First came the Lexington Donut Guide, so naturally next is the Lexington Ice Cream Guide! Whether you’re looking for gelato, sorbet or good old chocolate chip, I’ve got you covered for the best Lexington ice cream.
Crank & Boom
1210 Manchester St, 40504 or 3101 Clays Mill Rd, 40503
From the owners of Thai Orchid Cafe (which I still miss), who started making ice cream for the cafe and ended up having crazy demand for the ice cream, so opened a shop! They serve ice cream, sorbet, sundaes and even ice cream cocktails at their Distillery District location. The ice cream is very rich – the chocolate is extra chocolately in the most delicious way – and creamy. They also do private events and ship their ice cream nationwide via GoldBelly.
Best for: Ice cream cocktails! But the Pistachio Cake and Kentucky Blackberry & Buttermilk are my favorite flavors.
Freshie’s
3851 Kenesaw Drive, 40515 or 4379 Old Harrodsburg Road, 40513
Freshie’s is a retro ice cream shop and soda fountain! It’s super cute with ice cream, shakes, floats and sundaes.
Best for: Floats and shakes. They also offer vegan ice cream!
Graeter’s
836 Euclid Avenue, 40502, 3957 Fountainblue Ln, 40513, or 1925 Justice Drive, 40509
You can’t talk about the Lexington ice cream scene without Graeter’s! They’ve got the classics like Cookie Dough and Cookies and Creme, more adventurous flavors like Black Raspberry Chip and Salted Caramel, plus seasonal favorites like Peach and Banana Chip. I need to take a minute to talk about Graeter’s chocolate chunks. First, they are chunks, not chips. Fudgey, chewy, real chocolate that guarantees you get a taste of chocolate in just about every bite. Swoon! They also have low sugar and dairy free options.
Best for: The chocolate chunks. No one does chocolate chunks like Graeter’s!
Sav’s
819 National Ave Ste 130, Lexington, KY 40502
Sav’s had a beloved restaurant in Lexington for a long time before switching gears to ice cream. The ice cream is rich and flavorful with traditional and unique flavors like Hot Banana!
Best for: A mix of flavors.
Sorella Gelateria
591 W Short St, 40507
For the gelato fans! Sorella is a small shop serving hand-crafted gelato and sorbet. The menu rotates, but they always have classic Italian gelato flavors and some unique treats. I’ve even seen them put Girl Scout cookies in gelato! They do fun collaborations with other local businesses, like donut cones with North Lime Donuts, and also have a cart for private events that is often at Kentucky Native Cafe too.
Best for: Gelato!
There you go! Hope you’re inspired to try a new ice cream spot out. Did I miss your favorite local spot? Please let me know in the comments below – I’m always looking for a new place to try. Check out my other local guides:
Lexington Bagel Guide
Lexington Donut Guide
Lexington Chicken Salad Guide
Lexington Ice Cream Guide
Biscuits (and ice cream) and blessings,
Leels
Think the fam and I are going to try One World Ice Cream!! Thank you for this.
I want to try all these places now. Great list!
El Lounge is very good! You have to try the Soursop Ice Cream with chili lime salt. It’s on New Circle.
Thanks Josh! Someone else said that, I’m going to check it out!
Love Crank and Boom!! Love all of their creative concoctions!
Totally agree about Graeter’s chocolate chunks – dreamy!
I’m obsessed with all of these, it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite! I’ve been to Graeter’s most often so I may be baised towards them. I love Crank & Boom and Sav’s too though!
All of this looks absolutely amazing! I love the different varieties too.