There was a time – for centuries of human existence – when no one alive had ever tasted ice cream.
Seriously. Julius Caesar never knew the joys of a waffle cone.
Sure, the history books will remember the deeds of Moses, Alexander the Great and Charlemagne.
But you?
You can get a rocky road cone or a bowl of butter pecan or a bucket of cookie dough ice cream whenever you want.
So when you get to the afterlife and Charlemagne starts bragging, just ask him if he ever had – in his life – anything as wonderful as a simple sugar cone with two scoops of vanilla.
Today, ice cream is a wonder.
And in a tourist town like Pigeon Forge, it’s an ice cream arms race with each place either trying to win with shock and awe or by conscientiously objecting to the creamery war by going completely retro and trying to win with simplicity.
Whether you like dozens of options or a couple of flavors, here’s our list of the best ice cream shops in Pigeon Forge and the surrounding areas.
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10. The Fudgery
It seems a bit unfair to rank a place known for its fudge in a list of best ice cream shops, but The Fudgery might just be my favorite place to stop for a quick sweet treat at The Island in Pigeon Forge.
For ice cream, you can get cones by the single or double scoop with a variety of customizable toppings. They also have java chillers, smoothies, lemonade and delicious milkshakes.
The Island Creamery is another ice cream option nearby. However, The Fudgery is generally the better-rated of the two.
9. Marble Slab Creamery
Marble Slab is an ice cream shop so nice, they built it twice.
There are two Marble Slabs in Pigeon Forge – one at either end of the strip.
Theoretically, if traffic was bad enough, you could eat at one – take a couple of hours cruising the strip – and then eat at the other. I don’t recommend it for reasons involving both health and sanity, but it COULD be done.
For the record, the one on the Gatlinburg side of the strip is far better reviewed.
This is, as advertised, small-batch ice cream, hand-blended with tons of mix-in options on a cold marble slab in front of your very eyes.
They also offer a variety of ice cream cakes, sweet innovations and classic ice cream sundaes.
8. Scoops Ice Cream Parlor
This hidden gem ice cream parlor is locally owned by a mother and daughter team who moved to the Smokies from the coast of North Carolina, according to their Google listing.
They specialize in homemade ice cream treats including waffle cones, specialty sundaes, milkshakes and sorbet.
Plus, it’s located near the Riverwalk if you enjoy a nature walk with your ice cream.
Scoops is located at 3060 Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge.
7. Old Mill Creamery
More of your classic ice cream parlor than the modern palace of ice cream wonders, the Old Mill Creamery serves old-fashioned ice cream in a variety of flavors with fresh ingredients.
This is one of the closest things you’ll find to homemade ice cream in the Smokies.
You can get a cup, a sugar cone, a cake cone, a shake, malt or float. If you’re feeling daring, you can get a housemade waffle cone or bowl.
Pro-tip: Go for the sugar cones.
Signature flavors include flavors such as Oat Mill Cream Pie, Pecan Pie, Biscuits n Honey and Salted Caramel Candy.
And if your sweet tooth finds itself craving more, be sure to stop by Old Mill Candy Kitchen while you’re in the area.
6. Mad Dog’s Creamery and Donuts
Oh, man. If Charlemagne is mad about ice cream, wait until he finds out about donuts!
I like Mad Dog’s for a lot of reasons.
First, the ice cream is delicious. Second, they have donuts and funnel cakes. Third, the URL on their website looks like Maddog Screamery, which makes me inordinately happy.
What does this creamery have? A full selection of hand-dipped premium ice cream, soft serve, sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes and more.
They offer 24 unique flavors of ice cream and a myriad of options of flavors and toppings.
Not sure what to order? Try one of my personal favorite flavors: Smoky Mountain Fudge, Yellow Brick Road or Strawberry Cheesecake.
As a bonus, Mad Dog’s Creamery is also dog-friendly with doggie treats, toys and water bowls on site.
Mad Dog’s has two locations in the Smokies, one in Pigeon Forge and the other just outside of downtown Gatlinburg.
Read Also: Best Ice Cream in Gatlinburg, Our Top 4 Ranked
5. Buzzed Bull Creamery
This is one of several perplexingly named creameries in Pigeon Forge.
Look, I don’t care how much the bull had to drink, he ain’t giving no cream.
