The heat this summer is WILD so I am keeping cool the best way I know how to…with ICE CREAM! I have rounded up some of my favorite spots & included a few I’ve had my eye on trying this year. Some of these spots are open year-round & others are only open seasonally, but during summer you can get them all. Happy official summer friends 🌞 

Twisters

Location: 4210 Main St, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 – Bloomfield

Hours: 1-9pm daily

Twisters is my tried & true, no frills lil soft serve stand on the side of Main Street between Bloomfield & Lawrenceville. I typically switch between a twist soft serve in a cone with rainbow sprinkles & their cookie dough flurry. I don’t know what it is about their vanilla soft serve, but it is so freaking delicious. This spot is only open a few months a year, so be sure to try it during the summer months!

Page’s Dairy Mart

Location: 4112 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 – Southside

Hours: 11am-10pm daily

Consistently ranked among the best ice cream in Pittsburgh, Page’s is a must-visit. The Large Marge sundae with cookies, brownies, hot fudge, strawberry sauce on top of vanilla ice cream is def my fave, but really anything here is FIRE. They have soft serve flavors that you’ll be obsessed with as well as oatmilk soft serve for dairy free folks! Their fall sundae menu is also INSANELY GOOD. My current need-to-try is their Jagoff Sundae, a collab with Cookey, a stuffed cookie business based out of Greensburg!

Frio Creamery

Location: 4127 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 – Lawrenceville

Hours: Wednesday – Monday 4-10pm // closed Tuesdays

If you’re Penn State alum, you may know Frio as a local spot that serves Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream! Beyond their selection of Berkey Creamery flavors, Frio sells crazy awesome sundaes & shakes. Their banana foster sundae is my fave if you’re a banana lover!! If I’m in a chocolatey mood I’ll go for the Oreo Xtreme shake or the Hot Fudge Brownie sundae. As far as Berkey Creamery ice cream, my pick is monkey business.

Sarris Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlour

Location: 511 Adams Avenue, Canonsburg, PA 15317

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9am-9pm & Sunday 10am-9pm

We all know Sarris is a classic chocolate company here in the burgh (the chocolate covered pretzels are an absolute classic), but did you know they also have an old fashioned ice cream parlor too?! The Threes Company Sundae was indeed big enough to share amongst three people LOL. My dad & I couldn’t even finish it, but man was it good. I need to go back asap to try one of their ice cream cakes 👀 

Milkshake Factory

Location: Multiple Locations – East Liberty, Southside, Cranberry, Downtown, PPG Paints Arena, McMurray, McCandless, Oakland, Murrysville, Moon & South Fayette

Hours: Varies by Location

You know her & you love her. This chain that now has expanded to 15 different states actually started right here in Pittsburgh back in 1914. Believe it or not, they first started as a soda fountain & chocolate shop in Lawrenceville, the neighborhood I currently call home! Since then, the business grew into what is now the Milkshake Factory. Their chocolate covered strawberry milkshake is perfection. No notes.

Glen’s Custard

Location: Springdale – 400 Pittsburgh Street, Springdale, PA 15144 // Lower Burrell – 2796 Leechburg Road, Lower Burrell, PA 15068

Hours: Monday – Thursday 10am-10pm | Friday & Saturday 10am-11pm | Sunday 11am-10pm

You may have not heard of Glen’s before if you aren’t from east of the city. Glen’s started in Springdale & has since opened a second location in Lower Burrell, both areas I grew up near. Glen’s rotates flavors of the day & gourmet flavors of the month so something new is always in store. If you’re more into hard ice cream, their caramel cookie dough is my absolute fave.

On my list to try:

• Antney’s Ice Cream
• Jerry’s Custard
• Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
• Cookie’s Creamery
• Churn Homemade Ice Cream