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    Purity Ice Cream

    4.0 (439 reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Purity Ice Cream Takeout or Delivery

    Purity Ice Cream Photos

    Business Info

    PURITY ICE CREAM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Purity Ice Cream

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    Chocolate cupcake
    DeAnna T.

    Stopped in for something sweet and purchased a cupcake. The frosting was tasty, but the cupcake was dry. I was the only person in line, but could see they were addressing another customer so I waited patiently. They never made eye contact nor did they make me aware they'd be with me shortly. They were pleasant enough when it was my turn, but I didn't feel they valued my patronage.

    Manish C.

    Serving customers since 1936, Purity Ice Cream is one of 2 go-to local ice cream shops you need to try out when in Ithaca. The entire place gives off amazing retro ice cream parlor vibes which I rarely see nowadays. You appreciate the retro look a bit more after one too many visits to spartan-looking and soulless micro-batch creameries that seem to be popping up. They also have a food menu and dining area which is also from a bygone era (unless you happen to find a Friendly's still around), but can't judge the food since I wanted to try out the ice cream. I went with one scoop each of the coconut and cookies and cream from their list of over 20 ice cream flavors. While both were delicious and hit the spot, the clear winner of the two for me was the coconut ice cream, as the cookies and cream didn't pack too much of a punch to make a lasting impression on me. Overall, I'd rate the ice cream a solid 4 out of 5, but Purity ice cream gets a rare bump up to 5 stars from me for the cool retro cream parlor vibes and friendly service. We need more unique ice cream places like this one!

    Scoop of Sleepers Awake in waffle cone.
    Ruth C.

    Decently sized parking lot and street parking nearby as well. Spacious interior if you don't want to sit on the road-side patio. The available flavors are on the board, but the flavor explanations are on the laminated menus that have every flavor listed, including out of season ones. Service was brusque even though there was nobody in line behind us. I think I had higher expectations based on an acquaintance's recommendation, but it feels like they're just the only local ice cream vendor that does enough volume to distribute to restaurants. Flavors were ok but I don't think we'll be back.

    White Bean Lentil Burger:  Whole Wheat Roll, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Chipotle aiolin, *Fried Onions, Jalapeno, No Extras
    J B.

    We went there for dinner with family we were visiting. We keep to a Vegan diet and our daughter Vegetarian, while her husband is omniviore. All of were able to get dinner and ice cream treats afterwards. Our Vegan diet is about personal health so we are more flexible than some others might be about the fact that the Vegan burgers and veggies are cooked on the same grill as meat. For the same reasons we did not check to see if the ice cream cones were Vegan. Anyone who is concerned about such details should check and might end up eating elsewhere depending on what they find out. Alternatively, if one orders ice cream in a cup that should be acceptable for most people who keep to a Vegan diet. Our food order tonight: White Bean Lentil Burger: Whole Wheat Roll, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Chipotle aiolin, *Fried Onions, Jalapeno, No Extras Add Side Field Green Salad, honey mustard, No Drink Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad; Fried chicken breast, hard boiled egg, field greens, roma tomato, cucumber, avocado, carrots, choice of dressing Balsamic Vinegrette Dressing White Bean Lentil Burger: Whole Wheat Roll, *Grilled Bell Peppers, *Grilled Mushrooms, *Grilled Onions, No Extras Add Side Field Green Salad, Basalmic, No Drink Black Bean Burger: scratch made vegan black bean burger has a touch of BBQ flavor. Whole Wheat Roll, *Grilled Bell Peppers, *Grilled Mushrooms, *Grilled Onions, Jalapeno, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Add Avocado, Add on Sweet Potato Fries, No Drink Our deserts: Junior Scoop Vegan, Cup, Vegan Chocolate Chunk gf, Junior Scoop Vegan, Cup, Vegan Vanilla Bean gf Junior Scoop, Cup, Black Raspberry Junior Scoop, Cup, Bittersweet, 1 Scoop Vegan, Sugar cone, Vegan Chocolate Chunk gf 2 Scoop, Vegan, Waffle Cone, Vegan Mint Choc Chunk gf, Vegan Wild Berry The vegan burgers are an alternative for those who don't want commercial Vegan burgers. We liked the black bean burger better in terms of texture but both were mushy, and didn't have much flavor. We probably would not get either again. The sweet potato fries were good, not great. The side salads were surprisingly generous. Everyone liked the ice cream. The Vegan ice cream all were very good. It is possible to get Vegan shakes and vegan sundaes,which we did not try tonight.

