A great spot to get the classic date night sweet treat: ice cream! I adored the retro vibes here. The neon lights, spinny red barstools, andruby's style booth seating really brought me back and made us just want to vibe there for a bit. The store was empty though, it's a great experience there and I hope that others folks venture into there more often. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

We were camping at stampede and wanted to take my kids into Truckee to get a sweet treat. This place was open late and did not have a wait. The service was good, the girl was nice and attentive. Some of the options like hot fudge were not available. But the kids all got a scoop of ice cream and enjoyed sitting at the bar. It's definitely a hole in the wall that has seen a lot of traffic over the years. The decor had some cool vintage fishing advertisements, which was fun. Happy to support a local shop, prices are a little higher compared to the product that we received. It's worth a stop if you're in town. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

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We stopped in Truckee as we were driving around Lake Tahoe, CA and found Bud's Ice Cream. The store is pretty basic but the ice cream was good. The service was ok. read more

Great service. Classic atmosphere. Delicious ice cream! We love Bud's and recommend it to anyone coming to Truckee!

This was a decent place for ice cream. We came after dinner with 8 people. There were only two people working there, but one of them didn't speak English, so he was cleaning and not helping customers. The girl spoke English and was taking and making all the orders herself, so it moved pretty slowly. They had quite a few flavors, the classic ones and also some unique ones. They also had lots of sundae options. I had a banana split with Rocky road, chocolate almond, and huckleberry ice cream. The ice creams were all really good, but the huckleberry had a lot of thick jam running through it that was chewy. The ice cream shop was cute, with old fashioned decor. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Huckleberry ice cream with thick jam - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

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Closed at 8pm on a Saturday night. Both yelp and Google maps say they're open until 10pm. Very disappointed kids. Would not have driven downtown if I wasn't mislead about their hours. Disappointed to have wasted half an hour of our night. read more

Great place to grab some ice cream and stroll historic downtown Truckee! The afternoon we went in there a decent size group ordering. The teens working there were really hustling. read more

The name really does describe this ice cream parlor. They're located right in the middle of downtown Truckee. As soon as you step inside it takes you back in time with the same look and feel of an ice cream parlor. They have lots of flavors to choose from and of course the classic sundae, I went with the sea salt single scoop and it was the perfect of ice cream. To really have the ice cream parlor feel get the sundae, sit in one of the booths and really take your time eating it. The best part is that they're open late on the weekend and you can enjoy a nice date night here or a night out with the family. They have a lot of options to choose from which means they'll g have a favorite for everyone. read more

Carpets were filthy. Tables and booths needed a wipe down. My ice cream was filled with ice crystals so it wasn't very creamy. The flavor of the ice cream was good--I had chocolate peanut butter. I would try someplace else next time I visit Truckee. read more

SUPER disappointed in the wasted potential of this place. Just a few observations from my visit: -Considering this is called "Bud's Fountain" (and there is a "Coca Cola Fountain Service" display inside) you would think they serve fountain soda. I'm not even asking for hand mixed soda syrup, just a regular soda fountain would've worked. Nope, the soda was canned. -Floats/ice cream are not actually served in a glass dish typical of your classic soda fountain/ice cream joint--single use plastic & styrofoam only (Note: classic ice cream dishes/glasses were on display behind the counter, and pictured on the signs outside). Not a deal breaker, but it made the whole experience feel that much cheaper. Plus the Coca Cola branding certainly made the off brand soda that was actually served stand out. -The exterior is super cute, love the signage especially. The interior, however, is dingy and outdated. Attached are photos; you can see crumbs/debris all over the floors and counters, as well as a lack of tables in some of the booths?! -There was no music playing, and the general ambience was lacking. I understand the staff were probably teenagers working summer jobs but the service was pretty subpar. I love a retro, small town vibe but Bud's unfortunately just felt overlooked. -The price...$22+ for two ice cream treats? I ordered a basic root beer float, and my partner got a waffle cup chocolate ice cream w/ sprinkles, oreos, and chocolate syrup. The toppings really add up, and for mediocre ice cream it felt egregious. I was SO excited to pass this spot as I love love love an old school ice cream spot, but this was a major disappointment. It's basically a shell of what it could be, or maybe used to be. read more

