Portland's best soft serve isn't where you'd expect it. It's tucked inside a cheese shop on SE 28th, hiding behind a fried chicken counter in The Zipper, and swirling next to souvlaki on Belmont.
The Portland Mercury's 2026 Food Issue, published July 9, spotlights the city's deep soft serve scene in a guide written by reporter Taylor Griggs. The catch: many of the best cones come from restaurants better known for entirely different menus.
"Portland has a surprisingly strong soft serve game — you just have to know where to look, as some of the best soft serve ice cream is hidden in restaurants better known for their other offerings," Griggs wrote.
The spots, quadrant by quadrant
Cheese & Crack (22 SE 28th Ave) leads the list. The cheese-shop-turned-soft-serve-destination draws devotees for monthly sundae specials, and its vanilla cones can be customized with "dust" flavors like chocolate malt, matcha, or beet powder. A chocolate cowboy hat topper is also an option.
In the Sunnyside neighborhood, Bluto's (2838 SE Belmont) pairs its Greek souvlaki with vanilla and chocolate soft serve topped with honey and halvah. Matcha Cafe Maiko (3416 SE Cesar E Chavez) serves grass-green matcha soft serve alongside seasonal flavors like ube.
On East Burnside, Canard (734 E Burnside), the casual sibling of Le Pigeon, offers a malted blondie sundae for $13, the priciest among the Mercury's featured spots. Happy hour brings $2 oysters alongside that cone.
Basilisk (820 NE 27th in The Zipper), a fried chicken sandwich shop, rotates Kool-Aid-flavored soft serve. Green apple was the flavor when the Mercury reviewed it in early July. Pizza Jerk (5028 NE 42nd) uses a Flavor Burst system to swirl eight flavors, including piña colada and "blue goo," around a vanilla base.
Up in St. Johns, Wonderwood Springs (8811 N Lombard) pairs soft serve with indoor mini golf in a fantasy-themed space created by Portland artist Mike Bennett. Vanilla, chocolate, and a vegan oat-milk option are all available.
For vegan soft serve specifically, Ice Queen (2012 SE 11th) sells plant-based cones, sundaes, and "Thiccflurry" blends alongside Mexican-style paletas.
Get out and ride
The Mercury is hosting a free "Get Out & Eat Bike Ride" on July 18, visiting food carts and soft serve spots from the issue. Riders meet at Sewallcrest Park (SE 31st & Market) at noon, with wheels rolling at 12:30 p.m. The ride is led by managing editor Katherine Chew Hamilton and Griggs. Boozy slushies ($10) will be available for those 21 and older as part of the Mercury's Summer of Slushies promotion running through July.
Upcoming community events
- Cathedral Park Jazz Festival: Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19, at Cathedral City Park (6635 N Baltimore). Free. Friday 4:30–10 p.m., Saturday 1–9:30 p.m., Sunday 1–8 p.m.
- Portland outdoor pools: Open through August 23 (Peninsula Pool through September 7). Drop-in swims $4–$6, with at least one free session weekly at each site.
