This is a wonderful hangout spot and a great place to get ice cream, coffee and soups/sandwiches! I love that they are open late. When they opened in late '80s/early 90s, they were the first restaurant/cafe in downtown San Rafael to stay open past 9pm, in a really dead town with no nightlife. The ice cream and fudge are better than at any of the other nearby ice cream/gelato/yogurt parlors. I like to come here after eating dinner at House of Lee or anywhere else downtown. After all, there's always room for dessert! If I happen to be in Fairfax, I'll go to Fairfax scoop. But if I am anywhere else in Marin, I'd rather go to Double Rainbow. read more

Had a craving for ice cream, but sadly upon entering the door we were sang at us that they were not open. The sign on the door says they are open till 10 Pm and it is only 9. Very Sad Guy read more

Double rainbow is good ice cream, and although available in stores, is always better at an ice cream parlor. This location has a good selection of ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet (available as scoops, or in sundaes, sodas, etc.), as well as some baked goods and food (e.g. sandwiches). Very good ice cream, extremely pleasant staff, and fair prices. read more

I'm a sucker for ice cream and rainbows. Thus, I'm always up for finding scoops of rich ice cream at the end of double rainbows.

I want to steal their double rainbow neon sign, so awesome!! Their sandwiches are decent, but nothing amazing. The ingredients taste fresh, and that's important. The place is open later than most, which is a good aspect, and they serve yummy ice cream, also good stuff. Overall, it's a pretty mediocre shop. So why the four stars? It's one of the few places left serving Double Rainbow, which I happen to enjoy quite a bit, and that's positive enough for me. read more

Greatly enjoyed this place. They have a bit of everything including sandwiches, coffee, and multiple ice cream flavors. Definitely enjoyed the ample amount of seating and the fact that it stays open pretty late. The soup I had wasn't worth it, but the ice cream was phenomenal. read more

Green Tea Ice Cream! Do I need to say more? You do not find this kind of ice cream many places. And the level of quality of the ice cream was delish! They had a line and two people working. The place was loud and that made for an uncomfortable environment. There are made notes all over that say there is free Internet but nobody could seem to get it to work. The gals that were working moved as fast as they could. One of the gals with dark hair seemed a little more stressed whereas the gal with the blonde hair was fantastic! She was smiling and moved like lightning the whole time! I plan to go back again when hopefully it is a little slower because I wanted to order food besides ice cream it just was taking to long. read more

Double Rainbow Cafe - Only the yummiest ever! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Rafael, California

I love this place, every time I am in San Rafael I make it a point to stop in and get a sandwich. I always get breakfast sandwiches, no matter the time of the day. The staff is always friendly, and the restaurant has a very welcoming environment. They have tons of ice cream and yogurt but I am not too big on sweets so I cant comment on that, but from the looks of it the ice cream is great because there are always people coming in and purchasing ice cream. If your in the area make sure you stop by and grab a sandwich and some ice cream! read more

This place totally satisfied me and my friend's craving for ice cream. Thank goodness it was open fairly late or else we would have had to settle for boring Safeway ice cream. The person working was very friendly. She put a smile on my face because she looked so happy doing her job. The place did smell a little funky though.. Besides that, everything else was great! Especially the chocolate raspberry ice cream, mmm! & Dominican students get a 10% discount when you show them your ID. read more

Double Rainbowwwwwww.....what does it mean? In this case, super creamy and smooth ice cream. I'd actually give this place a 3.5, mostly because they don't have french fries on the menu. Came here after hiking Cataract Falls. Got the salted carmel and the cappuccino chocolate crunch in a waffle cone. They give you a good amount of ice cream. Also, the fact that they give you real spoons when you try samples makes you feel fancy. Also, liked the double rainbow mural in the bathroom. haha! read more

