Houston, TXIce Cream

A charming Heights house turned scoop shop, with rows of decadent flavors that rotate seasonally alongside sorbets and a full toppings bar. The homey setting and revolving lineup make it worth checking back through the year as the flavors change with the season.

A Levantine-style ice cream shop near the Galleria that stretches its base with mastic resin and orchid flour, giving the scoops a distinctive sticky, chewy texture. Flavors include pistachio, Turkish coffee, and orange blossom water, a change of pace from a standard American scoop.

A full-service Garden Oaks creamery running scoops, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, soft serve sundaes, and boozy milkshakes, including a milk chocolate stout flavor made with a local brewery's oatmeal stout. The range of formats makes it a flexible stop for a family or a group.

A pint-only operation in The Heights that drops four new flavors a week online, selling out in seconds like a sneaker release. It is worth checking their site regularly if a specific flavor is the target, since the small batches move fast once they go up.

A late-hours Montrose scoop shop leaning into inventive flavors like yum cha and cereal milk, open until midnight on weekends for a post-dinner stop. The later hours make it a natural end to a night out around the Montrose bars and restaurants.