There is nothing that screams summer more than sitting outside on a hot summer night and eating ice cream. Around the Berkley area, we have a multitude of options to choose from. There are many options to choose from: Frosty Freeze, Clark’s, and Ray’s are three of the most popular places. In this article, I will analyze the atmosphere, prices, and taste in order to find out the best ice cream shop in the Berkley area! Though each place has its own unique flavors and toppings, I will be comparing the classic vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.
#3- Ray’s
Tucked away on Coolidge sits the iconic Ray’s ice cream, which is probably the most well-known of the three that I visited. About a 10-minute drive from Berkley High School, it was an easy drive. However, it is the only place that would be a very long walk to enjoy your ice cream. There is a big parking lot on both sides of the building, but it was full to the brim and easily the busiest of the three I went to, which made parking a bit of a hassle. This was also the only one of the three that you went inside to order, but the line went all the way outside to the sidewalk. Getting to order took about twenty-five minutes, and once you ordered, it was more of a traditional way to get ice cream, as they scoop it right after you order, so there was minimal wait. One scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cone came out to $6.15 before tax There is seating on counters inside the building, and chairs outside the building where many people were sitting and eating their ice cream. I sat right along the counter and started to dig into the ice cream. I thought the vanilla ice cream was good, but for the price, I felt like the flavor could have been a bit better. To me, it was very strong on the vanilla profile with an overpowering flavor. The cone was very good, and you could tell it was homemade, and it was actually my favorite part of the experience here. Overall, due to the troubles of parking, the long waits, and high prices, Ray’s did not live up to the hype that many people claim. I thought it was still good and warranted a 6.5/10 score.
#2- Frosty Freeze
Directly across the street from Berkley High School, Frosty Freeze lies. In my opinion, the location could not be any better, as it is within walking distance from the high school and most homes in Berkley. Parking was also not an issue here, as in addition to the parking lot in the back of the store, there is street parking right near the building. Another plus about Frosty Freeze is that this was the only place that I went to that offered a drive-thru. Though I did not use it, I can see how this can come in handy when the lines get extremely long on hot summer nights. Ordering did not take terribly long, as I was standing in line for about ten minutes with a decently long line. The vanilla ice cream in a cone came out to $5.15 before tax, and once you order, you go to pick it up at a separate window. The vibe outside here felt very good, as many people were either enjoying their ice cream on one of the few benches outside or sitting in their trunks and eating it. The ice cream took about five minutes to come out, and the presentation was very nice. Soft-serve is what Frosty Freeze specializes in, so the ice cream was in a very nice twist shape and was a good size. The vanilla soft serve was very tasty and refreshing, and it was a perfect blend of flavor and consistency. The cone was nothing special, as it felt like just one of those store-bought circular ones rather than a homemade waffle cone. Overall, I thought the location and atmosphere carried heavily in this case, and the soft-serve was good, but the cone left something to be desired. I think giving Frosty Freeze a solid 7.5/10 in this case feels like a right fit.
#1- Clark’s
Nestled directly in the heart of downtown Berkley, Clark’s is a classic ice cream spot serving many different, unique flavors to choose from. The location of Clark’s is a little rough in my opinion. Being on a busy street like 12 Mile and having no drive-thru, their one parking lot can fill up very quickly. I had to find myself parking on one of the neighborhood streets due to how packed it was. Because it was very busy, the line wrapped around the store, and I found myself waiting in it for about 20 minutes. One scoop of vanilla ice cream with a waffle cone came out to $5.15 before tax. Much like Frosty Freeze, after you order, you go to pick it up at a side window. The wait for the ice cream was not long at all, considering the long line. There were many wooden tables to sit at on the grass right next to the building, where many people were sitting and eating their ice cream. I thought this was a very good way to enjoy your ice cream, which was very tasty. Unlike Frosty Freeze, Clark’s is a hard scoop, and the vanilla ice cream was pretty good. I thought, just like Frosty Freeze, it had a good flavor and consistency, but the waffle cone here was much better. The cone was more of what you would expect a traditional homemade waffle cone to be, as it was very toasty and had a great waffle flavor. Overall, I thought the actual ice cream flavor, atmosphere, and location were very comparable to Frosty Freeze, but the waffle cone put Clark’s over the edge, as I would give it an 8/10. Making it my favorite ice cream spot I went to!
