Climb Aboard the Cambridge Ice Cream Train
If you asked where to get ice cream in Cambridge, Ontario 20 years ago, you would have had very few choices. It was easier to walk to your corner store or yell for the Dickie Dee than to get your own delicious scoop of sweet ice creamy goodness – but not anymore! Cambridge has become quite the hot bed for icey treats. To help make your lives easier (and make our tastebuds happier) we at Cbridge.ca have done the research and put together a tantalizing trip around town in order to find the best ice cream in your neighbourhood. So climb aboard the Ice Cream Train because we are about to make your tastebuds very, very, hungry.
Please note: locations serving hard and soft ice cream as well as frozen yogurt have all been packaged together for you in this one great list. All locations have a walk up counter for your ordering convenience.
[wpgmza id=”3″]
Indulge Ice Cream
The best way to start off any ice cream train is with a real train – welcome to The Caboose! Located on the very edge of Cambridge at the corner of Water Street and Myers Road, The Caboose offers up fresh waffle cones and ice cream served from inside a former Canadian Pacific Rail car. Find that a trip to Galt just doesn’t work? Great news! Indulge has an adorable second location on Queen Street in Hespeler that is reminiscent of an old malt shop from the 1950’s or 60’s. Each Indulge shop is known for their huge double scoops of ice cream in many different flavours and waffle cones that are made on site. Rather have soft serve or a milkshake? They have those too! Both Indulge shops should be a definite stop on your Cambridge Ice Cream Tour!
301 Water Street South, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
10 Queen Street East, Cambridge, Ontario (Hespeler)Papou’s Place
One of Cambridge’s original ice cream shops is next on our Ice Cream Train. Not only do they have delicously delightful sandwiches and subs, but they have some great ice cream too. They even have two two locations to choose from – the original location in the heart of Hespeler’s downtown and a second location in West Galt near the corner of Cedar and St. Andrews. Hard ice cream in a variety of flavours and at fantastic prices, Papous a great way to get some sweetness in your life!
3A Queen Street East, Cambridge, Ontario (Hespeler)
73 Cedar Street, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
Dairy Queen
Our next stop takes us to not one, not two, but three different locations in town – welcome to the Land of Dairy Queen! Sweet soft ice cream, sundaes, shakes, ice cream pizzas, ice cream sandwiches, cakes and my personal favourite – the Frosty. With locations in The Cambridge Centre, Preston near Riverside Park and near the Delta intersection in Galt, not only is there a location close to you, but the menu truly has something for everyone when visiting this stop on The Ice Cream Train.
258 Water Street North, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
328 King St E, Cambridge, Ontario (Preston)
355 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario (Cambridge Centre)Baskin Robbins
Choo, choo, choose from 31 Flavours at Baskin Robbins. With unique flavours like World Class Chocolate and Jamoca Almond Fudge, Baskin Robbins with it’s clear glass cases, variety of cone or cup options, sundaes, shakes and cake will be sure to light up the eyes of the kid in all of us.
11-425 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario (Central Cambridge)
Laura Secord
If you are a lover of shopping and ice cream, you will love the next stop on our tour. Laura Secord is located in the Cambridge Centre and serves up a variety of creamy and delectable hard ice cream flavours. Each order gets topped with a signature chocolate, which just adds to the fun of stopping in at one of Canada’s favourite ice cream chains.
355 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario (Cambridge Centre)
Hometown Grill & Ice Cream
Family friendly service abounds on this stop on the Ice Cream Train. Located near the heart of downtown Preston, Their selection truly cannot compare to Baskin Robbins, but there is variety to the hard ice cream along with a home town feeling that is served out of this delightfully independent business. Get your ice cream fix this time and be sure to return for some of their delicious french fries and burgers.
916 King Street East, Cambridge, ON (Preston)
The Village Eatery
We are swinging over to Hespeler for our next stop on The Ice Cream Train. Located in the quaint Hespeler downtown core, serving the scoops is not the main business for The Village Eatery. Locally they are better known for delicious and occasionally healthy food options. However with the addition of an ice cream freezer, this restaurant is more than capable of serving up some tempting treats.
