Want the best ice cream in Prince George’s County? I ranked these 6 shops.

As we move deeper into summer, many people can’t stop thinking about the sweet relief of ice cream.

Or, if you’re like me, tough days and subpar meals are mere obstacles on the path to a treat year-round.

Previously, I’ve gotten Banner readers fired up over the best bagels around Montgomery County and eaten more bowls of pho than would be medically advisable. It was all in service of finding the best options. So, as we’ve expanded into Prince George’s County, I embarked on a new quest, for journalism, and for you, dear readers: finding the best ice cream.

First, a note on my credentials: While I’m merely a voracious consumer of bagels and pho, I have personal and professional expertise with ice cream. I worked at a renowned frozen custard shop in Alexandria, Virginia, for more than two years and can still recite the spiel about the difference between frozen custard and ice cream. I’ve scooped for a U.S. senator, secretary of the Navy and countless other formations of families, friends and neighbors.

Second, let me explain my methodology. I opted for independent shops, with an exception for locally born chains. No shade if you favor Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins or any Hershey’s Ice Cream shop. I will never turn down a Blizzard.

I judged each of the six local shops by its vanilla ice cream. I know people will seldom order plain vanilla — I’m usually in for anything with a coffee or banana base — but it’s the standard for a reason and a shop’s attention to vanilla says a lot about the rest of the operation.

Prince George’s has a good balance of soft-serve and hard-serve (scoopable) ice cream, and because asking me to pick one over the other is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, I have included both here. I spent a lot of time scrambling the order of this list, but No. 1 stood out the whole way.

If I omitted your favorite parlor, let me know. In the meantime, here are the official results:

6. La Neveria Michoacana

4527 Kenilwoth Ave., Bladensburg; open daily

I was instantly taken by the myriad options at this Mexican-inspired ice cream shop that also has locations in Baltimore and Virginia.

You can choose from a wide selection of ice pops that includes tamarind and avocado. Savory snacks such as chicharrón plates are also available. One of the most popular treats is the mangonada, which piles chunks of mango, Tajin and chamoy, a sweet-and-salty condiment, atop mango sorbet.

But its vanilla ice cream appears to have taken a cue from the mango. It looked sickly orange as it was scooped out of the freezer chest. And, though it was creamy enough, it veered a bit too sweet for my liking. The vanilla rounded out after a couple of tastes into a marshmallow fluff-like flavor that is not what most would have in mind.

I’ll be back to try out the rest of the menu.

5. Dutch Village Farmers Market

5030 Brown Station Road, Upper Marlboro; open Thursdays-Saturdays

Look left as soon as you walk into this bazaar, and you’ll likely spot two lines for the tandem ice cream and pretzel stand.

It’s a cash-only spot after my own heart, considering the sign offering a free pretzel with the purchase of a banana milkshake. Some customers waiting on a recent visit were discussing their favorite combinations of take-home pints: vanilla and salted caramel crunch, which they mix at home.

The ice cream part of the stand has no visible name, but look for Sadie Ann’s Soft Pretzels and you’re in the right place. Like other vendors in the market, it uses dairy products from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — Kreider Farms logos were visible on some milk gallon jugs and an ice cream tub.

The vanilla had a decent mouthfeel, but it was a bit icier than I’d prefer. It was a firmly decent offering but made me eager to return to take my fellow patron’s suggestion or try that banana milkshake and pretzel.

4. Maryland Dairy

3972 Campus Dr., College Park; in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union food court, hours vary depending on school schedules

I didn’t want to step foot on a college campus for ice cream either. But I couldn’t ignore the shop that’s been the pride and source of debate for University of Maryland students for more than a century.

The shop long ago stopped making its ice cream from campus cows and switched to commercial milk. But it is still crafting flavors inspired by notable Terps such as Brenda’s Peanut Butter Frese, in honor of the women’s basketball coach.

The Free State Vanilla was a surprisingly balanced offering and creamier than many of its hard-serve competitors. It had a pleasant lingering taste of vanilla but was a little too muted in initial spoonfuls.

3. Hovermale’s Tastes Best

9011 Livingston Road, Fort Washington; open Tuesday-Sunday

Here’s where I will betray some bias. You can’t beat the vibes at this cash-only joint that’s been around for decades.

Is the soft-serve good? For sure. Do I like it more as I’m standing around dodging the blazing sun and waiting to pair it with a chili dog or half smoke? Absolutely.

Devotees clamor for the signal from the shop’s Facebook page that the gates are open for the season to get their fix of cones, sundaes and a signature upside-down banana split.

Hovermale’s vanilla was noticeably icier than I would like. But the swirling ribbons looked picture perfect and cut the summer heat splendidly as other customers streamed in for a pit stop or on their way home from work.

2. Ice Cream Jubilee

4430 Calvert Road, College Park; open daily

Don’t let the encroach of national competitors fool you (looking at you, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams), Ice Cream Jubilee is the best local chain you can comfortably find across the capital region. (It has locations in Baltimore, D.C. and Northern Virginia.)

The shop was founded in D.C. in 2014 and made its name on then-inventive Asian-inspired flavors such as matcha and Thai tea. Some of those are still in rotation, including brown sugar boba, as the brand has grown and is available in some grocery store freezers.

The bold vanilla and other flavors are made from locally sourced dairy, which could explain the relatively high cost compared to others on this list — a single scoop totaled more than $7 before tip. But the work shows in the taste. Jubilee had the best balance among hard-serve offerings. The punchy vanilla pitched at the right sweetness.

1. Miller Farms

10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton; open daily during summer

I can’t wait for another chance to eat Miller Farms’ soft-serve ice cream.

The produce stand has been in business for decades, but the bakery and ice cream shop addition opened in 2007 to feature cake doughnuts and other pastries, along with a walk-up ice cream shop.

On a recent visit, a dozen customers were huddled underneath an outdoor tent to finish their cones with full shopping carts. Vanilla and chocolate are always available, while two more flavors are on rotation, including strawberry, peach and pumpkin in the fall.

The vanilla was cooling and well balanced with sweetness and flavor. I gave myself a light brain freeze trying to lap up the goodness before it melted, likely not the last Miller-induced headache of the season.

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