Salt & Straw — Restaurant in Portland

Salt & Straw isn’t just an ice cream shop—it’s a full-on flavor adventure. Every time I visit, I’m blown away by the creativity, quality, and care they put into everything, from their ingredients to their customer service.

First off, the menu is incredible. I love that they rotate seasonal flavors regularly while keeping fan favorites on the menu. On my last visit, I tried the Honey Lavender, Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, and one of their limited-time collaborations—and each one was unique and delicious. The Honey Lavender was perfectly floral without being overwhelming, and the caramel in the sea salt flavor had just the right touch of richness. They’re not afraid to take risks with flavors, and it really pays off.

The texture of the ice cream is what sets them apart. It’s ultra-creamy, clearly made with high-quality ingredients, and perfectly balanced—never too sweet. I appreciate that they offer dairy-free options that are just as indulgent and flavorful as the traditional ones.

Service-wise, the staff is always friendly and patient, even when the line stretches out the door. They genuinely want you to enjoy your experience and are happy to let you sample flavors before deciding. They make recommendations, answer questions, and never rush you—even when it’s busy.

The shop itself is welcoming, clean, and filled with the smell of fresh waffle cones. There’s a real sense of joy and creativity in the space that makes the whole experience feel special.

Salt & Straw is easily one of my favorite ice cream places—if not the favorite. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic scoop or something totally out of the box, this is the place to go. It’s worth every penny and...

Inventive and yummy ice cream flavors.

When we lived close by we would stop in monthly to try new seasonal flavors. Normally Salt and Straw offers 5 specialty flavors each month that are either from their library of original ice cream recipes or completely new inventions. It was always fun to try new or classic offerings. If you can (when we can) I recommend trying multiple flavors. With the pandemic and a move away from Portland we have ordered ice cream from Salt and Straw twice. The first time the ice cream came without a hitch and we could track the shipment the whole way. The second time it was snowing all over the continuous US. The shipment got delayed and when it arrived it was toast. Salt and Straw was really responsive and upfront about what I could do through the whole process and my order got replaced. Their customer service is great. I will definitely keep ordering ice cream from Salt and Straw after my recent experiences. Also, they make vegan flavors during January and at some other times of year. Their lemon vegan cheese cake is one of my favorite ice creams ever...not vegan ice creams... ice creams. The vegan flavors are amazing ice creams. The recipe book Salt and Straw put out a few years ago is also a solid cook book for ice...

Hands down the best ice cream I have ever had. And the best service at any ice cream place too.

Yes, the line's looooonng. The first time I went was Friday at 10pm in May, and I waited 45 min. The line was out the door and halfway down the block. The second time I got smarter and went right when they opened. There were only a couple people in front of me. :) Go early to avoid the wait... who says you can't have ice cream for brunch?

They do unlimited samples, and they aren't kidding about it either. Usually I start to feel guilty about trying /all/ the flavors I'm actually interested in, but this place really encourages it. My favorite flavor so far is the Woodblock Chocolate, which is chocolate with finely shaved chocolate in it. It's rich, but with a slight salty aftertaste. Gives the joy of salted caramel, but without the uber sweet caramel ;-)

Of the other flavors I tried, my next favorites were the olive oil and the pear + goat cheese. SO GOOD.

They do a split scoop which is a single scoop with two flavors. I usually get this and it's the perfect size. Once I accidentally got a double scoop though, which normally would be way to much... I had no problem eating it, the ice cream...