Brown Cap is complicated. The first few times we tried to see them at Terrace Park, they were having problems with their truck. This was a few years back. Then they got their truck in order and we had wonderful ice cream cones. Then COVID hit and we stopped trying to get ice cream. Recently, we tried again. Again, there was something wrong with the truck. Sad. We tried a couple of weeks later, and they were up and running with delicious ice cream. Yay! Last Friday we went again and two young women were on duty. I ordered my usual swirl waffle cone and one of them made it while the other pushed the screen at me to leave a tip (which I didn't). The cone came a minute later, but the ice cream didn't even reach the top of the cone. This is not a $2 cone. It costs $6.50! For that, the ice cream should go to the top or over. Rethinking my desire for this ice cream. :-(
Sydney J.
I have seen the truck before, but finally got to try Brown Cap because they had kindly stepped up to serve ice cream at a fundraiser event for Street Spirit newspaper. I opted for the brown cap in a cone, twist (vanilla and chocolate swirl) for the flavor, and sea salt. I had the misfortune of accidentally swallowing a huge hunk of salt in my first bite, which actually stung in my throat. But later when I recovered a bit and was able to eat the rest, the chocolate shell was great, and the ice cream itself was sweet and creamy. I did find the salt quantity a bit too high for my preference. But I tried some of my partner's ice cream too, they had ordered the twist in a waffle cone with salted caramel drizzle. I'd say that is a great topping if you have a sweet tooth as it's only lightly salted. Just watch out for melting ice cream dripping down the sides!
Nao K.
So glad we discovered this spot! Cute little truck hidden on a side street. We got the brown cap with sea salt and sprinkles and it was delicious.
Jason F.
Brown Cap Soft Serve you had me at soft serve...and when you add a hard chocolate shell to anything, it instantly makes your sweet treat that much more delectable! At the Brown Cap Soft Serve food truck that is exactly what they are doing on a weekly basis. Kudos to the team at Brown Cap Soft Serve for making their dessert dreams come true by making stops throughout the Albany, Berkeley and Oakland areas of the East Bay serving up nostalgic cups, cones and drinks of freshly crafted soft serve ice cream made from organic Straus Milk in three flavors: Vanilla, Dutch chocolate or a Twist of both flavors combined. I honestly would have never even heard about Brown Cap Soft Serve if it hadn't been a brief paragraph in a recent article in the Eater SF food blog, in which their team of writers describe the best thing each of them ate this week. And the mention of the goodness that was coming out of Brown Cap Soft Serve, especially the chocolate shell that was reminiscent of the "Magic Shell" chocolate syrup that I still pour over my ice cream at home, I was sold. The day that I happened to look up their website, I found out that this was to be their last day of business for the season, as the weather turns cooler for the rest of the year, and they chose not to roam the flatlands of the greater East Bay beyond this weekend. Taking that as a sign, and realizing that they were going to be parked near the Flowerland Nursery along Solano Avenue, made the decision to seek out a sweet treat on a brisk Sunday afternoon all the more important. Finding Brown Cap Soft Serve's small but adorable truck was super easy, and parking nearby wasn't too much of a challenge. They did have a line that didn't take too long for it to go down, which gave me the opportunity to peruse their menu to see what options they still had left on their final day of business for the year. They had all three soft serve flavors available served in a cake cone, cup, small waffle cone, all for $5.50 or teeny tiny cones to sample their soft serve for just $1.00. With various toppings, including olive oil and sea salt, all sold at 50 cents, everything was reasonably priced. But of course I came for their namesake and signature Brown Cap which is served in a cup at a cost of $7.00 or in a large waffle cone for $7.50, both of which had the option of your choice of soft serve flavor topped with their homemade chocolate shell and topped with sprinkle or sea salt at no extra charge. That waffle cone was calling my name and their Brown Cap topped with sea salt was exactly what I was craving this afternoon. After ordering and then paying via tablet, it would take a mere half minute for my rather large soft serve in a cone to be presented to me. Topped with that thin and hardened chocolate shell and generous amounts of sea salt sprinkled on top, as I began to eat, and not lick, my dessert in a cone, I realized how delicious everything tasted when combined together. The best thing about the soft serve cones at Brown Cap Soft Serve is that there is an unexpected layer of chocolate shell in the cone as I would only discover when I got to the bottom of my dessert as I walked up Solano Avenue enjoying every minute of it. If there is one drawback to the soft serve at Brown Cap Soft Serve, is that it does tend to melt pretty fast, so one has to eat their dessert really fast as well. But I was not deterred and decided to return to the Brown Cap Soft Serve food truck and order a Root Beer Float, which was made with their Vanilla Soft Serve and a bottle of IBC Root Beer made with cane sugar, of which they let you keep the rest for your enjoyment. At $7.50 is wasn't the most affordable root beer float that I have ever had, and the soft served melted in no time at all, and what I really desired was their Affogato which was made with Jittery John's Cold Brew concentrate and sold at the same price as their root beer float, but I made due and enjoyed every sip. Brown Cap Soft Serve is a true Bay Area treat that deserves to be patronized and celebrated
Victor G.
