10 Best Ice Cream Shops In San Francisco, California

ice cream shops in san francisco
Ruth Alexis
Ruth Alexis 
Published
| 5 min read

San Francisco is an internationally renowned tourist destination known for its sunny beaches and excellent food. Key attractions to visit include the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the sunny Fisherman’s Wharf for a walk by the beach, Alcatraz Island, a notorious military prison, and the Golden Gate Park for a relaxing stroll. While battling the heat in San Francisco, delicious ice cream is one of the best dessert options to cool down while sightseeing. Below are 10 of the best ice cream shops in San Francisco, California, USA. Scroll down to find out more.

1. Mitchell's Ice Cream

?? Our New Year's resolution is still going strong... Save room for Mitchell’s! Come on out and join us every day...

Posted by Mitchell's Ice Cream on Saturday, 5 January 2019

Mitchell’s Ice Cream is a cosy family-owned ice cream shop that handmakes both classic flavours like chocolate and creative flavours in small batches on the premises. It is open till 11 pm at night, making this ice cream shop perfect for an after-dinner dessert stop.

Mitchell's Ice Cream

Address: 688 San Jose Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA

Website: Mitchell’s Ice Cream

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 11 am - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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2. The Ice Cream Bar

Rocky Road ice cream. Mmmmmmm....rich chocolate ice cream with a ribbon of marshmallow fluff and toasted almonds. ? #currentlyscooping

Posted by The Ice Cream Bar - Soda Fountain and Creamery on Sunday, 11 March 2018

The Ice Cream Bar has a chic and cool interior decor, with bar stools surrounding a wooden countertop for guests to enjoy their sweet treats. Besides ice cream, The Ice Cream Bar also serves made to order treats like custom sodas, hand-shaken milkshakes and sassafras root beer.

The Ice Cream Bar

Address: 815 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA

Website: The Ice Cream Bar

Opening hours: Sunday - Thursday, 12 pm - 10 pm; Friday - Saturday 12 pm - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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3. The First Swensen's Ice Cream Store

Swenswk
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user CodeXtractor used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Swensen’s is synonymous with great ice cream worldwide. San Francisco is proud to house The First Swensen’s Ice Cream Store, which serves simple and quirky flavours that many travellers from around the world are familiar with. Visitors can look forward to trying some Swensen’s classics such as the banana boat and ice cream float, as well as different imaginative seasonal flavours sold solely at The First Swensen’s Ice Cream Store.

The First Swensen's Ice Cream Store

Address: 1999 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA

Website: The First Swensen’s Ice Cream Store

Opening hours: Sunday - Thursday, 12 pm - 10 pm; Friday - Saturday 12 pm - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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4. Smitten Ice Cream

Posted by Smitten Ice Cream on Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Smitten Ice Cream is an outdoor stand selling ice cream that’s crafted using liquid nitrogen. All ice cream is handmade in small batches using local ingredients. The ice cream menu features imaginative flavours such as Meyer lemon with ginger cookies and earl grey with milk chocolate chips, but also more traditional flavours such as vanilla.

Smitten Ice Cream

Address: 432 Octavia St #1a, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

Website: Smitten Ice Cream

Opening hours: Sunday - Friday, 12 pm - 10 pm, Saturday 11 am - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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5. The Baked Bear - Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches

Bear Batter ? on top of Dark Chocolate ? #doublescoop

Posted by The Baked Bear on Tuesday, 16 October 2018

The Baked Bear - Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches is located within walking distance of the beach, making it a perfect stop by for travellers enjoying picturesque scenery by the Bay. It is an open-air cafe serving up not just the titular custom-made ice cream sandwiches, but also a wide array of other desserts, including cookie bowls, cones, sundaes and floats.

The Baked Bear - Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches

Address: 2824 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

Website: The Baked Bear - Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 11 am - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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6. Humphry Slocombe

Humphry Slocombe creates The Phantom of the Opera-inspired ice cream sundae ? http://magazine.shnsf.com/index.php/shows/phantom/humphry-slocombe-creates-the-phantom-of-the-opera-inspired-ice-cream-sundae/

Posted by Humphry Slocombe Ferry Building on Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Humphry Slocombe is a small shop on the San Francisco Bay Trail selling artisanal ice cream made from high-end ingredients, including unusual ones like cheese. It is located in the Ferry Building on the San Francisco Bay Trail, making this ice cream shop perfect as a stopover during your walk down the iconic Bay.

Humphry Slocombe

Address: Ferry Building, One San Francisco Bay Trail #8, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA

Website: Humphry Slocombe

Opening hours: Monday - Thursday, 11 am - 9.30 pm; Friday - Sunday, 10 am - 9.30 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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7. Joe's Ice Cream

‘Tis the season... for the most seasonal flavor of all: Egg Nog! ? #eggnog #holidays #joesicecreamsf #icecream #season

Posted by Joe's Ice Cream on Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Joe’s Ice Cream serves up not just classic and inventive ice cream flavours, but also some sinful fast food, making it the perfect place for both a meal and dessert thereafter. Flavours range from a tangy yuzu sorbet to a bubbly root beer swirl. Joe’s Ice Cream is popular not just with tourists but with locals alike, as it is located along Geary Blvd, a part of one of the busiest districts in San Francisco.

Joe's Ice Cream

Address: 5420 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA

Website: Joe’s Ice Cream

Opening hours: Monday - Saturday, 11 am - 10 pm; Sunday, 12 pm - 8 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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8. Polly Ann Ice Cream

Posted by Polly Ann Ice Cream on Sunday, 29 June 2014

If you are looking for some traditional ice cream flavours to beat the heat, Polly Ann Ice Cream is the right choice for you. The parlour is decorated in lovely, pastel colours and includes a spacious seating area with air-conditioning for you to spend a relaxing afternoon enjoying your ice cream.

Polly Ann Ice Cream

Address: 3138 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA

Website: Polly Ann Ice Cream

Opening hours: Monday - Thursday, 12 pm - 9.30 am; Friday - Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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9. Bi-Rite Creamery

Posted by Bi-Rite Creamery on Tuesday, 3 January 2017

Bi-Rite Creamery is not just an ice cream shop but also a bakery. They serve up delicious homemade organic ice cream in flavours such as salted caramel and brownie. 2019 is Bi-Rite Creamery’s 76th year in business, making this ice cream shop one of the most established in San Francisco.

Bi-Rite Creamery

Address: 3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA

Website: Bi-Rite Creamery

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

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10. Salt & Straw

Posted by Salt & Straw Ice Cream on Sunday, 12 January 2014

Salt & Straw is an artisanal ice cream maker, well known in the Bay area for its quirky flavours and handmade waffle cones. Visitors can come down to try their famous sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbons, along with unique seasonal flavours that you must try before they are gone forever.

Salt & Straw

Address: 586 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

Website: Salt & Straw

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday, 11 am - 11 pm

Average price for two people: 10 USD

Visited this place?

Many great options

Excellent ice cream shops are scattered all around San Francisco, each offering a wide range of unique flavours that you can try while strolling down Fisherman’s Wharf or the San Francisco Bay Area. Beat the heat on your next visit by checking out the above 10 best ice cream shops in San Francisco, California, USA!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Ruth is a freelance writer and novelist who loves snuggling, skating, and all things matcha.

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