Ice cream and desserts in Wake Forest: Wait Ave., Retail Drive and more

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Wake Forest’s dessert stops are spread out. Downtown has Lumpy’s Ice Cream on East Wait Avenue and Plant Cakes on South White Street. The chains cluster on Retail Drive off Capital Boulevard, and the Heritage side of town has Culver’s, Dairy Depot and Two Roosters along Rogers Road and South Main Street.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Wake Forest’s town limits, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 12, 2026. We added Culver’s, whose own page lists frozen custard. Dairy Queen and Freddy’s are confirmed by 2026 records in Wake County’s restaurant inspection data. We left out Crumbl, Pelican’s SnoBalls and Chelle’s Cakes, which we could not confirm at a Wake Forest address. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Culver’s on Rogers Road serves frozen custard alongside its burgers and posts a flavor of the day on its page.

Dairy Depot calls itself an independent, locally owned ice cream shop. It serves soft-serve cones, milkshakes, sundaes, parfaits and its “Train Wrecks,” ice cream with mix-ins, with a patio and a drive-thru.

Dairy Queen on Capital Boulevard blocked our check of its page; a Feb. 24, 2026, Wake County inspection record confirms it.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers on Retail Drive is confirmed by an Aug. 11, 2026, Wake County inspection record.

Goodberry’s Frozen Custard says it has made all-natural frozen custard fresh every hour since 1988. Its locations page lists the Retail Drive shop and posts a flavor of the day.

Krispy Kreme on Retail Drive sells doughnuts, coffee and shakes and runs a drive-thru.

Lumpy’s Ice Cream started in Wake Forest in 2012 and makes its own ice cream, with seasonal flavors beside the regulars, its site says.

Plant Cakes Bake Shop downtown says its menu is entirely plant-based and organic. The town’s downtown dining map lists it for vegan doughnuts.

Two Roosters Ice Cream has a shop at The Factory on South Main Street, one of several in the Triangle. Its site notes holidays may change the hours.

Related lists: wings, pizza, Mexican and Tex-Mex, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi and Asian, bakeries, patios and outdoor dining and every list by category. Also: brunch, date night, the business directory and restaurant inspection scores.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get ice cream in Wake Forest?

This list has nine dessert stops, including Lumpy’s Ice Cream on East Wait Avenue downtown, Two Roosters at The Factory on South Main Street, Dairy Depot on Rogers Road, Goodberry’s on Retail Drive and Dairy Queen on Capital Boulevard.

Which Wake Forest ice cream shops are open late?

Lumpy’s and Two Roosters both list 10 p.m. closing on Friday and Saturday, Dairy Depot’s posted summer hours run noon to 10 p.m. every day, and Krispy Kreme on Retail Drive is open to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Is Lumpy’s Ice Cream open on Monday?

No. Lumpy’s site lists it closed Monday, open noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Where is there an ice cream shop with outdoor seating in Wake Forest?

Wake Forest Dairy Depot at 3433 Rogers Road says customers can eat on its patio or use its drive-thru.