Brown Cup Soft Serve's distinct white & red '61 International Harvester metro truck isn't a typical ice cream truck. the seal with a brown cap on it's side illustrates it's distinction: soft serve ice cream using Straus milk. offerings: soft serve ice cream (vanilla, chocolate or twist), brown cap waffle/bowl, happy affogato, root beer float, toppings. licks: vanilla ice cream in cup (5.5) -smaller portion than a foster freeze soft serve. also not as sweet. -flavor neutral, very nuanced ice cream without the sugar bomb. -toppings will add positive unami. 4.5 stars: good deja vu vibes, will not cure sugar cravings. doesn't travel well. eat ASAP! drips: -available for private events or at Flowerland (solano ave.), Terrance park, see their calendar on website. -kids will definitely love it. $1 teeny tiny cone available.
Carolyn S.
Omg! What a treat! We bumped into them at the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery ! They are dairy based and use Straus Milk! So good!!!! I ordered a vanilla soft serve in a cup, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, and topped off with praline pecans. What a great combination! Just wanted to add that their soft serve did not melt like some and held their shape.
Thom T.
thick and tasty! we used to like mister softee, but our standards have changed since trying brown cap.
Adriana V.
We caught these folks at an outdoor event and the line was long! Unlike some other comments here: I was happily surprised at how fast it went. The service was friendly and the portion size was fair. But the soft serve wasn't creamy at all. It was, like, ice milk? nonfat? Whatever it was: I didn't love the texture and density at all. The flavor was fine, but the texture was far from delightful.
Michael Conner
Great ice cream! Friendly service. Thanks for being in the East Bay.
October Stoner
this soft serve truck is so cute and serves the best soft serve by far, with housemade chocolate sauce that hardens to a nice crunch on the ice cream. the addition of salt on it makes the perfect balance. the red truck has such a personality and the folks who work it are always so fun to chat with. and it's local! they even have a teeny tiny cone for kids and the seal is hand painted :) the line can get long, but I promise it's worth it!
I wish that this review was on their ice cream and the quality of it. But it isn't. It's about the fact that I spotted their truck, pulled over, looked them up, decided what I wanted and found a parking place. I was walking up to the truck and they pulled away. What?!? This was 45 minutes before they were closing. If they had run out of ice cream, then I'd understand, but that was weird. That was very disappointing and I'd love to go back, because I love ice cream. But I know that if they say they will be at a place, that probably won't happen. 45 minutes early, no explanation on the website, disappointment. I'm not motivated to find them again or try them out.
October S.
this soft serve truck is so cute and serves the best soft serve by far, with housemade chocolate sauce that hardens to a nice crunch on the ice cream. the addition of salt on it makes the perfect balance. the red truck has such a personality and the folks who work it are always so fun to chat with. and it's local! they even have a teeny tiny cone for kids and the seal is hand painted :) the line can get long, but I promise it's worth it!
s k.
The quality of the Brown Cap ice cream is very good. However, every time I've had to stand in line for the soft serve at events, it takes FOREVER. This is not just because everyone wants ice cream. Even when there are 4 people in line, it will take you 30 minutes. Good luck in a line of 20. The folks who run this food truck seem so unhurried as to make others frustrated. Maybe they think they are providing a "slow food" experience, but it shouldn't take that long to give people soft serve and take their money.
