The weekends get crowded here during the evenings. The ice cream is top notch with many options to choose from in the menu. Wife always gets the graham central station topped with fudge which she loves. I got the triple chp with Oreos. Home run! You can taste the fresh ingredients. I've noticed if you are in a hurry the walk up service window moves quicker than the drive through. They also cater to custom cakes for a special occasion. Enjoy! read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Cookies and cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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$8 - small cone. Sea Salt Caramel w.toffee and vanilla. It's good. It's fresh. It's a fair value. Plus all cones are double scooped! I went with Sea Salt Caramel with Toffee and Vanilla. You can tell the ice cream is made fresh on site or at least stored at a slightly warmer serving temperature because it is soft (not soft serve), giving it a creamy texture rather than that firm, deep freeze scoop. While it is creamy it also starts melting right away. So if you wanted zen time with your cone, this isn't it - so grab the extra napkins and work fast. The Sea Salt Caramel with Toffee is a pronounced flavor. The caramel brings a concentrated sweetness, while the sea salt sharpens that caramel character while briefly giving it that salty hint. The toffee just adds another layer of toasted, buttery sweetness with a little crunch. Again, it's a pretty rich combination. That's why I added the vanilla as the 2nd scoop. Their neutral of vanilla give your palate a rest between the intensity of the bites. One minor thing I found a little awkward is the walk from the parking area to the service window. Since the service window is outside, you have to walk through the drive-up lane and then go around the seated area, which is shut off from the cars by an iron fence. So the pedestrian route isn't exactly direct and no matter the parking spot, it puts you crossing the path of the drive-thru. It wasn't busy at all when we went, so it wasn't an issue. But walking across the drive-thru and parking area while keeping an eye out for cars gave me a bit of an '80s Frogger feeling. Glad it wasn't nighttime. Is it a once-in-a-lifetime lick? No. But it's good, fresh and delicious. Solid spot. read more

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My friend brought a quart (4-5 servings) of the coffee flavor, no sugar, no fat. I like it! The paper carton reminded me of Ricky's midnight ice cream run for Lucy. Flavor was 4.5 and it was melting fast in the heat. I can't wait to try other flavors. You can earn points for free ice cream. read more

The ice cream here is amazing. We got banana chocolate chip and we just talked to the owners. They really put bananas in there and put it into the machine. I haven't tasted ice cream this good in years. The service is great The ambience is nice sitting out on these red tables under an umbrella five stars read more

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They have a dedicated parking lot and a drive through. Their parking lot is one way however we saw numerous people driving the wrong way. Be especially careful driving around the corner, as we had a very large truck fly around in the wrong direction. They only have outside seating, no interior seating. They have some umbrellas but it was still unbearably hot outside. There is also no shade when you are waiting in line/ordering. They have lots of different ice cream options as well as ice cream cakes. They offer non dairy and sugar free options. Tried: Cotton candy explosion $6 - good taste. Loved the pop rocks. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Cotton candy explosion - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love this place for a quick icecream fix. The staff is nice, service is quick, and the overall quality of the icecream is on par. It's really noisy there though because your only options to eat and enjoy your icecream are to sit on the benches next to the drive though, or in your car while driving to your next destination, neither are ideal. Nonetheless, great icecream. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

This place is brand new and there was only a few individuals outside eating ice cream when I arrived. They have a drive thru which is pretty awesome and will make it easy for families to stay in the car instead of fighting over the 3 benches they have. Ice cream was OK, nothing special. I expected more from such an expressive name like "buckeye". It was chocolate ice cream with a small amount of peanut butter and nothing else! So why the extravagant name???? Would go back to try a plain flavor but this place seems to be no different than any other ice cream place. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Chocolate peanut butter buckeye - add cookie dough - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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We came here after the zoo and we wanted fattening stuff. We walked up and it said grand opening. I found out later this place been open a bit lol. Anyway, we got like 3 samples and settled on the gooey ice cream, sea salt brittle ice cream and cake batter. I got my daughter a kids cone for free which she made a huge stink at 2 years old and wanted her own giant cone. It looked like the cone was filled more with ice cream than the cup. Anyway, the gooey butter ice cream was very good. So was the Carmel ice cream. The cake batter was good. The vanilla was good. I wouldn't say outstanding. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Best ice cream in the world! Worth waiting in line for. Has a drive thru. Staff is fast and friendly! read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Abby out here, emotionally healing people, one scoop at a time. Best banana splits I ever had and of course I got the waffle cone because a girl is extra thank you Abby. I really appreciate you and I hope you get a raise. -grateful read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Nice ice cream joint in the middle of La Mesa and near a Tesla Supercharger. There is plenty of free parking and a few outdoor tables and benches. The drive thru option is nice if you are on the go. The service is friendly and did not take too long despite the small crowd on a Sunday afternoon. Recommend getting their rewards program because this is a national chain and the discounts will be worth it if you plan to be a repeat customer. read more

