Aloha gang! It's SO HOT this week, I needed some relief. This past weekend I saw the booth for So Cal Famous Beach Ice at the Poway Farmers Market and tried a medium ice cup. The flavor was so good and it really cooled me off. I decided to go to the actual storefront to purchase another cup during the week I went first thing on the morning and the friendly employee greeted me and helped me choose some flavors. The store was colorful and casual. I decided to go with Strawberry Lemonade and Watermelon. It was the perfect combination. They offer a good variety of flavors. Something for everyone. So...stop in and cool off with a sweet and enjoyable cup of ice. You'll be glad you did, especially when the temps are as hot as they've been this week. read more

See all

Great dessert place! Staff so friendly and helpful. They let you sample before purchasing so you can be sure of getting something you like or trying to avoid something too sweet for your taste. We settled on dark cherry, strawberry guava, and mango. All very refreshing and delicious! They have nice patio seating outside. Bonus is they are open till 9:30pm so if you have a sweet craving after dinner, come check this place out. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Dark cherry - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

So Cal Famous Beach Ice just opened last month and both my husband and I (along with our little girl dog) just happened to be in the area visiting my sister in law. When we saw this place open, we knew we wanted to stop by there after our family visit. This place in in the same plaza as Spouts, specifically right next door to Baba Kabob. We came in on a Saturday night (which seemed like their opening weekend), a little after 8 pm. We were greeted by a friendly employee behind the counter. After trying a few samples, we ended up getting: Low Tide, $4 prior to tax- This size allows for you to choose up to two Italian ice flavors, which we chose: Mango and Coconut Creme. The coconut creme was underneath the mango in our cup. I really liked the coconut creme flavor and the mango flavor was also very good. The Italian ice (or water ice) really is good here and I think the texture is spot on. Pup Cup, Free- Because we had our little girl with us, the employee told us that they do pup cups and asked if we wanted one for her. We did and our little girl just devoured it. This pup cup is made of vanilla ice cream and a few dog treats that are made locally. You can also purchase a bag of these dog treats in store. ------------------------------- (Total= $4.31 after tax, prior to tip) Service was very friendly by the employee helping us. We sat outside at one of their tables to enjoy our purchase. Overall, we both really liked this place (and our little girl dog too) and would come back if we lived in the area. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

See all

Poway has a very good variety of places to eat.  I remember driving out here on weekends when I was in high school as Poway was like a Sunday in the countryside.  Now there is tons of traffic and there are long waits to get out of the parking lot as the cars keep coming till there is a red light. I saw So Cal Famous Beach Ice one day leaving the Poway Farmers Market and gave them a try.  Inside there are tubs and tubs full of their ice's.  I sampled a bunch of flavors and each one was very sweet.  My favorite was the black cherry and I got a medium.  There was tons of sweet black cherry flavor and the vanilla soft serve added a bit of sweet ice cream flavor.  Server was nice and gave me a bunch of samples.  Cool place to get a refreshing treat. read more

See all

We unfortunately didn't take any pictures, but it was really good. I had the salted caramel and chocolate mixed.

The Beach Ices were DELICIOUS. We happened to be having lunch at Baba Kabob next door on So Cal Famous Beach Ice's opening day! We had seen the transformation over the last few months as they were building out the space and luck had it, we were there on Day 1. They added lots of places to sit outside (wraps around the side of building). The team is so nice and friendly. They have so many rotating flavors to choose from, and all the ones we picked were wonderful. They offer free samples if you need help deciding which ones to get. If you upgrade to the the medium cup (High Tide, 8oz) or higher, you can select up to 3 flavors. For the smallest cup (Low Tide, 4oz), you have to make the very difficult decision of picking 1 flavor. I didn't think we would each finish our medium cups, but we did, and were left wanting more! We tried the Peach, Banana, and Tiger's Blood (Strawberry, Watermelon, Coconut Blend). They were all so refreshing. Not quite what I was expecting ... a little softer than italian ice, more flavor, definitely better than shave ice. We tried their straight Beach Ice, but their menu has a lot of different choices like Gelati (beach ice + ice cream on top), Affogato (Beach Ice + Espresso), Soft Serve Cones (lactose / gluten free), Slushies, Floats, even Kombucha! Excited to try all of them over time. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Banana + Tigers Blood (strawberry watermelon coconut) scoops - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

