As summer reaches its hot and sticky apex, our thoughts naturally turn towards anything that can help us cool down. One of the best ways to do this is with a cold, delicious ice cream cone. As real estate agents in Windsor, we know the area well, and feel pretty confident giving you our hottest tips on the coolest ice cream in the area.

With COVID-19 affecting many of our daily activities, it’s nice to know that some things never change. Even if you have to order with a mask on and observe social distancing in the line, you can still get some incredible ice cream around Windsor and Essex County.

Here are some of our favourite purveyors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, and other delicious summer treats.

1. Waterfront Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt (Amherstburg)

Waterfront Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt has been a staple in Amherstburg for more than 40 years! They offer a huge variety of ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt, as well as a host of delicious and unique toppings for any base of your choosing. When it comes to cones, you can choose a plain cone, or go all out with a handmade chocolate and nut-encrusted waffle cone. This ice cream parlour has been owned by Cecelia and Tito DeLuca since 1979 and is currently run by their son Justin and his wife Jen. Make sure to try their Tollhouse Cookie Dough with Brownies flavour!

2. Dairy Freez (Essex)

Dairy Freez is an iconic drive-in that prides itself on serving amazing milkshakes, ice cream cones, and cheeseburgers. They’re open every summer and have been a fixture of the community for decades. Everything they serve is great, but people rave about their hot fudge sundaes and Boston coolers (a local favourite largely unknown elsewhere) in particular. If you want to visit, make sure to wear a mask, and bring cash: they don’t take credit cards.

3. Busker’s Submarine (Windsor)

Located on Tecumseh Road in Windsor is another community staple. Busker’s Submarine has been serving frozen yogurt, soft serve, and scoops of ice cream since 1985. They have all the staples of an old-fashioned ice cream parlour, including floats made with your choice of pop and ice cream. They’re often busy on Friday nights, as people pack into their parking lot to grab a sub and a sweet treat. Make sure to sample their unique sundaes, including the butter tart sundae, and specialty hot fudge sundae made with cream puffs.

4. Sweet Retreat (Leamington)

Sweet Retreat in Leamington looks like it was ripped straight from the 1950s. Their lime-green walls and gleaming chrome fixtures make this the perfect replica of a soda parlour from 70 years ago. Inside, they serve Kawartha Dairy ice cream and spin milkshakes in their old-fashioned milkshake machine. To encourage the enjoyment of ice cream while maintaining social distancing, they’ve placed a colourful collection of Muskoka chairs in their yard, all grouped an appropriate distance apart.

5. Dari de Lite (Windsor)

Now open for their 48^th season, Dari de Lite in Windsor serves up delicious ice cream, sundaes, and shakes from their walk-up window. They’ve even bought and outfitted a catering van, called Dari de Lite too. Unlike some of the other scoop shops we’ve profiled, their specialty is definitely soft serve. Their soft serve flavours may not be revolutionary, but they’ve created some incredible toppings, including a cookie crunch cone topped with Oreo crumbles and caramel, and a birthday cake hard shell.

6. Nuccelli’s Frozen Yogurt (Amherstburg)

Nuccelli’s Frozen Yogurt is another super popular family owned and operated spot right in downtown Amherstburg. There’s a good chance you’ve had their amazing frozen yogurt cups at one of the many Essex County summer festivals! Some of the kids favourites include the cotton candy and bubble gum flavours. You can also find many options for the big kids with plenty of healthier options.

7. Stop 26 Ice Cream & More (Windsor)

If you’re walking along Sand Point Beach, you should stop in and visit Stop 26 Ice Cream & More. This fun and bubbly ice cream parlour serves every type of ice cream you could ever want, plus some healthier options that include green smoothies and frozen yogurt. Their hard ice cream comes from a variety of manufacturers, including nut-free Chapman’s. In the summer, they’re open from the afternoon until the evening, 7 days a week. Kids will love their kid-friendly flavours, including cotton candy, Spiderman, and bubble gum.

8. The Parlour (LaSalle)

Located in downtown LaSalle, The Parlour bills itself as a “modern spin on the local, family-owned ice cream parlour.” They’ve just opened this year, and are already busy scooping up ice cream as fast as they can make it. Their offerings are intentionally indulgent, and include a ‘suggarito’, made with three scoops of ice cream and toppings wrapped in a freshly made cotton candy ‘burrito’. They have some of the most unique flavours in the region, including banana cream pie, caramel apple, coconut, licorice, and Saturday morning cartoons (a homemade creation made from sweet milk ice cream rippled with a golden graham cereal swirl).