The best ice cream in Cary

Cary has an unusual amount of real credentialing in this category. One shop is owned by one of roughly fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in America. One belongs to a chain that has won the regional vote five times in six years. One has been making custard fresh every hour since 1988. And one makes traditional Mexican paletas, which nothing else in town does.

Hours matter here more than anywhere else on this site, because half of these do not open until noon or later and two are closed Mondays.

Hours below were taken from each business's own published information and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Goodberry's Frozen Custard - Kildaire Farm

Harry Brathwaite came out of Brigham's Ice Cream in Boston and founded Goodberry's in 1988. Custard made fresh in small batches through the day, a flavor of the day on a published calendar, and the Carolina Concrete as the standing order.

Hours: Regular Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Summer hours run an hour later each night.

Address: 1146 Kildaire Farm Rd., Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• Won best frozen treats in the 2026 Maggy Awards, and was a finalist for best dessert as well.
• Founded in 1988, which makes it the oldest frozen dessert business in Cary by decades.
• Custard made fresh in small batches through the day rather than held.
• The flavor of the day changes daily and is posted on a calendar, so you can plan around it.

See the full directory listing

Andia's Ice Cream - West Cary

This is the original Andia's, opened in 2017, the shop that started a business now running in Cary and Raleigh. Owner Andia Xouris is one of roughly fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in America, and the baklava flavor is the proof.

Hours: Tue-Thu 3:30 to 9 p.m. Fri 3:30 to 10 p.m. Sat noon to 10 p.m. Sun noon to 9 p.m. Closed Monday.

Address: 10120 Green Level Church Rd., #208, Cary, NC 27519

Why they made the list

• A finalist for best frozen treats in the 2026 Maggy Awards.
• Owner Andia Xouris is one of about fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in the United States.
• This is the original location, opened 2017, and the company calls it the shop that started it all.
• Baklava and rose pistachio flavors, which nothing else in Cary makes.

See the full directory listing

Fresh Local Ice Cream

A mom-and-pop shop on East Chatham sourcing ingredients weekly from local dairy farms and making the ice cream in store. A finalist in two separate 2026 Maggy categories, and open until eleven on Friday and Saturday.

Hours: Mon-Thu 12:30 to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sun 12:30 to 9 p.m.

Address: 138 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• A finalist in two 2026 Maggy categories at once, best frozen treats and best dessert.
• Ingredients sourced weekly from local dairy farms, and the ice cream is made in the shop.
• Open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the joint latest on this list.
• Right on East Chatham, so it works as the end of a downtown Cary evening.

See the full directory listing

Two Roosters Ice Cream - Waverly Place

Jared Plummer founded Two Roosters in March 2015 and it has won WRAL's Voters' Choice for best local ice cream five times. The Waverly Place shop opened in October 2024, which makes it the newest serious ice cream in Cary.

Hours: Tue-Thu 2 to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat noon to 10 p.m. Sun 2 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday. These are the chain's standard shop hours; the Cary store does not publish its own.

Address: 575 New Waverly Place, Cary, NC 27518

Why they made the list

• Won WRAL Voters' Choice for best local ice cream in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024, five times in six years.
• Named to USA Today 10Best in 2019 and 2023.
• Founded by NC State alumnus Jared Plummer in March 2015, and this Cary shop opened October 5, 2024.
• The company publishes chain-wide shop hours rather than store hours, so call this location to be sure.

See the full directory listing

Geluna Gelato

A husband-and-wife team learned gelato-making in Italy and opened Geluna on East Chatham in 2022. Up to three flavors per cup at no extra charge, and it is the best gelato in Wake County by a comfortable margin.

Hours: Not published. Neither the shop's own site nor the downtown Cary listing carries hours, so call (919) 234-1216 before a special trip.

Address: 111 E. Chatham St., Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• The founders trained in gelato-making in Italy before opening in 2022.
• Up to three flavors in a single cup at no extra charge, which is the house policy.
• On East Chatham beside Di Fara and Brew Coffee Bar, so it fits into a downtown evening.
• Hours are not published anywhere we could verify, which is the one thing to sort out before going.

See the full directory listing

Vida Dulce

Traditional Mexican ice cream and paletas on East Chatham, founded in 2018 and now running four locations across Cary, Durham, Knightdale and Clayton. Elote and fresh fruit cups alongside the rolled ice cream.

