Beardcat's Sweet Shop

I love Gelato, and this place has legit Gelato. Perfect dessert after going to the Obstinate Daughter. My personal favorite was the pistachio gelato and my wife really likes the coffee gelato. They also sell shirts, mugs, and cookies and noodles that you can take home to bake and cook. Really cool spot.

The most important thing to say about Beardcat's is that they have, hands down, the best gelato in the area. It's creamy, light and delicious. The pistachio is refreshingly natural with real nuts (not extract) and no crazy coloring. The other flavors are very good. We've found our new gelato place.

The gelato was so good that it made me emotional. This was the best pistachio gelato I have had outside of Italy. I will be thinking about it until the next time I visit Charleston and am reunited. The Biscoff almond was also delicious. It was so hard to pick a second flavor because all the ones I sampled were phenomenal. Also, the logo!!! A burly beard with a kitty cat in it, absolute perfection.

The staff are super friendly. I ended up getting the pistachio and the blueberry lemon. The pistachio was rich and nutty. The blueberry lime was the star of the show though. It was a little tart, fruity, and so so refreshing. Every spoonful was so lovely to eat in the 90 something degree temperature.

What a delicious find! We stopped in after dinner for a little sweet treat, and it was everything we hoped for and more. The shop itself is cozy and can fill up quickly, with just a handful of small tables for seating. But honestly, the star here is the gelato and sherbet. I got a regular (2 scoops) with Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Sweet Cream, topped with hot fudge, and it was absolutely divine — rich, smooth, and bursting with flavor. The perfect way to end our date night. Highly recommend treating yourself here!

Every time we visit Sullivan’s Island, we have to stop by this ice cream shop! The pistachio and salt-olive flavors are truly unique and absolutely delicious. My daughter gets super excited every time she hears we’re coming here for ice cream. Cute little shop, ocean breeze, and a scoop of joy — it’s the perfect summer treat!

Didn’t know about this place that was right below OD! We wanted something sweet after dinner and it was conveniently nearby. Cute place with shop that sold some swag. Hubby got the Salted Olive Oil gelato since it was GF and I got the coffee. Flavors were on point, but the texture was just too soft. For me I feel like gelato is a cross between hard and soft serve. A nice firmer texture but still creamy and soft. This was almost leaning in a soft melted stage, but since I had it in a cone it was a bit difficult to eat. The guy did warn me about the cone breaking because he gave me a cup. The waffle cone itself was delicious, but thin. My cone completely fell apart as I got halfway and gelato was melting quickly. But again, as for taste it was good.

Really delicious gelato. They have lots of flavors as well as gluten and dairy free options. They have premade ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies, I bought one to save for later and I’m glad I did. They also have t-shirts, candles and dried pasta for sale as well. Will definitely be back.

I recently visited this ice cream and coffee shop and had a wonderful experience. I was thrilled to find pistachio ice cream, and my partner, a coffee lover, enjoyed the coffee and sweet cream ice cream. We opted for small cups, which turned out to be quite generous portions. On such a hot day, it was refreshing to cool off with some delicious ice cream after a great brunch. The prices were affordable, and the staff was friendly, offering us samples before we made our choices. Overall, a delightful spot with great flavors and excellent service. Highly recommend stopping by!

Delicious. Had the mint brownie and hazelnut flavors. Love the variety and service. Great addition to the Obstinate Daughter located above. Save some room after dinner as this is a fun way to end the dining experience.

I cannot express fully how amazing this gelato is. It's creamy and flavorful and just perfect. Staff was great. It does get VERY busy in the evenings and weekends so plan accordingly for a long line. There's also only about 4-5 tables inside so you may have to grab and go. But an absolute must if you're on Sullivan's Island

I had the Stracciatella gelato and it was absolutely divine. My friend tried the house special olive oil gelato and was raving about it. It's such a cute place with a beachy vibe. Great service as well! The best gelato in Charleston county and I've tried several different spots. We will definitely be back.

