The Castro Fountain

A popular dessert spot in the Castro District, absolutely amazing, if you have a small or big tooth for desserts this spot might be it, cookies, ice cream, floats, and cakes. It has it all! Great pricing and tastes fresh. Would recommend this on any occasion.

My favorite ice cream spot in SF. The scoops are great whether in a bowl or one of their awesome waffle cones. They have some solid cookies and brownies, but I think their chocolate cake is excellent and always worthy of a to-go slice. Staff has been awesome, the place is always clean (bathroom included), and it's located in a cool part of the city. 5 stars all the way.

Disclaimer: this review is just based on the cakes and not the ice cream! The rainbow came had a weird texture, so I wouldn’t suggest it besides the fun colors! The taste wasn’t anything special either. The chocolate cake was just okay also, but the staff was friendly!

We had some tasty ice cream at the fountain! Several fun flavors to choose from, in addition to traditional. And very pleasant service. I have other treats besides ice cream. They also have non milk ice cream options for those who are intolerant. The entrance is pretty narrow if you are in a wheelchair.

Granted I can’t stop thinking about this rainbow cake, I’d go back… I’d consider driving through sf in traffic hour just to get another piece of rainbow cake… The frosting is the best part and I normally hate frosting.

Old school ice cream and desserts place that pays attention into every details. From decorations to the staff outfit. We enjoyed our ice cream sundae, even when it's really cold outside, went there made us feel like we were in sweet heaven.

The ice cream tastes great! Creamy & no ice cystals. The flavors were normal, & that's what I want! Awesome creamy thick very chocolate brownies. Amazing strawberry ice cream & cake sandwich! Nice friendly staff. Not too expensive. Clean. A good experience. Just do not raise the prices. I just had a brownie ala mode. Tasty, but bring back my strawberry ice cream cake sandwich! Those were the best!

Ice cream *and* espresso. Plenty of seating at funky vintage tables with built in seats. Great flavors (I had salted caramel turtle pecan with dark chocolate sorbet), and friendly staff. The sundays and shakes might be old school, but it's as good as most contemporary parlors.

I'm diabetic. Shouldn't be here. BUT I CAN'T RESIST. I recommend anything here with caramel and/or cardamon. But the chocolate desserts are delicious, too. And the bread pudding.

After binging a few Netflix episodes of "Is It Cake?" my childhood bestie (and best eating companion ever) Cheryll and I decided to binge some actual cake. Found this delightful shop on Yelp and headed to the Castro on Saturday night. We had the brioche bread pudding, devil's food cake, and carrot cake. We also tried two flavors of ice cream: brown sugar buttermilk and roasted pineapple. Excellent crumb of all different densities and textures for each of the baked goods and depth of flavor. The ice cream was also exceptionally good. Please bring your discerning palate here and treat it to some deliciousness!

This place is a straight up Back to the Future Marty McFly joint with the old school uniforms to match.Just like the restaurant theme, they have all the classic desserts. It's worth trying if you're in the area and looking for something for the sweet tooth. BB

We went here on a Saturday afternoon around 4:05pm and stumbled upon this place, so we decided to try it. When I looked at the menu, they had some interesting flavors, so I wasn't sure what I wanted since there's no description for those flavors. Anyways, we ended up ordering a small, 2 flavors cup of icecream and chose Holiday Cookie and Mint Chip as our icecream flavors with Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream as our toppings. When I tried the Holiday Cookie icecream, I thought it was interesting and it reminded me of a gingerbread cookie. I didn't enjoy it too much since I don't like gingerbread, but luckily I had the Mint Chip icecream as a backup! Not saying I don't like the Holiday Cookie flavor, but it's just not my favorite. Anyways, I liked how big the icecream scoops were and that the icecream here tastes homemade. I'd recommend this place! It seems like they are always changing their icecream flavors, so that is something to look forward to. Most importantly, the icecream and toppings were good!

We were craving some dessert while in the area this past weekend, and the Castro Fountain hit the spot. We tried the bread pudding, strawberry guava sorbet, mint chip ice cream, and chocolate chip cookies (package of 6 to go). The bread pudding was probably our fave, though everything was pretty good. Plus the service was great and the setting was really cute. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and we were lucky to enjoy some live music in the front patio while enjoying our treats on a Saturday afternoon (part of SF's Summer of Music).

