Everyone can agree that ice cream is the perfect go-to treat for sunny outings or late-night cravings! Regardless of your preferences, the East Bay has some ice cream gems with something delicious for everyone, which is why we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite East Bay ice cream places to order up a scoop near Oakland, Berkeley, and the greater 510. Enjoy!
Oakland Ice Cream Favorites
Curbside Creamery
Tucked into Temescal Alley in Oakland, Curbside serves vegan and non-vegan scoops, soft-serve (think pistachio, blackberry, or Thai tea), and freshly made waffle cones. Flavors change weekly and the boutique location is just the cutest place to sit and enjoy a drippy cone.
482 49th St, Oakland
Fentons Creamery
This classic birthday celebration spot on Piedmont Ave offers a full diner-style menu in addition to ice cream by the scoop and sundaes. The best deal is ordering a deconstructed banana split off the kiddie menu.
4226 Piedmont Ave, Oakland
Flavor Brigade Italian Water Ice
Bringing Philly-style frozen treats to the Fruitvale District of Oakland, Flavor Brigade sells layered frozen custard and Italian ice. You can get scoops of traditional ice cream too, but why would you?
3540 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland
Humphry Slocombe
Humphry Slocombe is a San Francisco favorite that has made its way over the Bay, with shops now in Elmwood, Oakland, and Bay Street Emeryville. Everyone’s favorite flavor is their Secret Breakfast. What’s in it? Go try it and tell us what you think. Ice cream cakes and pies available for order — delicious!
2948 College Avenue, Berkeley
2335 Broadway at the Hive, Oakland
5614 Bay St, Ste 234, Emeryville
Miharu
Located in Uptown Oakland, Miharu has options for everyone, including vegan/non dairy, and nut free. Check out some of their original flavors like Breakfast Brownie, Banana w/Dulce de Leche, or Salted Milk Pistachio. Since you’re already there, you might as well grab a few fresh baked cookies for the road.
1951 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
Nieves Cinco de Mayo
Inside a market hall in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, Nieves is Mexican ice cream at its finest! Try a mangonada for a real Mexican treat: mango sherbet, lime juice, and chili. Want to mix things up, grab a churro from the stand next door to dip into your ice cream flavor of choice.
3340 E 12th St #2, Oakland
Berkeley Ice Cream Favorites
Almare Gelato
Conveniently located in the Downtown Bart plaza, Almare serves authentic Italian gelato made fresh daily on-site. Grown ups might also appreciate an espresso or latte for that much needed mid-day energy boost.
2170 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
CREAM
Famous for combining their delicious ice cream with any two cookie flavors of your choosing, Cream is an ice cream sandwich purveyor you need to try at least once before your kids grow up.
2399 Telegraph Ave in Berkeley
iScream
You can’t walk up Solano and not smell the fresh waffle cones from iScream. This local gem has a few seats inside, or opt for a quick walk around the corner to Thousand Oaks and enjoy your treat at the playground.
1819 Solano Ave, Berkeley
1809 Fourth St, Berkeley
Tara’s Organic Ice Cream
The delicious creative and organic flavors are always changing at Tara’s. They also make cones right there in the Elmwood shop: plain and black sesame. Need a cake? They have homemade ice cream cakes and you get to pick the type of crust!
3173 College Ave, Berkeley
Lexie’s Frozen Custard
Looking to mix up your ice cream routine? Try frozen custard! Lexie’s has a scoop du jour calendar with rotating flavors and sundae options. One menu item always available is the very popular Kids’ Worms and Dirt. Also worth a try: frozen custard pie slices.
2010 Addison St, Berkeley
Alameda Ice Cream Favorites
Rita’s Italian Ice
Located in South Shore Center, Rita’s is an easy spot to grab an Italian ice, frozen custard, or gelato. Then head across the walkway to the small play area that’s fun for kids of all ages.
417 S Shore Center, Alameda
3200 Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley
Tucker’s Ice Cream
Serving traditional ice cream since 1941, Tucker’s is a classic ice cream shop. They offer scoops, sundaes, malts on sticks, and frozen bananas dipped in chocolate. There’s so much to try you’re going to want to go back.
1349 Park St, Alameda
Cookiebar Scoop Shop
With adorable decor and both classic and contemporary flavors, Cookiebar operates under that name in Alameda and is transitioning to “Lana’s” in their downtown Oakland location.
1608 Webster St in Alameda
Other Ice Cream Favorites
Koolfi Creamery
Koolfi Creamery is the perfect way to end your trip to Oakland Zoo. They offer Indian-inspired flavors for a more sophisticated palate, and some fun flavors like fairy glitter for kids to enjoy.
599 MacArthur Blvd, San Leandro
Polar Bear Rolled Ice Cream
Watching your frozen treat being made at Polar Bear is part of the fun. Select a mixture of toppings and enjoy your rolled treat.
34608 Alvarado-Niles Rd, Union City
Waffles and Cream
Bubble waffles with ice cream or liege waffle with ice cream…that’s the tough choice you’ll have to make at Waffles and Cream in Richmond. This bright fun sweets shop has a large menu with Build Your Own creations and milkshake offerings too.
12513 San Pablo Ave, Richmond
For the vegan or lactose-intolerant ice cream lover
Mr Dewie’s
Many of the ice cream shops listed above sell vegan or non-dairy ice creams to entice the lactose intolerant crowd. Mr. Dewie’s has devoted themselves to the practice. Made from cashews, Mr. Dewie’s opened it’s first retro-adorable shop on Solano Avenue before expanding to locations in Emeryville and Oakland. Serving traditional ice cream flavors with an allergy-friendly twist, sensitive tummies will enjoy their offerings.
1116 Solano Ave, Albany
5959 Shellmound St, Emeryville (in the Public Market)
4184 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland
Frankie & Jo’s
This all vegan ice cream shop offers limited-edition seasonal favorites like Rhubarb Yuzu, as well as year-round classics like their California Cabin. Visit their Larkspur location or order online to have pints delivered right to your doorstep.
2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur
Please share your favorite ice cream places in the East Bay in the comments!
2 thoughts on “Best Ice Cream in Oakland, Berkeley, and Beyond”
A little farther east…Our favorite place to go is Lottie’s creamery. They have a location in downtown Walnut Creek (and also in Danville, i think). We found them when we learned that my husband is better on a low dairy diet, but they have standard flavors for the most part. What I really love is that they are a micro creamery and hand make things with no artificial coloring or flavoring. The mint chip is our favorite – complete with little specs of mint leaves (not green coloring). Their sprinkles and toppings are also dye free, which makes it a win for our dye sensitive family!
Bad Walters in Berkeley is top 3 for me.
I can vouch for flavor brigade it’s our neighborhood shop and everything is good. We go there at least once a week.
Finally, in Alameda there’s Roll and Bowl: a noodle shop that does Thai rolled ice cream the right way and it’s amazing.
I’m glad to see loard’s not on this list. All their ice cream taste like factory. I’m pretty sure that some of the ice cream Fenton’s serves is actually loard’s ice cream but that’s just my theory based on taste and flavors.