I scream, you scream, the dog screams (or at least whines loudly) for ice cream! There’s nothing like spending time outside with your furry companion, and doing it with a cone in hand is one of summer’s greatest delights. And there are a whole bunch of local ice cream shops where you can wolf down a creamy treat and get some fur-covered quality time in all at once. Here are 13 of our favorite dog-friendly Twin Cities ice cream shops. And we’re spillin’ the kibble on which ones have dog ice cream too. (Just note that the following sweet spots are dog-friendly on the outdoor spaces only unless otherwise stated.)
Minneapolis Dog-friendly Ice Cream Shops
1. Fletcher’s Ice Cream
Stop by Fletcher’s for a delectable cup or cone! Fido can come along and enjoy the dog-friendly patio with you, too—he can even get a special dog ice cream with a treat on top.
2. MN Nice Cream
When you start with locally-sourced soft serve, you’re already in for a creamy treat. Throw in MN Nice Cream’s dog-friendly patio and adorable soft serve pup cups—plus the fact that they’ve got a food truck!—and you’re in for a super sweet experience.
3. Milkjam Creamery
Milkjam’s got inventive and ever-changing flavors for two-legged patrons like you wouldn’t believe, from Thai Tea to Pineapple Lychee to Hawaii N Punch. And they take care of their four-legged guests as well, with take-home peanut butter ice cream bones.
4. Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream Cafe
This ice cream cafe has the best of both worlds: frozen treats for your sweet tooth, coffee and caffeine for a little boost. Bring your buddy and grab a table on the patio!
5. Pumphouse Creamery
Food & Wine has recognized Pumphouse as one of the 25 best ice cream shops in the country… so what are you waiting for? Your pup demands you grab a treat and a table at Pumphouse Creamery’s outdoor seating area.
St. Paul Dog-friendly Ice Cream Spots
6. Grand Ole Creamery
With a long tradition in ice cream and more than 200 flavors in their repertoire, you can bet you and your pup will need to visit Grand Ole Creamery’s patio again and again.
7. Nelson’s Ice Cream
Nelson’s is known for dishing up ginormous cones, and they love it when canines get in on the fun. Don’t sleep on their location in Stillwater either—it’s been in business since the 1920s!
8. Nellie’s Ice Cream
The little sister shop to Nelson’s, Nellie’s specializes in super-fun, customizable ice cream cookie sandwiches. Plus, they have Frosty Paws ice cream for dogs!
9. Conny’s Creamy Cone
Come to Conny’s for the delightful old-school vibes, where humans can enjoy two-dozen flavors of soft serve and pups can partake of a pup cup on the pint-sized patio. Conny’s even donates the proceeds from those canine cups to a local nonprofit called Canine Inspired Change.
10. Treats MN
This recent addition to Grand Ave. mixes cereal and ice cream to make treats like the the Cocoa Party, ice cream topped with cocoa puffs, cocoa pebbles, chocolate chips, and a marshmallow stick on top. What’s even better is pup can join you on the patio and watch the passersby.
Dog-Friendly Ice Cream Elsewhere in Minnesota
11. Sweet Science
This spot’s all-natural ice cream really is a wonder of science. But you don’t need a degree to know that a trip to their new Edina location—which opens on a big plaza with plenty of seating—will be a perfect destination for a stroll with your pup. A little less in the lab; a little more with the lab.
12. The Social Ice Cream Parlor
The Social Ice Cream Parlor in Victoria is a classic. You know the drill: pick a flavor, size, and cone (or cup), then head to the patio and dig into your topping-covered treat alongside your furry companion.
13. Dairy Queen
That’s right, Rover: Lots of Twin Cities Dairy Queen locations offer a small serving of vanilla soft serve known as a “pup cup” for their furry patrons. Some locations even serve up this sweet treat for free, but please call ahead to make sure—policies vary from store to store.
Drooling yet? Go on and get the two of you a frosty treat! Then tag your ice-creamy pics with #SidewalkDog on Instagram for a chance to be featured.
Featured photo: Frantisek Krejci
Sidewalk Dog’s mission is to help dog parents spend more time with their puppers by discovering and sharing activities they can do and places they can go—together! Sniff out our award-winning newsletter and Instagram, and join our Dog-Friendly Twin Cities Facebook Group.