We all scream for ice cream — that's especially true this scorching summer. But which ice cream shop do we scream for the loudest?
Ahead of National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 21, we asked our readers to weigh in on their favorite local frozen treat stop, with a list of 10 popular places to pick from.
There was some stiff competition in Greater Fall River, with plenty of palate-pleasing dessert destinations to turn to. But one shop stood out as the cream of the crop.
Somerset Creamery comes in at No. 1
The results are in, and with more than 3,000 votes cast in our reader poll, Somerset Creamery was the clear favorite.
From the smell of warm, freshly-made waffle cones emanating from the shop, to roughly 45 classic and creative (looking at you, Cranberry Bog) flavors of hard ice cream — including sherbet, frozen yogurt, and dairy-free vegan options — to generations of memories made at this nearly 90-year-old Somerset fixture, all are ingredients for Somerset Creamery's staying power as a crowd-pleaser.
"We feel incredibly lucky and happy to have such loyal support," said Jason Berube, Somerset Creamery ice cream maker and owner along with his brother Matthew. "It makes it all worth it when everything works and people are happy."
It's a mix of quality "homemade ice cream made the old-fashioned way" and its "iconic history" that sets this family-run business apart from the rest and keeps folks near and far coming back.
"You try to make a good time for the kids and the families and eventually that's just something that people will gravitate back to — happy memories," said Jason Berube, 51, who has been involved in the family business since 1986.
History of Somerset Creamery
Somerset Creamery has been family-owned and operated since 1937, but didn't get its start on Route 6.
The creamery was founded by Jason's grandfather, Victor Spanick, who got his start in the ice cream business, in partnership with another local ice cream maker, at his first store called Creamrich on County Street in Somerset. He eventually sold that and opened Somerset Creamery.
By the early 1960s, Victor had three shops — at the former Milk Can in Somerset, a milk bottle-shaped building and town landmark for years; near Stone Bridge in Tiverton; and the current Route 6 location.
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When Victor was ready to retire in 1981, his daughter Carolyn, a former school teacher, and her husband, Roger Berube, took over the last remaining shop on Route 6, which they operated for over 40 years before handing the reins to their children, Jason and Matthew, earlier this year.
Somerset Creamery also has a shop in Bourne, which opened in 1997, and expanded to include a second Somerset location on County Street, which opened in 2010 as they were outgrowing their Route 6 spot.
Perks of the newer County Street spot include the fact that there's more room. With a bigger parking lot and more grassy space, "people can sit outside and they bring their dogs ... it's fenced-in so the kids can run around and run off their sugar."
"It's easier to get into and more spread out, so it's a bit more of a relaxed setting," Berube said. "Route 6 has a tight parking lot and it's a busy road."
Somerset Creamery's recipe for success
Their ice cream is made on site seven days a week at their Route 6 production facility, churning out an average of 400 gallons a day during their busy season.
"We use quality ingredients and try to provide the best service we can," Berube said.
Jason and Matthew head a team of three other ice cream makers, who all chip in to craft the creamery's menu and play around with different recipes.
According to Berube, Somerset Creamery's menu is a mix of his grandfather's and father's recipes that have been mainstays over the decades, as well as fresh flavor creations.
"It's a balance of keeping it traditional and sneaking some new stuff in occasionally," Berube said.
Ice cream makers use their monthly specials to play around with new flavor combinations, and if they get popular enough they'll earn a permanent spot on the menu board.
Case in point: Somerset Creamery's beloved Cranberry Bog ice cream — cranberry based ice cream loaded with locally sourced cranberries, walnuts and dark chocolate. It's a flavor unique to the creamery that has been a top pick among customers since its inception.
Jason and his father, Roger, were the minds behind the beloved cranberry concoction. Upon opening their Bourne location in 1997, the pair noticed no one on Cape Cod — well-known for its cranberries — featured a cranberry ice cream, so they decided to give it a whirl and it took off.
In recent years, however, Jason noted that the cranberry concoction has been overshadowed by another increasingly popular limited-time flavor made in July — the Red Velvet, which consists of pieces of red velvet cake in a cream cheese frosting-flavored ice cream.
"We've tried to both evolve and yet stick with the classic stuff ... change with the times a little bit at least," said Berube. That includes the addition of things like candy toppings and sprinkles, the latter of which Berube said his grandfather "hated."
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Other unique ice cream flavors you'll find there include Carrot Cake in the spring, S'mores in August, and Indian Pudding, their take on a traditional New England dessert. This year for the first time, they also served up a Banana Cream Pie special. Their long list of ice cream creations also includes various sundaes, frappes, malts and root beer floats.
And no serving of their popular Coffee Oreo would be complete without a waffle cone, which have been "a big hit for us," Berube said.
"We make them right there and you can get them fresh, hot. ... That's always been something that we excelled at," Berube said.
Which location is their busiest?
That depends on the day and time of the season, Berube said.
"In July and August, the Cape is crazy," said Berube, noting that the Bourne store is by far their most highly-trafficked during peak summer months.
But overall, Berube said, business evens out among them all, considering Somerset's stores have a longer season, as they are open spring into the fall, and remain consistently busy.
"We're busier than we've ever been," said Berube, whose goal is "to keep it going."
Top 5 ice cream breakdown
With 38% of the vote (1,174 out of a total 3,053 votes), Somerset Creamery took the top spot in our ice cream poll. It was followed by Tiverton's Moose Cafe, at 1160 Stafford Road, with 29% of the vote (894 total).
Other shops that earned a place at the top of the list included two other Swansea staples, the Ice Cream Barn, coming in at No. 3, and Eskimo King at No. 4. At No. 5 was Gray's Ice Cream, serving up cool treats year-round at historic Four Corners in Tiverton.
How to get a taste of Fall River area's best ice cream
Those locals looking for a taste of Somerset Creamery can head to their Route 6 location, 1931 GAR Highway, or 146 County St., Somerset. This year it opened the second week of May, and will close at the end of October.
If your venturing out to the Cape, find them at 1268 Route 28A, Cataumet.
For a peek at their menu, or for updates, check Somerset Creamery's website, www.somersetcreamery.com, or Facebook page.
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