Bad Walter's is my go-to spot for ice cream in Rockridge! As someone who became lactose -intolerant as an adult, I thought the limited non-dairy options at the grocery store would be the end of my ice cream experience... I'm so glad I was wrong! The flavors are insanely spot-on, and the best part is if you try a new one on a whim, you'll often discover yet another flavor you love. Flavor titles are hilarious and memorable... love the creativity! The pup cups are such a sweet touch, too, and the customer service is always so kind and personable. Also, when you get delivery, the ice cream somehow stays cold and is never melted?! If you haven't tried Bad Walter's out, you are MISSING out! read more

I remember back in the pandemic days when I found this hidden, pick-up only, best damn I e cream you will ever have. And it really was. Then the amazing owner opened up the Rockridge location and it's been hard to believe but her ice cream has gotten better! I will forever be a Bad Walter's fan! read more

This place sells my favorite ice creams in the area, I love the flavors that incorporate fresh fruit (the passionfruit one is great) as well as the more nostalgic, childhood-inspired flavors like Crazy Squares. There are so many inventive options on any given day, and there are always exciting new ones to try at each visit! I was inspired to finally write a review after hearing about some weirdos getting up in arms about a correctly-named ice cream inspired by a local legend, but to be honest this review was long overdue regardless because the ice cream really is worth it. If you're sensitive to lactose at all (even short of being intolerant), you'll most likely notice a difference in how good you feel after eating Bad Walter's compared to other dairy ice creams. I talk about this place to friends all the time, I don't think you can go wrong with anything they have here. Highly recommend subscribing to Sydney's newsletter to get the inside scoop (haha) on the goings-on behind the scenes plus getting the first look at the weekly menu, because sometimes the one on the website isn't updated as often! read more

I've been a Bad Walter's devotee since it was Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream being sold from Sydney's house during the pandemic. This place is truly in a class of its own and its positive attributes are many. Lactose free! Rotating, seasonal, inventive flavors! Strongly rooted in community! Good sense of humor! Knows how to properly execute a peanut butter swirl!!! My ice cream intake has increased by 100% since the brick and mortar opened, and I wouldn't have it any other way. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice cream cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Peaches Christ, this is some damn good ice cream! I have been a huge fan of Bad Walter's for a good year, maybe even longer, and the owner Sydney is as sweet and wonderful as her ice cream. She is so utterly creative! read more

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I love the ice cream here! It's lactose free so I don't feel bloated! The staff are really friendly and they have indoor and outdoor seating! The place is vibrant and full of colors! I recommend read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Girl breakfast (hazelnut with freeze dried strawberries) and tinky winky (ube with honeycomb)! Came here the other night and it was so busy! I can't believe how they come out with new flavors every Wednesday- that's an enormous amount of creativity! There's gotta be a flavor you like here- their offerings are so unique- and range from being super decadent to lighter sorbets. Will be coming back! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Great flavors for an unusually low price compared to other ice cream shops in CA. I got a single cone with two flavors - cookie dough and Dirt Cup (chocolate with Oreo pieces) - for $6! My friend got passion fruit with short bread and unfortunately I forget the other flavor she tried when we were there on Sunday 5/3/26. The employees were friendly and let us sample a few flavors. They even have a punch card where you get a free scoop after purchasing nine. No cash so credit/debit only. Would come back for sure as they change their flavors every week! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Fa'sho dough (cookie dough) & dirt cup (chocolate with Oreo cookie pieces) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

