Graeter's Ice Cream

A local business colleague who is an ice cream aficionado highly recommended I try Graeter's ice cream during my Cincinnati visit, and being an ice cream lover myself, I had to give them a try. It turned out to be a great recommendation - I only now wish there was a Graeter's in my home town! I've been several times since, and although all the flavors I've tried are really good, their best really is the Black Cherry Chocolate. I'll order this every time and never get tired of it. The ice cream has an authentic cream base, and they use quality mix-ins to create a perfect ice cream. So many premium ice cream joints use way too much sugar in their ice cream that it results in a sickly overpowering sweetness (there is nothing "premium" about adding twice the amount of sugar that anyone needs or wants). Not Graeter's - their ice cream balances the creaminess with the sweetness, which results in a much better product. The ice cream parlor also has an assortment of baked goods and chocolates, which look really appealing, but I have not yet tried them. At the very least, they have something for everyone. Although I've only been here a few times, on two different occasions there were some boisterous altercations inside the parlor with loiterers coming in and creating a scene (unrelated to the business itself). Nothing dangerous, but take note that this location may have all sorts of people wandering through. In other words, you may get dinner and a show!

Delicious. That is what I have to say. The ice cream is amazing along with the service. This is a very busy location and the staff does a great job of serving customers and keeping control of the store. Wish I lived in Cincinnati so I could visit more!

Visiting from out of state. Once I saw over 50 people walking out with ice cream I knew I had to try it. ❤️ So good!

I had tried Graeter’s in pints at grocery stores here in NJ, and had always found it a bit too icey and not creamy enough. I prefer brands like Tillamook, which I find much creamier. But on a recent visit to Cincinnati, some friends from the area insisted that I had to try ‘the Original’ Graeters from one of the shops. I agree that it was better than the packaged ice cream I had tried before but I’m still not sure it is worth 5 stars. I tried chocolate chip, and while the ice cream was good, I was disappointed with the size of the ‘chips’. They were huge hunks of flaky chocolate. Too big for my liking. One piece took up the entire width of the cup! In summary, very good ice cream…but not the best and flavor choice will have a big impact on your assessment.

Graeter's in Fountain Square is a must-visit for any ice cream lover! The rich, creamy texture and unique flavors are simply divine. Every bite is a pure indulgence. The friendly staff and cozy atmosphere make it the perfect spot to enjoy a sweet treat. If you're in Cincinnati, don't miss the chance to experience this fantastic ice cream place. I had the Cinnamon Apple Sundae I think and my wife had the birthday cake ice cream, both were absolutely outstanding choices and I'm sure all their other flavors and Sundae's taste awesome!

What a treat on a chilly day to have the decadent hot chocolate! So delicious - we went twice during our long weekend in Cinci! It was even sweeter because of the excellent service that we received from the friendly staff. A special shout out to Layna - at a time when there is so much concern about customer service - any manager would be THRILLED to have an employee like her - KUDOS!!!

French pot ice cream has a really silky texture. I loved it. It’s mainly to take out, not cozy for lingering but it’s on the public plaza. Lots of little gifts too.

This location is very clean and the staff are friendly. They have a variety of non ice cream treats and souvenirs too. Don't sleep on their mango sorbet, that flavor is phenomenal! Highly recommend stopping in for a scoop. They have pretty limited seating inside, but if the weather is nice there are plenty of tables out on the square.

This place really showed up everywhere on lists of places to be dar Cincinnati so could not skip out. We tried a lot of flavors and horse had to get that famous Black Cherry Chocolate Chip. I'm not usually a fan of ice cream that has fruity flavors or any fruity desserts in general. But oh man, this was unbelievably good. The amount of chocolate chunks in that ice cream and the flavor of the ice cream along with the chocolate was so unexpected. I scream itself was also really creamy and smooth and perfectly sweet. We also tried the Midnight Snack flavor. This actually had brown pieces and peanut butterflies and malt balls and it was truly of munchies kind of an ice cream. Definitely would not mind whole pints of these each to go.

Ice Cream on the Square is the best! Staff is friendly, fast, effective without losing their caring attitude Line moves quickly, so hop in! It is small but mighty inside! Options for ice cream and all the pastries and cookies! Eat outside on the square or walk to Finley Market with your coffee and cream!

