July 18th is National Ice Cream Day and July is the perfect month to celebrate the sweet creamy treat we all love. There are dozens of delicious local places to grab a scoop of ice cream and we wanted to feature a list of some to check out around the First Coast in honor of the holiday. Check out our list below and grab a scoop or sundae this weekend because honestly, who needs an excuse to enjoy some ice cream?
Mayday Ice Cream
According to their website, “MAYDAY is named in honor of some innovative fellow Americans who served our country in World War II.” They offer handcrafted ice cream made in house in a variety of flavors. They also offer homemade sprinkles, homemade waffle cones and pints to go. They also have ice cream trucks. Check out their Facebook page for more details!
Chilled Flavors
Chilled Flavors is an old fashioned style ice cream parlor located just outside of Nocatee. They have ice cream, old fashioned style-soda fountain drinks like egg creams, Italian ices, waffle cones and other goodies. Their ice cream incorporates organic and locally sourced ingredients from Florida farms and comes in a variety of classic and unique flavors such as brown sugar cinnamon as well as dairy free and flavors just for adults like Maple with Bourbon Bacon Toffee. Check out their menu here to see more of their flavor options and make sure to keep them in mind for your next party because they are available for events like Birthdays and other celebrations.
Cousteau’s Waffle and Milkshake Bar
Cousteau’s Waffle and Milkshake Bar in downtown St. Augustine offers a variety of gourmet Belgian waffles with delicious toppings and creamy, rich milkshakes as well as espresso and waffle bites.Their milkshakes are made with their homemade soft serve ice cream and are blended with a variety of homemade goodies and toppings and topped with fresh whipped cream. We recommend you try the Papa Steve, which is a blackberry cheesecake milkshake with blackberry sauce, or an Air Kentucky, which is a Butter Pecan milkshake with real maple syrup and candied pecans topped with a bourbon whipped cream. You can view their menu here and don’t forget to try a waffle with your shake!
Bambino Scoops
Bambino Scoops offers gelato and sorbets along with cakes, desserts and more at their Jacksonville location. Their gelato is made fresh in the store with local seasonal ingredients. Savor their frozen treats in flavors such as chocolate peanut butter, cookies and cream, pineapple and passion fruit. Check out more about them on their website and follow them on social media for more details.
Five F(X) Ice Cream
Located in the Southside area Five f(x) Ice Cream is made fresh to order. They also have different types of milk you can choose from to make your ice cream and can accommodate anyone who might have a sensitivity to dairy but still wants to enjoy some ice cream. They have a unique selection of flavors which include exotic ones like Taro, Chai, Green Tea, Lavender and Nutella. Their ice cream comes with a choice of an assortment of different toppings as well as delicious homemade waffles.
Dreamette
Dreamette has three locations: One in the Riverside/Avondale area, one in the St. John’s Town Center and one at the beaches and it is known for it’s delicious soft serve ice cream. Dreamette is the place to go to get soft serve, dipped cones, shakes and sundaes. They have dipped cones in all sorts of flavors like chocolate, strawberry and blueberry as well as cones rolled in sprinkles. You can also get mixes or shakes in classic and featured flavors as well as sundaes with toppings like hot fudge, caramel and strawberries.
Kilwins
Kilwins is a classic staple of the ice cream community here in Northeast Florida. With shops around the U.S. opening in the 1940’s, Kilwins has always been a familiar place where one can snack on high quality products ranging from gourmet chocolates, decadent ice creams and endless sweets. The in-store craftsmanship of their products make for a unique dining experience. You’ll be able to watch fudge and other treats made right before your eyes! This is a must visit if you’re celebrating a special event, stopping by on vacation, or just looking to satisfy a craving. You don’t want to miss this gem of nostalgic Americana. For locations check their site here.
According to their website, “Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is made the old-fashioned way, with slow kettle processing designed specifically to create the Bruster’s flavor, starting with a proprietary homestyle mix delivered fresh from its dairy to each store,” Their ice cream is made in house and comes in a variety of flavors like blueberry cobbler, birthday cake, southern banana pudding and sea salt caramel.
Whit’s Frozen Custard
Although Whit’s is a national chain their local stores serve up some of the best frozen custard in town. Frozen custard is a creamy version of ice cream that is made with a slightly different recipe and process than regular ice cream. There are four Whit’s locations in the area, one in Jax Beach, Atlantic Beach, Mandarin and Avondale. Their frozen custard comes in a variety of flavors with a featured flavor of the week. According to their website this week it is Lemon Drop, which is lemon custard with crushed lemon cookies. Whit’s also has an endless list of toppings from cookies to candies to fruit and everything in between. One of the best things to order at Whit’s is the Whitser, which is frozen custard mixed with a variety of toppings. They also have shakes, sundaes, banana splits and floats. You can also take home a pint of their custard, ice cream sandwiches and custard cakes. Check out their menu here and plan on enjoying your custard at any of their four locations.
Featured Places
Five F(X) Ice Cream
9802 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Bambino Scoops
2771 Monument Rd
Suite 36
Jacksonville, Florida
32225
Mayday Ice Cream
(also has trucks)
1835 U.S. 1 South / Suite 127
St. Augustine, FL 32084
100 St. George St. / Suite J
St. Augustine, FL 32084
1432 Hendricks Ave
Jacksonville, Florida
1198 Beach Blvd / Suite 7
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Cousteau’s Waffle and Milkshake Bar
15 Hypolita St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
Chilled Flavors Old Fashioned Ice Cream
10930 US Highway 1 North
Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081
Kilwins
Jacksonville
10281 Midtown Parkway #125
Jacksonville, FL 32246
St. Augustine
140 Saint George Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Dreamette
Riverside
3646 Post St.
Jacksonville, FL 32205-5933
Town Center
4663 River City Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32246
Beaches
309 Atlantic Blvd.
Neptune Beach, Florida 32266
Whit’s
Jax Beach
1232 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250
Atlantic Beach
38 Ocean Blvd
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Avondale
3545 St. Johns avenue
jacksonville, FL 32205
Mandarin
11362 San Jose Blvd, Suite 3
Jacksonville, FL 32223
Bruster’s Ice Cream
12224 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225
11701-60 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32223