CP's Cooler in Willowick is the #1 ice cream shop in Lake and Geauga counties — 4.9 stars as of September 2026. King Kone (Chardon) and Fairport Harbor Creamery round out the top three at 4.8 stars each, ranked by 440 Eats on Google ratings plus what locals are actually saying.

Welcome to 440 Eats — Issue #1.

This is 440 Eats: every ice cream shop that matters in Lake and Geauga counties, ranked by Google ratings and local chatter. No pay-to-play. Ever.

We're kicking things off with the ranking you argued about most.

The Ice Cream Top 10

  1. 1

    CP's Cooler

    Willowick · 4.9 stars
    Still the king. Back-to-back #1.
  2. 2

    King Kone

    Chardon · 4.8 stars
    Chardon's hometown heavyweight at 4.8 stars.
  3. 3

    Fairport Harbor Creamery

    Fairport Harbor · 4.8 stars
    The harbor's hometown favorite at 4.8 stars.
  4. 4

    Jerry's Dari-Pride

    Wickliffe · 4.8 stars
    Cash-only seasonal stand, and the loudest "how is this not on the list" we'd ever heard.
  5. 5

    Malley's Chocolates

    Mentor · 4.7 stars
    The chocolate-shop dark horse, holding 4.7 in Mentor.
  1. 6

    Kirtland Creamery

    Kirtland · 4.7 stars
    Kirtland's local counter, sitting pretty at 4.7.
  2. 7

    Biggies Custard

    Mentor-on-the-Lake · 4.7 stars
    The lake crowd's custard stop at 4.7 stars.
  3. 8

    Cooper's Twist & Shake

    Eastlake · 4.7 stars
  4. 9

    Charlotte's Ice Cream

    Willoughby · 4.7 stars
    Willoughby's neighborhood scoop at 4.7 stars.
  5. 10

    Ice Cream On The Greens

    Mentor · 4.7 stars
    7+ of you demanded this one. You were right.

Honorable mentions

  1. Cowboy Creamery

    Middlefield · 4.6 stars
    Small-town Middlefield scoops holding 4.6 stars.

  2. East Coast Original Frozen Custard

    Mentor · 4.5 stars
    Mentor's frozen-custard landmark at 4.5 stars.

  3. FroYo Twist

    Mentor · 4.6 stars
    Open year-round with froyo and hard ice cream — Mentor's winter-proof pick.

  4. Foster's Homemade Ice Cream

    Willoughby Hills · 4.6 stars
    The shop the crowd kept asking for — homemade scoops in Willoughby Hills.

  5. Cibik's Dairy Island

    Bainbridge · 4.6 stars
    A 4.6-star hometown counter in Bainbridge.

How we rank

We aggregate reviews and chatter — Google ratings plus what locals are actually saying. Google rating first, review volume second. 40-review minimum to qualify. Chains excluded.

What's the best ice cream shop in Lake County?

CP's Cooler in Willowick — 4.9 stars, ranked #1 by 440 Eats in September 2026.

How does 440 Eats rank restaurants?

We aggregate reviews and chatter — Google ratings plus what locals are actually saying. Google rating first, review volume second. 40-review minimum to qualify. Chains excluded.

When was this ranking last updated?

Published September 23, 2026 and refreshed in place — the Last updated line at the top of the page always shows the latest refresh.

Are these ice cream shops open year-round?

About half close for winter, and a couple are down to their last weeks of the season — check each shop's hours before you go.

Go soon.

Half of these close for winter — and a couple are down to their last weeks of the season.

Missed it?

The Pizza Top 10 is live too — Biagio's Donut Shop & Pizzeria (Eastlake) took #1. See the pizza ranking →

The Wings Top 10 is live too — The Wild Goose (Willoughby) took #1. See the wings ranking →

What's next

A new ranking every week, plus openings, closings, and the weekend roundup. Got a snub we missed? Drop it in the 440 Eats Facebook group.

— Matt Staton
440 Eats is free forever. Tell a hungry friend.