I asked 4 southern chefs for the best chains for soft serve, and never would have predicted this winner

Add these three expert-approved soft-serve spots to your agenda before summer comes to a close.

Here at Southern Living, we have a soft spot in our hearts for soft serve. Wait 30 minutes in line to try the new strawberry pretzel salad sundae from the cool new dessert spot in Birmingham? Gladly. I refuse to let a summer go by without devouring the home run dessert that is a batting helmet filled with swirl soft serve at the ballpark. And although I don’t live in Nashville, I might just book a trip to have an excuse to revisit Fryce Cream.

While homegrown local gems will always be my favorite places to visit when I’m craving a cone, you’ll regularly find me in line at a fast food chain to get my fix. Turns out, I’m in good company there. As we approach the most steamy days of summer, I spoke with several sweet and savory chefs based in the South, and they agree that big brands churn out some seriously solid soft serve. 

“You always know what you’re going to get at a chain. Consistency, nostalgia, and the fair price point make chain restaurant soft serve a winning proposition,” explains Chris McLaurin, chef of Lutra Bakery & Cafe in Durham, North Carolina.

With confirmation that the pros aren’t too proud to swing by a chain for soft serve, too, I couldn’t resist asking them to dish about their MVPs. Will McDonald’s take the crown (if the ice cream machine is working)? Or perhaps Chick-Fil-A’s “icedream” will reign supreme? 

Meet the Experts

• Tarciani Harger, pastry chef at Soby’s in Greenville, South Carolina
• Chris McLaurin, chef of Lutra Bakery & Cafe in Durham, North Carolina
• Matt Pak, chef partner and owner of Happy Go Lucky, The Burger Joint, The Taco Stand in Houston, Texas
• MacKenzie Smith, a New Smyrna Beach, Florida-based food blogger and the author of Grilled Cheese Social

Qualities of the Best Soft Serve

As they’re doing the tough “research” of separating the best from the rest, here’s what Southern chefs tell us they seek out in their swirls.

• It’s light yet rich. Hard pack ice creams are allowed to—in fact, are designed to—be densely-packed. However, “great soft serve should have an airy, almost cloud-like texture that melts on your tongue,” if you ask Houston restaurant owner and chef Matt Pak. It shouldn’t be too airy or foamy, though. When soft serve is made with interior ingredients or pumped with too much air, it’s a “pass” for chef and cookbook author MacKenzie Smith.
• It’s creamy and smooth. Soby’s pastry chef Tarciani Harger tells us that “texture is the first thing I notice. I actively avoid any soft serve that has an icy texture.” A creamy, smooth soft serve is a telltale sign that the recipe features quality dairy and has been made with care.
• It’s not cloyingly sweet. Pak, who recently perfected his own soft serve recipe to share at his Hawaiian shave ice shop, Happy Go Lucky, believes that “a lot of chains make the mistake of leaning too hard into sweetness rather than developing real, nuanced flavor. Sweetness should be a byproduct of good ingredients, not a cover-up for the lack of them.” The vanilla and chocolate notes should ring true to those flavors, without being artificial or dominated by sugar. (“If it’s overly sweet, I’m out,” Harger adds.) The dairy essence should shine through, too.

“The ultimate soft-serve creations make you want to order it again before you’ve even finished the first one,” Smith summarizes.

The Best Chain for Soft Serve, According to Southern Chefs

To my surprise, McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A didn’t even get mentioned. And DQ only received an honorable mention for nostalgia: “Our local Dairy Queen in New Smyrna Beach has been around since the 1950s, and it’s one of those neighborhood landmarks that feels frozen in time,” Smith says. “My kids absolutely love it, and we have so many fun family memories there.”

Still, when she’s jonesing for the ultimate soft serve, rather than just relying on vibes, Smith heads to the winner of our informal survey: Rita’s. Renowned for their Italian ice (aka “water ice” if you live in certain parts of the Northeast), Rita’s also offers soft serve frozen custard that Smith and Pak believe tops all the rest. 

“Rita’s Italian Ice nails that richness and creaminess I’m always chasing. It’s technically frozen custard, but it’s soft serve-style, so I’m counting it,” Pak says.

Smith agrees with those assertions, and adds that the thickness and dairy-forward flavor make Rita’s top tier. Order a cup or cone of vanilla or chocolate custard (or swirl) to enjoy it au natural, ask for it as the base of a sundae, try it in a concrete (a candy-infused milkshake), or follow Smith’s lead and opt for a gelati (Italian ice topped with soft serve).

“Rita’s gelati is one of my all-time favorite frozen treats. I actually craved them nonstop during both of my pregnancies! The combination of creamy soft serve and bright, fruity Italian ice is unlike anything else,” Smith tells Southern Living. The textural contrast and flavor blends are somehow both incredibly refreshing and totally indulgent at the same time.” (She suggests watermelon or mango Italian ice with vanilla soft serve.)

In case you could use any more convincing that you should give Rita’s a visit, the brand has a sweet origin story. It’s founded by former firefighter Bob Tumolo, who started selling it from his front porch as a side hustle. Bob perfected the recipe with his mom, Elizabeth, and named the brand after his wife, Rita.

Although Rita’s is based in Pennsylvania, the 615-store chain has dozens of locations sprinkled throughout the South, from Florida to D.C. and the Carolinas to Texas.

Runners-Up

Rita’s earns the gold, and their ice cream is well worth lining up for when you’re near a location. That being said, it’s not the only chef-approved option. Earning one vote each, you’ll probably also melt for the soft serve at…

Wendy’s

Billed by McLaurin as the “quintessential soft serve—sweet, with the perfect texture, it’s hard to beat a Frosty for putting a smile on your face.” He’s been a fan of the Frosty from this fast-food chain since he was a child and his family took road trips to the beach, making a pit stop along the way. “They’re simple and tasty every time,” McLaurin confirms. Even though Wendy’s now offers vanilla Frostys and limited-edition flavors like banana, strawberry, and salted caramel, “I stick with the original chocolate,” he notes. “I’m a sucker for sweet and salty combos, so I must order a side of fries to dip into the cup.” (Don’t mind if I do!) Your nearest Wendy’s shouldn’t require much of a detour, because this chain has more than 5,700 locations. Conveniently, three of the five states with the most Wendy’s are located in the South: Florida, Texas, and North Carolina.

Crispy Cones

As for Hanger, she likes to hang at Crispy Cones. The vanilla and chocolate soft serve is stellar, she says, and it gets even better when it’s served in the brand’s signature warm cones. Those edible vessels are inspired by trdelník (chimney cake), a classic Eastern European pastry and street food that’s shaped like a cornucopia and is often dusted in cinnamon-sugar. “The warm cone adds texture and flavor that make the dessert feel more complete and memorable than a typical soft serve,” Hanger says. “Chocolate is my favorite flavor, and I always choose the cone rather than a cup.” That allows the gourmet soft serve itself to really shine. Founded by a husband wife team, Crispy Cones was bolstered by an appearance on Shark Tank in 2022—and a subsequent investment by Barbara Corcoran. Today, you can follow Hanger’s lead by customizing your cone at one of their 100 locations and counting, including shops in Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and South Carolina.

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