Written By: Shawn Krajewski
As I'm writing this, Salem, along with the rest of Massachusetts, is currently experiencing a major heatwave. And do you know what helps with the heat the best? AC, but also the concoction of frozen dairy and sugar known as ice cream. Ice cream is the second best dessert of summer, behind, of course, ice cream sandwiches. So, if you find yourself in Salem, I highly recommend visiting these three notable locations to satisfy your craving for frozen treats and beat the heat.
1. Melt
Melt is a classic in Salem food. While it may not be as good as its hay day a couple of years ago, it still stands as one of the highest quality ice cream places in Salem. Plus, it is incredibly convenient as it is on 60 Washington Street, which is just down the street from downtown where most tourists hang out. The quality of the ice cream at Melt is nothing to scoff at either. The texture has gotten a little harder in the past few years, but if you're like me, that's more of a positive.
The combination of the taste and quality of this ice cream and the convenience of the location makes this a good spot for downtown shenanigans. Plus, the flavor is fantastic, there are good portion sizes and decent consistencies. To top it off, Melt is located in a really nice area that is not far from the action of downtown. My only gripe with Melt is that there's nothing else to talk about. Their ice cream is just solid. That being said, they did remove their rotational community-suggested flavors which is a huge bummer. However, they have great ice cream with no unnecessary gimmicks and stories.
2. Treadwell’s
Treadwell's is another classic as it has been around for longer than I can remember. I remember going to Treadwell's fifteen years ago when I was a wee tot. And you don't last this long without being good, and Treadwell's is good. Their ice cream quality isn't at the top of this list, but it is close; however, there's a lot more to ice cream than just texture. The taste of their ice cream is very high quality, but that's not what I'm referring to.
Treadwell's hasn't changed its portion sizes since they were serving discourse, meaning their ice creams are humongous. Seriously, if you get a small, they scoop out a half-pound of frozen goodness and somehow balance that on a cone. Now, on to the flavors! They have the largest amount of options out of any of the ice cream places. The menu located on the side of the shop is the size of two doors placed horizontally. The only thing, and I do mean the only thing holding Treadwell's back, is not the price or taste, it's the location. On 46 Margin Street, Treadwell's is very out of the way.
3. Holy Cow
I deeply regret saying this, but I seriously underestimated this place. For the longest time, I thought people only went to Holy Cow because it was close and accessible. Not only was I wrong about this, but this might honestly be the best location on this list. I went to the one specifically down by the willows on 181 Fort Ave. I cannot say anything about the other Holy Cow locations, but this one has the best quality ice cream I've ever had in Salem. The texture is nearly perfect — slightly liquidy and creamy, yet still firm enough to hold its shape. It also melts elegantly in your mouth and massages your taste buds. And the flavor? The taste is exquisite, powerful, and pronounced. The chocolate ice cream felt like I was getting punched in the teeth with a chocolaty flavor. That being said, my favorite flavor is cereal milk.
Honorable Mention - Dairy Witch
Dairy Witch on 117 Boston Street isn't specifically an ice cream place, as they specialize in soft serve (which is why I didn't count it). Nevertheless, if it weren't for Holy Cow, Dairy Witch would be the best ice cream shop on this list. In fact, its serving sizes might be enough to push slightly above Holy Cow. You already know they serve up great ice cream, so just swap out the traditional scoop for soft serve, and you've got Dairy Witch in a nutshell. What sets this place apart, though, are their rotating sundaes. Every few days, they switch up their soft serve sundaes, served in tall, slender cups. These soft serves are simply delicious—there's no other way to put it. It's like drinking and eating something between a milkshake and ice cream. Overall, Dairy Witch is really good and I highly suggest you go there!
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