Pop's Old Fashion Ice Cream Co

Pops Ice Cream in Alexandria is a charming, old-fashioned ice cream shop right down by the waterfront. The street is often closed off to traffic, making it super easy and pleasant for pedestrians to stroll by. When I visited, there wasn’t a line, so I was able to walk right in—though I’ve heard it can get busy at peak times. I went with my favorite, Butter Pecan (I’ve tried their Pistachio and a few other flavors before), and it did not disappoint. The portion size is just right, and you can choose between a cup or a cone. The location is fantastic, and the vibe is classic and welcoming. Prices are a little on the higher side, but they’re pretty standard for the area, and the quality makes it worth it. There’s a wide variety of flavors, so there’s something for everyone. Definitely a great spot to grab a sweet treat while enjoying the waterfront.

Great atmosphere and service. Not a long wait, and the Ice cream was so tasty, and a well needed dessert with this heat.

Awesome little ice cream shop with tons of flavors and fast friendly service. The area is one of northern Virginia’s best! Highly recommend.

We’ve been frequent customers for several years! I love the old fashioned vibe and various flavors. And they can make a milkshake out of any of them! We’ve always had great service, whether it’s the off-season in January or a busy summer weekend. We’ve even been to Pop’s for a birthday party- the staff were awesome and it was a fun place to hold a bunch of us to celebrate and play games while having icecream. My husband and I began dating in Old Town and often went to Pop’s for dessert, so during our busy wedding day we HAD to make time for Pop’s, see photos!

The ice cream was really great! I got peach and it tasted well crafted. Next time I visit this adorable town I'll definitely visit again!

This is a must visit if you are in Old Town Alexandria. Even in winter, the ice-cream hits the spot. They have great flavors to choose from and all of it is freshly made. I've tried ice cream from the other places in Old Town and they definitely don't come close to Pop's. It is a charming little store and perfect for first dates. Grab a little ice cream and take your lovely date for a stroll along the river. It's cheap, delicious, and romantic. You can't beat that!

Big selection and it means really big, like 30+ . Scoops are big too. Basic 3 scoops goes for like $6. If visiting - the place has cordoned line so make selection outside it and then get in line, since display along all store. Also, it looks like they share card processing with Fish Market (restaurant) next door - don't be surprised if CC transaction is under Fish name. Suggestion: any chocolate based flavors.

What is going on…? I’d really like to hear from the manager this time. This is my second visit after the first in 2022 while traveling to the area. The girl who was working there was horrible!!!! Maybe she was so annoyed by the groups of the elderly who were in front of us, but still, the scoop we asked for was not even a scoop. It was really a spoonful scoop. And she literally threw the scoops inside the cup, and please look at the cup. This is a plastic container. Even considering the size, it was not a scoop!!! Literally, if you don’t want to work there, don’t. You are ruining a good ice cream store.

Although this ice cream establishment was recommended and the fanfare regarding this place seemed really interesting, when we arrived we were excited. Who doesn't get excited for ice cream. Unfortunately we were greeted by a young man behind the ice cream bar, who was not very friendly and he also would not speak up so that we could hear what he was saying. It made for an unfortunate experience. I also mentioned it to the young lady when I checked out. My mother was dying to have some ice cream and I brought her here for a really nice experience and unfortunately that's not what we ran into. Although the ice cream was really nice, I probably would not come back here again. Maybe the young man was just having a bad day.

A few ice cream shops line King Street in Old Town Alexandria, but in my opinion, this is the best one. Located close to the waterfront, Pop's offers a wide selection of both classic and unique flavors. The atmosphere: A charming little shop with retro checkered floors. There's no indoor seating, but I recommend grabbing your ice cream and strolling to the waterfront, where you'll find plenty of benches and spots to sit with a great view. The ice cream: I ordered a scoop of Toasted Coconut (my favorite) and Mint Chocolate Chip in a cup. Both were delicious, with generous portions--definitely worth it! Service: Quick and efficient. While there's usually a line around dinnertime, it moves fast, so you won't be waiting long.

