It's difficult for me to find an ice cream that isn't too sweet but Salt & Straw's rotating and local flavors often nail it. I'm so sad I only experienced the spring seasonal flavors because that white osmanthus was AMAZING. Everything in summer is too sweet for me right now so I'll stick to my fav - Beechers cheese with peppercorn toffee. Sweet and savory with a little kick. Fun fact: I first tried Salt & Straw in Portland and was severely underwhelmed due to ok flavors and long lines. Somehow, the Seattle lines move faster and the flavors are more my style. Goodbye summer bod ~. read more

Simply said, it's the best ice cream on the west coast!! I come here very time I'm in Seattle and stock up. It's not easy being them back to Victoria, but so worth it. read more

Salt & Straw - Buying 5 pints. :) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Salt & Straw is the king of ice cream, why would anybody stand in a long ass line in the middle of winter in Seattle to get ice cream; they do more than your basic chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Every Salt & Straw in each state caters to it's local market so there's different flavors in each store which is nice to get variety, but sucks if there's one you really love. My favorite is the Elleno's yogurt & matcha and Beecher's cheese and toffee peppercorn. I actually like this location better than the Capitol Hill's since it's more spacious with a tad bit more seating, but it's a longer drive for me to get to since Ballard is tucked in there. If you just buy a pint of ice cream to take home, you can cut the line and jump to the front to pay. If you really want to be cheap and probably won't land a 2nd date, bring your Dollar Tree scooper from home and buy a pint of ice cream with 2 empty waffle cones to save money. There's a cool back drop outside of the store that you can take a photo of your ice cream with, they really know how to cater to the millennials and their weird obsession with Instagram photos. Store is open 11am-11pm daily, get your ass in here if you haven't already. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:) read more

Walking by and had to go in the Ballard store. Love the creative concoctions of flavors. Some of the best I have seen. Staff was excellent and ice cream to rival anyone. Not the cheapest ice cream around but worth it. Highly recommend everyone try it at least once! read more

It has been on my list for a while and finally got the chance to check it out in Ballard on a Saturday afternoon. It was so popular that there was a long line waiting. But the staffs there were super friendly and helped us trying different flavors while waiting. I got two scoops, one was vanilla and one was their special matcha & Ellenos yogurt. The matcha & Ellenos yogurt was such a blast, perfect mixture of the matcha flavor with the creamy Ellenos Greek yogurt. It combined two of my favorites! The crispy waffle cone was a plus. There were benches outside, and I really enjoyed my ice cream sitting on the bench under the wonderful sunshine. read more

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This creamy delight will dance over your tongue like a joyful little baby boy angle. The staff are a gaggle of hipster scoopers on the camping trip of life and they will welcome you along the river of sweet sticky Carmel love. Grab a spoon and jump in! read more

Salt & Straw - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We came just at the right time, before 2pm where there were no lines. The service was fantastic as the employees were very patient when allowing you to try their flavors. Honestly my bf prob tried all their flavors! I had their limited edition carrot cake with praline hazelnut while my bf has the lavender. We got the single scoop + $0.50 for two flavors. The cute ice cream store was huge with lots of space to walk around and sit. This might be my new fav ice cream spot in Seattle, right next to Molly moons! read more

Salt & Straw - Single scoop + $0.50 for two flavors of limited edition carrot cake with praline hazelnut and lavender - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The ice cream was amazing! The waffle cones were amazing! We bought their hats which are on point and very stylish! But the best was Leah!!!! Such a sweetheart, the most genuine, cheerful, and helpful person I've ever encountered. Leah is the GOAT!!!! In conclusion, BUY THE HAT! read more

Salt & Straw - Ice cream + hats! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We were going to get gelato down the street, but stopped here since the line wasn't too long and I've heard so many good things. Well...the Ellenos and Matcha was one of the best things I've ever tasted. It was tangy and had chunks of frozen yogurt. I tried one of the seasonal flavors, but the matcha flavor was just so delicious, I had to have it. The waffle cone was pretty good (not quite as delicious as Molly Moon's and it kind of leaked everywhere. As expected, prices are high. For two regular size, one in a waffle cone, it was over $13 with tax and tip. That's pretty crazy. However, we were not disappointed. read more