Selection was pretty good, and what I ate was fresh. It's convenient as it's right off of the road.

They have the BEST gelato ice cream sandwiches (in the freezer and are $6). Olive oil gelato is creamy, sweet, and salty all at once. Best beach treat in town!

This gelato place is embedded under a restaurant. While the restaurant was (and usually is) packed, getting gelato was reasonably fast. In addition to a stracchiatella flavor and some hazelnut, I added a dark chocolate sorbetto. I find that chocolate sorbet is one of the real winners of the vegan dessert market; you taste the chocolate more than you would with dairy ice cream and the version here was strong but sweet enough to be edible. All of it was good quality stuff. And being walkable to the beach adds extra value.

This is your ice cream destination when in the Charleston area, but find them out from the city in Sullivan's Island which is around a 15 minute drive from downtown. Parking is free off street and can be extremely challenging during peak Summer and weekends. They are below the Obstinate Daughter. The shop is very small, but a few places to sit. The main area to enjoy is on their patio if not seating for Obstinate Daughter. The service was immediate friendly. Enjoy all the samples you like and if getting a waffle cone they are made fresh. They also have merchandise and even a locally made Bloody Mary mix. I was with my daughter who got a chocolate cone and I got a vanilla bean egg in a cup. Both of us were very satisfied. The young lady with the store being slow chatted us up. Don't miss this one.

Really tasty gelato. Fast and friendly service. The red velvet and hazelnut flavors where my favorites! It was super hot out but there were plenty of spots to sit outside in the shade and enjoy some ice cream. Beware : gelato melts super fast in the Carolina heat so u getter way fast!

eight dollars gets you a lot with three scoops. Gelato is tasty and yet not overly sweet. Dogs are no longer allowed in the store.

Wow this ice cream gelato shop was so tasty!! I tried the peppermint stracciatella and the biscoff flavors, which were SO good. I'm not the biggest fan of overwhelmingly sweet flavors, but these had the perfect amount of sweetness and blend of different flavors that kept it enjoyable until the last bite. I'd definitely recommend this dessert shop!

Popped in the other night and they had an amazing variety of flavors! Four dairy free (such a plus) - the dark chocolate DF was delish. Don't forget about the small cabinet of sweets on the counter - the brown butter rice krispy treat is to dieeeee for and always my favorite! The staff are always so kind and helpful as well!

Go right now for the olive oil sea salt gelato! Paired well with the dark chocolate. Soooo good!

I just returned from a trip to Italy, so I'm either the best or worst person to review gelato right now. The variety was very nice and the guy behind the counter was super kind and patient with our group. The gelato flavors were pretty good, but the portions were very small. The coconut was by far our favorite. The other flavors we had were average. The seating area is small and right under another restaurant. For me, I'm not sure it was really worth it. If they had a rewards program and I lived close by, maybe.

I've never met a gelato I didn't like ... but there are definitely some that stand out more than others. Beardcat's Sweet Shop really is out here serving up authentic Italian ice cream in South Carolina. Not only will you love the fun flavors and creamy consistency ... but the service is top notch. We've found that some places in more touristy spots (like Sullivan's Island) aren't all that happy to be serving out-of-towners. That's definitely not the case here. Our ice cream expert (who doubled as our cashier) was probably one of the friendliest people we met during our trip. Case in point ... I sampled at least three of Beardcat's gelato offerings, and was met with encouragement to try as many flavors as I wanted. I ended up settling on the Key Lime Pie and Sweet Cream, which was a great pairing for a warm summer day. My husband decided on the Chocolate Hazelnut and Coffee, which was also delish. You just can't beat good gelato! We'll definitely make it a point to visit Beardcat's the next time we're visiting Charleston. Thank you for the perfect Friday afternoon treat!

