Do they live up to their names? You tell us!
Summer is officially around the corner — June 21 to be exact! That means warmer days and longer sunsets with a fresh scoop of your favorite ice cream or gelato. We know everyone has their favorite, but here’s a mini round-up of must-lick faves around the city. From the icons to the small and mighty — yet every single one oh, so, delicious.
Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream
We all know and love Millie’s, spreading like a ‘creamilicious’, cool-coned craze across Pittsburgh. With new flavors reimagining occasionally, be sure to try their newest Strawberry Pretzel as a delicious homage to our native three rivers. Or try the classics from chocolate to coffee break and more.
Plus, Millie’s sells Sundae Party Boxes — filled with three pints of ice cream, six toppings, six scratch-made waffle cones and compostable serving spoons. How fun is that? Schedule a group tour while you’re at it! (Yes, you can do that, too.)
Sugar Spell Scoops
ATTENTION — vegan peeps! Located in Sharpsburg, PA, Sugar Spell Scoops offers vegan-friendly, small-batch-made ice cream created with fresh-made cashew, hemp, and other nut milks. Their colorful creations are sweetened with vegan cane sugar and agave.
We all know Pittsburgh likes a little competition as champions, so we are proud to represent this place as Pennsylvania’s FIRST all-vegan ice cream parlor! Check out the shop and try something that sparks the magic in your taste buds.
WAFFALLONIA
Waffles. Shakes. Ice Cream on Waffles. ENOUGH SAID. Known for their delicately house-made waffles, the heavenly haven for doughy deliciousness also has ice cream options from chocolate, vanilla bean, and strawberry to their signature flavors — Nutella and ‘Speculoos.’
They are also self-acclaimed to have the best milkshakes in Pittsburgh (“and beyond!”), ranging from S’mores, Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, and Banana Pudding to other curiously-pleasant flavors. Be sure to check out their sustainable business practices too!
Leona’s Ice Cream
Leona’s is 100% dairy, 100% lactose-free, AND has extreme flavor profiles that complement each other in a genius way. Go ahead and indulge in some of these featured flavors: Black Sesame on Salted Tahini Chocolate Chunk, Coffee on Snickerdoodle, Lavender & Honeycomb, Cookie Cream on Chocolate Wafer, Sweet Mint on Chocolate Wafer, Toasted Coconut, and other flavors.
Stay tuned for a kindling collab with PGH CANDLE, which will be ice cream candles poured to perfection for your space — dropping June 21, 2023!
Sarris Candies
Known as “The World’s Best Chocolates,” they are also known for the milkshakes that ‘don’t melt’ — so take your time and sip away every moment! Having a special occasion? Feel free to reserve an ice cream cake or choose between more than 35+ flavors to beat the heat.
This place is perfect for an old-fashioned date night (perhaps, a blast from the past), along with flavors to match classic, vibrant-red Willy Wonka-inspired wonderland. Sarris Candies has you covered from their Sarris Twin Specialties, Triple Treats, sundaes, dishes, cones, and more.
Mercurio’s
With two locations in Fox Chapel and Shadyside, Mercurio’s has the best gelato in Pittsburgh. Gelato or ice cream? Potato, potato — same difference but richer and denser (insert shrug, here).
Mercurio’s deserves a shout-out to pioneering gelato in Pittsburgh with the following flavors: Salty Caramel Truffle, Death by Chocolate, Lemon Sorbetto, Tiramisu, coconut cream pie, and PLENTY more. Try the Affogato di Gelato for a nice pick-me-up!
Have an ice cream place that NEEDS a cool-off shout-out? We’ll give you some other favorites to start: Kool Cones, NatuRoll Creamery, Handel’s, Page’s, Antney’s, Klavon’s, Bruster’s, Scoops Pittsburgh, and the Milkshake Factory.
We know Pittsburgh has its other legendary favorites so be sure to list them in our comments below. We want to scream ice cream with you!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.