The Best Ice Cream Shops in RI and MA, According to Yelp

Ice cream season is in full swing all across New England. Locally there are dozens of delicious shops people love to frequent and everyone has their opinion on who makes “the best” ice cream around.

But who makes the best ice cream in the entire country?

Yelp recently released their annual list of the Top 100 Ice Cream Shops in the US and once again several Massachusetts and Rhode Island spots landed on that list.

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The local ice cream shop with the highest Yelp ranking this year was Tricycle Ice Cream in Providence, landing at #32 in the nation.

What Makes Tricycle Ice Cream Special

This food truck favorite turned brick-and-mortar ice cream shop has been serving their signature stacked ice cream sandwiches on Battey Street since 2019. And they have been landing on Yelp’s best list almost as long.

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People seem to absolutely love Tricycle’s unique flavors and freezing method that keeps their ice cream frozen solid, even on these insanely hot and humid days.

They make over 30 gourmet frozen desserts, sticking ice cream between brownies, blondies, cookies and more. They even make an incredible ice cream taco that blows the old school Choco Taco out of the water.

Tricycle isn’t the only local spot to try this summer however. Yelp’s list includes several Massachusetts shops too.

Massachusetts Shops That Made the List

Highest on the list is Dolce Freddo Gelato in Methuen at #45 followed by Holy Cow Ice Cream Café in Gloucester at #68, but it’s the last Massachusetts contribution to the list you might know best.

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Sitting at #79 this year is the beloved Ice Cream Barn in Swansea.

Why Ice Cream Barn in Swansea is a Fan Favorite

The Ice Cream Barn has been serving massive cones of farm fresh ice cream since 2012 and have a nearly perfect 5-star rating on Yelp.

People not only love the incredible ice cream, but also the shop’s location on a sprawling farm on Locust Street in Swansea.

They also happen to serve towering scoops of their frozen treats, making even a small size often too much whenever I go.

So as summer continues to sizzle on and you’re craving something frozen to eat, Yelp’s best ice cream list can help lead to some seriously loved shops in our corner of the country.