12 Queen Street East, Cambridge, Ontario (Hespeler)
L.A. Franks
Our train is going to take us into Mill Race Park in downtown Galt next because nothing screams summer is here as much as when L.A. Franks opens. This truly iconic Cambridge gem has been scooping up hard ice cream and serving specialty french fries, hot dogs and hamburgers since 1992 and happens to be in one of the prettiest locations in town. Mill Race Park is the perfect setting to hop off the train, grab your cone and take a wander. You will be happy you did.
104 Water Street North, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
Menchies
Stepping away from hard ice cream for a bit, next up is an ice cream and candy lovers paradise. This is what heaven would look like if you wanted to eat all the sweet (and occasionally sour) things at once. You pour your own ice cream and pick all your own toppings and sauces before it is all weighed at the counter. This is now your chance to load up on as much chocolate sauce, ice cream and cereal as your heart could desire. **Pro tip: watch your kids closely as before you know it, their simple treat after soccer may turn into a mortgage payment.
95 Saginaw Parkway Unit 2, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
Crepe Delicious
Did you love the idea of building your own icy treat but want something a little different? You’ll love taking in the next stop on our tour. Crepe Delicious offers up a taste of Italy by serving gelato in a variety of flavours. Located in the Cambridge Centre, you can enjoy your sweet treat in between shopping for some new shoes. Same as above however, watch your toppings as these icey treats are charged by weight.
355 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario (Cambridge Centre)
Marble Slab Creamery
If you liked the idea of building your own ice cream flavour out of soft serve, you will love creating concoctions with hard ice cream through Mable Slab Creamery. You choose the items and the staff will mix it all together overtop of a frozen metal plate to ensure a consistent flavour/texture throughout. If you have not had the pleasure of stopping into a Marble Slab, it is highly recommended and this location in the South Cambridge Shopping Centre is the last one in town.
200 Franklin Boulevard, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
Barnacle Bills
As the train rolls it’s way back to Galt, it has soft ice cream on it’s mind. Sweet, delicious and cold from a somewhat unlikely source. Barnacle Bills is traditionally known for fish & chips (which are amazing by the way), but did you know that they also serve soft ice cream? With a walk up counter and vanilla, chocolate and twist soft serve in a regular or waffle cone, it’s a great stop before or after walking over the new pedestrian bridge.
47 Grand Avenue South, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
McDonald’s
We are chugging along into the most recognizable restaurant in the world – McDonald’s. Nearly everyone knows the sweet goodness of the vanilla swirl atop a delicious cone. Sure they serve some other things, but their ice cream is loved the world over and is certainly loved by the people in Cambridge – in fact, we have 4 locations to serve you.
400 Main Street East, Cambridge, Ontario (Galt)
416 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario
100 Jamieson Parkway, Cambridge, Ontario (Hespeler)
22 Pinebush Road, Cambridge, Ontario (inside Wal-Mart)
No Udder
The final stop on the Ice Cream Train just happens to be newest, and hottest spot for ice cream in town, and yet they don’t even serve traditional ice cream. Known as the only ice cream parlor in town that offers small batch, vegan, gluten free and nut free ice cream by the scoop, we introduce you to No Udder. With a rotating menu of flavours, No Udder opened up next to Moksha Yoga in downtown Galt a couple of weeks ago to rave reviews. It is the perfect stop for those with food allergies and sensitivities to join their friends for a delicious ice creamy treat.
20 Ainslie Street North, Cambridge, Ontario – inside Nature’s Vibe (Galt)
Thank you for riding on the Ice Cream Train. Your stowed baggage has been unloaded and is waiting for you at the station. If you feel we missed including an amazing ice cream location, please tell us in the comments below. As always, thank you for reading Cbridge.ca and we hope to see you again real soon!
Great list Corina! As always. I bet this one was fun to research!!!
It was a truly family affair for this one!
Wonderful list! Quick shout out to the camp store out at Pinehurst. A short drive and always friendly service. Whether you are getting a golf ball, tennis ball, or soft ball, the ice cream is always good!
We need to also give a shout out to Point Farms Market. Run by former Cambridgians, this store offers hard ice cream made with love just minutes from the beach and the increasingly popular Point Farms Provincial Park. 🙂