Purity Ice Cream
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Stopped at Purity with the fam during our one day stay in Ithaca. Typical ice cream place, we heard it was a must do, and we were not disappointed. There was a line but it moved surprisingly quick, however after placing order you do get a number and wait for them to call when your order is up. I got a hot fudge sundae with coconut ice cream and bulldog crunch ice cream, I enjoyed it! Daughter got rainbow sherbert, son got cookie dough. We also got a monster milkshake which was shared by two. Didn't knock my socks off as anything shockingly different, but still was good ice cream! Worth a visit!
It's been awhile since I've been here but when in the area I try to stop. I love that all the ice cream is made here. They have a large selection of flavors. I went with a waffle cone with sea salt caramel and cayuga mud. I really liked the cayuga mud it was rich and decadent!!! The sea salt caramel was ok but not what I thought it would be. I did not know they also served food here which is good to know.
Luscious ice cream, also lunch. When we saw an amazing fruit tart next door (more or less), and we realized that Purity Ice Cream was so close, the plan was instantaneous and obvious. One of walked two blocks north to get ice cream to top it off! Good plan, because parking here is tricky. (They also serve lots of lunch options, but that wasnt our target today.) (Jul 2026) It's a classic place for families. It's very popular, and yet was pretty quick even with the line of customers. Of about 25 classic and creative flavors, we went for a cup of vanilla with bittersweet chocolate shavings. When the rest of our group showed up, we built our treasured treat on the nearby Cayuga Trail, with a view of the inlet. They always say, look for the crowded places to find good treats. Bingo!
Really good ice cream! They serve food here as well but we only visited the scoop shop side of the business. The line was pretty long and service wasn't the best on this side but that gave me some time to peruse the flavors. They have some flavors all the time and then some seasonal rotating flavors. I went for one classic (cookie dough after dark) and one seasonal (salted butterscotch brownie) and both were absolutely delicious! So creamy and flavorful. My husband ordered a scoop of chocolate peanut butter and a scoop of mint chocolate chip and enjoyed both of them as well. We would come back here for sure...thank you, Purity Ice Cream!
So many flavors to choose from! The ice cream is incredibly creamy without being overly sweet, which lets the flavors really shine. Everything we tried was delicious, and the quality was excellent. Definitely a place worth visiting if you love rich, flavorful ice cream.
Really good ice cream, get the bittersweet! Floors were really sticky and the service was slow.
Great service. Delicious food. I ordered the tomato avocado melt. It came with white toast with butter and melted cheese. Joseph got the burger with the toppings. The ambience of Purity restaurant felt more like a 1950's diner. I liked the relaxed atmosphere. We decided to come here as I received a $25 gift card. I said why not treat ourselves? A good place for families, friends, and even dates to go to get a tater tots or a lite meal.
Fairly spacious ice cream parlor that also sells burgers, sandwiches, and breakfast food. The sweet treats available include shakes, malts, sundaes, pastries, and of course, ice cream. Prices are quite good (1 large scoop is about $5). Staff is friendly and offers a reasonable number of samples. The restaurant is large enough to house about 50+ people in terms of seating. I love the variance in flavors and options, as well as seasonal selections. You'll always find something you'll enjoy (unless you're lactose intolerant). I especially enjoyed the pumpkin cheesecake crumble. I'd recommend Purity for sure!
This ice cream establishment has a ton of flavors, many of which are also seasonal and change depending on the season. I've come here a few times, and the experience is always good. My favorite flavor is probably the pumpkin ice cream, but unfortunately that only comes in the fall... Last time I came here with my family for the summer, we ordered the mango and coconut flavors. The mango ice cream was really good, the fruit taste was strong but not too sugary. While the coconut flavor was also powerful, but unfortunately way too sweet for our tastes. Also, apparently the ice cream shop has a kitchen where you can order other items besides ice cream, such as burgers! I actually didn't realize this, since every other time I had gone here in the past, what I would do is just order my ice cream, get it and then immediately leave without looking around. I didn't find out about the back having a kitchen place for separate other foods until I saw someone else eating an order of french fries and a sandwich.
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.
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!
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.
