Enjoy a sweet treat at these BARTable ice cream shops

Enjoy delicious ice cream sandwiches with fresh cookies at CREAM. Photo courtesy of CREAM.

The cool and colorful combinations feel endless when you have menus of seasonal ice cream recipes (often accompanied by an array of house-made cones, cookies and more!). Want it dished up in a cone, cup or ice cream sandwich to keep the summer vibes going? We’ve got the inside scoop on sweet Bay Area ice creameries—some traditional and some experimental in their approach—all are fun and flavorful. 

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San Francisco

Photo courtesy of Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop

Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop | Montgomery

Ghirardelli is synonymous with San Francisco chocolate, and this ice cream shop doesn’t skip on the cacao goodness when it comes to its summer treats. It’s a whole SF experience led by friendly staff decked out in 1950s-style paper hats and bow ties. Traditional banana splits and sundaes are go-tos here with, as you’d expect, world-class chocolate fudge marking each layer between ice cream flavors. Take BART to Montgomery and go 190 feet to 2 New Montgomery Street.

Photo courtesy of Garden Creamery.

Garden Creamery | 24th St Mission or 16th St Mission

This Mission neighborhood favorite lives up to its name by fueling its flavors with produce from local Bay Area farms and organic dairy. Crafting small-batch ice creams, Garden Creamery gets experimental with plenty of non-traditional recipes. Taste joyous spoonfuls of hojicha, pandan, vanilla passion fruit flavors and more. Take BART to 24th St Mission or 16th St Mission and go 0.5 miles to 3566 20th Street.

Photo courtesy of Balboa Ice Cream.

Balboa Ice Cream | Balboa Park

When we hear the words “cinnamon churro ice cream,” we can’t help but smile. At Balboa Ice Cream, the childhood classics can also be found—think bubble gum or cookies ‘n’ cream—but the mangonada has become a signature scoop on hot days. Enjoy the fresh chunks of mango that seem to melt in your mouth. Take BART to Balboa Park and go 0.7 miles to 1844 San Jose Avenue.

Photo courtesy of CREAM.

CREAM | 16th St Mission

Famous for its ice cream sandwiches held together by freshly baked cookies (yes, there are gluten-free and vegan versions), CREAM even sells a build-your-own-sandwich kit. Since you can choose from more than 15 ice cream flavors to match with more than 15 cookie flavors, the choices seem endless, and locals keep coming back for more. There’s also the CREAM ice cream taco that has three scoops of ice cream and two toppings. Take BART to 16th St Mission and go 0.1 miles to 3106 16th Street.

East Bay

Photo courtesy of Amausaan Uji Matcha.

Amausaan Uji Matcha | Downtown Berkeley

If you’re looking for ice cream that comes with an international experience, you’ve found your spot. Here, the white-rabbit mascot will lead you to a world of authentic Japanese desserts. With a white hare statue (holding ice cream, of course) standing at its entrance, Berkeley’s Amausaan Uji Matcha is marked by traditional Japanese decor: a red torii walkway, cherry blossoms and hanging paper-style lanterns dot the space. Matcha green tea soft-serve ice cream is a classic amidst a full menu of teas, ice cream floats and more. Take BART to Downtown Berkeley and go 0.2 miles to 1950 Shattuck Avenue.

Photo courtesy of Milano Gelato Ice Cream.

Milano Gelato Ice Cream | Concord

Concord knows where to go for refreshing cups of Italian-style sweets (and more). The full array at the charming pink-tiled Milano Gelato Ice Cream includes hits like purple ube gelato, fruit sorbets, traditional stracciatella, Biscoff cookies, shave ice and even sheer yakh Afghan ice cream. If a cup or cone of frozen scoops isn’t enough, try the gelato panini for a meal. Take BART to Concord and go 0.5 miles to 2095 Salvio Street.

Photo courtesy of Lottie's Creamery.

Lottie’s Creamery | Walnut Creek

Self-dubbed your “neighborhood micro-creamery” with locations in Walnut Creek and Danville, Lottie’s Creamery is a 10-year-old small-batch ice cream operation.  You can check their website for the menu of daily flavors or walk in to see what’s on hand—like vegan darkest chocolate, orange blossom honey and Turkish coffee ice cream flavors. Take BART to Walnut Creek and go 0.7 miles to 1414 N Main Street.
 

What's your favorite place to get ice cream?

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