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I love that they have a drive thru which makes it super easy to get a quick sweet treat then leave! They do have outdoor seating which is nice as well. I've been twice and have gotten a scoop of the strawberry cheesecake ice cream which was soo yummy. And I got a birthday cake milkshake, which was very good as well. The only complaint is that there was TOO much sprinkles where I was chewing on sprinkles with every sip. They honestly don't have THAT many flavors to choose from compared to other places but they definitely have more unique flavors. I personally love just a plain coffee ice cream and I don't like chocolate. Unfortunately they only have a coffee ice cream with chocolate chips tho. read more

2nd time here and I guess wasn't surprised at the large long line at the drive thru. We parked & walked up to order. Sadly, the lady in front of us with her kids couldn't decide & took over 10 minutes to finally get her order in. We already knew what we wanted & out order and up quickly. The outside area is clean but with summer here - should think about shade & even misters as ice cream will be a mess to deal with outside. Love the Jamaican me crazy in the waffle cone. We registered so we'll be back. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Walk up window for ordering - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is a family favorite for real ice cream made with quality ingredients. Along with the classic flavors, they're always introducing new and creative options to keep things interesting. Some of my recent favorites have been Gooey Butter Cake and Graham Central Station. They also have no-sugar-added, dairy-free, and vegan options, so there's really something for everyone. The portion sizes are generous, and a kid's size is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth when I'm looking for a treat without overdoing it. It's definitely worth trying if you haven't been yet. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Didn't know there was one of these out here on the west coast. Was excited when I found it! The convenience of the drive through and cute sitting area out front. Ample parking to eat in your car if you'd like as well. Friendly and fast service, even though we went at like 12pm on a Friday lol. The area of La Mesa it's in also reminds me of the east coast. You feel like you're not quite in San Diego anymore. It's pleasant. The only thing that wasn't good was the dairy free vanilla and only because it was so frost bitten. I think a fresh scoop of it will be better but not sure. I ordered a pistachio and coffee chocolate chip scoop in a waffle bowl. I'm happy with my choices and will definitely be back read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - The dairy free vanilla was frostbitten, but everything else was good - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great place to grab a sweet treat! They have a large selection of flavors and will let you sample some at the window if you want to try any. I also like that the small size allows you get 2 scoops so you can try different flavors. I ended up getting the chocolate raspberry truffle and cookies and cream and it was everything I wanted, rich, sweet, creamy, but not too heavy! There's a couple of tables nearby if you want to sit and eat and a couple of parking spaces as well. The workers all seemed very nice and service was pretty quick! read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ordering window - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came in for a chocolate peanut butter fix but couldn't decide between the Reese's peanut butter and the buckeye peanut butter. The gal working the counter was kind enough to let me sample both. I went with the Reese peanut butter and added fudge. The ice cream this time around was much better than my last experience! The mix ins was plentiful and the fudge topping perfect consistency. Definitely hit the spot. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Reese's peanut butter with hot fudge - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

I really like all the selection of their flavors. The first time I went here on January 30, 2026 I got two scoops and they were decent portion size for the price. I went back on February 6, 2026 around 2 o'clock and I was gonna ask young lady did she give me kiddy scoops? The ice cream on the bottom was nearly melted in a manner of minutes and it look like it was half a scoop. For the price of each scoop which my total is $7.04 for two scoops the amount of ice cream received wasn't justifiable. I didn't complain because I know it's hit or mess with the reviews, but it did not take away from the flavor of the banana puddin on the bottom was chocolate with some peanut butter cups, and the young lady gave me the wrong one which I wanted the peanut butter with the vanilla, but it doesn't matter cause I'm looking forward to try all of their flavors at some point in time! There's a lot more benches for people to sit and enjoy. The owner mentioned that they were going to be delivered and it's nice to see that this establishment is on the up and up. It gets crowded so you have to be strategic when you're heading over there! Don't forget to ask for samples! Overall, this will be my new stop for a sweet treat when I'm in the area and next time if I have questions about the portion size, I will say something. Otherwise, I'm just gonna start getting two scoops and they each can be in their separate cup read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - 1/30/26 portion size matched the price for 2 scopes. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Bruster's is an East Coast-based ice cream chain that set up its first location in the SD area at the Grossmont Trolley Center late last year. It was an interesting choice to place their shop in this part of La Mesa as the foot traffic was minimal. What's unique was they had a drive thru lane to order so you didn't have to leave your vehicle. I don't know of another local ice cream shop that has this feature. There were several spaces available to the south of the stand which was where I parked and then walked up to the service windows. I think there were only two tables and a bench for seating if you wanted to enjoy your treat on-site. A refrigerator to the left of the menu screen displayed ice cream cakes for sale. About 30 different flavors on rotation were available. Waffle cones & bowls, cake cones & cups, shakes, blasts, and sundaes were the categories. You could also purchase hand packed quantities (pint, quart, half gallon) to go. I picked the last two on the alphabetical list of premium flavors. They were the Sea Salt Caramel w/Toffee and Southern Banana Puddin. The creamy quality and price of their frozen product was on par with the other gourmet ice cream purveyors in town. What lowered my rating of Bruster's Real Ice Cream was the service. Perhaps they were short staffed on the evening I visited because it took over 20 minutes from the time I lined up to when I finally received a cup with my flavors. Only two sets of customers were ahead of me while a few vehicles did place orders in the drive thru. read more

