For creative flavors like Secret Breakfast (bourbon ice cream with corn flakes) or Matchadoodle (matcha and snickerdoodle), head to Humphry Slocombe. We like stopping by the Ferry Building location and creating our own sundae with their house-made bourbon caramel or hot fudge before eating it on a nearby bench with views of the bay. Humphry Slocombe also has a shop in the Mission, or you can find their pints at a bunch of grocery stores around the city.

Mitchell’s has been around since 1953, and these days the ice cream spot is synonymous with “quintessential San Francisco.” The small family-run creamery on San Jose Avenue usually draws long lines thanks to flavors like banana, cantaloupe, ube, and buko. The best part is their ice cream comes in endless forms, from cups, cones, and sundaes to splits, milkshakes, and ice cream sandwiches.

We probably aren’t the first to tell you that Salt & Straw knows how to make some damn good ice cream. Their flavors range from standbys like honey lavender and salted, malted, chocolate chip cookie dough (hits) to monthly-changing flavors like mashed potatoes and gravy (less of a hit) or birthday cake and blackberries. So, if you’re passing by and smell the serotonin-inducing scent of fresh waffle cones and pure sugar, you should definitely grab a cone.

This snug, cash-only ice cream shop in the Fillmore is covered from floor to ceiling with colorful candy jars and ice cream flavor lists, and has been around since the early ’90s. They serve locally made ice cream from Mitchell’s and Dreyer’s, and have over 100 flavors—everything from ube (our go-to) to cookie dough to Mexican chocolate. Also, they don’t skimp on the scoops.

This spot in the Inner Sunset (with another location in Hayes Valley after taking over a former Smitten Ice Cream outpost) makes their ice cream in small batches, with house-made ingredients—and the effort shines through. We like the mint chip, which is incredibly light, made with fresh mint, and is a menu mainstay. Hometown Creamery also has excellent rotating flavors, like coffee and donuts or honey berry breakfast.

Double Rainbow is a beloved SF icon, and decades after they first opened in the Castro, they’re back with a new scoop shop close to the original location. The small storefront is home to a rotating menu of ice creams, like It’s A Goody (vanilla, peanut butter, and fudge), peanut butter and jelly, and strawberry matcha. Load up a waffle cone with your favorites, or go for one of their thick, creamy shakes—and maybe grab a pint to take home, too.

Being Dolores Park-adjacent (and also churning out fantastic ice cream) means there’ll most likely be a line at Bi-Rite. But said lines move quickly, and it’s worth waiting to get some of their incredibly smooth soft serve or regular flavors like ricanelas, salted caramel, or cookies and cream. Whichever you choose, the texture will be creamy and perfect.

When you have the urge to consume a cold, creamy dessert, stat, Polly Ann in the Outer Sunset is here for you. In addition to the classics like chocolate and vanilla, Polly Ann has a great selection of Asian-influenced flavors, like green tea, durian, black sesame, and jasmine. They also have ice cream cakes, milkshakes, soft serve, and sundaes.

You’ll definitely want to stop by this family-run store the next time you’re in the Mission. The dessert spot has a small grocery store in the back, along with everything from Mexican sorbet to ice cream to milkshakes. The star of the show, though, is the mangonada: a cup filled with mango sorbet and tangy chamoy sauce, piled to the brim with fresh, juicy mango. It’s refreshing, flavorful, and the perfect on-the-go dessert to take with you to Dolores Park.

There aren’t many ice cream shops in town where you can ride a coin-operated pony. Enter: Toy Boat by Jane. This Clement St. mainstay has been around for decades, and now, they’re owned by Jane the Bakery, which mostly just means you can also buy bread here. They serve ice cream by Double Rainbow, Mitchell’s, and SF’s Hometown Creamery, all of which get majorly dressed up with creative sundae combinations—think marshmallow fluff and graham crackers, or meringue pieces with strawberry.