie sadness.
24. Cossetta
211 Seventh St. W., St. Paul
When you walk into the pasticceria at Cossetta, you’ll see all the amazing desserts, and the gelato is easy to miss at the very end of the counter. I want to believe they designed it this way intentionally—just skip the gelato and go for a pastry (or two or three) instead.
23. La La Ice Cream
3146 Hennepin Ave. S, Minneapolis
I did enjoy the unique marigold-flavored ice cream, but a stale waffle cone loses a lot of points in my book. La La’s permanently closed in December, which… I guess I’m not surprised about.
22. La Michoacana
701 E. Lake St., Minneapolis
Twelve U.S. dollars for an Oreo milkshake?!
21. Treats
770 Grand Ave., St. Paul
The Breakfast of Champions was invented in Minneapolis, so it seems fitting to have an ice cream shop where you can order your favorite sugary cereals as toppings. But while I went in with sugar-high hopes, I really wasn’t all that impressed. The Reese's Puffs turned into crumbs, and I couldn’t even tell that it was cereal mixed into my milkshake. Walk a block down the street and stand in line at Grand Ole Creamery instead.
20. Edina Creamery
4940 France Ave. S., Edina
Since moving to the Twin Cities, I’ve learned that people have strong opinions about Edina. Some avoid it at all costs. But I had an important job to do—this is journalism at its finest, after all. I tried their s’mores flavor: too sweet, too much marshmallow creme. Hey, they call ‘em cake eaters, not ice cream eaters.
19. MN Nice Cream
807 Broadway St. NE, Minneapolis
It’s just soft serve with a lot of topping options? Am I missing something? Maybe if I was vegan or lactose intolerant I’d have more to say.
18. Milkjam Creamery
2743 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
I know I’m going to get some hate for this one, but Milkjam is overrated. They’re trying too hard with their flavors; it’s way overpriced for a tiny scoop of ice cream; and the outside seating is blasted by the sun. No fun.
17. Two Scoops
921 Selby Ave., St. Paul
If businesses are going to serve Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream (the Madison-based brand I fell in love with during my seven years there) there should be a rule that they always have to have the Superman flavor available (my personal favorite). This Black-owned business does have a decent homemade waffle cone, though. Just don’t get your hopes up for any specific flavor.
16. Painted Turtle
4955 W. Lake Nokomis Pkwy., Minneapolis
Painted Turtle, the snack shack at Lake Nokomis Beach, serves ice cream from (onetime Racket collaborator) Minnesota Dairy Lab. I ordered a scoop of Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. It was sadly mostly just vanilla, but at least I got to enjoy the view and a lap around Lake Nokomis.
15. Conny’s Creamy Cone
1197 Dale St. N., St. Paul
A whopping 24+ flavors of soft serve ice cream! The flavoring that they add makes the ice cream melt so fast that I had to eat my cone in about 4.6 seconds. It’s a cute shop for the neighborhood, but I would not recommend biking to it—the roads in the area aren’t very bike-friendly, and I had to lock my bike to a tree during my visit.
14. Minnehaha Scoop
3352 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis
It’s hard to miss the brightly colored umbrellas on Minnehaha Avenue. Nothing fancy, just a cute neighborhood walk-up shop serving Chocolate Shoppe ice cream. (Sadly, still no Superman on my visit there.) Crucially, I found this to be one of the least expensive places on the list, if you’re looking for a good value.
13. Crema Cafe
5013 S. 34th Ave., Minneapolis
This place is known for their affogatos, but I opted for the dirt and worms sundae with sweet cream gelato. The menu selection is small and seating options are limited, but the gelato was delicious.
12. Nellie’s
2034 Marshall Ave., St. Paul
Nellie’s offers custom-made ice cream sandwiches. You pick the ice cream flavor, cookie type, and toppings. Pro tip: Come here with other people. The shop served me enough ice cream to feed a small family and called it a single serving.
11. Sebastian Joe’s
4321 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis
I know Sebastian Joe’s is a Minneapolis classic, but I’m just going to say it: Their ice cream is mediocre! (I got a scoop with ice chunks in it!) However, sometimes the patio that you eat your ice cream on is more important than the ice cream itself. And that is why it is #11 on the list and why I will continue to patronize this establishment.
10. Dream Creamery
816 NE Lowry Ave., Minneapolis
This is supposed to be an ice cream review, but I heard the burgers and fries were great, so I ordered that first. When I went back for dessert, I was too full to really appreciate the ice cream. It’s probably good, but if I’m being honest with you and myself this place holds this spot in the ranking because they have an amazing smashburger. I’m checking out their new location in south Minneapolis this summer.
9. Bogart's Doughnut Co.
904 W. 36th St., Minneapolis
Bogart’s has “doughnut” right there in the name, but did you know they also serve ice cream?! I ordered the doughnut sundae, which consisted of a cake doughnut and their brown butter soft serve ice cream. The patio lacked any shade, so don’t plan on sticking around too long, but the soft serve is definitely worth the stop.
8. Sonny’s Ice Cream Cafe
3403 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis
A hidden gem! I'm a sucker for lemon desserts, and their lemon gelato was *puckered chef's kiss*. Plenty of other flavors of gelato and sorbet if lemon isn’t your thing. Sonny’s also has the most perfect patio on the side of the building. Lots of folks say it reminds them of a European alleyway (though I've never been to Europe so I can't personally make the comparison).
7. Icy Cup
63 George St. W., St. Paul
This place felt like the local version of a Dairy Queen. No-frills ice cream, but the shaded patio seating made for a great stop on my bike ride.
6. Grand Ole Creamery
750 Grand Ave., St. Paul
Grand Ole Creamery feels like the definition of the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” No fancy business here, just a variety of classic flavors, homemade waffle cones, and an interior that doesn’t look like it’s been updated since the place opened in 1984.
5. Fletcher’s Ice Cream & Cafe
306 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
I’m Team South MPLS, but Fletcher’s comes through for Northeast! A nice ride through downtown, a good flavor selection, fresh homemade waffle cones, and a few tables outside. What more could you ask for?
4. Pumphouse Creamery
4754 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis
I like trying unique flavors (lemon infused olive oil, lavender, etc.), but not in large quantities. Thankfully, Pumphouse has solved this issue with their mini-scoop flight, which offers five mini scoops of any of their twenty rotating flavor offerings. Good luck choosing just five.
3. Adele’s Frozen Custard
800 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior
As a born-and-bred Wisconsin gal, Culver’s will always be my favorite restaurant, so I get excited about frozen custard. Even a biker-versus-mailbox accident on my ride to Adele’s couldn’t stop me from trying this place! The custard was fantastic, road rash was minimal, and the bike sustained only minor damage.
2. Bebe Zito
704 W. 22nd St., Minneapolis
There’s a reason this place is so popular. I’ve visited Bebe Zito multiple times since my first time and I’ve never had a bad flavor, from Breakfast Club (yay Fruity Pebbles!) to Strawberry Fields 4 Ever. Plus: the bonus color-changing spoon!
1. Sweet Science Ice Cream
3919 Market St., Edina
One of my first stops on the bike tour, Sweet Science remained at the top of my list for the rest of the summer. I was blasted with the smell of waffle cone as soon as I stepped inside, and people were stopping by to sell their garden-grown rhubarb for the Rhubarb Cinnamon Almond flavor. There are tons of other great flavors like Berry Crumble if you’re not a rhubarb enjoyer, and while there’s limited seating inside, there’s plenty of patio seating. Now this is a reason to go to Edina!
