I love cold desserts. Let me rephrase that: I absolutely adore everything from gelato to sorbet to frozen yogurt to ice cream. I would be the person that would put on her snow boots and heavy winter coat to venture out to get ice cream. And I mean, come on, there's absolutely nothing that a good milkshake can't fix.
Ice cream in the Quad Cities is a huge part of my life; so, naturally, when I chose to come to St. Ambrose, a big factor in my choice was Whitey's. However, up until last week, I had no idea of any other places to go for ice cream near campus.
During my search, I found these 10 different locations. Most of them are local to the Quad Cities, but a couple of the locations are outside of the QC; however, all of them have quality ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and/or frozen yogurt.
1. Country Style Ice Cream and Coffee
Country Style Ice Cream and Coffee was BOMB! I'm talking about some of the best ice cream I've had in a long time. When we walked into the store, we were warmly greeted and offered samples of their homemade soft-serve.
After trying a couple of the ice cream flavors, I decided to go with Blueberry Waffle Cone for my ice cream flavor. This flavor tasted just like a creamier version of a blueberry muffin with actual chunks of waffle cone in it. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
A bonus of this shop was the coffee. One of the kind souls gave us a full-size free sample, and it was nothing short of spectacular. I had a caramel iced coffee that was comparable to my usual caramel Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee. It tasted like coffee without being too strong or overbearing.
This location for ice cream in the Quad Cities has quite a few different flavors to choose from (some are seasonal, so they are constantly changing) and is in Davenport which is only about six minutes away from campus, making it an awesome location for any Ambrose student needing a sugar and caffeine fix to get ice cream in the Quad Cities.
2. Lagomarcino's Confectionery
Throughout the course of this school year, I have been told numerous times that Lagomarcino's Confectionery, Lago's for short, is an amazing location for ice cream in the Quad Cities. Now I know why.
Lago's features homemade ice cream, toppings, candies, and a soda bar—but the ice cream is the main attraction for me.
I tried the salted caramel ice cream and it was some of the best caramel ice creams I've ever had. It had the mouthwatering classic caramel flavor without being overbearingly strong or rich, and the actual pieces of salt mixed in made the ice cream perfection.
If you want this homemade perfection, you'll only have to drive about seven minutes from campus to the Davenport East Village location. There is also a location in downtown Moline. The location makes Lagomarcino's another great place for some ice cream in the Quad Cities and a quick study break!
3. Smooth Cool Treats
If you love Cold Stone Creamery, you would adore Smooth Cool Treats! The biggest difference I noticed between the two was the amount of space in the stores themselves. Smooth Cool Treats definitely beats Cold Stone (at least every location I've been to) in terms of spaciousness. But we're not here to talk about the size of the location, so let's get to the important information!
Their menu features a variety of sorbet, gelato, and ice cream flavors. I felt like changing it up, so I went with raspberry sorbet instead of ice cream.
The sorbet was the best mix of sour and sweet, almost like a sour patch kid. The overall flavor reminded me of the watermelon Jolly Rancher; however, the sorbet didn't taste fake, and there were real raspberries in it at one point because I found seeds in the sorbet.
Overall, this sorbet made me feel like it was warmer outside than it actually was because it would definitely be the perfect, light treat for a hot summer day. If you're ever in the mood for a treat like Cold Stone, you can find Smooth Cool Treats in Davenport by Target, about 12 minutes from campus.
4. Rockingham Road Dairy Freeze
Rockingham Road Dairy Freeze is a local place to find ice cream in the Quad Cities, more specifically, to Davenport. It has the feel of an ice cream store that you would find in a small town and is outdoors only, so there it may not be ideal if it's raining, etc. and you don't want to eat in your car.
Rockingham Road features the classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and twist. It also has a flavor of the day, which was strawberry the day I went. The strawberry was the classic flavor done right because it was so creamy and had an amazing flavor without tasting fake.
Honestly, this was one of the best strawberry ice creams I've ever had. The overall texture and creaminess of the ice cream were comparable with that of Dairy Queen.
Located in Davenport, only about 11 minutes from campus, this is definitely some ice cream in the Quad Cities that you should try; however, I would not suggest going alone or at night because of it's remote location and because it's located right next to a cemetery (and those can definitely attract some different activities).
5. Peachwave Frozen Yogurt
Self-serve frozen yogurt stores are a gift from Heaven; so I when I heard about Peachwave Frozen Yogurt, I didn't even mind that it was located in Bettendorf. Peachwave is set up like the typical self-serve store. There are tons of different flavors of gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt and toppings to choose from, and you pay by the weight of the ice cream.
I decided to get a divider and try two different flavor-topping combinations. The first one I tried was a mango frozen yogurt with mango boba, which are like juice-filled bubbles. The combination was outstanding because the yogurt was so creamy and the boba made it taste like there were actual mangos in the yogurt!
The second combination I tried was raspberry watermelon frozen yogurt with strawberry boba. The raspberry and watermelon flavors in the yogurt worked so well together and you could taste both flavors equally, and adding the strawberry boba helped make the sweet to sour ratio balance out even more evenly.