Luckily, they serve alcohol infused concoctions here, so after a banana split or two, nobody really cares much about the name.
Buzzed Bull is an adult-friendly – and family-friendly – ice cream establishment in Pigeon Forge.
They use liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, milkshakes, coffees, espressos and adult mixin’s.
Adults have the option to infuse alcohol into nearly any treat, but of course, they also have non-buzzed options for the kids or those who don’t want their vanilla shake with whiskey.
And like any other creamery, they have a variety of bases, flavors and toppings.
They also have a menu of options that come with a suggested infusion. For instance, you can get a Bonfire with marshmallow syrup, graham crackers, chocolate chips and cinnamon with a suggested infusion of cinnamon whiskey.
Or, the Strawberry Shortcake comes with strawberry, cake batter, graham crackers, whipped cream and optional strawberry vodka.
Read Also: Buzzed Bull Creamery Pigeon Forge: Finally, an Ice Cream Shop for Adults
4. Curl de la Creme
At Curl de la Creme you get delicious ice cream and a show!
Who needs scoops of ice cream when you can have rolls?
They turn each order from liquid cream to ice cream right before your eyes, flatten it out on a cold thin sheet and curl it instead of using a traditional scoop.
And unlike the Tang Dynasty, there’s no tree-sap-infused concoction forced into metal tubes and sunk into icy waters.
Instead, you choose a variety of cookies, fruits, cereal and nut-based pastes (which taste better than they sound) which are mixed into one of three ice cream flavors.
You can choose a waffle bowl, a waffle taco or a Krazy Kremewich. Look, I want you to order what you want, but if you order a nut-based paste into a Krazy Kremewich, I’m not going to be held responsible if you spend the rest of the evening being teased by your friends.
A variety of mix-ins include things like apple pie, cheesecake, fruit and Fruity Pebbles. There are sugar-free and vegan base options as well.
Finally, you can round out your dessert with a variety of toppings that make for a myriad of possible combinations. Honestly, this is ice cream paradise.
3. Cruze Farm Ice Cream
Technically located in Sevierville but close enough to Pigeon Forge to include in our list, Cruze Farm Ice Cream uses freshly churned ice cream with milk from Cruze Farm, based in Knoxville.
Their delicious ice cream comes in a cake cone, kids cup, waffle cone or regular cup. You can also dip your cones in flavors like peanut butter, chocolate, cherry or toasted coconut.
They also offer shakes, floats, sundaes and more.
It’s conveniently located at 1642 Parkway in Sevierville.
2. Andy’s Frozen Custard
It’s not ice cream. It’s custard. And it’s not even in Pigeon Forge. It’s in Sevierville.
But, once again, if you’re looking for a sweet shop in the area, you should definitely consider Andy’s Frozen Custard.
This Ozarks-based custard company has been proudly serving frozen custard since 1986, using the freshest ingredients to make the creamiest creations in town.
They offer sundaes, splits and blends known as concretes and jackhammers. Concretes are the thick frozen custard blended with various toppings, and jackhammers come with some type of sauce in the middle.
Andy’s is located at 852 Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville.
1. The Yard Milkshake Bar
Sometimes, it’s not enough to simply have good ice cream. Sometimes, when you’re on vacation, you’re looking for something a bit over-the-top.
That’s where The Yard comes in.
The Yard specializes in milkshakes and sundaes that typically have a dessert on top of a dessert, usually filled over a mason jar and rimmed with toppings, icing and drizzle.
They offer a variety of ice cream flavors and mixin’s, including the famous Dolly, which features all of her favorite things like strawberry ice cream, rainbow marshmallow drizzle and a chocolate iced jar rolled in rainbow sprinkles with pretzels around the rim.
It’s topped with colorful butterflies and rainbow sprinkles.
The ice cream flavors include classics like vanilla and triple chocolate and specialty flavors like banana pudding and cotton candy.
They also have shakes like the Birthday Cake, Old School Banana Split and Salted Caramel Cheesecake which have a full cupcake, banana and a piece of cheesecake on top, respectively.
What do you think are the best ice cream places in Pigeon Forge? What’s your go-to when you are in the mood for a cool treat on your Smoky Mountain vacation?
Let us know in the comments below.
