Matthew Chen
Google
Bluebird is only average in my book. Their ice cream is excellent – especially Snickerdoodle! – but their service and waffle cones hold them back. Good value for scoop size. The Fremont location is bike-friendly.
Bluebird makes their own ice cream in small batches. My home shop is the Fremont shop, so the ice cream gets delivered from the Capital Hill location. There is not a lot of variety in my opinion, but what they do have is very good. My favorite is definitely Snickerdoodle. In fact, it's one of my favorite flavors from any shop in the area. Theo Chocolate Chunk is also consistently awesome. My wife and I keep trying the coffee ice cream but it's always disappointing.
The waffle cones here are homemade. They taste great so I keep getting them, but they are way too weak and have broken prematurely 90% of the time. (I've gone a lot so it's a large sample size.) Last time, the bottom of the cone had a leak and ice cream actually seeped through the sides of the cone because it was so thin! They use a scoop to put batter into the waffle iron so all of the cones are consistent. I wish they would start using three scoops of batter instead of two...
I'd consider Bluebird to be a bike-friendly business. They participate in Bike Benefits (15% off with the sticker) and there are racks right outside the door. It's also right off of the Burke-Gilman trail near the Fremont bridge, so it's easy to get to.
The primary reason I only gave them three stars is the really inconsistent service. Some scoopers are really friendly but some seem annoyed at having to help you. The bigger problem is that we have been charged incorrectly on numerous occasions. For example, they have mixed up split scoops and double scoops, and they haven't applied coupons consistently. To be fair, I mentioned these concerns in a recent survey and the owners (I'm assuming that's who responded) responded right away to address my concerns. In any case, do yourself a favor and make sure your bill is correct before paying. There is limited seating, so it can get cramped if you come at a busy time.