Where to Find the Best Ice Cream in Central Ohio Right Now

August is peak ice cream season in Central Ohio, and the region's lineup runs deep, from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, which started at North Market in 2002, to Johnson's Real Ice Cream, a Bexley original since 1950, to Whit's Frozen Custard.

There's a specific kind of heat that only gets solved by ice cream, and Central Ohio hits that stretch hard in early August. The good news is this region takes its frozen desserts seriously enough that you could spend the rest of summer working through a genuinely excellent list without leaving the metro.

Here's where I'd start, roughly in order of how far you'd need to drive.

What Makes Jeni's Worth the Hype?

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is arguably Columbus's best-known culinary export, founded in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer as a stall inside North Market. It's since grown into a national brand with scoop shops across the country, but the original North Market location remains something of a pilgrimage stop for locals and visitors alike. Jeni's makes every base from scratch using direct-trade ingredients and grass-grazed Ohio dairy, and the flavor rotation leans genuinely inventive, think blueberries and sweet corn, or seasonal collaborations that change throughout the year.

Columbus now has eight Jeni's scoop shops spread across neighborhoods including Grandview, German Village, Clintonville, and Short North, so there's rarely a long drive required no matter where you're starting from.

Is Johnson's Actually Worth the Drive to Bexley?

Yes, especially if you've never made the trip. Johnson's Real Ice Cream opened its original shop in Bexley in 1950, and it's still there, still family-owned, still making every flavor from scratch on the premises using Ohio dairy. It's since expanded to roughly nine or ten locations across Central Ohio, including Dublin and New Albany, so you don't necessarily need to make the trip to the original, though there's something to be said for the nostalgia of the source location.

Popular flavors include Buckeye Fever and a rotating seasonal lineup, and the shop's catering and ice cream truck options make it a genuine local institution for weddings, graduations, and neighborhood events, not just a walk-up scoop shop.

What About Frozen Custard and Regional Chains?

Whit's Frozen Custard has multiple Central Ohio locations, including Westerville and Delaware, and it's technically a different product than traditional ice cream, denser, richer, made with a higher egg yolk content. If you've never tried frozen custard specifically, this is a good excuse to notice the difference. Graeter's, originally from Cincinnati but now widely available in Columbus, is known for its French Pot Process and its signature chocolate chunks, distinct enough from Jeni's or Johnson's that it's worth trying as its own category rather than a direct comparison.

Handel's, which started in Youngstown, rotates through 48 flavors of ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, and ices across its Central Ohio locations, which is a genuinely useful option if you're taking a group with wildly different preferences.

Are There Worthwhile Ice Cream Spots Outside Columbus Proper?

Yes, and some of them are worth a deliberate drive. Hebron Dari Bar has been an institution since 1966, known especially for its soft serve, and it's the kind of small-town ice cream stand that turns a Sunday drive into an actual destination. The Dairy Hut in Pataskala has been serving soft serve, sundaes, and milkshakes since 1952, with a genuinely retro feel that a lot of longtime Central Ohio families associate with childhood summers.

Both are a reminder that some of the best ice cream in the region isn't necessarily downtown, it's tucked into small towns that reward the extra twenty or thirty minutes it takes to get there. If you're the type who likes to build a summer around small road trips, either one makes a genuinely good excuse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams start? Jeni's started in 2002 as a stall inside Columbus's North Market, founded by Jeni Britton Bauer. It has since grown into a national brand, though the original North Market location remains a popular stop for locals and visitors.

How long has Johnson's Real Ice Cream been in Bexley? Johnson's opened its original shop in Bexley in 1950 and remains family-owned, making every flavor from scratch on the premises. It has expanded to roughly nine or ten locations across Central Ohio, including Dublin and New Albany.

What's the difference between frozen custard and ice cream? Frozen custard, like what Whit's serves, contains a higher percentage of egg yolk than traditional ice cream, giving it a denser, richer texture. Traditional ice cream, like Jeni's or Johnson's, tends to be lighter by comparison.

Is Graeter's from Columbus? No, Graeter's originated in Cincinnati, but it's widely available in Columbus and known for its French Pot Process and signature chocolate chunks, distinct from Columbus-based options like Jeni's and Johnson's.

Are there good ice cream stops outside of Columbus proper? Yes. Hebron Dari Bar, an institution since 1966 known for its soft serve, and the Dairy Hut in Pataskala, serving soft serve and sundaes since 1952, are both worth the drive for a genuinely retro, small-town ice cream experience.

Wherever your August ice cream run takes you, I hope it's a good one. And if a summer like this makes you think about which Central Ohio neighborhood you'd want to call home, I'm always happy to talk it through.

This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. All real estate services are provided in compliance with Fair Housing laws, RESPA, TCPA, the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, and Ohio Real Estate Commission advertising regulations. Equal Housing Opportunity. Chrisi Hagan, Collins Lassiter Group, Red 1 Realty.