The Most Flavorful Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt in San Francisco

Uji Time Dessert

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"Very delicious soft serve! But there will be a wait~Uji time is very much known for matcha desserts. So the first visit I tried a matcha soft serve in taiyaki cone. It's a fish shaped egg waffle that is toasty crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside. I like to get red bean as filling. The soft serve is very good! Sweet but not too sweet.The second visit I tried the ube one. It's smooth but more icy than creamy. I actually prefer less creamy cuz it feels less heavy. The ube one is sweeter than matcha. But both are delicious!The shop is small so you would be eating in the hall way. But that's ok. You order on the screen and wait for your treats. Service is not super fast but taiyaki cone does take a while to be freshly made so a wait is expected."

Icu Market Deli & Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.5 (34) • $

"Everything you need from snacks, household items, and the reason why I even come here their Mitchell's ice cream. During Shelter in Place I Call to ask what flavors they have so they can set aside my favorite flavors Ube and Mango ice cream for me. The staff is polite and friendly and always willing to help you get something from a high shelf. Decent place to do your groceries if you live close by. You can also get a good pastrami sandwich, chicken salad and kebobs here! Open late so if your getting the munchies you can come here! Reminds me of those neighborhood mom and pop stores in NYC with a deli!"

Miyako Old Fashioned Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.8 (492) • $

"I went here long ago with a friend of mine after the cherry blossom festival and I forgot to review it somehow. I can't believe I forgot to review it because it's hands down the best ice cream shop in San Francisco! I've had it twice so far and it never disappoints. The owner is so kind and he gave me many samples. I loveeeee the Ube flavour. The portion you get is amazing for the price. I will always recommend this place to everyone who is in San Francisco. It is the best ice cream place I have ever tried!There are so many flavours to choose from and the owner is really the best! I always ask him to recommend which flavours he likes, and he gives me samples of them. He is so kind and genuine and I will always look forward to seeing him when I'm there. Please come here if you're in San Francisco!"

Uji Time Dessert

★★★★☆ 3.9 (109)

"I don't even know what to say about this. There are no analogous experiences. I was the most feckless, ridiculous customer ever. I didn't know how to order, I pushed a button and canceled my transaction, and I changed my order after the fact. I also am pretty sure I broke their receipt machine just by standing near it.I had no idea what I was doing; I just knew there were insane smells and some kind of cronchy biscuit fish and ice cream and that I NEEDED SOME. In the afterworld, if you've lived a good life, kissed many puppies and defended the sacred lake with a band of noble friends, this is what they serve you for dessert."

Simple Delights

★★★★★ 4.9 (145) • $$

"My son's 4th birthday party was less than a week away when I finally got myself together to order a cake. I worked with Jessica and her team on a construction-themed birthday cake, and we were so excited to see what they came up with.I had seen other Yelp reviews with construction cakes so had a really good starting point. We wanted to have the cake share colors with the Pupstruction show so I shared the Pupstruction logo. Email communication plus a phone call was all Jessica and team needed for the cake. Jessica's team even purchased construction vehicles from Amazon - and within the relatively short timeline. We were really happy with how the cake turned out and (most importantly) so was our son. Success! We'll be back."

Let's Roll

★★★★☆ 4.3 (32) • $$

"Tried the Thai chee with Lychee. It's was creamy and thick. Didn't melt fast so it traveled pretty well. Lychee favor shined through but the Thai still was distinct. Unlimited toppings also which was a first I've seen at an establishment. 10/10 will be back to try other flavors."

New Daly City Market

★★★★☆ 4.4 (174) • $$

"Been coming to this spot for YEARS since it's a local gem in the neighborhood. Amazing sandwiches that never disappoint. My go-to is their pastrami on Dutch crunch with "the works." Their garlic spread truly gives it that signature flavor!"

