Whether it's a post-show cone or a midday milkshake, Nashville has no shortage of great ice cream. When the dog days of summer call for a cold treat, use this trusty guide.

By Katie Quine • Updated September 27, 2019

The Classics

Mike's Ice Cream & Coffee Bar
This 2nd Avenue institution is a short walk from Lower Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium and offers the perfect post-concert treat, whether it’s a scoop of red velvet or banana pudding ice cream.

Bobbie's Dairy Dip
Bobbie’s might’ve opened in 1951, but the place feels like it hasn’t changed a bit. Dipped soft-serve cones are larger than life and decadent shakes boast mix-ins galore. On a warm summer night, there’s nothing better.

Elliston Place Soda Shop
As Nashville’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, Elliston Place has earned the reputation of having the city’s best chocolate malted milkshake. You never know when you might rub elbows with a star or politician here.

The Gourmet

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
After its first Nashville location opened in 2011, Jeni’s has become the standard bearer for inventive, artisanal ice cream. The shop’s Yazoo Sue flavor is made with local beer and savory bar nuts.

Legendairy Milkshake Bar
When you visit Nashville, go big or go home. Just a few blocks from Broadway, live out your dairy dreams with a larger-than-life milkshake topped of with decadent ingredients like cotton candy or a whole slice of cheesecake.

Las Paletas
Not quite ice cream and not quite the popsicles you grew up eating, these Mexican frozen treats are the prettiest, freshest thing you could ever eat on a stick. Try the shop’s creamy avocado pop, a surprising flavor that refreshes.

The Playful

Pied Piper Creamery
This quirky creamery is known for its rotating lineup of clever flavors, such as a Baby Got Baklava and Cherry Springer, and features a prominent shrine dedicated to Tom Selleck. Just go with it.

The Soda Parlor
The root beer float returns to the spotlight at East Nashville’s hip Soda Parlor. Enjoy a free round of Ms. Pac-Man and a sugar rush courtesy of ice cream-topped Belgian waffle known as a “Mondae.”

Bradley's Creamery
It’s hard not to smile at the childhood memory of an ice cream truck, and Bradley’s serves up nostalgia on wheels. The truck’s classic homemade flavors are inspired by the moments spent churning ice cream on the porch.

Now treat yourself to an Opry show.

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