On a hot summer day, we all know that nothing is better than an ice cream. Many of us have our go-to spot, flavor, and toppings. Well, why don’t we switch it up every once in a while? As most people would tell you, we don’t want to try new things because we don’t know if we will like them or not. Why spend time and money going somewhere for a mediocre ice cream? If you live in the Pentucket area and are itching for the perfect ice cream to suit your taste, one of these places will surely satisfy you. 

Firstly, let’s talk about how I rated these places. I split my review up into multiple categories, including flavor, texture, toppings, and service speed/quality. Those things are important to take into account because, whether we realize it or not, the specific ice cream isn’t the only thing that makes us enjoy getting it. We love the nostalgia of going to the same place for years, or the familiar faces we see scooping our ice cream. 

Scoops (West Newbury):

If you ask the people of West Newbury their favorite local ice cream shop, the vast majority will tell you to head on over to Scoops. The store has been around for many years, and is also connected to an adorable farm stand. I recently went to Scoops, and this is what I thought about it:

Flavor: 9/10. Scoops ice cream will always hit the spot on a hot day. Its flavors are consistently refreshing, yet not too strong. 

Texture: 7/10. The texture was not bad, but I will say that it can become pretty melty. 

Toppings: 9/10. When looking at the menu for Scoops, it is clear that the variety of toppings are pretty impressive, but the list is not completely up to date.

Service: 9/10. Scoops is primarily run by teens, which keeps the mood light whenever you need an ice cream. However, the service isn’t incredibly fast, especially when the shop is busy. 

Overall: I would rate Scoops a solid 9/10. It is a simple little shop, and while the variety isn’t super vast, it is home to every classic ice cream flavor, and there is genuinely something for everyone. It will leave you feeling satisfied, but not stuffed, and is always a happy experience. 

Jeff and Maria’s (Groveland):

I was introduced to Jeff and Maria’s relatively recently, and I will say that it was a very fortunate occurrence. It is similar to Scoops in that it is a small shop, but it has a great vibe and is consistently good. 

Flavor: 9/10. Once again, the flavor is solid and consistent, with just the right amount of lightness and richness. 

Texture: 8/10. The texture is very similar to Scoops, in that it is initially very good but gets pretty melty quickly. 

Toppings: 9/10. It has a great variety of toppings, and if you are envisioning your ice cream with an unconventional topping, they probably have it. 

Service: 8/10. The service is pretty good, but they usually aren’t super swamped and the service can be a little slow at times.  

Overall: I would give Jeff and Maria’s an 8/10. I would rate it an 8 because I feel like it is definitely consistently good, but it is kind of out of the way for most people in the Pentucket area, as it is on the back side of Groveland. Even though it always does the trick, it is usually a solid second choice, but usually not a first. 

Hodgies (Amesbury):

While Hodgies is in Amesbury, it is very close to Merrimac, and is honestly worth the drive to. They have an amazing selection of different flavors and toppings, and the place as a whole just runs very smoothly. 

Flavor: 9/10. The flavor is great and they have a great variety of flavors to choose from. The specials are unique, but delicious, and they change at just the right speed. 

Texture: 9/10. The texture is great, and due to the practical packaging, melty ice cream is not a problem. 

Toppings: 9/10. Once again, the variety that Hodgies has in their toppings is top notch. They have a long list of tried and true toppings and there is something for everyone. 

Service: 10/10. Honestly, the service at Hodgies is some of the best I have seen. It is primarily run by teens and they are very fast in getting you whatever you ordered fully intact. 

Overall: I would give Hodgies a 10/10. It is such a classic place to go, and is so consistently good that it almost makes me never want to go anywhere else. They do ice cream better than very many other places, and I always leave happy. 

Simply Sweet (Newburyport):

Simply Sweet is definitely one of the best ice cream shops out there. It is tucked away in downtown Newburyport, and whenever you are walking around it is super easy to pop in, get yourself a quick treat, and head down to the water to walk or sit on the boardwalk and enjoy some great ice cream. 

Flavor: 10/10. Something about the flavor of simply sweet ice cream is so unique and so delicious. It is so flavorful, yet never too thick or rich, and it never tastes too artificial or sugary. 

Texture: 10/10. It also has such a great texture, especially for hard ice cream. It takes much longer than average to melt and is genuinely perfect to refresh anyone on a hot summer day or evening. 

Toppings: 8/10. I will say that the variety of toppings shown in the shop are not incredibly diverse, but they have basic toppings that are traditional classics.

Service: 8/10. The service is pretty average, and they also have a pretty high card minimum, which can get pretty annoying, as you can’t buy their two smallest ice cream sizes without cash. 

Overall: 9/10. Personally I think Simply Sweet is ice cream done completely right, and I love how its location is in the center of Newburyport, yet also how it is kind of a hidden shop because it is smushed in between other stores. Its ice cream has such an amazing flavor, and walking around Newburyport with a Simply Sweet cone in your hand and a smile on your face is an experience I will always enthusiastically recommend. 

Harbor Creamery (Newburyport):

Flavor: 10/10. Harbor creamery is one of the more unique places that I rated, because it has many of its own unique flavors. Some of my personal favorites include red raspberry chip, chocolate milk and cookies, and sea salt. (Sea salt is so uniquely delicious it is a MUST try) 

Texture: 9/10. I would say the texture is pretty good, but not something that specifically stood out to me. 

Toppings: 9/10. Once again, they have the good, solid, basic toppings, and that is enough for most people.

Service: 10/10. Honestly the service is great, paying is super easy, and you usually get your ice cream at a very fast pace.

Overall: 9/10. Don’t get me wrong, Harbor Creamery is one of my go-to ice cream spots, but the price can sometimes be more than expected. I didn’t put price as a category because I felt like most of the places that I went to had similar prices. One ice cream can become more expensive than expected, but I personally think that it is completely worth it for the taste and how much ice cream you are getting. It is such good ice cream, and the store itself is very cute.

Dolce Freddo Gelato (Newburyport):

Flavor: 10/10. This place probably had the most unique and best flavor out of everywhere I went and I loved how refreshing and light it was. The gelato felt like something that anyone could eat a lot of without feeling too full. 

Texture: 10/10. Even though it could become melty I would still consider it perfect because it was so smooth and creamy. 

Toppings: 10/10. I didn’t get any crazy toppings when getting the gelato, but I did see their selection and it was very good. It reminded me of the type of toppings that are available at frozen yogurt shops, which in my opinion are very good.

Service: 10/10. The service was so good and probably the fastest out of every place I went. 

Overall: 10/10. No surprises there, I personally think if you are looking for something a little unconventional a gelato is exactly the way to go and will definitely satisfy your craving for ice cream!

Now that you know a little more about your local ice cream shops, this is your free pass to go try them out and get yourself whatever ice cream you are currently craving!