The cold scoop: Ranking the best ice cream shops in Fort Worth

By Lucy Puente

Published Mar 22, 2021

TCU students have a host of ice cream options around them (Lucy Puente/TCU360)

Whether it’s a treat with friends, a date night or a reward after a long day full of studying, many TCU students agree that ice cream hits the spot. Fort Worth has many ice cream options to offer to students and luckily, they’re all near the TCU campus.

Here are seven of the closest and tastiest ice cream destinations to try, rated on proximity to campus, price, texture, variety and how much ice cream was given in a small sized cup.

The Rankings

7. Cow Tipping Creamery
Proximity: 3.2 miles
Price: $3.50 + $1 for extra toppings
Texture: soft serve
Variety: 3 flavors, 22 toppings
Size of small: runs large
Overall Score: 2.5/5

Small cup of vanilla soft serve with sprinkles (Lucy Puente/TCU360)

Despite being 3.2 miles from campus, Cow Tipping Creamery had to come last. With only three flavors to choose from, vanilla, chocolate and swirl, the ice cream was a regular soft serve that you could find at a Chick-fil-A or McDonald’s. Multiple toppings are an option here, but their ice cream did not offer the same variety that other creameries in Fort Worth did.

6. Dairy Queen
Proximity: 5.5 miles
Price: $1.29 + $1 for extra toppings
Texture: soft serve
Variety: 2 flavors, 35-40 toppings
Size of small: true to size
Overall Score: 3/5

*Small chocolate dipped vanilla soft serve in a sugar cone (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

The “stop sign of Texas” makes their signature blizzards and sundaes a staple; however, if you are looking for more variety this is not the place to go. Dairy Queen only offers soft serve ice cream with two flavors, but makes sure their toppings are the focus of the menu. Dairy Queen is more of a hit or miss kind of ice cream, when the line is long, the ice cream suffers and can be melty.

5. Melt:
Proximity: 3.4 miles
Price: $3.75 + .50 for extra toppings
Texture: creamy
Variety: 12 flavors
Size of small: smaller than expected
Overall Score: 3.5/5

*Small cup of scooped ‘beans’ with sprinkles (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

The aesthetic of Melt seems to be the focus of their business and is what customers pay for. Being on the pricier side of the ice cream destinations, Melt is more of a place for Instagram pictures. The 12 flavors offered are unique to their menu and grab the attention of trendy college students.

4. Curly’s Custard
Proximity: 4.8 miles
Price: $3.39 + .75 cents for extra toppings
Texture: custard
Variety: 5 flavors, 33 toppings
Size of small: runs large
Overall Score: 4/5

*Small cup of vanilla custard with sprinkles blended in (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

Curly’s Custard is the creamy ice cream to enjoy on a warm sunny day in Texas; however, offering no indoor seating makes the drive-thru the better option when the weather is rough. The prices are fair and many toppings are offered to customers allowing a variety of combinations to create unique sundaes with both dairy and dairy-free options.

3. Marble Slab Creamery
Proximity: 2.1 miles
Price: $4.49 + .59 cents for extra toppings
Texture: buttery and smooth
Variety: 22 flavors, 40+ toppings
Size of small: true to size
Overall Score: 4.5 /5

*Small cup of vanilla with sprinkles rolled in (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

Being the second closest ice cream destination to the TCU campus, Marble Slab offers buttery and smooth ice cream. When ordered, the ice cream is put on a chilled marble slab where customers choose their desired toppings to be mixed in. The location is owned by a married couple who are TCU graduates.

2. Creamistry
Proximity: 4.3 miles
Price: $6.44+ .50 for extra toppings + free whipped cream
Texture: Lucious
Variety: 18 flavors, 35 toppings
Size of small: runs large
Overall Score: 4.5/5

*Small cup of nitro-frozen vanilla with sprinkles and whipped cream (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

Liquid Nitrogen made ice cream. Creamistry offers hundreds of combinations and flavors of ice cream. All of the dairy ice cream flavors are offered as non-dairy and vegan-friendly options making the sundae creations endless. Once ordered, the ice cream is made before your eyes by adding a cloud of liquid nitrogen to a bowl of your liquid ice cream base of choice. Even though Creamistry is an investment, the free whipped cream and fresh ice cream make the price worth it.

1. Braum’s
Proximity: 2 miles
Price: $1.59 + 1 free topping and .25 cents for extra toppings
Texture: Thick and creamy
Variety: 27 flavors, 35 toppings
Size of small: true to size in a cup, runs large in a cone
Overall Score: 5/5

*Small cup of scooped vanilla with whipped cream and sprinkles (Lucy Puente/TCU360)*

A classic wallet-friendly ice cream. Braum’s offers 27 flavors and a variety of seasonal flavors, classic toppings, sundaes and cones. With the cheapest price of all the competitors and a wide array of flavors, the combinations are limitless. Braum’s is a Southern exclusive ice cream destination and will leave you wanting their creamy and thick ice cream every day.