We visited this place when we came to see the water and take a walk around town. The ice cream shop had many flavors and they allowed you to taste some of the flavors before you chose. The flavors were delicious. It's a busy shop but the staff were friendly and tried to move people through as quickly as possible. The shop itself was cute and very "old fashioned" so it was fitting if its name. We will definitely return next year when we visit again!

Very cute icecream shop with lots of different flavors to satisfy any palate. I had the Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel which was a perfect blend of salty and sweet. The weather was nice so we sat outside but there's plenty of seating inside to enjoy your icecream. The service was just OK. The person working behind the counter could have been more welcoming but that's an easy fix. Overall great experience.

First visit was in 2019 when we stayed in Olde Town Alexandria (just outside of DC). I was so excited to get the opportunity to come back. My cousin and her husband live in the area so we decided to meet here for some Ice Cream. Great experience both times. Service is friendly and some of the best Ice Cream ever. Love that old school Ice cream shop feel. A bit pricey but it's worth it.

First time visit and we enjoyed it. Friendly service too. I tried the carrot cake ice cream, my husband tried the Mt Vesuvius (yum!), and my mom had vanilla and the Kahlúa chocolate chip - we all tried each others scoops & we all liked each other's flavors. Would definitely visit again as a special treat.

The place is very cute and there is a variety of flavors, I found the ice cream to be extra sweet.

A large variety of flavors that were not just the usual ones you see everywhere. Their waffles cones were crisp, the ice cream was firm and full of pieces. Their waffles cones staff was friendly and appeared to enjoy working there. The shop was bright and well air conditioned on the hot evening that we went there on a weekend night. We grabbed our cones and walked along the waterfront. Great ice cream shop. I'd definitely like to go back and try some more of their flavors

Lots of flavor options, but many were empty by the time we arrived. I went for the cotton candy and it's sooo yummy! The guy who serviced me was super nice and patient, prioritizing me with a smile even as the line got long and I was deciding as quick as possible for my first time there. It was like an old diner inside. Situated in a lively area and pretty street by the river. There's much to hop to in this area. Go, enjoy!!!

The icecream was so good I didn't have time to take a picture! We got cookies & cream and Cleveland brownie flavors. We were satisfied with two scoops in a bowl. The line moves quick even when it's crowded. I would definitely come back!

We were near the water and wanted to get ice cream. We decided to pop in and there were actually more flavors than listed out. We went with yellow cake and rocky road, where both good I liked yellow cake better. Good place to grab some ice cream and I would go back to try more flavors.

This is my favorite Ice Cream Spot in Alexandria and trust me I've tried a lot of ice cream shops in the area lol. My go to Flavor when I stop in, is the Cleveland Brownie, it is so good! When I get two scoops I get the Cookies and Cream Flavor too. My partner loves their Yellow Cake flavor and I can agree that it is delicious, he also adds chocolate sprinkles. Their ice cream comes in regular cones, waffle cones or cups. I love the taste of their waffle cones and they are made in house! They have over 20 different Ice cream flavors to choose from and if you're not in the mood for ice cream they make milkshakes too! Most of the time when I come in there is a long line for good reason but the staff works really fast to take care of the orders. It is a small ice cream shop so they do not have any seating available. It's a grab and go ice cream spot and it's right by the water in Old Town making it a great stop before heading down to the waterfront.

May be the best sundae I've ever had! Can't go wrong with any options downtown but seriously this was the best treat ever!

Homemade ice cream- not shipped in from 10 states away! Plus seating inside if the weather is hot.

Classic ice cream shop in old town. Lots of flavors with friendly service. Flavors are really pronounced and delicious. I would give it 5 stars if it was just more reasonably priced.

How could anyone resist Old Fashioned Ice Cream? POP's has plenty of great options to choose from plus can enjoy shakes, floats and more!

The ice cream here is okay. $8 for 2 scoops. They have a variety but I wasn't too excited about the pistachio flavor. Tasted more like vanilla ice cream with drops of pistachio extract. I also tried the butterfinger coffee ice cream. The coffee ice cream wasn't as strong as I'd like and therefore the butterfinger just came out over-powering. Service was lackluster. Either the staff wasn't wanting to be there or she couldn't hear me with the loud music over the PA system - but either case, she didn't greet me, didn't wear a smile and almost paced back and forth while waiting for me to select the flavors. With another ice cream shop across the street and another gelato street 2 blocks away, I know where to go next time.

