Ice cream and desserts in Lexington: 8 scoop shops and sweets

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Lexington’s two local ice cream makers are close to downtown: Crank & Boom in the Distillery District on Manchester Street and Sav’s on National Avenue. The chains spread out, with stores on Euclid Avenue in Chevy Chase, in Hamburg, off Nicholasville Road and along Tates Creek Road.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Lexington-Fayette, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 16, 2026. Some chains’ location pages would not open for us, so we kept them where the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s records show a 2026 inspection at the address. We added Crank & Boom and Baskin-Robbins from their own sites, and Graeter’s, Insomnia Cookies, Culver’s and Freddy’s from the inspection records. We left out Sav’s Restaurant on East Main Street and Lex Lounge, which we could not confirm as open, and campus dining. Doughnut shops and cake bakeries are on our bakeries list. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Baskin-Robbins. The ice cream chain has three Lexington stores, on North Locust Hill Drive, Fieldstone Way and Tates Creek Road, all open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, according to its store pages.

Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream. A Lexington craft ice cream maker with a shop in the Distillery District and another on Clays Mill Road. It sells party packs and tubs, caters events, ships nationwide and takes bookings for its Vault Room. Its site has an allergen guide.

Culver’s. The chain sells frozen custard alongside its burgers at two Lexington restaurants, in Hamburg and off Nicholasville Road.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The custard and burger chain has restaurants on Nicholasville Road and in Hamburg on Polo Club Boulevard.

Graeter’s Ice Cream. The ice cream chain has three Lexington shops: on Euclid Avenue in Chevy Chase, on Justice Drive in Hamburg and on Fountain Blue Lane.

Insomnia Cookies. The cookie chain, whose site says it delivers warm cookies until 3 a.m., has a Lexington store on Jersey Street near the University of Kentucky.

Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream. Sav has made his own gourmet ice cream since 2012, and the shop also sells Sav’s habanero sauce and vinaigrette. Call or text the shop at 859-229-0250.

Shake n Crave. A dessert shop on South Upper Street by the University of Kentucky, with a 2026 health inspection on record.

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Frequently asked questions

Where can I get ice cream in Lexington?

This list includes Crank & Boom on Manchester Street and Clays Mill Road, Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream on National Avenue, Graeter’s on Euclid Avenue, in Hamburg and on Fountain Blue Lane, three Baskin-Robbins stores and frozen custard at Culver’s and Freddy’s.

Which Lexington ice cream shop is open latest?

Crank & Boom on Manchester Street is open to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, according to its website.

Where can I get dessert late at night in Lexington?

Insomnia Cookies has a Lexington store at 433 Jersey St., near the University of Kentucky. Crank & Boom’s Manchester Street shop is open to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Where is there ice cream in the Distillery District?

Crank & Boom is at 1210 Manchester St. in the Distillery District, open from noon daily.