Cancel

Open app

Search

Smitten Ice Cream

3.8 (337 reviews)
Closed 1:00 pm - 10:00 PM

Order Smitten Ice Cream Takeout or Delivery

Smitten Ice Cream Photos

Business Info

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Smitten Ice Cream

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Becca H.

Yum!! this ice cream is so creamy and tasty. I really enjoyed the fresh strawberry in the waffle cone. If you haven't tried, you must!!

Joanna W.

Nice ice cream and open late at night! If there's a long line at garden creamery come here instead!

Order here
Patricia A.

While visiting the city of San Francisco and taking a leisurely walk came across Smitten Ice Cream. Walking in I noticed the rainbows and loved the touch that they added to the shop. There were other little hidden treasures, too, like the radio flyer wagon added to the countertop. employees were welcoming and friendly and greeted you as you walked into the ice cream shop. Ambience was casual and laid-back. Looked over the menu and decided to get a waffle cone with a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream. It was pretty cool to see how they made their ice creams on the spot and their whirly twirly little machine. The ice cream was very good in flavor and had a creamy texture. I can see myself coming back just to have the ice cream, also to try other flavors on their menu.

Brookies n'Cream
Alex M.

As a fan of all things related to food science, liquid nitrogen ice cream is right up my alley. While I've tried liquid nitrogen ice cream before, this was my first time trying it at Smitten. Each scoop is made to order, and there were only five or six flavors to choose from on the day I visited. After consulting with the cashier, I decided to order the most popular flavor, Brookies 'N Cream. After I placed my order, I watched the magic unfold before my eyes as my scoop was formulated in a cloud of vapor. After we all received our ice cream, my friends and I enjoyed it in the cute parklet outside the shop. The ice cream was rich and super smooth, although the flavors were more subtle than I was expecting - the cookie and brownie bits were more like crumbs than batter. I enjoyed the experience, though, and would be interested in coming back to try other flavors in Smitten's rotation.

Meg T.

We did an ice cream/gelato crawl today and sadly Smitten was easily our least favorite of the day. The space is strongly sugar scented which is always a negative to me, though it's not as bad as Salt and Straw. This location also just didn't boast that many flavors (5 or so), so there wasn't much to choose from. We ending up choosing the coffee flavor and the service for the almost empty building was incredibly slow, although it was friendly. The taste of the massive scoop was like smelling coffee grounds. I found it rather unpleasant, and it was easily twice the size it should have been. All in all, while I liked their abundant seating and their location, I much preferred the ice cream of Garden Creamery down the way, as the visuals of the liquid nitrogen mixers were honestly the best part of visiting Smitten Ice Cream.

Jasmine C.

Was walking around the area after dinner and saw this ice cream spot. First time here. Didn't realize it was made in small batches with liquid nitrogen. The ice cream was so creamy!!! My friend got the brookie and cream and I got the cookie dough with pretzels and chocolate chips. It sounded like a really dessert but it wasn't too sweet at all.

Belle J.

Tried this spot for the first time and was greeted by super friendly staff! The flavor selection isn't huge, and since everything's made fresh to order, sampling can be a bit tricky--but watching them make the ice cream with liquid nitrogen was really fun. I loved seeing the machine in action! I got the Brookie & Cream and Cookie Dough with pretzels and chocolate chips--both were delicious! Two scoops came out to $9, and adding a waffle bowl was another $2, which felt a little steep. Overall, it was a cool experience, but probably not a must-visit for me when I'm in the area.

Pam C.

Dropped by on a weekend. The place was fairly empty although a steady stream of people coming in and out. Interesting concept as they spin the ice cream in front of you with liquid nitrogen. Service was prompt. They only have a handful of flavor combos (maybe 6 when we came) so if you like a lot of choice this is not the place for you. I liked the amount of mix ins the salted pretzel cookie dough but in general all of their flavors had a lot going on + came with mix ins. Nice stop for ice cream but nothing stood out to me.

Cookie Dough with Pretzels & Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Ganache
Anh T.

On a weekday evening before closing, Smitten Ice Cream was filled with lovers of ice cream walking in and out. Most people got their ice cream to go, but my friend and I enjoyed our ice creams on their warm seats that are advertising another business. We shared one ice cream cup, which included both cookie dough with pretzels & chocolate chip, and chocolate ganache. Both ice cream flavors were quite creamy and smooth, with the cookie dough ice cream having a good texture with its mixture of pretzels and chocolate chip. This is one of the smoothest ice creams I've had in the area, and the taste is quite rich too! The ice cream shop itself has a fun and bright red theme and invites customers to come in and have a fun time there.

To go only during shelter in place
Vinkin Ken T.

I don't think they have more than 6-7 flavors on their menu each time I visit. So I don't come often as I don't find their flavors interesting. But then occasionally they will make a flavor that is and it's often made really well. On my recent visit I tried the pineapple cream and brown sugar cardamom. Not a big fan of brown sugar but I am of cardamom. Both flavors were really nice. Good amount of sweetness and the perfect consistency. Very creamy. You can see them make it with dry ice and I never have to wait more than a few minutes. It's quick when there is not a long line and the staffs have always been so nice.

