A few weeks ago, we celebrated National Ice Cream Month by asking our readers to nominate and vote for the best ice cream places in Connecticut.
We received hundreds of nominations before revealing the top 10. Then nearly one thousand people voted for their favorites.
The votes are officially in and counted, and the No. 1 ice cream place in Connecticut, according to our readers is…
Rich Farm Ice Cream
691 Oxford Road, Oxford, CT 06478
Fans of Rich Farm Ice Cream in Oxford came out by the hundreds to vote for the family-owned shop that has been serving up fresh ice cream in Oxford for 25 years.
The ice cream shop is operated by Dave Rich, his wife Dawn and their children on a farm, originated five generations ago, that Dave has run with his brother Don since the 1970s. In July of 1994, Dave and Dawn introduced ice cream to the dairy business, and Rich Farm Ice Cream shop has only grown in popularity since.
Here’s what voters had to say about Rich Farm Ice Cream:
“Creative, unique flavors, impeccable service, beautiful scenery.”
“High fat, very creamy, and great new rotating flavors daily.”
“Their ice cream is very creamy and their portions are generous. Nothing beats a waffle cone with fresh ice cream.”
The only downside, according to voters? Be prepared to wait in line, which can get long on warm summer evenings.
Rich Farm Ice Cream has three Connecticut locations: Oxford, Bristol and Brookfield. They also have a location in Placentia, California.
Website: https://richfarmicecream.com/about-us/
Runners Up:
Arethusa Farm Dairy (Tied for Second Place): Arethusa Farm started as a dairy farm in Litchfield County with just five cows. That number has now grown to over 300 cows, a dairy plant, a restaurant, a bakery and multiple ice cream locations, including New Haven and West Hartford. Arethusa bills their ice cream as “ice cream like it used to taste,” and our readers seem to agree. One nominator said, “the iced cream (sic) is so rich, no air bubbles, with incredible flavor.”
ROBBS Farm Ice Cream Shop (Tied for Second Place): This family-run farm started making homemade ice cream in 2005. Our readers have said, “The ice cream is made right on the premises with high quality, local ingredients, and they have a HUGE selection of flavors some of which are hard to find anywhere else.” Others rave about the creaminess of the ice cream.
UConn Dairy Bar (Third Place): Making its debut in 1953, the Dairy Bar started selling products made by UConn’s Creamery. The Creamery still makes ice cream according to that original recipe, and is a favorite among both the public and UConn students. One reader said, “They have fun new flavors every time you go, but the classics are always king. It’s a tradition for many students and their families every time they’re on campus. Portions are generous too!”