Portland’s ice cream scene is ridiculous, and I mean that as the highest compliment. This city treats ice cream the way it treats coffee and beer: with an intensity and creativity that goes way beyond what any reasonable person would expect. We have shops making flavors with local lavender, Oregon marionberries, and foraged mushrooms. We have shops that churn to order. We have shops where the line wraps around the block on a 70-degree day because Portlanders apparently decided that ice cream is a competitive sport.
My husband and I have strong opinions about ice cream (we’ve tried them all, multiple times), and here’s where to go. For more on Portland’s food scene, check my restaurant guide and my cheap eats guide.
Salt & Straw
Salt & Straw is the ice cream shop that put Portland on the national ice cream map, and it’s still the one most visitors seek out first. The flavors are creative and change monthly, with a mix of approachable options (Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Double Fold Vanilla) and adventurous ones (Pear and Blue Cheese, Bone Marrow and Smoked Cherries). The quality of the base is excellent, and the toppings and mix-ins are all made in-house.
Multiple locations around Portland (NW 23rd, Division, Alberta, Hawthorne). The lines look long but move fast because they let you taste as many flavors as you want. The NW 23rd location is the original and still the most popular.
Fifty Licks
Fifty Licks is the ice cream shop that Portland locals will argue is better than Salt & Straw, and they might be right. The flavors are less aggressively creative but the execution is flawless. The Salted Caramel is one of the best ice cream flavors I’ve ever had, full stop. The Oregon Strawberry in summer is perfect. And the seasonal flavors (brown butter pumpkin in fall, peppermint bark in winter) are always excellent. Locations on SE Clinton and in North Portland. Less hype, fewer lines, probably better ice cream.
Ruby Jewel
Ruby Jewel is Portland’s ice cream sandwich specialist. They make their own ice cream and their own cookies, then combine them into some of the best ice cream sandwiches in the country. The Snickerdoodle cookie with Salted Caramel ice cream is legendary. The Chocolate Chip cookie with Strawberry is perfect in summer. They also serve scoops, sundaes, and floats, but the ice cream sandwiches are the reason to come. Locations on N Mississippi and at the Saturday Market.
Eb & Bean
Eb & Bean is frozen yogurt, not ice cream, but it earns a spot on this list because the quality is genuinely excellent. Their froyo is made in-house with real ingredients (not from a machine), and the texture is closer to gelato than the generic frozen yogurt you’d find at a chain. Rotating flavors, build-your-own toppings, and a clean, friendly shop. Locations in NE Portland. This is the spot when you want something lighter than ice cream but still want it to be really good.
Cloud City Ice Cream
Cloud City is a small-batch ice cream shop in SE Portland that focuses on bold, creative flavors made with Pacific Northwest ingredients. Think Oregon hazelnut, lavender honey, cardamom, and seasonal fruit flavors that change weekly. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the shop has a loyal neighborhood following. It’s the kind of place where the person making your ice cream is also the person who developed the recipe.
Pinolo Gelato
If you prefer gelato to ice cream, Pinolo on SE Division is the best in Portland. The owner trained in Italy, and the gelato is made fresh daily using traditional Italian methods with Oregon ingredients. The pistachio is outstanding (made with real Bronte pistachios), and the seasonal fruit sorbets are intensely flavored. The texture is silky smooth in a way that’s distinctly different from ice cream. It’s a small shop and the flavors sell out, so go early for the full selection.
Wiz Bang Bar (Salt & Straw’s Soft Serve)
Wiz Bang Bar is Salt & Straw’s soft-serve and sundae shop inside the Pine Street Market downtown. The soft serve uses the same high-quality base as Salt & Straw’s scoops but in a different format, and the sundaes are elaborate, beautiful, and extremely Instagram-friendly. The Chocolate Avalanche (chocolate soft serve, brownie bites, hot fudge, whipped cream) is absurd in the best way. No lines here since it’s inside the market, which is a bonus.
Tips for Ice Cream in Portland
Go when it’s 70+ degrees. Portland ice cream shops explode on warm days. Lines at Salt & Straw can hit 30 minutes on a sunny Saturday. If you want to avoid the wait, go on a weekday or in the evening.
Taste first. Salt & Straw and most other shops offer free tastes. Use them. Some of the best flavors are the ones you’d never order without trying first.
Don’t skip Fifty Licks. If you only go to Salt & Straw because that’s the one you’ve heard of, you’re missing the locals’ favorite. The Salted Caramel at Fifty Licks is the best single flavor in Portland, and the line is much shorter.
Quick Tips
- My husband and I have strong opinions about ice cream (we've tried them all, multiple times), and here's where to go.
- For more on Portland's food scene, check my restaurant guide and my cheap eats guide.
- If you want to avoid the wait, go on a weekday or in the evening.
- If you want to skip the line entirely, the Division or Alberta locations are usually shorter than NW 23rd.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ice cream in Portland?
Salt & Straw is the most famous and has the most creative flavors. Fifty Licks is the locals’ pick for best overall quality. Ruby Jewel has the best ice cream sandwiches. Pinolo has the best gelato. They’re all excellent and worth visiting.
Is Salt & Straw worth the line?
Yes, especially if it’s your first visit. The flavors are genuinely creative and the quality is high. The line moves fast because they encourage tasting. If you want to skip the line entirely, the Division or Alberta locations are usually shorter than NW 23rd.
Portland’s ice cream scene is one of those things that makes living here feel like a gift. Salt & Straw gets all the press, and they deserve it, but the smaller shops are where the real discoveries happen. Fifty Licks’ Salted Caramel, Ruby Jewel’s ice cream sandwiches, Pinolo’s pistachio gelato. It’s a great time to eat ice cream in Portland. What’s your favorite scoop shop? Tell me in the comments.
