You Scream, I Scream: Gourmet Ice Cream in SF
Updated: September 21, 2009
There are few things more simply satisfying than a heaped ice cream cone. And just because your palette has advanced beyond orange sherbert and bubble gum doesn't mean you have to give up on the creamy fair-weather treat entirely--SF boasts a number of parlors churning their own ice cream and using innovative ingredients, from foie gras to Blue Bottle, salted caramel to purple yam. Forget the fro-yo and try one of our top foodie-grade ice cream spots.
Sweet Treats
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Maggie Mudd
Read Reviews903 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
Generally excluded from the joys of ice cream, vegans are willing to drive miles to this Bernal Heights ice cream shop that offers 20 dairy-free flavors made with soy or coconut milk. Lacto-friendly patrons won't go wanting--Peanut Butter Palooka and Memphis Mudd Pie are so good it's hard to tell they don't contain milk, but there are some delicious "regular" ice cream options as well.
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Humphry Slocombe
Read Reviews2790 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
Funky foodie flavors like Guinness gingerbread, foie gras and balsamic caramel pepper the menu at this new Mission destination for innovative ice cream. The current fave is a two-scoop combo of Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee and Secret Breakfast (a bizarro bourbon-and-cornflake mix).
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Polly Ann Ice Cream
Read Reviews3138 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122 (map)
This old-school neighborhood joint buried deep in the Sunset has a mind-boggling 500 recipes for homemade ice cream in its arsenal, 54 of which are offered each day. Can't decide? Who could? Spin the wheel o' flavors and limit your decision to the three choices nearest the stop point, just hope you're not choosing between durian, rum raisin and Four Ninjas (yeah, we don't know either).
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Mitchell's Ice Cream
Read Reviews688 San Jose Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
Way before these new whipper-snappers came in and started spicing things up (literally), Mitchell's has been doing it right with basics like caramel praline and mocha fudge, plus some exotic fruit options like jackfruit and ube. Be warned: the lines are always long, but well worth the wait, especially around peppermint candy season.
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Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop
Read Reviews3692 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
Sampling is encouraged (and will be greatly enjoyed) at this Mission staple, where it's all in the details: the ice cream and baked goods alike are made by hand using only local, sustainable and organic ingredients. And high-quality ingredients mean top-shelf confections, so the long wait is understandable; the proximity to Dolores Park doesn't hurt.
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Xanath
Write a review949 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (map)
Far from boring, this Mission shop borrows its name from a word for vanilla, which is the star ingredient. At least three different varieties of the underrated flavor are offered here, as well as a handful of other ice creams, frozen yogurt and milkshakes.
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Ici Ice Cream
Read Reviews2948 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705 (map)
The innovative flavors--spices like cardamom, basil and lavender regularly appear on the rotating list of ice cream options--at this Rockridge neighborhood spot are worth the trip to Berkeley alone. The real reason so many people queue up outside, though, is the choco-filled, hand-made sugar cones--absolutely legendary.
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Three Twins Ice Cream
Read Reviews254 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map)
This neon green, Lower Haight ice cream parlor may not feature as many exotic creations as its contemporaries, but the choices it does have--singular options like Madagascar vanilla and bittersweet chocolate, or combos like Milk & Cookies or Mint Confetti--are exceptional, and all certified organic.
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