While a student at the school next door, I took advantage of the convenience of grabbing my dinners and break time snacks at this place - almost every day, 5 days a week, for 7 months. The food is pretty good. Great sandwiches (I recommend the "Santa Fe"? has Ortega chili, or the "Tuscan", or the "Californian" - except I didn't care for the spiced mustard that had these seed things in them.... not for me but my husband would have loved it.) I also enjoyed the smoothies, and the simple fruit salad, and the grilled chicken salad with artichokes....mmmm. The bakery goods are hit and miss. The cakes can be ok, but sometimes a little dry. The cupcakes... DRY. The individually wrapped cookies.. NO. Made that mistake once. No. The ice cream is great. They have some great soy options. And can have some nice bagel options. So in general I hit this place daily for the sandwiches, the salads, the ice cream, bagels, and smoothies. However, the service, nice as they are...can be SLOW. Sometimes not... but usually YES. This is more noticeable when you only have 15 minutes and ordering a simple sandwich and you are only one of two customers in there and can't understand why they can't make it just a little bit faster......... but if you are just out about and sitting down for a nice lunch, it shouldn't be a problem. read more

This place is one of my favs! The people there are so nice and patient and helpful. Yes, when you order food,it takes longer than the usual restaurant, but oh the sandwiches are so tasty, so worth the wait! My favorite is the Tuscan and add lettuce and tomato! So yummy! Ice cream is great too with lots of options. Such a hometown feel! I recommend it to everyone one!! read more

Fun, cute, quirky lil gem of San Rafael. It has a retro motif w/ glitter covered covered chairs (very important). One of the things I find quite appealing is the "Do You Know" whiteboard which has obscure verbiage, asking if you know what it is. Of course you can only find out by goggling what the heck it is. For example "apocalypse" or "arachibutyrophobia" that's right, google it! As far as the menu, the shaved ice is popular (not a huge fan in general), but the ice cream is delicious with generous portions. They also have hot food, by the looks of the kitchen spread I'd skip it. But, they have baked goods which look delicious! VEggie Friendly: Yes, they have dairy free and soy options! read more

One of the rare places to buy Lindsey's Blue Eyes Tea. Herbal yum. I love the friendly staff here and the fact that they use quality ingredients in their sandwiches, soups, and salads. My favorite soups so far have been the Italian Wedding Soup and the Broccoli Cheese. They make custom salads like "the Dane" and "Love Me Tandoor" (chicken curry style salad. The mustard style salad dressing (supposedly made occassionally by the owner's mom is GREAT.) Great selection of drinks and ice cream. Big booths and lots of locals. Plus, they give 10% off to Yelpers right now. I do have to say that compared to other towns in Marin, a fair number of crazy people wander around the streets in San Rafael and they come in here though and since the Double Rainbow is centrally located and generous with it's bathroom policy. Last night a lady walked in an got obsessed over my coat and another time a guy started making racist Native American comments and I had to confront him. A third winner was the guy who sat next to me at the bar and confessed that he was going to jail in a week for beating his wife and that he recognized two other guys from jail sitting in the place. Is San Rafael...the armpit of Marin? Well, it keeps things interesting to go with your sandwich...what can I say? read more

We we walking up 4th street in San Rafael looking for an unusual place to eat and happened upon Double Rainbow. Loved it. For me it was a throw back in time with classic rock playing in the background. i ordered a artichoke and Gouda cheese sandwich which I asked if I could add ham..They were more than happy to accommodate my divergence. The server was sweet and helpful, asked where we were from and told us about herself. We got a window seat and it was cool for people watching and just soaking up the setting of downtown, old town, San Rafael. I also got a triple espresso which was really great. Coupled with two ice teas already put down, I was way too amped up for my own good. I burned off my buzz with a two hour hike in the fantastic Muir woods which are nearby. That was too cool. I recommend this place as fantastic place to regroup and chill while still establishing a connectivity with human diversity at its best. read more