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While San Diego has an impressive selection of ice cream locations, I'm thrilled for such a great option to open up in La Mesa. Notably they have a drive thru but I prefer ordering at the window in order to sample the flavors. Their small cup comes with two massive scoops. I haven't tried a single bad flavor and the mixes lean heavily towards the incorporated toppings. There isn't a cap on how many flavors can go into their milkshakes. The sweetness dilutes quite a bit so I would actually opt for the creamy option to retain the flavor. These were fragrant and mildly sweet options. *Matcha *Coffee No Sugar These were sweeter and very rich. *Salted Caramel And Toffee *White Chocolate And Raspberry *Cotton Candy *Birthday Cake Great dessert option and I find myself stopping by a couple times a week. read more

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Was craving ice cream and decided to look up a new ice cream spot. Came across Bruster's and we were shocked they had a drive through! How convenient. We tried multiple different ice creams and loved every one of em. Will definitely be back! read more

So excited they opened a Bruster's in San Diego! I was introduced to it up in LA. We got the banana pudding and the Grand Central station. I really wish they had the Grand canyon and pb crunch which I've had up on LA. I also tried the sorbet as a non-dairy option. This spot has a drive thru! How cool is that. There's a small parking lot. Outdoor seating only. Located in a somewhat interesting spot. No bathrooms that I could see. Service was quick and friendly. We even got a couple pints to go: mint chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter buckeye. Delicious! read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Sorbet - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Glad Bruster's finally opened in La Mesa! I was watching the count down on their window as they prepared to open. We recently stopped by for their customer appreciation night. They have $4 scoops and $5 waffle cones. I got the waffle cone with a scoop of chocolate peanut butter buckeye and southern banana pudding. Both flavors paired really well together. The southern banana is okay for me, I like the taste of real banana. But nonetheless it is still good. The buckeye is the perfect ratio of chocolate ice cream and buckeye candy. Overall the service is good! They allowed me to try as many flavors as I'd like. If you do plan to sit and eat your ice cream, they only have outdoor seating. Shouldn't be a problem for us in sunny San Diego! read more

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I have tried Bruster's in LA.  That shop did not keep their ice cream cold enough.  This time I planned to buy quarts only if the ice cream was cold enough.  Bruster's was fairly busy when I visited on a Sunday evening.  You order at one window and a team of scoopers got the order out at a second window. Vanilla was rich and creamy with a delicious sweet vanilla flavor.  Great tasting vanilla ice cream. Dreamsicle had a mix of rich, creamy, and sweet vanilla plus a bold orange flavored sherbet.  Delicious flavor combination. Staff was nice and efficient.  Ice cream tasted great and was packed hard.  Bruster's reminds me of Handel's. Both had a very similar Dreamsicle flavor. read more

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Their icecream flavors are all really good and everytime I come here I have such a hard time deciding what I want to choose! Love that we can also try the flavors as well. The workers were patient when I wanted to try a lot of the flavors and I always love a crowded icecream store. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Scoop - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Service was great ice-cream was way over priced and marginal in flavor. I got the chocolate peanut butter and the candy pieces which were not explained in the discription, were waxy and gross. It was my first time there, I was so disappointed and I wont be back. Handles in Santee blows this place away. read more

Oh my goodness this is probably the most creamy and rich ice cream I've had. Absolutely amazing! Staff is super nice and friendly and allow you to try different flavors. I think for the quality price is definitely fair. Will def go again and can't recommend enough. We spoke to Terri the owner and he was so nice and explained the process. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Drive Thru on a Wednesday afternoon FTW A fun treat during my recovery from surgery AND we did not have to go in Well prepared Turtle sundae and a Cookie Dough BB Bruesters Blast Both were FILLED with the goods Turtle the Pecans and Caramel and Chocolate The BB Cookie Dough read more

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Bruster's Ice Cream - La Mesa I'd heard all the rave reviews about Bruster's from the East Coast, so I was excited to check out the new La Mesa location. They've got so many options: ice creams, sorbets, shakes, floats ect I went with the Cold Brew Brownie and Orange Sorbet. Both were delicious, but the cold brew brownie was the star for me. Best of both worlds: coffee + brownies The sorbet was refreshing too The ice cream definitely tastes yummy and lives up to the hype. Just an FYI it's on the pricier side compared to some other spots, but worth it if you're in the mood to treat yourself. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This place is really great. I go too often now and the ice cream just tastes natural.