See all

Came in for a treat on a hot Friday evening. It was fairly busy, but the staff was so friendly and welcoming. They offer you samples of the various ice flavors. We ordered: 1) Mango madness: Mango ice w/ chamoy and Tajin. So freshing, sweet, and salty. It also comes with tamarind candy. Just like a mongoneada, IYKYK. 2) High tide: Apple goblin and passion fruit ice. The apple was a bit sour, but so good. And the passion fruit was good and tropical. They also gave us a pup cup for our dog and she enjoyed it. We'll be back to try other flavors. read more

See all

Friendly service. They were nice enough to offer samples before you purchase. I saw other customers requested multiple samples but it personally felt awkward, so after two, I just went ahead and chose my flavors. I had the peach and strawberry, and the strawberry was actually the better flavor, for me. The ice consistency was nice and smooth. It reminded me of a good snowball from down South. I think the prices are a tad steep for flavored ice. However, I'd still return to try other flavors if I'm in the area again. read more

See all

If you miss Rita's, this place is very similar and a great addition to Poway. They offer 32 flavors. All gluten free, nut free and dairy free except for 2 flavors which werent dairy free but lactose free. Friendly service and they let you try samples. We ordered a couple of the gelati which was flavored ice with soft serve on top. They offer various sizes but we got 2 low tide sizes which includes 2 flavors and was plenty for each person. We got mango and strawberry guava, and mango and tiger blood. All delicious and refreshing especially on a hot summer day. They also sell dips and pita chips from Baba Foods. I wonder if Baba Kabob which is next store is affiliated with this place? Regardless I hope this place stays around! read more

See all

My family was so excited to try this during the hot weekend in San Diego! It wasn't crowded at all when we walked in, but there were plenty of flavors of ice to choose from. We were able to sample the different flavors before making our decisions - I got Piña Colada (super refreshing!) & Peach (delicious and fruity!). The custard on top was thick & yummy, but not to the point of feeling lethargic afterwards. I appreciate the girl helping us out because she let us know the soft served machine JUST started acting up but still tried - I know several places that don't really communicate or even try, so the simple communication is huge for me. There was a sign that said "Grand Opening" when we went, & a long line formed after we left so congrats to them on opening up. It was a little on the warm side inside, I'm sure due to all the equipment working to keep our delicious dessert cold so no complaints about that from me! We will definitely have to come back & hopefully take some pictures of the flavors offered as well read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - High tide (up to 3 ice flavors) with soft serve on top - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

See all

If you've ever been to Rita's or Frostbites, it's a similar concept. We tried the gelati high tide (3 flavors of shaved ice) with mango, peach, passionate fruit. The shaved ice flavors tasted fruity and the way they should. They charge $6 for the high tide size but a $1 more for vanilla soft serve on top. Slightly pricey for the portion. Good quality dessert though. Friendly service and they allow you to check out at the front or back which is convenient but was a bit confusing in the beginning. They do allow samples ! Ambiance was casual. The interior had a beach, nautical theme. Check them out if you're craving shaved ice and are in Poway ! read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Gelati, 3 flavors with vanilla soft serve in the high tide size - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

See all

Unfortunately I was not a fan of SoCal Famous Beach Ice, even though I was so excited to try it. I'm by no means an Italian ice connoisseur but I've had Rita's in the past, as well as Joe's Italian Ice in Anaheim and I enjoyed my treats there. The Italian ice here is SO sweet, it tastes like liquid sugar. I choked on the taste of sugar going down my mouth. The flavors don't taste good at all paired with all the sweetness. I opted for a soft serve instead and that was also more sweet than usual. It was served in a very small portion as well, even less than a pup cup so I was thrown off that it came out to around $4. Overall, I'm glad I was able to try it out but probably won't be back again! read more

