The Resy Guide to Finding Great Ice Cream in Charleston

There’s way more than ice cream at what might be King Street’s dessert mecca, but there is ice cream. Served as a flight, sandwiched between airy profiteroles, it’s the perfect treat to share or keep for yourself — we won’t tell. But don’t worry, there are plenty of other sweet options, like inventive twists on hummingbird cake and an old fashioned-inspired ganache served in a rocks glass.

Some of Charleston’s best ice cream is being scooped a few steps from King Street, where old favorite flavors sit alongside creative seasonal flavors like S’mores Pop-Tart and maple oat milk pecan — just one of a handful of flavors that also happens to be vegan. Whirl anything into a milkshake or just grab a few smells and order a 100% solid cold brew coffee to go. (We dare you to not also get a brownie with it.)

Email hello@offtrackicecream.com for details.

Six-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist Cynthia Wong is the mastermind behind ice cream in the shape of a crispy fried chicken leg, complete with a chocolate-covered pretzel rod bone. Yep, you read that right: That’s Life Raft’s Not Fried Chicken. You might have a hard time taking your first bite of these totally unique creations, but you’ll get past that real quick once you realize how dang good the ice cream inside is. Also find these treats in the shapes of doughnuts, a full-on footlong sub, and even made to look like the corn and shrimp from a Lowcountry boil.

Pro tip: Grab a Resy at Renzo or Jackrabbit Filly, and look for Life Raft on the dessert menu.

Stop once at Beardcat’s Sweet Shop downstairs on your way out of The Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island, and there’s no going back. As if your lunch or dinner wasn’t good enough, this is one of those situations where you’ll probably get a cone to eat now and a pint to take home. Luckily, there are plenty of knockout sorbetto and gelato selections, including traditional stracciatella, hazelnut, pistachio, and more.

Call 843.416.5025 for details.

For years, owner Kelly Chu‘s housemade ice creams lived quietly on the dessert menu at the A+ West Ashley Chinese restaurant she owns with husband Tony. And they’re still on the menu, but Kelly’s branched out, selling them for a few years now as Cirsea Craft Ice Cream at the restaurant and at other local purveyors. The soft flavors of lavender, cinnamon, goat cheese, black sesame, and more are the perfect foil to the well-spiced fare coming out of the kitchen at Red Orchids.

Look for Cirsea Craft Ice Cream at Sushi-Wa, Park and Grove, Jalisco, or New Realm Brewing.

With one flavor and a simple sprinkle topping, this soft-serve is the last bit of the dialed-in comfort customary of the three Charleston spots run by owners Brooks Reitz and Tim Mink (the others are Melfi’s and Little Jack’s Tavern). After all, what’s better after a platter of fried chicken, fish, or a fried oyster roll than a cone while you wait for the check?

It’s only been open for a year, but you wouldn’t know it from its seemingly ubiquitous presence in any Charlestonian’s social media feed. Swirling up traditional soft-serve synonymous with weekend evenings of yesteryear, the flavors are chocolate and vanilla, with pineapple whip for those feeling adventurous. Take your pick from toppings, from familiar rainbow sprinkles to five different hard shell dips. Or take them for a spin in a Hurricone — ice cream + flavorings blended — or as a traditional milkshake with a few other flavors like mocha or black raspberry.

Call 843.900.4242 for details.

The most traditional shop on the list, this is about as classic as it gets. Residents of the North Charleston area make the trip for owner Maurice Ray’s flavors, which are at once classic and creative. Lemon crunch has been a local favorite since day one, mixing lemon ice cream and lemon Oreos into one craveable cone. Head to the main drag on East Montague Avenue in North Charleston and just look for the satisfied crowd standing outside.

Call 843.718.3226 for details.

What started as a pandemic hobby for Nora McIntyre is now a permanent fixture for a handful of dessert menus and freezer cases in Charleston. These smooth, small-batch flavors change with the seasons, like apple pie, pear ginger, blackberry jam biscuit, and more. Can’t get to this neighborhood spot on Rutledge Avenue, slide into those DMs and order up your own for local pick-up.

Frigid Bits is also available at Berkeley’s; grab a Resy and remember to try it while you’re there.

The newest addition on the list, this is the latest outpost from the New York City company whose flavors range from traditional sweet cream and sprinkles to a head-turning purple and pink “Bubblegum Pop” scoop, part of a collab with publisher Penguin Randomhouse. 

Call 843.203.6139 for details.