Lappert's Ice Cream

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"On a cold day, nothing beats having an ice cream as you stroll down Pier 39 taking in all of the shops. I think partly because it was a nice cold day, there was no one in the shop when I went in, but I did see a lot of people enjoying their cones while I was walking around. Service was friendly. I got a coconut macadamia waffle cone....personally it was the fresh waffle cone being made that drew me in. The ice cream was really good, creamy and coconutty with a hint of fudge. Prices are pretty reasonable considering the shop is in the middle of one of the most tourist destinations in SF. The shop is small but there is some seating to enjoy in front of the shop and also all along the pier. If anything I think this place is more of a grab and go so you can enjoy the rest of the pier."

Freshito

★★★★★ 4.8 (34)

"Newly opened in the Outer mission area. Roomy inside with your usual suspects of Antojitos. Supporting local businesses during these time of pandemic. Currently cash only so maybe sure you have cash on hand and tip well too."

Giant Scoop Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (31) • $

"Haven't been here in so long... I haven't been here since high school and it's still the same! The shop is still run by a middle-aged Asian couple. They're so sweet and nice. The food might not be the best but it is consistently decent. There's not much to complain for what you get and what you pay for.don't get me started with the price. I don't think anywhere else would sell a pound of food for less than $10. If you want to get full and have a decent meal, I recommend giving this spot a try.The store is fairly small so it's better to order take out. Hope this store remains around for many more decades to come."

Gelataio

★★★★☆ 4.2 (282) • $$

"Well made gelato, delicious seasonal flavors, and they have a cute chocolate fountain used to drizzle chocolate over your gelato. Perfection with a wafer cookie. Bring my kids and big kid (hubbie) here regularly for an after dinner treat."

Magical Ice Cream

★★★★☆ 3.9 (123) • $$

"We had the Boba Tea, and it was very nice. A wide range of flavors for both the teas and the boba. The ice cream is a cold plate frozen profmduct and looked very good, but we did not Tae tome for it this day so we will need to go back and try it."

Sandyy M American Food

★★★★★ 4.5 (14)

"Was walking around the Excelsior and stumbled upon this newly opened place. Not going to lie, but at first it seem a little intimidating. I wasn't sure if it was open to the public. Although it had signs of "grand opening" and had holiday decorations you can see from the sidewalk, I was confused if it was a restaurant, catering business or if it was for private dining/ meeting space - Then it stared to rain.So I ended up walking in and saw that they had breakfast and dinner menus on their TV monitors. They have a good amount of breakfast and dinner selections. Since it was sprinkling outside, my eyes went straight to the soup. Caldo.The server and the chef (he had a chef coat on) we're both pleasant. The lady server does not really speak English but she was very pleasant and even pulled out her phone to type and use Google translate. Much appreciated.Honestly, I can't really give them a food review since this is the first time I went and only had soup. I mean, how can you really mess up Caldo de Res? Serving was a good, big bowl, came with some arroz and warm corn tortillas, seems they make their own.I'll definitely come back and try other items very soon. Note: this used to be Burger King and The Chicken Wings place."

Sweet Chinito Coffee

★★★★★ 4.6 (149) • $

"The ladies here are so sweet! They let me use the restroom in the back and I really had to go lol. I got an iced latte and it is delicious. Their prices are super reasonable. Great local business for a drink or a snack - i'll be back!"

Modena Pizza

★★★★☆ 3.6 (126) • $

"Perfect place for grab and go pizza slices. Just under $5 for a combo slice. About the size of a Costco slice. One is filling since they're big. They toast it up before serving it to you, so it's delicious!"

San Francisco's Hometown Creamery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (45)

"Flavors for the ice cream were both typical but you will find some that are quite unique. While there weren't many options to choose from, you will definitely find something for everyone amongst the 8-10 flavors in display. Make sure you ask for a taste test before you settle on your pick."