My friends and I stopped by Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream after dining nearby at Oken down the street on College. We stopped by around 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday evening and it was surprisingly busy inside. There were two people working behind the counter scooping ice cream so the line actually went surprisingly quick. It didn't look like anyone was getting samples of the flavors so everyone just went in blind and picked what flavor looked the best. I didn't like that the design of the menu on the wall because it had no descriptions of what any of the flavors were. For example, there's no chance anyone could guess what a "Hokey Pokey" or "MF Monster" tastes like if this is your first visit at Bad Walter's. My wife and I shared a kid's scoop of the MF Monster, a Biscoff cookie frozen custard with salty caramel and Oreo chunks. I really enjoyed the soft texture of the scoop and the quantity of chunks mixed into the ice cream. There wasn't a spoonful I had that lacked caramel, Biscoff, or Oreo chunks. The only criticism that folks in our group had about the MF Monster was that the salted caramel was borderline too salty. In general, many also felt like the ice cream here leaned towards being too sweet. If you have sweet tooth and love chunky ice creams, you will absolutely love Bad Walter's. If you appreciate desserts that are more sutble in their sweetness, you might want to pick up a coffee elsewhere to complement your dessert or venture elsewhere. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - MF monster kid scoop in a cup - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Kind employees and great ice cream :) This is a must stop shop if you are in the area. My only suggestion would be to make the pandan cookie sandwich with vanilla or coconut ice cream since it is quite sweet paired with caramel icecream (hazlenut I think)! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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I visited this evening and was shocked to see an ice cream flavor name that used Jesus Christ in a disparaging and insulting manner. This was not simply a playful or creative name--it appeared to mock a central figure of the Christian faith for the sake of marketing and amusement. As a Christian, I found it offensive and disrespectful. What made it even more troubling is the apparent double standard. I have a hard time believing this business would have chosen a flavor name that mocked Muhammad, Moses, or another religious figure, or a prominent LGBTQ+ icon in a mocking manner. Most businesses understand that doing so would be viewed as insensitive and offensive. Yet somehow, mocking Jesus Christ was apparently considered acceptable. Respect and inclusion should apply to everyone, including Christians. If a business wants to present itself as welcoming and respectful of diverse beliefs and backgrounds, that respect should not stop when it comes to Christianity. There are countless creative ways to name a product without ridiculing what billions of people across the globe hold sacred. I hope the owners reconsider this decision. Businesses are free to make their own choices, and customers are free to decide whether those choices reflect the kind of establishment they wish to support. In my view, this decision showed poor judgment and a lack of respect for the Christian community. Too bad, it was great ice cream, but a poor experience. 6/4/25: Sydney, "Peaches Christ" is a deliberate pun on the name Jesus Christ. The origin behind a phrase does not justify its use, nor negate its impact. Parodying things others hold sacred is just in poor taste. True inclusion doesn't mean honoring one community by disrespecting another. Intent and impact matters. I hope you will seriously reconsider whether this marketing invention really exemplifies a spirit of good-will and inclusion to ALL people. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Truly a phenomenal place for creamy, boozy ice cream that has a hint of alcohol. As one can tell by the name, they have very fun ice cream flavors at reasonable prices! They had a carrot cake flavor that I really liked and thought was amazing. There is a multi-use bathroom in the back with a few seats inside and small outdoor tables with foldable chairs. read more

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My friend shared Bad Walter's back story about how they have grown from a pop-up to a local gem, so I'd been excited to try Bad Walter's for months. We decided to stop by after dinner one evening and were able to squeeze in about half an hour before they closed. Even at that late hour, the shop still had a line out the door! When I got to the front of the line, I sampled a couple of flavors. The coffee ice cream with ginger molasses cookie dough spoke to me, and it was some of the best ice cream I've had in a long time (and I eat ice cream at least once a week). The kid-sized scoop was generous, and I went all out and ordered it in a a sugar cone. On a side note, I especially love how their ice cream is lactose-free - no regrets later! :) I started a punch card because I intend to become a regular. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Coffee ice cream with ginger molasses cookie dough - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

A friend brought Bad Walter's chocolate covered matzah to Passover and it was incredible. Super unique, rich, and genuinely memorable. I also really liked the menu and the website, and the staff seemed friendly and helpful. Definitely a spot I'd recommend. read more

Great place for those who like unique ice cream flavors. I paid $6 for a (8/10) single in a cake cone that I got two flavors. One included a passion fruit shortcake and the other was a ube base with toffee, both were creamy and delicious. We were able to sample the flavors. They seem to have a rotating menu of 4 or 5 flavors but also basic vanilla and chocolate. Workers were friendly and they also have pints you can buy. The interior was clean and there's seating along the windows. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Single - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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I've been avoiding trying this place. There won't be parking. They'll just have kid flavors. They won't be open when I'm in the mood. I need to stay away from dairy. But recently I was nearby and in desperate need of ice cream. There was parking, they were open, I was was hooked. Their flavors are inspired, wildly inventive and delicious. Combinations nobody ever tried before in the history of ice cream. Flavors that sound unlikely together, and everything coming together perfectly. The dangerous part is that they come up with new flavors every week, so I have to keep coming back. read more