Dangerously (in a good way) located across the street from our hotel, we had Graeter's circled on our list of places to visit in the city come hell or high water. We stopped in each night say hi to the friendly staff and indulge in their delicious ice cream! (For the record I only had it two of the three nights, my son found room on all three visits!) The inside was clean and the lines at times were long, but the wait was worth it. If ice cream is not your thing they also had baked goods. On our first night I had a scoop of Buckeye Blitz - combines a chocolate peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough and our signature dark chocolate chips. My son had a scoop of their Vienna Coffee Flavor - Our homage to Vienna Coffee, a traditional espresso and whipped cream pairing, is brewed with a special blend of roasted Sumatran and Columbian Arabica beans. A frozen delight that will warm the soul. Indulge and enjoy! Second night I had their Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip on a chocolate waffle cone - This is our signature and most beloved flavor! Black raspberries grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley are pureed and combined with our sweet cream and signature chocolate chips. The flavors were out of this world. Creamy, soft and intense flavors with a perfect ratio of chocolate chips to ice cream. Conversations were hard to come by while eating. All we could do was concentrate on not letting a single drop go to waste. I was sold on their - "Still family owned since 1870, Graeter's is the last ice cream still crafted in French Pots, 2 1/2 gallons at a time." Great staff, amazing ice cream and a great location right at Fountain Square. Thanks guys!!

If you like AMAZING ice cream, then you cannot miss this place while in Cincinnati!!! They have coffee, shakes, donuts and all kinds of sweet treats. However, the main deal here is the ice cream and you will have your work cut out just deciding on the flavors you want. Good Luck :)

Now Graeter's is not my favorite like the rest of Cincinnati, it is however good. I'm just a custard guy. However the lady in the store was amazing. Not sure if part owner or what but was delightful at 830pm. I had my usual chocolate malt while friend tried the nEw skyline flavor. They loved it. It was ok. Service was good and clean location

This will be a short and simple review... I think this is the tastiest ice cream I've ever had in my entire life. One scoop costs about six dollars and you're an absolute dummy if you don't order two scoops for about seven dollars. They have tons of different flavors with lots of add-ins. My wife and I were on a two day trip to Cincinnati and we visited both days. It's a really clean restaurant and the staff was very sweet. Absolutely no complaints.

Can not go wrong with Graeters if you like ice cream... and I very much do. If I'm here with my hubby we get 2 dips in 1 cup and share it. It's much cheaper than getting our own cup. Can we afford separate cups ... sure but don't mind sharing with my honey.

Have to travel to Cincinnati but this is the best birthday cake money cake buy moist cake and amazing butter cream icing

Solid local ice cream company. My husband loves ice cream with crunchy texture, so I was excited that Graeter's has so many chip flavors. I had been promising ice cream to my kids for the whole trip, and so we finally made it for our last night in Cincinnati. There was a long line. This location is on Fountain Square, and as there's live music on weekend evenings in the summer, there's a lot of foot traffic. I mean, good for them, right? The line moved pretty quickly. Service was a little less than friendly. My husband got a double scoop (one chocolate chip, one toffee chip) in a waffle cone. I ordered clearly but the server scooped the wrong flavor. Sigh. The look on his face when my husband corrected him was, not friendly. He did toss that cone and scoop another one. My husband said the texture of the ice cream was good but that he couldn't tell the difference between the chocolate chip and the toffee chip. I wanted two half scoops, but they don't do that. Fine. I had a scoop of the buckeye blitz chip. The texture was gooey-er than I like, and I don't know why the peanut butter balls looked white rather than tan? My daughter wanted a scoop of vanilla with gummy bears. They don't do gummy bear toppings, only sprinkles or whipped cream. My son had the special flavor, key lime pie. He said his scoop of ice cream with the highlight of his trip to Cincinnati. It's always nice getting locally produced ice cream on a warm summer night, so I can criticize but overall, it was still a positive experience.

I was at a conference and we went out for ice cream at Graeter's - a local favorite and now one of my top three places in the world to get ice cream! Graeter's specializes in ice cream with big dark chocolate chips and natural flavors. I had the Cherry Chip and Vienna Coffee. A friend had Coconut Chip and Lemon Meringue. Delicious! Service was efficient and the long line went quickly. I'll certainly be back the next time I'm in Cincinnati!

