Coffee House Creamery (3780 Jackson Rd)

Coffee House Creamery is the perfect place for a post-movie scoop of ice cream. Located right across the parking lot from Quality 16 (on Jackson Rd.), the cozy and fragrant ice cream store offers an interesting range of flavors ranging from mango to Cappuccino Crunch. As soon as the door opens, each customer is greeted by friendly staff and music playing in the background. There are tables scattered about, as well as a seating area outside. Not only is ice cream served there, but coffee, sandwiches, soup and cookies are also for sale. The vanilla ice cream was creamy in texture, but didn’t have a strong of a vanilla taste.  A solid plus was that it was light and fluffy. However, their specialty ice cream Cappuccino Crunch hit the mark. A coffee ice cream with a dark chocolate and toffee swirls; Cappuccino Crunch left a bold aftertaste and wasn’t overly sweet.

Baskin Robbins (1952 West Stadium Blvd)

To be honest, Baskin Robbins is a bit of a letdown. They have really interesting flavors, but as they are sampled, you realize they all have similar flavoring. If there was a way to make ice cream too sweet, well, Baskin Robbins has succeeded. Their vanilla had absolutely no flavor, but the texture was still acceptable. The ice cream is hard, and too vibrantly colored. The flavor of the month is Firehouse. It is supposed to be hot cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon candy and vanilla ice cream swirls. However, the cinnamon was sweet and the ice cream was really grainy, with hard cinnamon candies mixed throughout. As disappointing as the flavors are, people go back for more all the time.

Kilwin’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream (107 East Liberty St)

Originating in Petoskey, Michigan, Kilwin’s uses their own original recipes. After walking into the store, the first thing that is noticeable is how old fashioned everything looks. Kilwin’s has been in Ann Arbor since 1983, and the only changes have been the flavors of ice cream that have been offered. The town favorite is Ann Arbor Mud; Made out of vanilla ice cream with caramel and chocolate flakes, this flavor has a great texture and leaves a lovely chocolate aftertaste, despite being on the sweet side. Another Ann Arbor favorite is Toasted Coconut. Consisting of coconut ice cream with chocolate-covered coconut flakes, this ice cream has a crisp and refreshing taste. However, Kilwin’s vanilla ice cream is a pinch too much. The vanilla flavoring was very strong and the consistency is thicker in comparison to other stores. Nonetheless, Kilwin’s is one of the most popular ice cream stores downtown, and one of the best places to get ice cream during the summer.

Stucchi’s (302 South State St)

Stucchi’s is one of the better known ice cream shops downtown. The shop smells like warm cookies and evokes happy feelings in each customer. The vanilla was a touch too cold, but had a strong flavor. One of their more popular flavors is the White Russian Fudge. It’s a coffee based ice cream with fudge ripples and fudge chunks. Not only does this ice cream have a sweet aftertaste, the fudge chunks give the ice cream good texture. The fudge also doesn’t get too hard from being in the freezer. Stucchi’s is located right next door to Ben and Jerry’s, which does leave room for a little competition, but if you are looking for the more traditional flavors like strawberry or mint chocolate chip, Stucchi’s is the place to go.

Ben and Jerry’s (304 South State St)

Ben and Jerry’s, while not native to Ann Arbor, is definitely one of the more popular ice cream shops in town. The colorful and extremely friendly atmosphere is one of the many perks about this shop. Ben and Jerry’s creates their own ice cream at the Ben and Jerry’s headquarters located in Burlington, Vermont. Each flavor is tested in different shops across the nation, and right now the Ben and Jerry’s located on South State Street is offering the “Late Night Snack” flavor. This ice cream is made of vanilla bean ice cream, with salty caramel and fudge covered potato crisp clusters. It may sound unappetizing, but all of the ingredients produce a sweet and salty combination that is sure to please it’s consumer. The vanilla flavor has a creamy yellow color, and each scoop is dense and packed full of flavor. Another positive thing about Ben and Jerry’s is that they have decided to make all of their ice cream strictly “fair-trade,” by 2013.

Washtenaw Dairy (602 South Ashley St)

Washtenaw Dairy is probably the best known ice cream shop in Ann Arbor. Located on South Ashley Street, Washtenaw Dairy offers the largest variety of flavors as well as the biggest scoops for the best price. The vanilla ice cream had a harder texture, but managed to be creamier once it started to melt.  The popular flavors are peppermint and cookies ‘n cream, but if one want to mix it up, try Michigan Black Cherry. A combination of vanilla ice cream with cherry flavoring and cherry bits mixed throughout, the texture is pleasantly surprising. The only thing that would be a little bit disappointing about Washtenaw Dairy is bit packed full during peak hours resulting in the shop being a touch too warm to stay inside. Fortunately, there are benches outside that are the perfect place to enjoy a cone.