Sweet Java

Great ice cream and I loved that everything was clearly labeled gluten free! I also loved that…read morethere were many gluten free choices including gluten free brownies and gluten free waffle cones! The only downside is there was a long line, and it did move kinda slow, and a single scoop was $6! However the ice cream was so good, it was worth it!

Reputed to be the best ice cream in Salem, specializing in small, homemade portions. It's…read moreconveniently located right next to the train station. Maple Bourbon: I loved it!!! The ice cream was incredibly smooth, the maple syrup sweetness was pure bliss, and it even had whole pecans. No Sugar Added Butter Pecan: Perhaps because I've gotten used to American sweetness levels, I found this neither sweet nor flavorful enough. While it's healthy enough, I wouldn't recommend it.

Vegan coconut and Oreo flavors in medium size cup

Nutella banana with peanut butter cups

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1 scoop of oatmeal cream pie on a sugar cone

Treadwell's Ice Cream

4.2(137 reviews)

3.5 mi

My absolutely go to place best ice cream in the world. Keep up the great work . whether it's a hot…read moresummer day or a cold afternoon in the winter, Treadwell is always the place that I will go when I'm looking for ice cream. Their ice cream cakes are the most amazing thing in the whole world. I'm a dad of six and all my kids asked for an ice cream cake for their birthday.

Pumpkin Oreo ice cream…read more Yes. You heard me. It could have been bad but it was sooo good. I also got the peanut butter Oreo and it was completely overshadowed. - So much so that I didn't finish the pb Oreo. Yeah. I know. If it's in season. Get the pumpkin Oreo

Blue raspberry instead of BLUE VANILLA BIG DIFFERENCE DUMMBIES

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Whimsy's

4.0(32 reviews)

The Whimsy Cafe is right in downtown Salem, close to lots of cute boutiques, and it has more than…read morejust ice cream. They also sell chocolates and gifts, adding to the "fun little shop" feel as soon as you walk in. I went specifically for ice cream because I was looking for a nearby ice cream shop, and this one caught my eye. It wasn't too crowded when I visited, and the staff was relaxed, friendly, and helpful while getting my scoop ready. I ordered a cookies-and-cream-style flavor with a blue base and cookie crumbles, and it was exactly what I needed on a hot Friday afternoon during a Massachusetts heat wave. I got the smallest (pixie, 4oz) size, and it was plenty for me. Overall, it's a very cute, kitschy little shop that's easy to pop into if you're in town. I wish I'd had more time to explore the gifts and chocolates, but even just stopping in for ice cream was a fun treat.

Great ice cream!! Pumpkin and blueberry pie were our favorite flavors. Conveniently locationread more

What $26 will get you...

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Kakawa Chocolate House

4.3(126 reviews)

2.5 mi

I come here every year and it's amazing. The chocolate is high quality, and the staff are always so…read morewelcoming and help with all the choices available. Had to come on here and support. Even though it was busy I had to take my time, and they helped walk me through everything. See you all next year!

The perfect dessert for a hot day, and it is hot today in Salem. I actually wish I had asked for…read moremore info about this chocolate shop. The chocolate here tasted different to me. It had a stronger chocolate flavor and was not overly sweet. It's funny I was thinking about it when I tasted it. But didn't ask for more information about it. The store is cute. They have a counter with chocolate-dipped fruit and other things. They had cookies and brownies. They had another window that you could get milkshakes from. You could watch them do it. I had a vanilla been ice-cream with a salty brownie. It was WOW. The service was good. She gave me options and recommendations. The staff was friendly and helpful. This was a good find.

Counter/seating

Inside

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Hot/Drinking Chocolate Flight

Dairy Witch Ice Cream

4.5(71 reviews)

2.5 mi

Younger me used to be into wilder combinations. Pile as many things together, mix all the fountain…read moresodas... that kind of thing. As I am (was, at the of this visit) barreling at breakneck speed towards 30 year old... I have become a much simpler man. Yet, one of the things that has remained consistent whether I am in my teens, 20's or [almost] 30's is my appreciation for a good value. Not knowing at the time that a kiddie size was available, I went for a small. Then it arrived... Y'ALL CALL THIS A SMALL?! The portion was tremendous! My poor parents ordered a cone each, which quickly became a sticky mess. All of this is at very fair prices, dare I say even low prices! Finally, there is the question of quality. While Dairy Witch doesn't have the greatest stuff ever, it is very respectable and arguably better than at least half of the stuff they sell at the grocery store. Where it comes to variety, well not the biggest menu I've ever seen, they definitely have something for everyone. Thus, I am not only a fan because Dairy Witch played some part of my childhood, but also because they are legitimately an excellent little ice cream stand.

