Bay Area/ Oakland/ Food & Drinks
Published on June 15, 2017
The Scoop On America's Top 50 Ice Creameries: Is San Francisco On Top?Photo: Jeffrey P./Yelp

With summer right around the corner, ice cream shops around the country are about to get a lot busier. But when it comes to getting the best ice cream around, do you know where to go?

To get the scoop, Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top 50 ice cream shops around the country, using Yelp data from May and our own signature recipe to produce a data-driven breakdown of where America’s most iconic ice cream establishments call home—and how San Francisco ranks.

Over 18,700 ice creameries across the country have a 4.0- star average rating or higher on Yelp, as seen here on our map. We did the math to narrow that number down to the top 50.

The highest-ranking spot, at #7, is Mitchell’s, a Mission staple since 1953 that came in with an impressive 4.5-star average rating with 3,409 reviews.

What makes Mitchell’s special? In the ‘60s, it was the first local establishment to bring mango ice cream to San Francisco (now its most popular flavor), and it’s been dishing up fruity flavors ever since. With headliners like avocado, ube, coconut pineapple, lychee and jackfruit, Mitchell’s also offers a range of seasonal flavors, creamy sorbets and homemade cakes, attracting La Lengua locals and sweet toothed visitors alike.

Next on the list at #14, you'll find Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, which landed on our list with a 4.5-star average rating with 1,289 reviews. Compared to the other top 20 ice creameries in the country, its high marks might seem a bit improbable; whereas the other 19 spots stay open until between 9pm and midnight and are open seven days a week, the Dogpatch go-to closes by 6pm and isn’t open on Mondays or Tuesdays. That being said, with creative flavors like butter toffee, jasmine green tea, bourbon and caramel, French lavender and honey toasted peanut, patrons seem willing to forget about the limited hours.

Landing on our list at #16 is Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream, and with a 4.5- star average rating with 1,227 reviews, it’s not hard to find on Taraval Street, in the Sunset. Its long-running operation and traditional gelato flavors, many which have an exotic flair, both contribute to its popularity.

Want to know where to score the creamiest, most delicious ice cream the country has to offer? Here's the rundown of America’s top 50 can’t miss ice creameries:

  1. Bobboi Natural Gelato (La Jolla, CA)
  2. Gelatology (Las Vegas, NV)
  3. Milk (Los Angeles, CA)
  4. Ici Ice Cream (Berkeley, CA)
  5. Salt & Straw (Portland, OR)
  6. Island Cream Co. (Lahaina, HI)
  7. Mitchell’s Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  8. Scoops (Los Angeles, CA)
  9. Gunther’s Quality Ice Cream (Sacramento, CA)
  10. Saffron & Rose Ice Cream (Los Angeles, CA)
  11. Fentons Creamery (Oakland, CA)
  12. Marianne’s Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA)
  13. Carmela Ice Cream (Pasadena, CA)
  14. Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous (San Francisco, CA)
  15. Toscanini’s Ice Cream (Cambridge, MA)
  16. Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  17. Little Man Ice Cream (Denver, CO)
  18. Leopold’s Ice Cream (Savannah, GA)
  19. The Penny Ice Creamery (Santa Cruz, CA)
  20. Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  21. Ample Hills Creamery (Brooklyn, NY)
  22. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt (Redondo Beach, CA)
  23. Mashti Malone’s Ice Cream (Los Angeles, CA)
  24. Lick Honest Ice Creams (Austin, TX)
  25. Holy Gelato! (San Francisco, CA)
  26. Treat Ice Cream Company (San Jose, CA)
  27. Gelateria Naia (San Francisco, CA)
  28. Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream (San Diego, CA)
  29. Swensen’s Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  30. Strickland’s Ice Cream (Irvine, CA)
  31. 8 Half Desserts (Honolulu, HI)
  32. Afters Ice Cream (Fountain Valley, CA)
  33. Tara’s Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley, CA)
  34. Helados Pops Ice Cream (San Fernando,CA)
  35. à la minute (Redlands, CA)
  36. Pazzo Gelato (Los Angeles, CA)
  37. Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  38. Sweet Action Ice Cream (Denver, CO)
  39. Capogiro Gelato (Philadelphia, PA)
  40. Tin Pot Creamery (Palo Alto, CA)
  41. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (New York, NY)
  42. Mariposa Ice Cream (San Diego, CA)
  43. Smitten Ice Cream (San Francisco, CA)
  44. McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA)
  45. Cookies & Cream (South Pasadena, CA)
  46. Wanderlust Creamery (Tarzana, CA)
  47. YERSEN Gelato Cakes (Danville, CA)
  48. Fosselman’s Ice Cream (Alhambra, CA)
  49. Churn (Phoenix, AZ)
  50. Quenelle (Burbank, CA)