It wasn’t until a weekend stay in upstate New York last summer that I realized how lucky we are to live in an ice cream hot spot. Most touristy towns have a place to grab a cone—but I’m talking good ice cream. The kind that makes you say, now that’s a sweet treat.
The owner of the Hudson Valley house I was staying in left a short list of recommendations. One read, “a pretty decent ice cream place” down the road—the only option for miles. Given how few places made the list, I assumed this one must be a local gem.
It wasn’t. I won’t name names, but it was neither “pretty decent” nor a hidden treasure. It barely qualified as an ice cream place. It was a commercial freezer pushed against a wall across from the pickup counter inside a bagel shop.
Ice cream in a bagel shop. Two delicacies that should never be combined—they don’t even keep the same hours.
Standing in front of six sad tubs of freezer-burned, rock-hard ice cream, I had a realization: I’ve been spoiled. This stuff tasted like it had been 3D-printed. The kind of ice cream kindergartners get in bulk on the 100th day of school.
Ice cream on the Jersey Shore is different. It’s rich. It’s an experience. It’s an occasion.
Here are five of the best ice cream parlors in Long Branch—all within just a few miles of one another.
Strollo’s Lighthouse
Almost immediately, I had to add a caveat to my “Long Branch’s Best Ice Cream Spots” survey: Do not say Strollo’s Lighthouse. Characterized by the towering white and blue lighthouse standing beside its serving windows, Strollo’s Lighthouse is almost a kind of “destination ice cream” for which people will make a pilgrimage. It’s hard to beat an Ocean Ave location where you can take your swirl cone with a briny blue view.
What to order: You can’t go to the birthplace of soft-serve Italian ice without trying the blue raspberry. Combine with an additional two to three flavors of your choosing and some good company.
Nicholas Creamery
To my great surprise and delight, many shared that they chose Nicholas Creamery because of Nick Jonas, who has absolutely zero connection to the place other than sharing a forename. (The depths to which a Jersey girl’s adoration runs!) The creamery, located in Long Branch’s Ursula Plaza, specializes in small batch ice cream and has the downright loveliest flavor collection you’ll find. The occasional absence of some standard flavors feels like it might be intentional. And kind of chic.
What to order: A few scoops of the ricotta and olive oil ice cream–if you can catch it in stock. This flavor, a collaboration with Porta in Asbury Park, comes and goes like the breeze. Enjoy it when it’s there.
The Baked Bear
Baked Bear
The Baked Bear is ice cream with a flair, often sandwiched between two cookies, a combination that creates a specific craving that can only be satisfied here. You don’t crave ice cream, you crave Baked Bear. Plus, you can DoorDash it, as you can others on this list, but none will travel as well The Baked Bear’s custom ice cream cookie sandwiches. And you’ll likely want to DoorDash it to avoid Pier Village’s fraught parking.
What to order: A Bear Bowl, which is a warm cookie with a scoop of ice cream atop, packed into a tidy tin bowl.
Nannos Bakery and Ice Cream Place
The ice cream platters at Nannos look drawn, as if they’ve leapt out of a cartoon, something Scooby-Doo would snatch from an unwitting Shaggy’s hands at the last minute. Combine the Italian bakery, located near Franklin Lakes Park and Shore Regional High School, with the neighboring La Scarpetta eatery for a dinner-and-dessert combination. Mamma Mia!
What to order: A classic banana split with scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Window shop the elaborate cakes and cannolis while you wait.
Fruta Loca
Fruta Loca’s bright yellow storefront comes alive on Long Branch’s Broadway, sure to slow traffic while tourists wonder What’s in there? The Guatemalan-owned business serves fruit-infused dishes one thousand different ways without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. There’s mangonada, a spicy Mexican street smoothie, crepes running over with strawberries and bananas, and manzana, sliced apples topped with jicama, salsageti, and other goodies.
What to order: Can’t go to Fruta Loca without ordering the fruit. Try the chamoyada, mango ice cream blended with more mango and doused in tajin.