Rocko's Ice Cream Tacos
Ice cream shop · Newhall ·
Ice cream tacos with organic ingredients, customizable dips
Ice cream tacos with organic ingredients, customizable dips
"If you’re mourning Klondike’s potential discontinuation of the Choco Taco, the story suggests frequenting Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos in Santa Clara as a local alternative while the company considers whether and when to bring the product back." - Dianne de Guzman
"We can get ice cream wrapped in a crunchy shell and topped with chocolate, peanut butter, sprinkles, and more from Santa Clara–based Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos, keeping the Choco Taco legacy alive." - Lauren Saria
"Operating in Santa Clara since around 2012, this long-running vendor specializes in ice cream tacos with options like chocolate and peanut-butter dips and a wide variety of toppings, emphasizing customizable, indulgent builds." - Jaya Saxena
"I fell for Lori Phillips' reimagining of the Choco Taco: at Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos in Santa Clara she handcrafts intact, texturally satisfying waffle-cone tacos filled with velvety ice cream, flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen, then dipped in chocolate or peanut butter and topped with crunchy additions. What began as a 2012 passion project while she was pursuing a Ph.D. in immunology—she even used liquid nitrogen from her lab—grew from farmers markets and a truck into a brick-and-mortar near Santa Clara University in 2018. The spunky shop, plastered with dog imagery as an ode to her pup Rocko, offers 18 flavors (nine year-round, nine rotating), four dip choices, freshly baked regular or “teeny” shells, and recommended combos like “The Founder” (espresso ice cream, dark chocolate dip, almond pieces) and “The Youngster” (cookies-and-cream ice cream, milk chocolate coating, sprinkles); cookies-and-cream combinations are the most commonly ordered. Phillips emphasizes higher-quality, locally sourced organic ingredients—from Full Belly Farm produce, Straus dairy, and Berkeley’s TCHO chocolate—uses a sturdier waffle cone so it won’t get soggy, and provides three vegan flavors at a time plus a vegan, gluten-free shell so the nostalgic yet elevated treat appeals to customers of all ages." - Cathy Park
"Who would’ve thought that ice cream could be eaten as a taco? What started as an ice cream cart serving homemade Choco Tacos became a full storefront and production facility in Santa Clara. At Rocko’s, liquid nitrogen is used to assemble the signature house-made waffle cone taco shell that’s filled with ice cream, dipped in a variety of sauces, and then rolled into toppings for the ultimate crispy, crumbly, and creamy bite. Visitors most commonly order the cookies and cream and espresso flavors, though Rocko’s also takes inspiration from in-season produce for rotating flavors like ube, lemon blueberry, and mango sticky rice." - Cathy Park
