Ice cream is a summer staple in Lackawanna County. I’s so popular, we even have our own Ice Cream Trail and Sweet Treats Guide featuring all our local ice cream, frozen custard, and bakeries. To help you narrow down the list and discover some of the best ice cream in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we asked around to find out where locals go when they’re craving a cone.
Ice cream doesn’t get any fresher than this! Manning Farm Dairy, a fourth-generation family farm, not only milks their own cows—they even grow their own feed. Happy cows mean happy customers. While you’ll find Manning’s at multiple locations throughout the county, this is the original farm experience. With more than 50 flavors to choose from, including customer favorite Charlie Brownie, you’ll keep coming back to try them all. Just be sure to bring cash because they don’t take credit cards!
If you like your ice cream with a side of nostalgia, head to Caboose Food & Ice Cream, where you can enjoy your treat in an authentic train car. They serve all your favorite flavors of Hershey’s hard ice cream, plus seasonal favorites like pumpkin. Their inventive sundaes are a real treat, with specials like Maple Bacon or Red, White, and Blue. Keep an eye on their schedule, though, so you can make sure to stop by before they close for the season.
The homemade ice cream at Jitty Joe’s Ice Cream is bursting with flavor and personality! Creative combos include Peanut Butter & Jelly, Oreo Dunkaroo, and Banana Fluffernutter. Their giant menu of vegan and sugar-free ice cream and fat-free yogurt means everyone can enjoy a treat, even if they have dietary restrictions.
Giff's Ice Cream Shoppe is the place to go for unique soft serve flavors. You’ve gotta try the blueberry—or the pumpkin when it’s in season. They’ve also got sundaes, mega mixes, milkshakes, floats, and even ice cream nachos. With daily specials and a freezer full of ice cream cakes, pies, and sandwiches, you may want to stock up and take some ice cream to go!
If you can’t choose between ice cream or coffee, head to Picc’s Ice Cream for an affogato — espresso poured over a scoop of hard ice cream. With a full coffee menu and more than 40 flavors of hard ice cream, it’s easy to satisfy your sweet tooth. Try one of their specialty sundaes, like Carmel Pretzel or Vanilla Oreo Shamrock.
Nothing hits quite like creamy custard and your favorite flavor of Italian ice. Combine the two with a gelati, blend them with toppings in a blendini, or enjoy a classic milkshake at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. Ice and custard flavors are switched up daily, so there’s always something new to try, like Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kid flavored ice. Rita’s closes for the winter, so get there before the real ice arrives. In addition to the Dunmore spot, there’s also a convenient Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard location in Dickson City to check out.
That Shake Place is another nostalgic local favorite. Walk up to the window for delicious shakes and be sure to try their weekly sundaes before they’re gone. Past creations include Chocolate Carmel Pretzel, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, and Cookie Monster. They even have pup cups for your four-legged friends. Open seasonally.
With a new featured custard flavor every week, you’ll have to keep coming back to Josie’s Frozen Custard & Italian Ice to try them all. Where else can you find beloved staples like peanut butter or creamsicle, plus unique flavors like Fruit Loops, rice pudding, and Crème Brûlée? Josie’s also serves hand-dipped ice cream, homemade Italian ice, shakes, and banana splits. Cash only and open seasonally — but pups eat for free!
Known for generous portions and a large menu of hard and soft flavors, Italian ice, and frozen treats, you can’t go wrong at Fallbrook Ice Cream. Enjoy a classic CMP sundae (chocolate, marshmallow, and peanuts) or go fruity with pineapple or crushed cherries. Dogs eat free! Cash only with seasonal hours.
If you like your ice cream dark and gothic, you’ve got to check out Black Cow Cookies and Cream in Scranton’s Ritz Theater. They’re known for their Black Out and White Out cookies and cream experiences, which mixes their midnight chocolate ice cream or vanilla gelato with a crumbled cookie and homemade whipped cream. Want to get wilder? Order a Freddy’s Flames sundae, which is chocolate ice cream, flaming hot Cheetos, and candied jalapeños. Yep, it tastes exactly like you think it does — spicy and amazing!