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This ice cream shop left much to be desired. The ice cream tasted like freezer burn. The establishment also was extremely dirty, tables, walls, carpet raising concerns about hygiene and overall cleanliness. The place smelled like mildew. The staff were friendly. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

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It was great! We had an i e cream. Only one girl working. A little bit of a wait but yummy

The place is adorable in that it's an old-fashioned style soda fountain in an old Main St. building. It may even be original. Unfortunately, the management is not taking advantage of the charm and potential of the location. The place is very filthy. There is a several-year-old layer of thick grime on everything. The floor is gross. It probably hasn't had a proper deep clean for several decades. The ice cream isn't terrible, but it tastes a bit old and frost-bitten, probably because business is slow due to the filth. The one person working there wasn't downright rude or anything, but it was pretty obvious they'd rather be somewhere else . It's sad that such a cute place with so much potential is being so neglected. I don't understand how they even stay in business. read more

This place was very nice. Ice cream was delicious and the server was very nice. The inside was old fashioned and cool. They definitely need a little more help in there though, only one person working with a somewhat big line. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Inside - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

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This place is dirty. The tables are not wiped, floors not swept. I noticed it after my husbsnd has bought ice cream for both of us. I had to wipe the table we wanted to sit in. But decided to sit outside. One worker was chatting with i'm guessing a friend when we walked in. I didn't know she was a worker until she stood up and served us. She went back chatting with her friend and on her phone after serving us, she could have used that time to clean up the tables, and some upkeep. I hope the owner will read this. Another family walked in with childre . The maybe 9 yr old girl even commented to her siblings, don't go sit thereThe tables are disgusting. read more

We ordered the brownie sundae with chocolate ice cream .... The brownies were stale and the icecream we didn't care for either... We asked for hot chocolate fudge and they didn't have it... in the end we dumped the entire icecream and walked out... quite disappointed with the place.... read more

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What a dud. Avoid. If you want ice cream look elsewhere. Asked for a malted thick chunky milkshake. No malt flavor. Asked if they added it. Said yes. But no. And it was blended into water. And tastes like water. Going home to literally use it as a base to make something else. The burger joint up the block has better shakes. You'd think it'd be good given it looks old and run-down, but nope. read more

This place was a dump, really dirty. Filthy carpeting and booth missing a table. Service was bad, like the people working there hate their life. Ice cream, root beer floats and shakes were just ok. read more

Not worth it, dated, and dirty. I am sad to say, this will be my harshest review ever. This shop is smack in the middle of the adorable and highly touristy spots of Truckee, why the owner does not give it the Truckee love it needs is beyond me and disappointing. From the outside it looks to be a winner because of its location, but you walk in and it's confusing because it is hardly anywhere close to what you expect. The entire place in a nutshell needs overhauling especially paying the price they charge. I sat at the counter and contemplated leaving because I was so put off with the vibe. I think the couple in front of me felt the same because we both hesitated ordering. I figured, what if it's amazing.... Not so. I was craving a milkshake and the KONA COFFEE shake caught my eye. ($7.75 for a medium looking size). She asked if I wanted whipped cream which I said yes. $8.92 total ... huh? Was I charged double sales tax? Was the whipped cream extra? Too polite to say anything, I told them to keep the change for the tip which ($1.08) they appeared very grateful. The shake .. meh ... I thought I was better off getting a SBUX frap or making my own Hagen Daz shake. Not impressed at all with my shake and the whipped cream not worth it after being disappointed with the entire experience. What can I say, this place is pretty much a dump by Downtown Truckee standards. Sorry to be harsh but to charge what they charge for the mediocre product and the dumpy store, it must be said. The young girls working behind the counter were polite and courteous but I can see why they lacked the enthusiasm of working an ice cream parlor in the lovely Truckee downtown. read more

