The best soft-serve ice cream in D.C., as judged by our hungriest interns

The temperature is spiking. The humidity is escalating. And the more D.C. swelters, the more a sweet treat soothes.

Let’s be honest: Who isn’t on the quest for soft-serve ice cream in D.C.? Hard ice cream, which is churned for thickness instead of spun into a light, airy swirl, is easy enough to find. We were after the latter, so we sent our interns and an editorial aide to try soft-serve spots in several neighborhoods and rattle off some of the best.

Traditional

Surfside, a Tenleytown-based coastal fresh-Mex restaurant, proves that soft serve doesn’t have to be complicated.

Customers can get vanilla, chocolate or a swirl, and they pay extra for toppings, including candy and syrups. The soft serve is thick and creamy, and the restaurant’s atmosphere can even make Tenleytown feel like the beach. If you’re looking to switch things up, you could get the “Voicemails for Isabelle”-esque dessert nachos or pair your soft serve with cream-filled churros. — Ela Jalil

Reliable

Located in a little shop with an old-school walk-up window, Southwest Soda Pop Shop is a Black-owned, family-run business that certainly stands its ground. The soft-serve menu lists only the classics: vanilla and chocolate. The vanilla with rainbow sprinkles tastes familiar, but it’s the texture that stands out.

It has a frozen yogurt-like consistency, not too thick and not too thin, making it perfect for a summer cone that won’t melt too quickly. If you’re looking for a traditional soft serve with typical toppings (and a generous helping of sprinkles), this is a great stop. Just a note that there’s no indoor seating, though there are a few small tables outside. — Jade Tran

Tried and true

Once you’ve eaten your way through poke bowls and sushi at Fat Fish on the Wharf, a daring combination of guava sorbet and vanilla sky awaits, with the real standout: a taiyaki (a waffle cone shaped like a fish). The twist of flavors creates a blend of tanginess and creaminess in your mouth, though the vanilla ultimately steals the show. The guava adds a bright, fruity note but isn’t necessary — the vanilla is strong enough to stand on its own.

The fish-shaped cone is undeniably the best part. It’s the closest thing to cake. It’s soft. It’s fluffy. And it’s substantial. Enough to make the ice cream feel like a complete dessert. This shop is the perfect go-to if you’re looking for a classic taste (thanks to the vanilla) with a playful presentation after a date night. This one is high on the list of favorites among the interns. — J.T.

Trendy

A few minutes from the hustle and bustle of M Street in Georgetown is a quiet road that houses Spot of Tea. The teahouse has grown in popularity on social media because of its vibrant matcha flavors and bubble tea. The oat milk matcha and strawberry lychee soft serves are just an extension of what draws people to Spot of Tea locations (also in Dupont Circle and at Union Market).

To matcha lovers, the soft-serve swirl at the Georgetown location is a great spin on a beloved summer drink. The strawberry lychee balanced the strong taste of the matcha, creating a bittersweet flavor that leaves you wanting more. — Taylor Swinton

Nondairy

Yellow, the brainchild of Palestinian American chef Michael Rafidi, blends French and Middle Eastern cuisine in a stylish cafe off Wisconsin Avenue. And its tahini oat soft serve is one of the best dairy-free desserts in D.C. It’s nutty and rich, not too sweet, and more complex than your typical treat. The swirl is topped off with crunchy candied walnuts and served in a yellow cup.

Yellow is a place so special to our vegan intern, a self-taught expert in dairy-free sweets, that she even included the restaurant in her author bio. — Grey Battle

Toppings galore

Tucked inside La Cosecha at Union Market, Frio Frio is a delightful addition to the D.C. soft-serve market — with an island twist. The flavors are inspired by the owner’s Caribbean and Latin American background. Some options are fruity (such as piña colada), and others decadent (such as dulce de leche). The toppings on the towering soft serve added some much appreciated crunch and texture variation. This intern’s piña colada soft serve was accompanied by toasted coconut flakes, pineapple jam and a dried pineapple ring. It was delicious and — more importantly — Instagrammable.

Visitors not looking to chew through their dessert could also build their own cup, but where is the fun in that? The new shop quickly became a favorite among the taste-testing interns. — Zoe Cummings

Colorful

Unlike many other soft-serve options in D.C., Malai is a true ice cream stop. By no means is the soft serve not up to standard, but it almost gets lost among the U Street Corridor shop’s many offerings. The soft-serve menu is tight and rotates, and the toppings are limited.

This summer, the soft-serve options are simple: vegan mango or cardamom yogurt (and is that really even soft serve?) Both grab the eye, and the mango’s sharp yellow is truly distinct. Yet in a parlor full of unique fruity flavors, each drawing inspiration from South Asian spices, the eyeball-popping color of the mango might be worth more than the taste itself. — Noah White

Surprising

No matter when you drop by, Love, Makoto — the Japanese spot off Massachusetts Avenue — is going to have a crowd. The place is packed even at, say, 2 p.m. on a Monday, when a certain Post intern might be playing hooky from his sportswriting duties. And whether one is dining in the full-service, sit-down section of the restaurant or grabbing a bite at the quick-serve counter, they’re probably taking the soft serve to go.

The vanilla is best, though the matcha option offers a unique twist few other joints in D.C. can match. It’s smooth and prepared in less than a minute. For a restaurant that does so much else so well, it’s the surprising star. — N.W.

Our final verdict

After a week and a half of hopping from one ice cream shop to the next (a sacrifice we were willing to make), our top picks were Fat Fish, Frio Frio and Yellow.

Together, they cover everything we wanted: a classic soft serve with a twist, a mountain of toppings and flavors, and a standout dairy-free option when we all need a break from milk.