My favorite ice cream for the past ~two decades. I was introduced to Graeter's ice cream as a kid when visiting my step-grandmother who lived in Cincinnati. At the time, my parents and I would visit Cincinnati twice a year around Easter and Christmas, and every single time, my step-grandmother would make sure she had Graeter's ice cream stocked up for us. Additionally, we always used to get hot cross buns from Graeter's for Easter as well. We loved it so much that we would bring pints back with us, carefully packed in styrofoam boxes filled with dry ice. That was fun for "science experiments" in the kitchen sink as well! That was before Graeter's became more broadly available in grocery stores, including in Michigan. Loved revisiting a Graeter's store in Cincinnati for the first time in about 15 years. It's just as magical to me! I sampled the black cherry chocolate chip which I love, but ultimately got their salted caramel chocolate chip. Phenomenal. I've also always really loved their mint chocolate chip. Feels more premium that it's not bright (artificially colored) green :). During my visit, I also got their malted milk balls to bring home!

Fantastic ice cream. I'm one of those people who will eat ice cream in the middle of a blizzard so the cooler temps during our trip didn't deter me from trying what is supposedly one of Oprah's favorite things. We had to get the famous black raspberry chocolate chip flavor and it did not disappoint. We only ordered one scoop which was plenty for the two of us. The ice cream is literally so thick I struggled to remove the spoon. No joke. Easily some of the thicccccccest ice cream I've ever had. The flavor was scrumptious. I love the chocolate chunks of varying sizes. No complaints here. The staff were also friendly and nice.

I've had Graeter's a few times and definitely in my top 5 USA ice creams. And I've eaten a LOT of ice cream. This location was no exception. Service was fast even though there were a ton of people there on a hot day. They had lots of flavor options but not so many to be overwhelming like a lot of places nowadays. The place is cute and has gifts for sale too. The ice cream is super creamy and melts really fast but I see this as a good sign that there are no preservatives and it has a high butterfat content.

I had walked by this place earlier in the day but a coworker told me it was her family's favorite ice cream place when she grew up. Per her suggestion, I stopped back in after dinner and got a scoop of the raspberry chocolate chip (I was told it was one of their favorite flavors). I enjoyed my scoop and ate it onsite. They have other options like Sundaes, milkshakes, etc. but the scoop was fine for me. I can't say it's the best I've ever had but it was a good choice. Service was quick and efficient, although most of the staff looked pretty young.

I am not a crazy ice cream fan. I like it, but rarely go out of my way for it. However, Graeter's black raspberry chip CANNOT be beat. It is worth it every time. My husband and I were staying downtown and walked by on our way back from dinner. It took zero convincing to stop in for some ice cream for dessert. My husband had heard great things about the vanilla, so we got that and the black raspberry chip. I found the the vanilla a little disappointing; it tasted a little like icing. However, my husband really enjoyed it. I was happy as can be to eat the black raspberry chip and savored every bite. This specific Graeter's location is convenient if you are walking around downtown or are visiting Fountain Square. Staff was nice and service was quick. 10/10 would go back!

I find Graeter's Ice Cream to be the best ice cream in the United States. I try to get a scoop of ice cream whenever I am in Cincinnati, which is not very often. There was no line when I arrived on a Friday night. The staff was friendly. There is also nearby street parking, and this location is mere blocks away from where the Bengals and Reds play. The black raspberry mint chocolate chip is the best flavor. Definitely try that if you come here.

Got the black raspberry chocolate chip and I'm glad I got to try. The flavor was the perfect tart and sweetness. Service was quick and very friendly.

HOLY ICE CREAM, BATMAN! My friend married a Cincinnati native, and he insisted we tried Graeter's. I noticed there was one in the airport, too, so when I heard the name, I knew it had to be a big deal. Ya'll. This did not disappoint. This was some of the best ice cream I've ever had. Graeter's has the funky flavors of Ben and Jerry's but much, much denser and richer. And when they found out we were from NJ and it was our first time - dang! They treated us like gold. Honestly, I bet they would have let us try every flavor if we wanted to, but we were already holding up the line so we stuck with trying three. I tried the classic raspberry chip, which was excellent but a bit too sweet/fruity for me. I did settle for the cherry chip, however (more tart/fruity) - my favorite BnJ's flavor is Cherry Garcia and this was like its younger, more hip sister. I also tried the toffee chip which was superbly buttery in a GOOD way - but, we had just had a meal at a steakhouse, so I knew it would not sit well. It is not a Cincinnati must when we come back! You can keep Skyline Chili. I'll take Graeter's, thank you very much! PS - shout out to Cindy, who was an absolute pleasure! All of the staff were great!

