Where to Get Ice Cream in Somerville, NJ
By Tiffany Slowinski
There are some decisions I am perfectly capable of making quickly.
Where to get ice cream is apparently not one of them.
Especially in Somerville.
Because if someone says, “Let’s get ice cream,” there are suddenly follow-up questions. Do we want homemade ice cream? Gelato? Soft serve? A milkshake? A giant sundae? Something the kids will love? Somewhere we can walk after dinner? Or are the kids not with us and we can finally order the ice cream with alcohol in it?
This is why we made a guide.
If you’re searching for the best ice cream in Somerville, NJ, there are more options than you might realize. Some are traditional ice cream shops. Others are bakeries, dessert shops, cafés and restaurants that happen to serve some pretty interesting ice cream.
And honestly, those are sometimes the places you would never find by searching “ice cream near me.”
Downtown Somerville has homemade hard ice cream, handcrafted gelato, fresh soft serve, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream floats and small-batch flavors. You can find classic scoops for the kid who orders chocolate every single time, along with flavors like ube and black sesame when you want something a little more interesting.
There are also ice cream shops along Main Street and Division Street, which makes dessert an easy addition to a night downtown.
Dinner in Somerville? Go get ice cream afterward.
Walking around downtown with the kids? Ice cream.
Girls’ night and nobody is ready to go home yet? Dessert.
Date night and you need somewhere to walk after eating approximately twice as much as you intended? Again, ice cream.
There really isn’t a bad occasion for this.
The harder part is knowing where to go.
Maybe you’re looking for homemade ice cream in Somerville. Maybe your kids want soft serve. Maybe you want gelato and espresso after dinner. Maybe someone wants a milkshake while everyone else wants scoops. Maybe you need dairy-free ice cream options. Maybe it’s Monday night and you just need to know which ice cream places are actually open.
Those little details are usually what determine where you end up.
That’s what this Somerville ice cream guide is designed to help with.
We pulled together the places within Somerville where you can actually walk in and buy ice cream to eat. Not just businesses with the words “ice cream” buried somewhere on an old Google listing. Not a restaurant that happens to put a scoop next to one dessert.
Places where getting ice cream can actually be the plan.
And the list is a little more interesting than I expected.
There are traditional scoop shops. There’s handcrafted gelato on Division Street. There are bakeries making their own ice cream. There are dessert shops serving milkshakes and sundaes. You can find bubble waffles with ice cream, ube ice cream desserts and homemade soft serve.
There is even locally made boozy ice cream served at a couple of Somerville restaurants for the adults, which feels like information we all deserved to have.
The guide also helps answer some of the questions people actually search for before heading out: Which Somerville ice cream shops make their own ice cream? Where can you get ice cream on a Monday night? Which places offer dairy-free options? Where can you find gelato, milkshakes or soft serve? What ice cream places are in downtown Somerville?
And because taking a child with a food allergy out for ice cream is an entirely different research project, we’ve also looked at what Somerville businesses publicly say about nut allergies and dietary accommodations. If allergies are a concern, always confirm directly with the shop before ordering.
Whether you’re looking for the best ice cream in Somerville, homemade ice cream, gelato, soft serve, milkshakes, sundaes, dairy-free options, dessert after dinner or simply somewhere fun to take the kids, start here.
Because sometimes you want the hidden little homemade ice cream shop.
Sometimes you want the ridiculous milkshake.
Sometimes you want gelato after date night.
And sometimes your child just wants chocolate in a cone and cannot understand why you’ve spent 10 minutes researching this.
Fair.
We did that part for you.
We did the homework here.
For the places actually worth your time, money and babysitter, follow me: @tiffanyknowsnj.
The Guide: Ice Cream Shops in Somerville and Hillsborough, NJ
Part of the Somerset County ice cream guide
How We Selected These Shops
This guide covers Somerville and Hillsborough.
A business is listed here if you can buy ice cream to eat on the spot: scooped, soft serve, gelato, a sundae, a float or an ice cream shake — no matter what else it sells.
Every ice cream shop in the county, including these, is on our Somerset County ice cream guide: Ice Cream in Somerset County, NJ.
That last part is why this list is longer than any other. A bake shop, a Filipino café and two Main Street bars all sell ice cream in Somerville, and none of them appear when you search for an ice cream shop. Every entry was checked against that business’s own website or posted menu.
Açaí and smoothie bowls are not ice cream, so Playa Bowls is not here. Ice cream served as a garnish on a dessert is not ice cream either. Drunken Dairy makes ice cream in Somerville but has no counter of its own, so it appears where you can actually buy it. Sushi Palace on Division Street lists ice cream on its dessert menu, but the restaurant is all-you-can-eat, so the ice cream comes as part of a full meal rather than something you can walk in and buy on its own — it is not here either.
Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking.
About This Guide
This guide is produced by Garden State Circle. Shops appear here because they meet the criterion described above — you can buy ice cream there and eat it on the spot. That is a test, not a judgment, and it is the only route onto this page. No business can pay to be included in this guide, to be listed higher, or to change what the comparison table says about it. Shops are listed alphabetically, and every detail in the table was verified against each business’s own website or own social account in August 2026.
