Ice cream in Pensacola: 14 of the best local shops to help you beat the heat (2024)

Brittany MisencikPensacola News Journal

Ice cream in Pensacola: 14 of the best local shops to help you beat the heat (1)

Ice cream in Pensacola: 14 of the best local shops to help you beat the heat (2)

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If you’re looking for something sweet to beat the heat this summer, the Pensacola area is filled with cold, delicious desserts to indulge in. Whether you have a hankering for rich, Italian-inspired gelato, New Orleans snoballs, frozen fruit pops modeled after those found in Mexico or a good old-fashioned ice cream sundae, here are 14 spots to add to your summertime sweet treats bucket list.

Lamonte Gelato

Where: 1010 N. 12th Ave. Pensacola

Lamonte Gelato is a small batch artisanal gelato and coffee shop in the Old Sacred Heart Hospital on 12th Avenue. The shop, owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Alex and Ashley Lamonte, was driven by Alex’s formal training in Italy, where he learned gelaterias are central gathering places. In addition to traditional flavors the shop offers that pay homage to his Italian heritage, such as the sweet cream Fior di Latte, cocoa nib-infused Stracciatella, or Nutella-esque Gianduia, the two are constantly developing flavors that keep their customers curious. An earl grey black sesame, for example, plays off the British tea and cookie tradition with its delicate florals and sweet crunch.

Fannie Lou's

Where: 3101 E. Cervantes St.

Fannie Lou’s, a from-scratch ice cream shop that joined the East Pensacola Heights neighborhood in 2022, is owned and operated by Gary Rhodes. The shop is named after Rhodes’ grandmother Fannie Lou, who passed away in 1996. Rhodes' mother compiled a cookbook of her recipes, stuffed with sweets galore, which would later fuel the inspiration for some of his ice cream concoctions. One is the Mississippi Mud, an ice cream version of a one of Fannie Lou's signature desserts. The ice cream is a mix of the chewy brownie, rich fudge, ooey-gooey marshmallow, and salty pecan that he remembers so fondly from his childhood. Rhodes has also concocted his own original Pensacola-themed flavors, which includethe Bushwacker, Graffiti Bridge and DeLuna Spiced Chocolate, and a tasty treat with a misleading name: Pelican Poo.

If you simply cannot decide on a flavor, the shop now offers a house “Flight Deck” that comes with either six scoops for $8.25 or 12 scoops for $16.50 on cake or sugar cones. Flights are available dine-in only.

Wild Honey Frozen Yogurt

Where: 1741 E. Nine Mile Road and 4871 U.S. Highway 90, Milton

Wild Honey opened its first store on North Davis Highway in February of 2014, setting the stage for a decade of sweetness and community. Since then, the owners have relocated their Pensacola shop to a larger location, and also added a second shop in Santa Rosa County. At both locations, they offer a wide variety of frozen yogurt, sorbet and toppings. You can customize the perfect bowl, whether you want it loaded with light, freshly-sliced fruit or decadent chocolate, pound cake or candies.

Coastal Chill CO.

Where: 314 Gulf Breeze Parkway

Coastal Chill CO., a family-owned business that provides Italian ice and ice cream churned in house. is one of the newest shops to join the list. At Coastal, the ice cream doesn't get any fresher. Some of the special flavors include homemade key lime pie, lemon blueberry swirl, toasted coconut chip, banana pudding and Cookie Monster. An even cooler option, the Italian ice, packs just as much flavor − with refreshing flavor combinations such as pink lemonade, mojito and pina colada. If you would rather sip on your summertime treat, the shop also offers a variety of floats, refreshers and lotus energy drinks.

BAM! Snoballs

Where: 840 W. Michigan Ave.

BAM! Snoballs, a New Orleans-style snoball shop with a superhero theme, brings a unique take on Louisiana's sacred shaved ice dessert. The shop comes complete with a jaw-dropping Marvel superhero mural that encompasses the interior center wall that encourages customers to "unleash their inner hero." That's the slogan coined by 23-year-old owners and twin brothers, Jamal and Jamari Sharp.

You can dress the sno-balls to your liking whether you want them rich with condensed milk and chocolate syrup mixed in, or on the tarter side with the help of Sour Patch Kids and Sour Spray.

While you’re free to play around with flavors, there are some set flavor combinations ready to order like the “Captain America” made with Bahama Mama, Blue Hawaiian, Pina Colada and ice cream and The Blue Angel with blue raspberry, pineapple and ice cream.

Sweet Cone Alabama Ice Cream

Where: 5331 N. Palafox St.

Of course, the carefully imported dessert selection at Sweet Cone Alabama at 5331 N. Palafox St. is the main attraction. But a 3-foot-deep sprinkle pool and dual photo booths in the back of the shop are designed to brighten up your social media feeds, just as the treats are sure to brighten up your taste buds.

The shop opened in September of 2019, eight months after the first location opened in Orange Beach, Alabama. Pensacola-born owner Chase Bush seamlessly segued into the Sweet Cone Alabama concept after years of hands-on experience in the industry.

