The Best Ice Cream Spots In The East Bay, San Francisco

Located just blocks away from the Berkeley University campus, CREAM is a favorite among college students and anyone else on a budget. It’s cash only, so bring a few dollars and you can get a huge scoop of ice cream sandwiched between two warm, gooey cookies for only two dollars. At peak hours, the line can stretch around the block, but the people at CREAM are experts at serving a hungry crowd with lightning speed. While you wait, you can decide how you’ll customize your sandwich — and with 10 kinds of cookies and dozens of ice cream flavors available, there’s plenty to choose from!

This artisan ice cream and sorbet spot, with locations in both Oakland and Berkeley, is perfect for people who are always seeking out new and unique foods. With flavors like oregano orange pepper, molasses, pink peppercorn, and avocado, a trip to Tara’s Organic Ice Cream is sure to be an unforgettable experience. Of course, Tara’s also caters to traditional palates. If you’re not feeling as adventurous, you’ll still love the apple pie ice cream or the mango pineapple agave sorbet.

Tara’s Organic Ice Cream, 3173 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA USA

Fenton’s Creamery has a distinct 1920s ice cream parlor feel and is famous for its over the top sundaes – think massive scoops of ice cream swimming in sauces and toppings. If you think you can handle it, chow down on the Fenton’s Special, a tall glass filled with alternating layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, along with generous helpings of hot fudge, caramel sauce, and strawberries. If you’re not quite that hungry, try a simple sundae with one or two scoops of ice cream and your favorite topping.

If you want to feel decadent without shelling out a lot of money, head to Gelato Firenze, located just a short walk from the Oakland’s popular Grand Lake neighborhood. With flavors like pomegranate, lavender, hazelnut, and amaretto, this place represents a perfect mix between classic Italian flavors and new inventive ones. If you’d rather enjoy Firenze’s gelato in the comfort of your own home, you can even buy a pint.

Nieves Cinco de Mayo, a family owned ice cream spot located in Oakland’s Fruitvale district, offers mouth-watering treats with a Mexican twist. If you’re in the mood for a traditional Mexican dessert, try the Mangonada, with fresh mango, chili, and lime with mango sorbet, shaved ice, and a straw coated with mango-chili paste. If spice isn’t really your thing, you can’t go wrong with a snow cone or milkshake, both of which come in common varieties like vanilla and strawberry as well as Mexican flavors like hibiscus, tamarind, and sweetened milk.

Nieves Cinco de Mayo, 3340 East 12th Street, Oakland CA USA