Indulge in a sweet treat on National Chocolate Day.
By Haley Connors & Heidi Reid
Let’s be honest: Every day is a good day for a sweet treat—but what better excuse than National Chocolate Day Oct. 28? Enter the perfect opportunity to satisfy your sweet tooth, whether you’re craving rich drinks or crunchy caramel-filled desserts. Lucky for us, Raleigh serves up plenty of irresistible picks. After all, life is like a box of chocolates…
42 & Lawrence | Moore Square District Rediscover the bottom of your Grandma’s purse with a York pattie cold brew, lean uber-trendy and sip on a Dubai chocolate latte, or savor the classic hot chocolate for sweet nostalgia sans the caffeine fix. Pro tip: Grab a chocolate croissant or chocolate chip cookie to pair with your bev—dunking optional. 42lawrence.com
Andia’s Ice Cream | Iron District Cue the Instagram feed: Andia’s picturesque shakes were made for the spotlight. If shaking things up isn’t the vibe, savor a double dark chocolate or Oreo cookies and cream scoop drizzled with hot fudge. andiasicecream.com
Bittersweet | Fayetteville Street District Chocolate and cocktails—name a better combo, we’ll wait. The s’mores sundae, Derby pie and salty chocolate chip ice cream sandwich are sure to hit the sweet spot. Pair with the 4am Pancake or Bad Bunny cocktails for a booze meets cocoa moment. bittersweetraleigh.com
Adrian Etheridge Photography
Champloo Desserts | North Raleigh At this North Raleigh chocolate stop, the world is your oyster. The create-your-own ice cream selects provide ample opportunity to pile on chocolate Pocky, sprinkles and chips, plus cocoa candies—think Kit Kats, M&M’s, Reese’s Cups and even Ferrero Rocher. Match with rocky road, s’mores or chocolate peanut butter ice cream flavors for the ultimate sweet venture. champlooraleigh.com
Videri Chocolate Factory | Warehouse District From bean to bar, Raleigh’s own award-winning chocolate factory turns out chocolate that would have Oompa-Loompas flocking. Get in the spooky spirit with the chocolate-covered marshmallow cat, or channel Forrest Gump via a classic box of bite-size sweets. If you want a peak at the process, leave time for a factory tour. viderichocolatefactory.com
Tifa Chocolate & Gelato | Midtown Raleigh’s newest chocolatier dishes out an array of artisanal chocolates—including bars boasting cacao from around the world, masterfully made bonbons, handmade gourmet truffles (unique flavors include lemon, banana, tiramisu and butter pecan), and malt balls—all promising an indulgent journey for your taste buds. tifachocolateandgelato.com
Escazú Chocolates | Midtown East New location, same beloved chocolate. The nee-2008 bean-to-bar sweet shop is a go-to for handmade micro-batch chocolate that’s been refined and perfected over the years—resulting in the kinds of confections one might dream of: chocolate bars, assorted truffles, ice cream and a handful of hot chocolates. Peanut butter hot cocoa? Yes, please. escazuchocolates.com
Sweets lovers, gear up for gelato, chocolate, pastries and more.
There’s people who like ice cream, and then there’s local Sean Dill, a bona fide ice cream lover who’s opening the first Raleigh locale of Tifa Chocolate & Gelato in the Captrust Tower in North Hills this August. After spending his childhood making homemade ice cream with his family using the old-school ice and salt bucket method, Dill always joked ice cream was going to be his retirement plan.
Now, after buying his own professional-grade ice cream maker during COVID and later leaving his job in health care occupational management, the frozen dessert connoisseur is making that dream a reality via Tifa.
When I was in grad school getting my MBA, I had a professor say, ‘If you want to make people happy you don’t go into management, you sell ice cream,’” recalls Dill. “That’s really stuck with me—and having spent seven years in operational management, I can confirm at least half of that statement.”
Dill and his wife were introduced to the Tifa family and immediately hit it off, eventually signing with the franchise in June of last year. He says the Raleigh locale—complete with indoor and outdoor seating on a loungey mezzanine—is one of multiple stores he plans to open in the greater Raleigh-Durham market. “I don’t think there’s any better place we could’ve picked for our first location than North Hills,” he emphasizes.
