Illustration by Chamisa Kellogg
I scream, you scream; we all scream for ice cream—or so the saying goes. On the East End, however, local ice cream shops, bakeries and food stores offer us infinitely more reasons to sing than to scream, with a wealth of creative, locally-sourced and -inspired ice cream, sorbet, gelato, and ices. From Mattituck to Montauk, Shelter Island to Sag Harbor, and everywhere in between, the East End is home to a wide array of frozen delights and, lucky for you, we know where to find them.
Here is our Edible guide to the East End’s best ice cream.
Big Olaf’s
8 Wharf Street, Sag Harbor
Go for: Delicious, creamy ice cream served in fresh, warm waffle cones.
Bridgehampton Candy Kitchen
2391 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton
Go for: A heaping scoop of nostalgia and excellent homemade ice cream.
Carissa’s The Bakery
221 Pantigo Road, Amagansett
Go for: A pint or two of game-changing, home-spun gelatos in flavors such as Toasted Pistachio and Turkish Coffee.
D’Latte Cafe
218 Main Road, Greenport
Go for: Cups or pints of inventive, seasonal gelatos that range in flavor from Rainbow Cookie to Raspberry Cream.
Gemelli Gelato
139 W. Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays
Go for: Generous scoops of gelato served in flavored waffle cones. (Our go-to order: classic vanilla gelato in a lavender-flavored cone.)
Greenport Creamery
142 Main Street, Greenport
Go for: An extensive menu of creative ice cream flavors, including some wonderful vegan options.
Jennie’s at Drossos
69125 Main Road, Greenport
Go for: Soft-serve ice cream that’s so good you won’t have to worry about it melting.
John’s Drive In
677 Montauk Highway, Montauk
Go for: Loaded Oreos—Oreo-inspired ice cream sandwiches—and sprinkle-topped milkshakes.
Loaves & Fishes Foodstore
50 Sagg Main Street, Sagaponack
Go for: A pint or two of chef Licia Householder’s seasonally inspired, homemade ice cream. (Pro tip: Buy more than you think you’ll want or need.)
Magic Fountain
9825 Main Road, Mattituck
Go for: Droolworthy ice cream sundaes and the creative, seasonal flavors that have transformed this little ice cream shop into a local landmark.
Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices
37 Front Street, Greenport
Go for: Excellent water and cream ices in a dizzying number of flavor options. (We recommend the Key Lime Pie.)
Snowflake Ice Cream Shoppe
1148 W. Main Street, Riverhead
Go for: Housemade hard ice cream in a cup or cone. (Our favorite flavor is their legendary Peconic Swamp Thing.)
Sundae Donuts
716 Montauk Highway, Montauk
Go for: A taste of pure childhood in the shape of a pillowy yeast donut topped with a scoop or two of ice cream.
Tate’s Bake Shop
43 North Sea Road, Southampton
Go for: Classic vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two crisp Tate’s chocolate chip cookies, then half-dipped in chocolate. (Need we say more?)
Tuck Shop
75 N. Menantic Road, Shelter Island
Go for: Candy-adorned ice cream cakes, homemade chipwiches, vegan sorbet, and more.