Treats By The Bay

★★★★☆ 4.4 (13)

"I was really tired in the morning and saw people carrying around what looked like Vietnamese Coffee. Luckily Treats by the Bay was around and I was able to get a good morning dose of caffeine that erased all traces of sleepiness.Vietnamese Coffee: Slow dripped to totally extract the coffee grounds full potential, sweetened condensed milk is added to soften it. In line I heard other people describe it as "rocket fuel" and "super strong coffee. It was Sua Da as it should be, I liked how they didn't use too much sweetener and the coffee still had a subtle bitter taste.Mini Donuts: Like Daily Dozen in Pike's Place and Trish's Mini Donuts at Fisherman's Wharf. I love these mini-donuts with sugar and cinnamon and wish more places sold it that weren't so crowded. These were a 10 minute wait and well worth it to get them fresh. The whole bag vanished quickly."

MadLab Kakigori

★★★★★ 4.6 (16)

"People may scream for ice cream, but I'm constantly screaming for bingsu. Where oh where is there bingsu around here?! Looking for a post-lunch dessert, kakigori came up. If you don't know the difference, bingsu is Korean, while kakigori is Japanese. MadLab is highly recommended for a cute dessert meet up with friends/a date. The shaved ice is refreshing and you can choose to pair it with or without ice cream. They have a prefix menu (kinda like ColdStone) or a choose your own adventure option. There are color changing spoons!Plenty of tables. It's attached to a cafe which serves food, coffee and wine. Bring all your "camera eats first" girlies."

Happy Yogurt

★★★★☆ 3.9 (98) • $

"I'm was having a rotten day and came in to get chocolate yogurt w jelly beans. I feel instantly better. Thank you!!!!"

Sweet Indulgence

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (672) • $$

"298 Broadway Millbrae, CA 94030"Sweet Indulgence" is a dessert place with an overwhelming menu. The only reason why I went in this place was because the Yelp listing says "ice cream and frozen yogurt." So I have been here twice now, and both times I enjoyed the gelato. The first time, I had a scoop of chocolate and scoop of coffee gelato. The second visit was on Christmas eve, I got three scoops- chocolate, coffee, and mango. The gelato is very good and has a smooth texture. Plenty of inside seating, and a restroom is available with a key."

Preston's Candy & Ice Cream

★★★★☆ 4 (331) • $

"Cute little gem in Burlingame. So happy to see something been here for so long is still here. Many shops have changed on broadway but I'm glad Preston was able to make it through the pandemic. Their ice cream is really good here. We got the tiramisu flavor and honey comb. Service is really good too. This is the best place to go after dinner. If you're craving for a nice ice cream."

EA Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (71) • $$

"I got a poke bowl here and it was so good! Plenty of fish and super fresh. Great flavor of the ponzu sauce. Construction workers were mainly there getting their lunch. It's a to go place, they also have a case of desserts that looks good. The man taking orders was very nice. If you want a bowl you use the dry erase marker and mark what you want on the menu and then they give that to the cool in the back. Very efficient. The place doesn't look like much but the food quality is excellent."

Mitchells Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 • $$

"I always say this was started by the good Mitchell Brothers. If you're from the City you'll get the reference. And these brothers, Larry and Jack, created one of the happiest places in San Francisco.From strawberry to good old vanilla, spumoni to mango, the seasonal halo halo to the seasonal eggnog, hojicha to Thai tea, I have always found something to delight my taste buds here.And I love the new murals!"

Dreyer's Waffle Shop

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (29) • $

"Dreyers Waffle CONES, not 'Shop'. It's an ice cream store, not a restaurant serving waffles.Now that I have that out of my system, I must say, this place is fantastic. The ice cream is very rich, and the scoops are pretty darn generous. The flavor selection varies, but it makes for a tough decision on the day you visit.Still thinking about that great macadamia nut ice cream. Yummy."

Ya-Ua Yogurt & Boba Tea

★★★★☆ 3.7 (117) • $

"Surprising little neighborhood store serving the children and the kids in us adults in Belmont. Found this place when my hojicha latte go to place was closed. Situated right next door to Jiro's Cafe on Alameda De Las Pulgas.Enjoyed the milk tea that I purchased. Was thrilled that grass jelly was an option on the add ones list. Pleasantly surprised that the prices were more than reasonable. Also available but did not try their frozen yogurt bar... though it was tempting! Next time."

