Best ice cream? This Triangle shop ranks among the nation’s favorites — again
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- Andia’s Ice Cream ranks No. 6 on a list of the nation’s best places to get scoops.
- The Triangle shop made it onto USA Today 10Best’s list for the fourth year in a row.
- Andia’s received nods for its “iconic” milkshakes and other frozen treats.
A North Carolina ice cream shop is known for its “iconic” milkshakes — and its loyal fan base.
All that love has led to Andia’s Ice Cream again ranking as one of the nation’s favorite places to enjoy a scoop. The shop, which has four locations in the Triangle, landed at No. 6 on a new list from USA Today’s 10Best.
To determine the best places to eat the beloved dessert, travel experts nominated top-notch ice cream shops across the country. Editors narrowed down the list before readers could spend a month voting on their favorites.
The top 10 ice cream shops — which all won readers’ choice awards — were “chosen for their use of quality, fresh ingredients and creative takes on this beloved frozen treat,” 10Best wrote in its June 17 report.
What makes Andia’s special?
Andia’s was the only place in North Carolina to earn a spot in the rankings. It marked at least the fourth year in a row that the ice cream shop received recognition from 10Best.
This time around, the ranking website highlighted Andia’s frozen crème brûlée and “iconic cracking shakes” — milkshakes that make a popping sound when customers squeeze the cup. 10Best said the two menu items “offer both great photo ops and interactive experiences.”
For a more traditional experience, Andia’s offers its standard lineup of scoops alongside monthly specials.
“Andia’s small-batch ice cream comes in appealing flavors like baklava, rose pistachio, and brownie batter, which you can enjoy from a cup or freshly made waffle cone,” 10Best wrote.
Andia’s has shops in Raleigh, Cary and Durham, though the Durham location has a limited menu. Andia and George Xouris, a married couple who co-founded the business roughly a decade ago, thought ice cream could be a way to channel their creativity.
“It’s not a trend that’s going to come and go,” Andia Xouris previously told The News & Observer. “Everybody loves a nice scoop of ice cream. You could create all kinds of amazing flavors when you’re doing this with ice cream.”
Other top ice cream shops
It’s not the first time a Triangle shop has been honored for its cool treats.
In June, the food website Tasting Table named Maple View Farm in Hillsborough the state’s top place to get ice cream.
And culinary magazine The Local Palate said Geluna Gelato in downtown Cary served the best gelato outside of Italy, The N&O reported in April.
In the more recent rankings from 10Best, the nation’s most-loved ice cream shop was Coneflower Creamery in Omaha, Nebraska.
The website also asked readers to weigh in on other dessert-related categories. Here are North Carolina highlights from those national lists:
- Manolo’s Bakery in Charlotte at No. 2 in best cake shops
- Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery in Raleigh at No. 4 in best cake shops
- Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies in Clemmons at No. 4 in best cookie shops
- Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh at No. 6 in best chocolate shops
In the past, 10Best has told The N&O it doesn’t reveal the number of people who participate in its contests.
