Dairy Queen

Address: 73 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic
Price: $2.89 for a small Blizzard
Score: 7/10

While not as home-grown as the other places on the list, Dairy Queen is still nonetheless one of the most popular ice cream places for students. And while a Blizzard may not be the same as normal ice cream, it has that artificial deliciousness that sometimes is all you need. You don’t typically go to Dairy Queen to get ice cream, but to explore a variety of shakes, blizzards, and more, such as the S’mores Blizzard of the Month we tried. The chunks of chocolate and graham cracker mixed into the Blizzard made for a delicious contrast of textures, much like you get in a real s’more. It’s about the experience that’ll make memories and moments that you can laugh about later. In conclusion, decent ice cream, but better as an experience.

Gumdrops & Lollipops

Address: 334 Main Street, Niantic

Flavors: Up to 43
Price: $4.50 for a small cup
Score: 8/10

With its bright yellow exterior and classic 1950s interior, Gumdrops & Lollipops stands out as a key part of Main Street. This classic candy store also does classic ice cream flavors best, as the plain vanilla we ordered was outstanding. This flavor can tend to be overlooked, especially when there’s usually other flavors with more to them, but Gumdrops & Lollipops has a very flavorful and refreshing vanilla. The other flavors were good as well, such as the Chocolate Ship we also ordered. Taking note of both the wonderfully vintage theme of the store and also the prices on the menu, it earned a very close second in our rankings.

Salem Valley Farms

Address: 20 Darling Rd, Salem

Flavors: Up to 68
Price: $5.80 for a small cone
Score: 10/10

An iconic attraction of Salem, Salem Valley Farms takes the top spot for its amazing variety of unique flavors. From Peanut Butter Fudge to Key “Lyme” Pie, there’s always something new for you to try on your next visit. We went with a cup of Cow Tracks: vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate chips, and it was absolutely mouthwatering. The base vanilla which we also ordered was alright, but Salem Valley Farms isn’t the type of place that you’d go to for plain vanilla. Overall, definitely deserving of the top ice cream spot out of the three.