The Unofficial West Side Ice Cream Trail

The West Side of Columbus his home to several unique ice cream shops featuring soft serve, Mexican paletas, milkshakes and more!!

I love ice cream! So of course I have an ongoing list of ice cream shops to try around Columbus! When we moved to Westgate, we discovered that the West Side of Columbus is full of hidden gems when it comes to ice cream! Lucky me! Put these on your summer bucket list ASAP!

The Unofficial West Side Ice Cream Trail:

1. Dulce Mundo Party World

• 5455 Norton Center, Columbus, OH 43228

This is a super fun stop for ice cream and all kinds of goodies on the west side of Columbus! Dulce Mundo Party World sells a variety of Mexican ice cream treats! They’re also stocked with candy, chips and party supplies! It’s definitely a fun vibe inside the store!

I got the coconut ice cream with chocolate syrup on top and I would 100% go back for it! They have a lot of fun photo ops in the store, too!

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2. La Plaza Tapatia

• 255 Georgesville Rd., Columbus, OH 43228

La Plaza Tapatia moved to a brand new location in 2021! This location has an expanded grocery store, tons of prepared Mexican specialty foods, a coffee bar, a food truck pad, a candy shop and Titi’s Heladitos: an ice cream shop within the store!

There are tons of ice cream and paleta flavors, all of them bright and beckoning! How to decide?! Grab a snack and head out to the patio to enjoy it or peruse this massive Mexican market for more tasty finds! It’s a gem!

Looking for more unique things to do in Columbus? Read Off the Beaten Path: 15 Unique Things to do in Columbus Ohio!

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3. Dulce Vida Ice Cream Factory

• 4201 W. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43228

This bright and colorful place is one of our favorites! My whole family loves the paletas here and there are also lots of flavors of hand dipped ice cream to choose from! Dulce Vida West offers a lot of indoor seating and some other food options as well!

My kids are always choosing the most brightly colored paleta but I’m a sucker for the Oreo flavor!

Read more: Extreme Desserts in Columbus You Absolutely Have to Try!

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4. Hilltop Dairy Twist – currently closed in 2023

• 2860 Sullivant Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43204

I love Hilltop Dairy Twist because it’s your classic, no frills dariette. This was the kind of thing I grew up with in Wayne County, Ohio – locally owned dariettes serving soft serve, flurries and sundaes plus a whole menu of food options!

I couldn’t find anything like this in Columbus until I drove past Hilltop Dairy Twist one day while working! The sign outside boasted 40 flavors of soft serve and I knew I had to check it out! Just on the edge of Westgate, I am thrilled to be able to make this an affordable go-to ice cream spot!

This is a walk up spot with outdoor seating. Cash only!

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5. Tony’s Coneys

• 5266 W. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43228

You might not guess that Tony’s Coneys serves ice cream, but inside the restaurant, there is a separate room just for the ice cream shop! Not only does Tony’s serve, well, coneys, they have a pretty extensive menu of food! There is indoor and outdoor seating and a walk up option. Soft serve cones for kids are $1 and I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate malt milkshake! Yum!

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6. Double Happy

• 1280 Brown Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43223

This place is a total hidden gem! A walk-up ice cream shop that sells an absurdly long list of milkshakes! (Not that I’m complaining!) The list of hand blended milk shakes includes unique flavors like Banana Jam, Apple Mint, Pina Colada, Espresso, Raspberry Chai, Elvis Special and more! Or you can go out on a limb and create your own flavor combination!

I chose the Espresso milk shake which is made with Stauf’s Espresso syrup and vanilla ice cream! My boys chose blue cotton candy because that’s what they do every. single. time.

The shop sells more than just milkshakes! Coffee, sundaes, and soft serve are also available as well as lunch options like chicken wraps and chicken and waffles!

Keep an eye out because Double Happy changed owners in 2023 and a new concept is planned for the shop involving a dog park and beer! So get your ice cream while you still can!

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7. El Ranchito Artisan Ice Cream and Snacks

• 1275 Brown Rd, Columbus, OH 43223

Situated right across the street from Double Happy is a new (opened in July 2019) Mexican ice cream shop! This shop is right next door to El Ranchito Taqueria and serves handmade ice cream and paletas! The shop does not have inside seating but there is an attached porch with several tables and chairs.

I always love the fun and colorful ice cream selections at Mexican ice cream shops. Paletas are my favorite, but I’ve been on a cookies and cream streak lately. It’s not too original, but it’s tasty!

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You might also want to check out 5 on Friday: Unique Ice Cream Spots to add to your list! 😉

Need even more ideas? Check out Over 100 Fun Things to do in Columbus, Ohio

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