Where’s the best ice cream in Kansas City? Local readers gave us the scoop
Editor’s Note: This is story is part of “Kansas City: Like a Local,” a series where Kansas Citians recommend their favorite things to do in our region. It’s part of our Guide to the City of Fountains, get the guide delivered to your inbox by signing up here!
What would be the one thing you’d recommend to someone who is new to Kansas City? We asked readers of The Kansas City Star this question and we got a ton of excellent recommendations, including multiple people who wanted us to get the scoop on Betty Rae’s.
Betty Rae’s has two locations: one in Waldo and one in River Market. I stopped by the one at River Market because Emmanual, one of the readers who recommended this spot to The Kansas City Star on Instagram, said it was fun to get ice cream and then take a walk on the bridge and by the riverfront. For folks looking for a sweet treat followed by a leisurely stroll, Betty Rae’s convenient location in the heart River Market delivers quite a vibe.
As soon as you take a look at Betty Rae’s menu, you know it’s not going to be your average ice cream parlor. Along with classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and mint chocolate chip, they have a wide selection of experimental ice creams like goat cheese, apricots, and candied walnuts. On some occasions, they even have a Joe’s Kansas City Burnt Ends and Sauce flavored ice cream.
“They have a lot of great choices, that’s what’s great about this place,” Tia O’Connor said. When O’Connor’s daughter, Kaylee, was just an infant, they found out that she had some issues with dairy. As a result, young Kaylee can only have dairy-free ice cream, which O’Connor says Betty Rae’s offers quite a few choices that her daughter can enjoy. According to O’Connor, sometimes her daughter likes to get chocolate or cookies with “no cream,” but lately she’s opted for a scoop of classic vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. “It’s nice to find places that offer that dairy-free option,” O’Connor said.
For folks who can have dairy, Betty Rae’s has around 27 flavors of homemade ice creams to choose from. With playful flavors like passion fruit creamsicle and lavender honey, it’s the kind of ice cream parlor you go to when you want intriguingly out-of-the-ordinary scoops.
Watch this episode of “Kansas City: Like a Local” to get a glimpse inside this quirky ice cream shop and hear more flavor recommendations from ice cream-loving guests.
This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
