need soft serve now!
April 6, 2010 8:21 AM Subscribe
Best Soft Serve in Los Angeles?
My wife and I love to head out for a soft serve cone, our only disagreements are that I enjoy a custard base more than she does and she likes jimmy's, but I prefer a chocolate dip.
With all those irreconcilable variances we would still love to know where the best soft serve is in Los Angeles?
We have been to:
Dairy Queen (Torrance)
Carvel (Westwood)
Foster's Freeze
Summer is coming!
My wife and I love to head out for a soft serve cone, our only disagreements are that I enjoy a custard base more than she does and she likes jimmy's, but I prefer a chocolate dip.
With all those irreconcilable variances we would still love to know where the best soft serve is in Los Angeles?
We have been to:
Dairy Queen (Torrance)
Carvel (Westwood)
Foster's Freeze
Summer is coming!
Response by poster: No offense to anyone, but I we are not interested in anything other than frozen custard or ice cream, no yogurts pleeeeze
posted by silsurf at 9:54 AM on April 6, 2010
posted by silsurf at 9:54 AM on April 6, 2010
For my money, you've already visited the best: Foster's Freeze. Hands down. Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200, head on back to Foster's (and have a malted for me, there's no Foster's here in Boston).
posted by pazazygeek at 10:25 AM on April 6, 2010
posted by pazazygeek at 10:25 AM on April 6, 2010
My dad owned the Hermosa Beach Foster's Freeze all through my childhood, so I'll nth that.
It IS really good, and the chocolate dip cones are awesome, if unhealthy.
posted by Danf at 10:26 AM on April 6, 2010
It IS really good, and the chocolate dip cones are awesome, if unhealthy.
posted by Danf at 10:26 AM on April 6, 2010
Understood, but in case you were put off by the name, Joe's Italian Ice serves very well-regarded soft serve, as well as italian ice, and soft serve in italian ice.
There is also Strickland's in Irvine which I forgot about. I think it's a more authentic frozen custard, which is not common in Southern California.
posted by acidic at 10:32 AM on April 6, 2010
There is also Strickland's in Irvine which I forgot about. I think it's a more authentic frozen custard, which is not common in Southern California.
posted by acidic at 10:32 AM on April 6, 2010
Understood, but in case you were put off by the name, Joe's Italian Ice serves very well-regarded soft serve, as well as italian ice, and soft serve in italian ice.
There is also Strickland's in Irvine which I forgot about. I think it's a more authentic frozen custard, which is not common in Southern California.
I second Joe's, which does make soft serve that lots of people rave about.
Strickland's is worth trying out if nearby, but they actually do NOT make authentic frozen custard (their product contains no eggs and unfortunately is sweetened by HFCS), and I'm not sure if what they make would constitute soft serve either to a purist.
Soft serve is surprisingly hard to come by around these parts.
posted by drpynchon at 10:41 AM on April 6, 2010
There is also Strickland's in Irvine which I forgot about. I think it's a more authentic frozen custard, which is not common in Southern California.
I second Joe's, which does make soft serve that lots of people rave about.
Strickland's is worth trying out if nearby, but they actually do NOT make authentic frozen custard (their product contains no eggs and unfortunately is sweetened by HFCS), and I'm not sure if what they make would constitute soft serve either to a purist.
Soft serve is surprisingly hard to come by around these parts.
posted by drpynchon at 10:41 AM on April 6, 2010
Response by poster: thanks, looks like I will be heading to the southbay in the near future!
Henry
posted by silsurf at 3:44 PM on April 6, 2010
Henry
posted by silsurf at 3:44 PM on April 6, 2010
There's a place I love at the Farmer's Market on 3rd and Fairfax...Gill's Old Fashioned Ice Cream - across from Marconda's Meat near the west patio. They have my favorite soft serve in LA.
posted by buzzkillington at 8:58 PM on April 6, 2010
posted by buzzkillington at 8:58 PM on April 6, 2010
If you're willing to make the trip, there is a place in the San Diego zoo that has the best soft serve I've ever had. It's like $3.50 or $4.50 for a cone or something, but the cone is HUGE, somewhere between a pint and a quart of ice-cream. They have vanilla, chocolate, or swirl. It's just insanely rich and creamy. I've never been able to find anything else like it, and I searched Chowhound threads about the "best soft serve in LA" too.
Dairy Queen, Foster's Freeze, and Carvel's can't even touch the San Diego zoo soft serve. I can't remember the name of the place in the zoo -- there are a LOT of places there that sell ice-cream -- but it had a cafeteria-style set-up inside and sold waaaay overpriced hamburgers and chicken strips and the like. The cafeteria set-up was a little weird because you still have to order and wait for them to cook most of the stuff. The soft serve was right near the register and wasn't self-serve. The other soft serve at the zoo is not as expensive so if you're paying $3.50 or more then that's the right one.
Other places:
- fwiw, I think all the ice-cream places at the Farmer's Market in Hollywood are awful. They're all overpriced and give you very little ice-cream, and what you get is flavorless and the texture leaves a lot to be desired. It's all very full of air. Some people really love those places though, so if you're going on an ice-cream spree give it a shot.
- If you've never had a soft serve vanilla cone from McDonalds those are surprisingly good, but that seems to vary by location; some are too runny and watery, but most locations have a good creamy texture.
- Shakes from Jack in the Box are arguably soft serve, since they're usually impossible to drink through a straw.
I feel a bit weird recommending fast food ice-cream as particularly good, but it is, and the places you listed are fast food places so I figure you might be open to that. When it comes down to it, it seems that most non-fast food places for ice-cream either don't have soft serve -- it's all scoopable ice-cream -- or their soft serve isn't worth mentioning.
posted by Nattie at 11:45 PM on April 6, 2010
Dairy Queen, Foster's Freeze, and Carvel's can't even touch the San Diego zoo soft serve. I can't remember the name of the place in the zoo -- there are a LOT of places there that sell ice-cream -- but it had a cafeteria-style set-up inside and sold waaaay overpriced hamburgers and chicken strips and the like. The cafeteria set-up was a little weird because you still have to order and wait for them to cook most of the stuff. The soft serve was right near the register and wasn't self-serve. The other soft serve at the zoo is not as expensive so if you're paying $3.50 or more then that's the right one.
Other places:
- fwiw, I think all the ice-cream places at the Farmer's Market in Hollywood are awful. They're all overpriced and give you very little ice-cream, and what you get is flavorless and the texture leaves a lot to be desired. It's all very full of air. Some people really love those places though, so if you're going on an ice-cream spree give it a shot.
- If you've never had a soft serve vanilla cone from McDonalds those are surprisingly good, but that seems to vary by location; some are too runny and watery, but most locations have a good creamy texture.
- Shakes from Jack in the Box are arguably soft serve, since they're usually impossible to drink through a straw.
I feel a bit weird recommending fast food ice-cream as particularly good, but it is, and the places you listed are fast food places so I figure you might be open to that. When it comes down to it, it seems that most non-fast food places for ice-cream either don't have soft serve -- it's all scoopable ice-cream -- or their soft serve isn't worth mentioning.
posted by Nattie at 11:45 PM on April 6, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you're in the mood for something less traditional than sprinkles and chocolate you absolutely must try 21 Choices in Pasadena. Also a store near USC I think. Whimsical combinations of REALLY good frozen yogurt and mix-ins. My favorite is Circus Animal Cookie. You can check for the daily flavors and fruits by going here and choosing a store. Seriously worth a try.
posted by acidic at 9:36 AM on April 6, 2010