    Katie P.

    A fun ice cream shop with a wide variety of flavors (including vegan options)! I haven't had ice cream from a shop since the summer, but have been eager to try Purity Ice Cream. Ordering online was fast and simple, as was pickup. There was a dining area available, but I was just in and out. Be aware of potential parking challenges during busier times of the day. I ordered a pint of ice cream for the freezer, and for the road I ordered one scoop of the chocolate raspberry flavor. Wow! So delicious. Perfect balance of chocolate to raspberry. You might look at the price of a scoop and be hesitant, but the portion was very generous. I thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream, and I am looking forward to enjoying the pint in the freezer!

    The brownie sundae
    Kim L.

    We stopped because we had wanted ice cream and were seriously looking for something that wasn't a chain, and wasn't the "usual suspects" for good ice cream. I went for a unique one - it was a mint chocolate ice cream w/crushed Oreos - kind of made it taste like a Thin Mint. My only complaint was that the paper stuck to the cone so I had to forego the last bite! My companion opted for traditional - it was a brownie sundae - and it was really yummy - and so much that she couldn't eat it all! Our server was quick and knowledgeable and we so enjoyed sitting outside in the sun!

    Main entrance from parking lot

    Great ice cream from packed pints to frozen yogurts. Cones or scoops, banana splits etc. Reasonable prices and polite prompt service.

    3 scoops

    A good place to get your icecream! Looks like a vintage diner. Fast service. Tasty icecream. Good vibes. Must visit this hot summer.

    david l.

    Purity has the best ice cream in town. Do not get scared of the line. It moves quick and wellk worth the wait. All the flavors are great and you won't go wrong with what you choose.

    Junior soft serve in a waffle cone with caramel
    Beth R.

    Such a huge variety of flavors and toppings and fun choices. The staff was helpful and friendly, the atmosphere is fun and adorable! Decent prices and just a lovely little place!!

    Fried Chicken Sandwich and Cole Slaw
    Marissa C.

    We heard this was the place to go for ice cream, so we headed on over. The space is divided between the ice cream and desserts with its own display and line on one side, and a separate side to order hot food. The hot food also has kiosks to place the order. In the middle is a seating area. We tried the classic grilled cheese, fries, fried chicken sandwich, cole slaw, and scoops of the Madigan Mint ice cream (chocolate mint ice cream with Oreos). The ice cream was great, and there were a lot of other intriguing flavors we'd be interested to try in the future. The hot food was pretty tasty and hit the spot. A parking lot is available.

    Madigan Mint, Green Tea, Boomberry ice cream with Wafer Cone

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    13 days ago

    Best ice cream in New York! Chocolate raspberry and cookie after dark are Amazing! Lia was amazing!

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Loved the vibe of this place and there are amazing flavor options. Sometimes the wait is long but it's well worth it

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    Kevin S.

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Best burgers! Great dairy free options for ice cream. Everytime we are in Ithaca we stop.

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    The service was incredible and the ice cream was delicious! Liam was kind and helpful in every way!

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    best milkshakes ever. Shoutout to samantha for being so sweet!!! Highly recommend strawberry milkshake

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Wonderful ice cream and great service, especially Alexis. We come here every time we're in Ithaca.

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    1 year ago

    Yumyumyummmmmm yum!!! Such great ice cream even in the dead of winter. Go to Purity! Get a cone! Or try a milkshake.

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    8 months ago

    Purity's strawberry milkshakes are the gold standard, but if you live in or near Cortland Doug's Fish Fry's are every bit as good.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Purity Ice Cream

    Do u use tree nuts? Pistachio. Cashew. Walnut. Pecan. If so do use use shared equipment. Make non nut flavors like vanilla on same machines as nut flavors.…