This place takes its Ice Cream seriously and I respect that. I'm no stranger to Salt & Straw and I'm no stranger to ice cream. The lines are ridiculous. Pro tip: If you want to skip the line, grab a pint and just check out. You're welcome. However, keep in mind that if you do this, you will miss the "Ice Cream Experience" (tm). So- don't wait in line like a chump, come during the weekday. That weekday you decide to play hooky from work. It'll be empty, you can try all the flavors and nobody will be mad at you. You can appreciate that there's a slot by the ice cream where you can insert tasting spoons. It's like a slide but for your spoons- they get to have fun, too. What a satisfying detail it is. Anyway, they sell a bunch of expensive local riff-raff while you're waiting in line, don't complain about it like I'm complaining right now. No one's forcing you to buy it. If nobody buys it, maybe they'll stop selling it. The labels are still fun to read. Maybe they know that; maybe that's why they're there. Clever. Get a waffle cone, they're made in-house. That's a respectable thing to do, it means they aren't an ice cream shop from the 90s serving their brandname sugar cones. Nobody likes ice cream shops from the 90s. There's no artificial colors or artificial flavoring bullshit here. It's serious work to have a good combination of basic flavors, rotating seasonal and local flavors, flavors for people who are unable to enjoy real ice cream, and sorbets. There are those who think getting sorbet at an ice cream shop is acceptable. Just so you know- we make fun of you. read more

Tried this place on my last day in Portland and was obsessed. Very sad that I didn't have time to go one more time before I left the city. After arriving in Seattle, I saw that they deliver on Postmates (only in pints, unfortunately). So I looked it up and found out that they have a shop downtown. However, it's pretty far away from everything so I didn't have time to go. Finally, on my last day in Seattle, I was strolling around in Ballard and was elated to find that they have a location here as well! (With different flavors from Portland as well!) The staff were super super nice and I got to try so many different flavors. Honestly I feel bad because I only ended up getting a split single. Just when I was in line to pay, they offered the ice cream to me on the house! I got so excited that I didn't even thank them properly before I walked out. Now I feel really bad so I'm leaving this very long Yelp review... Of course, this is not to say that you should also expect free ice cream when you go. I'm just saying... Their ice cream is really THAT good. And their staff are really THAT friendly. PLEASE GO. P.S. To the person that gave me free ice cream. I hope that you see this. Sorry that I walked out so quickly and thanks again! read more

I had salt & straw three times in two weeks, and I think I'm addicted. This was my first time to the Ballard location, and it also happened to be when they had a new limited edition flavor menu. They're always so so nice here. I'm really indecisive but they encourage you to try different flavors. The line probably gets longer because of this, but the wait is well worth it. I came here on a Saturday evening and probably waited 15-20 min, but I would have waited more if needed. My go to is the beechers flavor but I got waffle cone with a split scoop of the pot of gold and sea salt with chocolate covered feullitine aka sugar cone. It was so good that I wanted to wait in line again for seconds. Do yourself a favor and come here (often). read more

Where has this place been all my life? I totally get the hype now, and am a fan. Some many unquie and good flavors. I love the orange bloosom sorbet, could eat that all day. Also tried the beechers cheese ice cream, sounds weird but wonderful! Something a little more rich, but worth the try. Can't wait to come back this summer for more of the rotational flavors! read more

Do yourself a favor and order the Lavender honey scoop. You can thank me later :) this was the most fresh and creamy ice cream I've ever had. They had VERY strict COVID measures and I am so appreciative of that. The entire ordering process was well organized and staff was so genuinely friendly and polite. Only downside is that the spoons they provide are a bit flimsy (both of our snapped in half!) but the ice cream is to die for. read more

Creative ice cream flavors but underwhelmed by friendliness of staff and overall flavor of products.

First time I had this ice cream was in Portland, Oregon so when we saw there was one in downtown Seattle we made a point to stop by. The seasonal carrot cake batter & pralined hazelnut was amazing and you can't go wrong with the salted caramel ice cream. Also tried the freckled chocolate zucchini bread yum & the elm coffee & Westland whisky it was ok. Well worth the wait an cost, delicious ice cream read more

Salt & Straw - Ice cream tasting flight! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Always a new flavor to try! This place never ceases to amaze! Keep up the cool creative flavors guys! Thanks!