Wow wow wow. This gelato is incredible. Best gelato /ice cream I have had in the Charleston area and it's not close! We got half coffee and half olive oil sea salt. The olive oil sea salt is genuinely one of the best frozen deserts I have ever had. I constantly think about it frequently. To top it off they had extra olive oil and salt on top to make it to perfection. Don't let me fool you though the coffee gelato was just as incredible. There was a long line when we showed up but we got through the line very quickly so it didn't even matter.

I came here after having dinner upstairs. This is a small but nice little ice cream shop that you see on most beach towns. There were 5 people working behind the counter although it was the middle of winter and tourism had dropped significantly. I ordered a gelato. The guy behind the counter was very nice. They offer cakes, pies, and cookies as well if ice cream isn't your thing. Everything was great!

Tucked away under obstinate daughter, it is the perfect place for post dinner dessert. Their gelato is excellent. Highly recommend their biscoff and olive oil + salt flavors.

I don't know who came up with the brilliant idea of olive oil ice cream because I lived in Italy for 15 years and have never seen this, but WOW what a genius idea! I'm actually lactose intolerant and they didn't have a dairy free option of the olive oil ice cream but I just HAD TO get a little sample, and wowwww was it delicious! Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.. so good. They do have some dairy free gelato and I got the key lime mixed with dark chocolate which was truly delicious -- the dark chocolate tasted fudgy and rich. I thought it was odd they charged us for trying a sample; never heard of any ice cream shop doing this and I could understand if you order several samples and you're taking advantage, but just for one? I do appreciate more ice cream shops offering dairy free alternatives!

A niece recommended the olive oil sea salt gelato....and it was fabulous! Perfect ending to our 40th celebration.

Loved: The Olive Oil Sea Salt + Pistachio gelato was beyond delicious. I could've spooned the olive oil onto everything I eat from this day forward. Yes, it's that good and fwiw I've lived in Italy 3 different times. Liked: The location is beneath the best restaurant in Sullivan's Island, SC: The Obstinate Daughter (Beardcat's big sister). You couldn't do better on a foodie night out than eating dinner upstairs and coming downstairs for a little gelato afterwards. Could've been better: The decor in the shop is not pleasing and doesn't jive at all with the coastal casual chic upstairs at OD. It was also so tiny and crowded. The line was uncomfortably confusing just because there were too many people crammed in a tiny space with no traffic flow that made any sense. It could also have used a good cleaning. +pro tip: you can purchase OD merchandise, homemade pastas and baked goods, and other snack items here like all day breakfast sandwiches. I would come back again and again just for the olive oil sea salt gelato! You've got to try it. Grazie, Beardcat, for the most authentic Italian gelato flavors I've had outside Florence, Italy.

We stop here every time we head to Sullivans! They have so many flavors, you can tell everything is fresh and homemade, and the gelato is so creamy and delicious. I would skip the icecream sandwich and go for cups of gelato. The lime flavor and the biscoff have been my favorites!

I appreciate that this location opens early as most of the other sweet treat places around didn't open until noon. I was able to come here before a day at the beach and had some of the best pistachio gelato ever! We also had straciatella (??), which is chocolate chip gelato. Super cute venue and delicious gelato. Parking is a little difficult to find, but we parked across the street at 15 min parking and took it to go.

Great Gelato and Ice cream. The ambiance of this restaurant is so beach and wonderful. It's located just under The Obstinate Daughter. The service is quick and efficient. I would try their Olive Oil Gelato (Trust Me!) it's very creamy and has hints of wonderful Olive Oil and sea salt. Love this place

Clearly, there is enough demand for TWO ice cream places on Sullivan's Island. Both were busy this week! We wandered down from Home Team after "taking care of business", saw the line under the Obstinate Daughter, and curiously entered The Beardcat's Sweet Shop. Great setup! The BSS has ice cream sandwiches to go (left cooler) or you can get in line and have them scoop you some fresh gelato to go. We ordered the sundae with three basic scoops (vanilla, chocolate, and oreo mint), but there were PLENTY of other fancy choices for your hoity toity island friends. Similar to Jeni's, toppings (fudge, etc.) are small, but super rich and flavorful. The fudge was SO dreamy and unsurprisingly leaves you wanting more. Our friends raved about the salty gelato flavors and the red velvet. $12 for a small sundae sounds expensive, but is right on pace with current inflation/our economy. We look forward to our next Station 22 beach day, Home Team 'cue, escaping the heat, and Beardcat's Sweet Shop's flavorful nightcap.

