By Jaimie Julia Winters
As temperatures rise and summer draws closer, ice cream season has officially arrived. Whether you’re craving a classic cone, Italian ice, rolled ice cream, or an over-the-top dessert creation, Kearny offers plenty of sweet spots to help you cool down. From longtime neighborhood favorites to newer specialty shops, here are three local destinations serving up frozen treats for the warmer months.
Leo’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream
A longtime local favorite, Leo’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream is known for generous portions, affordable prices, and friendly service. Customers often praise the staff for being welcoming and happy to offer samples before you choose a flavor.
The menu features classic scoops of ice cream starting at $4.50, along with sundaes ($6.50), milkshakes ($6.50), and banana splits ($12). Flavor options range from creative choices like Blue Cookie Monster, Lemon Bar, Bumpin Banana, and Huckleberry to traditional favorites such as Rum Raisin, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry, Banana, and Coffee.
Leo’s also serves 15 flavors of Italian ice, including lemon, coconut, and chocolate, starting at $4.
Leo’s Italian Ice & Ice Cream
736 Kearny Ave., Kearny
Open noon to 9 p.m.
The Crepe Escape Kearny
For those who like their ice cream with a little extra flair, The Crepe Escape offers indulgent desserts that combine ice cream with crepes and waffles. Guests can choose from crepes stuffed with ice cream or waffles piled high with toppings and scoops.
Popular menu items include the Banana Pudding ($11), made with Bavarian cream, bananas, crushed Nilla wafers, and caramel drizzle; the Caramel Apple ($11), featuring caramelized apples, pecans, and graham cracker crumbles; Grandma’s PBJ ($10.50), with peanut butter sauce, strawberry jam, banana, and crushed peanuts; and the Pistachio Crepe ($13.50), topped with pistachio sauce, crushed pistachios, and white chocolate drizzle.
The shop also serves sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and plain ice cream with 12 flavors and 41 topping options.
The Crepe Escape Kearny
502 Kearny Ave., Kearny
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Lincredibowl
Lincredibowl brings an international twist to frozen desserts with Thai rolled ice cream, mango treats, and bubble tea made with fresh ingredients. The shop has become a popular stop for customers seeking colorful, customizable desserts and specialty drinks.
Thai rolled ice cream is made by pouring a liquid ice cream base onto a chilled metal pan, then chopping and spreading it before scraping it into delicate spirals. The result is a rich, creamy dessert that’s as entertaining to watch as it is to eat.
Favorites include the Pink Lady, made with strawberry ice cream, graham crackers, strawberry boba, and Pocky sticks; Monkey King, featuring banana, Nutella, and Teddy Grahams; and Mango, topped with chopped mango, mango boba, and lychee jelly. Creations start around $6.50.
Lincredibowl also offers bubble tea favorites such as Tiramisu Milk Tea and Dirty Brown Sugar Milk.
Lincredibowl
350 Kearny Ave., Kearny
Open 1 to 9 p.m.
