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City of Rochester

Abbott’s Frozen Custard — Lake Avenue (The Original)

If there’s one ice cream institution every Rochesterian knows, it’s Abbott’s. The original Lake Avenue location has been serving slow-churned frozen custard since 1926, and it still draws a line out the door on a warm evening. The custard is genuinely different from regular ice cream — denser, creamier, richer — and the seasonal flavors keep regulars coming back all summer. Signature creations like the Turtle (custard layered with Spanish peanuts and fudge, dipped in dark chocolate) have become local legends. Abbott’s has expanded to locations across Monroe County over the years, but there’s something about the original Lake Ave stand — especially with Ontario Beach just across the street — that nothing else quite matches. This is the spot you bring people who are new to Rochester to show them what the fuss is about.

Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream — South Wedge

Hedonist operates out of the South Wedge neighborhood, right next door to their chocolate shop, and the two share the same obsessive attention to quality. Everything is handcrafted using old-world techniques and carefully sourced ingredients — you can taste the difference immediately. The salted caramel is the one flavor everyone talks about, and for good reason, but the rotating seasonal offerings are what make repeat visits so worthwhile. Freshly made waffle cones, an intimate shop, and flavors that change constantly make Hedonist one of the most talked-about ice cream experiences in the entire Rochester area. If you’re the type who pays attention to what goes into your food, this is your place.

Pittsford Farms Dairy — Park Avenue

Pittsford Farms Dairy has a well-earned reputation as one of the best handcrafted ice cream spots in the region, and the Park Avenue location puts it right in the middle of one of Rochester’s most walkable and beloved neighborhoods. The ice cream is made from scratch with an extensive flavor lineup — this isn’t a soft serve or pre-packaged operation. It’s the kind of place where you actually read the board before ordering because you might discover something you’ve never tried. Pittsford Farms also has locations in Pittsford village and Henrietta, so there’s no shortage of excuses to stop in.

Forno Tony — University Avenue

Forno Tony is primarily known as a pizza spot, but their handcrafted gelato is worth seeking out on its own. The Italian-style gelato — denser and more intensely flavored than American ice cream — is made in-house and rotates regularly. If you’re on University Avenue and you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing one of the quieter gems on the city’s dessert scene.

A note on Abbott’s: Abbott’s Frozen Custard has expanded well beyond the original Lake Ave location. You’ll find Abbott’s stands in Gates, Henrietta, Greece, and Bushnell’s Basin, as well as inside many Bill Gray’s locations across Monroe County. Wherever you are, you’re probably not far from one — but if you’ve never been to the original, it’s worth the trip at least once.

Monroe County Suburbs

Moonlight Creamery — Fairport

Fairport is one of those villages where a summer evening stroll along the Erie Canal almost demands an ice cream stop, and Moonlight Creamery is exactly the place for it. Tucked right along the canal on West Avenue, this artisan shop has built a devoted local following for its carefully crafted flavors and genuinely welcoming atmosphere. The owner’s hands-on approach shows — customers regularly mention the personal touches that make a visit feel more like a neighborhood experience than a commercial transaction. If you’re exploring the Fairport area or just passing through on a bike ride along the canal, Moonlight is worth building your route around.

Pittsford Farms Dairy — Pittsford Village

Pittsford’s North Main Street location is one of the most charming spots in the area for a cone. The village setting, the canal nearby, and the consistently excellent handcrafted ice cream make this a perennial favorite among Pittsford residents and visitors alike. Open year-round and making everything from scratch, the flavors rotate constantly and the shop has that genuine neighborhood feel that makes you want to linger.

Netsins Ice Cream — Irondequoit

Netsins is the kind of place that locals fiercely protect as their own. Founded in 1998 by two Irondequoit firefighters who grew up in the neighborhood and wanted a great ice cream shop nearby, it’s been a community fixture ever since. Located on Culver Parkway, the setup is classic — order at the walk-up window, grab a picnic table outside. Netsins serves Perry’s hard ice cream and over 75 flavors of soft serve and frozen custard, with a rotating assortment that keeps things interesting all summer. A 4.8-star Google rating built over decades says everything. If you’re getting to know Irondequoit, stop here — it’s exactly the kind of neighborhood institution that makes a community feel like home.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream — Webster & Irondequoit

Bruster’s is a small chain, but what sets them apart is that the ice cream is handcrafted fresh in each store daily — there’s no central factory shipping frozen product across the country. With locations in both Webster and Irondequoit, Bruster’s is a reliable go-to when you want something consistently excellent without much of a drive. The flavor variety is impressive and the portions are generous.

