Wow--what an overwhelming amount of ice cream choices! This place seriously has everything, including a bakery and coffee, so it's a great one-stop spot. Service was pretty quick, which I appreciated. They also offer gluten-free cookies and other baked goods, which is a nice bonus. That said, the gluten-free cookie on its own was pretty bland--but I could see it being much better paired with ice cream. One thing to note: they don't really offer a kids size, and when I asked for smaller portions, they said it would still be charged as a regular--so parents of little ones, just a heads up! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance wasn't super inviting--more of a "grab your treat and go" vibe--but with its prime location near the beach, it's easy to see why it stays busy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall, still worth checking out! read more

Not worth the difficult parking. Food: 1/5 One flavor is three scoops of ice cream. We ordered two flavors, which was four scoops, hoping we could split the ice cream into two cups so we would each have two scoops. We asked our server if they could split the ice cream for us--just put two Ube Matcha scoops in one cup, two Cookies and Cream scoops in another. This is against company policy, but they were willing to give us a second cup so we can surgically operate on the mixed ice cream and split it ourselves (??). The Matcha Ube was more green tea flavored than matcha or ube. The Cookies and Cream was good. The ice cream--even if three scoops for one flavor--is just not worth the street parking or flavor mashing. There are other better ice cream places. Service: 3/5 Nothing to say or add. No bad news is good news. Atmosphere: 2/5 [[HIGHLIGHT]]Holy overstimulation. There were two other families in the ice cream parlor with us, and we were all being serviced at once at the cashier. It's too small of a room to do that.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would recommend this place to kids 12 and under who live down the street and need a quick sweet treat. Final rating: 2/5 read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Ube Matcha and Cookies and Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Nothing like a frozen treat on a Sunday afternoon with friends after a performance. This was ice cream shop was the second closest to the venue. We were the only ones with the brilliant idea to get some scoop action. Lots of flavors to choose from, definitely something for everyone. We decided to get single scoops in waffle cones: Butter Pecan, Vanilla Caramel + Brownie and Coffee with Chocolate Chunks. I took mine and popped into the bakery next door. It definitely had the homemade ice cream parlor taste. We were all pleased with our selections. It's a generous scoop too! Staff was friendly and shared a little bit about the other location. We will definitely have to swing by the downtown location because believe it or not they have more flavors. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There were a few tables outside to encourage staying and enjoying.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] No designated parking but we lucked out and snag a street spot within a short walking distance. Great value and look forward to trying the other flavors! read more

See all

I was a little thrown off because the ice cream tasted almost exactly like Handel's to me. The prices are great and the scoop sizes are generous, but I just didn't find anything particularly special about it. I got the Cookie Monster, and honestly it didn't have much flavor on its own. The mix ins were doing most of the work. The Birthday Cake flavor was way too sweet for my taste, and I was expecting actual cake pieces, but it was mostly frosting and sprinkles. My ice cream was also pretty melted by the time it was handed to me, even though I watched it get scooped straight from the freezer. Overall, I don't think it's worth waiting in a long line for, and I'll probably stick to my usual ice cream spots. The service was great though, and everyone was very friendly. Ice cream: 6/10 Service: 8.5/10 read more

Don't let the long lines stop you! It is so worth it! On my vacation, I truly enjoyed stopping at Cali Cream and appreciated their late closing times, since they close at 11 their ice cream was the perfect treat after coming from watching the sunset. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And with the lights from inside and nice chatter in the crowd you truly feel welcome while waiting in line, although the lines might seem long they passed by surprisingly quickly maybe at most 20 minutes and if you're with friends it feels even shorter and you have so much fun talking amongst each other![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If....you're lucky you might spot some celebrities while waiting, as we did...Alex Warren just walked himself up the stairs to grab his ice cream and it was cool seeing him pull up in his golf cart which also goes to show why there's such a long line because it's THAT good. If you're worried about the lines still you can always order online, you'll miss out on the sampling which even with the crowd they still accommodate for every guest without any complaints and maintain such pleasant customer service. The two times my family stopped by the same nice gentleman helped us and he was so charismatic and let my kids sample all the flavors they wanted, he even remembered us the next time we visited (being remembered always makes you feel special) and had such a friendly vibe. With such kind people working you feel glad to spend your money and support their business. The quality of their ice cream just adds to it! Their ice cream is all perfectly sweet without being overbearing and the prices are so fair, a double scoop is about the same price as one scoop at a larger franchise like salt and straw and is large enough to share! They have such a wide variety of flavors you just want to try them all and it's so refreshing to have so many options, the best flavors among my family were their birthday cake and cotton candy, both had mix ins like sprinkles and pop rocks and were so delicious! A tip is to make sure you tell the staff all the flavors you want to try at once because they have to go back and search for each individual flavor. We wish the boy who helped us with our orders good luck starting his journey at SMU this fall, with his personality he'll adapt and flourish in no time! Thank you for such a wonderful experience and I hope he'll be able to try the taco stand before he leaves! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Birthday cake and lavender honeycomb - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

