From the first day we started our hunt for the best ice cream on Cape Cod one name kept emerging as “the” ice cream stand we would need to visit. Nearly everyone who we told about our mission said “you have to try Four Seas.”
So we waited with bated breath for opening day. The anticipation grew with each passing day. Would the flavors be as good as everyone said, or would the place be all hype like Sundae School, we waited to find out.
And then as if the torture of waiting would never end, the day arrived. Never having been to Four Seas I was surprised by it’s “old time diner” feel. It reminded me more of some old greasy spoon than a world famous ice cream shop.
Hoards of hungry ice cream lovers were already there. A stream of people kept entering and leaving with happy looks on their faces. There was even a book signing for a book about making your own ice cream. It had a real good feel, like opening day baseball game, or a large school dance. The excitement continued to grow.
The line moved fast, and soon we were inside. A simple row of low chairs sat in front of the counter, an inside joke of sorts, as rarely would I imagine there are so few people to warrant a sit down eating experience.
The servers moved frenetically taking three or four orders at a time, a chaotic system that resulted in getting your scoop incredibly fast. No lines here, simply get up to the bar and get your dish.
There were so many flavors to choose from that it could be a bit daunting, if this is your first visit try and hang back and bit and explore the many menus. You will find something you like, and be aware that not all flavors are available on all days.
Tess got the Vanilla Chai, and I got Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. The serving size was about average, and the price was about right at 2.75 for a small. I would have preferred to receive the scoops in a paper cup, but the plastic cup was at least recyclable.
We made ourselves not try any until we got to the car (a side note, there is very limited seating at Four Seas for the amount of people that eat there, make sure you are ready to eat in the car or drive down to the nearby beach.) We tried our first bites, looked at each other, and smiled. It was gooooood. Really good.
The flavors came on smooth, and stayed strong. There was no funky aftertaste, it didn’t taste like freezer, and it was not icy. What it was was smooth, rich, delicious and creamy. The peanut butter tasted just like real peanut butter, and the chocolate chips were premium chocolate that melted in the mouth. The vanilla chai tasted better than any cup of chai I have ever sampled.
The flavor sort of crept up the tongue, getting into your senses slowly. The only other cream that was close (so far) has been Ben and Bills in Falmouth. Ben and Bills cream smacked you in the mouth with flavor, while Four Seas sort of sneaks up on your taste buds like a skilled ninja. Before you know it the flavor has attacked all your taste buds and you are in ice cream heaven. Very good.
The last spoonful left us hungry for more, luckily Four Seas Homemade Ice Cream sells pints, and quarts.
Not only do they provide the public with delicious ice cream, Four Seas also gives back to the community. They give jobs to a lot of young people on Cape Cod (something that can be hard to find), and give scholarships to student workers. It’s good to see them giving back to the place that made them what they are.
Four Seas Homemade Ice Cream sells itself, it doesn’t need a fancy building, or a cute lawn, or anything else. It sells premium ice cream for a good price. If you make it to Cape Cod, or you are a local, you owe it to your tongue to try this ice cream. Go! Right now! Stop reading this and go get some!
Tale of the tape:
Homemade: yes
Flavors: 
Size of the serving:
Taste:
Richness:
Creaminess:
Iciness:(higher means less ice):
Toppings:
Stuff in Cream:
Atmosphere:
Service:
Price: $2.75 for a small.
Specials: special flavors each week.
Final Rating:
Address:
360 South Main St. Centerville, MA 02632
Phone:
508-775-1394
Driving Directions: Click Here
Reader Rating For: Four Seas Homemade Ice Cream
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I do not like 4 Seas. The store itself is dirty, shabby and unorganizied, I feel as though I am walking into a hole in the wall bar rather than an ice cream parlor. I got coconut which tasted like vanilla. I also ordered cookie dough which was more chopped dough than any ice cream and banana which tasted like I licked a banana perfume bottle. There is no place to sit down and by the time I got to my car to begin eating my “famous, world class” ice cream it had already begun to melt, dripping down my hand into my lap… where were the napkins?? The wait, the service- an unhappy girl with no real people skills and the dirtiness were not worth the ice cream. Sorry 4 Seas the hype years ago is lost.
I am with Kristin, I think the store is a dump and the ice cream is hugely overrated. The servings are also very small compared to other ice cream shops. I live in West Barnstable, just right down the road from 4seas and I make the trip to Dennis to Sundae School to get some really good ice cream.
We also visited four seas because there did seem to be a local love for it. I do agree with the other two girls in saying that the store was a little bit shabby. Even the outside isnt very welcoming. We had walked up from the beach to get a really great ice cream and were disappointed. I kept saying to my husband how much I had anticipated it just to be let down by O.K. ice cream.
I would like to know if your icecrem is gluten free?
Carol, This website is in no way affiliated with any ice cream shop, If you would like to contact the Four Seas you can follow this link http://www.fourseasicecream.com/ to there website.
After all the great reviews of Four Seas Ice Cream, I expected to be astounded by the quality. Yes, the ice cream was INCREDIBLY creamy, and in that respect, it was great. But, the taste was sub-par. The Mocha Chip had an off, day-old coffee flavor, and while the cookie dough was good, it was very much lacking in dough. So, decent ice cream, but not as astounding as everyone made it out to be. I think at this point, maybe people are just caught up in the hype and don’t want to let on that maybe they were disappointed by, supposedly, one of the “best scoops ever”.
Just because they are the oldest, doesnt mean they are the best.
In a world where everything is on its way to becoming Starbucks or Epcot Center, it is ridiculous to criticize Four Seas for being “shabby”. On Cape Cod there’s a little something called tradition, and at Four Seas that translates into a conscious decision to leave it the way it’s always been. It is a clean establishment, but they dont update things so as to look “current” to the shopping mall patrons visiting from Los Angeles for some gen-u-wine olde tyme cape cod flavor (sanitized for your protection of course). And who comes to a classic place like Four Seas for the cookie dough ice cream? Go back to Ben & Jerry’s wont you?
Forget the ambiance - it’s all about the ice-cream. The ginger + frozen pudding combo I had was excellent. Chunks o’ ginger that register on the back of your throat so you know it’s *real* ginger, but smoother than any ginger sorbet in the micro-portions encountered in froofy (yes, that’s a technical term) restaurants. The “frozen pudding” was a first for me: the pieces of candied fruit in the frozen pudding were plentiful, but not so much or large as to distract from the creaminess of the base.
My friend’s peanut butter choc-chip was truly peanut-buttery, and again, the choc-chips were generous but an excellent balance to the ice-cream. Did I mention creamy?
Visit & try a flavor you’ve never tried before.