It’s not hard to find good ice cream in Portland – and we’re not just talking about Salt & Straw.
While the city may be associated with the quirky 2010s-era ice cream parlor (which has since expanded to several other major cities and Disneyland), Portland has since developed a much broader ice cream scene that has seen high-quality scoop shops popping up all over town.
But, for some sweet reason, some of the city’s very best ice cream spots have begun to cluster around one area in particular: Southeast Division Street.
Officially known as the Richmond neighborhood, this stretch of Division between Southeast 50th and Southeast 29th avenues has five of the best loved ice cream shops in town. A sixth is found just blocks away. For anyone looking to sample Portland’s frozen treat renaissance, this ice cream corridor is not only convenient, it’s vital.
Whether you’re just looking for a scoop or two after dinner, or you’re somebody who takes their ice cream tasting seriously and plans to do them all in one day, these are the five (OK, six) spots to check out in the ice cream corridor of Southeast Portland.
Eb & Bean
This humble frozen yogurt shop earns points for its spacious interior, ample amount of seating and wide array of flavors and toppings. Making up combinations is the real fun here, which you can do after an obligatory taste test of their array of dairy and non-dairy flavors. On our visit, we tried a swirl of Matcha Lavender and Blueberry Tart, topped with crumbled Oat Streusel – a delicious and aesthetically appealing combination. However, the Marionberry Pancake flavor was the real winner, which our young taster decided to top with little colored chocolate candies.
Eb & Bean, 3040 S.E. Division St., open noon to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday; ebandbean.com.
Salt & Straw
Salt & Straw is known for its wild, monthly rotating flavors, some of which are good and some of which … are interesting. But the standard, always-on-offer flavors are mostly good-to-great, especially Gooey Chocolate Brownie, Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper and Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons. Another Salt & Straw bonus? It’s open every single day, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., meaning you can even get a scoop on a Monday before lunch.
Salt & Straw, 3345 S.E. Division St., open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, saltandstraw.com.
Kate’s Ice Cream
The only thing shocking about Kate’s Ice Cream is that it didn’t come along sooner. The plant-based ice cream shop opened its first location in North Portland in 2022, quickly earning a loyal following that spawned an expansion to the west side of town and, this year, to Southeast Division, via a summertime pop-up at Better Days Cafe. Kate’s menu features spins on classic flavors, like their strawberry ice cream that’s swirled with strawberry jam, but there are some novel inventions too, like the floral Rose Water Cardamom Almond. The seasonals are where Kate’s lets their freak flag fly: This summer’s Strawberry Chocolate Potato Chip didn’t quite hit for us, but you have to appreciate the swing.
Kate’s Ice Cream, 3551 S.E. Division St., noon-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, katesicecream.com.
Pinolo Gelato
Earlier this month, we named Pinolo Gelato as our favorite ice cream spot in Portland and we stand by that call. Pinolo’s flavors are impeccable and the gelato is made daily in house. Gelato has less sugar and fat than ice cream and it is not quite so cold, which, in the best case scenario, gives it a softer texture. Pinolo is a best case scenario. Our advice? Try everything and then pick a couple of the flavors that speak to you. You can’t go wrong with Cioccolato or Hazelnut, but don’t skip the special flavors, which turn over about every two weeks and earlier this summer included Foresta, a smooth gelato that tasted just like stepping into a forest and was created using foraged new growth fir tips.
Pinolo Gelato, 3707 S.E. Division St., open 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, pinologelato.com.
Cornet Custard
Custard is another riff on ice cream, this time featuring more eggs. At Cornet Custard, each quart is made with 12 eggs, which makes the flavors here super creamy. Here those creamy flavors turn over frequently, so grab a pint if you find something you love. And whichever flavor you get, expect a delightfully heavy hand on the mix-ins, tons of flavor and fancy, imported cones. All the options are good ones at Cornet but if they have something with peanuts on the menu, Peanut Hot Fudge Sundae or Chocolate Peanut Butter, get one of those. If you can’t make it to Division Street for this one (though, you really should try), you can DoorDash pints and a four pack of cones and recreate the magic on your street.
Cornet Custard, 4529 S.E. Division St., open noon to 9:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, noon to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, cornetpdx.com.
BONUS: Fifty Licks
Fifty Licks has become a Portland institution. First opened in a bright blue truck on Southeast Belmont Street, the business has since expanded to three locations around the metropolitan area – four, if you count the Southeast Burnside location that burned down last year. The fire left Fifty Licks’ Southeast Clinton location as its only eastside scoop shop, where it does steady business just two blocks off the main drag on Southeast Division. Don’t expect a lot of turnover with the flavors, which are a little more mainstream than founder Chad Draizin’s original creations. Oregon Strawberry and Lavender Salted Caramel make a nice floral combo, but don’t sleep on the Mocha Mudslide, which might be the best flavor going right now.
Fifty Licks, 2021 S.E. Clinton St., open noon to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, fifty-licks.com.
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