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    Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shop

    4.4 (121 reviews)
    Open 1:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    Cassie C.

    Sweet Melissa's has been scooping up deliciousness since '09 and somehow I'm just now discovering it! As soon as I saw non-traditional flavors like Brown Sugar & Sour Cream and Irish Cream I knew I'd come to the perfect spot. If ice cream isn't your sweet treat of choice, they've got freshly baked cookies too! Profits benefit local college students!

    2 scoops vegan toasted coconut and vegan gluten-free blonde cookies & cream ice cream
    J B.

    Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Ithaca, NY We tried their Vegan ice cream based on the recommendation of someone we trusted. We got 2 scoops vegan toasted coconut and vegan gluten-free blonde cookies & cream ice cream. At this time they are "cash only." Both of their Vegan ice creams are coconut milk based and didn't have much flavor. The toasted coconut had more than the blonde cookies and cream. They also had a somewhat rubbery texture, more like melted mozzarella cheese than what one would anticipate from ice cream. It's outdoor seating only. There's no street visible signage to indicate this business, yet despite that there is a constant line of customers, most likely for their dairy based ice creams and other threats. For us as Vegans, I would not go back except to sometime in the future to give them a second chance. It just wasn't that good.

    Vanilla soft serve (small cone; sprinkles on the side), blueberry w/ Oreos hard ice cream (one scoop)
    Katie-Ann F.

    Cute corner shop with amazing soft serve and hard ice cream! I absolutely love this place and went 3 times in the past 6 days. They have so many flavors and limited seasonal ones too! The staff are super friendly and service is very fast as well. My favorite is the classic Vanilla Soft Serve. It the smoothest soft serve I've ever had in my life and extremely creamy and not overly sweet. I've also tried their hard flavors (a lot of these ones are seasonal): Peppermint chocolate chip, Blueberry with Oreos, and Hannah's House (cherry chocolate chip). The peppermint had pronounced mint flavor but not as creamy. On the other hand, the Blueberry w/ oreos was verrrry smooth with a strong blueberry flavor. I kinda wish there was more balance between the blueberry and Oreos, but overall still amazing. The cherry chocolate chip was also very smooth and creamy. The cherry flavor was not overpowering/super artificial but would like many more chocolate chips to balance out the sweetness and to give a textural component. All in all, hands down the best ice cream in Ithaca and definitely recommend stopping by before the season closes (end of Sept.)!!

    Marissa B.

    A must visit for us anytime we are in Ithaca. Cash only and always has a line but this is a testament to how wonderful their product is. The best soft serve around. The flavors are on point. The texture is light. They load on the toppings. My fiancé got the homemade lemon ricotta (not pictured in review) and said it was the best ice cream he has ever had.

    Lina L.

    Sweet Melissa's is an ice cream staple in Ithaca! Arguably the best ice cream in the whole area. Their berry twist is a MUST TRY. Highly highly recommend :)

    Berry twist and orange ice cream twist
    Allison C.

    Sweet Melissa's will always be a summer staple in Ithaca! Their signature berry twist is a unique fruity soft serve twisted with sorbet. The orange creamsicle twist is also excellent and so nostalgic. They also offer limited specials every week. I wish this place was open all year round!

    small cone with vanilla at the bottom and two berry twist on top
    Dawn K.

    i love how you can customize your cone to have various flavors! the staff are very accomodating to these customizations!

    Aislinn H.

    Ice cream was good but...I was given a mostly melted chocolate cone. Dripping everywhere and soaked through the cone. When I said something they gave me a hard time saying it's hot out(it's only 78 degrees) huffed and offered me a new cone after I repeatedly denied a dish to place it in instead of the cone I ordered and said that it was clear the machine hadn't been purged. I was then given twist on a cone at which point I just ate it. won't be back. Also absolutely overrun with bees in the seating area

    Ice cream cone!
    Jiayi L.

    We went on vacation to upstate New York and were recommended this ice cream shop! Seems like a cute local spot with good flavors! I got a swirl with the cherry coating and it was yummy!! Would def go again!

    two cups of ice cream and sprinkles
    Zoe C.

    Great spot for ice cream in Ithaca. It can be difficult to find since there is no sign besides on the window. The soft serve was incredible. I tried the Vanilla and Orange, and both were great and creamy -- neither tasted artificial. I will definitely be back.

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    1 year ago

    Best soft serve I've ever had! The flavor combos are amazing and the service is quick! They only take cash so come prepared.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Cash only but saw it was delicious so we got some cash and came here. It was good! Definitely worth it. Perfect for our last night in town.

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Quickly moving line produced two scoops of great ice cream. The portions where generous and flavors were really diverse.

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    3 years ago

    Great ice cream, possibly Ithaca's best. Worth the line on any given night. It does not disappoint.

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    3 years ago

    Smooth and relishing ice cream! Must visit when in Ithaca. Close to Ithaca commons, easy parking. Cash only!

