Red's Dairy Freeze

Drove by this window service soft serve parlor on the way to the Portland Head Lighthouse. What an excellent treat to cool off in the summer heat. Read online about their "Boston shake" which turns out is an off-the-menu item, but totally worth trying. The cashier was so friendly and patient in explaining the "Boston" is your choice of shake with a soft serve sundae on top. I ordered eggnog shake topped with salted caramel soft serve and fudge syrup. With over 20 shake flavors and 10 soft serve choices, mix and match how you want. You walk up to the window to place your order. A long line can form, but it moves pretty quickly. No where to sit except a small bench for about 4 people on the side of the building. I highly recommend!

📍 South Portland, Maine 📅Visited: several times, most recently July 2024 🚘 Parking: free lot attached 🛎️Seating/Service: counter service, takes credit cards. limited outdoor seating 🍴Menu Favorites: soft serve vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles, Nor’easter (soft serve blended with toppings) 🐶 Dog-friendly: yes 👶🏼 Kid-friendly: yes ➕Pros: great ice cream at a reasonable price with a large selection of flavors and toppings ➖Cons: closes in the winter ⭐️Recommend: 5 stars - must do for ice cream in South Portland

Went here for the first time recently! I got a hot fudge sundae with a chocolate and vanilla twist. It was absolutely delicious!! The service was excellent and fast, can’t wait to come back again!

Open 70+ years. I've been going since the 60s myself. Moved out of Maine in 1976, go back every summer and always hit up Reds. So nostalgic. So yum. So inexpensive! Great flavor and product options. I had an English Toffee with chocolate Jimmy's cone.

Been here 3 times since I moved to town and have tried a blackberry brownie nor’easter; the s’mores sundae (limited time only), and a cake batter cone. Tasty and that long line moves fast. The staff is friendly and efficient. Oh, and I’m usually a hard serve guy but Red’s does soft serve so good I don’t even miss it! Prices are impressively reasonable given the times.

Felt like a fun touristy stop, but didn’t love the soft serve. It just didn’t have much flavor! Still glad we did it.

This was good if you know what you're getting. This establishment offers soft serve based treats - cones, shakes, etc. Nothing homemade, hand-scooped, etc. Large portions, great prices. Good location. Parking available. Not much outdoor seating aside from a couple of benches. Very popular, but the line moved fast. Very efficient service. Everyone liked their treats except me - the fat-free chocolate mint tasted like toothpaste, lol.

Perfect spot for a cool treat on a fine Maine summer day. Great soft-serve cones and personally loved the peanut butter shake. Glad I don’t live nearby, otherwise I would be here weekly.

Drove by this window service soft serve parlor on the way to the Portland Head Lighthouse. What an excellent treat to cool off in the summer heat. Read online about their "Boston shake" which turns out is an off-the-menu item, but totally worth trying. The cashier was so friendly and patient in explaining the "Boston" is your choice of shake with a soft serve sundae on top. I ordered eggnog shake topped with salted caramel soft serve and fudge syrup. With over 20 shake flavors and 10 soft serve choices, mix and match how you want. You walk up to the window to place your order. A long line can form, but it moves pretty quickly. No where to sit except a small bench for about 4 people on the side of the building. I highly recommend!

This was a great ending to a day of walking trails. This ice cream walk up parlor has apparently been around for over 50 years! The parking lot situation was a bit tricky. The line was pretty long but we got to the front pretty quickly. I ordered a Caribbean Coconut in a waffle cone. It was absolutely delicious! Hubby and son ordered a twist chocolate and vanilla in a waffle cone. Wonderful soft serve treat!

Visiting from California - our 2nd time to Red's. The first time was over 2 years ago and my husband and I did not forgot the vanilla soft serve. Back in town with my in-laws. We again enjoyed the creamy, not too sweet vanilla soft serve. Yum! While there we saw a dad with two daughters, seniors, a group of students all enjoying different treats. Make sure to give it a try. I wish they had some picnic tables there. We sat on the bench on the side of the building. I forgot to take photos.

