Ice cream is one of my favorite treats, but especially in the middle of the summer.

The fact that Sunday, July 21, is National Ice Cream Day is no surprise to me. But what surprised me a few years back is how many Memphis ice cream shops actually make their own.

Here are 11 must-try ice cream places in the Memphis area.

I wish I could tell you my favorite, but I honestly love each one. While all these shops serve homemade ice cream, they all offer unique spins and flavors. 

Starting from Downtown and then heading out ... 

Zio Matto Gelato

Zio Matto makes small-batch gelato using from-scratch techniques imported straight from Italy. Flavors include the traditional offerings you’ll find at a Roman gelato shop: chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, mango, pistachio and stracciatella. Zio Matto launched in 2020, selling at markets and in restaurants, but just this past April, it opened a gelateria at 545 S. Main St. in the Central Station Hotel.

Margie’s 901 Homemade Ice Cream

Velma Bobo has been serving hand-made ice cream in Downtown Memphis for a decade. She started out as a Maggie Moo’s franchise in the Peabody Place mall, but for the past several years, has operated under her own brand, Margie’s 901 Homemade Ice Cream (125 S. Main St.). In the shop’s case, there are 20 different offerings, but Bobo said they also have a few more in the back. Flavors like birthday cake, watermelon and pineapple have customers stopping by for a refreshing treat.

Sweet Magnolia Gelato Co.

Sweet Magnolia owner Hugh Balthrop describes his hand-crafted gelatos and sorbets as “chef-inspired, locally inspired and Southern-inspired.” With flavors such as Banana Pudding and Delta Butter Pecan, Sweet Magnolia is not your average ice cream. The company’s frozen treats have been available in Memphis stores by the pint since 2011, but they also have a brick-and-mortar gelato shop in Crosstown Concourse.

Sugar Ghost Ice Cream and Bubble Tea

Open since 2021, Broad Avenue’s Sugar Ghost is an adorable 1,000-square-foot ice cream and bubble tea shop that sits next to owner Mary Claire White’s gift shop, Falling into Place. A second location of Sugar Ghost opened in 2023 at 9077 Poplar Ave., in Germantown. White’s specialty flavors are not to be overlooked. Lavender Honey (made with honey from local nonprofit Thistle & Bee) and One Love (a creamy coconut ice cream with rainbow chocolate-covered sunflower seeds) are two recent flavor offerings that are true (and tasty) originals.

Sweet Noshings

The original Sweet Noshings is in Overton Square at 2113 Madison Ave., but the owners also opened a second location in East Memphis at 541 Perkins Ext. The shops have more than 40 different ice cream flavors, including several alcohol-infused concoctions like Lychee Martini and Jack Daniel’s Honey ice creams for customers 21 and older. 

Kaye’s Pints and Scoops

Kaye’s Pints and Scoops (2089 Winchester Road) in Whitehaven serves hand-churned ice cream by the half pint or by the pint on Saturdays when the creamery is open to the public. Two of the most popular flavors are Salted Caramel and Strawberry Fields. Kaye’s is also sold in 12 grocers, specialty stores and restaurants throughout Memphis.

La Michoacana

Known across Memphis for its wide variety of homemade paletas, La Michoacana makes ice cream that is not to be missed. Choose from flavors such as rum raisin, Mexican vanilla and Ferrero Rocher (like the candy). Unique flavors like sweet corn and pine nut are not to be overlooked. There are five La Michoacana locations in Memphis; the Summer Avenue location is the largest.

Dipsticle Artisan Gelato Cafe

If you love gelato and sorbet but you also love ice pops, you need to head to Dipsticle Artisan Gelato Cafe in Cordova. This sweets shop serves Italian gelatos and sorbets on a stick, making it the perfect marriage of two frozen treats. When ordering, choose a flavor first, then dip it in one of four European chocolates: milk, white, dark or dark with hazelnuts. Once dipped, choose from a variety of toppings such as M&M’s, chopped pistachios, Oreo crumbs and even cereals. 

Levee Creamery

Located in Collierville, Levee Creamery makes fresh batches of ice cream every day of the week, with 16 different flavors to choose. Levee Creamery’s selection changes often since they currently have a rotation of dozens of different flavors, many with a fun Memphis name. Named for Houston High School, Mustang Madness is a favorite; it’s a version of a Cookies and Cream flavor. 

Area 51 Ice Cream

Family-owned Area 51 Ice Cream opened its first location on Hernando’s Commerce Street in 2014. The artisan ice cream shop is known for one-of-a-kind flavors such as Bourbon Butter Pecan, Saigon Cinnamon Snickerdoodle and Lemon Icebox. The shop’s offerings change seasonally, with farmers-market-inspired flavors such as Pontotoc Peach Sorbet. In 2021, Area 51’s Cedar Hill Blackberry Goat Cheese ice cream was named the best ice cream flavor in Mississippi by Food Network Magazine. 

Velvet Cream

Since 1947, Velvet Cream — known as “The Dip” by its customers — has been serving shakes, concretes and scoops of ice cream. The Flinn family makes 34 flavors of ice cream served at the Hernando shop. One customer favorite is Oreo, named after the cookie because they use real Oreos — both ground and whole so you can taste the cookies in every bite. Another is Dippy Dough, a cookie dough and brownie ice cream made with a chocolate base and a caramel ribbon.

The week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

The Half Shell has been sold to the owners of Forest Hill Grill. With the sale of the restaurant, longtime owner Danny Sumrall looks back at his more than 40 years as a part of the restaurant community, having opened or purchased several of Memphis’ popular dining spots. 

Ecco is expected to double in size this fall, with an additional dining room, event venue and bar in the works. The Italian restaurant, located in the historic Evergreen neighborhood, is taking over the almost 2,000-square-foot space next door that once housed Diane’s Art, Gift & Home.

Rawgirls’ owners announced that they will be closing their vegan prepared foods and cold-pressed juice company. Both the Downtown and the East Memphis locations are set to close on Aug. 1.

Byway Coffee Co., a new mobile coffee shop, will hit the ground rolling around the Memphis area in a renovated 1970s Airstream trailer this weekend.

Moneybagg Yo is opening a second location of his Cache 42 restaurant and lounge. Located in Downtown Memphis on N. Main St., this will have a slightly different focus.

For my new “What to Order” column, I shared my favorite dishes from a recent dinner at Correale’s Brooklyn Bridge. And Joshua Carlucci shared his favorite dishes at Mande Dibi West African BBQ-Grill in this week’s $10 Deal.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.