Came here with a few friends who were absolutely amazed that there was no line on a Sunday night. A server noticed we were in a large group and ushered us over closer to the ice cream stand to take our order and ask us if we wanted samples. I heard from the server that they have multiple locations and each location has unique flavors specific to that region and I absolutely love that! In additional to regional flavors, they also have monthly specialty flavors. For August, the specialty flavors were all vegetable themed which I thought was really cool and rare to see for ice cream flavors. I got a small cone split between two flavors, a good option for those who want to try multiple flavors but don't think they can finish a 2 scooper. The two flavors I chose were Beecher's Cheese with Peppercorn Toffee and the Honey Lavender. I wasn't planning on getting the Beecher's Cheese but I still sampled it because where else am I going to have an opportunity to try cheese flavored ice cream?! And oh my god did it change my world! The cheese ice cream was perfectly sweet but the peppercorn toffee added that slight kick to balance the sweet and savory. The combination was so unique that I couldn't stop eating until it was gone (also why there is no photo included). The Honey Lavender was amazing as well! I've tried other lavender ice cream before and usually the lavender is an milder flavor but for this one, the lavender straight up hits you in the face! A total must have for lavender lovers! Unfortunately they don't have an stores open on the east coast but I'm still optimistic! Will definitely be back the next time I'm on the west coast! read more

I reviewed the Capitol Hill location, but I also think Ballard deserves some love too because Kory is the sweetest worker ever!!! And I'm an ice cream snob. I tried the vegan Elvis peanut butter bacon flavor. It was surprisingly spot on to his sandwich with a tad of salty and just the perfect amount of sweet. Those caramelized bacon bits were on another level of flavor profiles. Not your everyday basic ice cream profile. I also happened to go here on Jan 22nd which was a day after my birthday, and I asked the worker at the time (Kory) if they did anything to celebrate. Unfortunately, I had already eaten my ice cream and I just took a shot and asked if they did anything for bdays to see if I could maybe nab something for my next visit. Kory said they usually don't and just do stuff on a case by case basis. I was bummed and just called my uber outside in the rain. LO AND BEHOLD...my boi KORY here walks outside IN THE RAIN and says..."actually here you go, a $10 gift card for your next visit on me". Now, if that ain't the sweetest gesture ever from an ice cream parlor then I don't know what is. Kory has made me a S&S loyalist. And I'll definitely be back. read more

I finally had a chance to return to Salt & Straw after it's opening. I came in on a Saturday night around 7:30 for the March Ballard Artwalk to see an artist I follow. There was a line but it went very fast, the staff is great at keeping an eye on the status. I love how they come out and ask if you want a sample of anything and then take your order and bring it to you, once you have your item your able to go to the register. I didn't want to get two scoops but wanted two flavors and the person helping me said she could do a single split! Now I know what to ask for next time. I went with the Rachel's Ginger Beer and the Beecher's Cheese. I didn't think I would like the Beecher's Cheese but when I had the sample it was very tasting. It's not very cheese forward which was a concern. What really makes the flavor on this one is the peppercorn toffee. You don't get the pepper right away it hit you towards the end. I was afraid with it being new and everyone wanting to taste stuff that it would a long never ending line that didn't move quickly, not so they have a great process. read more

Pretty good ice cream here, went here before COVID. Ordered a Chocolate Goey Brownie flavor ice cream- was super delicious and was really chocolate tasting. Would recommend and come back again in the summer/spring time:) read more