Great place for gelato. Great variety of flavors. Definitely a great choice. GET THE ALMOND CRUNCH

Delicious ice cream and the gentleman serving it was so nice! The waffle Cone was amazing!!

The cutest little sweet shop full of ice cream sandwiches, sorbet, gelato, cookies and more. I snagged myself a chocolate chip cookie because I couldn't resist and wow was it tasty! Highly recommend

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream - but let's be honest I'll through a full tantrum for gelato Beardcat Sweet Shop has mastered the art of gelato with classic options like mint chip and chocolate and more unique ones such as olive oil & sea salt! The waffle cones are super thin, which I prefer because although I love a good cone the gelato is clearly the star here!

Really good ice cream... Salt & Olive Oil was so unique! But we also tried strawberry, chocolate and pistachio... all good and yummy!

Phenomenal gelato. Must stop place if in the area. Every flavor was delicious. Ended up with the dark chocolate and pb brownie and it was the best gelato I've had.

This is honestly some of the best gelato I have had anywhere in the world and that includes Italy ( or maybe just as good as Italy) and New York City. I got a small with half olive oil ice cream and half banana pudding flavors and it was so so good.

The cutest gelato shop on Sullivan's island! Located right next door to Obstinate Daughter, they serve a variety of flavors including pistachio, hazelnut, and stracciatella. I opted for their olive oil + sea salt and strawberry flavors. Both were delicious. The olive oil + sea salt is their signature flavor, with real olive oil and sea salt drizzled on top. The strawberry is light and refreshing. So good on a warm day!

I discovered Beardcat's Sweet Shop online and, after reading some awesome reviews, decided to check them out. The staff was awesome, and the menu is pretty big! I recommend the Cookie Sandwiches... either the Fudge Brownie Cookie with Sweet Cream Gelato or the Chocolate Chip Cookie with Vanilla Gelato - you can't go wrong with either one, and boy are they delicious!

The gelato was too soft, kinda melty. The sweet cream was nice but the olive oil was disappointing. Not worth the calories as Prue Leith would say.

We come to IOP every year and usually just drive through Sullivan's Island back and forth to get to Charleston or Shem's Creek area of Mt. Pleasant. Not into Sullivan's Island at all. Generally overrated restaurants and vibe; residents want to keep it residential, and that's fine with me. Poor parking. But BeardCat's is totally worth the stop. Great gelato and dairy-free sorbets. Six of us tried multiple flavors between us, and they were all tasty. Whether fruity, chocolaty, or novelty (e.g., red velvet), we enjoyed them. Service was speedy. We came at the time of a bit of a rush on a weekday late afternoon, due to some large families, but the young workers handled it efficiently and with great attitudes. We didn't feel rushed. Nice shaded outdoor seating. We will definitely go again, especially after the loss of our beloved Paola's Gelato on John St in Charleston.

Delicious stop. Took a walk after lunch upstairs and came back here for dessert. Biscoff Almond CrunchBiscoff and strawberry. Wow! So good.

This is a great gem on Sullivans Island owned by the Obstinate Daughter. Most people do not know it is a separate thing. It serves gelato, espresso drinks and breakfast sandwiches. Everything I have had is great and the staff are really awesome. My personal favorite is the affgato. Which is an espresso shot poured over gelato. This is amazing!! I get the dark chocolate and sweet cream. If you are there in the morning and want a great breakfast sandwich, give them a try!! Never disappoints!!