4 years ago
Stopped at purity ice cream to get a treat. First off, there definitely needs to be more order in this place. The place was mobbed and was chaos inside. People ordered ice cream and then waited in line forever. I've personally never seen anything like it at an ice cream shop. We decided we didn't want to wait forever in line, so we got a simple bakery item from the case. I got a monster mash cookie. It had m&ms and pretzel pieces. It was pretty good, but definitely not worth $4 for a single cookie. read more
Purity Ice Cream is an Ithaca staple. For people visiting from out of town, it's a popular request to stop here... and because it's been around basically fooooorever? I'm not opposed to bringing people to experience it, etc... but having grown up in and around Ithaca, it's just not my first preference for ice cream. Purity has changed a lot since my childhood. It used to be much smaller, but they've since added on the back seating and food service section. I'm all about the additional space, as it means plenty of seating for those ridiculously busy periods. But that's the thing... this place gets SUPER busy. It doesn't help that the parking lot can be a bit of a cluster either. While driving down Rt. 13 the other day, I noticed that Purity was surprisingly quiet, so I opted to stop and see if they had a favorite flavor of mine still available - blueberry cheesecake. Turns out, it's not exactly the same flavor, as it's now blueberry cheesecake muffin. I ordered two scoops in a bowl (too much... after getting my order, I realized one scoop would have been plenty), and my mother, who was with me, ordered a Mexican sundae. The employee at the counter asked "can you remind me what's in that sundae again?"... really? This is an ice cream shop and you have to ask for the ingredients for a Mexican sundae? My mother noted the ingredients, I paid, and then we waited at the pick-up counter... for much longer than I would have anticipated, given so few people in the shop. When we finally got our ice cream orders, we sat down in the extra seating area inside. While having my ice cream, it struck me how sweet my ice cream tasted. Now, mind you, I don't have much of a sweet tooth... but I do enjoy some ice cream or other sweet treats on the rare occasion. This was just a lot of sweetness hitting my tastebuds at once... certainly sweeter than I remember the flavor of my childhood being. I ended up not finishing it... which was a shame, considering it was almost $20 ($18, I think?) for one Mexican sundae and one bowl with two scoops of blueberry cheesecake muffin ice cream (no sprinkles or any other additions... just ice cream). TL;DR I like the idea of supporting local as much as anybody, but Purity just seems overrated to me. You don't actually get an employee until you're at the register, and then THEY'RE asking you how to put together a classic type of sundae? Plus, my ice cream just tasted too sweet. So ultimately, no thanks... I'm in no rush to visit again. Especially not in a rush with how ridiculous it can be to park in their lot, get out into the flow of traffic again when leaving, etc. - not worth it. read more
3 years ago
The ice cream I received was creamy and tasteful. One complaint is that the peanut butter chocolate ice cream had very large and thick chunks of peanut butter that were hard to get through. Over all there coffe ice cream had a soft and sweet taste, there chocolate ice cream was chewy and delicious and the peanut putter chocolate (though the complaint specified previously) was very thick and scrumptious. read more
2 years ago
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Kevin S.
Donald,…
Stopped by for some ice cream one evening and it was really good! I got the happy trails which was vanilla ice cream, fudge swirl, and peanut butter cups. It was pretty good but there weren't many pb cups and when they were there they were just bits of chocolate and not actually peanut butter. My bf got the vegan vanilla bean and he enjoyed it. He wanted the banana split but I guess they didn't have it. We both agreed it had a different consistency than normal ice cream and other vegan ice creams we've had before but it still tasted good. They had a good sized parking lot and seating both inside and out. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Awesome local spot for excellent ice cream and other treats! The place is pretty big and has a cute diner energy (there's also some diner food available in the back). Service was super nice. The servings are large and the ice cream is very high quality. Highly recommend! read more
1 year ago
Whenever we are in Ithaca, we always try and grab a new flavor here! Every time I go I am never disappointed. Their ice cream is very creamy and extremely flavorful. They are THE place for ice cream in Ithaca and the lines out the door on a hot summer day definitely prove that! We even brought our dog who got to try some of the Matcha ice cream. He definitely gave his paw stamp of approval on this one! read more
Third time coming here in person. Finally giving this place a review after a good experience today. Ice cream: Yum, they have so many different kinds of flavors. I was surprised to see vegan options since I'm somewhat lactose-intolerant, so decided to give the French Vanilla a try. Service: Fantastic. I remember not having a great experience the first time, but this time, the ice cream wasn't dripping. The lady who gave me the ice cream was extremely kind. Despite the long lines, ordering and getting the ice cream did not take long. Price: Great prices. I got the junior scoop on a regular come and the portion size was huge. I think they have amazing prices for the portion sizes. Ambiance: It's not the best, but the atmosphere is nice. Inside is fairly clean and the decorations are a good addition. I really like this place for ice cream. It's definitely a little bit far from Collegetown, but I highly recommend it if you're in Ithaca. It is overhyped, but it's well-deserved for the wide diversity of flavors, fantastic service, and prices. read more
6 years ago