LuGia’s Ice Cream — Spencerport

LuGia’s is a long-standing community favorite on the west side of Monroe County, built on the idea that everything is better when it starts with family and flavor. They serve an extensive lineup of hard ice cream and custard, and they’ve also become the home of Frank’s Italian Ice — a Rochester tradition since 1936. If you’ve never had a proper Italian ice, LuGia’s is a great place to fix that. The real fruit flavors are the kind of thing you find yourself craving on hot days well into the fall. They open each year around mid-April and run through October.

iKON Ice Cream — Scottsville

iKON on Main Street in Scottsville is a hidden gem — a small, family-owned seasonal shop that punches well above its weight with over 100 custom custard and milkshake combinations. With the ability to mix and match in nearly endless ways, it’s the kind of place that rewards creativity and repeat visits. Worth the short drive into southern Monroe County if you’re looking for something a little different.

Thinking About Making Rochester Your Home?

Whether you’re relocating to Monroe County or exploring the suburbs, Kyle Hiscock and the Hiscock Homes team at REMAX Realty Group know this market inside and out.

Ontario County

Molly V’s Homemade Ice Cream — Victor

Molly V’s is named after the owner’s beloved goldendoodle, and the whole operation has that same warm, personal feel. Owner Mike Vistocco handcrafts every flavor himself and is constantly developing new combinations — the kind of small-batch creativity that bigger operations simply can’t replicate. They have a permanent storefront on West Main Street in downtown Victor, serve gluten-free and dairy-free options, and even offer a handful of alcoholic flavors for the adults. Victor is one of the fastest-growing communities in the region, and Molly V’s has become one of its most beloved local spots in a short amount of time.

Cheshire Farms Creamery — Canandaigua

Set in a charming red barn-style building in Canandaigua, Cheshire Farms Creamery is the kind of destination that justifies an afternoon drive. The ice cream is handcrafted, the flavors are creative and constantly rotating, and they collaborate with Ontario County Tourism each July on a one-of-a-kind seasonal flavor. Beyond ice cream, they serve light fare — the chicken salad in a waffle cone has its own following — and a coffee bar rounds out the experience. They opened for the 2026 season in March and are already back in full swing. If you’re spending a day around Canandaigua Lake, put this on the list.

Shark’s Ice Cream — Bloomfield

Shark’s is a beloved handcrafted shop in the small hamlet of Bloomfield, right in the heart of Ontario County wine country. Homemade ice cream is made daily on the premises, the portions are famously generous — regulars warn first-timers to start with a small — and the outdoor seating makes it exactly the kind of stop you want after a day on Canandaigua or Honeoye Lake. Locals are fiercely loyal to this place and first-timers almost always leave planning their next visit. Open May through October, Tuesday through Sunday.

Livingston County

Twisters Ice Cream — Livonia

Twisters has been a seasonal institution in Livonia since 2004, and it’s earned a reputation that extends well beyond Livingston County. The shop serves over 40 flavors of handcrafted hard ice cream and custard, along with shakes, sundaes, slush puppies, and snacks. The Cinnamon Churro ice cream has become something of a local legend. Expect a line on warm evenings — Twisters has the kind of loyal following that means the place gets busy fast. That said, the line moves, and every visit is worth it.

Zeppo’s Creekside Creamery — Mount Morris

Mount Morris is the gateway to Letchworth State Park, and Zeppo’s Creekside Creamery is one of the better ways to cap off a day in the gorge. This handcrafted shop is open year-round — a rarity among local ice cream spots — and has developed a devoted following for its rotating creative flavors and generous portions. Reviewers consistently single out flavors like Cinnamon Roll, Maple Walnut, and Lemon Ginger as standouts. The setting along the creek adds to the whole experience, making this one of those places where everything just works.

Wayne County

Yia Yia’s Ice Cream Shoppe — Williamson

Yia Yia’s in Williamson is a Wayne County institution. The combination of enormous portions, genuinely friendly service, and prices that actually feel fair has kept the line consistently out the door for years. This is a no-frills, old-fashioned walk-up stand on Route 104 that gets everything right — the kind of place that creates memories and brings families back summer after summer. Named for the Greek word for grandma, it has the kind of warmth that lives up to the name. Wayne County is apple orchard and lake country, and Yia Yia’s fits the vibe perfectly. Open daily noon to 9pm during the season.