Hours: Mon-Fri noon to 10 p.m. Sat-Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: 836 E. Chatham St., Suite 104, Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• Mexican paletas made in the traditional way, which no other shop on this list offers.
• Founded in 2018 and grown to four locations across the Triangle since.
• Elote and fresh fruit cups alongside the frozen menu, so there is savory food too.
• Open seven days to 10 p.m. One listing shows a 9 p.m. close, so the last hour is worth a call.

See the full directory listing

Honeysuckle Gelato

The Triangle outpost of the Atlanta gelato brand, at Fenton, open until ten on Friday and Saturday. It sits alongside Colletta and M Sushi, which makes Fenton the easiest one-stop evening in Cary.

Hours: Mon-Thu 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Address: 7 Fenton Main St., Cary, NC 27511

Why they made the list

• Opens at 10 a.m. seven days, earlier than any other shop on this list.
• At Fenton, so it pairs directly with dinner at Colletta or M Sushi.
• Gelato rather than ice cream, and made to a different standard from soft serve.
• Open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

See the full directory listing

Milk Lab Cafe - Cary

The flagship of the MILKLAB group on Tryon Road, which began as a bubble tea shop paired with rolled ice cream. Open to half past ten on a Friday and seven days a week, which is late for this category.

Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Address: 6418 Tryon Rd., Cary, NC 27518

Why they made the list

• Rolled ice cream made to order on a frozen surface, a different product from a scoop shop.
• Bubble tea and ice cream in the same counter, which makes it the teenager option on this list.
• Open until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the latest here.
• Open seven days from 11:30 a.m.

See the full directory listing

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

Opened in early 2024 on North Harrison Avenue and it is the only brick-and-mortar Rita's left in the Triangle, after earlier stores on Tryon Woods in Cary and Oberlin Road in Raleigh both closed. Italian ice and frozen custard, and the gelati combines both.

Hours: Mon-Thu noon to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat noon to 10 p.m. Sun noon to 9 p.m.

Address: 921 N. Harrison Ave., Cary, NC 27513

Why they made the list

• The only brick-and-mortar Rita's in the Triangle, per the News and Observer in March 2024.
• Italian ice made fresh daily alongside frozen custard, and the gelati layers the two.
• Opened in early 2024 in the Northwoods Market center.
• Open seven days from noon.

See the full directory listing

Kilwins - Cary

A franchise of the Petoskey, Michigan confectioner, on Boulderstone Way, selling ice cream beside copper-kettle fudge and hand-dipped chocolates. The only shop on this list where the chocolate counter competes with the ice cream.

Hours: Sun-Thu noon to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat noon to 10 p.m.

Address: 2004 Boulderstone Way, Cary, NC 27519

Why they made the list

• Ice cream, fudge and hand-dipped chocolates under one roof, which nothing else here offers.
• A franchise of Kilwins, a Michigan confectioner dating to 1947.
• Open seven days from noon, until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• In west Cary, which the downtown ice cream cluster does not serve.

See the full directory listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ice cream in Cary, NC?

Goodberry's Frozen Custard on Kildaire Farm Road won best frozen treats in the 2026 Maggy Awards. For technical craft, Andia's Ice Cream in west Cary is owned by Andia Xouris, one of roughly fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in America. Two Roosters has won WRAL's Voters' Choice for best local ice cream five times.

Where can I get gelato in Cary?

Geluna Gelato on East Chatham Street was opened in 2022 by a husband-and-wife team who trained in Italy, and lets you combine up to three flavors in a cup. Honeysuckle Gelato at Fenton is the other option. Geluna publishes no hours, so call before going.

Which Cary ice cream shop is open latest?

Milk Lab Cafe on Tryon Road runs to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Fresh Local Ice Cream on East Chatham and Goodberry's both reach 11 p.m. on weekends, and Goodberry's goes to midnight during its summer hours.

Where can I get paletas or Mexican ice cream in Cary?

Vida Dulce at 836 E. Chatham Street, founded in 2018, makes traditional Mexican ice cream and paletas alongside elote and fresh fruit cups. It is the only shop in Cary doing it and has since grown to four Triangle locations.

Is there an ice cream shop in downtown Cary?

Yes. Fresh Local Ice Cream at 138 E. Chatham Street and Geluna Gelato at 111 E. Chatham Street are both in the downtown block, and Vida Dulce is a little further east on the same street.