The Top 5 Ice Cream Shops in Orleans, Massachusetts

Summer on Cape Cod inevitably includes spending time at the beach, checking out some live music, exploring nature, and, of course, getting some ice cream.

After all, there are all kinds of local ice cream shops on the Cape, each offering unique menu items to keep you coming back time after time.

When visiting Cape Cod, you won’t have time to sample every ice cream parlor in the area, but you can make a pretty good dent in the list if you’re committed to the cause.

Downtown Orleans is a compact location that’s easily walkable. It’s also loaded with great restaurants and a few ice cream shops that you’ll surely want to try if you find yourself on Main Street and its surrounding area.

Here’s a look at the top five ice cream shops in Orleans, MA.

1) The Ice Cream Cafe

With a name like the Ice Cream Cafe, it would be shocking if this venue didn’t have an extensive ice cream list. Not to worry, though, as this shop on the north end of South Orleans Road is known all over the Cape for its frozen treats and is sure to have an option you’ll absolutely love.

From the second you enter this ice cream parlor, you’ll see that there are dozens of flavors, including staples like chocolate, vanilla, and butter pecan and not-so-common selections like pumpkin pie, ginger, and cake batter. They have some non-dairy options, a few sorbets, and a couple of soft-serve offerings, too, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

If you find yourself wandering by the Ice Cream Cafe, you won’t want to skip it.

2) The Local Scoop

The Ice Cream Cafe is hardly the only game in town, though, as The Local Scoop more than holds its own and is another amazing place to stop for dessert.

The main drawing feature at The Local Scoop is its self-serve dessert bar, where you can choose from ten different soft-serve flavors and then add the toppings yourself. Kids love this feature because they can really load their desserts up with sprinkles, cherries, whipped cream, berries, nuts, fudge, candy, and various other sweets.

There’s more than soft-serve at The Local Scoop, too, as this shop has a selection of homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, and crepes. They also make Cape Cod Pops, which are frozen dessert bars, and homemade waffle cones on-site.

For a full dessert experience, you can’t beat The Local Scoop.

3) Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream

A third ice cream store in downtown Orleans is Emack & Bolio’s. This shop is part of a chain with other venues in Wellfleet and Chatham and has over a dozen different flavors on the go at any given time.

The great thing about Emack & Bolio’s is the creativity, as they offer a wide variety of flavors that you’ve likely never heard of before, turning each visit into an experience.

Other items on the menu include frozen yogurt, root beer floats, and sundaes, so you don’t have to be in the mood for traditional ice cream to find a great dessert at this location.

4) The Knack

First and foremost, The Knack is a seafood restaurant featuring one of the Cape’s best lobster rolls. You’ll also find burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and other fantastic items on its menu.

However, this is also an excellent place to visit if you’re in the mood for a sweet treat because they have three flavors of soft-serve ice cream and an extensive milkshake menu.

But the big draw at The Knack for dessert-lovers is their homemade ice cream sandwich, which is a serving of soft-serve between two cookies. This sandwich is delicious, and since The Knack has a sit-in dining area and an outdoor take-out counter, it’s easy to grab one to-go as you walk through downtown Orleans.

5) Hot Chocolate Sparrow

Hot Chocolate Sparrow is a unique shop that opens early in the morning for breakfast and coffee. It then stays open for lunch and has an extensive sandwich menu while serving ice cream and other treats all the way through.

Much of the ice cream at this shop is from Richardson’s Family Farm, although they have some soft-serve and frozen yogurt options, too. There are also sundaes with various toppings available and premium options featuring chocolate-dipped waffle cones.

Other options include ice cream sodas, frozen berry drinks, frozen hot chocolate and mocha, and all kinds of smoothies. Really, the offerings at Hot Chocolate Sparrow are nearly endless, so you might need to make multiple visits before you figure it all out.

Great Desserts in Orleans

With so many special places to stop for dessert, you won’t have to venture far in search of a sweet treat if you book a vacation rental in Orleans. And since most of these shops are within a few blocks of each other, you’re sure to come across them on your travels through downtown.

Orleans is a top choice as your home base on vacation, thanks in large part to its dining scene, complete with some of the best ice cream shops the Cape has to offer.