Two and a half stars, rounding up. This place makes quite a blast for having the best ice cream ever, according to their signage. How could we resist? The Wife got a single scoop of a banana bread based flavor for six bucks. Her reaction wasn't great. It just tasted uniformly too sweet, with no banana bread flavor at all, unless she got a piece on her spoon with no ice cream with it. I didn't get anything since I like flavors with nuts, and they didn't have any that day. So overall, not impressed. (My error - I previously wrote this was a cookie flavor. I have updated the review.) read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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Lactose intolerant me loves this place. I keep one of their freezer bags in my trunk in case I'm nearby. (I live in the SouthBay). The flavors are unique and delicious. Toasted bread in my ice cream? Yes, please! read more

So obsessed with Bad Walters! If you love fun and unique flavors every week, this place is a total jackpot and their lactose-free?! you get all the incredible richness and creamy texture of real dairy without any of the trouble, and everything tastes amazing. On top of the food being great, the customer service was lovely. The staff was super welcoming and sweet, which just made the whole experience better. I will definitely be a regular here! read more

I wish I took a picture of my ice cream but I was too busy eating it. All the flavor are super tasty and the workers are extremely nice and friendly. They even encourage you to try every flavor which I will say is very dangerous because then you want a a couple scoops and a pint to take home. I always think of coming back here but it isn't easy to find parking for me. But it would be worth the trip since their ice cream is so good. Definitely would bring visiting friends and family here. read more

My employee and I have this joke goin' on... Whenever we say Badwalters, we say Bad like a sheep would say it: "BAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-D WALTAH'S!" Bahahahahaha!!! Okay... I'm sorry. I just had to do it. It brings us so much laughter and joy, just like their scrumptious ice cream. I'm highly... HIGHLY addicted to this place. We all watched like a hawk as they constructed this place from scratch. And once it opened, it did NOT disappoint! I love the creative flavors and the funny and unique names of each flavor. I love the rotation and checking their IG each week to see what new flavors will be coming next. It's always a fun little adventure and they make it that way. The staff is always polite, friendly, and helpful. You can sample the flavors that interest you before you commit. They are cashless so you don't have to worry about carrying money (even for tips). Their single scoop is actually a double, and their double is actually a triple (the more ice cream, the merrier!). I love that they always have a non-dairy option for those who are lactose or Vegan. What I really love about Badwalters is that their ice cream is rich and creamy, but not overwhelmingly so. It's comparable to gelato. There's this fullness in the taste that I don't find from other ice cream shops. You can taste that homemade element deep within the crevices of each lovely layer. The sweetness really activates your tastebuds. As someone with severe allergies, I can appreciate that the flavors still emanate through with a clogged up nose (even though I probably shouldn't be eating dairy when I'm all clogged up). There's just something so special about this place. The owner is also super passionate about what she does and it shows. The Hokey Pokey flavor has been on heavy rotation for me during these past few weeks. It has quickly become a favorite of mine. Really excited to have Badwalters in the neighborhood to satisfy my ice cream and laughter cravings. read more

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Glad they let us sample flavors! I ended up getting grandma's boy and fa'sho dough on a sugar cone. Grandma's boy was very unique for having chocolate chip banana bread as one of the ingredients! Fa'sho dough was good but ended up having a little too much cookie dough for me, with the cookie dough pieces being humongous cubes. I think I would've enjoyed it more if the cookie dough chunks were smaller. Handful of tables inside and outside. Pretty small store. read more

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This is some of the best ice cream in the bay and lactose free! The names of the flavors are fun and pay tribute while being nostalgic and cute. Sydney is a genius. Treat yourself! read more

Are you a normal person who likes tasty things? Then Bad Walter's is for you! Every flavor is seasonal and amazing, and they make pup cups for your doggo. Every staff member is friendly, good tunes, outdoor seating, and prime location on College read more