After the local italian ice places all closed down due to Covid.. it was fantastic to see So Cal Famous Beach Ice open up in poway. They took over the spot that previously housed an EverBowl next to the Thai and Mediterranean Food place. Lots of flavors.. great service. and super clean. It was nice to try different things to then sit on the patio and enjoy your sweet treat. Definitely coming back and trying more flavors! Delicious! read more

Got to try some flavors! and they were all decent. I was excited about the ice tea one but it didn't taste quite like I wanted so I opted for cherry lemonade I like how they offer sprinkles too -- ive never had sprinkles with my italian ice Service was super friendly! read more

This place is great! The fun family and pet friendly environment perfect for the community. I love that they have lots of different flavor options and you can get either vegan or ice cream. Service was fast and friendly and everything tasted wonderful. read more

I was looking forward to trying this place out especially with all the Italian ice spots having closed down. I got a Low Tide size & as I was nearing the end of my portion I encountered a big issue - unfortunately there was plastic in the ice I was eating...!!! I was a bit disgusted at that point, because what other tiny pieces could have been in my ice... shown in the photo, a long slither of plastic :( Service/Ambiance: Promptly greeted very quietly, staff was super quiet & didn't say much to offering to taste or anything esp as a new customer :( vibe was awkward Food: Love the flavor options & ice cream, hate the plastic read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Plastic found inside ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

Generous scoops, an amazing array of flavors, and dogs get free ice! What's not to love? This was our go-to at the Poway farmer's market, and we're so happy now they have a brick & mortar location! The service is fast, friendly, and helpful. Lots of tables and spaces to socialize outside. Hooray for beach ice! read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Bring the pups! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

So glad they opened a storefront. Their salsa is a10/10. Beach ice 10/10. We still go support them at the market on top of hitting the store. I like going to the store to get soft serve with my beach ice. Picture of my son from this last weekend enjoying at the Poway Farmers Market! read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Rainbow ice with sprinkles - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

We got strawberry banana, mango, and chocolate - so creamy and soft and delicious. Friendly staff and lots of different flavors to try. The perfect cold treat! read more

Not that many places for desserts in the area. But then I stumbled on to this one. I got the gelati with Apple Goblin + Tiger's Blood topped with vanilla soft serve, and it was The shaved ice was super fine and fluffy, soaked with flavor without being icy or watered down. Apple Goblin was tart and refreshing which was my fav, while Tiger's Blood added that sweet tropical vibe to the combo which worked really well. Only thing missing was if the soft serve was custard but overall still loved the place. read more

Our first visit to the store front. We have been may times at the Poway Farmers Market. Awesome selection. Friendly staff. My grandchildren love it. read more

Now you can get the farmers market shaved ice and salsa whenever you want! Getting shaved ice is always the kids highlight of the farmers market, now that they have a storefront in the heart of Poway we love to stop by for a quick cold treat. The outside bar top is perfect to hang and enjoy. Great staff and even better shaved ice! read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Shaved ice on the bar top - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

The staff were really friendly and helpful! The spot has a fun beach vibe. Great little spot to cool off in Poway! For Italian ice one of the girls recommended the strawberry banana which I combo'd the bubble gum flavor. It was refreshing, and perfect for the warm weather. My friends got the freezie with the sugar cane base and said it was great too. Definite fun, quick pick me up on a hot day! read more

Very good, fast customer service! Not many Italian ice options in SD, so was excited to try this one. Big selection of flavors as well as plenty of seating outdoors. Clean interior. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Italian ice with ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

I had to take a moment to highlight an employee who truly went above and beyond. After recently coming out of the hospital, all I wanted was to stop by So-Beach House. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a young lady named Avalon. She immediately noticed that I wasn't feeling my best--weak and a little out of it--but she treated me with such genuine friendliness that it really made an impact. I asked for just a cup of ice water, but instead of doing the bare minimum, Avalon returned with a large cup of water and even included a bottled water for me. Now, sure--it may not sound like a big deal, just a water bottle--but her thoughtfulness and kindness spoke directly to my heart. She had no idea what I was going through at the time, yet her small act of care made all the difference. Since then, I've been back multiple times and have seen firsthand how incredible Avalon is with every customer. She is loyal, hardworking, and determined--qualities that make her a true asset to this team. I hope management recognizes not only Avalon but the entire staff for the heart and effort they put into their work every day. As the saying goes: "Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain read more

