Best Ice Cream Sundaes In Tampa Bay

The Daily Meal Staff|Aug. 20, 2014 7:00 am EST

Ice cream is possibly the world's best dessert; it's cold, creamy, sweet and can be enjoyed just about any way you like it. Here's the scoop on the best ice cream sundaes in the Tampa Bay area.

Shake Shop
11920 Gulf Blvd.
Treasure Island, FL 33706
www.facebook.com/TheShakeShopTI

Don't be deceived by its name — there's more than just shakes to be had here. This cash-only shop offers unique sundaes, such as the Banana Bliss sundae made with sliced bananas and banana syrup, butterscotch sundaes, Tin Roof Delight and the Vienetta sundae, made with fudge, cookies and whipped cream. The soft serve only comes in vanilla or chocolate, but the variety of toppings makes up for it.

Tanya and Matt's Ice Creamiest
15742 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
(813) 963-2766
www.icecreamiest.com

Think outside of the cone when you enter Tanya and Matt's Ice Creamiest. You can try an old standby like chocolate, cookies 'n' cream or butter pecan, but you might miss out on your new favorite flavor. Here, the house-made ice creams and sorbets come in a wide range of unusual flavors like Coca-Cola Ice, Cantaloupe Sorbet, Chocolate Black Raspberry, Coconut Almond Joy and Coffee Liquor Crunch, just to name a few. Any flavor can be made into a sundae. You can even get a "doggie scoop" (fat-free/sugar-free, soft serve vanilla yogurt) for your four-legged best friend.

Bo's Ice Cream
7101 N. Florida Ave.
Tampa, FL 33604
(813) 234-3870
www.facebook.com/Bos-Ice-Cream

Bo's is the gem of Seminole Heights. In business for almost 60 years, it boasts the best ice cream around. Sure, you can do a regular ol' sundae with a couple of scoops of ice cream and some toppings, but why not go all out and try the Upside Down Banana Split? This guest favorite comes in three different sizes and is made up of sliced bananas, your choice of ice cream, pineapple topping, hot fudge, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry.

Larry's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor
6595 Gulf Blvd.
St. Petersburg Beach, FL 33706
(727) 360-4259
www.larrysicecream.com

Larry's has been serving the St. Pete Beach area for 30 years and is a local favorite for a cool treat on hot days. Larry's offers ice cream aficionados 80 flavors of ice cream, 30 flavors of Italian gelato, 20 flavors of frozen yogurt and 20 flavors of soft serve frozen custard. As if you won't already have enough of a challenge in choosing, you also get to pick your sundae: banana split, brownie bottom sundae, funnel cake sundae, Belgian waffle sundae, even gourmet cake bottom sundaes that come with your choice of strawberry shortcake, coconut cream pie, Death by Chocolate, key lime pie or pecan pie. The combinations are virtually endless.

Old Farmer's Creamery
2531 4th St. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
(727) 896-2827
www.facebook.com/Old-Farmers-Creamery

If variety is what you want, you will definitely find it inside the red barn building that is Old Farmer's Creamery. The home-made ice cream — real ice cream, not ice milk — comes in the usual staples like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but there are always new flavors to look forward to. The selection constantly changes, depending on the season and the whims of the ice cream churners, but past "Flavors of the Month" include Bailey's Irish Cream, Toasted Marshmallow, Black Raspberry and Apple Pie A'la Mode. Seasonal flavors include Blueberry Cheesecake, Peppermint Candy and Smack Your Momma Pumpkin Pie. Any of the 51 flavors can be made into a sundae with hot fudge, caramel, peanut butter sauce or any other topping your heart and taste buds desire.

Amanda Mole has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove. She believes that food provides more than just vital nutrients: it is an irreplaceable part of countless cultural and social activities. As a Tampa Bay resident for the past 21 years, she is well acquainted with the incredibly diverse range of restaurants, bars, and food festivals that the area has to offer. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.