This downtown shop is all about water ice — similar to Italian ice, though fans swear it’s creamier. The Motown Twist swirls soft serve ice cream atop Detroit Water Ice’s signature treat and is available in a Korean egg bubble waffle with additional toppings.

Huddle’s soft serve window is open for the season, just in time for walks to Capitol Park. Choose a flavor from chocolate, vanilla or twists with toppings of sprinkles, sea salt, chocolate chips, and cherry or chocolate dips!

The stand operates in the evenings from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, with a rotating menu that features options like lavender, vegan blueberry, chocolate, and vegan sweet cream soft serve. Order it in a fresh vegan, gluten-free waffle cone or a cup topped with vegan dark chocolate or milk chocolate shell, wafer cookies, and other local food purveyors’ goods as toppings.

The corner cone booth with a cartoon igloo and penguin sells short-order menu items ranging from coney and fries to an Avalanche ice cream dessert. The Avalanche, small or monster size, is served with soft-serve ice cream and chock-full of whatever kind of candy one desires.

Custard Hut is known for waffle custard sandwiches. Swirls of frozen custard in flavors of cake batter and Nutella between warm buttery waffles with toppings like fresh sliced strawberries, sprinkles, and fruity pebbles. The whole thing is dusted in powdered sugar and wrapped in tin foil. There are plenty of good, old fashioned ice cream cones, too.

Soft-serve and assorted fruit flavors of Dole Whip are served at this Royal Oak staple. Grab a cone of Superman to enjoy with the man of steel as he oversees operations from his phone booth out front.

Downtown Royal Oak’s ice cream shop Golden Cone offers a variety of Guernsey ice cream flavors as well as chocolate and vanilla custard. The stand can also be counted on for a swirl of non-dairy Dole Whip soft serve.

This metro Detroit ice cream stand is known for its frozen custard, but vegans love Erma’s for its selection of Dole Whip — dairy-free soft serve. As with all of its custard, Erma’s switches out the flavors of Dole soft serve weekly. Customers can count on options like pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, and orange from spring through fall. The stand’s 80th season officially begins April 1.

The renovated gas station turned mom and pop ice cream parlor is perfect for a Belle Isle snack. In addition to selling soft serve on waffle cones in the shape of cartoon characters or in sundaes, River Breeze also sells hot dishes like nachos, foot-long hot dogs, fries, fish dinners, and a Southern favorite — fried okra.

This seasonal Downriver standby doles out frozen desserts of cool and creamy flavors like coconut custard and blueberry frozen yogurt from a walk-up window daily, starting at 12 p.m. Pints and quarts are also available.

Order a cone of custard or Dole Whip walk-up-window-style or smooth out a few dollars and grab a favorite pint from the vending machine.