I highly recommend the apple crisp sundae. It has everything you could ever ask for in a sundae: warm apple crisp, rich vanilla ice cream, caramel drip, 3 inches of whipped cream, and candied cherries on top. Surprisingly, the whole gooey package costs less than 6 dollars! Considering the fact that a single scoop of Van Leeuwen's will cost you the same amount, a Purity sundae is truly a steal. read more
5 years ago
This place makes zero attempt to accommodate people with food allergies. Besides the aggressive signs that basically say "if you have a nut allergy you shouldn't even enter the building", they also seem completely unaware of what is in their food. I have a soy allergy and asked if a particular sundae had any soy in it; they said "We're not really sure... and we can't guarantee no cross contamination." I asked if they knew the ingredients and they said they didn't, nor did they seem interested in finding out. Also for context, they weren't busy at the time - there were more employees in the building than customers, just standing there. So, I didn't get anything. No big deal - my wife said they weren't anything special anyway. Ps: "Purity" is a funny name where cross contamination is just the norm read more
Oh my goodness, a must stop if you're in Ithaca! Grabbed a few scoops and a root beer float for my family and I. Everything was great from the friendly and quick service to the various flavors offered. The root beer float was made with Ithaca's brand of soda and it was refreshing on a warm day. My dogs give their vanilla cone four paws. read more
3 years ago
Yum!!!!! This place was soooooo good! We got two custom milkshakes. Mine had coffee ice cream and Oreos and it was like a dream in a cup! Ice cream is fresh and you can tell the difference from store bought stuff in the first sip! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Disappointed today. "We pack very few quarts of Mint cup and Mocha chip now" but you can either (1 pay more for pints or (2) wait 15 minutes in line for me to pack it. read more
Such great ice cream! Flavors rock! Loved my chocolate peanut butter and the vanilla with reese's. Sooooooo tasty! And the waffle cones are very fresh. Plenty of outdoor seating for you with COVID restrictions. read more
Lots of interesting ice cream flavours! I got their chai ice cream and was happy with the strong spiced flavour, and my waffle cone also had a nice taste and texture. The staff was helpful in describing the flavours for us so we could decide what to order and social distancing was well enforced inside. They have plenty of outdoor seating with cleaning rags and solution available, although it seemed like the some of the benches were a little close together. I'm guessing they don't have the ability to move them and are trying to accommodate as many parties as possible, but I would have felt more comfortable if every other bench was roped off. We were lucky to get a table on the far side of the building that was far from the main seating area. read more
4 years ago
6 years ago
It's pretty good, but just not better than Cornell dairy bar. The place was clean and there was clear instruction on keeping six feet apart. The chocolate chip cookie dough after dark tasted like there were mint chocolate chips in it; which was confusing and unpleasant. Also, the black cherry was just a bit too sweet for my liking. read more
I came with 3 of my friends during the weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ice cream. Surprisingly, it wasn't that busy on a Saturday. Although I would recommend to get a waffle cone instead of a regular cone as they give you a lot more ice cream in the waffle. read more
4 years ago
A really nice spot for a family outing. The grill menu was simple but effective, fresh ingredients in the burgers, soft buns and good portion sizing. We saved just enough room for the ice cream of my husbands childhood dreams: black raspberry, chocolate debris, salted caramel, vanilla and strawberry, all delicious. You can't visit Ithaca without coming here at least once, twice if you're lucky. read more
4 years ago
I hail from Rochester, but every time I'm in Ithaca, I am SURE to visit Purity Ice Cream. My most recent visit was YUMMY as always -- this time with scoops of Chocolate Debris and Bulldog Crunch. Yum-Yum-YUMMY! Wonderful to sit outside and enjoy inspirational signs made by local children, to lift spirits in this ongoing pandemic. A fantastic reward for hiking Buttermilk Falls. See ya at Purity! read more
7 years ago
5 years ago
Purity is our favorite ice cream place in Ithaca! They have a lot varieties of flavors but the best of all is the CHOCOLATE flavor!!! It has a creamy distinct chocolate flavor that I absolutely love! Another thing I love at purity is their truffles they taste amazing! read more
3 years ago
The home of the original ice cream sundae, Purity Ice Cream is a must-visit on any trip to Ithaca. It's a step back in time to the classic ice cream parlors of years past, offering up all sorts of delicious frozen desserts, from their classic sundaes and ice cream cakes to shakes and ice cream sodas... and, of course, some of the most delicious ice cream flavors around. The ice cream is made in small batches using the milk from some very contented upstate New York cows, giving the ice cream a great, creamy texture that's hard to find elsewhere. With over 30 flavors on offer, the choice was hard, but I settled in on a scoop each of the mint chocolate chip and the 'Chocolate Debris', chocolate ice cream with chunks of chocolate and fudge brownie pieces. The Chocolate Debris was thick, rich, and fudgy - a good choice for any chocoholic - and the mint chip was hands-down the best I've ever had, with a great texture and a perfect balance of flavors. The large seating area harks back to an earlier time (great for large groups), the staff is great, and the ice cream is as wonderful as ever. Why aren't you in your car yet? Don't miss this classic! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
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700 Cascadilla St
Ithaca, NY 14850
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(607) 272-1545
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http://www.purityicecream.com/
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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
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