Thousands of votes came in for the best ice cream shop in Minnesota. Twin Cities Live’s Mike Marcotte tallied them up and presents the top 5 shops that are ‘Worth the Trip.’

See below for Mike’s notes on the top 5. Check out his website for a list of the honorable mentions.

1. Cullen’s Ice Cream

10905 Douglas Drive North, Champlin
12085 Hanson Blvd, Coon Rapids

• Cullen’s received the most popular votes from Twin Cities Live viewers and receives my overall best vote
• The Champlin shop opened in June 2014 with the Coon Rapids location opening in June 2017
• Their cases have 48 flavors of ice cream at any given time, the most of any of the top 5 shops
  • Eight of the flavors change monthly
• Cullen’s uses Cedar Crest Ice Cream, premium small batch ice cream made in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
• They carry 125 flavors of pop, which can be combined with any flavor of ice cream for a soda float
• They do make their own waffle cones in-house, putting chocolate chips in the bottom instead of malted milk balls
  • They will make over 10,000 cones in a season
• Insider: you can split a single scoop into two flavors with no extra charge
• Cullen’s offers dairy-free ice cream, which is made in-house (it is also vegan)
• In addition to ice cream, Cullen’s makes their own gourmet popcorn and roasted nuts
• The owners tell me customers drive from Minnetonka and Wayzata twice a week to get Cullen’s Ice Cream
• Cullen’s is a seasonal shop, open from the beginning of March through October

2. Selma’s Ice Cream Parlour

3419 Saint Croix Trail, Afton

• Selma’s is the oldest ice cream parlour in Minnesota, first opening in 1913 and receives my vote for the best ambiance
• The current owners, the Nickerson family, purchased the bank-owned property in 2011
  • All 6 of their kids have worked there
• Selma’s has about 35 flavors of ice cream in their cases; they are from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, based in Madison, Wisconsin
  • Chocolate Shoppe first started in 1960 and does not sell retail, meaning you cannot buy their ice cream at any grocery store
• While you’re there, sample:
  • Strawberry — the owners family says “don’t skip it”
  • Blueberry Cheesecake
  • This S&#! Just Got Serious — salted caramel
  • Exhausted Parent — Bourbon Spiked Espresso
  • Carrot Mango Italian Ice — dairy free
• They have a staff member dedicated to making waffle cones
  • They will sell 400 on a busy summer day
  • They also sell their own milk chocolate and white chocolate dipped cones
• Gluten-free sugar and cake cones, along with gluten-free ice creams, are available
• Selma’s also makes their own cakes, ice cream cookie sandwiches and has a coffee bar
• Selma’s is a seasonal shop, typically open from late March until October

3. What’s the Scoop?

18 Division Street E, Buffalo

• They are the newest shop in the top 5, opening in September 2017
• Owner Brady Elsenpeter, a Buffalo native, went from owning a car dealership to running an ice cream shop
• What’s the Scoop? is in downtown Buffalo in a space which once was a Curves for Women workout studio
• Their case has 40 flavors from Cedar Crest
  • They have a case solely designated for nut-free flavors
• They make their own waffles cones and bowls in house, and their waffle cones was the best of any waffle cone in the top 5
• They do carry gluten-free cones and have dairy-free flavors available
• The owner’s favorite flavors:
  • Shipwreck — vanilla ice cream with sea salt caramel ribbon and almond splinters
  • Big Muddy — a rich, chocolate ice cream with brownies
  • Scotcharoo — just like the cookie!
• Ice cream cakes are made to order, including some with Fruity Pebbles
• What’s the Scoop? is open year-round

4. Two Scoops

1918 Second Avenue, Anoka

• Two Scoops opened in 2010
• They have over 100 flavors of ice cream available, with 20 in their case at one time
• Like Selma’s, Two Scoops uses Chocolate Shoppe ice cream
• Their most popular ice cream: Cookie Dough
• Their sleeper hit: Strawberry
  • The owners tell me that the Chocolate Shoppe’s Strawberry ice cream has won national awards
• They make waffle cones and bowls in-house
• Two Scoops also makes dipped cones, sundae cones and homemade cakes
• They specialize in chocolate malts that are heavy on the malt powder
• Two Scoops does have at least one dairy free Italian ice and has gluten-free ice cream and cones
• They are also home to The Tornado challenge, where you get 20 scoops of ice cream with toppings (it comes out to about 7,000 calories)
  • One individual has completed it in 6 minutes, 30 seconds
• Two Scoops is open year-round

5. Nelson’s Ice Cream

920 Olive Street W, Stillwater
454 Snelling Avenue, Saint Paul

• Nelson’s Stillwater location originally opened as a grocery store in 1923
• Art Nelson bought it in the 1940s and customers to this day still call it Art’s
• The currently owners purchased it in 2006
• Nelson’s is known for big scoops of ice cream — and I mean big scoops — that era started in the 1960s
• They serve both Cedar Crest and Kemps ice cream
• Both locations carry 44 flavors
• You should expect a line when you go to Nelson’s
  • Their manager tells me there’s typically a line at 11:00 when the Stillwater location opens
  • The best time to go is between 5:45 and 7:00 pm during the dinner lull
  • On a busy day, they will go through 450 gallons of ice cream
• Ice cream is served by dixie cups or cones at Nelson’s
  • They do not make waffle cones
• Nelson’s does have Rapsberry Italian Ice if you are looking for a vegan or dairy-free option
• Gluten-free options are going to be hard to come by, but you can get ice cream in a cup
• Heads up: they only take cash!
• Nelson’s is a seasonal shop, typically open from the beginning of April until Halloween