As summer in St. Louis is winding down, I feel the need to get in that last ice cream run!  So why not dedicate this post to my top three STL ice cream shops! Every St. Louis tourist book/site on the planet will preach the gospel of Ted Drewe’s frozen custard, so I’ll skip that one and give you the scoop (see what I did there) on my other local faves.

 BEST MILKSHAKE goes to another St. Louis favorite, Crown Candy Kitchen.  This diner is old school (since 1918 old) serving soda fountain/shakes, candy, and lunch/dinner.  The real star here though is the shakes. My daughters and I were amazed when our shakes first arrived and we were given not just the glass, but the container the shake was mixed in.  Realistically this means one shake should probably be for two people, but no way was any of us going to share!. My chocolate banana shake was made with quality milk, ice cream, and a real banana!  No other milkshake has ever come close. Crown Candy is no secret around St. Louis, so come prepared to wait as customers line the sidewalk waiting for a chance to enjoy the best milkshake in St. Louis.

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BEST FLOAT is a tie for me.  I love the Sugar Shack in Kirkwood and Fitz’s in University City for two very different floats.  For $2 The Sugar Shack’s Firecracker float delightfully feels like drinking a creamy atomic fireball and I get to watch the lovely owner make the soda right in front of me.  The float is just the right size for a small treat without feeling overwhelmed with sugar. There are lots of other flavors of soda and ice cream as well, Firecracker is just my favorite!  On the opposite side of the spectrum, Fitz’s floats are like an entire bottle of soda and pint of ice cream. Fitz’s soda is a St. Louis favorite with bright red Cardinal Cream soda and my family’s favorite root beer.  The ice cream only comes in vanilla or chocolate, but what else do you need to compliment this flavorful soda! It’s great to share, but only if you can get everyone to agree, a difficult task with all the sodas to choose from.

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BEST WAFFLE CONE goes to an eclectic, fresh ice cream shop, Jeni’s in the Central West End.  While Jeni’s started as an Ohio store, there are only fourteen stores in the entire country! I had eyed this beautiful, large ice cream shop every time we were in the area and finally made a trip out just to try it.  You might be overwhelmed as you walk up to the giant display case and see rows of different flavors, but don’t worry the staff will patiently give you tasting spoon after tasting spoon, as you select the perfect flavor with no buyer’s remorse (not that any flavor would leave you disappointed), all while you breathe in the heavenly scent of freshly made waffle cones.  When the girls and I finally made our decisions, I went with the vegan cold brew with coconut cream, which tasted like frozen coffee and the best coconut creamer ever. The youngest, my sour candy lover, ordered the Rainbow BFY and even I liked it. The flavors didn’t have that artificial tang, sour fruit flavors often do and it was balanced perfectly. My oldest, the chocolate lover, got the darkest chocolate and declared it the best chocolate ice cream ever.  Even though the youngest and I chose a less messy cup, we still got a big piece of waffle cone and it was amazing! It melted in your mouth and had a buttery, sugary taste. You can’t go wrong with any of the choices here!

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During the St. Louis summer (or let’s face it really any time) you can’t go wrong with any of these ice cream options!  Feel free to comment with your favorite St. Louis summer treat!