We were in Alexandria for an excellent art exhibit opening and stopped afterwards for some ice cream which was very good. Lots of options, topping etc....and the line goes out the door but it moves fast.

Cute little small ice cream shop in old town alexandria. We stopped here for ice cream after seeing halloween decor's on captain's row road. Inside, the vibe were very old school, very retro decorated and it reminds me of old times. Price was not bad , service was quick and fast. Mint chocolate chip was good. Love how creamy it is. My friend got the mango and i LOVED the mango. Deff. would get that last time. It tasted like milk and mangoes mixed together and the amount of how creamy it was makes it VERY ADDICTING! Will deff come back.

Stopped by Friday night after a ghost tour for something sweet. Ordered a peach milkshake and it didn't taste anything like peach. Overall tasted like milk and ice but a smooth consistency. The service was ok. Long bench to sit and great lighting.

Love this place, great selection of ice cream and friendly staff! They were out of one ice cream, however the staff offered suggestion from one of there many other flavors.

It's always amazing! I had friends visiting from California and from Florida and I mentioned Pop's ice cream. Some of the flavors I had become accustomed to were no longer there, but they still amazed at how good this ice cream is!

It was a nice night so we stopped after dinner at a local hot spot! Long lines called us in. Got the turtle sundae and omg, hot pecan pie with praline pecan ice cream holy moly it was good. HUGE portion though so consider sharing. Seating indoors limited and was a little cramped with long lines . Quaint feel of days gone by. Loved the vibe and friendly staff. Worth a trip!

*3.5 Old Town is nice in the way that it has enough ice cream shops to cover those that downtown DC lacks. We chose to go to Pop's because they had a version of coffee choc chip and other places didn't - we split a single scoop ($6) of the kahlua choc chip, which was kind of an average coffee ice cream with chips. Not the strongest flavor, did not sample other flavors so can't speak for those. Also, the place was dark/seemed closed even though it was sunny out, and it only had one (not enthusiastic) employee working, while other neighboring ice cream shops were visibly lively. However it was a nice day, and the ice cream was fitting and I'm satisfied with the visit!

Excellent, old fashioned ice cream in the heart of Old Town My wife and I went to Pops for an ice cream date after work. I ordered my favorite, Yellow Cake, on a waffle cone with chocolate sprinkles. She got her usual Cleveland Brownie on a waffle cone. Both were excellent, as always. Pops has over 25 ice cream flavors, while offering milkshakes and Italian ice. Their waffle cones are always fresh as they're made in-house. Even with Kilwins and Ben & Jerry's nearby, Pops is still our preferred ice cream oasis. Definitely a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

What can we say Pops is the best. Always have a cone when we are in Old Town. Delicious Ice Cream. The location is an old school Ice Cream shop. They never disappoint the choices are all amazing.

If it was possible to give a 10 star review I most definitely would! Pops is 10/10 the bees knees and where you will now catch me hopefully everyday of the week until my arteries and veins are clogged with ice cream. Here's why Pops was so amazing: 1. Atmosphere- if you're looking for some old school bangers, pops is the place. They had great song choice which I sung along to while waiting in line. 2. Atmosphere pt. 2- they have some super fun mirrors that we took pics in while we waited which I loved! 3. Ice cream- an IMMENSE amount of choices to choose from. I got the black cherry and it was chefs kiss 4. Customer service- this is what put me over the edge (in the best way possible) and makes me want to give it a 10 star review. Our cashier, TJ was so fun and engaging with us. He welcomed us in and treated us since it was our first time at Pops! I could go on and on about how phenomenal pops is but I'll stop there. You will not be disappointed!