    They do not make the ice cream. Byrne Dairy makes their ice cream for them

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Ithaca Bakery

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    I had a good experience here for the most part! I went twice during my trip. I enjoyed the gluten…read morefree toast and bagels and got an egg and cheese one day, and a scallion cream cheese and cucumber the next. The coffee is also delicious and didn't even need a flavor added. The man taking our orders the first day was also incredibly kind and you could tell he just enjoyed his job, or at least was happy to be there. There's also a mini shop here basically. There's fresh bread and prepackaged meals here like Shepards pie and fruits and veggies. There also was plenty of cute merch and I left with two designs. Two things that I didn't like. Ordering was a bit chaotic. There are labeled areas that show where to order what, but if it's your first time in it can feel overwhelming and you might be wandering a bit figuring it out. I wish it could all be ordered at one spot, not like it's a food hall. I understand that this probably does work the best for them though and is most likely pretty easy for ordering if you're a local. Lastly, I had an issue with a woman working the second day. They have a big menu and I was looking at it above her head while ordering. She was fine while I was talking, but stopped me when I went to walk away. She said "You know, you really need to face people while you're talking to them." What! So awkward and weird. That's the main reason I took one star off because it caused me not to go back again. Very rude and felt like a mini lecture for no reason.

    We're not local but we've visted before and really enjoyed the stop. Being in the area, frequenting…read morethe State Theatre, and listening to good music we needed morning refreshments and immediately thought "Baked in Ithaca". This visit we got coffee, breakfast sandwiches and various baked goods. The restaurant was busy and hopping with activity on a Sunday morning around 9AM. The parking lot was full but there was street parking around the business. There was also plenty of seating for us to find some room to eat in comfort. You order food at one counter but you pay at the other counter? All food is delivered to the "pay" counter. Service was fast, even with the crowd, the breakfast sandwiches were delicious, the coffee was dark (which we love) and the baked goods didn't last long. We got a cinnamon coffee cake and a loaf of bread that were huge hits. "Baked in Ithaca" - what a slogan!

    DiBella's Subs - Italian Assorted sub on everything bread

    DiBella's Subs

    (50 reviews)

    $$

    A couple of months ago I ordered online for a pick up. When I arrived at the predicted time the…read moresubs were not ready so I sat and waited. Then I waited some more. Then I walked up to the counter and asked the person making the subs how long it would take. I was informed one sub was made, but the second still needed to be completed and would be ready shortly. So I sat back down and waited some more. After another 15min another employee ringing up a walk-in customer realized I was waiting a looong time since I had been sitting there for almost 40min total. That person asked me what I ordered and immediately found it waiting behind the counter! It was never moved to the pickup shelf and was completely ignored. Once I got home I submitted feedback to DiBella's via their website. I was sent a coupon code for my next visit. I waited a week then decided to use the coupon to order on my phone app. Well, the coupon code would not work no matter what I tried. I used my laptop's browser to order with the same result, "coupon code not found." I then submitted feedback again to DiBella's on their website and to this day I have not heard anything back from them. I've decided to give up on them completely and tried to delete my account via the phone app and received the error message, "Route not found." This is the most amateur operation I've ever seen. I just want to say the employees of the Ithaca location are VERY nice and have been the best part of my experience with DiBella's. It just seems like once something goes wrong, the efforts to make things right just make it worse.

    It was getting late, when I came across DiBella's and decided to go in for a sub. With few sub…read moreshops in Ithaca and vastly different qualities, I decided to try DiBella's to avoid the only other open shops like Subway. I was pleasantly surprised with my experience! Coming in 20 minutes to closing (sorry about that again!), I was still met with friendly staff who helped me navigate the menu. I ordered two "$9.99 5" mini meals" which were actually great! I wanted to eat something light but filling for dinner, and this meal deal was perfect! The portion was just right. Additionally, the subs are super affordable and customizable without stupid upcharges. I ordered a veggie sub which was really delicious! I also have heard that their meat options are tasty! Do I think it lives up to their self-proclaimed slogan of "being the best sub sandwich you've ever had?" Not exactly. But I can say that the subs are pretty good and maybe the best SERVICE I've ever had at a sub shop, especially in Ithaca. This place is better than Subway, Jimmy John's, Firehouse Subs, and Panera. I genuinely enjoyed my meal and I'm sure the non-veg options are super delicious. Additionally, the restaurant was pretty clean and has good seating for lunch. Although I've never been here during busy times, the subs were made pretty quick! My only complaint is that the packaged pickle you can buy as a side order is very average. Not a good classic NY sour pickle, so I would avoid it and buy chips instead. Overall really happy with my food, and the friendliness I experienced from the team at DiBella's really drives me to recommend this place even more. They're also super attentive with food allergies and openly tell which ingredients may not align with your dietary restrictions. Shoutout to 2nd manager Dariyen (? Sorry if spelling is incorrect) for providing quality customer service and running closing shift with grace. I look forward to returning!

    Purity Ice Cream - icecream - Updated May 2026

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