The owner is just the nicest person! Their service is top notch and the food is just amazing! I have been a faithful patron for at least 15 years and will continue to come here as long as this place is still in business. My favorite ice cream is the coffee flavor. I want to respond to the negative review about Eden. She is a sweetheart I used to take Kung Fu classes with her. She is the coolest and most laid back person ever! She doesn't have an additude problem! I came in a couple of days ago and she served me my favorite ice cream flavor (coffee) with a smile. There is also a review about waiting one and a half hours then not being served. I've rarely had to wait for service at this ice cream shop. I don't think that Yelper isn't telling the truth. My question is why would you wait in line for that long before leaving? That doesn't make any sense to me. As for the yogurt machine, I really don't care if they actually fix it! I am there for the full fat delicious ice cream they serve. Their sorbets are also amazing but I come for the actual ice cream. Keep up the good work Double Rainbow! read more

Shocker....best BLT in town! Always thought Double Rainbow was just for ice cream, which I love, but I ordered a sandwich the other day and was shocked at how delicious it was! Fresh ingredients and fast service, I will be back for my weekly lunch! read more

Yum! After a good meal at Sushi to Dai For, we walked down the street to Double Rainbow. I was suprised to see cupcakes and other baked goods at the counter, but I was really craving ice cream, so I peered at the tubs full of the delicious treat. "We may not have the flavor you're looking for," the lady behind the counter said to me as I was choosing my flavor (That's not very good...) All was good, though- got my chocolate chip cookie dough, which was creamy and so light, and I was a happy camper. read more

People have been telling me to check this place out since I moved to San Rafael. So this afternoon, I finally had a moment to stop by with a friend visiting from out of town! The ambience is very cute. The servers were friendly and professional. The sandwich of the day was very tasty! The coffee was just ok, which is why I am giving 4/5 stars. I'm definitely coming back to check out some of the other tasty treats on this menu! read more

As always the ice cream is really, really good here. It is what they do best. Today however, very NASTY bathroom looking and smelling like it has not been cleaned reasonably in weeks. Management, please take better care of that as it is important. read more

I've been here several times since I've moved in the area now, expect to wait in line because there is always a line even on a Monday night at 10:30PM, but it is DELICIOUS! Staff seemed frazzled because it's busy, but that's expected. Try the hot fudge, it's delicious and you won't regret it! Will have to come in for more than just ice cream next time, the place always smells like bacon and the BLT looks awfully tempting. read more

First off I wanted to say that I am a transgender female and I know one of the people at this store. He knew me when I was a guy in the heart of my misery. When I first saw him come into my job at Walgreens, I freaked out and thought he was going to judge me. My whole experience made me see who my true friends are and my heart fluttered even more when he said that he wouldn't hired at Best Buy because of his record for protecting one of his LGBT friends. Five stars for James Ahrenholz for not only being an awesome and accepting friend but for also taking care of me and giving me a free lunch and ice cream occasionally. He even said he had to do a double take when he saw me maybe becadue I was way happier and prettier as the new me. They also have really good sandwiches here. read more

My personal favorites are the hot fudge sundaes and broccoli cheddar soup. Last time we were in there my husband solved the riddle on the white board and got a free coffee. Fun atmosphere. read more

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Double Rainbow is a town treasure! Good rotating selection of ice cream, plus snacks and other inventions they come up with on site. I've seen rice-krispy-treat-ice-cream sandwiches on the menu, as an example. They also make a mean grilled cheese sandwich. read more

I say this as someone who doesn't have a voracious appetite for sweet things: The ice cream here is DELICIOUS. I got a large cup that have five scoops, each one of a different flavor. The strawberry sorbet is very good, as well as the mango sherbet (those two go very well together). For those who enjoy nuts, the pralines and cream was phenomenal, easily my favorite flavor in the whole shop. The raspberry flavor and the Ultra Chocolate were both good, though nothing special. Then again, I say that as someone not inclined towards either of those flavors. Also, the service was wonderful. Everyone who works there gave off a great, affable vibe. They serve all sorts of other food and drinks here, but if it's ice cream you're looking for, I say skip the Coldstone's and walk further down 4th and enjoy yourself at this local gem. read more

Key Lime Pie is delicious, as suggested by the cute RHCP woman. Excellent service from the very nice gentleman. read more

Double Rainbow Cafe - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Rafael, California