In need of something refreshing, Pop's is the classic ice cream shoppe to visit in Alexandria! We the hot weather over a hundred, we decided we wanted to stop by to get some ice cream. But once I read the menu the root beer float was what sounded the most amazing, and boy did it hit the spot! The creamy vanilla ice cream and their old fashioned root beer was incredible!! The one thing that did made me a bit disappointed was the customer service. When we wanted in, the lady didn't even give us a chance to look at the menu (mind you we were the first 2 people who walked in before a huge crowd) and the lady behind the counter said "what you want?" And we asked for a few moments to look at the menu and ice cream options because they had so many. Not even 10 seconds later she asks "okay now what do you want?" So we quickly made decisions, more so now because we saw a group of about 5 people walk in behind us. She was the same way with them so maybe she was just having a rough day, but it did take away from the experience a little bit. Nonetheless, the decor is the shop through the restrooms were on theme, and there were so many pieces of memories of the history throughout. We will certainly be back to try other flavors. :)

Yumm!!! Visiting Alexandria and couldn't help notice the long lines! Stopped in and tried their mango flavored ice cream. Cute nostalgic ice cream shop! It's a must stop. There's no real sitting area but that's ok, stroll through the cute town!

I had the choco banana ice cream and it was delicious! I'll be returning. Good atmosphere too. No complaints!

Just because a shop makes their own ice cream doesn't mean it's good. It means they control what goes into it, and this shop, under new management, has made changes that are affecting the taste. You are allowed 2 sample tastings. We tried peach and carrot cake. The peach ice cream had a weak peach flavor and no pieces of peach. New management had removed them from the recipe. The carrot cake ice cream tasted like carrot cake, but it wasn't rich in flavor. Neither were impressive, so we got the following 4 flavors. 1) Black raspberry It was smooth and creamy with some richness. The raspberry flavor was moderate, and there were no pieces of raspberry. It was moderately sweet. This was the best tasting flavor out of our 4 choices. 2) Butter Pecan It had absolutely no butter flavor! The pecans were tiny specks of nuts. There was no pecan flavor unless you chewed on the specks of pecans. This is the first time ever that I have chewed butter pecan ice cream to get some flavor. This was essentially average vanilla ice cream. It was moderately sweet, and the texture was fine. 3) Rum raisin We got no raisins! The container in the store had only a few raisins spread around. I guess you have to get lucky to get one, or you'd have to ask them to carefully scoop around to get some. Why are the raisins so sparse? It had a mild rum flavor, and the texture was smooth and creamy. It was moderately sweet. 5) Pralines & cream This tasted like weak vanilla ice cream with small pieces of pecans. It wasn't praline. The pecans had no sweetness, and there was no caramel flavor. What is going on here? The texture was fine, and it was moderately sweet. The service was helpful and polite. The store and restroom were clean. There was bench seating along one wall. No tables. The decor was made up of colors and items reminiscent of times before 1950. It was cute. The replica bicycle from the 1870s was cool. Loved the service and atmosphere here. The ice cream was like average supermarket ice cream at a premium price. The missing ingredients were ridiculous. I couldn't recommend this place until they improve their products.

Pops is mine and my fiancé's favorite ice cream spot in all of Alexandria/Arlington and probably even the DC area and trust me when I say this because we did an "ice cream tour" when we first moved to the area 2 years ago. The service at pops is incredible. Staff is super friendly and hooks it up with large portions. The ice cream is so creamy and delicious without being overly sweet. The quality is bar none. Highly recommend if you're in Old Town.

Of all the ice cream options in Old Town, this is my fave! I love the variety of flavors. The line always moves quickly. The staff are friendly regardless of how crowded it gets. Prices are reasonable. The ice cream is not too heavy or sweet--just the way I like it!

So many unique flavors available! When we came in there wasn't a line and it was fairly quiet, so we got to sample a couple flavors before making a decision. Inside it feels very old fashioned and traditional. They have sundaes and floats available too. I ended up choosing their cheesecake ice cream, which comes with pieces of cheesecake in it and the famous chocolate ice cream which has frosting and sprinkles mixed in. Both were delicious and slightly different flavors from what I normally order. Staff was friendly and accommodating by letting us sample. There are benches outside to enjoy your ice cream as well

Really cute ice cream shop that makes their own ice cream and plays amazing music! It has a very classic red and white checkered interior The ice cream is light and doesn't make you feel bloated afterwards. You can ask to try a sample beforehand. I got the toasted coconut ice cream and it was delicious! They are very generous with their scoops!