It's going to be my place to come for an afternoon chat. First of all, the girl here is just so nice. She was smiling and welcoming, it made my cold night so much better. We ordered a coffee, jasmine, and a brownie. Everything here is so good. They gave us a tea pot to share. It was very warm and sweet. I would really come back here and bring dates here. It's a nice place to chat. If there will be more seats, that would be even perfect. Because I don't want to take the seats too long, when people are standing right next and waiting.

Ordered their famous Rainbow Cake for a special holiday party. It was showcase ready and tasty ! I highly recommend having this at any party, it really made everyone happy and was talked about a lot. Yes it's pricey, but so worth it, cut back somewhere else. The ice cream and ice cream choices are also fabulous at this place.

I loved it. The decor and ambiance was charming and nostalgic. The staff was extremely friendly and enthusiastic. I had the vegan chocolate sorbet and let me tell you - it was divine. The passion fruit sorbet was also delicious. I definitely want to come back and try the sundaes and other flavors! The chocolate chip cookie was also good too!

Stopped in here before a show at the Castro theater for an affogato and it was DELICIOUS! My friend had some pie and an espresso and my espresso and ice cream was so luscious and yummy. Also used the restroom and it was spotless. Loved this little gem of a place! Perfect for a pre-show dessert.

The customer service and ice cream are great here. Cute tables and the old school ice cream shop theme is fun.

I love exploring neighborhoods for new dessert spots and since my brother has new digs, we have been discovering the Castro now. Usually my default for ice cream in SF is Bi-Rite Creamery but my bro recommended this place and I quickly obliged after seeing the scrumptious "made from scratch" cakes, pies, ice cream pics on Yelp. It's like we were at a birthday party - we ordered cake and ice cream. The display of the handmade goods I saw on Yelp looked just as tantalizing IRL and knew I couldn't leave without a slice of the rainbow cake to-go. You can get two flavors for a single. The brown sugar buttermilk ice cream was my favorite! You can taste everything about its name. The mint chocolate chip was a nice refreshing ending. I had gotten mine in their homemade version of a waffle cone and it was different from the usual ones I've had before- a bit grainy and I was on the fence whether I liked it. The rainbow cake slice was good- it doesn't have that Susie's cakes moistness in the actual cake, but it was aesthetically appealing, made well, and I enjoyed the Italian Swiss buttercream. You should eat it ASAP or it will become dry- don't refrigerate it! The rest of our party had chocolate cake and ice cream and we were set to walk home. It was a tasty experience and would return to try the pies, other cakes and of course the ice cream (sans cone).

"I'm your density. I mean, your destiny..." Those that know me, I mean really know me... know how I believe in the ebb and flow of life. I believe in faith, serendipity, and soulmates. So what does my lifestyle have to do with The Castro Fountain? Well... The Castro Fountain was not on my metrosexual mind this early morning, or was it on my to-do list. However, as the stars aligned I found myself in the middle of the Castro district, and suddenly in need of dessert, ice cream, sweets! Before I could peruse Yelp I noticed an Ice Cream Parlor, something from Back to the Future with a solid 1950's ambiance. Hm As I enter, I notice it's more upscale than anything Marty McFly would frequent. Indeed, a high end dessert shop from the pages of Esquire! I am politely greeted and after perusing the menu decide on two scoops of Ice Cream. Crème Fraîche & Coconut Milk Maple Bacon! The later is vegan. As the Soda Jerk prepares my dessert, I notice all sorts of sweets, cookies to brownies, cakes to pastries. I paid maybe a dollar more versus any place else in the city for two scoops and yet I didn't mind. In fact I tipped another dollar just 'cause the two Soda Jerks, well they weren't jerks at all lol, instead the two most courteous young men scooping ice cream. The two perfectly scooped ice cream now in my hands. I grab a chair at one of the café tables, as I look around at the aesthetically pleasing decor. Such a good flow here, open space, high ceilings, natural lighting. Still full from lunch and a couple modern cocktails with my more metro brother earlier, this vibes the perfect choice for dessert... I lick it! Oh my! Crème Fraîche was my first lick and it wowed me! So creamy and had my taste buds craving more. Coconut Milk Maple Bacon was on the bottom of the cup, but nothing bottom here, vegan or not... the coconut rich and another fabulous choice! To me, the texture was more on the side of gelato versus standard American ice cream. Each lick ooh! In the end, you don't need a DeLorean on nuclear plutonium to transport you back into time at The Castro Fountain. Yes, it's on the pricier side for desserts, but if you're into quality and ambiance this place does it right! The ebb and flow is strong here, I'll hopefully return with the girl in a poodle skirt;)

