It's not every day you can support a local restaurateur by frequenting a chain, but that's exactly the case with Amy's Ice Creams, started by Austin local Amy Miller (now Amy Simmons) in 1984 and now with locations in Houston and San Antonio. Each delightful shop features its own unique atmosphere and selection of high-butterfat flavors that rotate on a daily basis, overseen by Amy herself to ensure the freshness of every scoop. Like bartenders trained to juggle drinks, Amy's Ice Creams features a staff of performers who send scoops flying into the air to land safely (they rarely miss) into cups and cones. Unlike other chain shops, this hot spot is as much fun for the adults as the kids and serves as the silencer to screams for true homemade ice cream. Possibly the only drawback to visiting Amy's is the dilemma of having to choose from so many flavors. From Mexican vanilla, rum raisin, s'mores and malted Belgian, to blackberry, mint ice cream sandwiches or a true Texas original, Shiner Bock, flavors rotate daily, and each scoop is smooth, yet not so soft that it melts before you can take a bite. Flavors are also available as thick rich shakes. No alcohol available. Hours vary by location. Voted Best Ice Cream in the 2009 The Austin Chronicle readers' poll.