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Heat Relief: San Francisco's Top 5 Spots For Ice Cream Or Gelato

By Hoodline

It's been a very hot few days in San Francisco — meaning you might be craving a cooling ice cream treat right about now.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top spots for ice cream and gelato in San Francisco, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill.

1. Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream

Topping the list is Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream. Located at 1447 Taraval St. (between 24th and 25th avenues) in Outer Sunset, it is the most popular ice cream spot in San Francisco, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,406 reviews on Yelp.

Named for the famous explorer, Marco Polo invites you to sample gelato flavors from around the globe, from guava to Thai tea to black sesame. There's a special emphasis on Asian-inspired fruit flavors, like soursop, mangosteen and durian.

2. Holy Gelato!

Next up is the Inner Sunset's Holy Gelato!, situated at 1392 Ninth Ave. (between Irving and Judah streets). With 4.5 stars out of 1,029 reviews on Yelp, the spot to score ice cream and gelato has proven to be a local favorite.

Holy Gelato! boasts on its Facebook page of having the "funkiest gelato flavors in town," from Mexican chocolate to Irish cream to green tea. There's also a hefty selection of vegan varieties.

3. Gio Gelati

Gio Gelati, offering gelato and more in the Marina, is another much-loved go-to, with five stars out of 138 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1998 Union St. (between Buchanan Street and Charlton Court) to try it for yourself.

With a gelato chef and manager who are both Italian imports, Gio Gelati says on its website that it's where "traditional Italian recipes meet impeccable California ingredients." Flavors include sour cherry crunch, pistachio and tiramisu. It also offers frappes, which it calls "Italy's answer to the milkshake."

4. Bi-Rite Creamery

Next up is the Mission District's Bi-Rite Creamery, which boasts 4.5 stars out of 9,464 reviews on Yelp. You can find it at 3692 18th St., between Dolores and Oakwood streets.

A spinoff of Bi-Rite Grocery (located right across the street), this Dolores Park mainstay draws long lines for signature flavors like salted caramel, honey lavender and coffee toffee. After a recent renovation, it now also offers some new items like popsicles and soft serve-stuffed doughnuts.

5. Lush Gelato
Finally, there's Lush Gelato, a Nob Hill favorite with 4.5 stars out of 206 reviews. Stop by 1817 Polk St. (between Washington and Jackson streets) the next time your gelato urge strikes.

Lush Gelato specializes in continually rotating seasonal flavors, including unusual offerings like buttermilk cucumber and Point Reyes blue cheese and cranberries. More traditional flavors include earl grey, dulce de leche and espresso chocolate chip. It's also known for making its own gelato base, an atypical step for other shops

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