San Francisco is an ice city. And the rest of the Bay Area? Just an even bigger excuse to eat too much sugar.
And we binge – we’re even crazy enough to stand outside, in line, for ages, in the fog just for a scoop of the hottest flavors. Here are our Bay Area favorites — and we’ve even included some fro-yo, gelato, and vegan versions — because hey, we don’t discriminate.
The best ice cream in San Francisco
(Courtesy of @biritecreamery)
At Bi Rite Creamery, seasonal ice cream flavors like Peach Cobbler and Blueberry Morning mix with classic flavors like Honey Lavender and Ritual Coffee.
The brackets
The original swensen‘s (1999 Hyde St., Russian Hill) has none of the frills of a modern hipster hangout scoop shop (it doesn’t even have tables), but it’s a must-visit on any tour of SF for any ice cream lover. Bonus: It’s right on the trolley route. // There’s only one really good reason to wait in line for food. Bi-Rite Dairy(3692 18th St., Mission, and 550 Divisadero St., NoPa) delivers legendary ice cream, which in turn delivers Instagram pictures to forgive the line around the corner. Go for the old favorites (balsamic strawberry, salted caramel, honey lavender) or, better yet, get one of Sam’s Sundaes with chocolate ice cream, blood orange olive oil, Maldon sea salt, and whipped cream. // When the urge for a classic hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and icing hits, we reach for the original Ghirardelli ice cream and chocolate shop(Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point, Fisherman’s Wharf). // If you come from a multi-generational SF family, Mitchell’s (688 San Jose Ave., Noe Valley) is where your grandparents like to treat themselves on the weekends. In business since 1953, this old-fashioned scoop shop keeps up with the times, offering unique and distinctive flavors — ask for samples of grasshopper cake, Halo Halo, or Mexican chocolate — with 16 percent butterfat. // If you’re spoiled for choice, this is for you. San Francisco hometown Creamery(1290 9th Ave., Inner Richmond) solves ice cream indecision with flights of five scoops of daily flavors. Move over beer flights, you have competition for our calories. // In love(multiple locations) is a hometown favorite that has proven itself beyond the half-trick of making instant ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Each scoop is made to order, and you’ll never regret asking about the seasonal flavor that’s bursting with fresh, locally sourced ingredients (shhh…peaches and bourbon!). We also love their sundae kits for special occasions and parties. Don’t leave without trying their new flavor: Surfer Girl.
The creatives
Since then, more than a decade has passed Humphry Slocombe(2790A Harrison St., Mission; One Ferry Building, Embarcadero; and locations throughout the Bay Area) opened its doors (that makes us feel old), but ice cream fanatics are still crazy about Jake Godby’s irreverent flavors . We’ve always been fans of the Secret Breakfast (bourbon and cornflakes), but don’t leave without saying you’ve tried prosciutto…or maybe Elvis (The Fat Years). // An OG cult ice originally from Portland, Salt & Straw (586 Hayes St., Hayes Valley; 2201 Fillmore St., Pac Heights; plus locations in Burlingame and Palo Alto) is not for plain old vanilla. The small-batch ice cream is all about intense (and sometimes cuckoo-like) flavor combinations: strawberry-honey-balsamic with black pepper and sea salt with ribbons of caramel. Follow the smell of freshly baked waffles – and the queue outside the door. // From food truck to stationary trade, garden dairy(3566 20th St., Mission) cranks up the ice cream scene with its delicious “chimney” mounds, made from Hungarian cake batter that’s rotated around a cylinder and baked to form its unique shape. Available only on Saturdays (2-4pm), these fluffy, sugary waffles have ice cream lovers queuing around the block. // The people of milk bomb(1717 17th St., Potrero Hill) officially smashed the old ice cream sandwich by stuffing scoops into a sliced holeless donut for a delicious sugar bomb. Opt for vibrant ube ice cream (made with purple yam and pronounced ooh-bae), ice cream rolled in mochi and fruity pebble toppings – taste the rainbow! // powder(260 Divisadero St., Lower Haight) brought something new to SF: gourmet, shaved-to-order, fluffy sticks of ice cream. Now the Taiwanese-style scraped patch of snow has expanded to include a truck at Spark Social SF. // Sure, many ice cream parlors offer the option of slapping a dollop of ice cream into sandwiches, but nobody does it better than Baked Bear(303 Columbus Ave., North Beach). yes it is a chain But there’s nothing quite like homemade cookies that are baked fresh daily and embrace flavors like chocolate chip, red velvet cake, and cookies ‘n cream. // FK Frozen Kuhsterd delivers the goods in bar form with funky flavors like Ube, S’mores and Strawberry Shortcakes (Fridays at Off Grid, Fort Mason). // At The ice bar(815 Cole St., Cole Valley) is all about the retro soda fountain vibe, with old-fashioned ice cream drinks made with tart cherry and sugarloaf mushroom syrups, homemade fruit tinctures, and acidic phosphate soda. // Do you have a penchant for bizarre foods? Polly Ann Ice Cream(3138 Noriega St., Outer Sunset) has 500 rotating flavors like Irish Brown Bread, Black Rabbit Candy (a pork in a hundred-year-old egg), and Miso Caramel. Can’t decide? Spin the wheel of taste!