I begged my family to make a pit stop here after seeing a huge line out front, and then searching them up and seeing that they were in an article for having one of the best soft serves in the country!! I was not disappointed!! We got the Nutella Sundae and the Chocolate Soft Serve. Their soft serve was what I dream of in every soft serve - not too sweet, perfectly creamy, light, and fluffy (if ice cream could ever be fluffy)! Also, we ordered SMALLS and they were huge portions, so definitely worth the price! The warm Nutella on the ice cream was divine, and paired so, so well. I will most definitely be back!!

Huge serving sizes for affordable prices. I wish they had more vegan and non-dairy options and flavors though. I got a medium and couldn't finish. We also shared a large soft serve between 3 people and it was enough. The soft serve texture was quite nice and creamy, even the vegan option.

Just like when we were kids! Delicious soft serve and absolutely love they still have the eyeballs. My son ordered a slushee and they even put eyeballs in it for him, so he wasn't left out. Thank you Reds!

Delicious ice cream and shakes, there's really not much more to say about this cute little ice cream shop. There was a line in front of us when we arrived but service was really quick and we had our ice cream within five minutes. Super cute, would come back!

I don't get ice cream out more than a few times per year and this spot is one of them! Red's is a local institution as it has been around for many years and if you are local or have visited you are likely to go back to get more. I like to keep it simple and go for the chocolate and vanilla swirl soft serve, which is creamy (no "icy" consistency here like some soft serve), with good flavor the right amount of sweetness without making it too sweet. Their prices are on the more reasonable side for what you are getting value wise, a medium size in a dish is more than enough for my wife and I. Service is friendly and efficient. They take credit cards/cash. Downside is location is at a busy intersection that is a bit tricky navigating in/out of their small parking lot and there is usually a line. No covered area to sit as it's an "order and sit at a few benches outside" kind of spot. Recommended.

Good ice cream. Nice variety of flavors. I wish there were better seating options, but I understand it's not that kind of place!

After our dinner, my two daughters wanted a blueberry desert for our last night in Maine. A quick Yelp search located this highly rated ice cream shack. So off we went. Still full from dinner, the two girls decided to share a blueberry milk shake. I had a sip, and it was refreshing and delicious, not too sweet. The blueberry was definitely in the shake. The walk-up service was friendly and quick. Plenty of parking in the private lot. Pricing was appropriate for this high quality shake.

You need to visit. The ice cream is so soft, and the crunch topping is required! Even though it was a busy Sunday, we were served so quickly (30 seconds!) and kindly.

Iconic location, a real throwback to the old days of ice cream drive up service window. The soft serve good and creamy not icy. Consistency is very light. Offer a large assortment of toppings on both cone and in cup. Only drawback is they do not offer a traditional Chocolate dip, but still worth it II I would recommend without reservation.

It's good ice cream! Was it an explosion of mega happiness and ultimate creamy flavor in my mouth? No. But was it delicious, cheap, and in a huge portion? YEP! I got the medium, and it was pretty much what most other ice cream shops would say is a large. It was big! For the toppings, they make sure to cover the ice cream entirely, like it should be done. None of that "light dusting" crap you get from other ice cream places. I opted to try the crunch coat for the first time. It's a foreign thing to me, not being from Maine. For anyone not in the know it's was like peanut brittle covered peanuts and rainbow sprinkles mixed together. That's the best description I've got lol. I really didn't care for it at all. Line moved lightning fast. Parking is crazy when it's busy, with cars constantly coming in and out of a very small parking lot.

Fantastic! We stopped here for ice cream after our dinner at the Lobster Shack and weren't disappointed. The portions were ample to say the least and the ice cream was smooth and creamy but not as creamy as custard. The service was fast and friendly and ice cream was tasty. My wife got a serving of chocolate and a serving of peanut butter in a cup and I got a vanilla/chocolate twist in a cone. This might sound crazy but the best part of my ice cream was the fact that the ice cream went all of the way down to bottom of the cone unlike some places where the I cream starts at the top of the cone which leaves the bottom of the cone hollow. Not Red's - they make sure you have ice cream up through the very last bite! Check out Red's...you won't be disappointed!