Everything under the heading that begins this guide is governed by the rules above, on every guide we publish. Where a sponsor’s message appears above that heading, it is paid for and labelled, and it buys nothing in the guide. Garden State Circle is supported by the businesses that participate in it. Participation pays for our ongoing work: keeping a business’s entry accurate, re-checking its record, and publishing a page of its own details that the business maintains. There is no paid placement in this guide. Participation does not buy a place here, a position here, or anything the comparison table says. Ingredients, preparation and allergen handling change, and we record what each business publishes rather than inspecting kitchens. If you have a food allergy, confirm directly with the business before you order. Hours, menus and alcohol policy change often. Every detail here was verified on the date shown above.
Garden State Circle is published locally in New Jersey by Jake and Tiffany Slowinski and serves the surrounding Somerset County towns and covers Somerville and Hillsborough. Contact the publisher at admin@gardenstatecircle.com.
Ice Cream Shops in Somerville and Hillsborough — Compared
| Shop | Type | Made on premises | Monday | Dairy-free published | Record checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baskin-Robbins — 315 US-206, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Baskin-Robbins — 19 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Open | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Blue Sheep Bake Shop — 84 W Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876 | Ice cream and bake shop | Yes — confirmed by owner | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Carvel — 422 Route 206 S, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain ice cream | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Cowabunga Cones and Sweets — Amwell Center, Hillsborough Township, NJ | Ice cream shop | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Dolce Gelato & Espresso Bar — 16 Division St, Somerville, NJ 08876 | Gelato | Yes — states handcrafted | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Epic Desserts — 63 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Not published | Closed | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Fresh Tiki — 15C Division St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Yes — states homemade | Closed (seasonal) | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Kafe de Manila (Facebook) — 120 W Main St Ste B, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| MilkShake Factory — 189 W Main St, Somerville, NJ | Ice cream and milkshake shop | See entry — contested | Open 12–10pm | Yes | Sep 2026 |
| Project P.U.B. — 41 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | No — made by Drunken Dairy, Somerville | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Reunion Hillsborough Sweet Parlor Small Batch Homemade Ice Cream — 601 US-206, Hillsborough Township, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard — 381 Triangle Rd, Hillsborough, NJ | Chain (Italian ice and custard) | No — national chain | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream (Facebook) — 144 E Main St, Somerville, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Yes — states homemade | See entry — contested | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Sweet Parlor (Facebook) — 72 W Main St #A, Somerville, NJ | Not published | Yes — states small batch | Open 12–10pm | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Tapastre — 1 W High St, Somerville, NJ | Not published | No — made by Drunken Dairy, Somerville | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| The Ice House — 378 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Open 12–9:30pm | Yes — states non dairy options | Sep 2026 |
Nearby Ice Cream Shops — Compared
| Shop | Type | Made on premises | Monday | Dairy-free published | Record checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As You Like It Ice Cream Shop — 62 W Somerset St, Raritan, NJ 08869 | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Char Burger and Creamery — 777 US Highway 202, Bridgewater, NJ | Ice cream and burger joint | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Confectionately Yours — 3391 NJ-27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery — 1948 Washington Valley Rd, Martinsville, Bridgewater, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Ice Cream For All — Bridgewater, NJ | Homemade ice cream | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Pinas Locas Quetzaly — 309 E 2nd St, Bound Brook, NJ | Ice cream and dessert | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
| Scoops & Pearls — 484 NJ-28, Bridgewater, NJ | Ice cream and dessert café | Not published | Not found by us | Not published | Sep 2026 |
The Ice Cream Shops
Baskin-Robbins · 315 US-206, Hillsborough, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Baskin-Robbins · 19 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.baskinrobbins.com
Blue Sheep Bake Shop · 84 W Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876
Makes 20 rotating flavors on site, confirmed by the owner in an interview, plus milkshakes, sundaes and custom cakes. gardenstatecircle.com
Carvel · 422 Route 206 S, Hillsborough, NJ
A national ice cream chain location, per its own store locator. locations.carvel.com
Cowabunga Cones and Sweets · Amwell Center, Hillsborough Township, NJ
An ice cream shop with its own Facebook and Instagram; no own website found. facebook.com
Dolce Gelato & Espresso Bar · 16 Division St, Somerville, NJ 08876
States its gelato is handcrafted, alongside espresso and paninis. gardenstatecircle.com