The interior is super dated and not well maintained. The carpet is dirty and stained, booths missing tables. It's just gross. They were out of brownies, hot fudge, and some ice cream flavors. So a traditional sundae wasn't possible. I opted for caramel sauce instead, I assumed it would be hot. Nope, it was cold and straight from a bottle. It was clear-ish in color and really unappetizing. Oh- and they don't use those cute little retro glass ice cream dishes they have on display. They use styrofoam or plastic containers. read more

I really wish I could give Buds a better rating. Unfortunately it's in poor condition, the "retro" feel is more like a 50s shop left uncleaned and unrepaired. The summer brings soany flies in there,no idea why. Service is seriously underwhelming, probably because most people working there are high school kids with very little direction or guidance. Ice cream is ok. Traditional flavors with a few fun ones in the summer. But that's if you don't mind waiting since there is typically only 1 kid working. I want it to get better. It has sooooo much potential. But it needs help stat read more

When looking for a good icecream place in truckee your choices are limited , however Buds old fashioned fountain , has pretty much everything you could want . The ambiance of the place is if an old fashioned dinner , it's very cute and bright , located in down town truckee . The service was pretty quick and helpful. I ordered a chocolate banana milkshake and my friends ordered a brownie Sunday a strawberry shake and a root beer float. The Icecream was very soft and tasty.Overall based on the service , quality of the icecream and location I'd give them an 8.5/10 . read more

Huge fan of the Kona coffee milkshake! They are generous with whipped cream, friendly, and if you're feeling nostalgic, they have some old school egg toy machines that take quarters! read more

Buds Ice Cream - Kona Coffee Shake - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

Peanut butter chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone was layered with actual ribbons of peanut butter that offered a salty contrast to the sweet decadent chocolate. It was tasty. The cookie dough ice cream cone had generous dough and was fairly good but not noteworthy. read more

Buds Ice Cream - Cookie dough ice cream cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

The ice cream was okay, but as others have mentioned, the place really needs some upgrading. The carpet is incredibly worn (odd to have carpet in an ice cream shop) which gives the appearance of it being dirty. We had no issues with service and I think if they would be able to do some renovations, they would attract a lot more business, being on the main busy stretch historic downtown Truckee adjacent to many great shops. read more

This place is pretty bad. Walked in and the only other person was a homeless lady in a wheelchair with bare feet (didn't need to see that) and the gal serving was sleepwalking. The ice cream seemed like it had been frozen, thawed and refrozen several times. I'd take a hard pass on this place. read more

We stopped in for some ice cream on a whim. I ordered a berry sorbet and my husband ordered a peanut butter and chocolate. We ordered our scoops in the same cup because it's a little cheaper that way. The place is pretty cute and you can tell it's been around a while. It could use an upgrade here and there, but we didn't mind it it all. It's all part of the charm. We sat inside and ate our ice cream and did some people watching. It was definitely worth a stop! read more

Buds Ice Cream - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

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4 of us stopped by Sunday afternoon 8/25/24... There was one AMAZING young gal behind the counter serving ice cream. And it was Busy. This gal worked quickly and professionally and took care of everyone. Impressive! The ice cream and root beer floats are delicious and worth the stop. Shout out to the owner of this establishment--- Give this gal a Raise. ASAP! read more

Should have followed my instincts and walked back out/ The three teenagers on their phones, leaning on the counter could barely be bothered when we walked in. We ordered a frozen banana one of the staff actually rolled her eyes. The young man who started making it asked for some help, and neither of the other two girls moved a muscle and literally told him to figure it out. This could be a great place but it's dirty and run by rude ass teenagers. I had to bite my tongue not to say something on the way out. I'm happy I didn't come here with my 10 ye old who would have been excited for a yummy treat. I won't come back, this place is shit, dirty, lacking management and customer service. read more

