Dessert and Ice Cream in St. George

When it's 105 out, ice cream isn't a treat, it's a strategy. St. George has a genuinely good lineup of cold and sweet spots — here's where locals cool off.

Thick shakes and custard

Iceberg Drive Inn is the local classic for shakes so thick they need a spoon — a Utah institution with a long list of flavors. For frozen custard done right, Nielsen's Frozen Custard makes it fresh with real cream in-store; rich, and worth the calories.

Scoop shops

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream brings a huge rotating flavor list and a cult following, and the ever-reliable Cold Stone Creamery does the mix-on-a-stone thing the kids love. You'll find Italian ice and gelato around town too if that's more your speed.

Make it an outing

Just outside town, Rowley's Red Barn turns dessert into a whole trip — ice cream, fudge, a country store, and a farm feel that's a favorite with families.

A couple of honest notes

Hours shift and Sundays run quiet, so check before a special trip, and new sweet spots pop up as the town grows. But for beating a St. George afternoon, start with a thick Iceberg shake or a Nielsen's custard and you're set.

The move on a hot day: go early evening when it cools off, and let dessert be the reason you're out.