Ice cream, custard and more: Where to find the perfect frozen treat around Pittsburgh

🍦Best Soft Serve🍦

There was stiff competition in this category — and no strong consensus. Many folks said Page’s, not just for the soft serve, but for the good vibes and “beyond the scoop” options. So, we’re highlighting a few other favorites, just for fun.

🍦Best Custard🍦

Frozen custard is known for its extra-creamy texture, thanks to the egg yolks used in the recipe. Custard stands are less common than traditional ice cream shops, but there are a few top contenders.

Meadows Original Frozen Custard: Monroeville, Cranberry, Greensburg and more. Started in 1950 in Duncansville (near Hollidaysburg and Altoona), this local chain now has shops all over western Pennsylvania. Not only is their custard recipe superb, but they also have lots of creative ways of serving it up. Try layering custard with gelato, or take home a frozen custard cake.

Hank’s Frozen Custard & Mexican Food: New Brighton. This Beaver County staple serves custard and Mexican food (as the name implies), plus other munchies like burgers and fries. It’s a destination many city dwellers report traversing to once per summer. Some folks have asked if it’s connected to the Hank’s Frozen Custard in Conneaut Lake. While the two shops were born from the same family, they’re no longer connected.

🍦Best ‘Beyond the Scoop’ Options🍦

Some summer days call for a classic scoop of ice cream on a cone, but other days require a bit more creativity. Whether you’re looking for sundaes, shakes, or something totally new, there are quite a few ice cream stops around the region that pride themselves on inspired concoctions.

Happy Day Dessert Factory: Allegheny West. This Black-owned business is on Western Avenue, and they’ve also got a dessert truck that travels to local events and farmers markets. They have 50 flavors of hard serve ice cream, custard, water ice, ice cream sandwiches, and everything in between.

 

Ice Cream Therapy: Ambridge. With tons of flavors, personal-sized pies, and ice cream recommendations based on your Zodiac sign, this funky little shop is a fun surprise. They’ve been in business for 41 years and are well-loved by the community for their expansive menu and welcoming spirit.

 

Page’s (again, we swear): South Side. While it’s undeniable that Pittsburghers love Page’s, this is one category where they truly reign supreme. One customer, Ms. Deb, literally has her own button on the register for her special sundae. This was also one of the first shops to purchase a Blizzard machine when Dairy Queen began selling them to independent shops — Page’s calls it an Arctic Swirl.

While we tried to eat all of the ice cream in the Pittsburgh metro area, we surely missed a few. If we neglected your favorite spot, drop CityCast a line.

This story by Meg St-Esprit was originally published at City Cast Pittsburgh. Click here to sign up for their free newsletter. And click here to become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor.