46 Best Ice Cream Shops near Encinitas

“The BEST gluten free waffle cone I've come across. We were at Legoland from out of state and drove our rental car down i5 for the 15 minutes to get there. It was well worth it! Hubby got the carrot cake and mixed berry dairy ice cream and said they were very good. I loved it was all hand made in house with awesome ingredients. My son and I are gluten and dairy free, we got the double chocolate vegan ice cream in a gluten free cone. He was so excited to have a cone. The vegan ice cream was delicious. This place will stay on our list if we are ever back in the area.“

“simply delicious and fast service“

“Was delicious, lots of options & I did all vegan which was still amazing!!! Will definitely be back when in town!“

“I literally came looking for an Oreo coffee frappe, and even though this spot was a donut, the owner went above and beyond and made me an incredible Vietnamese coffee slushy that was next level.

I also tried a fresh Fruity Pebbles mochi donut, and WOW. Not overly sweet, perfectly fresh, and absolutely addictive. I had to come back immediately.

Amazing customer service, unforgettable drinks, and dangerously good donuts. This place is a hidden gem.“

“I visited Nectar at the Encinitas location in San Diego during my vacation, and it was a fantastic experience. My relatives suggested I try the Dragon Fruit Bowl, and it was absolutely yummy—so refreshing and delicious!

The store owner, Jayna, was incredibly kind and welcoming. She took the time to understand my taste and helped me pick the perfect bowl. Her friendly nature, warm smile, and willingness to go above and beyond truly made our visit special. The entire staff was equally polite, positive, and attentive, creating such a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. Thank you for the great service.“

“Little Fox Cups and Cones is amazing! We really needed a home made ice cream shop and this is it! The owner is just as delightful as her ice cream. This place is a must try and a must return. So good!“

“Best Ice creams , sply double fold vanila and honey lavender“

“Tasty ice cream, boba tea and coffee in one place“

“I live in Arizona and walking my found this place. To sum it up I’m addicted to this ice cream. Every time we go to San Diego I have this ice cream 2 to 3 times a day.“

“The gelato was just like what we had in Florence,Italy!“

“Some of the best ice cream I have ever had is served here at Handels. They had at least 30 different types of ice cream and so many cones. The serving size was SO big. My two sons ordered a two scoop in a dipped waffle cone bowl, and got served a 5 scoop and the cone was 3 times as big as it was in the picture. The service was also great. The girl who took our order gave a lot of recommendations and it was quick.“

“Many ice cream flavors, all delish!“

“love the atmosphere and location — perfect place to grab a treat by the ocean on a hot summer afternoon while checking out the books next door. the texture and quality of the ice cream was so good it made me temporarily fall in love with the incredibly helpful staff member in the yellow Third Man Records shirt who helped me (haha jk … unless?)“

“I’m gonna give 4 star because we love ice cream but the kid working today was the stingiest sample giver ever. Tbh I’m shocked how little was the sample, literally from corner like there is no ingredients in it me to understand actual flavor.

He ruined my ice cream experience literally. We came there happy want some ice cream, you don’t need to make us feel bad like we ask for something wrong. I thought maybe he owns the store or his relatives lol.

We were talking on the way back with my husband, if the owner would know how funny his samples, I think he would be mad. That’s not a good service.

May 29 Friday around 5.30-6 pm.

I won’t visit this store again, I’ll go other ones or maybe just buy from store.“

“Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam!!! Sublime! I got addicted to Jeni’s while visiting Florida (Publix carries it). Ecstatic to find a Jeni’s parlor right here at home! Great staff, huge variety of flavors, inviting spot to sit and savor the creamy, decadent goodness“

“Amazing place! The Fro Yo is delicious with so many flavor choices and loads of topping options! The atmosphere is incredible; clean, with lots of seating and modern decor! The place is family run, and the service is wonderful! Most definitely would recommend!“

“So glad to have a Handel’s in the neighborhood! Nice little courtyard to sit and enjoy the ice cream, and I appreciated the code to scan to see the current menu because the screens inside the window were a little hard to see. We will be back frequently!“

“Amazing spot with all the best sweets located steps from the sand at Carlsbad Beach! a perfect way to get the kiddos out for a day of fun!“

“The community is very fortunate to have Anthony and his team to make this area of the campground a place for everyone to enjoy. The views, facilities and lets not forget the music and giving artists a venue to share thier talents. What a Great venue for locals and the surrounding communities. I would like to add, it is very difficult for Anthony and his team to keep this business going. I have notice a few people and groups are bringing in thier own food and drinks. This makes it very difficult for the Campstore to stay in business. All the things they do for the holidays and Jurassic Animals for the kids, this cost a lot. Can we just enjoy something special that they have built for all of us to enjoy. Let's support the staff, management and leadership with our patronage.“

“Edit: Thank you for your willingness to learn from the feedback of your customers. We won’t be able to come back again since we are from out of town. But I appreciate your offer and enthusiasm how to make it better next time for others! 🥰

