Like its brewers, bartenders, and chefs, San Diego’s makers of ice cream, gelato, and frozen vegan confections take their craft seriously. Luckily, the weather encourages sampling these sweet delicacies day and night year round. That’s good, because you’ll need all the time you can get to try San Diego’s finest frozen treats.
Holy Matcha
Where: 3118 University Ave
Neighborhood: North Park
These folks have their matcha-flavored soft serve down to a T. The frozen dessert adds to the very photogenic (and pink!) eatery’s teas and matcha-infused offerings, including donuts, lattes and lemonade, and we’re guessing it pairs exceptionally well with their Waffle Bouquet, a vegan and gluten-free rice flour waffle topped with a bouquet of edible flowers.
Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream
Where: 1418 Garnet Ave
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
Banana Storm? Kona Coffee? Or will it be Ginger Cream? Fret not. Hammond’s lets you off the hook for making such difficult decisions by taking advantage of their flights of two to 32 mini scoops. Technically, a flight may require more decision making. But that’s a delicious problem to have.
Freeze SD
Where: 3904 Convoy St
Neighborhood: Convoy
A wild color palette extends from black, lavender, and purple cones to ice creams in uncommon flavors like Vietnamese cold brew, Black Magic (charcoal butterscotch), and Party Animal (pink chocolate and animal circus cookies). The nitrogen-infused cereal puffs of the Dragon’s Breath ice cream will have you breathing smoke.
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
Where: 90 N Coast Hwy 101
Neighborhood: Encinitas
Prepare for gigantic scoops and monstrous milkshakes and sundaes. Seeing as they’ve been making ice cream since 1945, beginning in Ohio, then expanding to a handful of other states—with many accolades along the way—you’d have to agree they have a good handle on this ice cream thing.
Dolce Italian Ice
Where: 4150 Mission Blvd
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
Italian ice and frozen custard in flavors like strawberry shortcake, mango, piña colada, sour apple, coconut, and orange vanilla, topped with cheesecake bites, pistachios, Oreos, and more.
Bobboi Natural Gelato
Where: 8008 Girard Ave
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Why is there no glass case like in other gelato shops? Because these gelato masters store it in a separate case to maintain a precise temperature. Along with traditional flavors like almond amaretto and blood orange, the shop pairs with local chefs and farmers to dream up flavors like cactus lime, banana rum, and hibiscus vanilla.
SomiSomi
Where: 4620 Convoy St
Neighborhood: Convoy
Soft serve like you’ve never had it—Korean-style, in a fish-shaped bun. Asian flavors like Black sesame, matcha, red bean, and taro extend to the luscious soft serve and fillings waiting inside the pancake-esque Taiyaki.