Hot chocolate
Jed O.

Very tasty and savory ice cream flavors! We got the Brookies and cream ice cream combo with a warm Belgian waffle and hot chocolate. Great combination if you'd like dessert on a cold evening. Service was very kind and the ambiance felt like a retro vibe diner. Fantastic place to end the night!

Kristin F.

Stopped in for a quick treat. The customer service was amazing! The female cashier was really kind and accommodating! The Coffee with Cream and Sugar ice cream tasted great too it was creamy and perfectly balanced. Can't wait to stop by again when I'm in the area.

Hum G.

One of my favorite ice cream spots in the city! I love that the flavors are always changing, so there's constantly something new to try. The ice cream tastes amazing no matter which flavor I get. I also really appreciate that you can ask for samples, especially if you're like me and can never decide on just one! I also love sitting down and enjoying my ice cream there since there are usually spots available to sit.

Blackberriezzz

See all

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Meg T.
798
3340
2094

11 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Pam C.
925
903
2604

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

25 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 4
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Denise C.
1617
3279
9309

10 months ago

Back at smitten ..brookies and cream. .on Valencia ..watch movies ...what's new ...not new ..old times

Business owner information

Photo of Robyn F.

Robyn F.

Thank You, Denise!!! =)

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Hum G.
0
69
65

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 3
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 4
Love this 6
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 4
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Masha B.
6
137
298

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Robyn F.

Robyn F.

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Hande G.
38
91
32

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Robyn F.

Robyn F.

Helpful 7
Thanks 5
Love this 8
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ly P.
270
145
940

11 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Mia S.
0
24
28

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of K I.
3
67
71

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 9

Smitten Ice Cream Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Smitten Ice Cream

You might also consider

Matcha Cafe Maiko - matcha strawberry mix and vanilla

Matcha Cafe Maiko

4.5(1.6k reviews)
1.9 miLower Pacific Heights, Japantown
$$

Ambiance: Matcha Cafe Maiko is one of a few tea shops…read morespecializing in Matcha flavored drinks and desserts in Japantown. There is no seating located in this particular cafe but plenty of outdoor seating directly outside. The general area can be pretty crowded due to the other store fronts within the mall so if you want a more relaxed matcha tea shop to do work or relax it would be better to order and then leave. Service: They have both a kiosk and a barista taking orders. Staff were friendly and working efficiently and quickly to fill the orders as they were being placed. Wait time: Generally depends on when you go since Japantown mall is a heavily toured area by locals and visitors to the Bay Area but I'd say roughly 10-15 minutes max from standing in line to receiving your drink. Food: The matcha ice cream has a deep matcha flavor with a nice concentration of powder which can be tasted in the soft serve. They also top the soft serve with a light dusting of matcha powder to further enhance the flavors. The cone was soft and light with a gentle sweetness that pairs really well against with the earthiness of the matcha.

Matcha Cafe Maiko is a pretty popular matcha dessert spot in Japantown, and almost every time I…read morewalked by, there were people going in and out, so I finally decided to give it a try. Overall, I thought it was good. Not something that completely amazed me, but definitely worth trying if you already enjoy matcha desserts. The biggest strength here is definitely the matcha flavor itself. A lot of matcha desserts nowadays are overly sweet to the point where you can barely taste the tea anymore, but here you can still clearly taste the earthy matcha flavor with a slight bitterness that makes it feel more authentic. The sweetness level was balanced well, so it never became overwhelming or too heavy by the end. If you prefer Japanese-style matcha flavors that actually taste like tea instead of pure sugar, you'll probably appreciate this place more than many trendy dessert spots. I tried one of their matcha soft serve items, and the texture was smooth and creamy without feeling overly rich. The matcha flavor stayed noticeable from the first bite all the way to the end instead of fading away after a few spoonfuls. Everything paired together nicely, and overall it felt like a lighter, more refreshing dessert. Especially after eating ramen or heavier food nearby in Japantown, it was actually a pretty nice way to finish the meal. The shop itself is fairly small, but clean and simple, with the typical Japantown dessert shop atmosphere. It feels more like a quick stop for dessert while walking around rather than a café where you sit for hours, but it fits the neighborhood well. The location is also super convenient if you're already shopping or exploring Japantown. Overall, I'd say it's a solid and reliable matcha dessert place. The matcha flavor is definitely there, and the quality feels consistent, but it wasn't something so incredible that I'd make a special trip just for it. Still, if you already like matcha or happen to be in Japantown, I think it's definitely worth stopping by and trying once.

Photos
Matcha Cafe Maiko - Soft Serve

Soft Serve

Matcha Cafe Maiko - Greentea swirl with boba

Greentea swirl with boba

Matcha Cafe Maiko - **NEW** BOBA SUNDAE (available after 1.30pm)

See all

**NEW** BOBA SUNDAE (available after 1.30pm)

Smitten Ice Cream - icecream - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...