Went earlier around 5-6:00 pm and Audree was working with another young woman. They were ABOVE AND BEYOND!! We ordered toffee Carmel I think it's called and lemon blue berry and they got us a pup ice cream. Please look at my order and find those girls and PROMOTE THEM! Recognize them. I felt like I was ordering from two friends. 10/10 our fav spot read more

Oh my!! SOOO excited to have had friends bring us here.. we literally live next to a true ice cream competitor... and this place blew me away. LOVE the ice cream, live the vibe, loved the owner!! I have only raving recommendations that you MUST come try this place out!! Everything we tried was super flavorful and quality. The line in the drive thru... (yes, drive thru grab your ice cream and go) it was constantly flowing. The wait wasn't long but consistent. This was the highlight of our night!! A must try!! And the owner... super amazing guy!! We will be back for sure!! read more

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I tried this new ice cream shop in La Mesa. I had a two scoop container with pistachio and a seasonal pumpkin ice cream. The ice cream was creamy but to sweet for taste. The pumpkin ice cream tasted like pumpkin, but the spice flavor was stronger than I would of liked. I was hoping for a more wholesome natural pumpkin flavor with not so many added ingredients. The pistachio ice cream tasted okay. I felt like the flavor and color were more artificial than natural. I am used to eating natural pistachio gelato made with a handful of ingredients. It was also overly sweet for a Pistachio ice cream, which is not surprising since they use corn syrup and sweet whey, in addition to natural sugar. The service was very good. The young lady at the counter was not only helpful but friendly as well. There's only outside seating available at this location. They do have a drive thru. read more

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The customer service from Bruster's is out of this world. The sweet gal helping us was very friendly, gave us recommendations based on what we liked, and was generous with taste tests. What I like about Bruster's is that it's not too far from home, they have a drive thru and walk up, have a couple of tables, and their ice cream is nice and creamy. I ordered the mixed berry cheesecake which was creamy, had hints of cheesecake, and tang from the berries. My husband had the butter pecan which was DELICIOUS, super buttery and rich, and something I'd order myself next time. He also got a scoop of the ultimate peanut butter with Oreo. If you're a peanut butter fan, then this is for you. read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Menu 11/2025 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Tried this place last minute bcuz I was wanting something sweet. New to La Mesa so I didn't tibie what to expect. Lots of folks out for the this deliciousness! They had a drive through which I wasn't expecting. The line went fast and the young lady taking my order was so patient with me as I decided or rather guessed at what I wanted. She made some suggestions that I did end up taking. I will preface that I am lactose sensitive (but still daring) and this ice cream did not upset my stomach so they get a plus in my book. Will definitely go back read more

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Was driving around yesterday running errands and decided to try it because I see it all the time. I ordered a brownie sundae and the two tiny little scoops that I had on there were good but nothing special. The brownie was huge and tasteless. There was very little hot fudge and whipped cream. Ice cream tasted no difference than me purchasing some Häagen-Dazs at the grocery store. Definitely not worth $12. I can't see myself returning with their small portions at such enormous pricing. Oh!!! And the audacity to have tipping options on their payment device. This tipping culture has gotten incredibly out of hand and that's coming from someone who worked in restaurants for the better part of two decades. read more

I've seen a lot of hype of this place and had to check it out. It's really nice that they had a drive thru. Makes it super convenient when you have a sleeping baby in the car. I tried an ice cream freeze with m&m and butterfinger. I was a little disappointed because the toppings weren't all mixed in. It was just placed on top. Maybe I'm comparing to Dairy Queen where it's all mixed together but for a large size I don't want just the toppings on top then having to eat plain ice cream throughout. Service was good and took about 10 mins in the drive thru. I'll have to go back and try actual ice cream scoops and other flavors. read more

Plenty of parking. Nice staff. Will likely have a long line since it's been so flipping hot in Sd lately. Good Ice cream! The banana chocolate chip is highly recommended. Oh, and make sure you ask for whip cream! read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Small (two scoop) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Love this spot! Awesome that there is a drive thru, but mostly love the little area to hang outside. Feels kind of old school. We met the owners today and they were so nice. Our two year old was with us and they pointed out she gets a free cone. That's such a great idea!! The ice cream is delish too. We will def be back read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Baby girl enjoying her free cone - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California

Decided to finally try this spot .. I live in the neighborhood maybe a minute away from this spot . WHY?? Was my ice cream melted that fast ? I won't be back coming back to this place . read more

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - La Mesa, California