Saying this place makes amazing ice cream, ice cream sundaes is an understatement! This place is small but if you're looking for a quality, taste, texture and straight from flavor town look no further. I would give this place 10 stars if the Scale covered that far. There is a process the ice cream goes through here. I do not get the waxy consistency and after eating at other ice cream establishments. Parking can be tight but the Journey is worth it! Enjoy read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Cookies and cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

So glad we stumbled upon this adorable community small business of ice cream deliciousness. Set on a main street in Normal Heights, this stable within the community serves an array of flavors of ice cream. And the high point for hubby & I was the plant based options. Although only 2; mango sorbet & cookies and cream. They both were standouts for their taste and also the sweetness was subtle and not overpowering. They got it exactly right. Many vegan ice cream makers go overboard on the sweetness factorz The ambiance is dedicated walls with photos, certificates, drawings and art of decades of memories of the owners, their family, celebrities and many visitors who enjoy/enjoyed the homemade ice cream created by a family owned business. The service was personable yet professional. When back in San Diego, will definitely return. read more

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We love this mom and pop ice cream shop. The homemade ice cream and service is great. If you haven't tried this spot and you're in the area stop in, you won't be disappointed. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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Love at first bite! I was greeted warmly by both employees. Tried the mango and it was so good and refreshing. Perfect amount of sweetness and I enjoyed the texture. Almost like they just blended a mango into ice cream, yum. Can't wait to go back. Couple tables inside read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Mango - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is some of the best ice cream in town! They make everything on site. They have a good selection of flavors and the mix in are plentiful. This is my favorite ice cream in San Diego! Parking is limited street parking, but it worth a few trips around the block. read more

Had the most delicious blueberry ice cream here and I have been craving it ever since! It was not as sweet and sugary as highly processed ice cream; it felt more authentic and was so good. My family also tried the Mexican chocolate ice cream, which we loved, and the cookies and cream, another great classic. Friendly staff, good prices, would recommend and we will return. We were able to find parking right in front at the curb on a weekday evening. read more

Mom and pop, small and cozy shop! Maple walnut was delish and love the chunks of walnuts!! read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped in here for dessert after attending a concert down the street. Place is small with couple of tables. They do not have the largest selection of ice cream. The place has a lot of artwork and displays on the wall. Lot of interesting things to look at. Place is environmentally friendly. I like the use of wooden spoons. I ordered a sundae with all the toppings. It was really good. I love the long old school container it came in. Instead of piling the ice cream on top of each other, the scops are laid out next to each other. You can choose where to start versus how the scoops are placed on top of each other. Service is very friendly. If you are in the area, this is a nice place to stop in for some ice cream. read more

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Homemade ice cream what more can you ask for. Super fresh best mango sorbet I've ever had. Dairy free so if this your thing then eat your heart out... service was great the place has an old school feel. Yet simple. Just a simple scoop of ice cream no frills. Excellent can't beat it. Delicious read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Wonderful ice cream and service. Great flavors, including heath bar toffee. Parking is not easy but it is worth it. Will come back.

A nice little family owned shop with homemade ice cream. Servings are generous and reasonable. They only had one non-dairy option, but my sister said it was good. And I enjoyed my hot fudge sundae. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Old mom & pop ice cream shop with homemade flavors and authentic prices! Sundaes are great and the man who works alone is so fast and kind great attitude ! 10/10 support them!! read more

I really love this place and frequent it often. Great ice cream and nice staff. I will say that I am a little disappointed to see a $3 price increase on my milkshake since my last visit exactly a week ago. read more

Very good banana split with options of toppings with the nuts, whipped cream, and cherries included. Great ice cream choices with high quality taste. The storefront is so original with timeless images of visitors throughout time. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Banana Split - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Cute spot. Yummy vegan mango sorbet. Nice gent working the counter. Stop by after the thai place nextdoor. (Thai Joint) read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Vegan mango sorbet - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

What a cute spot! There was plenty of Beatles decor and achievements inside with some seating and two people taking orders up ahead They do allow you to sample which is always helpful and nice to see! The banana walnut and Mexican chocolate were both good and I can see why this place is so talked about read more

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Such a great business. The price is right!!!! Lovely neighborhood feel. Great people watching.

A Sweet Escape at Mariposa Ice Cream I absolutely love this place! If you're an ice cream enthusiast, you have to check it out. They make their ice creams in-house, and you can really taste the freshness in every scoop. During my visit, we tried a variety of flavors: the blackberry was delightful (8/10), the banana walnut was a perfect 10/10, and the cookie & cream also earned a solid 10/10. But the real star of the show was the mango sorbet--an incredible 10000/10! It was so refreshing and bursting with flavor; I could have eaten it all day! The atmosphere is just as charming as the ice cream. The staff is incredibly sweet and friendly. She even showed me her tiny little book filled with notes and cute little decorations around the store. It's those little touches that make the experience even more special. For families, there's a cozy little table and chairs for kids, complete with crayons and coloring sheets to keep them entertained while everyone enjoys their treat! We will definitely be back for more delicious ice cream and the warm, welcoming vibe! read more

