Six Sweet Spots for Local Ice Cream

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Features Team

Summer has officially arrived with this week’s temperatures forecasted to hit the 90s. Get in the car, crank the AC, and make your way to these local sweet spots for ice cream that will take the heat off. Whether farm-fresh, blissfully blended or tossed with toppings, each shop offers its own unique treat to beat the summer sun.

Rota-Spring Farm Ice Cream

117 Chace Hill Road, Sterling
(978) 365-9710
Open Daily 11:30-9:30

Rota-Spring Farm is no ordinary ice cream shop; it’s a secluded, peaceful farm that offers fantastic homemade ice cream, fresh picked produce, grass-fed beef, and a petting zoo. Its rural setting makes it a great getaway, and you won’t be disappointed by the ice cream, which is produced on site with the freshest ingredients.

Kimball Farm

1543 Lunenburg Road, Lancaster
(978) 534-9800
Open Daily: 10-10

Kimball Farm has been around since 1939 and now has four branches, including one in nearby Lancaster. All of their ice cream is homemade at their Westford location, and 49 flavors are offered in their Lancaster store. Pick two flavors and top them off with Kimball’s famous homemade whipped cream! For true ice cream fanatics Kimball’s also features the gigantic Kimball Special and a super-sized banana split. Kimball’s offers much more than just ice cream, and in Lancaster there is a country store, a seafood grill, and Cruise Night every Friday from 5-9.

Madulka’s Ice Cream

193 Lake Ave., Worcester
(508) 459-2323
Open Daily 12-10

Madulka’s Ice Cream just opened last summer on Lake Quinsigamond. This unique spot features over 40 flavors of ice cream and yogurts and offers sundaes, frappes, and soft serve of Puritan Ice Cream, which is produced in Roslindale. The shop has docking space for up to five boats, so if you’re out cruising on Lake Quinsig, park your boat at the dock and stop in for a summer treat.

Gibby's Ice Cream Stand

50 Sunderland Road, Worcester
(508) 753-1095
Open 12-8 Mon-Fri; 12-9 Sat/Sun

Gibby’s Ice Cream has been serving up delicious ice cream in massive portions for over 75 years. Beware: if you order a small, you’ll get a pint. Go there with friends and try the famous Gibby bucket, which boasts six scoops of ice cream and six toppings of your choice. If you are looking for a place where you can take the family or have an ice cream face-off with a few buddies, Gibby’s is always a great choice.

Meola’s Wayside Ice Cream

681 Central Street, Leominster
(978) 534-1099
Open Daily 11-10

Meola’s Ice Cream has locations in Leominster, Sterling and West Boylston and boasts over sixty flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt. Indulge in one of their many varieties of sundaes or get a cone full of Purple Cow, yogurt which blends black raspberry and chocolate chips. Meola’s brings in new and kooky flavors all the time, making each ice cream experience fresh and exciting.

Calico and Crème

53 Williamsville Road, Hubbardston
(978) 928-5150
Open Daily 11-9 (Ice Cream Only on Mon/Tues)

Located in Hubbardston, Calico and Crème is a bit of a drive but completely worth it. This restaurant/ice cream shop is as down home as it gets, boasting homemade ice cream and fresh ingredients, chock full of love. This local shop is on the premises of a family farm that awards ice cream cones for helmet-wearing bicyclists and sponsors the E.I.E.I.O. fund raiser for the community. With over forty delectable flavors, including sorbet, sugar-free and soft serve, Calico and Crème is sure to have your favorite flavor.