Highest-rated ice cream shops in San Diego by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in San Diego by diners
Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year round, although the volume produced during the hotter months signals otherwise. The majority of ice cream and other frozen desserts in the U.S. are made between March and August, with July being the busiest month of all, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Many Americans have memories of their pastel green mint chocolate chip scoop dripping down their waffle cone at the height of summer or cooling down with their sprinkle-covered chocolate and vanilla soft-serve twist. Ice cream tends to scream nostalgia, but the range of available flavors has evolved since the days when the dessert was mainly limited to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Of course, that doesn't mean those aren't still top-tier choices. According to a May 2024 survey of 2,200 American adults by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult, the top 10 ice cream flavors today are still the three classics (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, in that order) followed by butter pecan, cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip, rocky road, and peanut butter or peanut butter cup.
Nowadays, many ice cream shops offer fresh combinations and ingredients you may never have imagined could be made into ice cream, concoctions like black sesame cookies and cream or honey lavender. Some ice cream shops boast flavors with even more unheard-of ingredients and combinations, like the savory tarragon olive oil or pineapple with pink peppercorns.
Ice cream creators have also expanded into rethinking frozen yogurt, soft serve, and vegan options. Dairy-free folks no longer have to order the only sorbet on the menu. There are nondairy milk ice creams made from plant-based milks like oat or almond and other plant-based products like avocado or sunflower butter.
And then there are the toppings, one of the best parts about getting a scoop at your local shop. Pour on the condensed milk or dulce de leche. Sprinkle bits of honeycomb or your favorite childhood cereal.
Ice cream shops everywhere have made it their job to serve up the smoothest, creamiest, and most crave-able options. To find out who's doing the best job of it, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in the San Diego area using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 24, 2025.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 10 reviews were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to determine where you'll get your next cup or cone from!
#27. Somisomi
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1539 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4620 Convoy St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Korean
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Mutual Friend Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (227 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3004 Juniper St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Nado Gelato by Bottega Italiana
- Rating: 4.5/5 (695 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1017 C Ave. Coronado, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Sweet Treats Ice Cream & Dessert Trucks
- Rating: 4.5/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8535 Arjons Drive Ste V San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Food Trucks, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Plaza Donuts
- Rating: 4.6/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1548 Highland Ave. National City, California
- Categories: Donuts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Mariposa Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.6/5 (988 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3450 Adams Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Mr Frostie
- Rating: 4.6/5 (803 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1470 Garnet Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#20. C's Ice Cream & Deli
- Rating: 4.6/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9969 Mira Mesa Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Delis, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Stella Jean's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4195 Voltaire St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#18. North Park Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3077 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Snow Pops San Diego
- Rating: 4.7/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1005 East Plaza Blvd. Ste 101 National City, California
- Categories: Desserts, Shaved Ice, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#16. An's Dry Cleaning
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1701 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3017 Adams Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Gelato, Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#15. The Craft Creamery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1302 Rosecrans St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Cali Cream Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (655 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 425 Market St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Stella Jean's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (997 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4404 Park Blvd. Ste B San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Stella Jean's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (125 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4073 Adams Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Pop Pops Fabulous Paleta
- Rating: 4.7/5 (300 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1740 India St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Maya's Cookies
- Rating: 4.7/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4760 Mission Gorge Place Ste G San Diego, California
- Categories: Desserts, Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Friends of Friends
- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 127 East 8th St. National City, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bagels
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Sunday Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.7/5 (346 reviews)
- Address: 4647 Convoy St. Ste 103 San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Bobboi Natural Gelato
- Rating: 4.8/5 (197 reviews)
- Address: 2175 Kettner Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Gelato, Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Classics Malt Shop
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1540 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3625 Midway Drive Ste B San Diego, California
- Categories: American, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#5. CABETOS Pops
- Rating: 4.8/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3331 Adams Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Bobboi Natural Gelato
- Rating: 4.8/5 (2581 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8008 Girard Ave. La Jolla, California
- Categories: Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Pacific Beach Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.9/5 (245 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Grand Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Milkissimo Gelato
- Rating: 4.9/5 (572 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1640 Camino Del Rio North San Diego, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Woofpak Bakery
- Rating: 4.9/5 (119 reviews)
- Address: 4545 La Jolla Village Drive Ste E4 San Diego, California
- Categories: Pet Stores, Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