I love dairy witch and wish they were open longer into the fall! They have the best soft serve…read morearound, and the sundaes are so good. Cute little stand with parking, it can get very busy on a hot summer day/night. They move people along pretty quickly. I will miss their pumpkin soft serve, until next year!

Reese's Peanut butter cup sundae

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Mix-in with M&M's and Oreo cookies.

Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe

4.6(153 reviews)

4.0 mi

After passing by Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe the first time, as we were on our way to try our hand at…read morecandlepin bowling, we knew that we wanted to stop by here afterwards. So on a rainy Saturday evening around 8:25 pm, my husband and I parked in their parking lot and headed over to the register. There was only one party ahead of us and two windows open to take orders, so our wait was not long at all. After looking over the menu, we ended up getting: Small Size, $5.99 prior to tax- For my ice cream, I decided to get to flavors in which I got Strawberry and Apple Pie. I like strawberry ice cream in general so this was very nice. The apple pie is a seasonal flavor and I really enjoyed that. It had pieces of apple and was made with graham crackers, cinnamon and salted caramel. It really did taste like an apple pie. Small Size, $5.99 prior to tax- My husband also decided to copy me and get two flavors, which were Lunch Lady and Mintsanity. Lunch lady is a chocolate peanut butter ice cream that has graham crackers, peanut butter and fudgy chocolate. I felt like the chocolate really overpowered the peanut butter. Mintsanity is a mint ice cream made with chocolate chip cookies, cookie dough and oreos. I thought this was rather descendant for me. But my husband liked both. ------------------------------------ (Total= $12.82 after tax) After ordering, the friendly employee helping us got our ice cream right away. Because it had been raining nearly all day and was lightly raining when we were there, we ended up standing in their outdoor eating area (that is also dog friendly) to eat our ice cream since the seats were wet. I really love the light blue color and fun branding Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe has. The names of some of the ice cream flavors are quite fun and I just loved the ice cream wall. It was rather creative how the ice cream pieces were made and decorated on the wall. If I lived in the area, I would definitely be a regular.

Food: Some of the best ice cream I've ever had! Perfection…read more Service: They were so nice, and let me try a bunch of flavors. Ambiance: There is outdoor seating! It's so cute :)

Boston Blackout and Cereal Milk on a Waffle Cone

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Hello Alex! Ice cream 10/10. Paper cow crane 11/10.

Goodnight Fatty

4.6(238 reviews)

2.6 mi

Look for the adorable little red truck outside and you've arrived at Fatties!…read more It's such an interesting concept, they sell savory and sweet items all in a ball like shape. There are a couple breakfast "chubbies" with things like eggs, cheese, and sausage. There's a Mac n' cheese chubbie, snd 3 flavors of Fatties (aka cookies). Drinks and ice cream are also available, I ordered a Nutty Buddy fattie and it was warm and delicious! I did have 1/2 and saved some for the next day but I think it's best when it's warm (as all cookies are!). I would've loved it if they had more than three flavors to choose from since they also offer cookies by the dozen, and it would be more fun to have a bigger variety in your box, but regardless, what they do have to offer is yummy.

Went here for breakfast, and was very surprised at how good it was. The coffee and breakfast ball…read morewere super tasty, contemplated going back for more. No line, even during October. The service was fast, friendly and she answered our questions and gave recommendations. I highly recommend this place. No seating inside but there was seating outside.

Swirl Soft Serve

The Addams Fatty

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Street view

Sweet Boba

4.4(41 reviews)

Very pleased with my mango green tea. Toppings are a separate charge either 75 cents or $1 more. A…read moresmall was about $5.60. Their menu is wide and offers almost every flavor you'd want in a boba shop to please a crowd. They also serve icecream if you're looking for dessert. A family owned boba shop that cares about serving their community with the best. They have a restroom located in the store.

We had just finished walking the Salem Witch Trail, and this seemed like a good place for a quick…read moreand refreshing break. The outside of the store needed a bit of work; however, the inside was clean and well layed out. The menu was displayed on large monitors, similar to those in other boba tea shops. The store was empty when we walked in, and an attendant quickly greeted us. We ordered a Thai milk tea with lychee jelly. The lychee jelly was good; however, the tea wasn't strong enough for my daughter. Overall, it was a good experience.

Thai milk tea with lychee jelly.

