FAMILY FUN
M A
E ICE CR
DMV for Everyone in the
BY ELEANOR LINAFELT
12 Washington’s FAMILY JUNE 2021



Ice cream used to only be a treat for the D.C.-area elite. In 1784, George Washington splurged on a “cream machine
for ice” and made sure Mount Vernon’s kitchen was stocked with 10 ice cream pots. These days, thankfully, ice cream
is widely available all over the DMV — and for a much cheaper price than what Washington paid. In fact, there are
so many ice cream shops across D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia that it was hard to narrow down a list.

These 10 are particularly well-loved spots, with a far-ranging variety of both unusual and classic flavors,
many of which are handmade with local ingredients.

Ice Cream Jubilee is all about the flavors.

Even its “classic” options are unusual:
Thai iced tea, banana bourbon caramel
and honey lemon lavender are all often
on the menu. Each of its three locations
also offers a rotating selection of seasonal
flavors. 301 Water St. SE, Washington,
D.C.; 1407 T St. NW, Washington, D.C.;
4238 Wilson Blvd. #143, Arlington, Va.

icecreamjubilee.com Mount Desert Island Ice Cream
Thoughtfully made by hand with ingredients
from sustainable local suppliers, the ice
cream at Mount Desert Island is remarkably
creamy and flavorful. The fruits, herbs
and vanilla pods they use are fresh and
real – no artificial flavoring here – and you
taste it. 3110 Mount Pleasant St. NW,
Washington, D.C. mdiic.com
Thomas Sweet Ice Cream
This well-loved old-fashioned Georgetown
ice cream shop has a long list of flavors
and toppings. If you order one of their
signature blend-ins, they’ll mix up
to three toppings of your choosing
into your ice cream. Thomas
Sweet also offers frozen yogurt,
chocolates and fudge for those
with an extra sweet tooth. 3214
P St. NW, Washington, D.C.

thomassweet.com Moorenko’s Ice Cream
Susan Soorenko founded
Moorenko’s in 2002 to provide pure,
tasty ice cream to her children. After
studying with ice cream experts in
New York and a gelato maker in Italy,
she created the creamy and rich ice cream
available at this Silver Spring spot (and in
grocery stores across the area) that your
children can now enjoy, too. 8030 Georgia
Ave., Silver Spring, Md. moorenkos.com
York Castle Tropical Ice Cream
This Rockville store boasts unique Caribbean
ice cream flavors, including guava, lychee and
soursop, in addition to classics like vanilla,
chocolate and butter pecan. York Castle
Tropical Ice Cream is a local favorite with
offerings that you can’t find just anywhere
else. 827 Hungerford Dr., Rockville, Md.

Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream
Started by a Bethesda mother-daughter
team, Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream
uses primarily local ingredients for
their small-batch, all-natural recipes.

What’s even sweeter is that Sarah’s is
committed to serving the community;
throughout the pandemic, they donated
hundreds of ice cream scoops to local
hardworking healthcare workers. 10219
Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda,
Md.; 5241 River Road, Bethesda, Md.

sarahshandmadeicecream.com Great Falls Creamery
A perfect stop after a day hiking with the
kids at the nearby Great Falls Park or
Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, Great Falls
Creamery is a family-friendly shop with
low prices and friendly service. While
the main attraction is the ice cream, the
creamery also sells local treats, including
baked goods, maple syrup and other
dairy products. 766 Walker Road,
Great Falls, Va.

Lil City Creamery
Opened in 2015, this Falls Church shop is
big enough for an ice cream freezer and
an extensive collection of retro character
toys — and that’s about it. Enjoy your cup,
cone, milkshake or cookie sandwich, made
from ice cream sourced from Woodside
Farm Creamery in Delaware, at nearby
Mr Brown’s Park. 114 W. Broad St., Falls
Church, Va. lilcitycreamery.com
Pop’s Old Fashioned
Ice Cream
These recipes date back to the 1940s,
when Ray “Pop” Giovanni served his ice
cream to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
at the White House. This old-fashioned
Alexandria shop continues his legacy,
offering specialty sundaes and a long list
of flavors. 109 King St., Alexandria, Va.

popsoldfashionedicecream.com The Creamery
The oldest ice cream shop in downtown
Alexandria, operating for over 30 years,
The Creamery makes their ice cream
and frozen custard daily with quality
local ingredients. They offer southern
regional flavors, including orange
chocolate chip, lemon custard and banana
pudding. 110 King St., Alexandria, Va.

creameryalexandria.com n
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Ice Cream Jubilee