On a hot summer day, it's always nice to enjoy a cold scoop of ice cream. At an ice cream shop, you get a fun experience on top of a delicious dessert treat. An outing to a creamery is often an enjoyable day for friends, a date, a family meetup, or an activity for kids. Everyone can have a good time. While there are always ice cream chains to head to, why not try local shops for a fun and unique experience? Here are a few great local ice cream shops in Palo Alto, CA to try.
Peninsula Creamery
Around since 1923, the Peninsula Creamery Dairy Store & Grill offers a bit of history with every bite of mouth-watering ice cream you enjoy here. Found on High Street, this family-owned spot offers a full menu for breakfast and lunch, yet you can also simply come for scoops of old-fashioned ice cream.
This dessert is served on a cone or in a cup, sundae, or banana split, or you can get it included in a root beer float or delicious milkshake. The milkshakes are made in metal containers the classic way. It's up to you if you want your ice cream along with a meal or if you want to head to this shop just for the creamery.
Salt & Straw
On University Avenue, you'll find Salt & Straw among historic buildings and worthy sites of the area. This quaint ice cream shop makes homemade ice cream, based on the creations of the founding cousin duo. It's fun to come to Salt & Straw, where the goal is just as much about having a community hub for connecting as it is about enjoying some amazing ice cream.
Plus, the ice cream itself is worth the trip, with 36 or more flavors each day. These sweet treats are made with local ingredients, including cream from a family-owned dairy. This shop has inventive flavors to try, including one with key lime elements and a honey lavender flavor.
Tin Pot Creamery
You'll find handcrafted, small-batch ice cream at Tin Pot Creamery on El Camino Real in Palo Alto. This ice cream shop offers milk-based and vegan ice cream options in a variety of flavors. Choose from flavors on the classic side, such as vanilla bean or salted butterscotch, or opt for more unique flavors like blue jasmine tea or lemon blackberry crumble.
It all started from the founder's background that combines nutrition and pastry chef training. She developed the recipes herself for each handcrafted flavor. While the concept started as a flavor-of-the-month delivery service, you can now visit the shop for a scoop or two, trying any flavor you like during each visit.
Scoop Microcreamery
Another option on University Avenue is Scoop Microcreamery, which makes small batches of homemade ice cream through a process that results in a dense, creamy delight. This shop focuses on fresh ice cream made with organic cream and local ingredients, served in sustainable ways.
Part of the fun of this shop is that the flavors change often, including within the same day, as each is made in small batches. So, you never know what you might find. The shop offers many classic flavors like chocolate, vanilla bean, and strawberry, while also creating special flavors, such as lychee, black sesame, and grasshopper pie. Buy a flavor by the scoop or pint, or have it added to a sundae, banana split, affogato, or milkshake.
Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Located on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, you'll find Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream. This shop has handcrafted ice cream in 48 flavors, so there's something for everyone and plenty of reasons to return. Some flavors focus on the ice cream, such as chocolate or coffee, while others have ingredients blended in, such as chocolate chip cookie dough, sprinkles, caramel, praline, cherry chunks, or other options.
In addition to the ice cream, you can also order ice cream cakes here for a special occasion, or just for fun. Plus, the menu includes sorbets that are vegan and free of fat as an ice cream alternative.
Pressed
If you're seeking a plant-based ice cream substitute, head to Pressed in the Stanford Shopping Center. Among this shop's other healthy options is called a Freeze, which is a plant-based soft serve placed into a cup for your enjoyment. Great for health-conscious people and those who are vegan or lactose-intolerant, this plant-based dessert is made with healthy ingredients.
You can go for a full boost of nutrients with flavors Super Greens Freeze or Acai Freeze or choose classic flavors of Vanilla Freeze or Chocolate Freeze. The Super Greens Freeze comes out creamy and smooth; it's made of coconut cream, oats, pea protein, spinach, kale, and fruits. You can also create a sundae of sorts with optional toppings like granola, vegan candies, or vegan chocolate chips.
Gelato Classico
For an Italian take on ice cream, head to Gelato Classico on Emerson Street. The company explains that its gelato is similar to regular ice cream but has a stronger flavor and slightly different texture that's thick yet extra smooth. Its gelato is made with real ingredients, including real milk from California, and the process makes it denser than commercial gelato.
This frozen dessert comes in a long list of flavors that are similar to ice cream options, including cookie dough, mint chip, chocolate hazelnut, cappuccino chip, birthday cake, strawberry cheesecake, and many more. If someone in your party wants to skip gelato, the shop also sells vegan sorbetto.
We at Volvo Cars Palo Alto just served up a list of fun, delicious, and unique ice cream shops in Palo Alto. If reading our descriptions didn't have your mouth watering, we don't know what will. Did we miss your favorite local creamery? There are many lovely places to get a scoop around here, so we couldn't eat them all. If you have a favorite, let us know, and don't forget to stay tuned for more information about cars and local tips.