Refreshingly Unhip: The Best Vanilla Ice Cream in SF

Vanilla at JJ in the Inner Sunset.

Salted Caramel, chewy gelato and Kelvins aside, there's something to be said for the straight-talking scoop of vanilla ice cream. Humphry Slocombe, Mr & Mrs. Miscellaneous and friends make great company, don't get me wrong. But the hip stuff comes with cumbersome price tags and stamina-bending lines, hence this humble quest. Last week I assembled a list of the uncoolest ice cream spots I could find—none of them in the Mission or the Marina. Then I drove around with a cooler in tow and asked for one scoop of hard-packed vanilla ice cream from each one. Nearly every single scooper responded with a surprised "will that be all?" and a googly "what's wrong with this woman" stare. Apparently ordering vanilla ice cream is uncool even at the uncool ice cream places. But some of these naive scoops are worth your time. Let's break it down with some unscientific ratings.

1) Bud's of San Francisco at JJ Ice Cream, 1152 Irving St. (Inner Sunset)

Consistency: Evenly creamy. Not as heavy as Mitchell's.

Melt Factor: A slow, uniform softening.

Taste: The most interesting, punch-in-your-face vanilla flavor of all. A little musk up front and a round mouth feel.

2) Mitchell's Ice Cream @ Miyako, 1470 Fillmore St. (Lower Fillmore)

Consistency: The creamiest of all. Mouth-coating richness.

Melt Factor: Becomes uniformly gooier. Almost like taffy.

Taste: Nice cooked cream taste. A soft musky vanilla middle. Mellow, sweet finish.

3) Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream, 1447 Taraval St. (Parkside)

Consistency: Silky, smooth, less dense than Mitchell's and JJ

Melt Factor: An inconsistent melt into a watery soup around the edges.

Taste: Lots of bright, vanilla bean flavor up front.

4) Swensen's, 1999 Hyde St. (Russian Hill)

Consistency: Soft, yet resilient. A little cakey.

Melt Factor: A solid, nice even melt.

Taste: Full bodied. French Vanilla has an eggy richness. Plain Vanilla lacks interest.

5) Joe's Ice Cream, 5420 Geary Blvd. (The Richmond)

Consistency: Soft, yet solid

Meltability: Even

Taste: Not much more than a slight hint of cake batter. No depth.

6) Polly Ann Ice Cream, 3138 Noriega St. (Outer Sunset)

Consistency: Milky, silky and light. Ice crystals from freezer burn.

Meltability: A seeping, uneven melt.

Taste: The French Vanilla was almost wine-like. Vanilla Bean was one dimensional. Regular Vanilla was very sweet with a musky finish. All of them were a little freezer burned.

Overall winner:
JJ. There are a lot of adventurous ice cream flavors out there—like ube and avocado—so vanilla is always going to be a tough sell. But for purists seeking a true vanilla experience, JJ's bright flavor won by a hare over hot competitor Mitchell's.

Runner-up:
Mitchell's @ Miyako. A rich, creamy bite that melts into a delightfully taffy-like consistency. Service here was, by far, the friendliest. And Miyako gets points for almost 30 years of history on Fillmore St.

Like another vanilla? Let us know in the comments.

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By juicy couture (not verified) on March 15, 2012

Agree on the Strauss Vanilla...better than what I get at most ice cream places. So good.

Also what about Xanath? They have different varieties of Vanilla (my fave being the Mexican vanilla) and they use Strauss. Also, they give you a vanilla bean with each purchase..which i think is pretty cool.

Their regular vanilla is pretty bangin too.

By Anonymous (not verified) on March 12, 2012

Three Twin's Madagascar Vanilla. Even on a hip corner like Haight & Fillmore, their prices (and lines) are totally reasonable. And they've got fancy flavors AND the basics nailed. They've never looked at me funny for ordering plain chocolate or vanilla.

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By daodishishendaodishishen (not verified) on February 29, 2012

Sometimes for a change I would go for vanilla ice cream. The kids always like chocolate flavored ones which I really like too but nce in a while I get other flavors like vanilla and during really hot weather, I like eating ice cream with fruit flavors like mango.
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By Marissa (not verified) on February 21, 2012

Now that is one good cup of ice cream.
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By Jacob (not verified) on February 21, 2012

Hello? Double Rainbow--best anywhere!

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By Bags Manufacturer (not verified) on January 30, 2012

FYI - if you ice cream doesn't melt within 20 minutes, it's because of the preservatives - ugh.

By Anonymous (not verified) on January 25, 2012

Strauss Organic Family Creamery vanilla sold by the pint in specialty grocery stores.

By Anonymous (not verified) on June 29, 2011

Good picks for when I want to go out for ice cream!

I hate to say it but, seriously... the best vanilla ice cream is not from an ice cream store.. it's Kirkland Signature brand, aka, from Costco. Try it, let me know what you think.

By LadyLux (not verified) on June 28, 2011

No double rainbow? I think that is easily the best vanilla ever.

By Anonymous (not verified) on June 28, 2011

I friggin' love vanilla ice cream...

Thanks for the taste test share... Bud's here I come.

By DanB (not verified) on June 28, 2011