Whether it’s before or after a long, hot day on the beach, nothing quite hits the spot like a frozen treat in the summer. In a resort town like Virginia Beach, the options are endless. Whether you’re looking for an indulgent treat or something on the healthier side, you’ll find it nearby.
Virginia Beach is home to several local treasures offering up their own unique remedies to the summer heat. Pick your frozen treat and you’ll be revitalized and back out soaking up the sun in no time.
With that, here are the 13 best places to beat the Virginia Beach heat this summer:
1. Badass Coffee
Badass Coffee is located on 18th street, just a few blocks back from the boardwalk. It’s the perfect place to get your morning caffeine fix and cool off from an early walk or tanning session at the same time. They offer over 20 signature lattes that come either over ice or blended frozen.
2. Gilly’s Creamery
A standout among several local gems located at the Virginia Beach Farmer’s Market, Gilly’s Creamery churns up traditional and seasonal ice cream flavors made from the freshest local farmer’s market ingredients.
If you’re not an ice cream person, try one of their sorbets or frozen ices. Gilly’s Creamery has something for everyone, guaranteed.
3. Zeke’s Beans and Bowls
Zeke’s Beans and Bowls‘ location on Norfolk Avenue makes it the perfect pre-beach breakfast or post-beach snack stop. Not only are their smoothies, acai bowls, and juices refreshing, but they’re healthy too. You’ll be looking good and feeling cool in your bikini after stopping by.
4. I Scream Ice Cream
Located just steps off the boardwalk, this ice cream shop can almost serve you while your feet are still in the sand. You need to throw on shoes and a shirt to enter, but you’ll be rewarded by a wide variety of Hershey’s ice cream flavor options for your giant sundae, shake, or float.
5. The Green Cat
This little juice bar and market, located on Pacific Avenue just off the beach, may be the trendiest Virginia Beach has to offer. The Green Cat specialize in organic, raw, plant-based, and gluten-free foods featuring locally-sourced ingredients. It’s a little expensive, but you’re paying for really high quality food.
Try one of their cold-pressed juices for a mid-day refresher and detox all in one.
6. Skinnydip Frozen Yogurt
Skinnydip has several locations offering up equally delicious self-serve frozen yogurt, but my little sister and I frequent the Hilltop shop. It’s a convenient 5 minute drive to the beach, so make sure you stop by several times to experience their rotating menu of delicious froyo flavors.
For the base, you can choose from regular, vegan, low sugar, and low calorie flavors. I like to top mine off with everything chocolate I can find, but the options are almost endless. Skinnydip, without question, has something for everyone.
7. Taste Unlimited
While Taste is most widely known for their delicious sandwiches and house sauce, all of the locals know never to pass up an opportunity to have their hand-crafted, small-batch gelato.
They keep a variety of seasonal and classic flavors at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption on a hot summer day. You can also bring a pint home for when you’re feeling too lazy to go out.
8. Crazy Good Donuts and Ice Cream
Donuts are a delicious breakfast treat. Ice cream is typically a dessert, but no one’s going to judge if you sneak a little in the morning.
When you put the two together, the epic combination becomes a midmorning snack made in heaven. This shop combines piping hot, made to order donuts with regular and soft serve ice cream. The result is the monstrous tower of sugary goodness shown above.
9. Rita’s Italian Ice
Rita’s may be a chain, but it’s just too good to not include. They specialize in Italian ice, cream ice, and frozen custard. If you want the full cooling experience, order a Gelati. You’ll get an overflowing cup with custard on the bottom, a layer of Italian ice, then another dollop of frozen custard on top.
10. Doumar’s
Although Doumar’s is technically located in Norfolk, there’s no questioning it’s place on this list. It’s the home of the world’s first waffle cone machine, from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Pass it off as a history lesson when you stop by for BBQ and a scoop (or two) of ice cream on a hot summer day.
11. CreamWiched
Located directly off the boardwalk, this new and innovative ice cream shop is a must-try for every foodie. It all began with two cookies and a scoop of ice cream.
Now CreamWiched offers brownies, waffles, and other nontraditional ice cream sandwich ingredients. Their newest creation involves soft serve on a pillow of cotton candy. Drool-worthy, I know.
12. Yo Mama
This shop may have gotten its namesake from frozen yogurt, but you really need to try their boba tea. You can get it warm, but on a hot summer day either chilled or frozen blended boba tea really hits the spot. Yo Mama offers a wide variety of flavors that are always rotating, so stop by several times to try them all.
13. Three Ships Coffee Roasters
Of all the Virginia Beach coffee shops, Three Ships Roasters takes the prize for cold brew. If you’re looking for an eye-opener but don’t want to drink hot coffee on a hot day or watered down iced coffee, this is the answer to your prayers.
Their roastery is located on 19th street, convenient for beach-goers, but you can find Three Ships’ coffee in a variety of locations.
With temperatures pushing 100 degrees, Virginia Beach is not the coolest place to hang out in the summer, technically speaking, but, thankfully, there are so many local shops to try for a cool treat so that you can stay refreshed no matter how long you’re here for.