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    Cornell Dairy Bar

    Cornell Dairy Bar

    4.6
    (164 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $

    This place has a soft space in my heart, so that might skew my review. As an alum, I spent too much…read moretime here during my undergrad days. After not being there for a while, this was legitimately my first stop on campus when visiting. Went straight from the airport and got some scoops. Even on days when the temperature dipped below zero, I found myself wanting ice cream from Dairy Bar when I was a student. Years later, I'm happy to say that the flavors were still as good as I hoped. There are times when nostalgia can carry or elevate a memory of something, and luckily, nostalgia aside, I very much enjoyed my ice cream here. Pro tip for those who might not know: they serve limited flavors of the same Cornell-made ice cream in dining halls. They also serve it during the buffets at Statler Hotel. I love the different flavors, and would eat it at any time of day.

    I learned today that Cornell has its own dairy farm and produces its own line of cheese and ice…read morecream. They have really unique ice cream flavors which they sell at their Dairy Bar on campus and distribute to local retailers. The Dairy Bar is a small cafe housed in Stocking Hall, home to Cornell's dairy program. The cafe has mostly to-go items like wrapped sandwiches and pre made bowls and snacks. They also have a grill with a small selection of fresh menu items. And they have an ice cream bar of course with the same flavors as their refrigerated pints. The staff here was friendly. It gets a little crowded around lunch time so plan ahead.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Beebe Black Raspberry, French Vanilla, Dragon Day Mint Cookies & Cream
    Beebe Black Raspberry, French Vanilla, Dragon Day Mint Cookies & Cream
    Cornell Dairy Bar

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    Ithaca Bakery

    Ithaca Bakery

    3.7
    (523 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I had a good experience here for the most part! I went twice during my trip. I enjoyed the gluten…read morefree toast and bagels and got an egg and cheese one day, and a scallion cream cheese and cucumber the next. The coffee is also delicious and didn't even need a flavor added. The man taking our orders the first day was also incredibly kind and you could tell he just enjoyed his job, or at least was happy to be there. There's also a mini shop here basically. There's fresh bread and prepackaged meals here like Shepards pie and fruits and veggies. There also was plenty of cute merch and I left with two designs. Two things that I didn't like. Ordering was a bit chaotic. There are labeled areas that show where to order what, but if it's your first time in it can feel overwhelming and you might be wandering a bit figuring it out. I wish it could all be ordered at one spot, not like it's a food hall. I understand that this probably does work the best for them though and is most likely pretty easy for ordering if you're a local. Lastly, I had an issue with a woman working the second day. They have a big menu and I was looking at it above her head while ordering. She was fine while I was talking, but stopped me when I went to walk away. She said "You know, you really need to face people while you're talking to them." What! So awkward and weird. That's the main reason I took one star off because it caused me not to go back again. Very rude and felt like a mini lecture for no reason.

    I stopped here early morning after a gig and it was DELICIOUS! I got the breakfast sandwich with…read moreegg white and pesto and my friend got the Roundhouse breakfast sandwich (see photos). I also got a cold brew. This was such a great place to stop in for some breakfast. High recommend. Oh and I'd recommend the cheesecake brownie.

    Photos
    Ithaca Bakery
    Ithaca Bakery
    Cute mug I got today!

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    Cute mug I got today!
    15 Below Ice Cream

    15 Below Ice Cream

    3.3
    (28 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $

    I was excited to try rolled ice cream for the first time but even for not having it before, this…read morerolled ice cream was subpar. Sure the fruit was good and thrown on top, but the icecream barely tasted like green tea and melted pretty fast and they place a full stale Oreo on top like an afterthought. Pretty pricey for what you get. Service was okay at best, you just say what you want, pay then leave. I'm not sure I'll be returning here since there are ton others nearby but I wanted to give this a try since I walked past it everyday.

    I haven't written a review in a long time. After what I experienced at this restaurant a few hours…read moreago, I dug through my old passwords and revived this Yelp account because of how shocking my experience was. Food: The ice cream isn't that great. It's overly sweet and the flavors are fairly monotone. Service: Despite paying for my ice cream, I felt like the server taking my order was doing me a favor. The server glared at me when I walked in. After I got my ice cream, I asked for an extra spoon as I wanted to share it with a friend. The server refused to give me another spoon, despite having already paid $6.25 for a somewhat small cup of ice cream. I offered to pay for the extra spoon and was met with another glare and a strong "NO". Have you ever been to a ice cream shop that refused to give you an extra plastic spoon?

    Photos
    Well, hello there!
    Well, hello there!
    #7 matcha made heaven
    #7 matcha made heaven
    #5: YUM! It's actually a lot of ice cream and they added real fruit on top which is a plus. I think it's worth the price.

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    #5: YUM! It's actually a lot of ice cream and they added real fruit on top which is a plus. I think it's worth the price.

    Sweet Melissa's Ice Cream Shop - icecream - Updated July 2026

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