The best ice cream in Raleigh

Raleigh ice cream has an unusual amount of genuine credentialing behind it. One shop has been named the best in North Carolina by a national food magazine, one is run by a university dairy farm, one owner is a certified Grand Master ice cream maker, and one has been making custard fresh every hour since 1988.

All four are here. So is the practical answer to the question people actually ask, which is where to go at 11 p.m. on a Saturday.

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

Two Roosters Ice Cream

Jared Plummer ran a turquoise 1965 Ford truck for over a decade before opening a shop in summer 2017, and Food and Wine has named this the best ice cream in North Carolina. Small batches, rotating flavors, and locations in Raleigh, Cary and Wake Forest.

Hours: Tue-Thu 2 to 9 p.m. Fri-Sat noon to 10 p.m. Sun 2 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday.

Address: 215 E. Franklin St., Raleigh, NC 27604

Why they made the list

• Named the best ice cream in North Carolina by Food and Wine, the strongest single endorsement on this list.
• Founded by an NC State alum who spent more than ten years on an ice cream truck first.
• There is a Wake Forest location, so you do not have to drive to Raleigh for it.
• Closed Mondays and does not open until 2 p.m. most days.

See the full directory listing

Howling Cow Dairy Education Center & Creamery

NC State's own creamery, made with milk from the university's 329-acre farm. The ice cream debuted at the State Fair in the 1970s and the Dairy Education Center opened in 2020, so you can watch the process and then eat the result.

Hours: Daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Address: 100 Dairy Lane, Raleigh, NC 27603

Why they made the list

• Won best ice cream at the 2023 WRAL Voters' Choice Awards.
• Made with milk from NC State's own 329-acre dairy farm, which nothing else here can claim.
• Open seven days at the same hours, the simplest schedule on this list.
• The Dairy Education Center is a genuine tour, not just a counter.

See the full directory listing

Goodberry's Frozen Custard

Founded in Raleigh in 1988 and the local default for a reason. Frozen custard made fresh every hour in the store, with a flavor of the day that changes daily and a Carolina Concrete that has been the standard order for three decades.

Hours: 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. Changeover dates are not published, so call in the shoulder seasons.

Address: 2042 Clark Ave., Raleigh, NC 27605

Why they made the list

• Founded in Raleigh in 1988, the oldest frozen dessert business on this list.
• Custard made fresh every hour in each store rather than shipped in.
• A different flavor of the day every day, posted daily.
• Nine Triangle locations, so one is usually close.

See the full directory listing

Andia's Ice Cream

Owner Andia Xouris is one of roughly fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in America, which is a genuine certification rather than marketing. Baklava and coffee bean crunch are the signatures, at Raleigh Iron Works and the original in Cary.

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

Address: 2201 Iron Works Drive, Suite 129, Raleigh, NC 27604

Why they made the list

• The owner is one of about fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in the United States.
• Baklava ice cream, which no other shop in the Triangle makes.
• At Raleigh Iron Works, so it pairs with Little Rey or the rest of the development.
• Closed Mondays.

See the full directory listing

Fresh Local Ice Cream

Established in 2011, using milk from local free-range dairy herds and making its own waffle cones. The Cheerwine float is the North Carolina order and the Glenwood Avenue shop runs to 11 p.m. on weekends.

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

Address: 6033 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27612

Why they made the list

• Milk sourced from local free-range dairy herds, stated plainly on the menu.
• Waffle cones made in house.
• A Cheerwine float, which is the most North Carolina thing on this list.
• Open seven days and to 11 p.m. on weekends.

See the full directory listing

Amorino

The downtown gelato shop on East Davie Street that shapes every cone into a rose, petal by petal, and lets you combine as many flavors as will fit. It is a performance as much as a dessert, and it is open to 11 p.m. on weekends.

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

Address: 137 E. Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Why they made the list

• Every cone is built into a rose shape by hand, which nowhere else in Raleigh does.
• Unlimited flavor combinations at no extra charge, which is the house policy.
• Open seven days to at least 10 p.m.
• Walking distance from Moore Square and the downtown restaurants.

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Videri Chocolate Factory

A bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the Warehouse District that serves soft serve with house-made toppings, and shares its building with Black & White Coffee. You can watch chocolate being made and then eat soft serve made from it.

Hours: Chocolate counter Mon-Thu 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri-Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Coffee counter opens at 8 a.m. weekdays.

Address: 327 W. Davie St., Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27601

Why they made the list

• Bean-to-bar chocolate made on site, and the factory floor is open to look at.
• Soft serve with toppings made in the same building.
• Black & White Coffee shares the space, so it is two stops in one.
• Open until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

See the full directory listing

Morelia Gourmet Paletas

Mexican paletas finished with dips, drizzles and toppings on North West Street, which makes them closer to a built dessert than a popsicle. Open seven days and until 11 p.m. on weekends.

Hours: Mon-Thu 1 to 10 p.m. Fri 1 to 11 p.m. Sat noon to 11 p.m. Sun noon to 10 p.m.

Address: 500 N. West St., #135, Raleigh, NC 27603

Why they made the list

• Paletas dipped and topped to order, which is a different product from a scoop shop.
• Fruit-based options that are genuinely dairy free rather than adapted.
• Open seven days to at least 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. on weekends.
• In Smoky Hollow, so it works as a stop after dinner at Madre.

See the full directory listing

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

The Columbus, Ohio brand arrived in the Village District in 2023 and immediately became the late-night option, because it is open until midnight every single night. Brambleberry Crisp and Darkest Chocolate are the two to start with.

Hours: Mon-Fri 1 p.m. to midnight. Sat-Sun noon to midnight.

Address: 2014 Cameron St., Raleigh, NC 27605

Why they made the list

• Open until midnight seven nights a week, which nothing else on this list comes close to.
• A national brand with a genuine reputation for flavor development rather than volume.
• Dairy-free options made properly with coconut cream.
• Village District location, walkable from Flying Biscuit and Goodberry's.

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Captain Cookie & the Milkman - Transfer Co. Food Hall

Made-to-order ice cream sandwiches built from eight cookie varieties. Founder Kirk baked his first cookie at four years old and spent three decades on the recipe, which is the sort of claim you either believe or you taste.

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

Address: 500 E. Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601

Why they made the list

• Ice cream sandwiches built to order from eight different cookies, which nobody else here offers.
• Inside Transfer Co. Food Hall, so a group with different ideas can all eat.
• Open seven days and later on First Friday.
• A second location on Six Forks Road if North Raleigh is closer.

See the full directory listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ice cream in Raleigh, NC?

Two Roosters Ice Cream has been named the best ice cream in North Carolina by Food and Wine. Howling Cow, NC State's own creamery, won best ice cream at the 2023 WRAL Voters' Choice Awards. Andia's Ice Cream is owned by one of roughly fifteen Grand Master ice cream makers in America.

Where can I get ice cream late at night in Raleigh?

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in the Village District is open until midnight every night of the week. Amorino downtown, Morelia Gourmet Paletas and Fresh Local Ice Cream all run to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Is there an ice cream shop in Wake Forest?

Yes. Two Roosters has a Wake Forest location, and Lumpy's Ice Cream has been a local fixture for years. Jeremiah's Italian Ice is also in town, and JAM Soft Serve is in Rolesville.

What is Howling Cow?

Howling Cow is NC State University's own creamery, making ice cream from milk produced on the university's 329-acre dairy farm. The ice cream first appeared at the NC State Fair in the 1970s and the Dairy Education Center on Dairy Lane opened in 2020. It is open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where can I get gelato or paletas in Raleigh?

Amorino on E. Davie Street makes gelato and shapes every cone into a rose. Morelia Gourmet Paletas on N. West Street specializes in Mexican paletas finished with dips and toppings. Geluna Gelato in Cary is worth the drive if you want the best gelato in the area.