Do you like old school ice cream or baked goods? Do you like shakes or a good hot butterscotch? Castro Fountain has your back! It's a little bit of frozen history from the era of diners and boat cars. Their shop is quaint and doesn't have a ton of room inside, but you'll probably take your ice cream on the cone and walk with it, since this stuff is DENSE. I got some fresh baked cookies (amazing stuff) for an awesome price and my friend got a vanilla shake with butterscotch. Both of us came away super happy. They are also pretty nice and will let you try any of their flavors (not their cake unfortunately). I definitely want to come back and get a slice of the chocolate cake with a pint of ice cream.

What a fun spot with an exorbitant amount of baked goods -- cakes, pies, brownies, cookies and more! While the prices for the treats I ordered was pretty high: $7.50 for a slice of cake and $6.50 for a slice of pie -- in my opinion, they were worth it! The rainbow layer cake was light and sweet. The cake was tender and moist. The vanilla buttercream between the layers in a Swiss buttercream-- much smoother and less sweet than American buttercream. This left the cake overall tasting flavorful, but not too sweet! The nectarine and raspberry pie was out of this world. It had huge nectarine pieces that were juicy and sweet with just the right amount of tartness. The pie was also packed with fresh raspberries and a delicious crumb topping. It was, in short, the perfect summer pie. I highly recommend this spot for baked goods! Suck it up and ignore the high price tag. You're in SF after all and these sweet treats are a huge WIN.

I love this place. The baked goods especially are so scrumptious. Try the brioche bread pudding!!!! The atmosphere is beautiful. The service top rate!!!!

This is a nice cozy dessert location that serves baked goods, ice cream and frozen yoghurt. It also has a limited selection of my favorites - cakes and pies. It is open 3-8 or 9 pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. I chose the rainbow cake and chocolate ice cream. It had great optics, but the cake was dry. I had it with cherries and candied cashews. Bpth these toppings were delicious. Others in our party had ice cream in a cup or a cone. Ice cream was average. The cone was falling apart. Parking is on the street. Service was superb.

Best vanilla ice cream in the city, and all the cakes and brownies are absolutely delish! If you order pie or brownie with vanilla ice cream on it, you will never regret it. I would love it if they were able to expand their hours at this location; or what about selling the brownies at Phil's or Spike's coffee on the days you're closed? How about a big "welcome back to school" sign in the window to let families and kids know they are welcome?

Not only do they have VEGAN ice cream but, they have THE BEST vegan ice cream! The creaminess and consistency is unmatched. I was shook to find out that that they are the sister company of The Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley because they are my fave. Ambiance is very old school and welcoming. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. It's a little dangerous for such delicious vegan ice cream to be so close to me while I'm at work.

The Castro Fountain is an amazing gourmet dessert shop. It is easily in the top three of dessert/ice cream shops I have been to. If you are considering where to go for dessert, stop researching, and go to the Castro Fountain right now. The desserts which include ice cream and baked goods are exceptional quality with rich flavor profiles. What I like the most is that they do not overwhelm you with sugar and allow their top notch ingredients speak for themselves. The carrot cake I had last night had a complex layering of spices with mild sweetness and the texture was phenomenal. Oh and I have not even mentioned the ambiance and the service yet. Inside, is a classy old timey soda fountain. The customer service is wonderful, with each server attentive, polite, and wanting to make sure you have a great experience. Their base ice cream is Brown Sugar Buttermilk is a must try. Please also consider the bread pudding. My wife and I have had both every time we have done. I wish they gave out Michelin stars to dessert places. The Castro Fountain would get one.

