Legendary? Yes, if you're local, I'd agree with that assessment. this is definitely good quality ice cream, rich and dense and strongly flavored. They have a great mix of classic and specialty flavors. Prices are above average, but I would still consider it competitively reasonable. They do note in several places that their fresh raspberry ice cream is slightly more expensive. Butter Pecan is one of my go-to flavors, so I had to try it. But I'm also pretty fussy about it. There's 2 types of butter pecan. One is the more yellow/buttery flavor, and the other is more beige-colored with more of a butterscotchy flavor. Theirs seems to be more of the latter - still delicious, but not my personal favorite style of that flavor. But any quirky opinions on the butter pecan were blown away with the Black Forest ice cream. Oh my, that was delicious, with the dark sweet cherries and all those chocolate chunks. But beware if you have dental work, the cold chocolate chunks will be rock hard. If you have any concerns, let them melt a little bit, in the cup/cone or in your mouth, before biting into them. A lot of my local friends frequently mention why they enjoy coming here. I can see why. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Higher price for the fresh raspberry ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

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An all time local classic. This spot has been legendary for as long as I've been alive (which is a terrifying span of time) The ice cream is smooth and delicious--plus they have seasonal flavors they make with fresh grown ingredients they can only harvest at certain times of the year. An absolute classic spot. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Ginger ice cream. Smooth and delicious. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

My favorite ice cream spot on the east coast! Been coming here for many many years and it is always delicious! Some of the best ice cream in the north east. I had a scoop of cookie-dough and butter pecan. This photo captures more than just dessert--it's a mood. The butter crunch and cookie dough soft-serve, nestled in a rustic brown paper cup with a crisp green stripe, looks like the kind of indulgence that doesn't ask for permission. Topped with chopped nuts and paired with a classic white spoon, it's a visual promise of texture: creamy, crunchy, and chewy all in one bite. Verdict: This picture nails the balance between indulgence and atmosphere. It's not just a treat--it's a snapshot of seasonal joy, nostalgia, and the kind of small pleasure that makes a day memorable. read more

Native strawberry sundae was delicious. The ice cream was so creamy and the strawberry sauce, or macerated strawberries, were sweet with a teeny bit of tartness against the ice cream. And the wait wasn't long either. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Strawberry sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

OK, the long waiting lines are real but for a good real reason. The ice cream selections are long, and the flavors are deep and perfectly made. Had the Blue Raspberry and Banana, both more than perfectly done! Parking is good with a private lot, but I imagine that lot will be full and the lines extra long as the weather heats up! Will be back. Again and again! read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

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One of Boxford's few stores and only ice cream stand. Almost 50 years older than Ben and Jerry's and likely one of Massachusetts oldest ice cream stands. The service is good and they have a mulched picnic table area to eat your ice cream. Fine ambiance. I used to work here when I was in high school and its changed a bit but they still make the fresh native flavors which are delicious. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - fresh native strawberry and raspberry - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

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I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, the experience was a letdown from start to finish. When we walked in, it wasn't busy at all, just a couple of people ahead of us, yet we still ended up waiting nearly 20 minutes for our order. No explanation, no apology, just...waiting. The girl taking our order seemed like she couldn't be bothered. She was short with us, didn't smile, and the whole interaction felt like we were inconveniencing her just by being there. When I finally got my vegan frappe, it tasted like straight coconut milk, no flavor balance, no creaminess, just expensive disappointment in a cup. For the price, it definitely wasn't worth it. Plenty of other spots nearby that actually value their customers and serve better quality. Won't be back. read more

Always come here with the fam and eat some delicious ice cream! This place is amazing and is worth the stop if you're on the way. My favorite flavors are the peanut butter cup and the strawberry! All ice cream is homemade but a little pricy. Staff are friendly and are usually teenagers! The tip jar is usually for college funds so be sure to tip! Always a good time here with some delicious ice cream read more

A bit off the beaten path and a bit expensive,this hidden gem has delicious ice cream. Benson's also had some unique ice cream flavors. I love their ginger. Well worth the trip. read more

People living in this area, are very fortunate to have an ice cream place such as Benson's. They have a seating area, which is very comfortable. The service was friendly and prompt. I will be coming back when I visit this area next time. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Benson's!! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

Amazing ice cream, especially the fresh native raspberry and fresh native strawberry ice cream. Service is fast and friendly.