Even though it's located in Bettendorf, Peachwave Frozen Yogurt is only about 12 minutes from the St. Ambrose campus. I would definitely recommend Peachwave for all of your fro-yo needs.
#SpoonTip: On Wednesdays between 12 pm and 3 pm, you can get an extra 10% off!
6. Sweet Delite
Another location for ice cream in the Quad Cities is Sweet Delite. This shop features tons of different ice cream flavors including everything from the classic vanilla, chocolate, and twist to mango, red velvet, and piña colada.
I decided to try the mango. The mango flavoring was not as sweet as the normal mango flavorings you encounter, but that made it a refreshing change from the norm. Once again, the ice cream at this location was super creamy, but not overly heavy.
If you’re wanting to check Sweet Delite out, you only have about a seven minute drive ahead of you because it is located in Davenport. I would recommend going to this location in a group and during the day because the location is a little sketchy; however, it is not more sketchy or even as sketchy as the neighborhood located across Locust Street from the Ambrose campus.
7. Cones on the Corner
True to its name, Cones on the Corner is quite literally located on a corner. This classic ice cream location features gelato, sorbet, ice cream that is out-of-this-world delicious, and a price that’s pretty amazing. You can purchase a kids’ cone for 65 CENTS, and you get a heck of a lot for 65 cents (see picture above).
The ice cream flavors available are vanilla, chocolate, and twist. I decided to go with a twist kids’ cone. The cone was creamy without being too heavy, and it had the perfect ratio of the classic chocolate to classic vanilla. If you’ve ever imagined the perfect classic twist ice cream, you’ve probably imagined a Cones on the Corner twist cone.
Unfortunately, Cones on the Corner is 20 minutes from campus in East Moline, so a quick study break isn’t an ideal time to go and grab this ice cream perfection; however, if you need an extended study break or you have a free night, you should definitely make a trip to get ice cream in the Quad Cities at this location!
8. Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
Like Peachwave, Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt features a wide variety of yogurt, gelato, and sorbet flavors and toppings. A nice change from the typical self-serve frozen yogurt joint is the way you pay. Here, you pay by the size (small, medium, etc.), not by the weight.
I decided to go for, what I thought, was a flavor unique to a frozen yogurt joint: cookies n’ cream. I decided to top my yogurt with brownie chunks, Andes mints, and orange boba; and, surprisingly, they all worked together really well. The brownie chunks were perfection, and the yogurt was light and creamy. My yogurt was gone too fast and I was definitely craving more.
Located in Moline, Orange Leaf is about 16 minutes from the St. Ambrose campus, so it would be perfect for an extended study break or one of the rare free moments that we get.
9. Steel Plow Burger Company
Steel Plow Burger Company is a normal restaurant, but don’t let that fool you. They have the biggest milkshakes I have ever seen.
Each Instagram and Snapchat-worthy shake is served on a tray and topped with whipped cream, then a donut, brownie, piece of cake, etc., then more whipped cream, and finally drizzled with some type of syrup (chocolate, strawberry, etc.). The shakes are so big that I have to share mine with someone.
Steel Plow has specially trained employees to make these shakes, which are called Shake Masters; so you can see that they get really intense.
I decided to try their fudge brownie shake, and it was nothing short of spectacular. The chocolate shake was super creamy without being overly heavy and it looked a lot thicker than it was. The flavor was different (a good different) twist on the classic chocolate flavor and was rich, but not overbearing.
The brownie was perfectly cooked to where it wasn’t too dry and it wasn’t too moist, so it was pretty much just as perfect as the milkshake.
An added plus of the Steel Plow Burger Company is the fact that there is actual food because if you’re like me and love having fries with your shake, you’ve got the option to order fries that are just as perfect as the shake you’re pairing them with.
Steel Plow Burger Company is located about 18 minutes from St. Ambrose in Moline, so it would be the perfect location for a night out with friends!
10. Whitey's Ice Cream
Whitey’s is such a well-known place for ice cream in the Quad Cities, and it’s well known for a reason. Whitey’s features a long list of ice delicious cream, milkshake, malt, and even smoothie flavors, so there’s a little something for everyone.
I usually get the strawberry cheesecake flavor (which is absolutely delicious), but I decided to mix it up a bit and try the moose tracks ice cream. This flavor tasted like cookies n’ cream ice cream with peanut butter filled chocolates mixed in. Like all Whitey’s ice cream, the ice cream was light and creamy at the same time.
As my photographer, Maika pointed out, Whitey's would be the perfect “drunk food.”
There is a Whitey’s located within walking distance of Ambrose, so it’s perfect for any occasion.
All of these locations for ice cream in the Quad Cities exceeded any expectations that I had. Each and every one of them featured mouthwatering flavors and options that left my taste buds begging for more; and if you don't believe me, you'll have to go find out for yourself! You won't be disappointed, but you might end up with a little bit of a brain-freeze.