She N.
Yelp
I was first introduced to Double Rainbow ice cream when I was in the natural food aisle. I was looking for a decadent, organic ice cream sold in a pint and I came upon Double Rainbow Ice cream. I bought it, opened the lid and took a scoop. It was delicious. Then I was amazed to find out that they actually had an ice cream parlor two miles from where I live.
Double Rainbow Ice cream is commonly sold in specialty grocery stores like Ardonico's, Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl because of their natural approach to making ice cream. Their website states that they "only use the freshest and most natural ingredients". And that the "cream and milk used in their ice cream comes from cows not treated with hormones". Their "ice cream is thicker and creamier than other ice creams because they do not whip excess air into our product, and they use just the right amount of butterfat to ensure that every spoonful tastes rich and delicious". Also most of their ice creams are certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union. This information is taken from their website.
I could definitely taste the difference. They don't use high fructose syrup or extra additives to make it sweet. I ordered the strawberry cheesecake ice cream and it had real strawberries and pieces of cheesecake in it--no artificial flavoring. The ice cream is as authentic as one can possibly make it with a creamy, desirable texture.
With that said, why only 3 stars?
There's much to be improved about the actual parlor. First, I had to have my ice cream to-go because it would be impossible to enjoy by ice cream there. Unfortunately, there's a distinct, pungent smell as you walk in and it's hard to over look this, especially at a place that serves food. I immediately wondered about the sanitation and the disinfection/cleanliness practices behind the company, and sadly, I preferred to eat my ice-cream in my own car.
For a place offering first class, top rated, exclusive ice cream, then their place of business should reflect this. I'm not suggesting that the parlor needs go under renovation with state of the art infrastructure, but if several customers have had similar complaints about the odor, and if paid customers would rather eat their ice cream besides inside the parlor, then something should be done.
Secondly, I doubt that most of the customers know anything about the natural ingredients in the ice cream. This is a huge marketing incentive. There's no other place in the El Sob/ Pinole/ Hercules area that offers wholesome ice cream with wholesome ingredients. Yet when you walk into the parlor, there's no literature, posters or pamphlets that say anything about their organic practices. I shouldn't have to look at one place (their website) to find this information, I should be able to walk in their parlor and see it as well.
With just a little bit more TLC and sharing more knowledge with their customers, I can see this place thriving. They have the product to get customers, now they just need to find a way to keep the customers there.
Four stars for ice cream, minus one star for the parlor.
