A Different Ice Cream Shop: Humphry Slocombe

Long lines are the norm at Humphry Slocombe

Humphry Slocombe in the Mission District has gathered a cult following in and around San Francisco.  With a wide variety of flavors and a unique take on ice cream, the shop is not your typical mom and pop ice cream parlor.

Like many bars and restaurants, the idea of mixology and infusing items reminds me of what Humphry Slocombe is trying to accomplish.  The available flavors seem to change on a daily or weekly basis.  When I first stopped by, I didn’t quite know what to think...all I saw was items like Jesus Juice, Secret Breakfast and Prosciutto on the menu and thought to myself, what is this place?  When I received an explanation of the flavors, it still blew my mind.  Who comes up with flavors involving the bone of a pig or bourbon and corn flakes.  But once you have your first taste, you’re hooked.

Secret Breakfast

Bourbon and Coke Float

Each day, there are usually 10-12 flavors on the list and they occasionally run out of the most popular items.  You can sample any of the flavors and some definitely take some getting used to.  And in case you were wondering, Jesus Juice is a mix of red wine and coke, Secret Breakfast is the aforementioned bourbon and corn flakes and the prosciutto is just that, prosciutto-flavored ice cream.  They have Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee and Peanut Butter Curry among others.  If there is a special flavor in house for the day, owner Jake Godby and the shop will usually tweet the new item.  

Some of the other “wilder” flavors include Ancho Chocolate, Basalmic Caramel, Foie Gras, Guinness Gingerbread and many, many more.  It is really a unique shop with unique and quirky names and wonderful combinations of flavors.

The ice cream also pops up on several dessert menus around town.  Along with ice cream, they also offer a wide range of sundaes and other desserts, including the well-known Duck Fat Pecan Pies.   

Humphry Slocombe is located at 2790 Harrison Street in San Francisco.  The are open seven days a week from 12-9 p.m.  You can also follow them on Twitter: @HumphrySlocombe.

Phone Number: (415) 550-6971

Prices: $2.75 for one scoop, $3.75 for two scoops, $5.00 for three scoops.  Other desserts range from .75 to $6.50.

Mitchell’s Ice Cream

The great thing about San Francisco dining is that you don’t necessarily have to end your meal at the restaurant.  For those craving a little more who have a major sweet tooth, the city is filled with terrific ice cream joints that meet your needs.  One of the oldest and most well-known is Mitchell’s in the outer part of the city.

Mitchell’s opened in 1953 and has been a San Francisco institution ever since.  Brothers Larry and Jack Mitchell opened the shop as a neighborhood ice cream store and it soon gained recognition and accolades from restaurants and diners throughout the city.

The small shop offers a multitude of ice cream flavors, both classic and new.  If you are just looking for an old fashion scoop, you might prefer the Chocolate Chip, Oreo, Coffee, Strawberry or Rocky Road.  Mitchell’s also offers several different flavors that are offered on a rotational basis, such as Cinnamon Snap and Dulce de Leche.  They also have seasonal flavors, based on time of year or whether a fruit is in season: Cantaloupe, Eggnog and Pumpkin are just a few of the flavors offered on a seasonal basis.

On its menu, the shop also offers a number of non-dairy sorbets.  They have two flavors offered each day, with the menu changing every few days.  The flavors are mostly tropical fruit flavors, such as Mango, Guava and Passion Fruit.

The shop also offers a wide variety of tropical flavors, many of which you may have never heard of.  They import most of the fruit from the Philippines.  Flavors such as Halo Halo, Langka, Buko and Ube.  The flavors are very unique and intriguing.

Mitchell’s also offers ice cream by the gallon and ice cream cakes.  Despite it being a rather small shop, it is always very popular and busy, but things usually move very quickly.  The service is very smooth and the people behind the counter also do so with a smile.  You can tell it is still a family-run business through and through.    

Halo Halo Ice Cream

Mitchell’s Ice Cream is located at 688 San Jose Avenue in San Francisco.  They are open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Phone Number: (415) 648-2300.