Stopped here after going to the beach. Wow now that's how you do soft serve!! I liked it more than Dairy Queen even. It's so thick and smooth and very reasonably priced. Definitely will come back here!

This place sure knows how to move their long lines quickly!! Great service! Soft serve ice cream... Very creamy. I had a twist in a waffle cone with rainbow jimmies. Hubby had the same minus the sprinkles as he calls them. LOL We will definitely come back! I will try the Nor'easter next time! Looked yummy!

What can i say?! This is a landmark in the area and brings all the nostalgia of summer's past. COVID friendly spacing on the pavement, and decently organized lines. Vanilla soft serve w crunch coat is the only correct order :-)

The quintessential ice cream spot. Been going here since I first vacationed in Maine as a kid, and it has never disappointed. Reviewing now after my first Red's of the season. Order: (1) medium vanilla soft serve w/ crunch coat (me); (2) medium swirl soft serve w/ crunch coat (Courtney). Pros: quality, location (right near the beach), price Cons: None

Come on, it's Red's. If you don't give Red's 5 stars you're some sort of weird commie or something.

We were craving soft serve ice cream while in Portland on our Maine trip, and found this spot in South Portland on Yelp that we decided to make the short drive to try. Great decision! They have a surprising number of choices for soft serve and many different options to have it, from cones to sundaes to Nor'easters (like a blizzard/mcflurry). We had a twist hot fudge sundae and a cake batter cone, both great. Prices are good too! This is a local spot, so venture outside of Old Port and check out where the locals go.

Fantastic ice cream shop. My favorite things to get are the peanut butter shake and the frozen lemonade. The housemade fresh strawberry ice cream is always a big hit, so when it comes out, stock up.

Cute ice cream house in the middle of a quiet neighborhood that was stopped at on the way back from the Portland Headlight. The line moves quickly and the ice cream is so cheap! The portion sizes are big. There are a TON of flavors, different topping options and different ways to eat your ice cream. The ice cream unfortunately only tastes ok. The flavor is a bit flat.

Since it hit 100° in Portland today, who wouldn't want ice cream to help cool off? We pulled up and the lines were intimidating, but they moved incredibly fast! Simple soft serve options, that really all look delicious. I got a basic twist waffle cone. The cone was store bought, not home made, but the ice cream was good. Their operation was efficient and the ice cream was good; I would definitely come back here again.

I really like their ice cream. How much can one say about Ice cream? Besides the fact that it's just amazing. This is my second time trying their Ice cream while in Portland. They sell soft serve, shakes, sundaes, slushy and much more. I ordered a small English toffee soft serve ice cream on a cone. It cost 2.40. Perfect serving size. The toffee flavor is really great, I enjoyed. I only wish I got chocolate sprinkles on it :-(. I guess the next time I come I'll have to explore more. They have plenty of parking and a little area for people that may want to seat out (not a lot though). The person at the window was also really friendly.

I'm a good critic and ice cream snob. This place was amazing. Custard style soft serve ice cream. I got the chocolate and vanilla swirl on a waffle cone and the cone was fresh and delicious

Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe it's the anticipation at the end of a hot day. And maybe... maybe it really is just that damn good! We love Reds. We go there about a million times each summer. And it never gets old. We went there 2 days ago. We went there yesterday. And you can bet we will be going today. When it comes to soft-serve, there is no better place around. A small unsuspecting building, with a line at all times and a giant red roof, you can't miss it. And you don't want to. Pull in, get out, get some. You will be glad you did. With rotating flavors and tons of shake and sundae combinations, you will never tire of the selection. Add in the fact that it is the only place I can find pineapple Dole outside of Disney World, and you have an awesome location. Now, the dole flavor changes, and it's only pineapple maybe 3-4 times a year, but if you see it, get it. Delicious. Aside from that, you can't go wrong with any of their flavors, especially if you cover it in their warm peanut butter sauce and either chocolate jimmies or crunch coat. My wife (the healthy one) also loves the selection of sugar free, fat free, and healthy snacks. The chocolate covered banana is one of her go to choices, and it is damn good. Now, there are no bathrooms, the parking can be a bit hectic, and at times you wonder why they don't open that second window more, but still, 5 stars for sure. Kid tested. Mother approved. And father devoured. Get here.