La Michoacanita Paleteria Y Neveria

★★★★☆ 4.3 (40)

"Just opened this past weekend - San Bruno's newest dessert place!Solid paleteria and ice cream place. Lots of different unique ice cream flavors. My mom tried a baby scoop ($3.15) of the coffee/almond, and really enjoyed the strong coffee flavor (not too sweet!) and crunch of the nuts. Baby scoop is truly a small scoop, but it was perfect sized for her. There's fewer of the American tradition basic flavors aside from bubblegum, oreo, and chocolate, but lots of harder-to-find flavors like strawberry milk, walnut, eggnog, tamarind, guava, mamey. Wide assortment of popsicle (paleta) flavors, and my dad enjoyed his jamaica popsicle. Like many other paleterias, there's an assortment of other sweet and savory items like raspados, chocolate covered bananas, esquites, tostilocos. Menu listed agua frescas at $9.35 which seemed really steep. I got the mangonada ($12.47) which is on the pricier end for mangonadas, but had 3 small scoops of mango sorbet in it (instead of just crushed ice) so it was mango-y and delicious. Lots of chopped mango, some fresh and some frozen. Plenty of snacks to buy in the store and at the cash register, though also not cheap. Bright colorful store, about 5-6 parking spots in a small lot but also plenty of neighborhood parking. Friendly staff who not only helped w/ice cream samples, but helpfully offered recommendations and explanations based on what they saw my mom eyeing. Will definitely return with the kids for a fun treat, and to try their bionico ($11.43, +$2.08 for grande). Welcome to San Bruno, La Michoacanita!"

Foodhall

★★★★☆ 3.9 (102) • $$

"Amazing owners and baristas. This place is part of the community. Yes, higher-end stuff but I see people who say that maybe this store doesn't belong here are sometimes also the ones who complain about a lack of parking. So. The owners rehabbed a beautiful building (check out the ceiling!) on a tough corner and created an elegant store. The food is fantastic. The coffee is great!"

Sweet Connections

★★★★★ 4.6 (235) • $

"We had just finished our lunch reception for a funeral; and some of the siblings and cousins wanted something sweet. Since we were right down the street from where we had lunch, we walked right over to Sweet Connections. They offered so much to choose from. I got a small Kahlua pie ice cream. So good. The others had bingsu, shave ice, and ice cream. There must have been easily over 30 of us flooding the ice cream shop and just two servers, but they got everyone of us served. They served our group with a smile and were very helpful. We must've been there hanging out over two and a half hours but were not asked to leave. I think the owner was one of the two servers. We were taking pictures and she offered to help take our picture. She was so gracious. From outside, I thought it would be small, but to our surprise, it accommodated all 30 of us. It's a great place to get ice cream and to hangout. I would definitely come back with friends and family. And I would absolutely recommend this place. Check them out."

Balboa Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 (107)

"Great shop with a good selection of ice cream flavors. They have some fantastical, childhood flavors like cotton candy, bubble gum, pink unicorn, blue monster etc that is great for families for kids.Personally, I come here for their mangonadas. They use a mango sorbet and mix that with the fresh mango and all the delicious sour, savory, spicy Mexican flavors. It's highly addictive once it grows on you"