I hate to give a not good review. But my family and I were very excited to try this place. My 9 year old daughter tried her Oreo slush first and she said mom, it tastes like water, it’s not very tasty at all. I thought she’s only being picky but then I tried mine my Cheesy Ube Slush too and I feel the same way. So as my husband. We ordered them around 7pm. Maybe we just got there at the wrong time. My husband said he feels like we wasted our $20. Just so sad it’s not as tasty as we were hoping for.“

“Great place to bring the family and friends. We go ad least once a week.“

“We had Criscito Pizza as our late-night snack at our wedding, and they were absolutely amazing to work with! From start to finish, the team was incredibly professional and made the entire process seamless. They brought their wood-fired pizza oven along with all of the tables and supplies needed, making setup completely stress-free for us.

The team was so kind and friendly to both us and our guests, and they were making fresh pizzas in what felt like minutes, it was incredible to watch! Our guests could not stop talking about how delicious the pizza was all night long. We are so happy we chose Criscito Pizza to be a part of our wedding day and would highly recommend them! I'll be daydreaming about this pizza!“

“delicious ice cream, great location! Perfect local spot …“

“GREAT experience at the Golden Spoon the other night, came with my cousin. Marcus was serving up top-notch frozen yogurt AND service. Great flavors to choose from, packed with a wide selection of toppings, culminating in a creamy tower of deliciousness (seriously, he built that thing up like a skyscraper). Will definitely be going back, and thanks again for making our night, Marcus!“

“Great Italian Pastries and coffee in the morning and perfect Italian sandwiches at lunch. Ken and his family know how to bake!“

“An amazing roaster with a great selection of baked goods. Highly recommend the Cortado, chocolatey, smooth and made by an excellent staff! We always look forward to our visit! Excellent coffee“

“This was amazing! I'll definitely be back!“

“Great and friendly service!“

“10 different flavors of Yogurt; help yourself to has much toppings your bowl will hold. Enjoy!“

“tostilocos charcas chamango vallan todo muy sabroso“

“The only wrong with this place is I can’t eat everything I want in one sitting . I’ve been here so many times and not once have had the same thing twice . Their fruit is so fresh and ripe. Their milkshakes are thick and fine. Their paletas are magnificent. The staff makes all your stuff just right .“

“Coffee
Chocolate
Lemon sorbet
Raspberry sorbet
Lucky charm
Mint
Oreo creme
Cottoncandy
Cake batter
Strawberry marshmallow
Classic cookie dough french vanilla
Cheesecake

The lady was so nice and will come back again.“

“I love Crumbl cookies so much. This place is amazing. They have the best cookies there. I’m really excited to try today. The Dubai chocolate brownie and I go there all the time with my mom and we always love eating their cookies. Love you, Crumbl❤️“

“Let me start by saying that Alex, with an amazing attitude, kindness and smile was super 👌 🙏🙏..
Came here to do a job, walked in and he greeted me with this an incredible attitude!!! Not to mention the cheese cake. Delicious.

Thank you Alex.“

“The best yogurt ever!!! My grandkids are obsessed.“

“This place has the great yogurland flavors that you expect, but what stood out was the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff. The yogurt stations were well kept and all the toppings were fresh (including the nuts). You can tell that the owner/staff really care for the place. We look forward to visiting again!“

“My family and I had a wonderful time yesterday. Thanks for the great food and conversation! - The Cole's from Idaho“

“Delicious cookies and amazing custom cookie cake! Ice cream was great too.“

“Oh this place is amazing!🥰I met this staff member named mary and she is lovely!😊 She goes into detail and gives me advice on what to get based on the menu. She knows her stuff when it comes to this job. Mary is a great person and staff member overall, she gets a 5 star rating as well. The smoothies are amazing and the PB&J chia pudding is oh so amazing!🥰love this location far more than other nekters I’ve been to!!🙏“

“I didn't want to go but am glad I did. Perfect size for a day trip. Not too big you get lost, and you can get thru it in 1 day. Food options were not good around closing. They all close an hour before the park so don't wait. Lines were not bad. Very clean restrooms. Very clean!
I would definitely go again, but would plan better. We went spur of the moment, still a good time. Excellent for little ones.
Parking is pricey....“

“juicy burgers and great shakes“

“Great place to meet friends, hang out, and chat. I get a boba after dinner before going out sometimes. I'm not a boba snob, but I like what I've had so far.“

“Clean Clean Clean Clean Clean“

“My whole family loves 💗 this place. Highly recommended“

“Menchies is one of the best frozen yogurt places to go! Menchies is incredibly delicious and the flavors are so smooth and delicious 😋. If you are in the area and looking for something soothing and refreshing you know where to go. The workers are very nice and joyful 😁. When I eat this yogurt there's just a burst of flavors in my mouth, it is like a sunset at the beach. There's many delicious toppings to chose from.“