Delightful creamery and bake shop in the heart of the Castro District. Traditional flavors are given a new twist here. They also have some the best cakes, which are sold by slice or can be ordered.

I want to love this place as they have great ice cream flavors and the cake is good but they are a bit pricey for what you get, especially the cake slices. And their hours are so random!! I don't know how they stay in business being open only 4 days per week and opening so late in the day. Several times, my friend and I wanted to stop for something sweet on a weekend afternoon only to find that they don't open until 3pm!! Seriously! You can't open until 3pm on a Saturday? That is totally ridiculous. Wonder how much business they are missing out on? I've seen so many families wandering the Castro from noon to 2pm.

Amazing spot with elevated old school diner vibes paired with amazing ice cream flavors. The people working here were so kind and helpful! We got the Banana Split with Crème Fraiche, Toasted Pineapple and Strawberry ice cream scoops. The portion was perfect for the price and the sundae was amazing. There was also a large assortment of baked goods that looked so good so we will have to come back to try those as well. Truly one of the best ice cream spots in the city.

DELICIOUS! Such a delightful spot in Castro! Everything here is made fresh, and everything was delicious! Wee had the brownie sundae, and chocolate cake. Staff was super friendly and loved the cozy vibe!

Great choices of ice cream and desserts. Just a fun place to be with good vibes. Blood orange passion fruit sorbet was simply sublime!

You know, ice cream is really just frozen butter with flavorings and some egg yolk. I contemplated this while savoring a scoop of the Crème fraîche ice cream at The Castro Fountain, a cozy, welcoming dessert stop in the "heart of the Castro," which just happens to be nearly next door to the house my cousin grew up in, and still resides in to this day. To tell the truth if I lived next door to The Castro Fountain I think my life might be very different. Because that savory, buttery-tasting Crème fraîche ice cream is something I have not been able to get out of my head since having it several days ago. It's a must!! Really sweet darling staff, pleasant atmosphere, and many fantastic desserts here. Higher-end prices reflect the quality. I hear the tin roof sundae is amazing. HUGE brownies for your warm brownie sundae craving, and the shakes look fantastic too.

I don't know how an ice cream place with five people working on it can be so bad. You guys are clearly clueless of what you are doing. Horrible service, and it also overcharges you if you're not paying attention. Be better.

The coconut milk maple pecan ice-cream is delightful. Have it with a dainty cup of espresso, and you'll be in heaven. I only wish ALL employees were meticulous about handwashing after clearing tables, touching their hair/adjusting their clothes, and handling cash. I'm a nurse, I see all of it, and cringe. I brought it to the manager's attention, and she promised she'd address it..

I ordered a $7 slice of carrot cake and it was the smallest sliver of cake I've ever had. The cake part was pretty good but the frosting was horrible.

I went to this place with my Brazilian family and friends a couple of days ago, and the service there was terrible! The staff and owner were working at that day and they made the situation very confusion for us. They couldn't stop judging us with their eyes and words, it was very stressful for everyone! By the way, we left the place with every single order missing something and messed up ice cream flavors; and we also payed for something that we didn't even order. Since we were in Castro, we didn't expect at all to be treated different just because of our strong accent. We didn't felt comfortable and welcome as immigrants in that ice cream place! Really don't recommend this horrible and unsafe environment for anyone, especially if you are part of a minority group!

Poor customer service. Rudeness and a lot of confusion with the orders. I do not recommend

Nothing complicated about this experience...walk in, internally debate if you want cake or ice cream or cookies or brownies (or all!?). The aroma when you walk in is so lovely, it makes you happy and excited to grab sweets! I decided to get the Devils Chocolate Cake since I was seated outside with a bottle of red wine. The cake was so moist, decadent, and rich with delicious chocolate goodness. Next time you're having dinner in Castro, you must stop by and get dessert!

