Salt & Straw — Restaurant in San Francisco

We visited Straw & Salt Ice Cream and tried a total of eight flavors (picture from once they were more then half eaten)

First up on the tasting board: Matcha Matcha Man. A really nice matcha with a twist of tangerine juice – super unique. Had it not been evening, I probably would’ve gone for a full scoop. One flavor I had my eye on but didn’t taste (and slightly regret skipping) was the coffee chamomile – sounded awesome.

Blue Cheese & Pear was… underwhelming. It felt like a thinly veiled vanilla, trying to be something more but not quite getting there.

Of the six full scoops we shared: • Salted Grapefruit Julep: I liked this one. Red grapefruit is my thing, and it reminded me of grapefruit juice with a salted tequila rim. Refreshing, grown-up, and fun. • Sea Salt Caramel Ribbons: I’m usually not a fan of sea salt ice cream, but those caramel ribbons? Just very tasty. Like a reward for climbing a mountain (which, to be fair, it was – Memorial Day victory scoop). • Strawberry Balsamico Black Pepper: This one threw me back to 90s Eastern Europe, to big tubs of Algida. Nostalgic, with a lovely balsamic aftertaste. Unexpectedly charming. • Olive Oil: Interesting texture, but… sorry, Souvla across the street does it better. Their version with flaky sea salt is iconic. This one felt more like a dressed-up vanilla. • Double Fold Vanilla: Honestly, a solid vanilla ice cream. You get those tiny black vanilla specs, a rich and clean taste – classic and good. • Strawberry Coconut Water: It was pink, so the kids loved it. But flavor-wise? A bit too mellow. Coconut water + strawberry didn’t bring much character to the table.

Waffle cones? Big yes. They’re made in-store, you can watch the whole charming process. I had one – it was honestly delicious. Might’ve liked it more than the ice cream itself. The kids got a mini cone each (for free!) and seemed just as delighted.

Pro tip: Get the flight. With all these creative combos, the flight lets you explore four flavors in small cups that are still a generous portion. Pair that with a waffle cone, and you get the best of both worlds –...

Sadly I've had to change this rating from 5 stars to 1 after living in the neighborhood for a few years. The gimmick gets old reeeeeally fast. We get it, you love making weird flavors, but your seasonal specials or w/e you call them are so consistently bad. Why does EVERY flavor have to have bread products in it??? Why does every flavor have to have huge CHUNKS of things that are barely chewable because the ice cream has frozen them? Candy, chunks of bread, nuts, etc. This is not a place for people with soft teeth. The pear & bleu cheese would actually be decent if it was just pureed bleu cheese. No, they have to put huge chunks of bleu crumble in there. It's so gross when you're eating ice cream and bite into one of them.

I'll tell you what, after reading the owner's favorite flavor was the olive oil, I sampled some just to be brave. I have never tasted a more disgusting flavor in my life and I've had GARLIC ice cream from the Gilroy garlic festival. I will never trust a place where that slimy texture nightmare is the owner's favorite.

Their regular flavors have not changed at all. There are some (COUGH OLIVE OIL COUGH) that have no business being anything other than a randomly occurring guest appearance. Show me proof that the olive oil sells anywhere near the level as more normal flavors like the chocolate brownie. Every flavor I loved that was part of the monthly specials has never been brought back. Pinot poached pear? Dead.

The staff is great but I'm so over this gimmick. Like why can't you have 3/4 of your flavors be normal stuff that is sweet all the way through and doesn't require chewing things? The owners who I assume run R&D need to stop showing up to work high and greenlighting...

Salt & Straw is my new standard when comparing ice cream. And boy, have they set the bar HIGH. I’ve been coming here for about a year now and they definitely deserve 10+ stars. I don’t bother looking for new ice cream shops to try anymore. Why waste my time (and calories) on something that’ll just be eh? Never have I ever had a bad experience at Salt & Straw. The shops are always clean. Their staff is so friendly and they seem to genuinely have a a good time serving ice cream to their customers. Even with a constant long line, I’ve never felt rushed. (And yes, the line is worth it.) Pre-COVID, they let you try EVERY.SINGLE.FLAVOR. And they don’t get irritated with you for asking for another sample. It’s like the more flavors you try, the happier they get. I mean, who does that!? The positivity from their workers is contagious. In regards to the actual ice cream, words cannot describe how incredible it is. And no, I’m not being sarcastic or dramatic. It’s true and you have to try it for yourself to understand what I’m saying. Their ice cream is the perfect consistency without being too sweet, which I love. The combinations of their flavors are delicious. My favorite flavor hands down is the Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. The Salted Carmel is a must have & it’s their classic flavor. The monthly “new” flavors are always worth trying. They’re unique and sometimes bold, but they WORK. I don’t know how they do it. Nothing comes close to the perfection that Salt & Straw has mastered. If you’re still reading this review, I hope I’ve convinced you to give Salt & Straw a try. You...