The Best North Shore Ice Cream Spots From a Guy Who Grew Up There

If you're looking for the best North Shore ice cream, I've got you covered. Here's a short list of my tried and true go-tos.

I grew up on the North Shore. I'm a Greenwood guy. Greenwood is the part of Wakefield that borders Melrose. "Well, why don't you just say you're from Wakefield?" Because it's more fun to say I'm from Greenwood. Neighborhood pride, baby.

"Wait, is Wakefield part of the North Shore?" It sure is. We're a stone's throw from Rt. 1, the true Mother Road of the North Shore. And the North Shore authority, Square One Mall Goth on Instagram, regularly makes memes poking fun at Wakefield.

Wakefield is home to two of the area's most legendary ice cream spots. Cravings at Colonial Spa traces its roots as an ice cream shop and soda fountain back to August of 1920. That's over 100 years of ice cream history on Main St. in Wakefield

On the other side of Main St., Meletharb Home Made Ice Cream opened in spring of 1976. Five years later, the family-owned ice cream shop moved to it's current location in Wakefield's Four Corners. They're closing in on the half-century mark.

I took a few factors into consideration when crafting this list. The ice cream had to be great, of course. But so did the spot. You need good vibes when you're crushing cones and cups. History is important, too.

So here's the list. It has a few of my personal faves from growing up on the North Shore, and a few regional faves that are must-visits. And it's subject to change (read: I'll probably add to it). So keep it handy, share it, and check back often.

Colonial Spa has been a landmark in downtown Wakefield for generations. These days, Cravings is dishing out the best damn ice cream in town, served up at an old-time soda fountain.

Wakefield's "other" ice cream shop. I kid. I just like getting the Montrose folks all riled up. Meletharb is legendary. My mom tells me that my Nana loved going there for a scoop in her later years.

Growing up, Soc's in Saugus was actually the closest ice cream shop to where I was in Greenwood. I guess that's why I never became a Meletharb kid: I was crossing the border for creamy scoops at Soc's!

They're a relative newcomer, but Kennedy's was a stand out in our Game of Cones bracket. I'm glad they are where they are in Melrose, because there used to be a Friendly's in that same plaza when I was a kid, so the ice cream energy is strong.

Like Meletharb, they're family owned and operated since 1976. Their annual Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is a North Shore staple, and their ice cream cakes are the genuine article.

On the Peabody-Salem line, since 1946. Might be the best ice cream on the entire North Shore. One of those places people travel to because it's so damn good.

If you're going to argue Middleton isn't North Shore, you're missing the point. Richardson's Farm is so damn good at making ice cream that they supply their stuff to ice cream stands all across New England. Ask somebody!

Holy Cow opened in 2014, serving Richardson's Ice Cream. Not only do they serve their own now, but their Ritzy AF flavor was the 2022 North American Ice Cream Association Flavor of the Year. They're in Gloucester, Peabody, and Salem.

Rockport has its fair share of ice cream options, especially in Bearskin Neck. The Ice Cream Store is the cream of the crop. It tastes as good as it looks.