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My husband and I have visited this business many times and have generally had positive experiences, unfortunately that was not the case this time. My husband had just completed the Rock & Roll Marathon and wanted to celebrate with his go-to root beer float. We arrived approximately 10 minutes before closing and waited in line. By the time we reached the counter, there were several customers behind us. The older gentleman that typically works around closing time, informed us that certain items were out of stock, so we specifically asked whether root beer floats were still available. He confirmed that they were, but immediately began pressuring us to order something simpler because the store would be closing in a few minutes and there were other customers waiting. I chose a simple scoop of ice cream, but when my husband requested the root beer float, he again insisted that he order something else because he has more customers to serve. We explained that the root beer float was the reason we came in. The employee rudely picked up a cup and said, "There's a line of people behind you, Jesus Christ." This comment and the pressure to order something "simple" was completely unprofessional, and disrespectful. We arrived before closing, waited patiently, and attempted to order an item that was still available on the menu. Customers should not be pressured to change their order simply because an employee is in a rush to leave, nor should they be spoken to with frustration and hostility for placing a legitimate order during normal business hours. The ice cream is good, but the attitude and choice of words is enough for us to not be returning. read more

Fabulous owners and shop employees, fantastic flavors, lovely environment. I have been going to Mariposa for my entire life and no ice cream shop has ever topped it. Definitely go here instead of Anne's for a real treat! read more

The family and I stopped by Mariposa Ice Cream and grabbed two scoops: creamy vanilla and coffee, topped with a playful heap of rainbow sprinkles. The vanilla is always a classic while the coffee brought a rich, wake-up kick--perfectly complemented by the sprinkles' fun crunch. The person scooping was super friendly, though teased me a bit, asking, "How old are you?" when I requested the sprinkles. I just laughed--sprinkles never get old bro! The environment was cool, with a cozy, retro vibe that felt like a step back in time. Apparently, even Will Ferrell's dropped in before, which adds some serious star-studded charm to this little gem. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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what I ordered | kids scoop of the heath toffee taste | solid heath toffee ice cream where it wasn't too sweet but also a good portion for a kid's scoop size service | worker was super nice and let us try the different flavors parking | street notes | they rotate their flavors here and there. also let you sample their flavors. and they take apple pay! read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Heath Toffee | Rocky Road - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

"Come with me...and you'll see...a world of pure imagination..." - W. Wonka. Mariposa Ice Cream is a San Diego legend since 2000. It's an independent little hole in the wall shop serving up incredible ice cream that's rich, flavorful, and creative...long before all the newbies showed up like Stella Jean and Salt & Straw. Best of all, it all costs 30-40% LESS than what you'll pay at the newer shops. Try the Heath, Mexican Chocolate, Coconut, Peanut Butter Fudge and Cappuchino Almond Fudge...all my personal favorites, but you still have many tasty flavors to choose from. $6.50 gets you two giant scoops, $1 more gets it wrapped up inside a huge waffle cone. $7.50 is cheap price to forget all your immediate life problems and enter a world of pure imagination... read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite place to get ice cream. The ice cream is all homemade and so flavorful! My personal favorite is the Heath Bar ice cream. It has chunks of Heath Bar which I love! When coming to get ice cream here know that you won't be getting a small scoop, They hook you up with multiple scoops and it's the best!! I love how the owner decorated the shop. There are pictures all over the walls, butterflies everywhere, stickers and so much more! The owner is an absolute sweetheart. She's always smiling, and her positive energy is contagious. She truly makes your day or night better just by being there. The employees are equally wonderful, always friendly and ready to serve up your favorite treat. read more

Delicious. Cute. And did I mention delicious?! Staff was super friendly as well. I'd recommend coming here. Bring your friends, your family, and your pups! read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Strawberry ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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This little ice cream shop is the best find in San Diego. The prices are easily 15 years behind any other shop It's a small family owned ice cream store with the BEST ICE CREAM in San Diego and the staff are very kind We've had their single scoops Their black and white malt shake is insane and their ice cream pies have become our replacement for birthday cakes In our family This place is. a MUST 5 stars are not enough I cannot recommend this place enough it has easily become our favorite find in the 8 years we've lived in SD read more

Have been back twice now. The second time I tried strawberry and vanilla. (I preferred the strawberry.) The third time I tried health butter toffee and peanut butter fudge. (I preferred the health butter toffee.) All good. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Hard to tell them apart but this is health butter toffee and peanut butter fudge. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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I will always pick homemade ice cream spots that are mom & pop owned. The flavors are better and the quality of the ice cream is so much better than the mass produced shops. I had the coffee and cookies scoop tonight and it didn't disappoint . I hope Mariposa's is around for many future years for families to enjoy. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - 10/25/25 flavors - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

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amazing service good portions and cheap. vanilla was kind of mid but the ambiance was amazing. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - i got a 2 scoop cookies n cream with fudge, great date night. cheap & good portions. great service. the vanilla tasted like nothing. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