Epic Desserts · 63 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
A dessert business at this address; its own site does not use the word “ice cream” in self-description. gardenstatecircle.com
Fresh Tiki · 15C Division St, Somerville, NJ
A seasonal walk-up window states its ice cream is homemade; its own site’s title tag and About-page body describe the business two different ways. gardenstatecircle.com
Kafe de Manila · 120 W Main St Ste B, Somerville, NJ
Confirmed serving ice cream inside floats and an ice cream sandwich. gardenstatecircle.com
MilkShake Factory · 189 W Main St, Somerville, NJ
An ice cream and milkshake shop; its own site’s homemade claim is contested by another source and is not resolved here. gardenstatecircle.com
Project P.U.B. · 41 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ
Sells Drunken Dairy scoops, made by that Somerville producer rather than on premises. gardenstatecircle.com
Reunion Hillsborough Sweet Parlor Small Batch Homemade Ice Cream · 601 US-206, Hillsborough Township, NJ
A small-batch homemade ice cream shop with its own store-locator page; whether it shares a brand with Somerville’s Sweet Parlor is not confirmed here. sweetparlor.com
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard · 381 Triangle Rd, Hillsborough, NJ
A national Italian ice and frozen custard chain location, per its own site. ritasice.com
Summer Ville Homemade Ice Cream · 144 E Main St, Somerville, NJ
States its ice cream is homemade; its own Monday hours are contested between our record and other sources and are not resolved here. gardenstatecircle.com
Sweet Parlor · 72 W Main St #A, Somerville, NJ
States its ice cream is small batch; its trading name remains unresolved across its own channels. gardenstatecircle.com
Tapastre · 1 W High St, Somerville, NJ
Sells Drunken Dairy scoops, made by that Somerville producer rather than on premises. gardenstatecircle.com
The Ice House · 378 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Sells hard ice cream, soft serve, frozen yogurt and vegan ice cream, and states it offers non-dairy options, per its own site. theicehousenj.com
Nearby Ice Cream Shops
As You Like It Ice Cream Shop · 62 W Somerset St, Raritan, NJ 08869
Sells hard ice cream, soft-serve and frozen yogurt, with ice cream cakes made on site, per its own site. icecreamshop.com
Char Burger and Creamery · 777 US Highway 202, Bridgewater, NJ
An ice cream and burger joint selling floats and hand-spun shakes, per its own ordering page. order.toasttab.com
Confectionately Yours · 3391 NJ-27, Franklin Park, Franklin Township, NJ
Carries a “Homemade Ice Cream Flavors” desserts page on its own site. myconfects.com
Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery · 1948 Washington Valley Rd, Martinsville, Bridgewater, NJ
Carries a dedicated Flavors page on its own site. gabrielsfountain.com
Ice Cream For All · Bridgewater, NJ
A mission-driven scoop shop opened by a local teen, per its own site. icecreamforall.com
Pinas Locas Quetzaly · 309 E 2nd St, Bound Brook, NJ
Sells ice cream desserts, banana splits, paletas and milkshakes, per its own site and storefront ordering page. pinaslocasquetzaly.com
Scoops & Pearls · 484 NJ-28, Bridgewater, NJ
An Indian-inspired ice cream and dessert café, per its own ordering site and Facebook. order.scoopsandpearls.com
Common Questions
What does “as published” mean in the table?
Each cell prints what the business itself states on its own website or its own channel, read on the date in the Record checked column. Where a business does not state something, the cell says Not published; where we searched and found nothing, it says Not found by us.
Are chains included?
Yes. Businesses selling ice cream to eat on the spot, with premises in Somerville or Hillsborough, NJ, are here on the same terms as anyone else, and the Type column shows what each one is.
When was this list last checked?
The Record checked column shows the month each business’s details were last read. If something here is wrong or has changed, the correction note at the end of this guide says how to tell us.
Additional Resources
Coffee Shops and Cafés in Somerset County, NJ
Something out of date?
This guide is maintained. If anything here is wrong or has changed — a name, an address, hours or ownership — tell us and we will check it. And if you run a business selling ice cream that should be on this list and is not: the test is the same one every business here cleared — that you sell ice cream to eat on the spot, regardless of what else you sell, with premises in Somerville or Hillsborough, NJ. Show us that and you go on the page.
admin@gardenstatecircle.com
This is not a ranking.
More Somerville guides
- Ice Cream With a Nut Allergy in Somerville, NJ: What to Ask Before You Order
- Dirty Sodas in Somerville, NJ: What They Are and How One Bakery Makes Them
- Somerville, NJ Restaurants: Which Are BYOB and Which Have a Bar
More Garden State Circle Guides
Somerville and Hillsborough
- Electricians in Somerville
- Heating and cooling contractors in Somerville
- Orthodontists in Somerville, Hillsborough and Belle Mead
- Roofing contractors in Somerville
- Siding and window contractors in Somerville
- Somerville restaurants: which are BYOB and which have a bar
- Ice cream with a nut allergy in Somerville
- Dirty sodas in Somerville
- Med spas in Bridgewater and Somerville
- Roofing contractors in Bridgewater
- Siding and window contractors in Bridgewater
- Dentists in Somerville
- Coffee shops and cafés in Downtown Somerville
More guides to this area
Every guide we publish is listed at Garden State Circle Guides.
Part of Somerville and Hillsborough Guides · Ice Cream in Somerset County, NJ