Iowa's Ice Cream Shops
by Emily Peterson
This summer, Iowa PBS asked fans what their favorite little ice cream shop in Iowa was, and we added some of these stops to our trips around the state as we gathered footage for upcoming features, hosted events and more. We were able to visit seven different ice cream shops, and I took on the task of providing ratings for each of the shops below. Enjoy!
De Scoop in Pella, Iowa
Order: Brownie Sundae
De Scoop is a cute local ice cream shop featuring a wide variety of soft serve ice cream creations. Customers order and pick up their ice cream from two separate windows at the front of the building. Seating options include outdoor benches and tables with umbrellas to provide shade from the sun. On my trip to De Scoop, I ordered a brownie sundae, which consisted of soft serve vanilla ice cream served on top of a brownie, with chocolate syrup, caramel and whipped cream on top. The sundae was great and had a proportionate amount of toppings for the amount of ice cream that was served. De Scoop earns an overall rating of 9/10.
Ice cream rating: 9/10
Atmosphere rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 9/10
Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City, Iowa
Order: Barbie Sundae
Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe is a small, quaint store that serves food options as well as soft serve ice cream creations. To order ice cream, customers must talk to an employee working behind the front counter. Seating options include a small number of indoor tables and a large selection of covered outdoor tables. I ordered a Barbie sundae, which consisted of soft serve birthday cake ice cream with pink sprinkle sugar, sparkling sprinkle mix, cookie pieces, and whipped cream. The presentation of the ice cream was impressive, as the whipped cream was wrapped around the soft serve ice cream. In addition, the sundae was served in a pink and purple color-changing cup, matching the Barbie theme. While the inside of the shop was a bit cramped, the ice cream was very good. Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe earns an overall rating of 8/10.
Ice cream rating: 9/10
Atmosphere rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 8/10
Udderly Delicious in Atlantic, Iowa
Order: “Muddy River” Specialty Concrete
Udderly Delicious is an adorable ice cream shop that offers food, soft serve ice cream, slushies, and frozen lemonade. Similar to De Scoop, Udderly Delicious has two separate windows for customers to order and pick up their ice cream. Seating is rather limited, with only a few outdoor tables available. I ordered a “Muddy River” speciality concrete, which consisted of chocolate ice cream blended with marshmallow creme, hot fudge, and oreo pieces. While I couldn’t taste much of the marshmallow creme, the creation was very chocolatey, which is exactly what I wanted. Udderly Delicious earns an overall rating of 7/10.
Ice cream rating: 6/10
Atmosphere rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Casey Creamery in Casey, Iowa
Order: Chocolate cookie sandwich
Casey Creamery is an aesthetic ice cream shop featuring coffee products and hard pack ice cream. Customers can order ice cream simply by walking up to the register inside the store. There is both indoor and outdoor seating available for customers. It is pretty cold inside the store, so I recommend eating outside. I ordered a chocolate cookie sandwich, which consisted of hard pack chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two double chocolate cookies. Both the ice cream and the cookies were good, but the ice cream was a bit difficult to eat because it was so cold. Casey Creamery earns an overall rating of 7.5/10.
Ice cream rating: 7/10
Atmosphere rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10
The Creamery in Polk City, Iowa
Order: Cookie dough ice cream served in a cake cone
The Creamery is a cute, modern ice cream shop that serves slushies, hard pack ice cream, and soft serve ice cream. Customers order ice cream at the counter inside of the shop. Seating is pretty limited, with some chairs indoors and a few tables and benches outside. On a busy day, it can get pretty cramped inside the shop, so I would recommend eating outdoors. During my visit to the store, I ordered a single scoop of hard pack cookie dough ice cream in a cake cone. The ice cream was the perfect consistency, and the cone was crunchy. The Creamery earns an overall rating of 9/10.
Ice cream rating: 9/10
Atmosphere rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 9/10
The Outside Scoop in Ankeny, Iowa
Order: S’mores Sundae
The Outside Scoop is a contemporary ice cream shop that offers an extensive selection of ice cream products, including 24 different hard pack flavors, as well as shakes, malts, floats, and ice cream cookie sandwiches. To order ice cream, simply enter the store and walk up to the counter, where an employee will serve you. The Outside Scoop offers seating both inside and outside of the shop. During my visit, I ordered a S’mores Sundae, which consisted of chocolate and vanilla hard pack ice cream topped with hot fudge, marshmallow sauce, graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows. It was fantastic. I was impressed by the blow-torched marshmallows on top of the ice cream, and I found that the graham crackers were great for dipping into the sundae. The Outside Scoop earns a 9.5/10.
Ice cream rating: 10/10
Atmosphere rating: 9/10
Overall rating: 9.5/10
Uptown Dairy in Ankeny, Iowa
Order: Birthday cake ice cream served in a cake cone
Uptown Dairy is a brand new modern ice cream shop that serves hard pack ice cream, shakes, and floats. Customers can order ice cream at a counter located inside the storefront. Seating is somewhat limited, as there are only a few booths and tables located inside the shop. I ordered a scoop of birthday cake ice cream in a cake cone. The ice cream was unique in the fact that it contained rainbow sprinkles, making the ice cream itself rather colorful. While the ice cream was pretty standard, the cones tasted fresh and crunchy. Uptown Dairy earns a 7/10.
Ice cream rating: 7/10
Atmosphere rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10