This was the first time coming to Mariposa. It was sooo good. There was a line out the door but it went by fairly quickly. The man that helped us was super friendly. I got q scoop of coffee and cookies and I loved it. My father in law got the mango sorbet and it was also super fresh and delicious. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Coffee and cookies - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

Mariposa Ice Cream:) was great the service coming out of this place is fantastic! We were greeted with the best courtesy ever. It is a little bit of a small place kind of a hole in the wall but those are the best! if you know what I mean. Even though there was a small line the young lady at the counter offered us small samples and explain to us a little bit about the homemade ice cream, she was Amazing! Overall excellent customer service excellent food and perfect ambience! Thank you:) read more

We finally got to visit Mariposa ice cream. It's a bit hard to catch them open as they are closed for at least three days in a week, I believe. Cute and quaint shop that I heard is family-ran so you get that warn vibe inside. They have simple and not gimmicky flavors and we ended up getting a scoop of their banana walnut & cookies in cream. Amazingly, the big cup was only $4.50! They didn't have the waffle cone that day which we would've opted for. Ice cream was good but nothing too mindblowing? I'm curious if we could've gotten better flavors. It tasted very natural and homemade though. 5 stars for customer service and price-point worthiness, 3 for the ice cream itself. read more

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Yummy ice cream! Definitely satisfied the craving I had after a day in the sun and some savory pizza nearby. Waffle cones made fresh in house. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California

We haven't been here in a while, only because it is far from our neighborhood. It's probably a good 15-20 minute drive. It is still one of our favorite ice cream joints though. Mariposa has been around for 20+ years according to their website. I think we've been coming here on and off for close to 10 years. We love the flavors they offer here. My favorites are Mexican Hot Chocolate, Peanut Butter Fudge, Rocky Road, Blueberry, and Strawberry. You can go with any of the serving options: sugar cone, cake cone, or cup. They also offer sundaes, banana splits, malts, shakes, and more. We have tried their banana split in the past, and we enjoyed it. Haven't tried any of the shakes or malts, so can't really comment on those items, but if it's anywhere as good as the ice cream or banana split, those should be good as well. Service is good. The owner and employees are always friendly. We always leave a tip. They have some cool decor here. A lot of Beatles Memorabilia, other cool photos, and some cool jerseys (including a Tony Gwynn jersey). They have some photos of celebrities visiting the shop for ice cream as well. The only negative is that the parking situation is not the greatest here in Normal Heights. There are only a couple of spots in front of the store. Usually we park around the corner and walk over. 5 / 5: Ice Cream 4 / 5: Service 4 / 5: Cleanliness 5 / 5: Decor 4.5 / 5: Overall read more

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A little hidden gem in normal Heights I finally had the chance to try out this ice cream shop and I was really impressed. The flavors were very delicious. It's super old-school. I mean the menu is handwritten, but the ice cream is really good. The waffle cones are on another level and they bake them fresh every day. The service was also 10/10. I went again the next day because I was so impressed and I was craving the ice cream so I got a pint my favorite flavors are coconut, strawberry, and vanilla. I know basic but You can go wrong and I'd rather support this small business then buy the ice cream from a grocery store. I've seen pretty long lines before just FYI. read more

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Mariposa is a small and cute ice cream shop off Adams ave that gives a no-frills, old school ice cream parlor vibes with some of their old memorabilia. I have been here twice and haven't had to wait long either time. I tried both their rocky road and cookie dough ice cream the last couple times here, and recently had one of my scoops on a waffle cone. Their flavor selection is fairly basic and has all the typical ice cream flavors you can think of, with nothing too adventurous or boring. Aside from scoops, they make shakes and splits if you're looking to elevate your ice cream experience. Portions sizes are good here ; for $4.50 per scoop it already makes me feel pretty full. Street parking isn't bad here as it's past the more happening (and quieter ish) part of Adams. There's some tables inside and outside, but I can see this spot being more of a grab n go place. Perfect spot for if you're looking for a dessert spot after dinner. read more

Every night before I go to sleep I pray that the good Lord never takes Mariposa ice cream away from the people of San Diego. With all the overpriced, low-quality, tourist-trap ice cream chains that infiltrate our city, we locals deserve Mariposa ice cream. This is the best ice cream in San Diego and it is a fraction of the price of the others. The staff is always warm, friendly, and genuine. Do yourself a favor and get the Mexican chocolate and/or pumpkin flavor and don't leave without a waffle cone. I've truly never had a cone like this one before, it's as good as it smells! read more

I got a banana split and it was delicious. I chose three different types of scoops, cookies, and cream, Mexican chocolate, and peanut butter fudge. I think cookies and cream was the best but the other two were great too. read more

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Very good cookies and cream ice cream! Very airy and light, would recommend to anyone in the area, visiting from Santa Barbara. Loved seeing all of the history of San Diego in one place! read more

Heath butter toffee was the best flavor. Rocky road was not for me Chocolate chip cookie dough was surprisingly not as good as heath butter. What I liked is: Its creamy but doesn't feel heavy. It melts quickly as a sign of good quality. I wish it would have had more chunks and stuff. Taste wise it was ok, but not wow or for me to go out of my way to get it. read more

Mariposa Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Diego, California