The shop offers 36 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream, as well as an assortment of chocolates and candies. You can snack inside the 30-seat shop, hit the drive-thru, or grab sweets to-go by purchasing individually priced mason jars filled with treats of your choice.

La Michoacana

Where: 5800 N. W St.

Some restaurants sacrifice options for quality, but La Michoacana asks "Por que no los dos?" (or, "why not both?") The name "Michoacana" is frequently used as a slang term for "natural" or "fresh" in Mexico, which perfectly describes the 100 flavors of hand-made popsicles and 70 ice cream varieties. Savory snacks like chicarron preparado and elote corn are also available.

Frozen Ropes Yogurt

Where: 875 E. Nine Mile Road, #12

This family-owned, baseball-themed frozen yogurt shop on East Nine Mile Road is swinging for the fences with its self-serve frozen yogurt station, acai bowls, smoothies and freshly made fruit juices.

Pensacola police officer, Tate High School graduate and former California Angels player David Partrick launched the shop alongside his wife and co-owner, Jennifer Partrick, in August of 2020, according to News Journal reports from Frozen Ropes' opening.

The Pensacola natives and Molino residents offer a full frozen yogurt bar with 15 rotating base flavors and more than 60 toppings. However, if you’re looking for something on the lighter side, they also offer acai bowls and fresh, cold-pressed juices out of whole fruits and vegetables.

Bubba's Sweet Spot

Where: 405 S. Palafox St.

Bubba's Sweet Spot doubles as not just an ice cream spot but a place for homemade chocolate, fudge and candy, too. The Sweet Spot allows you to stack up scoops of your favorite flavors while piling on toppings. The sweet shop relocated in 2022 and now offers a brighter, more vibrant feel. The ice cream is a sight of its own, and can be dressed up with sprinkles, gummies, Oreo crumbles and other confections.

AJ's Market and Ice Cream

Where: 140 S. Jefferson St.

AJ’s, owned and operated by married couple Alan Mandel and Judy Moldovan, has all the winning characteristics of a neighborhood corner store from the 1950s. Bright pink and blue wall paint and old fashioned black-and-white checkered floor tiles thrust customers into a time machine and fills them up with nostalgia and creamy Hershey’s ice cream. AJ’s also offers specialty items, such as malts, frosty root beer floats, banana splits and sundaes.

Uncle Flipps Ice Cream & Treat Bar

Where: 120 Chiefs Way, Unit F

Uncle Flipps Ice Cream, established in 2022, offers a wide variety of Hershey’s ice cream, sundaes and milkshakes. Owned and operated by owner Derrick "Flipp" Harris, the shop is adorned in bright, vibrant colors, along with some landmarks like the famous Pensacola Beach water tower. As if the ice cream isn’t enough to keep the kids busy, there are also games for them to enjoy, like the indoor basketball hoops and giant Connect Four. The shop occasionally offers events for the adults too, such as “Bike Night” for those 21 years and older with food and music.

Jeremiah's Italian Ice

Where: 1892 Andorra St., Unit C4

If the neon “Greetings from Navarre” mural isn’t enough to put even lifelong locals into vacation mode, Jeremiah's rainbow swirled “gelatis” will. The shop blends refreshing Italian ice with creamy frozen custard into one layered treat. Flavor combinations are nearly endless with over 40 rotating flavors of Italian ice to blend with a vanilla, chocolate or swirl custard. If you simply cannot make up your mind, there are free samples daily that help make the choice a little easier. Yes, they will let you try all of them.

Since opening in Navarre in March of 2023, some of the crowd favorites have been the coconut key lime pie, Oreo mud pie and birthday cake.

But for Navarre Jeremiah’s franchisee Tom Kennedy, his tried-and-true favorite is the Scoop Froggy Frog gelati, a mint chocolate chip Italian ice paired with chocolate custard.

Marble Slab Creamery

Where: 5405 N. Ninth Ave.

Marble Slab Creamery is a franchise with 13 locations within a 100-mile-radius of Pensacola offering specialty ice cream, ice cream cakes, shakes and sundaes. Marble Slab’s ice cream is homemade in small batches daily, according to the Marble Slab website. The ice cream can be customized with always free mix-Ins, including fruits, nuts, candies and cookies. Some suggested combinations include Cotton Candy Carnival, Chocolate Caramel Butter Pecan and Strawberry Caramel Cheesecake.

Kilwins

Where: 40 S. Palafox St. and 400 Quietwater Beach Road

Kilwins, a Michigan-based confections shop prided since 1947 for its handmade, creamy Mackinac Island-style fudge, has two locations for Pensacola-area ice cream lovers − one on the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and another along downtown Pensacola’s Palafox Street.

In addition to the ooey-gooey kettle corn and homemade fudge that lures customers in, the shop has 24 ice cream flavors of Kilwins original recipes. The toasted coconut ice cream flavor remains a consistent top-seller, in addition to the salted caramel infused flavors.

Hungry for more? Stay up to date on the latest restaurant news by subscribing to our free Pensacola Eats newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up for the newsletter at profile.pnj.com/newsletter.

Brandon Girod contributed to this report.

Ice cream in Pensacola: 14 of the best local shops to help you beat the heat (2024)

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