We stopped by this ice cream store after some mexican food and it totally hit the spot. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's usually pretty busy here and for good reason.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'm not sure why the Handel's flavors are sold under a different name but they are just as good here! They have a ton of flavors and toppings, and even have a pastry/bakery store attached. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This location is nice because you can walk down to moonlight beach.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would definitely recommend Graham central station! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Graham central station FTW! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Very good capuccino at a place where I was not expecting to find it (actually i went to Loft but was closed). I had been at Cali sometimes before but this was the first time for just coffee and was cheaper than other places plus the girl attending me was super nice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The colorful chairs outside made a nice stop for my micro adventure of walking around.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Looks like they have plenty of pastries options. read more

Really fantastic ice cream with an enormous menu of great flavors, all made in house from high quality ingredients. The owner explained that it used to be a Handels here but because he's committed to high quality he kept his recipes and stayed local. You can tell how insanely good it is! Childhood approved 5 stars read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Very happy with the Twix flavor in a chocolate dipped waffle cone. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

Cali Cream did the dessert tables at a wedding I was in recently. The dessert table was absolutely beautiful and such a lovely addition to the wedding. There was a great variety of treats, all beautifully presented and clearly made with care. The cookies were a particular standout--so fresh, delicious, and definitely a guest favourite! Everything looked as good as it tasted, and it added the perfect sweet touch to the celebration. I would highly recommend them for any wedding or special event. read more

Everything was good, but the coffee cake was the best. The sugar cookie is what I was really after but unfortunately it wasn't the kind I was looking for. I've been searching for those old fashion crunchy sugar cookies & this wasn't it. It's those soft ones you always see at kids bday parties. Other than that everything was decent. read more

See all

2.5xs rounded up. Review is for baked goods. Good service, but the baked items were not touched by my sweet-loving family after a bite of each. Cinnamon roll was best out of the 4 desserts, but have had much better. Dry and dough was bland. Had a dense texture vs light/yeasty texture. PB Brownie and chocolate Brownie were decent but tasted hard and might not be fresh. It's very chocolatey and not as balanced. Sugar cookie was hard but doughy. Not a crispy cookie but a soft, doughy, almost lacking a hint of salt. Tasted like a pre packaged store bought cookie. Everyone had a bite and then they sat on the counter for a few days before se threw them out. read more

This place did not disappointment. Ice cream flavors are creative and rich. Something for everyone. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Casual place and lots of options.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lots of outdoor seating without much inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Workers were helpful in answering questions and serving the ice cream quickly. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Menu of ice cream flavors - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all

We stopped here on our way back home from the beach and really enjoyed our ice cream. I love how there was so many choices and the girl working. The counter was super sweet. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The outdoor patio seating area was perfect and the weather was beautiful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My sister and I split a brownie sundae and it was delicious and so huge and we definitely could have shared it with two other people lol. I bought my daughter a pink cake pop which she enjoyed. I am definitely going to return here with more family when we come back to Moonlight Beach. read more

Very amazing experience [[HIGHLIGHT]]Place is near the beach which makes the whole experience relaxing you just sit and enjoy your ice cream.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] So many different flavors and they let you taste what ever flavor you like. They are very patient and enjoy serving you. I was passing by and decided to try it. Each ice cream is home made so you know is good. I had the cookies and cream ice cream now I cannot have it any other place. read more

We were in the area and my sister began searching on Yelp for "locals favorite ice cream" and this place came up. Parking was tricky so we found beach parking and walked down the street. Line wasn't too long but it was hard to read all on the flavors in different colors in a tiny font on a black board. My niece ordered 2 scoops of Cotton Candy in a cone, my sister got 3 scoops of Mint Oreo in a cone, and I ordered 3 scoops of Key Lime Pie in a cup. We each enjoyed our flavors!!! The 3 items came to $26. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Taken 8/30/2025 - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