Cute place and love the hot drink variety! Tried hot butterscotch with toasted marshmallow because it's rare. A big solar of mash mellowed on top and tasted with a burning gun. It's too sweet for me but kid loves it. The butterscotch itself is tasty. Upon opening the cup lid the aromatic smell is already a great treat! A real gem of this place, like!

I like the girl who works here, she is the only sweet one. The others are salty. I go here for the simple but elevated flavours and the best CONE in the world:) the cake slices remind me good cake exists:) I took off two stars because this place is NEVER open for the actual people who live in the Castro... it Noe Valley hours but we ain't that...

Considering the prices, I can't say we were overly impressed. Three of us got the single scoop sundae, and I went with the brownie sundae. Scoops were large but didn't really have much in the way of distinguishing flavor. Neither the peanut butter nor the brown sugar tasted like either. Even though my brownie was heated up, it was hard, stale, and had a weird taste. $8 for the regular sundaes and almost $12 for the brownie sundae just seemed to be a lot. We probably should've just gone to Ghirardelli.

Over the past few years, it's become my holiday tradition to visit the Castro Fountain for a hot butterscotch with marshmallow fluff. It's insanely good! During my last visit, my husband got an affogato and opted for brown sugar buttermilk ice cream. It was fantastic. They primarily sell ice cream but I go for the hot drinks and baked goods. They make great cakes and cookies :)

I adore how precious this place was. I should have tried for a coke float but I got an amazing mint chip shake instead. We took a slice of carrot cake home. As gorgeous as the carrot cake was it was dry as sin and not very sweet. Loved the decor and the uniforms. So cute. Wanna come back

One of my favorite spots for a sundae or any of there scrumptious sweets. I love the vibe, the staff are always so friendly.

Who would have thought that they would have some of the best vegan ice cream I've ever tried here? The coconut milk maple pecan is incredible - super creamy with a nice pop of sweetness and crunch from the maple pecan. If you like coconut, this ice cream is not to be missed.

This is a great ice cream place. No weird blood flavored ice cream. The chocolate sorbet is like eating frozen fudge. They have cake. And pie. And honest to goodness iced cream sodas. Go now. Go often. Support a truly local business.

Was pretty good! Brownie was a little thick and I wish they had more ice cream flavors

Maybe I'm just getting older, but I love how The Castro has more places, like The Castro Fountain, for friends to gather and converse that are not bars. Don't get me wrong, I like a beer ... maybe more than Brent "hic!" Kavanaugh, ... but Ice Cream is my favorite of all temptations! The Castro Fountain, with their 50's flair, has so many rich and wonderful flavors and concoctions. They also have so many wonderful Cakes! We loved the Rainbow Cake, which our friends served as their wedding cake! Yum! The Castro Fountain takes me back to my boyhood. My go-to favorite here is the Root Beer Float, classic with vanilla ice cream. They also have luscious Bread Pudding which is, for me, so reminiscent of holiday desserts. Order Cakes in advance, made to order. BTW: They're CLOSED on Tuesday

TL;DR - Classic-style ice cream shop. If you're on a stroll, or looking for dessert after brunch, this is a great spot to drop in. They pull all the stop. The servers are dressed up, the seating inside is vintage and unique, and the ice cream flavors really scream "I'm not healthy, but I sure as hell am delicious." We got their brioche and put ice cream scoop on top ($6.50+$1.50). It was really beautiful, but then the server closed the lid and smooshed the caramel all over the top of the lid. What the heck. :( The ice cream we used was brown sugar buttermilk or something and that was really delightful. I also got an Affogato - decaf with almond ice cream. That was fun. Overall, it's fun, but also SF is known for their ice cream so there's lots of others to try too.

The Castro Fountain! What a cute place to stop! We stopped on a whim looking for ice cream. Although the floats are somewhat expensive, they were handmade and flavored by one of the baristas. This place has a modern and vintage appeal. Modern bathroom and interior, but vintage tables that seat four and swing out. Not much seating, but there's also bench seating for a quick snack. People don't stay too long, so we were able to grab a seat after a group left. We did get the gooey cake, but it was burn on top. That was slightly disappointing considering it was just put in the oven. I thought about asking for another, but we ended up eating it and skipping the burnt topping.