Doyle Farms Market Cafe & Creamery — Wolcott

Doyle Farms in Wolcott takes farm-to-cone seriously — this is a working fruit farm operation spread across four growing locations in Wayne County’s apple belt, and the connection between what’s grown here and what ends up in your dish is real. Handcrafted ice cream, fresh-baked goods, sandwiches, and locally roasted coffee all make this far more than a standard ice cream stop. They’re open Thursday through Sunday year-round. If you’ve never made the drive out toward Lake Ontario’s Wayne County shoreline, Doyle Farms is one of the better reasons to do it.

Orleans County

Red, White & Moo — Holley

Orleans County doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves, but Red, White & Moo in Holley’s historic village square has become a go-to stop for anyone making their way along the Erie Canal corridor. Opened in 2022 in a beautifully repurposed former bank building, the shop draws from the same community spirit that makes Holley worth stopping in — close to the Holley Canal Falls and the Canal park. Creative seasonal flavors, signature milkshakes, and the famous giant patriotic chair out front have made this a genuine local favorite. It’s the kind of place where you slow down, take your time, and remember why summer in Western New York is genuinely something special.

Partyka Farms — Kendall

Partyka Farms in Kendall is a full farm market experience that happens to have outstanding ice cream. A third-generation family operation on the Lake Ontario plain of northern Orleans County, Partyka offers 32 flavors of Perry’s ice cream and custard alongside fresh produce, baked goods, a grill, and one of the most pleasant farm settings in the region — including a free playground and picnic area. They’re open year-round, seven days a week, and have earned a 4.9-star rating from over 127 reviewers. If you’re exploring Orleans County or looking for a scenic drive from Rochester, Partyka is well worth adding to the route.

Heads up — most of these spots are seasonal! The majority of local ice cream shops in the Rochester area are open spring through early fall, typically May through September or October. Hours can vary week to week and year to year. It’s always worth checking their website before making a special trip.

This Is What Living in Rochester Looks Like

Rochester gets undersold sometimes. The winters are real — nobody’s going to pretend otherwise — but when summer arrives, this region genuinely delivers. Between the farmers markets, the outdoor activities, the parks, the festivals, and yes, the ice cream — there’s a quality of everyday life here that’s hard to find at this price point almost anywhere else in the country.

The ice cream shops scattered across these five counties aren’t just dessert destinations — they’re part of what makes neighborhoods feel like neighborhoods. The fact that Netsins was started by two local firefighters who grew up on that block in Irondequoit, or that Molly V’s is named after someone’s dog, or that Cheshire Farms collaborates with the county every summer on a new flavor — these are the details that make a community feel real.

If you’re considering a move to the Greater Rochester area and want to understand what life actually looks like here, I’d love to help. I’ve been serving buyers and sellers across Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, and Orleans counties for over 14 years, and I know these communities well beyond the MLS data. Choosing the right suburb is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in a move, and it’s something I genuinely enjoy helping people think through.

Ready to Find Your Next Home in Greater Rochester?

Kyle Hiscock | Hiscock Homes at REMAX Realty Group | 585-704-7095
Serving Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston & Orleans Counties

Kyle Hiscock

Lead Agent — Hiscock Homes at REMAX Realty Group

10 Grove St, Pittsford, NY 14534  |  585-704-7095

Licensed Full-Time Realtor  |  REMAX Hall of Fame

Kyle Hiscock is the lead agent at Hiscock Homes at REMAX Realty Group in Pittsford, NY — a second-generation real estate team serving buyers and sellers across Greater Rochester and the surrounding region. With over 14 years of full-time experience and more than 443 verified closings, Kyle brings deep local knowledge and a genuine commitment to the communities he serves.

Kyle operates RochesterRealEstateBlog.com as an educational resource for buyers, sellers, and anyone curious about life in the Rochester area. Since launching the blog in 2013, he’s published more than 150 in-depth local articles covering home buying, selling, pricing, inspections, mortgages, and Greater Rochester community guides.

Serving: Rochester City  •  Pittsford  •  Fairport  •  Webster  •  Irondequoit  •  Brighton  •  Victor  •  Canandaigua  •  Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston & Orleans Counties