So creamy and so delicious. We tried like 6 flavors all were delightful. Tried the cookies and cream with oat milk, probably the best non dairy version I've tried. The strawberry cheesecake was awesome as were there the options with caramel and crunch. read more

Nothing like homemade ice-cream. They make sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies and the flavor of ice-cream you choose. Service was quick even though they were busy. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was a perfect night for ice-cream.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

If you love Handel's you will love Cali Cream. They are practically the same thing. They are generous with letting you sample. All the flavors are delicious. My favorite is the watermelon ice which is dairy free. It has a lil kick similar to watermelon sour patch which I love. I also appreciate that a bunch of high schoolers work here. Everyone needs that first job and they highlight where some past employees went to college which is heartwarming. Cali Cream is expanding and had a bakery next door which is pretty awesome. They are doing something right here and I'm all for supporting it. So is the community because there is always a line. Keep up the positive vibes! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Watermelon Ice (I couldn't resist taking a few bites lol) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

BEST HOMEMADE ICE CREAM We were on vacation in the area for two weeks and kind of just stumbled upon Cali Cream on one of our first days - we loved it so much that we made a point to come back before we left! The owner, Ken, was so friendly and welcoming, and they had such a great array of flavors (with a good mix of classics and more inventive combinations). Our very favorite was "Oreo Dough" (vanilla ice cream with Oreos and the tastiest chocolate chip cookie dough). Their waffle cones are excellent as well. Already can't wait to have Cali Cream again the next time we're in town! read more

See all

Is good ice cream is good price I love to come went my grandson come visit to me I love to come again

Cali Cream serves the best ice cream in Southern California! I really do believe that, having tried all of the local places. I'm non-dairy, so it can be a challenge to find a good ice cream made without cow's milk. Cali Cream's ice cream isn't too sweet which lets the flavors really shine! They usually offer 5-6 dairy-free flavors, including my favorites, which are: Chocolate, Pistachio, Cookies and Cream, Black Cherry, and Mango. All are outstanding, but I recommend the Pistachio and the Black Cherry. Both are so so good! Five stars, legitimately earned! read more

See all

On the busy drag in Encinitas, Coast Hwy. and the ice cream is dense, super creamy, and all of the flavors were delicious. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Coffee - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

The ice cream is amazing! Tons of flavors! [[HIGHLIGHT]]I've never seen so many ice cream freezers in one place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was friendly. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Oreo cookie dough was fantastic! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Absolutely loved this spot! Perfectly located near the beach, it's a great place to grab some homemade ice cream before a walk by the water. The ice cream is delicious--you can really taste the difference with homemade. They have a great variety of flavors, and the scoops are super generous (which I totally appreciate!). The staff is friendly, and the space itself is big and inviting, with plenty of seating if you want to hang out and chat. We decided to take ours to go and enjoyed it during our beach stroll. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Cookie Monster - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Ice cream flavors were unique. The girls helping us were sweet and patient. They let us try a few flavors before we decided on cotton candy and praline pecan. The scoops were huge but I didn't like the texture of the ice cream. It felt grainy and thick. For two cups of ice cream, it costs $14. It's premium price but lacked the quality. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

The ice cream is very good. They offer 50 flavors of homemade ice cream. Super fresh, 7 days or less from cow to cup or cone. The shocking thing was the price. Super reasonable especially for the quantity served. The service is friendly, but can be taxed at busy times. Fair amount of outdoor seating. We ordered blueberry crumble 5/5, salted caramel truffle 4.5/5, graham cracker central 4.5/5, and dark chocolate chunk 5/5. They also have a bakery with lovely looking items, but we didn't try on this visit. read more

See all

Cali cream has so many flavors. It's hard to choose just one. Luckily, you don't have to! The scoops are large, so it's good to share. They also have a milkshakes and next-door. There is a bakery attached. The service was exceptional. They let us try as many flavors as we wanted to before we made a final decision read more

Had great service and good attitude from all the staff but especially from this young man, I believe his name is David. Good job and great ice cream read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Had great service and good attitude from all the staff but especially from this young man, I believe his name is David. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