I have shared many non-dairy ice cream moments at Bensons, looking forward to many more... wonderful Thank you, Davey read more

The coffee ice cream is excellent - it tastes like good, strong, real coffee underneath the cream. Wonderful. Very nice service that weekday evening, too. read more

Favorite ice cream stand in the world, no competition!!! The strawberry and black raspberry are my favorites, been coming here since I was born. read more

End of September 2023 we are here. The business is very busy and a lot of traffic in and out. First time here and I spoke to others here today who said they love it here and the ice cream flavors. Many have been coming for years and are loyal customers. We had single scoop ice cream on a waffle cone. I used to make home made ice cream for a restaurant and know when it is flavored well. I had the cookies and cream which was chocolate ice cream, and had good flavor to it. I'm not here to eat a pint of ice cream at once so the one scoop was plentiful. About $5 for a small which is a single scoop, again plenty for me. I also picked up a doggy cup which was just under $5. But there was plenty of vanilla cream in the cup with a large cookie on top. Many places give a very small amount of cream and a small milk bone and charge $5 for a doggy bowl. There was plenty for my dog to eat. We were here for 25 minutes and counted about 30 cars in and out with loads of people waiting in line, on this cloudy and cooler afternoon. I would have to say that Benson's is doing something right to draw in this many people on a cloudy September evening. I am sorry those others have had a not so great visit. Perhaps you might take a break for a bit and come back with an open mind. You may have a better opinion. read more

Best ice cream in New England !!! They have the best flavors and great staff!! The cutest ice cream stand!

I appreciated the flavors here, it's simple stuff done well. I got honey ice cream, which I have never had before, and it was just as I imagined, like eating honey straight from the bottle but frozen and lighter, delicious. My only issue is, I prefer having a mixture of textures in my ice cream and this ice cream would have been perfect with bits of honeycomb in it. and a half cones out of five. You also can only get sprinkles as a topping unless you get a sundae, otherwise I probably also would have tried this with some chunky chocolate. Best paired with something crunchy and Kishi Bashi - Honeybody. The other flavors I tried bites of were Black Forest (cherry ice cream with chocolate, was ok), Mint Cookie Crunch (mint ice cream with Oreos, wish this was mint cookies ice cream, but it was good), and Salted Caramel ice cream with Rolos in it, also good. Overall, I liked the creaminess, and the flavors were well done, my only grievances were the lack of topping options and the fact that you can not get more than one flavor in the 1/2 single size (which is about 2-3 scoops, so it ain't small and at $5.80 it ain't cheap, but I'm willing to pay for quality, I just also like having choice!). Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area! read more

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Ehhhhh... it's a bit expensive and not that memorable. For better places in the North Shore, try Richardsons in Middleton or Carters in Haverhill, MA. read more

So, I started a dairy-free, gluten-free diet and was told to avoid all dairy, period. Well it's ice cream season and I still want to have an occasional treat. Enter...vegan ice cream! What is vegan ice cream? It's ice cream made with non dairy milks, such as oat, almond, rice or soy. So they have 5 flavors of "vegan ice cream" and I purchased a 1/2 gallon and a small cup. The peach and strawberry ice cream was light and airy, with great flavor, not overly sweet. Their mint chocolate chip and regular chocolate chip were likewise delicate flavors that melt wonderfully on the tongue! The cookies and cream vegan ice cream is not gluten free (I asked if they could make it with gluten free Oreos), is rich, thick and chocolates. Unfortunately not legal for me! Their ice cream easily surpasses what is offered in the freezer section's non-dairy ice cream! It's worth the drive (right on rte 133). Check them out, you will love it!! read more

Benson's Ice Cream - two containers of ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

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Home of the $9 scoop of native strawberry ice cream. It's a good, creamy scoop of ice cream, but $9 is a bit much. read more