Brown Cap is complicated. The first few times we tried to see them at Terrace Park, they were having problems with their truck. This was a few years back. Then they got their truck in order and we had wonderful ice cream cones. Then COVID hit and we stopped trying to get ice cream. Recently, we tried again. Again, there was something wrong with the truck. Sad. We tried a couple of weeks later, and they were up and running with delicious ice cream. Yay! Last Friday we went again and two young women were on duty. I ordered my usual swirl waffle cone and one of them made it while the other pushed the screen at me to leave a tip (which I didn't). The cone came a minute later, but the ice cream didn't even reach the top of the cone. This is not a $2 cone. It costs $6.50! For that, the ice cream should go to the top or over. Rethinking my desire for this ice cream. :-(
I have seen the truck before, but finally got to try Brown Cap because they had kindly stepped up to serve ice cream at a fundraiser event for Street Spirit newspaper. I opted for the brown cap in a cone, twist (vanilla and chocolate swirl) for the flavor, and sea salt. I had the misfortune of accidentally swallowing a huge hunk of salt in my first bite, which actually stung in my throat. But later when I recovered a bit and was able to eat the rest, the chocolate shell was great, and the ice cream itself was sweet and creamy. I did find the salt quantity a bit too high for my preference. But I tried some of my partner's ice cream too, they had ordered the twist in a waffle cone with salted caramel drizzle. I'd say that is a great topping if you have a sweet tooth as it's only lightly salted. Just watch out for melting ice cream dripping down the sides!
So glad we discovered this spot! Cute little truck hidden on a side street. We got the brown cap with sea salt and sprinkles and it was delicious.
Brown Cap Soft Serve you had me at soft serve...and when you add a hard chocolate shell to anything, it instantly makes your sweet treat that much more delectable! At the Brown Cap Soft Serve food truck that is exactly what they are doing on a weekly basis. Kudos to the team at Brown Cap Soft Serve for making their dessert dreams come true by making stops throughout the Albany, Berkeley and Oakland areas of the East Bay serving up nostalgic cups, cones and drinks of freshly crafted soft serve ice cream made from organic Straus Milk in three flavors: Vanilla, Dutch chocolate or a Twist of both flavors combined. I honestly would have never even heard about Brown Cap Soft Serve if it hadn't been a brief paragraph in a recent article in the Eater SF food blog, in which their team of writers describe the best thing each of them ate this week. And the mention of the goodness that was coming out of Brown Cap Soft Serve, especially the chocolate shell that was reminiscent of the "Magic Shell" chocolate syrup that I still pour over my ice cream at home, I was sold. The day that I happened to look up their website, I found out that this was to be their last day of business for the season, as the weather turns cooler for the rest of the year, and they chose not to roam the flatlands of the greater East Bay beyond this weekend. Taking that as a sign, and realizing that they were going to be parked near the Flowerland Nursery along Solano Avenue, made the decision to seek out a sweet treat on a brisk Sunday afternoon all the more important. Finding Brown Cap Soft Serve's small but adorable truck was super easy, and parking nearby wasn't too much of a challenge. They did have a line that didn't take too long for it to go down, which gave me the opportunity to peruse their menu to see what options they still had left on their final day of business for the year. They had all three soft serve flavors available served in a cake cone, cup, small waffle cone, all for $5.50 or teeny tiny cones to sample their soft serve for just $1.00. With various toppings, including olive oil and sea salt, all sold at 50 cents, everything was reasonably priced. But of course I came for their namesake and signature Brown Cap which is served in a cup at a cost of $7.00 or in a large waffle cone for $7.50, both of which had the option of your choice of soft serve flavor topped with their homemade chocolate shell and topped with sprinkle or sea salt at no extra charge. That waffle cone was calling my name and their Brown Cap topped with sea salt was exactly what I was craving this afternoon. After ordering and then paying via tablet, it would take a mere half minute for my rather large soft serve in a cone to be presented to me. Topped with that thin and hardened chocolate shell and generous amounts of sea salt sprinkled on top, as I began to eat, and not lick, my dessert in a cone, I realized how delicious everything tasted when combined together. The best thing about the soft serve cones at Brown Cap Soft Serve is that there is an unexpected