Our mission began over a year ago. It sounded simple: Find the best ice cream in Denver. (We really like food challenges in our family…)
We did not account for the incredible number of amazing ice cream shops in our growing little city.
To be fair, we have also stretched “Denver” to include suburbs and adjacent towns with amazing ice cream (looking at you, Boulder County!)
We have barely cracked the surface after two years! We have a LOT of ice cream to get our there and eat now that it’s warming up again.
Here is a sampling of our favorites so far:
1. Sweet ActionOh, Sweet Action. How we love you. Your window seats are some of the best in the city for people watching. You are always SO HAPPY to give sample after sample of your sometimes wildly unusual flavors until we make up our minds. My personal favorite flavor here: Molasses Brown Bread. Don’t knock it until you try it! Only problem with Sweet Action? It’s hard to decide to try new places when we know how much we love this one!
2. Little Man
A classic. And lines like I’ve never seen at any other ice cream shop. Waiting in that line and then eating the ice cream on a hot day really does make it extra special. (It also makes you wonder if anyone goes to an office in this town. How are there so many people waiting to get Little Man on a random Wednesday afternoon?) My personal favorite is the Banana Pudding. It’s doubly incredible as a milkshake.
Three words: Ice Cream Flight. That’s right. A sampler of five ice cream flavors, plus one topping. Bring a friend to help you finish. My favorite here is the Earl Grey with Shortbread. But every single one we’ve tried has been amazing. Presentation is a bonus, too. The flight is truly gorgeous.
4. Bonnie Brae
Bonnie Brae is a Denver Institution. When you picture an ice cream parlour, this is what you’re thinking of. There are often lines out the door and seating can be hard to come by, but this is another place you simply have to visit if you’re going to call yourself a Denverite.
5. Liks
Liks is an unassuming little store front in Capitol Hill. This was my first visit, but I got the distinct impression that nothing had changed much since the place opened. Not that anything should have changed – great ice cream, friendly service, plenty of seats…and VERY happy children. Does anything say summer break like a giant smile and cotton candy ice cream?
6. Glacier
Less than 5 minutes from my house and right by a grocery store. This one has dangerous regular visit possibilities. We were pretty blown away by the sheer rich-and-creaminess of this ice cream.
There is an indoor swing at the counter where you can sit and eat your ice cream. This was a pretty big win for that alone. The burnt honey tasted just like burnt honey, which was on the one hand impressive, but on the other a little too much in a whole scoop of ice cream. Next time I’ll try another flavor. Great way to end a fun day in Boulder, though.
8. Aiko Pops
Okay, so it’s not technically ice cream, as it’s a popsicle shop…but what a popsicle shop! So many creative flavors, a beautiful patio, and a super cool owner who will talk all about the art of popsicle making and maybe even show you how to ride his incredible surfboard sized longboard. Be sure to get an extra popsicle to take home – you won’t be sorry.
Ice Cream Riot is tied for my personal favorite. Their fruity pebble ice cream is out of this world amazing. Remember when you were a kid (or this morning. no judgement) how the leftover milk after eating a sugary cereal become the best part of breakfast? That’s the ice cream at ice cream riot. Except better and creamier and filled with amazing crunchy cereal pieces.
Added bonus? They’re a short walk away from voodoo donuts. On the day we went, we planned the world’s most debaucherous lunch – 1st course: donuts at VooDoo and second course: Ice Cream Riot. My kids called it “Sugar Fest” and it will likely become a tradition. We saw some of our fellow Voodoo customers in line at Ice Cream Riot, so we were not the only ones with that idea.
10. Snow Lab
Snow lab is totally different from any other ice cream I’ve tried. They specialize in Taiwanese shaved snow. I hate when people say, “you just have to try it,” but it’s really hard to explain it without trying it. It’s sweet, but not overpoweringly so, satisfyingly creamy but impossibly light and airy, and comes in amazingly different flavors than you’d find at a traditional ice cream shop. It’s a little pricier than your regular cone, but worth it for the new experience.
So there we have it – our favorite ice cream shops in Denver so far. Can’t wait to see what we discover this summer. What are your favorites? Any must-try places we’ve missed?
Fifty-two Daring 