Joyride Pizza

★★★★☆ 4.1 (32) • $$

"Thank the pizza Gods for pleasant surprises! One of my favorite Detroit-style pizza spots in SF recently opened up their latest location at Pier 1 near the Ferry Plaza. This may be the 7th or 8th location. Taking the place of the old Starbucks that was across from Gott's in the Ferry Building, Joyride brings much needed pizza joy to the Embarcadero in a convenient and tasty way.Detroit style pizza is a must-try; the foundation of its flavor is the crust, which boasts a beguiling combination of textures. For instance, it's thick and airy on the inside, yet strikingly crispy on the outside, the crust is a canvas of contradictions that play together beautifully. This tantalizing juxtaposition is achieved by baking the dough in a seasoned, rectangular steel pan, often borrowed from the auto industry, which imparts a singular, caramelized edge to the pizza.On this remarkable, pillowy, base is layered a generous amount of cheese, often a blend of Wisconsin brick cheese that extends to the edges, creating an irresistible halo of crispy, cheesy goodness. As the cheese melts and bubbles, it cascades over the sides, forming a crunchy, golden-brown perimeter that is a hallmark of Detroit-style pizza. Now, this style is very caloric and it's very difficult to eat a whole Detroit style pizza alone (I've tried). But, it's amazing and Joyride does some of the best in SF. This location is so convenient to everything (BART, Ferry Plaza, Market st) and has convenient ordering at a kiosk. You place your order, take a pager, and eagerly await your pie. They have filtered water and bathrooms. Seating is a bit limited and I suspect that once people realize this is here, it might be more crowded!"

Shake Shack San Francisco Centre

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (167) • $$

"8:3/2023Last time I had a shake shack was the last trip in Vegas..(at the airport)..My youngest loves the chicken sandwich..I just went with a single shack and fries.Different set up, as you walk up to the kiosk and order yourself..Only interaction is when you go and pick your order up..Can't resist krinkle cut fries and the were perfect."

Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 • $$

"Apparently, Marco Polo introduced ice cream to Italy. After dinner dessert adventures are the best. We came here after the recommendation of a friend who had their ice cream before and it did not disappoint! The shop is fairly small and there is some indoor and outside seating. The staff is friendly and gave great recommendations! There were so many Asian inspired flavors and I was in heaven. I got the pandan and lychee and the pandan reminded me so much of home. th lychee flavor was crispy and refreshing on the cold SF evening, but ice cream when it is cold, is always the best! My spouse got soursop and pandan and I got to try the soursop which was also refreshing and tasty! I will definitely need to come back and try the other flavors as there are so many I want to try!"

Toy Boat By Jane

★★★★☆ 4.3 (118) • $$

"What a unique place to grab dessert! Stepping into this dessert shop felt like traveling back to the 90s. The first thing you notice is the toys adorning every inch of the walls. It was fun looking at all the toys while deciding between an ice cream sundae or a delicious-looking cookie.I highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a cool treat on a hot day or a neat place for dessert after a meal."

Milkbomb Ice Cream

★★★★★ 4.7 (873) • $$

"Worth the try: any flavor you want!Tip: this place is tucked inside a complex so it's a bit hidden from the main roadBonus tip: no samples but they have a great sign explaining why. I completely respect their decision on this!Bonus bonus tip: if you can't decide on 1 flavor, they do split scoops (2 flavors for a single scoop cup size).Earl Gray Lavender: best earl gray lavender ice cream I've EVER had, and I've had a loooooot. You can tell the flavor is real - you can actually taste the tea and there's no syrupy lavender flavor that a lot of other places have. It's also not artificially colored purple, which tells a lot.PARKING: Lots of street parking available nearby.SERVICE: They have the funniest staff that cracked us up and made the experience that much better. They also have a first timer discount, such a pleasant surprise!ATMOSPHERE: Small stand hidden in a building complex, has a pop up vibe. Only outdoor seating.I was craving ice cream and found this place on Yelp. I'm surprised I haven't heard about this place since it's only a couple blocks from my apartment. My partner and I dropped by 30 minutes before closing on a Saturday and the line wasn't too long, but there were still a good amount of people. They don't allow for samples, but their sign as for reasons why is so hilarious that I'm not even mad about it. We ended up getting the Banana Rocky Road and Lavender Earl Gray and both were AMAZING. It's dangerous how close I live to this place because now I want to go back every day to eventually try the whole menu!"

Loving Cup

★★★★☆ 3.9 (137) • $$

"I really enjoy the Oreo loving cup and now that they have pizza I thought I'd give it a try. It's very thin and solid for the price. Only complaint is that they folded it and then the cheese got stuck and became one ball of cheese... also it's a little weird to eat ice cream when the whole place smells strongly of pizza."