The only reason I hesitate to gift this place 5 stars is because I fear my tongue will never experience this brand of elation ever again. I ordered the rocky road, but what I received was more than just ice cream. It was a journey. This road was the rockiest road you've ever seen. The seemly vast array of flavours were married, and they just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. I summon you, citizens of the world, flock to this place! This is one pilgrimage you won't regret. 5 stars. read more

It doesn't look like much, but it's a solid, affordable ice cream option in the heart of old town Truckee. It's the only place I ever get frozen, chocolate covered bananas. Quite a treat! read more

Got to support the local businesses in Virginia city. The Nevada governor's an idiot just like the one in California. He's Screwed everybody, so do what she can to get out of these places. Great candy at this place. If I didn't have to drive 9 1/2 hours to get there, I'd be there every week. read more

Buds Ice Cream - the outside of a restaurant - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Truckee, California

I love an old counter soda fountain ice cream shop. We always stop in here, but this time around the girls who work here looked overwhelmed and lost. Not very helpful or quick to take the next customer, but I get it, they probably were tired and overwhelmed by the crowds in the area. Needless to say, yes, its super expensive, yes, it's just ice cream. BUT, it's a small-town business that is still thriving and I love to see that. Regardless, I will still come and get my chocolate dipped banana (delicious) and buy my kids shakes and ice cream cones. It's not much to look at, but it's a blast from the past and that's why we return. read more

Ice cream itself was fine. Don't expect kind, helpful or prompt service. The employees spent their time ignoring waiting customers, talking smack to each other in Spanish. Including Spanish profanities. Nothing against Spanish speakers, I am a native Spanish speaker myself, but don't call each other names in front of customers who are waiting for their ice cream on a Hot summer day! Cute ice cream shop to walk past next time you are in Truckee. read more

Came to Truckee to skip the heat, this place looked cute. But don't let the curb appeal fool you. High price for bad quality and the service is even worse than the food. Recommend to avoid. read more

Just went in there and we sat at the counter. The girl serving the ice cream saw us sit there and knew when our turn would be but except she choose to serve people in line that came after us. Then I asked if we could be served while sitting or had to get in line, just to make sure I was in the right spot to order. She said yes and continue serving other people that had arrived after us. When I tell her again if we can get served she turns to the other girl working with her and she tells her in Spanish that I'm being a b***h. Im Spanish by the way. We just got up and left without ordering. Bad employees working there with no manners. After writing my review I scrolled down and found several reviews that were exactly like mine. Rude employees, ignoring customers and speaking bad about customers in Spanish, in front of them......sound familiar? read more

I don't know what all these low reviews are for. Oh wait! Yes I do! It's from the visiting snobs. Come to Truckee, and have fun but geez please have some class and show respect for the people that live and work there. This is a local spot with friendly people and good treats. read more

Horrible I ordered chocolate chip cookie dough . Nothing but probably 2 cookie dough balls , NO chocolate Chips. Might as well call it Vanilla Ice cream . read more

Save your time and money. The place itself looks dirty and needs updating. When we walked in, 3 teenagers were working and did not even bother to acknowledge us. They continued to talk to their friend who was sitting at the bar. Finally one of the teens asked if I was ready even though we were standing there for several minutes. He took our order while the other girl started getting the ice cream. Then she passed the job onto another teen girl because the ice cream was "too hard." Then they passed the buck again because it seemed no one wanted to make a shake. I got a scoop of rocky road which did not seem fresh at all. The marshmallows were icy and freezer burned. Whoever owns the store needs to get the employees and the product in line. Maybe it doesn't matter because its more likely tourists who patronize the store and really wouldn't be back anyways. I would not go here again. read more

I had the kona coffee ice cream and my boyfriend had the mocha almond fudge. Both flavors were tasteless and disappointing. I ordered a coffee that was stale and tasted like it was 8 hours old. The service was uncoordinated and chaotic. read more