Looooooove it !!! The rainbow cake is so pretty ! The ice cream on it, sooooooo good !

Yum! This rainbow cake was absolutely delicious! Got a bit too sweet near the end, but was definitely a cute bite! Perfect if you're looking for an insta-worthy snack in the city.

This company has The Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley and this ice cream shop too with a different name. It's the same concept and ice cream. Interesting flavors with a different taste. I got "Irish coffee" today and it was pretty good. Small scoop in a paper cup for $5. It's fun when it's in the metal dish. They have cones for extra. Fun times for ice cream in SF.

Love love this dessert spot! One of the best apple pie's I have ever had...and I don't like apple pie lol and the cakes and cookies are equally delicious. This place is a must try OVER AND OVER AND OVER again lol

The Castro Fountain is a 1930s-inspired soda fountain, serving shakes, floats, sundaes, and scoops. One crucial difference from its sister establishment, Cole Valley's Ice Cream Bar, is that booze-enhanced fountain drinks are not served, unfortunately. In addition to ice cream, this woman-owned business also serves cookies, pies, and cakes, including a rainbow cake in celebration of the LGBT community. Staff, dressed in traditional soda fountain attire, are friendly and attentive, even warning-up our chocolate chip cookie. Relatively limited list of ice cream flavors, but still managing to include both classics and unique options. Note: they are only open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Flew in from Las Vegas and visiting family and how I miss the bay area. Me, my uncle and his partner decide to walk around and decide to get boba tea after dinner but the place was already close. I mentioned to my uncle why don't we try that dessert spot we saw earlier since he mentioned this place might be new and that its his first time seeing it. As we entered the dessert place the atmosphere was cute, nostalgic and retro. Nobody was there on a Saturday night but us and that's Ok! More dessert for me and I was able to sample the chocolate cheese cake and take my time. In the back I believe it was bar? What kind of bar? not sure. I was thinking it might be a float bar? Nobody was behind it. I forgot to ask what kind of bar it was I was so distracted on what to get for dessert. Cute Uniform of the cashier/dessert associate was dress in a white apron, white shirt, and white hat which fit the part of the 1950-1960 era. Wish the person behind the counter could of been more interactive and talked more about the dessert shop itself and especially about the bar they had. There were only 3 tables in the whole place. Tables were also cute The legs of the tables were made out of cast iron and you were able to pull out and in the seats. Pies, Cake, Floats, Cookies, Sundaes, Hot Drinks! Oh my! what to do? I ordered the Double scoop Sundae, Chocolate and macadamia. Top with almonds and a Cherry on Top. My uncle had bread pudding and his partner had a cookie. Everything was simple and delicious! If you love just simple and nostalgic desserts this place is great for you! Great to bring a casual date and make memories. Will be coming here again in the Castro District!

I guess I should have figured out this was a spin-off of the Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley (review: http://bit.ly/2takvzo), but I've been off the wagon when it comes to treating myself to quality handmade ice cream unless it's on a stick with a Skinny Cow label on it. That may be why I had not come running to this classic old-fashioned parlor for a calorific indulgence when it opened last year. But here I was, sauntering on Castro as I have learned how to saunter, thinking something sweet might be nice after a Greek salad at Park Gyros. They offer sundaes and banana splits, malts and milkshakes, and handmade sodas and even egg creams. Basically anything you would find Andy Hardy buy for one of his girlfriends in an old MGM musical set sometime during WWII when our doughboys were fighting the...oh never mind. Anyway, I figured I could afford a pot of hot spearmint tea and a $2 Matcha Cookie (photo: http://bit.ly/2tnntji). There were several baked items on the marble counter (photo: http://bit.ly/2JZcnrS), but I kept it real for myself and enjoyed it thoroughly. COOKIES - 4 stars...as good a matcha cookie as I've had...which would be never AMBIANCE - 4 stars...the mid-century flair fits the Castro though I wished they had a few more seats SERVICE - 3 stars...not as social a soda jerk as I was expecting TOTAL - 4 stars...more real ice cream parlors like this would be welcome