Ice Cream Shop in Nashville

June 15, 2026

An ice cream shop offers something a grocery freezer aisle cannot: a scoop counter where the cream is churned in small batches a few gallons at a time, a case of seasonal and signature flavors built around local ingredients, and a window or a couple of tables where a cone is handed over the moment it is dipped. Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its mix of neighborhood scoop shops, downtown landmarks, and creameries that make their own base gives the city one of the deepest independent frozen-dessert scenes in the state. From a downtown counter on Second Avenue to Southern-flavor creameries in Donelson and East Nashville, the city’s beloved local shops have built their reputations one batch at a time rather than through national advertising.

Frozen desserts come in several distinct styles across Nashville, and knowing them helps a customer choose. Hard-scoop ice cream is churned, hardened, and dipped to order, while soft serve is dispensed at a warmer temperature for a lighter texture. Gelato, made with more milk and less cream and churned with less air, is denser and served slightly warmer than American ice cream, and sorbet is a dairy-free fruit base for customers avoiding dairy. A handful of Nashville shops build their identity around making the base in house, churning in small batches and folding in cookies, cakes, jams, and sauces they prepare themselves, and several keep rotating seasonal flavors that follow Tennessee fruit through the year. Most independent ice cream shops handle both dine-in and takeout, and many add coffee, milkshakes, waffle cones, and dairy-free options to round out the menu.

Every shop serving prepared frozen desserts in Nashville operates under a food-service framework administered through the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County, working in coordination with the Tennessee Department of Health and its Environmental Health Program. A shop must hold a current food-service permit and pass routine sanitation inspections, which score kitchens on cold-holding temperatures, handwashing, equipment sanitation, and cross-contamination control. Shops that make their own ice cream follow frozen-dessert food-safety rules covering the pasteurized dairy base, cold storage, and the handling of mix-ins. Prepared food sold by a shop is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate rather than the reduced grocery rate; in Davidson County that combined rate reaches 9.75%, and it appears on the check for a cone, a pint, or a milkshake alike.

A few additional points shape how a Nashville ice cream shop runs. Shops that source their dairy from a named Tennessee farm or churn a base from scratch often highlight that practice, and a posted permit and a clean inspection score signal a kitchen following the rules. Consumer questions and complaints about a shop, from billing disputes to advertising concerns, fall under the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs and the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). For customers, the practical takeaways are simple: a posted permit and inspection score indicate a kitchen following sanitation rules, asking whether the base is made in house clarifies what sets a creamery apart from a freezer-pack scoop shop, and confirming hours matters because some of Nashville’s most loved shops follow seasonal schedules with shorter winter hours.

Top Ice Cream Shop Providers in Nashville

1. Mike’s Ice Cream

Address: 129 2nd Avenue N, Nashville, TN 37201
Phone: (615) 742-6453
Website: https://www.mikesicecream.com
Services: homemade hard-scoop ice cream, more than 30 rotating flavors, ice cream desserts, gourmet espresso and coffee, seasonal hot chocolates, dine-in, takeout
Description: Mike’s Ice Cream is a downtown Nashville scoop shop on Second Avenue North in the heart of the city’s historic district. The shop serves homemade ice cream with more than 30 flavors available at any given time, including local favorites such as Tennessee Fudge, Rocky Top Road, and banana pudding, alongside ice cream desserts and one of the larger coffee and espresso selections downtown. Mike’s pairs its scoop counter with seating, making it both a quick stop for a cone and a place to sit, and the shop has been featured in national outlets including People magazine and the Rachael Ray program. The combination of a made-in-house approach, a deep rotating flavor list, and a long-standing downtown location has made it a recognizable Nashville stop rather than a national chain.