I just sampled Graeter's new Skyline Chili ice cream. They totally missed an opportunity! While the flavor was interesting and mildly captured the essence of Skyline, they should have added some of their famous chocolate chunks and less oyster crackers. The blend of all of the flavors would have been amazing. Especially, since Skyline is known for the chocolate in their recipe. Sorry Graeter's you could have had a five star review. With CHOCOLATE, you would have had a five.

I remember liking Graeter's last time I was in Ohio, but tonight I was not impressed with their "flagship" (as per the three cashiers) flavor: Raspberry Chocolate Chip. The chocolate was waxy (more so than Hershey's chocolate bars or the chocolate dipped over soft serve ice cream) and the raspberry ice cream itself was not that creamy and was more bitter than I would prefer.

Game over - the best ice cream I've ever had. It is so rich, dense, and creamy. My flavor recs are black raspberry chip, vanilla, and strawberry - but I need to try more too. You can also sample a couple before making a call, and the team is nice about giving the samples out.

We couldn't wait to try Graeter's while in Cincinnati for a wedding last weekend. After our Friday night dinner, we headed over. The area was super trendy and popular for locals and tourists alike. There was a pretty long line as the Reds game had recently finished up. The employees did work the line very well and the wait wasn't terrible. I asked to try buckeye blitz, toffee chocolate chip, birthday cake and s'mores. I wasn't overly impressed by any of the flavors but I chose a scoop of the toffee chocolate chip in a cup. Hubby ordered the buckeye blitz in a chocolate dipped cone. We sat outside in the fountain square. Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan. My scoop only had 2 pieces of toffee. The chocolate pieces were good and had a fudgy consistency. The ice cream itself was very creamy and smooth but it didn't have enough going on for me. Hubby enjoyed his chocolate dipped cone and the buckeye blitz. I tried his ice cream and I thought it was better than mine. It had a good peanut butter flavor throughout. Even though I was disappointed with the ice cream, I would give them another try one day.

So apparently this is all over the city, so I had to try it while we were at the salsa night. It was pretty good. The line was not long and they let us try all the flavors that we asked. I did cookies and cream and raspberry and chocolate, and it was actually good. They have plenty of sweets and coffee and candy and stuff like that here so if you're into that, fall through.

One of the greatest things about cincy is Graeters! It's always amazing and the staff is so kind! Make sure to check this place out.

Absolutely amazing ice cream. There was quite a wait but once you got your order you realized what the wait is for. Right next to Fountain Square so you can easily go enjoy the outdoors! Great experience

Well, what can you say about this place. Very good ice cream friendly staff visited a couple times during my stay there will definitely come back and recommend this place especially their signature ice cream.

Great little shop right next to the FifthThird park/monument park. Super friendly staff and samples available to try before you buy. Ice cream is rich and delicious and the waffle cones are tasty and hardy. Definitely a must stop when you're downtown.

Even though the price for ice cream is not really so normal, this is some of the best ice cream out there. If you come to the OHIO area you gotta try some of this. The Black-Raspberry chip is classic and very good. I recommend this place a lot.

Graeter's is so tasty! They are clean and have great service. They have lots of different options!

The hype was high for this ice cream shop. The lines were long and service was quick. The hot fudge sundae was tasty & the soda drink was delicious. It was worth the visit.

The ice was delicious. Salted camel chocolate chip and brown sugar butter pecan. The Combo was great. Service was not welcoming just took the order cause I was there. A little friendlier greeting would be nice

So glad a friend recommended this local institution to me. This is some seriously good ice cream! You can just tell that this is made with clean and fresh ingredients. While the menu is loaded with about 30 different flavors to choose from, I'm pretty sure you can't screw this one up! A friendly local told me that they are known for their Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. This was a perfect way to end a very long and hot day in Cincinnati. Highly recommended!

My fav ice cream shop on the Cinci area. We stopped for coffee and ice cream. I opted for cherry chip. Is is soooo good. But then, you can't go wrong with any flavor. They are all delish. Stop by when you are in the area. You won't be disappointed.

Great service! Street parking, not sure about bathrooms. Inside and outside seating. Limited seating. Fantastic ice cream! I just grabbed a pint because I didn't have time to sit and eat it. GIANT chocolate pieces and delicious flavors and vegan options!! Great service!! Both people at the counter happily answered my questions and helped me make my options and same for the people ahead of me! It was so fun! A great experience and well worth the recommendation! They had so many options on their menu!

Service: amazing! So friendly and patient as I tried a few different ice creams Ice creams: omg all the ice creams I tried were so good! The fudge brownie was really good but I ended up with the famous blackberry chip! I usually do not like fruit and chocolate together but this combo was delicious!!!

