If you’re craving a cool, sweet treat, here are the best places to grab ice cream in Houston.
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With its modern approach to flavors and creative mix-ins, ice cream at Milk + Sugar is anything but ordinary. Started by two picky ice cream enthusiasts, who wanted to find the perfect mix of not too sweet, super creamy and never icy, this aesthetic creamery offers flavors you won’t find in the freezer aisle. “Life is too short for plain vanilla,” they say, instead, Milk + Sugar serves unique combinations such as cereal milk, with a cereal milk base and toasted frosted flakes, rain or shine, a mix of earl gray, lavender and lemon, and the city that never sleeps, which has a coffee and pretzel base with chocolate flakes. 1848 Westheimer Road
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Taste the extraordinary and unlikely at Rocambolesc, which is the word’s meaning, at its only U.S. location. Originally from Girona, Spain, world-renowned pastry chef and owner Jordi Roca created this Catalonian gelateria to bring fantasy to life for children and adults alike. Experience ice cream like never before with their panet–a toasted brioche filled with ice cream and toppings. Try mouthwatering flavors such as ultraviolet, grand bombón, vainillisimo and more topped with chocolate cake, colored stars, pop rocks, their violet cloud. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., Ste. 10
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Simpler is not always better, but at Craft Creamery it definitely is! This minimalistic and sophisticated ice cream shop specializes in small-batch, French-pot method ice cream made with local ingredients. While their method is pure, their flavors are definitely over the top. Choose from fruity and aromatic flavors such as blueberry thyme, strawberry basil and cinnamon cardamom coffee (CCC for short), or choose a more rich miso caramel, peanut butter stracciatella, or bourbon butterscotch. 1338 Westheimer Road, Ste. B
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Owned by a father-daughter duo, La Argentina is carrying on a new generation of ice cream shops that was founded 31 years ago in Maracaibo, Venezuela. La Argentina does more than just serve artisanal gelato, they are carrying on and sharing culture and the importance of family tradition. Beyond their more conventional flavors, such as belgian chocolate, salted pistachio and stracciatella, they always have something new to offer with their menu of rotating flavors. If you’re lucky you might get a chance to try their more luxurious vanilla bourbon, coconut passion, or zambayon flavors. If you’d like something savory before your something sweet, La Argentina also serves traditional Argentinian empanadas and sandwich de miga. 6363 San Felipe St., Ste. 200
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This local hotspot believes ice cream solves all problems–and will even bring you some good vibes along the way, hence the name, which means “continuous luck and fortune.” Leading with their motto, “Eat Ice Cream. Live Happy,” Red Circle Ice Cream has handcrafted an assortment that perfectly blends rich, intense and refreshing flavors. Get adventurous with daring scoops such as the Elmo Crunch, Crawfish and Hot Cheetos. Want to stick to the OG? Try the Houston original, totally Instagrammable Churro Daddy, a large halo cinnamon sugar or glazed churro paired with a scoop of ice cream. 6838 Ranchester Drive
You’ve probably heard of gelato, custard and sherbert, but have you ever tried Booza? Inspired by their great-grandmother Sarah Rukab’s recipe, this small family-owned business specializes in Booza–an ice cream originating from the Middle East with a distinctive chewy and stretchy texture. Their flavors range from cookies & cream to orange blossom to Turkish coffee, leaving each customer with a newly found passion for stretchy goodness. 5922 Richmond Ave. Suite A
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You had me at cats and ice cream! Fat Cat Creamery started as a weekend hobby in a communal kitchen, but after growing in popularity, it became the Houston Heights staple working with Texas farms to bring the freshest ingredients to their parlor. Their employees, aka their “cats,” serve up five year-round flavors featuring Cat’s Meow Mexican Vanilla and Waterloo Strawberry Buttermilk, as well as seasonal flavors that change on the chalkboard daily. Don’t forget to add their Meow Mixes like meringue kisses, marshmallow sauce and toasted pecans to the top to make the purr-fect scoop of ice cream. 1225 W. 34th St.
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Behind every great memory of family, friends and childhood is a bowl of ice cream. Inspired to perfect the food that brings people together, New York native Kevin Chang opened two Flower & Cream shops in Houston, with one location being in POST Houston’s food hall. Their unique flavors, such as Unicorn Tracks, Cereal Milk Oreo and Nutella Banana (featuring locally sourced ingredients), will satisfy all your sweet tooth cravings. Their scoops are picture-perfect, so snap a photo with the famous “Lick, Laugh, Love” sign to top off your visit. 2617 W Holcombe Blvd Suite B
For all you too-cool-for-school ice cream lovers, a trip to this retro ice cream treasure covered in vintage pink and white decor will leave you feeling satisfied and nostalgic. At Sweet Bribery, they obsess over their recipes and are always down to indulge in a tasty treat. Some of their guilty pleasures include scoops of butterscotch pecan, cream cheese carrot cake and mango sorbet or an order of the Tuxedo Brownie and Champagne Float. If you are craving something extra sweet, try their Cherry Bomb, crafted with Tahitian vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, ginger doodle cookie, bourbon caramel and candied cacao nibs. 250 West 19th St.
Photography by: Photo Courtesy of foodandstyle/istock
