I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Last updated June 23, 2025 by Brady Goodman-Williams & Julia Steinhouse
Temperatures are soarin' and we want to help cool you down, especially with National Ice Cream Day coming up!
No matter your flavor and style of choice, we've got you covered with a great list of places to stay cool in the summer heat! Whether you like your frozen creamy goodness stacked on top of a waffle cone or stuffed inside a taco shell, we've got the "inside scoop" on the best ice cream shops and pop-ups in town.
Photo: Creamy Boys IG
1136 Hermosa Ave
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
With funny accents and freshly made ice cream, the Creamy Boys are serving New Zealand-style ice cream at their Hermosa Beach storefront and via truck all across LA. Pick your favorite frozen fruit and a dairy or non-dairy base, and the Creamy Boys will make your ice cream right in front of you. Their Kiwi specialty is Hokey Pokey, featuring crunchy honeycomb toffee blended with vanilla ice cream and sprinkled on top.
Photo: Diddy Riese FB
926 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Diddy Riese has been serving up delicious cookies, brownies, and ice cream since 1983 in the heart of Westwood. UCLA students and Westwood residents alike will line up down the block for their custom-made ice cream sandwiches. Choose from 12 types of freshly baked cookies and 12 flavors of ice cream for only $6!
Photo: Bacio di Latte IG
Century City, Brentwood, Marina Del Rey, and more
Live your European summer right here in LA with Bacio di Latte’s traditional Italian gelato. For a lighter treat, try out their range of fresh fruit sorbet flavors like Limone and Arancia Rossa, or indulge in their rich Pistacchio made with Italian-grown pistachios.
Photo: Wanderlust IG
Atwater Village, Sawtelle, Venice, Pasadena, Fairfax, Tarzana
With every flavor inspired by a different location, Wanderlust Creamery will have you planning your next vacation after your first lick. From Mango Sticky Rice influenced by flavors from Thailand to Abuelita Malted Crunch inspired by "SoCal Childhoods," Wanderlust's creative and nostalgic flavor combinations are superb. This delectable creamery is a great place to stop by for something sweet!
Photo: Mcconnell's IG
DTLA, Studio City, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica
Dubbed the best ice cream in the world, McConnell's is a must-try. The 70-year-old ice cream company opened its doors in Santa Barbara and has since expanded to over six locations up and down the California coast. The Grand Central Market location features iconic flavors like Earl Grey Tea & Shortbread Cookies, Turkish Coffee, Honey & Cornbread Cookies, and Double Peanut Butter Chip. McConnell's outstanding reputation for having the best all-natural, preservative, and artificial flavor-free scoops is well-deserved.
Photo: Yoga-Urt IG
Ocean Park, Glendale, Echo Park, and Granada Hills
If you're looking for a healthier and vegan ice cream alternative, Yoga-Urt is for you. Yoga-Urt will satisfy your ice cream craving without the guilt. Made from hand-squeezed organic dairy-free almond milk with added probiotics, flavors range from Maple Banana Pancake to Green Tea Tranquility, so there's something for everyone, especially your dietary-restricted bestie!
Photo: Sad Girl Creamery
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Sad girls love money – and ice cream. Back in 2021, SueEllen Mancini started Sad Girl Creamery to freeze the memorable flavors of her childhood into delectable treats for all to enjoy. Her and her mom run the business together and use their combined talents to transform classic Latin desserts into creamy frozen delicacies using authentic ingredients. Their rotating choco taco flavors range from Argentinian dulce de leche to strawberry shortcake. We also are big fans of their seasonal drumsticks – particularly the coconut mango sorbet-filled Mangonada flavor which comes with a healthy sprinkle of Tajín and tastes just like a fruit cup from one of the city's beloved local street side carts.
photo: Happy Ice IG
7324 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Happy Ice is one of the most recognizable sweet treats in LA! From their vibrant truck to their beautifully colored ice cream, you'll always know when Happy Ice is near. Their retail store is located on Melrose but they have four mobile trucks that you can find all over Los Angeles serving up tasty treats to keep people cool and satisfied.
photo Mateo's Ice Cream IG
Koreatown, Arlington Heights, Sawtelle, Culver City
With multiple locations around LA, Mateo's has kept Los Angeles ice cream lovers satisfied for years. They serve plenty of tasty items, but their homemade ice cream and fruit bars are the real deal. With authentic Mexican flavors and other fan favorites like cookies n cream, there's no way you won't find something you love!
Photo: Salt & Straw FB
Venice, Arts District, Glendale, Brentwood, Culver City, Larchmont, Silverlake, Studio City, West Hollywood
With various locations all over LA, Salt & Straw has become a mainstay for inventive scoops and that very special fresh waffle cone scent inside their shops. Salt & Straw are known for putting a twist on classics with their permanent menu, and going totally wild with their seasonal flavors. If you’re more of an old-school flavor fan, try Chocolate Gooey Brownie. Up for something a little crazy? Go for one of their seasonals, like Buttermilk Pancakes, Bacon, and Eggs! Salt & Straw also offers vegan flavors.
