Heading out for some ice cream in the afternoon or after dinner is a popular summertime activity on the Cape. The region has dozens of ice cream stands to check out, and the variety of flavors you’ll encounter is second to none.
However, narrowing your choices down can take time and effort with so many options available. Finding the right ice cream shop gets even more difficult if you’re looking for a specific type of frozen treat or have dietary considerations.
For that reason, we’ve put together a list with that information. Here’s a look at the best ice cream stands you’ll find on your Cape Cod vacation.
Best Hard-Serve: Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour
The Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour in Mashpee is perhaps the best spot on the Cape to get some hard-serve ice cream because of the sheer volume of unique flavors they have available. You’re sure to come across some varieties you’ve never encountered anywhere else at this small, family-run shop, and a few of the recipes are over 100 years old.
The stand itself has an old-school vibe, as it’s set in a cottage-type building and surrounded by picnic tables. The Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour offers a quintessential Cape Cod dessert experience, making it a spot you’ll want to check out if your vacation rental is in the Mashpee area.
Best Soft-Serve: Ice Cream Cafe
The Ice Cream Cafe enjoys a convenient location in downtown Orleans and has some of the best soft-serve ice cream on the Cape, making it a spot you’ll want to try while on vacation. They also operate an ice cream truck on Nauset Beach in the summer, giving you more opportunities to test their creations.
You’ll encounter multiple soft-serve options at the Ice Cream Cafe, too, as they have nonfat chocolate and vanilla yogurt you can blend with over 20 flavors. These flavors allow you to customize your dessert in a way few other ice cream shops allow.
Best Gelato: Caffé Gelato Bertini
If you’re more into gelato for dessert than traditional ice cream, you won’t want to miss Caffé Gelato Bertini in South Yarmouth. This shop isn’t the easiest spot to find, as it sits in a residential neighborhood on South Street, but the trip will be worth it once you sample their old-world formulas.
Every product available at this shop is made on-site using the Bertini family’s old Florentine gelato recipes. They have 24 flavors to try on any given day and use local milk and fresh fruit in every offering. They also serve sorbetto, affogato, house-made Italian sodas, gelato shakes, and coffee drinks, depending on what you’re in the mood for when you visit.
Best Vegan Ice Cream: Sweet Izzy
Sweet Izzy is Cape Cod’s first 100% plant-based, vegan ice cream shop, and its Main Street location in Harwich makes it easy to reach. It’s also gluten and soy-free, so it’s an excellent option for many people with dietary concerns. Every ice cream product they sell is made from coconut or almond milk, and they serve various coffee drinks, as well.
This shop sells hard-serve and soft-serve ice cream and has dozens of toppings you can add to create the perfect dessert. You can also opt for a milkshake, banana split, or vegan hot fudge sundae, depending on what you’re in the mood to try. You’ve never seen an ice cream shop with this many dairy-free options, making Sweet Izzy worthy of your time on your next Cape Cod vacation.
Best Sundaes: Ice Cream Smuggler
The Old King’s Highway in East Dennis, Massachusetts, is home to Ice Cream Smuggler, a shop featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate because of its decadent Smuggler’s Hot Fudge Sundae. People travel from all over the Cape and beyond for this sundae, and it’s well worth a try on your holiday.
In addition to perhaps Cape Cod’s best sundae, Ice Cream Smuggler has dozens of hard-serve varieties, vegan options, and soft-serve, all made in-house. They sell ice cream cakes and pies, as well, if you’re looking for a large dessert to serve at your vacation rental.
Any Type of Ice Cream Imaginable
You’ll find an impossible number of ice cream flavors and types while vacationing on Cape Cod because of the region’s volume of innovative shops. These shops are always looking to develop new creations for their customers, and you can reap the benefits of this hard work.
The Cape Cod ice cream scene is second to none, so remember to try a few of these creations on your next vacation.