Really delicious and flavorful Italian ice. It hit the spot; reminds me of Joe's Italian Ice in Anaheim. There was a line but it moved quickly. There were a variety of flavors to choose from. The joint is pretty small, we sat in the outdoor patio area to enjoy our evening. read more

Been here a few times already since they opened and staff is always super friendly. Everything I have tried so far has been delicious. Especially the mangoneadas. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Passion fruit and strawberry lemonade with chamoy and tajin - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

If you liked Rita's Italian Ice, you'll love this place. And it's better than Rita's! Full flavor in the ice and the vanilla soft serve tops it off. I hope you open more locations....preferably in the Southbay! read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Front Window - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

See all

This Italian ice with the soft serve is delicious! So many flavors. Can't wait to try them all! My whole family loves it read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Italian Ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California

I haven't seen that old man worker who was extremely stingy in forever. Everything is great now from customer service to the flavors they carry. I have only tried the Italian ice, not the soft serve or the lactose free soft serve. read more

I haven't had a gelati in years but this filled the rita's shaped hole in my heart. Will definitely be back to try more flavors

Not sure how to describe this product but it's icy like a sorbet yet velvety smooth. Friendly staff, wide variety of flavors, and good atmosphere. We tried the ice on bottom and ice cream on top, excellent combo. The beach ice is on the sweet side but the traditional ice cream balances it out. Get out there and try it read more

Lots of unique and comforting flavors. Prices fair. Service is great. I'd go back every week if I could!

Great quality and selection, reasonably priced. Nice workers. Check it out if you're nearby

Amazing customer service and delicious flavors. Shop is always clean and has an efficient system. Great prices too!

We have been fans of So Cal Famous Beach Ice at the farmers market for several years. Now there are more flavor options available all week long, what is not to love? Scott and crew do a great job making sure you get what you like and that is is yummy. read more

Finally, a store front! Loved everything here - staff were very friendly and allowed us to sample stuff. Flavors def hit the spot! Perfect for this heat. Will definitely be back read more

A great place to bring the kids on a hot day / any day. Amazing shaved ice that hits differently from the normal shaved ice we all know. The owner Scott was very nice to chat with, and the employees are nice and sweet to my kids who asked for samples. Also never thought I would enjoy sitting on Poway road watching cars go by eating shaved ice, but I did! Awesome location read more

Came here with the kids on a blazing hot afternoon. This place absolutely served up exactly what we needed - a delicious, cooling treat. Ambiance is clean and bright with plenty of outdoor seating. The selection of Italian ice flavors is very broad including all kinds of fruit flavors to horchata and chocolate. They also have soft serve ice cream and kombucha or ginger ale floats which sounded particularly intriguing. The employees were very helpful providing samples and suggestions. My kids went for a small scoop of horchata and chocolate which were both delicious and deceptively creamy considering Italian ice is dairy free. My husband and I shared a mango madness which was the mango Italian ice with tajin, chamoy and a tamarindo stick. My only feedback was that the fruit flavors were too sweet for my personal taste and seemed a bit one dimensional, like an artificial fruit flavored candy. For example, the grape tasted like grape Kool aid. In my opinion, the mango really needed the tajin and chamoy to keep it from being cloyingly sweet. Despite this minor personal gripe, I'd definitely come back and definitely recommend you check it out! read more

Their Italian ice is pretty flavorful and refreshing it's lighter than ice cream or gelato as expected, hence leaves the palate cleaner and more refreshed. They are inexpensive too. I think they cater to events and they were selling a small scoop for $1 at an event and I tried the mango flavor, which was excellent. read more

So Cal Famous Beach Ice - Mango $1 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Poway, California