WoW! First time here and we tried Butterscotch Sundae and it's the best one we had so far! Just loved it. Total worth the money! Highly recommend this place for ice cream lovers. Check out the pic of sundae that we tried. Cheers! Update: Today we tried soft cone medium tiramisu, it's okay! Cannot expect it to be exact flavor of tiramisu. It tasted hint of coffee and milk. But, we will visit again to try another flavor!

Best ice cream I've ever had. Was coming back to Maine from Fort Williams park and came across this place. Stopping by was absolutely worth it! Frozen treat is not too overly sweet, creamy mouthfeel, and leaves no "sticky" feeling on your tongue. Recommend chocolate and vanilla swirl for first timers. Cone is the way to go for that complete ice cream cone experience.

Wow, one of the wonderful benefits of my road trip to Maine was this visit to a good old fashion ice cream shack. And of course, when you go somewhere like this, there is no other choice that the old-fashioned vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkle. What a trip down memory lane.

My sister loves soft serve and she says this has been her favorites far. So I'd say it's worth stopping by to try it. It's cheap and tasty and it's easy to park. Definitely try the crunch coat if your fan sprinkles and nuts. They have an option to add candy to your soft serve like a Mcflurry if that's what you fancy (my other sister got the mini of this and that was plenty for her). Plus they have different flavors everyday!

Stopped by after visiting the lighthouse and it was the perfect treat. Rich and creamy soft serves, can't go wrong! Not too sweet and they have seasonal flavors!

The perfect pit stop for a sweet treat on a warm day. Hits the spot when you're craving a classic New England soft serve cone.

Made a pit stop here on a recent trip to Portland after reading about their "Boston shake" online. It's not actually on their menu, but it consists of a milkshake and ice cream sundae topped with either chocolate syrup or hot fudge. They had about 6 soft serve flavors and 25+ milkshake flavors on their menu, so there were lots of options for a Boston shake. I got the grasshopper (mint chocolate) milkshake + vanilla ice cream combo. It was absolutely delicious!

Ok, the good news is that the place is SO CHEAP! I'm talking a "small" cone for $2.50 cheap (a small is like the size of my foot). The not so good news is that I don't see how this is any different from any other soft serve place I've been to. I mean, if a Dairy Queen was there, I don't think it would be much different. Yes, they have TONS of options (shakes, sundaes etc.), so if you like to mix and match toppings and flavors, this is a good option. BUT if you actually want high quality ice cream, I wouldn't go here. Good for a family with a lot of kids who just want to be appeased with a sugar rush, but I'm a bit of an ice cream snob, so this isn't the place for me.

Stumbled on this soft serve place. Line was long but moved quickly. Lots of flavors and delicious. On the route between Portland and the lighthouse. Grab lunch in Portland and soft serve on the way to an afternoon at the lighthouse and you'll have the makings of a perfect day. I recommend this place. I'd go back. But, it's a long drive from California.

I'm not a HUGE ice cream fan, and I much prefer hard ice cream. That said, you need variety in your life, right? The best part about Red's is that the entire community is there right around dinner time, so you don't feel guilty about skipping dinner to have ice cream (guilty, as charged). My kiddo's fave food is blueberries (because, of course it is), so the blueberry soft serve was his choice... coated with copious amounts of sprinkles. Imagine my surprise as I shockingly watched a not-yet-3-year-old finish an entire small cone all by his lonesome. Parents: I recommend the Kiddie size, even though it looks tiny. My poison of choice is the Nor'Easter with peanut butter cups. NOM NOM NOM. The price makes you blink twice, but they actually fill it with toppings. None of those crappy "hey, I thought I got Oreos in this?!" moments like at some of the chain establishments. After a cone from Red's, you have to drive down to Fort Williams for an obligatory "walk it off" session.