Soft serve + gelato
Create your own flavors and fine fat and dairy free Fro-Yo options Loving mug(multiple locations in SF and Marin). // Everyone knows God’s roadside(1 Ferry Building #6, Embarcadero) for its delicious burgers, but the soft serve is one of their best treats. Go all out with their hand-dipped bowls in flavors like blueberry and peanut butter. // my water(22 Peace Plaza, #440, Japantown and 135 4th St., Embarcadero; plus several East Bay locations) serves matcha, sesame, and tofu-flavored fro-yo strudel in cute fish-shaped cones. // Lush(520 Columbus Ave., North Beach) makes delicious ice cream and sorbet from scratch in small batches. Sourced from over 15 farms, their ingredients are 100 percent local—and 110 percent delicious.
The best ice cream in the Bay Area
(Courtesy of @noblefolk)
Everything is sweet, local and handmade at Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar.
Oakland+Berkeley
We’re never surprised when organic tastes good, though Tara’s organic ice cream (3173 College Ave, Berkeley) is the next level. With ingredients like pandan and baobab packed into their guilt-free scoops, you can sit in their shops with flavors swirling around your tongue forever. Saffron, burnt caramel and Turkish coffee? Yes, yes and yes. // Roadside dairy(482 49th St, Oakland) is a vegan’s dream — say goodbye to Always chocolate and hello to flavors like cherry almond and pistachio, packed with cashew-based creaminess in every scoop. // Formerly known as Cookiebar Creamery, Lanas(517 8th St, Oakland) is the place to grab a decent protein before digging into the sweet stuff. Order a Cream Co. Meats grass-fed beef smashburger, then lick exotic flavors like macapuno, toasted black sesame and cinnamon toast crunch. // Knew SF’s mistress Humphry Slocombe (948 College Ave, Berkeley and 2335 Broadway, Oakland) draws in the East Bay? Look for seasonal, special flavors like the cashew-based Berkeley vegan bar. // trends, decorate. Iconic ice cream icon since 1894 Fenton’s Dairy(4226 Piedmont Ave, Oakland) served good old hot fudge sundaes and the whole ice cream shop/diner experience. It even made an adorable appearance on Pixar’s Up.
marine
Fairfax shovel(63 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax) offers modern classics — like Vanilla Honey Lavender, Earl Gray and Lemon Almond — in waffle cups. // Guerneville is popular Nimble & Finns now draws in Marin County (123 Fourth St., Santa Rosa). Here you’ll find all your favorite flavors, handcrafted with organic milk and seasonal ingredients, along with grilled cheese sandwiches and waffle dogs. But here’s the best part: Alcoholic ice cream cocktails are now available, so grown-up concoctions like the Bee’s Knees (Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream, rosemary, J. Chardonnay, and local honey) or the Permanent Holiday (Meyer lemon ice cream ) can enjoy , Lo Fi Sweet Vermouth and Passion Fruit Rosé Cider from the Goat Rock Cider Company). // Marines no longer have to go all the way to Healdsburg for handmade ice cream and baked goods noble people(539 4th St., Santa Rosa), where pre-orders are also available.
south bay
It’s impossible to talk about the South Bay ice cream scene without paying attention to the Thai Rolleis craze. icicle(multiple locations) in San Jose was among the first to exclusively manufacture rolled ice cream and now also has stores throughout the South Bay and in Pleasanton. // Once an ice cream of the month club, Tin Pot dairy(multiple locations) opened its first store in Palo Alto and has graced the South Bay with its handcrafted goodness ever since. Look for flavors like blue jasmine tea, coffee with cacao nib toffee and salted butterscotch, plus several vegan options.
wine country
Sit back in Art Deco style Nimble & Finns(Guerneville Bank Club, 16290 Main St, Guerneville) and indulge in a scoop or milkshake made with organic Strauss Creamery milk and locally sourced seasonal ingredients; Favorite flavors include dark chocolate, honey peach, rhubarb chips, and Meyer lemon olive oil. Be sure to take home some of their ready-baked cookie dough. // Screamin’ Mimi’s (6902 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol) Owner Maraline Olson trawls through her library of over 300 recipes daily to find her selection of freshly made frozen treats (we love the lavender olive oil). Each ice cream cone is weighed to determine the price. So who’s to judge if you’re taking a “single” bullet that’s bigger than your head? // Everything is made locally at Classy Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar(116 Matheson St, Healdsburg), where unexpected flavors (black sesame, coconut, cornflake maple, orange creamsicle) meet options for every dietary restriction. Enjoy a Kegel as you stroll the town square, and take home whole cakes, cupcakes in a variety of flavors, cookie sandwiches, French macarons, and more.