Inside the store

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Taro milk bubble tea with boba

Popped! Gourmet Popcorn & Ice Cream

4.2(32 reviews)

This place has served us well for many years! A amazing wide variety and selection of different…read morepopcorn! One of our favorites is the cheddar pretzel and the jalapeño. I often do order from their website around the holidays to get my family members all the flavors that they enjoy! Also a very good cute little ice cream shop inside that has pretty good flavors as well! If you are a popcorn lover, definitely check this place out! They still have a wonderful deal that goes on every day where you buy three bags and get the fourth for free!

Unfortunately, the ice cream just wasn't very good. I got the mocha chip and it barely had any…read moreflavor, and the people I went with agreed that their flavors were pretty bland too. The inside also wasn't very cute but does have potential. Honestly, the best part is probably the location since you can walk over to the water afterward.

Ice cream

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Ledger Restaurant & Bar

4.2(596 reviews)

•$$$

Cocktails and ambience here were our favorite in Salem! The waitresses and service were SO…read morefriendly, even during a busy October night. The Halloween themed cocktails made for such a fun night. The desserts were also delicious. We can't speak to the food as we didn't eat much, but the popovers are huge.

This is my third or fourth time dining at Ledger and it was definitely my favorite. Our server was…read moreso nice and friendly (the woman working outside for brunch on October 3rd). She really made the experience incredible! The outdoor patio dining was incredible people watching for October in Salem. We had the brussel sprouts, the tuna tartare and the steak frites. We also had some fun Halloween themed cocktails. You don't want to miss this place but definitely make a reservation - especially during a busy month like October!

Bar in the center of the restaurant

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Fade to Black

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5 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Lynn Anonymous T.

5 years ago

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's on here! My siblings and I got my dad Vesuvius in Salem. Walked in and had a few minutes to wait while they finished out pizza, fries and chicken tenders so I looked around and what not, saw bunch of dust, on the ceiling, inside looked extremely dirty and unsanitary. The food was good to my family which made me happy. Personally don't like the sauce is to sweet for me, not a fan but my family likes it. Dad is happy and that is all we wanted. Little back round about me PERSONALLY hating them! About 2 years ago I was hired at Sweet Java's (which they also own) for a not even a month when it just opened. I am an extremely hard worker who is always early for work. I was soo very excited for this job because it was so close to where I was living at the time too and I love to make food and see people happy. I was hired to be the muffin maker anf food prep shit! was let gontrew a fuckin phone call! I guess "I wasn't catchin on fast enough". (NOTE!! I knew they just opened and were trying to work shit out, recipes out and shit!) After 2-3 hopeful weeks of maybe me havin a full time job or career (cuz they made it sound like they are all one big family with their employees and have fun and blah blah blah... more false promises and hopes from a crappy minium wage job!) When the owner left me am that voicemail on my phone sayin "we have to let you go, your not catching on fast enough." That hurt me in so many ways emotionally and mentally so badly to the point I fell into a bad depression, felt hopeless, had lower self esteem then I already do! I felt stigmatized and extremely discriminated in alot of ways! I have had multiple jobs in the past so I got my hopes up yet again with a new company. All I got was more words of just false promises and hopes thrown my way! I have heard that from so many jobs so when sweet java's said "I was doin good" the day before they let me go so rudely and got my hopes up! First off I always tell alll jobs at interviews about my learnin disability, my soberity and my mental health issue like my severe anxiety and ocd. The male Owner would not let me mix the recipes together he would do it whole I watched but he will let you cook them in the oven thats about it. The owner did all the prep work and I just cooked it and ran it upstairs! I can read and follow directions when things are hand on but if you tell me to sit beside you and watch you how am I supposed to learn. I need to do things hands-on and I stated it multiple times to them to saying "hey can I please try and make them please?" and he said "oh you're not ready yet"!! Been workin in kitchens and food jobs for years! told them my experiences! They dont give out the recipes to employees which honestly would help them if they did so the owners dont work themselves to exhaustion or death. I was sooo heart broken cuz I loveeee to cook and be in a kitchen and thought I was killin it for them. Made a few mistakes I am a human and everyone makes mistakes on a new job but I got the hang of it or so I thought!! Guess not to their standards. It takes me a little longer to get things cuz of my learning disabilitiy butttt I am a hands on person and thought I caught on very quick after week one when he started to let me put the muffins in the oven! I even came up with some good recipes and suggestion for example like those egg Frittata I came up with a veggie one and a steak n cheese one! once they let me go though it made me feel not good enough for a long time! Soooo this is why I personally do not like to give them my $$$$$ because they didn't give me a chance to work for them. lasted a month! it made me feel like shit! In my eyes you don't let someone go over the phone or say shit like "your not catchin on fast enough." so yeahh I resent Sweet Java's, Vesuvius and the owners because I told them when I got hired I am a hand on person I learn quicker doing hands on then watching the owner do everything and just tell me what to do. If I do it myself I will learn faster. that is all. They will never get my $$ of me and I am slowly getting my family to boycott them and go back to captains in Swampscott or to Monte's. Both are hands down way better food to me. This places sauce is like sugar water! nastay ass sauce and owners! not worth any of your time! read more

Casper 7.