Like all Tifa establishments, the City of Oaks outpost will feature a dozen standard flavors of gelato—think your staples like vanilla, chocolate, and cookies & cream—plus 11 other rotating and seasonal ops churned out of a gelato machine built-to-order in Italy. Additionally, the menu will boast its own signature flavor, which Dill is still fine-tuning.
Photo courtesy of Tifa
Photo courtesy of Tifa
Photo courtesy of Tifa
Confections fans will also be able to relish in artisan chocolates, cookies, desserts and “any type of pastry you could think of when you sit down for coffee,” says Dill, who hopes to source those from as many local suppliers as possible. With rise, grind and unwind in mind (read: 10am to 7pm), locals, Captrust office regulars and North Hills neighbors can hit pause on the grind with espresso, tea—or a well-earned sugar fix.
Dill’s main mission, though? Crafting a community staple where all walks of life—friends, family, etc.—can gather, connect and vibe. “You never see anybody unhappy at an ice cream shop,” he says. “It’s just a place filled with joy and happiness—and the idea of being a real part of that is really exciting.” Naturally, Raleigh could not be more excited too. @tifaraleighnc
Fun fact: Gelato is whisked with less air, producing a smoother scoop than traditional ice cream. It also has fewer calories, less sugar and lower fat content.
What do you get when Ben and Jerry’s core pints, Dairy Queen’s dipped cones and TCBY’s toppings join their frozen forces? Something only imagined in your wildest (sweet) dreams… Enter Simons Says Dip This. Founded in Durham in 2021, the scoop shop recently opened a new location in Raleighat Downtown’s Bloc[83] development.
While vanilla soft serve is the only ice cream flavor offering (there’s also a nondairy version), Simons Says is anything but. Cones, cups or ice cream sandwiches can be dunked in 24 different dips—from butterscotch to cake batter to caramel cotton candy—and paired with 30 delectable toppings (think potato chips, pretzels, Oreos and cookie dough). And if you’re after the trifecta, you can also fill the middle of your creation with one of six different cores, which include fudge, pistachio cream and mango. Read: There’s over 2 million possible customizable combinations (!).
The brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Audrey and Nathan Simons, the Raleigh location—which they achieved with the help of Elm Partners—has always been a natural next step for them. And they hit the sweet spot with this one, given its attractive walkability to Glenwood South and Morgan Street Food Hall. Designed with the brand’s signature nostalgic and childlike joy, the City of Oaks outpost will cater to the whole family, complete with a squirrel spring rider that will be placed in the space. Not to mention the walls will be adorned with ’90s-inspired ice cream decor fit for photo ops. And if Simons Says you’re not in the mood for soft serve, a selection of housemade stuffed cookies, freeze-dried candies, soda floats and Simons Says Spread This artisanal will also be on offer. Without a doubt, DTR’s about to get a whole lot sweeter. simonssaysdipthis.com
Prepare to have these over-the-top milkshakes bring all the boys (and girls!) to The Yard, opening at Seaboard Station in April.
There’s milkshakes, and then there’s The Yard Milkshake Bar’s spectacularly over-the-top milkshakes (we’re talking sometimes 12-inches tall, y’all). With toppings like whole slices of cake or pie, doughnuts, Pop-Tarts, and more (!), these shakes are not for the faint of heart—er, stomach. And, now, Raleigh is getting a (large) bite of the action, as local influencers Briana and Roger Kornegay of Raleigh FoodTrap are poised to open a sweet DTR spot April 12 at Seaboard Station.
The digital creators—known to eat their way around town and beyond—saw The Yard’s 2018 debut on Shark Tank… followed by scrolls of the signature excessive shakes all over social media. After spinning up a taste for themselves at The Yard’s Ashburn, Virginia, location (the most proximal of the shake spaces), the Kornegays knew they had to open one here at home.