Usually great ice cream. Tried the vegan native strawberry ($23/gallon) - tastes like coconut, not strawberry. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Fresh native vegan strawberry ice cream. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

So extremely disappointed. We lived in the area for 12 years and were loyal customers for years. Spent our summers eating Benson's ice cream...so much so we probably put a couple of workers through college, We were in the area and excited to get some ice cream at our favorite place. They were out of all the native flavors, so I ordered regular strawberry in a cup. My husband ordered black raspberry. No flavor at all. Both tasted like vanilla ice cream with a pinch of strawberry. There were no chunks of strawberry in mine. I could barely find a piece of strawberry. If I closed my eyes I would think I was eating some low end vanilla sold at the supermarket. For $7, I expected more. What happened to Benson's ? The quality and flavor have really gone down. Sorry, this is not the Benson's of years ago. It is apparent they are being cheap and cutting way back on the ingredients. Sadly, I cannot recommend Benson's anymore. read more

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I have driven past this ice cream stand for quite some time now, and during the spring time, their hours are weekends only. Since I was in the area & they were open, I wanted to check it out. The scooper who served me was super nice and I ordered the salted caramel, which also came with little chocolates filled with caramel in it--yum. It was very good. I did see a sign there, and reading some of these reviews about some of the local fruit-based flavors this summer that I am excited to come back and try. A nice stop! *** Edit: I unfortunately am taking off a star because after a second stop, I am realizing that the first scooper did me a solid and gave me a little more than what is typically in a "half-single scoop." The amount that is given in this smallest size plus tip when verbally asked--if you are using a credit card at least (and even if you're tipping just $1)--comes out to over $7 for a sad, truly mini cup of ice cream. Like maybe 10 spoonfuls, if even that. The second time I came back, I was actually taken aback at how much it cost for such a small amount. With other options in Northeastern MA (like Kimball Farm in Westford which is consistently generous with their portions), I won't be making Benson's a regular stop in my rotation because of their high prices. It's a shame too because the staff was very friendly/the ice cream is quite good--but it's hard to justify the cost to make it a regular stop. read more

Went to Benson's for the first (and last!!) time! I had a micro cup and they charged my $1.50 extra for a sugar cone! My husband got a frappe and it tasted like sweetened milk, for $11! The 24 oz cup was actually 20 oz! read more

Hey, Bensons - are you reading these reviews? So many customers are commenting on your high prices and small portions. I am a long time customer (30+ years) who no longer comes to your shop for these reasons. Other local stands offer much better value. Please take these comments to heart. read more

Great homemade berry ice cream! Other flavors are great too! Nice area to sit in the shade or bring it home.

this place makes great ice cream but post covid-19 they have increased their prices for the pints and quarts by nearly 40%. $11 for a pint and $14 for a quart will certainly keep me from returning anytime soon. it's a shame. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - outrageous - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

$10 for a coffee frappe that is 95% milk and almost no ice cream! I used to love this place, but it has become a total rip-off. There is always high customer demand and a long line...I just don't understand why anymore. The product has declined and the prices have skyrocketed. On top of the price gauging....the service I received the other day was awful. Kid at the window was taking personal calls on his cell phone during a very heavy rush. Kid kept wiping his runny nose on his wrist and his arm and then used that arm to scoop ice cream GROSS! The super nice manager offered to comp me a free ice cream but I said there is no way I am coming back after seeing this. read more

Best ice cream on the planet. This place makes it own old fashioned ice cream. They have seasonal fruit flavors - local strawberry, blackberry, peach etc. the coffee with brownie is great. My favorite is the cookies and cream. read more

Everything I've ever had there is absolutely delicious! Yes it's pricey, but it's literally made on premises with high quality ingredients. The seasonal fruit flavors are to die for! I'm always happy to support a wonderful small business! read more

Native home made Blueberry ice-cream - I have nothing else to say, lol... Stand in line and be happy you did. Blueberry milkshake - just trust me. read more

Ice cream was all melted when I got it. Brought it home and it was a soup by the time I got home could not even eat. I live less than 1 mile away. Takes less than 4 minutes to get home. It was only 65 degrees out. read more