With an outside temperature barely cracking 40 and Red's open for business, our ice cream season was about to a start. Maybe our expectations were high as summer is right around the corner; however, we both left disappointed. My wife ordered the Apple Pie Milkshake and I got a Andes Noreaster. We have both ordered these in the past; however both tasted bland and different than before. We will chalk this up as opening weekend and working out the kinks, but expect things to be better the next time we go.

Great portions of ice cream. And great flavor. The presentation is beautiful. The ice cream in the picture is rum and raisin with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles ! absolutions delish. Highly recommend.

Yum yum yum!!!! Delicious milkshakes. And I love that the kiddie size is truly small - the right size for a 4 yo! Amazing selection of flavors and fast, friendly service.

DOLE WHIP SOFT SERVE! WHAT! The only other places I've had this were Dinseyland and the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. Though it wasn't as good as the originals, it still met my needs. Today, they had Orange Pineapple and it was a lot more icy than creamy than I had hoped. Regardless, there's always a line so I'm sure their other goods are delicious. Hoping to try more of their dole whip flavors in the future!

I always pass by this place on the way to the lighthouses and everytime there's a sizeable line. My heritage means that seeing lines makes me want to join. I finally got to try a soft serve today. I ordered a small toasted coconut cone and paid 2.25 for it. The texture is extremely creamy but super light, it almost reminds me of eating cotton candy, where it looks and tastes substantial, but after ingesting it it feels like you simple inhaled flavor. It's not bad, but I probably prefer McDonald's soft serve as far as value goes. The cones are pretty big and you can make it a meal tbr.

Be sure to ask for the googly eyes on your ice cream. Crunch coat is a must- Best ice cream place!

Stopped by for soft serve after visiting the Headlight and let me tell you... they have some serious options! The soft serve is smooth, creamy and oh so delicious. We ordered a swirl cone and a kit kat nor Easter with vanilla/chocolate swirl ice soft serve. Was definitely a decadent sweet treat on a hot summer day! The walk-up window is always packed!

Red's has been my favorite ice cream spot since I was a little girl. Personally I always love the half and half with chocolate jimmies on a cone. They do have great sundaes and shakes too. My son hates ice cream so he loves the slush. They also have great options for my dad too, since he is diabetic. They had 5 different sugar free options today! That is amazing! If you are ever driving by you should stop! You won't regret it!

The ice cream was ok, this is'nt the only place that the employee handling the cash with gloves on and then handling a cone with the same glove is unsanitary. Order the cup it be safer.

Only have soft serve here I think.. which I'm usually a hard serve person. BUT, in the summer they have a fresh strawberry soft serve made from local picked strawberries, and it's amazinggggggg!

To sum up my review for all you "instant gratification" readers: I went back 30 minutes later to get a Peanut Butter Cup nor'easter. For the rest of you that want to read the entire spiel in a slightly less compressed version of the above: Red's Dairy has delicious soft served in a range of flavors, including, but definitely not limited to, Half & Half, Strawberry and Salted Caramel (for all my sweet & salty peeps). Portions are very generous at an incredible price. The "small" from their Nor'easter selection is huge, as in like not small at all...so keep that in mind when ordering. Enjoy!

Red's is the best place for soft serve! Its amazing. They even have dairy free versions for some of our family who have allergies. Its the perfect consistency, has the best flavor and is fresh. The people who work there are all friendly and seem to love their job (which I can totally understand). You will love it here! Thank you, Red's!

Delicious soft serve with reasonable prices. I get frustrated by places charging nearly $5 for a kiddie or small. Priced how it should be, it was just over $4 for a small and a kiddie soft serve. They were really nice when I bombarded them with allergy questions. Looking forward to going back again soon!

There are a few things things that make Red's very special to me: * The staff is incredibly friendly. They always greet you with a smile, and every interaction I've had has been cheerful and positive. * They carry a variety of low-calorie frozen yogurts, including Only 8, which has a miraculously-low 8 calories an ounce and tastes pretty darned great. I buy this stuff by the quart. They also carry Skinnie Minnie and Wow Cow froyo, which is slightly higher in calories. As far as I know, they're the only place around that has these options. * Their ice cream is friggin' great.