If you are from Jackson there are two things that everyone has an opinion on. Who has the best sweet corn and who has the best ice cream. I will leave sweet corn for a different day, but upon realizing that summer was going to be over far too soon, my family and I set off for an adventure on finding the best places in Jackson to get ice cream. It was a difficult job, but hey someone had to do it.
I will say that the best ice cream is definitely in the eye of the beholder or on the taste buds of the tongue, as we didn’t all agree on the BEST ICE CREAM.
Frosty King
Our first stop was Frosty King in Horton. This was by far one of our favorites. I think it’s safe to say it’s a little hole in the wall with a lot of personality. We had quick service, prices were great for the amount of ice cream we got, lots of choices on the menu and they offer a Chamber Member Discount. Of our selections, the top vote went to the butterscotch shake. It was packed full of flavor, rich and creamy and most importantly, the right consistency to suck through a straw. Face it people, whether we want to talk about it or not, we have all had a shake that was so thick you couldn’t get it through a straw and you had to sit and wait for it to melt a little so you could enjoy it! We have all had that shake that was so runny it felt more like flavored milk that a shake.
Sweet Scoops
We then ventured to Sweet Scoops on Wisner Street in Jackson. This was definitely more on the high end side of ice cream in this town. We were greeted by a very friendly young lady who insistently recognized our lost and confused faces as we starred at the menu board. She explained how it worked and then gave us time to look over the vast amount of choices. It was a very hot day and we were excited to not only try out some new ice cream but also have the option of sitting inside their air conditioning. The winner this day was their version of cookie dough ice cream. If you haven’t been here yet, understand they take the base ice cream (in our case vanilla) and then mix in chucks of cookie dough.
Swiss Treat
Still on the hunt for the best ice cream, we ventured to the Swiss Treat, north of town on Lansing Ave.The Swiss Treat is known for its unique flavors of the week, so we wanted to see what they had to offer. I will say I 
was surprised and did indeed hear a giggle from the back seat of my car upon learning what their special was. A Pokémon Sundae with a free figurine! Do I even need to say what the clear winner was on this day! You can choose your topping (they offer a lot of choices) and then hand you a Pokémon figure. They get top points for jumping on a craze that is sweeping the world, and because I know you all really want to know, our figurine was a Squritle.
UPDATE: Swiss Treat has sadly closed, but the location is now occupied by Jackson Twisters: A fantastic, and cool edition to our community,
Best of the Rest
While these were our top picks and no, we couldn’t as a family chose the BEST ice cream in Jackson, we did go to other places that have earned a spot in this blog: Cascades Ice Cream Co. is always a favorite, but expect a line. The Dairy Bar at the Jackson County Fair is a must. Don’t fill up on corn dogs and fries and forget to leave room for the richness of their hard ice cream. In addition, no conv
ersation about ice cream in Jackson would be complete without mentioning The Parlour. One of Jackson’s iconic stops when people come to town.
The important thing to remember people is life is short. Enjoy life, try something new and indulge in a little ice cream and find your BEST of ice cream here in Jackson. Click here for more Jackson Ice Cream Shops.
By Val Herr, Director of Marketing and Development, Jackson Symphony Orchestra
Published Date: August 26, 2019
