South Swell Hand Dipped Ice Cream

Ice cream bars are one of my most nostalgic memories growing up as a kid so I really love how customizable each ice cream bar truly is! There's endless toppings and so many fun additions like cookies as well. They also serve soft-serve for those who aren't a huge fan of ice cream bars.This ice cream shop is really cute, all pink with fun accented decor. I am a huge fan of dessert shops being open late so I'm happy this is one of them as I often crave a sweet treat after a late dinner. Additionally, there's plenty of parking which I always love and it's located in a great part of San Clemente (super walkable as well)!Will definitely keep coming back for more!

SOMEONE GET EMMA A RAISE.Okay we literally brought in a crowd because my toddler and his grandparents were in the store with me for a good private ten minutes of shenanigans (questions, watching the dip, wanting stickers at the sticker machine, getting change for quarters for said machine, taking pics at the neon sign) before a line formed! I got the Heath bar with caramel drizzle, my dad got peanuts and dark chocolate, and my stepmom got toasted coconut! My son just wanted a single waffle cone because that's how he rolls.10/10. Service, ambience, etc.It was a Wednesday at 3 so parking was found on the street and we had an area in the front to sit. I can see it getting crowded on a weekend.I will definitely be back to bring my husband. He is the avid ice cream lover so that's saying a lot that I, a more breadpudding/carbs/crumble kind of gal, enjoyed my not too sweet and perfect ice cream bar!

This is my favorite dessert option in San Clemente. I always get the OG Chocolate covered banana. The employees are super nice and the inside is super cute!

Such a cute shop on Del Mar. friendly service and delicious ice cream. So many topping choices. This place was spotless.

Came here after dinner and shared an ice cream bar with my husband. Love the concept of being able to make your own ice cream bar with the toppings of your choice. Ours was dipped in chocolate, topped with peanuts & toffee. I know it's basic but it was good and it hit the spot perfectly! Comes in a paper tray so it is easy to walk and eat. I could see a line forming here on a warm, busy day in San Clemente. There are a couple of outdoor tables in front of the shop if you want a place to sit.

Luckily we visited South Swell in May 2023 on a weekday night when finding parking was a breeze! It's worth noting that on a bustling weekend evening securing a spot may require a bit more patience as this is a busy and beautiful promenade type location. South Swell Ice Cream offers desert in a few simple steps:1) BASE -chocolate or vanilla ice cream bars-waffle-sub frozen banana (I wanted this but they were out). 2) DIP-Only offers chocolate sauce 3) TOPPING | DRIZZLE-Sprinkles, cookie crumbs, graham crackers-Chocolate, caramel (salted or plain), raspberry or strawberry sauce -Pink or vanilla icing, peanut butter It's a little strange that the ONLY "DIP" offered is chocolate but there's an option to add other flavor sauces. Why not allow those sauces to also be a dip? I understand the logistics but I DON'T understand the logic. What if someone just wants a bar DIPPED in salted caramel sauce? My niece (the chocolate lover) selected a chocolate ice cream bar with chocolate sauce, half dipped in graham crackers and half in sprinkles. Seeking to indulge in a balanced combination of flavors I ordered a vanilla ice cream bar, dipped in chocolate sauce, a graham crackle drizzle for the crunch and since I LOVE natural raspberries, I added a LIGHT drizzle of raspberry sauce. As Timmy Failure says, "Mistakes were made", instead the raspberry flavor overpowered the other elements of the ice cream bar. Whomp! Whomp! Might have something to do with the fact that it tasted like those small chocolates from my childhood yakno' the ones... with raspberry filling inside (I was never a fan, always had a very specific "fake" medicated taste). My niece did express her preference for shops with a wider variety of toppings but she also claimed, . "other places do the same thing but better" its not just because other locations offer a wider variety of toppings because there is something to be said about simplicity! Rather neither of us were fans of the products used for the basic ingredients. Idk I like to give a spot at least two chances so maybe I'll be back and try something like the banana with a chocolate drizzle or something off the specialty section of the menu since they seem to be a hit! As I always say, try it out and experience it for thyself!

This is a place to treat yourself after a day at the beach! The shop is bright and cheery, very clean and well-maintained. We were greeted by three very happy employees who were all doing something...no one was standing idly around, and all of them loved sharing with us their favorite combinations (The Parent Trap, The Englishman). So, my husband and I decided to try them. And we loved them! The peanut butter drizzle on the Parent Trap balanced beautifully with the crushed Oreo dip. The Englishman had crushed Heath Bar...so good! The ice cream bar itself tastes so good, not too heavy or overly sweet. And, we were provided spoons, which we did need to use to scoop up every last bit. A very enjoyable experience!

Decided to stop in as we walked along shops in downtown San Clemente. Soft serve ice cream shop. I was looking for more scoops of ice cream but my husband decided to give the Patent Trap a try. Parent Trap- peanut butter and Oreo with caramel drizzle, choice of soft serve hand dipped in chocolate rolled in Oreo making a delicious crunchy crust. He was very happy with his treat. Situated in quaint downtown San Clemente. Very cute shop with friendly service. Parking in the area can be a challenge but we tend to get lucky and catch people leaving. Would stop in again if in area.

All about toppings on vanilla or chocolate bars and 3 soft serve flavors. Heath Bar toppings was the best. Soft serve was terrible and upset my stomach. Employee was lovely thus 2 stars instead of 1.

I love the ice cream! but a major shout out to the young girls working here. They have such amazing attitudes even when it is insanely busy and always give great service.