6 years ago

I send my two nephews s in today to get a treat for their outstanding progress in school, only for them to be made to feel like they where unwanted customers. Mind you my two nephews, visit frequently, however this partially blond-headed female who looks as mixed as they are made them feel less than a human! Why? All I will say is don't judge the customer who are helping to keep you open! read more

Dan D.

7 years ago

Awesome iced lattes, and a bunch of baked goods as well. They also have plenty of options available for people with dietary restrictions like non dairy milks and gluten free bake goods. Accessible location and id much rather support a local business than one of the chains! read more

Nicole F.

5 years ago

This place is the best if I could give it 12 stars I would. Uber all coffee, great staff.... SO many options from gluten free to vegan. Don't waste your time going to another coffee place because you will regret not going to sweet java read more

Alexis B.

7 years ago

Their power acai' bowls are amazing!

Sweet Java - coffee - Updated November 2026

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This is the place to go for a flavored coffee in the Boston metro. The coffee and the baked goods…read moreare all fantastic, and you definitely still taste the coffee in their flavored drinks. One of the times where the hype feels justified. There's usually a line on weekends but it moves relatively fast but don't be surprised to see it start going down the block. They cookies and cinnamon rolls are stand outs. I usually get a black cold brew with a flavored syrup or cold foam. They definitely will sell out of stuff by 10.

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Visited while in the area on vacation. Excellent coffee and service. Got flavored ice coffee and it…read morewas very flavorful. Lady behind the counter was kind enough to explain the menu and that the ice coffee was flavored beans not flavored syrup which I love. Would definitely go back.

Caffe Nero

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(12 reviews)

Really great place to hang out - very friendly staff that always greet people with a smile and…read moreordering is quick and easy. Food is reliable and consistent quality. I love that they have a fireplace and plenty of comfy seating indoors and an outdoor patio in warmer weather. My only complaint is that they close at 5 PM. I wish they were open later in the evenings.

Stopped here on our way back to Salem, it was just the pick me up we needed!! The cold foam cold…read morebrew was so yummy! I had to try their pistachio muffin for I love all things pistachio. It was so good! Tasted like an almond poppyseed and pistachio muffin! Service was quick:)

Konna

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Love Konna! They always have great flavors and are super friendly. The thing that keeps me coming…read moreback is that they can make any latte decaf! There's another shop that's getting a lot of hype on Instagram and can't make their specialty coffees decaf so it was really disappointing. Love Konna! Hope they're here for aong time!

I came here from a recommendation of a friend who says this is her all time favorite coffee. I was…read morein the area and had to go. They had some exciting seasonal and specialty drinks. I got the strawberry matcha and it was the perfect amount of sweetness for me, the unsweetened matcha powder balanced the strawberry syrup perfectly. My sister got the blueberry cloud latte and she absolutely loved it. The inside is small but has a handful of tables, and the inside was simple and not overwhelming.

Java Sun

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Service: I live in Marblehead now and this is my go-to coffee every single day. The staff are so…read morekind and they've now remembered my order so when I walk in they say "the usual?". So sweet! When my parents came to help me move in, we came here every day for breakfast and Edgar (the owner I think?) seriously is the sweetest man on the planet. Always asks me how I am when I come in and has remembered me as well. Food: Their muffins are HUGE and so delicious! This summer they've had blueberry, blueberry oatmeal, banana, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, cranberry orange, the list goes on! Their breakfast sandwiches on croissants are amazing. So buttery and soft. Their smoothies are also really delicious and refreshing, not packed with sugar like some other places! Coffee: I have never been a cold brew person bc I like really strong coffee but I make an exception for theirs. Seriously I've never had such good cold brew in my life and I've been to an aggressive amount of coffee shops! I am absolutely addicted to their cold brew. Overall, I can't recommend Java Sun enough. The experience is great, it's a cute, local place, and all their offerings are amazing.

Always fun to come here and get coffee from a good ol' standby. There's lot of items you can get…read morehere but we just opted for coffee this time. Always good to come back to a place that has been here for a long time!

Bohemian Coffeehouse

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