“We’ve tried ice cream everywhere; we’ve seen people attempt [the over-the-top milkshakes], but there’s nobody doing it like The Yard,” says Roger. “It’s just bussin’. You can’t go wrong.”
The Yard’s Raleigh location—and its first NC outpost—will feature the same standard menu as its 30+ existing storefronts, plus monthly specials and a Raleigh-exclusive milkshake that will only be available at Seaboard Station. While still in the brainstorming stage, Roger says they’ll have the opp to partner with a local bakery on the creative flavor—and he’s pining for red velvet cinnamon roll (um, sold).
Mr. FoodTrap’s other The Yard faves include the Doughnut Touch My Coffees & Cream, a cappuccino crunch ice cream base in a Nutella-iced jar rolled in crushed Oreos and topped with whipped cream, Nutella drizzle, crushed Oreos and a whole doughnut; and the Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake feat. strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a vanilla-iced jar rolled in graham cracker crumbs and topped with whipped cream, strawberry topping, crushed graham crackers and a slice of New York cheesecake. Phew! “They’re only like 1,700 calories,” Roger jokes, “but it’s worth it.”
After sip happens (see what we did there), patrons will be able to take the exclusive Raleigh-branded Mason jar home with them—think of it like a trophy for finishing those extravagant ’zerts. The scoop shop will even have a washing station where you can clean it and bag it.
And shakin’ things up beyond the shakes, The Yard will offer straight-up ice cream, sundaes, edible cookie dough, specialty cakes and a secret menu—plus vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free flavors. … And for those intimidated by the piled-high shakes, fear not—there are just-as-tasty tinier versions. Of course, if you’re feeling really frosty, says Roger, you can go bigger too, with The Yard’s pint shake bosses. Just make sure to wear your stretchy pants. theyardmilkshakebar.com
It is hot. Temperatures in Raleigh have officially reached triple digits, with humidity making it feel like a thousand degrees. … Basically, it’s been unbearable. At this time of year in North Carolina, the cure to cooling yourself down is some nice, cold ice cream—by a beach or the pool, if you’re lucky! Below, we rounded up a few of our favorite Raleigh ice cream spots to keep the heat at bay for National Ice Cream Day July 17—and throughout the summer.
Known for: Rotating monthly flavors that fit a festive theme. This month’s special flavors feature Two Roosters’ greatest hits—think Peanut Butter Brownie, Peach and Blue Corn Cookie, and Lemon Bar.
Known for: If you didn’t already love Videri for their amazing chocolates (we don’t know how you couldn’t…), here’s another reason to visit: its soft-serve window scoops up vanilla and chocolate soft serve with toppings galore!
Known for: Howling Cow is a Raleigh icon. The ice cream is made on NC State’s campus with milk and cream from more than 300 NC State cows on the veterinary school’s farm in Raleigh, with Wolf Tracks being a crowd favorite!
Known for: Premium ice cream made with rBST-free milk that comes from pasture-raised cows featured in monthly flavors, along with extravagant milkshakes, cookie sandwiches, sundaes and other ice cream creations.
Known for: Create-your-own rolled ice cream or specialty creations like Benelux Biscoffee, Chocolate Overload, Mixed Berry and S’mores. There’s only one way to find out if rolled ice cream is better…
Known for: It’s in the name—FRESH. has been creating innovative flavors of ice cream for 30 years using fresh ingredients from local farms for scoops, sundaes and ice cream cakes.
Known for: A plethora of homemade flavors, best served in a freshly made waffle cone. Fudge, caramel apples, brittles, truffles and other confections are also available.
Known for: All-natural frozen custard made with just milk, cream, eggs, pure cane sugar, honey and natural vanilla extract (in the vanilla flavor). Every day Goodberry’s features a different flavor, which we recommend blending into their famous Carolina Concrete with your choice of mix-ins.
Known for: Perhaps America’s most beloved ice cream chain, you can get Ben & Jerry’s famous pints in grocery stores or scooped at two Raleigh locations at North Hills or on Hillsborough Street. At the scoop shops, you’ll find all your favorite flavors and more, including milkshakes, sundaes and chocolate-dipped waffle cones.