layer of chocolate shell in the cone as I would only discover when I got to the bottom of my dessert as I walked up Solano Avenue enjoying every minute of it. If there is one drawback to the soft serve at Brown Cap Soft Serve, is that it does tend to melt pretty fast, so one has to eat their dessert really fast as well. But I was not deterred and decided to return to the Brown Cap Soft Serve food truck and order a Root Beer Float, which was made with their Vanilla Soft Serve and a bottle of IBC Root Beer made with cane sugar, of which they let you keep the rest for your enjoyment. At $7.50 is wasn't the most affordable root beer float that I have ever had, and the soft served melted in no time at all, and what I really desired was their Affogato which was made with Jittery John's Cold Brew concentrate and sold at the same price as their root beer float, but I made due and enjoyed every sip. Brown Cap Soft Serve is a true Bay Area treat that deserves to be patronized and celebrated
Brown Cup Soft Serve's distinct white & red '61 International Harvester metro truck isn't a typical ice cream truck. the seal with a brown cap on it's side illustrates it's distinction: soft serve ice cream using Straus milk. offerings: soft serve ice cream (vanilla, chocolate or twist), brown cap waffle/bowl, happy affogato, root beer float, toppings. licks: vanilla ice cream in cup (5.5) -smaller portion than a foster freeze soft serve. also not as sweet. -flavor neutral, very nuanced ice cream without the sugar bomb. -toppings will add positive unami. 4.5 stars: good deja vu vibes, will not cure sugar cravings. doesn't travel well. eat ASAP! drips: -available for private events or at Flowerland (solano ave.), Terrance park, see their calendar on website. -kids will definitely love it. $1 teeny tiny cone available.
Omg! What a treat! We bumped into them at the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery ! They are dairy based and use Straus Milk! So good!!!! I ordered a vanilla soft serve in a cup, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, and topped off with praline pecans. What a great combination! Just wanted to add that their soft serve did not melt like some and held their shape.
thick and tasty! we used to like mister softee, but our standards have changed since trying brown cap.
We caught these folks at an outdoor event and the line was long! Unlike some other comments here: I was happily surprised at how fast it went. The service was friendly and the portion size was fair. But the soft serve wasn't creamy at all. It was, like, ice milk? nonfat? Whatever it was: I didn't love the texture and density at all. The flavor was fine, but the texture was far from delightful.
Great ice cream! Friendly service. Thanks for being in the East Bay.
this soft serve truck is so cute and serves the best soft serve by far, with housemade chocolate sauce that hardens to a nice crunch on the ice cream. the addition of salt on it makes the perfect balance. the red truck has such a personality and the folks who work it are always so fun to chat with. and it's local! they even have a teeny tiny cone for kids and the seal is hand painted :) the line can get long, but I promise it's worth it!
Restaurantji Recommends
I wish that this review was on their ice cream and the quality of it. But it isn't. It's about the fact that I spotted their truck, pulled over, looked them up, decided what I wanted and found a parking place. I was walking up to the truck and they pulled away. What?!? This was 45 minutes before they were closing. If they had run out of ice cream, then I'd understand, but that was weird. That was very disappointing and I'd love to go back, because I love ice cream. But I know that if they say they will be at a place, that probably won't happen. 45 minutes early, no explanation on the website, disappointment. I'm not motivated to find them again or try them out.
this soft serve truck is so cute and serves the best soft serve by far, with housemade chocolate sauce that hardens to a nice crunch on the ice cream. the addition of salt on it makes the perfect balance. the red truck has such a personality and the folks who work it are always so fun to chat with. and it's local! they even have a teeny tiny cone for kids and the seal is hand painted :) the line can get long, but I promise it's worth it!
The quality of the Brown Cap ice cream is very good. However, every time I've had to stand in line for the soft serve at events, it takes FOREVER. This is not just because everyone wants ice cream. Even when there are 4 people in line, it will take you 30 minutes. Good luck in a line of 20. The folks who run this food truck seem so unhurried as to make others frustrated. Maybe they think they are providing a "slow food" experience, but it shouldn't take that long to give people soft serve and take their money.
Great ice cream in a cute truck!
Vehicle does not look appetizing