The ice cream is delicious! I must say, I am always so important with the young adults that work here. Whoever does the hiring is doing a great job. Constantly attentive, friendly, and hard working individuals here! I love their "college fund" tip jar. Great location right by moonlight beach and a ton of flavors. I love that the employees are happy to give samples and have great attitudes. The ice cream sundae is delicious, it's our new favorite. read more

Always a great place to stop for ice cream in Encinitas! Cali Cream has a gigantic menu of 55+ flavors. If you're reminded of Handel's, it's because it was previously a Handel's before they went indie. Like Handel's, Cali Cream is super generous with their single scoop. Unfortunately, you can't split the single scoop between two flavors and they don't have a smaller size. That said, it is a good excuse to eat a lot of ice cream! I get mine on the waffle cone and I think it's an even bigger portion! They are very patient and let you sample flavors without getting annoyed. I like their vanilla based flavors like apple pie and blueberry crumble. They have some outdoor seating. Or you could walk down to the beach a few block away and enjoy your ice cream there! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Blueberry Crumble - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

I really need to branch out because I've been here several times and still order the same cup of Bing Cherry every time. It's amazing. So creamy and flavorful. They put a ton of bing cherries in there too! read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Cuppa Bing Cherry from Cali Cream. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Took three grandkids here. Good ice cream, and large selection. However, they insist that, when you buy a cone, you get three scoops. Far too much for one little kid. So naturally, you ask for a single-scoop cone. They'll happily give you that - but they charge you the full (3-scoop) price. RIDICULOUS. EDIT: within minutes, an employee responded (see below). In essence, she confirmed what I said in my review. They INSIST that you pay for a large portion, even if you want a smaller one, and justify it by saying, in essence, "our standard portion is bigger than other ice cream parlors". OK, if you're aware that your portion size is unusually-large, why not offer kid-sized portions, at marginally lower price? Not only is it bad customer service, it's also wasteful, because I'll bet that many people will just take the big portion for their little kid, then throw away what isn't eaten. And that ceertainly isn't "a great deal" ! read more

Came on 5/19 at 9 pm the three guys working were so nice and were so helpful [[HIGHLIGHT]]ice cream and vibes were great![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would def come back. read more

Ice cream is great customer service the worst. It was our first time here we come over from the east part of San Diego to see what the hype was about. My wife mine son and I ask as for 2 flavor each to see what we were going to order. We ask to try one more flavor when the young lady who helped us said we could try no more flavors. [[HIGHLIGHT]]If the place was busy we would have understand but we were the only ones there.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My wife made her decision on the flavor that we try. Then the flavor that I choose they were out. At this point we just order to ice creams. The ice cream is good but due to poor customer service I will not be coming back read more

Excellent ice cream shop in Encinitas! Tons of options and open later than some other spots in town. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lots of outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Food (5/5 stars): Cali Cream is a great ice cream spot in Encinitas! It's very similar to Handel's as they have lots of the same flavors and the 4 scoop sampler, which we ordered! My favorite by far was the Graham Central Station. I wasn't too thrilled about the other ones we ordered (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, and Faddy Daddy), but I'll be back to try more because the quality of their ice cream is amazing. Experience (5/5 stars): * Price: reasonable * Wait Time: minimal on a Friday evening * Service: good * Parking: street parking is not too bad * Ambiance: it's a nice, simple ice cream shop, but no indoor seating read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

Yummie baked goods free coffee and amazing ice cream. Staff was all young & energetic.

This place is a bit away from the city center and I probably would have never gone there if not for a gift card from my friend. Is it worth to walk a bit for their ice cream? I think so. They have a ton of different styles, good portions and the ice cream is quite good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You can eat at a few tables outside, but best is to just get a cone and walk back to the beach or downtown[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

See all

This place is a go to when I come to San Diego. They have so many different flavors that are all amazing. My family and I came here two nights in a row and we got the blueberry cobbler, gingerbread man, Christmas cookie, cookies and cream and pumpkin cheesecake. The people there are so friendly and patient. read more

See all

I wanted to love everything about this place but it's a 4 star for me. Pros: Lots of flavors, LOTS. Friendly, helpful staff. Lots of outdoor seating. Good ice cream. Pup cones are CUTE! Outdoor heaters. Cons: The sign outside is not updated, so we decided on flavors outside and then 1/2 went in to get it and most of the flavors didn't exist The heath flavor was just chocolate, no heath. read more

Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream - My pups eating the pups cones - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Encinitas, California

See all