Tonight, I had the Fa'Sho Dough, which is their version of Cookie Dough, and wow, was it sweet and delicious! I almost went back for another one. I've been trying Bad Walter's even before they had a brick-and-mortar place. Back in the day, you had to go to their pop-ups all over the city. I'm so glad they opened a physical location because they really have some of the best flavors in the whole San Francisco Bay Area. They're always experimenting and have new flavors every week or so. It's always a new flavor every time I come here, which is always exciting. Plus, they use real dairy but have no lactose for all my lactose-intolerant friends out there. Please check them out--you won't be disappointed by this Oakland gem! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ordered: single scoop in a cup with sucker punch and MF monster Highlights: Offers samples! sucker punch is quite literally lemon bar in ice cream form. It indeed had a punch (fitting name) which caught me by surprise. MF monster was one of the more richer Biscoff flavors. I thought the two would be odd together but they were delish. Texture was perfect and portion was great. They even asked if I had a preference for which flavor I want on top which I always appreciate! Notes: parking was easy and there are two tables outside and a bunch of stools inside. They only have 6 flavors (but doubled/mirrored them). I tried 4/6 and they were all solid. Looking forward to coming back and trying new flavors! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - single scoop with sucker punch and mf monster - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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Good quality ice cream. The flavors are a little out there for your average kid so it makes this place a little tough when your little one just wants one of the classics. But I liked it anyway. read more

Great ice cream spot after countless dinner spots nearly. They are open till 10 pm on weekends. Super friendly and unique flavors. You can also get them by pint. A few seatings Inside. Overall 5/5. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Mint cookie and creme - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Nice place and decent parking. The ice cream is my type. The mom and pop, not too creamy, with original flavors. Fun names with descriptions. I had to Wabbit Season (carrot caramel and carrot cake) and Hanky Panky (honey comb chunks). Both on the sweet side. And the carrot caramel did stick to my teeth. However, I definitely enjoyed both and even got another scoop of wabbit season. I had a taste of the mojito, which was quite refreshing and like a mojito. Service was fast and friendly. Though there was a line. There were a few servers, which was helpful. A family of 5 was in front of us wanting to try all the flavors before deciding. The ambiance is fun and quirky. Tables outside, but inside were just high, uncomfortable chairs. read more

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**4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars** I've been following Bad Walter on Instagram since her pop up days, but I never got a chance to try the ice cream until now! The aesthetic is very quirky and fun, which makes it super welcoming. We tried the Classic B Martini and the Dirt Cup, which were both unique flavors. The ice cream itself is super smooth in texture as well. It's a bit on the sweeter side for me, but I'm excited to try more flavors and continue supporting Bad Walter's! read more

Awesome staff. Super unique flavors like blueberry peanut butter. Ever changing flavors. Quality of ice cream is good--not too cream heavy. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Pricing - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

I CANT STOP COMING and I seriously need to because it's wedding crunch time :') The problem is, I follow Bad Walter's on Instagram to see what their flavors of the week are, and every week Sydney drops some new bomb af flavor that I absolutely have to try. It's been taking a ton of self control to resist going in EVERY week. Bad Walter's is easily one of my top ice cream shops in the bay (alongside Garden Creamery in SF). Where it differs is that Bad Walters is eclectic mix-ins v.s. Garden Creamery is smooth, singular flavors. Bad Walter's is delightful and unexpected. The worst part is that when you fall in love with a flavor, you might not see it again for a few weeks. Currently still waiting for the return of Ma-nilla Dreams; I had bought a pint for a friend to try it and she ate it within two days. I am holding on to my last half pint right now until they restock. Another great addition is their hot chocolate. They serve it as a choco-gato (like an affogato but with hot chocolate instead of coffee). I prefer the hot chocolate on it's own; it reminds me of my study abroad days in paris because its decadent and warm and rich. Anyway - go check it out - you won't be disappointed. the bad reviews are literally just haters. Even my fiance, who specifically doesn't like ice cream as hes generaly not a dessert person, comes for a scoop when our favorite flavors are back in the shelf. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Head in the clouds: cotton candy, cereal marshmallows MANILLA Dreams: Ube, banana milk caramel and Nilla Wafers - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious recipes for uniques flavors. I had the Wabbit Season which was carrot cake and cream cheese. Delicious! My daughter had the Slumber Party which had...everything! Chocolate ice cream, pretzels, Reese's pieces, and honestly I forget the rest! It was also delicious. Cute decor and friendly staff round out the experience. What's not to love? Definitely coming back! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Wabbit Season. Carrot cake and cream cheese! Yum! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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GOAT GOAT GOAT best ice cream ever. lactose free for my hubby's tummy and the namesake chihuahua portrait is iconic. MF Monster is the best flavor I have ever had in my entire life. read more