Love double rainbow all my heart but listen and listen closely... Don't go here if you got somewhere to be because it can sometimes take up to 20mins for a damn sando. Will continue to go there but would appreciate it if there was at least some sense of urgency... I see you cutting tomatoes at 2 mph and grazing around... I see you read more

Delicious!!! great grilled cheesy and awesome smoothies. The vibes in the cafe are off the charts, it really aligned the chakras and hit the spot. def recommend. read more

We just stopped in for two sandwiches. Spent $20 total. They were out of bacon for both sandwiches. Instead of asking what we wanted instead, they decided to just make the sandwiches without bacon. One of our sandwiches turned out to be $10 for just lettuce and tomato on bread. That was a HUGE waste of money and bad customer service. read more

Got the banana hot fudge sundae with one scoop ultra chocolate and one scoop vanilla/peanut butter (forgot the name). Was amazing...my wife isn't even a fan of bananas and she thought this was awesome. Seriously best sundaes and ice cream I've had in years. read more

I can't get enough. Two meals in a row here, and that's since I discovered it. Kinda wish I could have all my meals here, really. The food, the ice cream, the coffee, the smoothies !! The interior is cool too, the menu is visually appealing in every way. Games, newspaper, community postings on the wall. This place is just incredible. I am in love. read more

Okay, I don't know what the staff burnt to a crisp before we walked in, smelling horrible, so we took our deliciously yummy excellent ice cream outside for a nice after Joes dinner treat. Ohhhhh, best ice cream EVER. My favorite is the mango with a scoop of coconut. It is seasonal so I went with the mint chip, yum. My friend had the chocolate caramel and was so happy. We ate out on the cute parlor tables they have outside the shop, avoiding the rank burnt smell. Met some cool people and their beautiful dogs, and the weather was balmy and wonderful like Hawaii in the winter. Staff was great, we were served right away, and the ice cream is more gelato like, less air, and so flavorful! read more

Such a cute cafe! The ice cream is delicious and quite cheap. I love that it's open much later than most other cafes.

I called to order an ice cream birthday cake. Forest answered the phone and explained to me what I could choose from. He was very friendly and patient. The cake looked awesome. It was a great birthday surprise. The flavors were mocha and chocolate. It was delicious. Everybody had seconds. read more

I've been here countless times for their wonderful ice cream. Tried and true. Today, however, I ordered delivery: the club sandwich for myself and a grilled cheese for my son; who is devouring it as we speak (he's 2 and a half). The bacon was crispy, the veggies were fresh, and it was immaculately prepared and wrapped. The sandwiches came with a side so I got a bleu cheese salad, which was also a neat helping of baby greens, sprouts and cucumbers. Not to mention the Italian soda that accompanied it all. Delicious. read more

4 Stars primarily because 1. Root Beer Floats 2. Ice Cream Sandwiches 3. Espresso Milkshakes... Done signed up before I bought anything. Me and my Fiancé shared a Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich (they use these butter biscuits as the cookies, which I Love and prefer as a experienced Connoisseur of Ice Cream Sandwiches) Have I had better Ice Cream, yes, see Carmela Ice Cream and Bi-rite... With that being said I highly value this late night location and its straight forward flavors and extras. *Root Beer Floats* ** Double Thick Milkshakes!** read more

The people working behind the counter here are super sweet. I always order a sundae with oreos and never feel rushed when I go in. They take time to make it right. The ice cream isn't out-of-this-world unique or creamy, but it's really good layered between oreos and whipped cream. And it's good by itself, too. read more

This place is great! it has a variety of options in not only ice-cream, but also smoothies and sandwiches. The have a very welcoming staff and a very positive environment. Another plus is that they are open late! Sometimes the lines can be long, but that is expected. I do recommend this if you want something yummy and filling. read more

Love this place! Open late for night owls like myself and hubby. Fresh gourmet food that fills you up and really lovely staff.

5.9!!! SO Yummy! And, like, open till late and stuff... so, that's as good as it gets! Definitely one of those locally defining places! ^__^ F**king, get fries somewhere else Esty! JEEBUS! 3.5 because an ICE cream place didn't have FRIES?!?! Luv you Esty, but srsly. read more