Our last few visits to Benson have been disappointing and each visit got even more disappointing. However we kept trying because we love the ice cream. The prices have been crazy high since Covid and honestly they were too high before Covid but we love the ice cream and the close location but lately the portions have been awful! Our last visit was tonight and my husband got a single waffle and his ice cream barely reached the edge of his waffle cone. Last time not only was his serving small with just a little more than the one he got tonight but his cone was broken in so many places he struggled to eat it. Our visit before that disaster of a cone had me struggling with the same situation. A broken cone with ice cream falling out. We have loved Benson's ice cream for man years. I have lived in this town since 1979 so many visits over the years and Benson's is the best Ice cream around but sadly at these prices and the amount you get we will have to drive over to the next town next time. I am guessing this is why we are seeing less crowds at Benson's and large crowds at Mad Maggie's like never before. read more

I always pass by this location while driving to and from work and have always noticed that they are consistently busy. This peaked my interest and I decided to try them out with my wife. Well, I can definitely tell why they are always busy, the ice cream is very very good. We both had the cookies and cream medium size. The portion was a little on the larger size, but man it was really good. While eating my medium sized heaven in a cup, I came across two nice chunks of delicious cookies that practically through me over the edge. I mean eyes rolling into the back of your head good, and all I could think about is why did it take me this long to try this place! The only bad part about finding this place for me, is that on my way home from work I could see myself eating dessert before dinner! Definitely would recommend to anyone that is looking for some quality ice cream. read more

Benson's Ice Cream - Cookies and Cream with large chunks of cookie in it. Delicioso! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Boxford, Massachusetts

Went in April 2021 and today... ordered my usual - coffee brownie chunk frappe. Disappointed both times and that's why I'm writing this review. The prices skyrocketed and the amount of ice cream was the opposite - minimal. Both times the frappes were watery...ugh and they cost $9.95. It felt like I drank a cup of milk that was shaken. My son had a cookie dough one...same issue. I would not have an issue paying ten bucks if it was made with a lot more ice cream. Two stars for the upbeat and polite server. The price stinks and the consistency stinks. read more

I drive by Benson's every day and it does get busy during peak times just as summer ice cream stands should. And the college kids are just like the kids at all other stands, go when it's slow they are happy go when they are swamped with hot grouchy customers, not so happy. The seating area has been improved over the years, now there are nice benches under a huge tree. I like the small local feel to Benson's, too many ice cream stands are on main streets with huge asphalt parking lots. Get the native berry flavors, AMAZING! The other flavors are also good but chocolate will always be just chocolate, if you know what I mean. Go for the special flavors like grape nut. I never get the pre-packed pints so I can't comment on those. Why do people make such a big deal about huge portions when most of it gets thrown away? The portions might be smaller then other places but the medium is still plenty for most people if it's not then get a large, duh! My teenage son could not finish his medium if that gives you an idea of the sizes. I'd rather have a perfect amount of great homemade ice cream than too much of something I could have bought at the grocery store. read more

I am so sad. I have loved Bensons. I drive down from southern NH. first time wanted half gallon of fresh native strawberry. NONE. second time wanted Blueberry. NONE. so I took Bkacjberry. NO Berries. fir 25 dollars. so disappointed. I'm done. The blueberry frappe was 15 dolkars. are you nuts. goodbyes. sad farewell read more

They have gone up substantially on their prices since new owner took over recently. $28.95 for a half gallon of strawberry ice cream! Need I say more?? read more

Very yummy ice cream! I would highly recommend this store. The employees were kind and friendly and very patient.

Had fun going here with friends! Super cute family owned business. Helpful and kind workers, and a cute little sitting area. The ice cream was smooth and creamy. They also have excellent dairy free selections. I got reverse chip (chocolate with white chocolate chips). The chocolate was really just sweet, so there was not much contrast with the white chocolate. It was very sweet with little flavor. I was also underwhelmed by the menu selection because I really wanted something chocolate and this was the only option. I think there are seasonal flavors during other parts of the year. Overall, the quality was 8/10 and the flavor was 3/10. read more