I've been on a gelato and ice cream kick recently and stopped into Bad Walters to try out their wares. Walter's only had a handful of flavor options as they essentially boast two containers of each flavor. I ordered a small of the Hanky Panky, which had caramel crunch and found it both slightly too rich and slightly too salty for me. I think it would work as an alcoholic ice cream or paired with vanilla, but not on its own. All in all, the service was helpful and prompt and they have a restroom in the back for customers and quite a bit of outside seating so I would definitely drop in again and try a different flavor. read more

lactose free AND unique flavors?! sign me up! this ice cream spot hand makes everything from their ice cream bases to the add-ins like the strawberry puree or marshmallow fluff! I tried their strawberry cracker pie flavor, and it was BOMBBBB - just a tad bit too sweet for me, but I honestly didn't mind it! I also appreciated how friendly the staff was especially after learning it was my first time there. Would love to try more of their flavors next time I visit:) read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

I was honestly super excited to try this place after its claim that they're the best. They offer about 6 flavors, and staff is friendly and attentive. I sampled 2 of the flavors, and immediately felt an overload of salt in my mouth. I thought it was just the sample spoon itself, perhaps it picked up a concentrated area of saltiness. My friend and I both ordered a small kid's scoop each of fruity pebbles and MF monster, and although ice cream is my all-time favorite dessert, I'm saddened to say that these scoops were difficult to finish. As much as I wanted to like the flavor and the ice cream, although the ice cream texture was amazing, the flavor was lacking in sweetness and way too overpowering in the saltiness. It was difficult to continue eating this ice cream. Perhaps future flavors or the sorbet are lighter in the saltiness. read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - fruity pebbles & MF monster - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Best ice cream in the world - I am sooo glad they finally opened. I missed this iced cream so much. Their shop is so cute and well placed in rockridge - service was exceptionally fast! 10/10 would drive an hour to get this ice cream read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

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I enjoy the weekly flavors here, although sometimes it's disappointing when you can't order your favorite flavor. I would love to keep ordering the blueberry combo and chocolate covered potato chips. LoL. It was so weird but the flavors explode it your mouth like in Ratatouille! read more

Bad Walter's Bootleg Ice Cream - A short walk from Rockridge BART, 2 blocks - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Oakland, California

Despite the chaos of an opening week, I have been trying to get my hands on Bad Walter's every day haha. I can't believe my review was 19 days ago bc I have gotten 4 pints of their ice cream since then and I live 20/30 min away so that says something!!! If you like the fun mixing of Ben and Jerry's, you'll LOVE Bad Walter's bc it's got a similar vibe but they aren't owned by a genocidal corporation. The service is always friendly and the pint freezer has been reasonably full the other two times I've gone which were about 3 and 5 hours after they opened. Do yourself a favor and get your ice cream from here. Anyone that comes to town to visit me moving forward, I plan on bringing em here! HEAD IN THE CLOUDS (8.9/10) Love that the cotton candy custard is not like most places, it's sweet but light and the cereal marshmallows add a nice texture as well and just mouth feel taste. I do still prefer MF Monster. MA-NILLA DREAMS (8/10) The Ube custard with nilla wafers and banana caramel do in fact mirror a banana pudding experience that I find to taste better than the famous magnolia bakery. I liked it but I personally am not a huge banana pudding person. GEORGE COSTANZA (8/10) This dark chocolate custard with caramel ribbons and cookie crunches was really fun but for me was very very rich. I think Sexual Chocolate is a bit better balanced out because of the marshmallow fluff but ofc if you love Twix and dark chocolate, this is for you. read more

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