Photo: Sweet Rose Creamery FB
2726 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Homemade in Santa Monica, Sweet Rose Creamery creates what they call “small batches of happiness,” and we agree, of course. Our faves include a double scoop of nostalgic Cookies & Cream in a waffle cone bowl, or a Cherry Chocolate Chip ice cream sundae with a chocolate magical shell! Ah, the satisfaction…
Photo: Saffron & Rose
1387 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
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4523 Campus Dr
Irvine, CA 92612
With aromatic flavors like rosewater, almond, cucumber, and ginger, Saffron & Rose's Persian ice cream flavors are luxuriously refreshing. Send your tastebuds globetrotting with their ever-expanding menu inspired by different destinations around the world. Aside from their extensive rose-flavored offerings, we are big fans of their namesake saffron and pistachio flavor which folds the Middle Eastern flavors into a heavenly blend that tastes better with each bite. Make sure to also try their unique Faloodeh Persian rosewater ice cream, which is blended with thin lightly crunchy rice noodles that melt in your mouth.
Photo: Milk Bar FB
7150 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, 90046
NYC’s famous Milk Bar landed on the West Coast, and we couldn’t be happier! Next time you’re on Melrose, cool off with their signature Cereal Milk soft serve, with your topping of choice. We recommend the traditional cornflake crunch, but little birthday cake bits are delicious, too.
Photo: Daily Bruin
Westwood, Hollywood, Griffith Park
Tucked inside a strip mall on La Brea, Mashti Malone’s has been in Los Angeles for ages, since 1980, in fact. Insider reports the founders are credited with bringing Persian ice cream to LA, and we’re so glad they did. Their flavors aren’t your typical 31 Flavors style; expect saffron pistachio, rosewater, and more inspired by the owners’ Middle Eastern roots. We hear their Mashti Ice Cream sandwich is pretty ridiculous too – saffron rosewater ice cream smashed between two waffle wafers... say no more!
Photo: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams FB
Venice, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Beverly Hills, Larchmont Village, Playa Vista
Splendid ice cream, indeed! Originally from the Midwest, Jeni Britton Bauer founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams on the principles of working with the absolute best ingredients from growers, makers, and farmers that are also fair trade and as environmentally conscious as possible. Her flavors are inspired by curiosities – art, history, pop culture, social movements, and beyond, including Tahini Oat Chocolate Cookie, Sweet Cream Biscuits and Peach Jam, and Maple Soaked Pancakes.
Photo: Tucson Foodie
Find your local Rite Aid here.
Ever just have the need for a scoop of drugstore ice cream on a hot summer day? Well, we know we do. Thrifty’s ice cream has been around for ages, and you probably remember getting those funky square scoops and a sugar cone as a kid. Believe it or not, their flavors still hold up, the best being Chocolate Malted Crunch, Maple Pecan, and of course, Cotton Candy! Pop by your local Rite Aid to get it.
Photo: Afters Ice Cream FB
Highland Park, Hollywood (temporarily closed), Sherman Oaks
We recently mentioned Afters in our guide to LA’s best donuts, but it’s *also* one of our favorite spots for ice cream, with or without donuts. As if made for the Instagram generation, the treats Afters whips up are as visually pleasing as they are tasty. Their menu includes handcrafted flavors like Cookie Monster, Milk and Cereal, and Jasmine Milk Tea. Afters is rapidly expanding all over SoCal.
Silver Lake, Highland Park, and Tarzana
Head to Magpies for some incredible soft-serve (and not just vanilla or chocolate)! Treat yourself with flavors of the day such as Malted Milk Chocolate, Sweet Cream, Raspberry Creamsicle, and so much more flavors and toppings. And if ice cream’s not your vibe, dive into one of their decadent vegan soft-serve pies, with flavors ranging from Frozen Hot Chocolate to Pistachio Baklava.
Photo: SomiSomi on FB
Sawtelle, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Granada Hills
The SomiSomi craving will never really stop once you’ve tried it once. They’ve perfected the soft-serve texture and sweetness with flavors like Matcha, Milk Tea, Cookies and Cream, Ube, and more. What makes this place really special is their Ah-Boong, which is a fish-shaped waffle filled with various delights. Flavors abound in each bite of a SomiSomi treat – it’s the full package!
Photo: Ginger's on FB
Mar Vista, West Hollywood, El Segundo
Ginger’s hits the spot on a hot day in the city. Grab a scoop, maybe throw that scoop between some cookies, perhaps forget the scoop and grab a delicious pop coated in something delicious, or say screw it and get it all. With a range of creative flavors, like Lavender Honeycomb, Vegan Pickled Strawberry, Blueberry Pie, and Billionaire Brownie, whatever you choose will grace you with creamy, cold goodness.
