50 Best Ice Cream Shops near Imperial Beach

“I had such an awesome experience at Cowabunga Ice Cream! Mick, Gabe, and Emma K were hands down the nicest, friendliest people I’ve ever met at an ice cream shop. They greeted me with such a warm and genuine welcome that it instantly made me feel at home. You can tell they truly care about making customers happy.
The atmosphere was fun, upbeat, and inviting — the kind of place that makes you want to hang out for a while (and definitely come back again!). Great people, great vibes, and of course, AMAZING ice cream.
Thanks Mick, Gabe, and Emma K for making my day!“

“Had a great experience here at this Cold Stone. The worker Ilenia gave the most amazing customer service! Her interaction with my family absolutely made our day! She is very sweet and kind and has a heart of gold. We live in Chula Vista but my family will make the drive just to come to this Cold Stone to interact with Ilenia!“

“I love stopping by Arandas Café whenever I’m in Imperial Beach. It’s such a cute little spot and it always feels cozy. This time I got a matcha, their freshly squeezed orange juice, the Monte Cristo, and a parfait — everything was so fresh and honestly so yummy. The vibe is calm, the people are sweet, and it’s just one of those places you’re happy you found. Definitely one of my little go-to gems.“

“As we walked in the first thing we noticed is store was extremely clean, we have not been in for a couple of years (due to previous bad experiences) but heard it was under new ownership. The cakes are really nice we had a Dubai bar and it was 1000/10 also grabbed some shakes their ice cream selection is also really good 100% recommend“

“Crème brûlée gelato is addictive!“

“I was nervous about the flavors, mostly because I didn’t know what they were! But was able to taste test and decided on the Quattroberry and stracciatella. Delicious! Great price- $6.50 for two big scoops! Definitely wanted to go back. Try the dragon fruit/lemon one- super tart and so good!“

“STELLAR service, flavors & vibe! Came here directly after some condescending service at a nearby restaurant but our interaction with Kevin at Salt & Straw turned the entire day around!! Kevin's ability to make every customer feel like the most valued human on the planet took me from a pretty annoyed mood (from my other experience) to over the moon happiness & excitement in less than 60 seconds!
We tried a handful of flavors & EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS! Kevin asked if we were open to try certain pairings & guided us to some super yummy options we probably wouldn't have considered. Super knowledgeable & my palate appreciates you 👍😎
This place does an amazing job creating unique flavor profiles & an even better job blending them in an exceptionally complimentary way. Super high quality product with service that exceeds any possible expectation!
I've sent their 6 packs as gifts before & received fantastic feedback... always wanted to try them myself & today's experience sealed my loyalty!
These guys have 100% of my business in the frozen treats department.
Thanks Kevin for a TOP NOTCH experience & for making my day better 🙌“

“Best ice cream I've ever had!
Cheesecake filled with salted caramel, dipped in white chocolate, drizzled with milk chocolate and had to have the sprinkles too!
Friendly service, highly recommended!
Geoff from the UK“

“The best ice cream in San Diego hands down“

“The flavor of the ice cream is worth the $$$ that we paid for it My favorite flavors are great golden pistachio and butter pecan“

“Oh my god the Mexican chocolate is the best I've ever had it was so soft but sweet. A great nostalgia reminds me of my grandmas chocolate. The employees were very nice. Did you see the art gallery in the back, it's worth a visit and the indie art is for sale.“

“Had to Sundays. Something…salted Carmel and mint Sunday. Both were so evil (good!).
Enjoyed the sweet middle of the day treat.

Had to take away one star because when we went to the counter to order, the dude was on his cell. He saw me and put it down, and didn't say anything. So, I just stared at him for about 7 seconds until he greeted is and ask for our order.

The place was super clean and my service dog was able to lay down and wait/“

“Great ice cream! The cookie dough sundae was awesome!“

“Super fresh, delicious and nutritious!!! The fruit in the açai bowl was super fresh and it was nice to have a dessert option high in protein (PB and various nuts) and all natural sugar. My partner really enjoyed their milkshake and smoothies. Thank you Nancy and team!“

“muy buenos sus productos“

“I went today and got the mazapan ice cream. It was delicious, and tasted fresh! The staff was extremely attentive and happy to help. The store was clean and tidy. I will make this a repeat spot when I travel to San Diego! I highly recommend Oasis.“

“best local burger spot. Fresh, delicious and great prices. 👍 Support local businesses.“

“Stumbled upon this lovely little place while walking on Little Italy area. On stepping in you are greeted by the several paletas from fruit to milk based flavors on the counter. Place has a nice vibe and is spacious. They also have customizable topping options available for a surcharge.

Coffee flavor was amazing and had a center of leche, which nicely balanced out the strong coffee flavor. Loved the pistachio paleta.. it wasn’t overpowered by sugar, had a nutty flavor that let pistachio shine! Highly recommend the place.“

“The best ice cream with super unique flavors. Highly recommend!“

“Fantastic ice cream and fantastic service! This was my first time visiting this shop after passing by several times and observing lines out the door. My ice cream did NOT disappoint! I chose Blueberry Cobbler, which was excellent, and I can’t wait to try some other incredible flavors. The staff were friendly and efficient. 10/10 recommend!“

“By lili: the popsicles were great and had a variety of flavors, including non-dairy ones (goodfor people with dairyallergy). I would personally recommend the strawberry cheesecake.