Very quick service despite the long line. A lot of choices on flavors. Price can be pretty steep. Also, very limited seating (it's a small ice cream place) but nonetheless, still a great place to get ice cream at. Will stop by during a hot summer day.

Walking around after having a disappointing brunch I wanted something sweet. So decided to come here. The line was literally out the door and I'm glad I did come. The cone and the Kahlua chocolate chip ice cream were like that. Highly recommend!

of course after eating dinner, I had to stop by for some yummy sweets and saw a line coming out of the store for this place so I thought it must be good. When I walked in, it definitely felt like I was transported back in time to an old school icecream shop. There were plenty of flavors to choose from and the staff was very quick to take my order and serve the icecream. I got two scoops of banana and chocolate chip and omf the banana was one of the best banana flavored icecream ive ever had!! it was so fresh and didn't taste artificial or too sweet at all. overall, if you're in the area I would definitely recommend pops for a late night treat!

The ice cream is great but this place charged an unauthorized tip of $2 on my transaction. I've been here before so I trusted this establishment and did not ask for a receipt. I never signed anything that added this either. It's only two dollars but that's fraud. I got 1 scoop on a cake cone, which is $5 and $6 with tax. I very clearly remember that the person on the register said $6 and the original pending transaction said $6. Someone put $2 tip after the fact. I didn't sign anything to confirm this nor do they turn the screen around for me to tap. Pay cash if you really want to support this business -- it could have just been the worker (but still).

Such good hard ice cream. Wonderful menu (no soft serve options), quick and friendly service. The butterfinger coffee is my FAVORITE of their flavors so far, the peanut butter flavors have a slight powder taste to them, but are overall still really great.

DELICIOUS!! I got the worms and dirt sundae and it slayed. best part is that they used twin snakes as the worms. yum. The line was pretty long but moved really quickly and efficiently! The place itself is really cute too, little retro vibe.

Ice cram shop with a solid selection of homemade ice cream Very minimal seating inside Waffle cones, but not homemade I got the cookies & cream + yellow cake ice cream and they were both very creamy & tasty, but there weren't a lot of cookies in the cookies & cream. The ice cream also melted pretty quickly due to the creamy-ness of it

really good and was busy would definitely go back again. if you ever in the old town area, try this place out.

Stopped by on a Saturday night to grab a sweet treat after dinner. Everyone working there was very kind and helpful, and there were SO many delicious and unique flavors. The ice cream was so flavorful, so creamy, just scrumptious. Easily the highest quality ice cream I've had. Can't wait to go back and try the other flavors!

As the name states, an old fashioned ice cream parlor with over 20 flavors and limitless combinations.

It was my first time in the establishment and I was looking forward to trying the ice cream. But instead I experienced very poor customer service. After waiting in line several minutes, we were skipped over for service. When I brought it to the workers attention, he stated he was going to service the people behind us then he would service us. Totally rude and dismissive. So, we left without being served and will never return again. We also plan to share our experience with others

Pops was delicious! We stopped by on an early Friday night, and there was no line. I highly recommend the Cleveland Brownie flavor if you're into that - will definitely be getting it again next time. I also enjoyed the strawberry, which was more creamy and milky than the brownie. The scoops are also a good size - I would get 2 (instead of 1) as it's only $1 extra. Overall a solid ice cream spot - check it out if you're in the area!

Came here during one of Alexandria's street festivals, so the place was packed but everything was orderly enough to understand what was what. Although the line was all the way outside the store (with reason) the line moved exceptionally fast. Normally it takes me a while for a final decision to be made on food preferences but by the time reached the front to order I knew what I wanted: butter pecan. The ice cream what's a good creamy consistency with plenty of nuts to balance out the flavors.

Old town Alexandria is such a perfect spot for an ice cream shop! The nearby road is blocked off for people only and we needed a refreshing bite. Service is super quick and I believe the tax is already included in the price. 2 cones for $10 even. Wideeeeee variety and they even had an Italian ice flavor of the day. I opted for the butter pecan and it was spot on.