9 Sweetest Ice Cream Spots for Seattle-Area Families

You have to be a confident ice cream business to open new stores in winter, which is exactly what Salt & Straw did a few years ago. The legendary Portland foodie favorite arrived in Seattle in February 2018, launching its first Emerald City locations in Ballard and Capitol Hill. (A third local shop opened in Kirkland in 2020.)

You can smell eau de waffle cone before you get to the entrance. Inside, the scoopers will literally let you sample every single flavor, so I did, thank you very much. The only flavor I tasted and didn’t like was Beecher’s cheese with peppercorn toffee. I like cheese, I don’t like peppercorns, and I definitely didn’t want either of those in my ice cream.

What’s new for summer? Three words: Berries, berries, berries. Dive into luscious flavors bursting with summer vibes such as Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero or GoNanas Banana Blueberry Crumble, a vegan option.

Pro tip: Try the tasting flight (four golf-ball-sized scoops), which is the most economical (and I like getting a deal if I’m shelling out for gourmet ice cream). The kids’ favorite, hands down, was the chocolate gooey brownie.

Find it: 714 E. Pike St., Suite A, Seattle (Capitol Hill shop);. 5420 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle (Ballard shop); 12620 120th Ave. N.E., Kirkland (Totem Lake shop)

Next up: artisan original