Good tasting ice cream. Fast service. In a nice area to sit and enjoy your ice cream. Would recommend.

When visiting Cincinnati for a conference, a local resident mentioned that I must try Graeter's Ice Cream. I was thrilled to find this location across the street from my hotel, by Fountain Square. A couple of friends and I went after dinner, and we sampled several flavors before making our decisions. I was glad that samples were back, giving us a semblance of normalcy in the pandemic. Graeter's serves both unique and classic flavors. I settled on a single scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and it was rich and delicious. I was sad to finish it. I'm sure Graeter's does an excellent business with concerts and events in the park. I only visited once in Cincinnati, but two of my friends enjoyed it so much that they returned the next night. With so many flavors to try, you can't go wrong.

A little snow didn't stop us from tasting this yummy ice cream! All of our uber drivers recommended this place so we had to stop by. I ordered the smores ice cream and it was delicious! They have a calendar displayed of the different flavors they will be introducing throughout the year which is nice so you know when to stop by if you're wanting a specific item.

Thanks for your suggestions. Very wonderful staff. We will be back to try all of your flavors. Coming from a San Fran, we didn't think we could ever replace our ice cream spot in the Kentucky area. I highly suggest the PB and J Sunday!

Great little spot, ice cream is amazing, service is decent as long as you don't order a milkshake or anything requiring the workers to do any work. Milkshakes will be served with attitude and eye rolls.

The ice cream was just okay. The staff was rude & so much trash outside. Pricey for the small portion you get. Not a fan.

I LOVE Graeter's! This location is great if you're downtown. The staff is incredibly nice and personable and the shop itself is very clean. As always, the ice cream was incredible and I'll always come back!

Stopped in after a Red's game. Love me some Graeters. We used to have one in Vegas but it closed a few years back. Got the Buckeye Blitz full of chocolate peanut butter goodness. Sat outside by the fountain, perfect break after a busy day.

If you come to Cincy than you will most likely hear about Graeter's ice cream and how is a must just like the Cincinnati chili. It's been around for about 150 years and is still being made with this French pot process which makes it creamier and more dense. Their signature flavor is the black cherry chocolate chip which is what my hubby had and he said it was not the best I agree too but was still good . We love ice cream and visiting local ice cream shops is something we love, so we can appreciate the love and tradition being put into. I had pumpkin ice cream and I felt the cinnamon was there but the pumpkin flavor could have been a bit stronger for my taste. They also offer a variety of drinks hot and cold plus baked goods. I bought this pack of twelve butter cookies and chocolates which the kids devoured in two days.

Amazing flavors! The lemon meringue tasted super fresh and the black raspberry truffle was great as well.

Thought this ice cream was excellent and the perfect treat after dinner downtown! I had one of the limited edition flavors that was just simply delicious! They allow you to have some samples if you are unsure of which flavor to select, so be sure to ask about that if you are a first timer. I ordered the kids size since I was already pretty full and the employees graciously allowed me to have that. The service was friendly (extremely so!!) and the ice cream was so good. It is a little on the pricey side (about 4.5 dollars for a kids) but worth it in my opinion.

Stopped for an after dinner dessert. Ice cream was amazing. Service was good. Busy so we waited a shot bit but worth it. Definitely a recommend if you are in the area. Has a great outside place to sit and look at the fountain near the shop.

"I'm your ice cream man, baby, stop me when I'm passin' by See now all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy" (Van Halen) Graeter's Ice Cream Fun Facts 1) Their ice cream made its debut via push-carts on the streets of Cincinnati in 1870. 2) It was, and still is, crafted in a French Pot process that yields just 2 1/2 gallons at a time 3) French Pot ice cream is more dense and creamy than regular ice cream. It has a high butterfat content and isn't light or airy. 4) They are famous for their "Signature Chip Flavors" with 14 chip flavors 5) The chips are poured as a liquid and then frozen into the ice cream, The process creates a variety of soft uniquely shaped chips. 6) They have 50 locations across Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Indiana. 7) Besides ice cream, they sell candy, desserts and all sorts of baked goodies. 8) My dish of Toffee Chocolate Chip was one of the best ice creams I've had in a very long time. 9) Graeter's was an awesome place to visit, full of history, tradition, a great atmosphere, a lot of flavors, and outrageously good ice cream.

I have been trying for awhile to find ice cream I like better than Graeter's. I still haven't found what I'm looking for.