I wish it had more seats (it has no indoor seats).“

“Out of all of the fro-yo spots in San Diego this one is the best. The environment is whatever but the plain tart flavor (only valid option to measure) is so delicious and highly considerate of the formula for what makes fro-yo good (tart flavor, soft serve-esque texture, but also creamy, perfect ratio of yogurt culture to sweetness) it’s perfect! I went through a phase a couple months ago and went to like 6 places some that even had more topping options and it felt like I was cheating on my beautiful wife with a stripper. Truly peak. So sorry never cheating again“

“Very good and authentic Mexican food owned and operated by a great family! Viva Cristo Rey!“

“SO GOOD 10/10 I ordered a custom order which is a cup of elote with everything, two small bags of hot Cheetos added, and personally I like the nachos cheese as well. THEY DIDN’T DISAPPOINT!!! It came out just the way I wanted it the only thing I would change is to ask to have the hot Cheetos crushed up. I’ll be coming here regularly for sure!“

“Love it and delicious... I will be back definitly... Very cheap prices...“

“Best Ice cream in San Diego“

“I Don’t Go Often But When I Do I’m Never Disappointed!! Yum“

“Lo que pruebes esta delicioso! 🤤🤤“

“Not only a very clean and friendly store; staff were happy and amazing. I was greeted by multiple staff and helped with my app as I hit something unexpected.
Product was delicious will be returning to try more flavors. Kudos to Terra Nova location!“

“My boys ❤️ the coconut yogurt!!“

“D lux la nieve“

“friendly staff and everything we ordered was delicious“

“Lo que pruebes esta delicioso! 🤤🤤“

“I've been going here for as long as i can remember! My mom would always take us here to buy each of us a box of the flavor popsicle we chose....simply DELICIOUS, great service and its close to our home! Now, i go in and buy all kinds for my husband! :)“

“This place is A+!!! You can buy posicles for 50 cents each or a dozen for only six bucks and you can pick any flavors you want and make your own custom box! I don't know why it's not as popular but it's my favorite store now. Definitely check it out if you can, you won't be disappointed“

“tenders are great ❤️ milkshake too“

“La atencion al cliente muy buena.“

“Best raspados in San Diego! I’ve been a client/fan of theirs for over 20 years ! Been visiting them since I was a kid and now I bring my kids here . All natural homemade flavors . Chamoy and Ciruela with lechera are my 2 faves ! Always some nachos as well. This family business has always been super friendly and respectful. Their commitment to quality and service has never changed and sets them apart from any other place . Always super clean and incredibly humble business“

“Ive been here multiple times and every time it has been delicious, i really love the banana pudding roll, one time there was a bit of a wait and the owner gave us a free drink which was delicious, i keep trying to remember the name of drink since its not on the menu. Highly recommend this place“

“Nice ice cream shop with a good variety of ice cream and Mexican candy and treats. When I called the worker didn’t speak English but that was OK because they didn’t have the item I was looking for when I arrived. he was very friendly and they box up your ice cream with leftover boxes, which is nice that they are recycling!“

“Lo que pruebes esta delicioso! 🤤🤤“

“la nieve muy deliciosa(Gelato) matcha late no esta muy concentrado como ami me gusta, el pan que venden muy rico, la chicas que atienden muy amables, pero sobre todo una vista maravillosa... P.D. precios accesibles.“

“😁❤️ always excellent service“

“If you visit in the off season there is a great outdoor seating area just a block NE of here. Typically closed till late afternoon and in the off season. I think it was a burger joint. Locals sit around here and visit quiet often. They are very friendly once you get to know them and they you.“

“delicious and great prizes. love it“

“this ice cream place is good! Worth a try. But, was disappointed in the flavors. The earl grey was almost there! It just needed a liiiitle more wha-bam. The carrot cake was tasty! Madagascar vanilla fell flat. The flight is a creative and neat way to try a ton of flavors!! That was awesome!Water rating: 7/10.“

“Super Delicious Tejuino (teh-huee-no) from the northwest pacific region in Mexico,you must try.another thing is their dorilocos fresh all . This is a very humble place dont expect fanfare.if you do and thats totally fine,is not for you.one more thing before i go... YOLO“

“I’ll start off my review with saying great customer service . It shows the owner has put in a lot much of his/her time to train their employees properly . Every time I walk in I am always greeted and never rushed when ordering . I personally love there fruit waters and making my own chip bowl. All prices are decent and affordable so they fit everyones budget . It can get busy from time to time but totally worth the wait . I definitely recommend visiting this location to grab something for your sweet tooth or salty craving:) . Most importantly this location is always clean and sanitized ! You will never see a mess.“

“I normally order the Panda Cloud Foam. Today I ordered the White Rabbit and Meis Keso Both good“

“Delicious 🤤 ice cream and floats!“