2. Hattie Jane’s Creamery

Address: 1317 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37216
Phone: (615) 649-8307
Website: https://hattiejanescreamery.com
Services: small-batch ice cream churned from scratch, Southern-inspired signature flavors, seasonal flavors, dairy-free options, scoops, pints, online pickup ordering, dine-in, takeout
Description: Hattie Jane’s Creamery is a small-batch creamery founded in 2016 by Claire Crowell, who named the business after her eldest daughter, Hattie Jane. The company churns its ice cream from a proprietary base made with local milk from Tennessee cows and builds its menu around Southern-inspired flavors such as Nana Puddin’, Brown Butter Pecan, and the Goo Goo and Jack, along with dairy-free options like Strawberry Jam and rotating seasonal flavors. Hattie Jane’s grew from its original Columbia shop into multiple Tennessee locations, including East Nashville on McGavock Pike, Donelson on Lebanon Pike, and a stand inside the Assembly Food Hall downtown, plus Murfreesboro. The woman-founded, scratch-churned, small-batch model and the Southern flavor lineup distinguish it from a soft-serve or freezer-pack operation.

3. Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee

Address: 2400 Music Valley Drive, Suite A, Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: (615) 724-1201
Website: https://www.mimisicecreamandcoffee.com
Services: house-made ice cream made daily, 24 rotating flavors, seasonal flavors, sorbet, gluten-free and lactose-free and low-fat options, homemade waffle cones, coffee, dozens of toppings, dine-in, takeout
Description: Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee is a family-owned shop on Music Valley Drive near the Opryland area, run by a family with more than 60 years in the restaurant business and currently managed by founder Mimi’s grandson, Dane. The shop makes its ice cream daily and keeps 24 flavors on hand, adding new ones each month and rotating in seasonal offerings such as fresh peach in summer and pecan pie in fall, alongside sorbet and gluten-free, lactose-free, and low-fat options. Mimi’s makes its own waffle cones, offers dozens of toppings for customization, and pairs the scoop counter with coffee service. The made-daily approach, the rotating seasonal lineup, and the multi-generational family ownership set it apart from a standard counter operation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ice Cream Shop in Nashville

Q: What permits does an ice cream shop in Nashville need to operate?

A shop serving prepared frozen desserts in Nashville must hold a current food-service permit and pass routine sanitation inspections administered through the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County, in coordination with the Tennessee Department of Health and its Environmental Health Program. Inspections review cold-holding temperatures, handwashing, equipment sanitation, and cross-contamination control. Shops that make their own ice cream also follow frozen-dessert food-safety rules covering the pasteurized dairy base and cold storage.

Q: How much sales tax is charged on ice cream in Nashville?

Prepared food sold by an ice cream shop is taxed at the full combined sales-tax rate rather than the reduced grocery rate. In Davidson County that combined rate reaches 9.75%, and it applies to a cone, a pint, or a milkshake alike. The tax appears on the check, and an itemized receipt makes clear how the food and the tax are calculated.

Q: What is the difference between ice cream, gelato, and sorbet?

Ice cream is churned with more cream and more air, giving it a richer, fluffier texture, and it is served frozen hard for scooping. Gelato is made with more milk and less cream and is churned with less air, so it is denser and is served slightly warmer. Sorbet contains no dairy and is made from a fruit base, which makes it a common choice for customers avoiding dairy. Several Nashville shops specialize in one of these styles, so customers can choose accordingly.

Q: Which Nashville ice cream shops make their own ice cream?

Several Nashville shops churn their own base in small batches rather than serving pre-made tubs. Hattie Jane’s Creamery churns from a proprietary base with local Tennessee milk, Mimi’s Ice Cream and Coffee makes its ice cream daily, and Mike’s Ice Cream serves homemade scoops downtown. Shops that make their own base often highlight the practice and rotate seasonal flavors, so asking at the counter is a reliable way to confirm.

Q: Do Nashville ice cream shops offer dairy-free options?

Many Nashville ice cream shops carry dairy-free options, typically sorbet or a non-dairy base made from coconut, almond, or oat milk. Hattie Jane’s Creamery offers dairy-free flavors such as Strawberry Jam, and Mimi’s carries sorbet along with lactose-free and gluten-free options. Because availability rotates, customers with dietary restrictions should confirm current offerings before a visit.

Q: How do I file a complaint about a Nashville ice cream shop?

Consumer complaints about a shop, including billing disputes and advertising concerns, can be directed to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which administers the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Concerns specifically about sanitation or food safety can be reported to the Metro Public Health Department, which conducts the inspections. Keeping the receipt and any documentation strengthens a complaint.