The sweet shops namesake may be a mythical and whimsical character on Sullivan's, but don't let the colorful story or decor of this shop fool you. The gelato at Beardcat's is the real deal, even for an old guy like me. A small cup with up to two flavors is more than enough to satisfy the inner pirate in all of us. This is the kind of place that I can imagine bringing my family too EVERYTIME I am on Sullivan's Island. The quality of service and products inside the whimsical brightly colored shop will leave a lasting impression, creating lifelong summer memories. One must try the sea salt and olive oil for the truly unique and delicious experience. Don't miss the boat! Row, swim, or sail to Beardcat's Sweet Shop! A major plus? Support the locals!

Soooo yummy I think this is the best ice cream I've ever had. This stuff was smooth and flavorful. The ice cream wasn't grainy and tasted so fresh. Definitely worth a stop they have awesome flavors!

Located right below Obstinate Daughter. Perfect sweet ending after a great meal there. Make sure to make room for dessert. They offer a wide variety of gelato flavors. They are somewhat unique such as Olive Oil and Sea Salt (my friend's favorite), I personally recommend getting their Biscoff Almond Crunch which pairs really well with their Dark Chocolate which I was surprised to be a dairy free sorbet. Love how you're able to sample their flavors. I tried a bunch and you really can't go wrong here. Prices are fair for gelato. Small is $6 for 2 flavors, large is $8 for3 flavors and you can always order a pint to go for $12. They also offer an espresso bar menu as well as ready to go cookie sandwiches. Will definitely have to try those next time. Highly recommend if you're in the area

Hidden below the Obstinate Daughter lies a bearded cat? You bet! It's a great gelato place. They have over 20 flavors and you can mix them as in my picture. I got half key lime and double chocolate. They also have some cookie ice cream sandwiches. I had them in the past and they were really good. The staff was really friendly and allowed you to try samples to help you decide. I always forget that they have some food options available. I'll have to come back and try them as they seemed affordable and tasty. I highly recommend this Sullivan's island place when friends and family are visiting.

Great breakfast . Unusual gelato, flavors sea salt, and olive oil is particularly good. Nice servers to recommended.

I'm usually torn when it comes to gelato because I love the creamy texture but I also typically like chunks in my ice cream. So naturally, I gravitated towards the Nutella Oreo and Biscoff Almond Crunch since they had pieces of goodness in them. Loved every bite.

They let you try the flavors before deciding, which is a plus. Gelato was light and flavorful, girls behind the counter were extremely friendly and welcoming. Cute little shop.

The gelato is top notch. Every flavor I tried was a delight so it was hard to choose. The staff was patient and kind. They also sell a variety of goods other than gelato and gelato based goods like sandwiches which I assume come from a shared kitchen with upstairs at Obstinate Daughter. There is no restroom here, you have to go upstairs to Obstinate Daughter and the pathways are teeny tiny. Seriously. If you're overweight you'd probably have to walk sideways. Despite the welcoming outdoor seating around BeardCat, none of it is for BeardCat. Be careful not to get in the way of the OD's servers working hard to make their living. The BeardCat's seating is inside only. The vibe is chill and funky and yet it was still too dimly lit. Probably to hide the inevitable stickiness. Would definitely return next time I'm in town. I'll just make sure to use the restroom beforehand and grab it to go. I bet those sandwiches are perfect for a picnic and that olive oil sea salt gelato is killer.

The sea salt & olive oil gelato is amazing!! Very unique and was quite skeptical at first, but once you try it, you'll wonder why it's not a classic gelato flavor like pistachio

Delicious gelato! They have a nice variety of flavors and allow you to taste any before you choose. I tried a bunch and all that I tasted were delicious! Great service as well.

Love Beardcat's! Perfect treat after exploring Sullivan's island. My husband and I's favorite gelato is the red velvet, but there is a wide variety of flavors!

I was very impressed with the variety of flavors of ice cream/ gelatos , cookies, pastries and cakes! The one that caught me was the Olive Oil + Sea Salt. It had a savory yet sweet touch. It really took me away and delicious. My nephews favorite is the Hazelnut which also was very tasty!