Salt & Straw is finally in Seattle! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream -- especially for the flavors exclusive to Seattle! The line at Salt & Straw in Portland was always too far out the door and down the street for me to justify trying their ice cream, so I was pleasantly surprised to find only 8 people in line at Salt and Straw Ballard on a Friday evening. The location is great, smack dab in the middle of Ballard not far from Market Place and close to Hot Cakes. The interior is cute, clean, and modern. There isn't an abundance of seating, but there are some bar stools available next to the window. I was stoked to see they had partnered with local businesses in Seattle to curate an array of Seattle-exclusive flavors, such as Beecher's Cheese with Peppercorn Toffee, Rachel's Raspberry Ginger Beer, Elm coffee & Westland Whisky, and Ellenos Yogurt and Macha. They also had flavors curated with Fran's and Theo's Chocolates. Given that I'm a fan of Beecher's, Rachel's Ginger Beer, Elm Coffee, AND Ellenos, this made for a difficult decision! Luckily, the staff was extremely generous with samples and told us they would be happy to provide samples of any of the flavors, even all of them if we wanted! I ended up going for the Elm Coffee flavor in a kid's cone size, and my friends chose the Beecher's Cheese and Rachel's Raspberry Ginger Beer flavors. Flavor wise -- Salt and Straw definitely gives Molly Moon's and Full Tilt a run for their money. The ice cream was a great texture and every bite was extremely flavorful. I'm so happy to see S&S in Seattle and will absolutely be frequenting this spot in the summer months! read more

If you've ever been to Portland, you've probably had Salt & Straw on your list on food to try/visit. Luckily they've expanded (already in Cali) to Seattle!!! I guess there's a caphill one, but I've only been to this ballard location. Fortunately I went during presidents day, when it wasn't too busy. Guess not everyone had it off. I got the almond brittle with salted ganache, a classic flavor. There were other special flavors meant for Seattle, and the Seattle Chocolatier series. The almond brittle was so good and creamy. It was a nice combination with the sweetness of the ice cream and slight saltiness. I enjoyed the brittle bits as well. I had a really nice employee helping me out, explaining the flavor before I tried it. While I sat in the shop eating my ice cream, I noticed an employee come from the back to give a customer an empty box so the dude can carry all this ice cream pints, haha! I'll definitely come back sooner than later for the other flavors! read more

I will come here even if it's FREEZING outside! It's that good! And I know other people agree with me because this place was packed on a weekday night in 40 degree weather. Some flavors I love, though they regularly change their menu: - Lucky Charms - Coffee and Whiskey - Lavender Honey They offer free samples so you'll be able to figure out what you like AND there's a flight in case you can't choose just one. read more

The more sunny it gets, there will always be a line. In order to not lose your place in line, use your phone. The menu board, paper menus and online menu are the same and updated each month. When lines are very long, an employee will come up to you (they're your official scooper) and ask if you'd like to sample any flavors. Once you've tried different samples, they'll ask if you know what you want. If you do, they'll take your order and you can cut out of line and go straight to the register. I love the almond brittle and salted ganache. However today I had their rhubarb crumble with toasted anise. Definitely go in, even if there's a line, it's worth the wait! read more

Salt & Straw - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Turned the corner onto Ballard Ave NW and I found a line long enough to look like Disneyland. Thought I'd join the line, and had those same thoughts I had when I visited Disneyland: "Oh my goddddddddddddddddd, this is soooooooo longgggggggggg." "Is this even worth it???????????" But just like the House of Mouse, patience pays off in spades! Thirty five minutes in line, and we were greeted by an excited ice cream greeter, who quickly informed us that we could sample EVERY FLAVOR before we ordered. You read that right: EVERY FLAVOR! My husband and I were both excited and overwhelmed as we agreed to sample EVERY FLAVOR. But that didn't end up happening, because we quickly gave up after we tried their specials of the month. The generous spoonfuls of samples let us find our hearts' desires, and honestly, if we tried any more samples, we wouldn't be ordering anything, let alone be eating anymore food for the day. Speaking of the monthly specials, March's Seattle Chocolatiers' Series was what we fell in love with. My husband had Intrigue's Green Basil and Chocolate Cocao Nibs and I had the Fresco's Pure Chocolate Bar. Two flavors of two incredibly different experiences. Fresco's was one of the richest and smoothest chocolate ice creams I'd ever tasted, and the Intrigue was exactly that: complex and perfectly bittersweet with eye opening basil flavor that is unlike anything we've tried before. All in all, the ice cream is worth the wait, and we'll be returning to Salt and Straw with strong confidence in their fantastic monthly flavors and great service. And for those who are wondering: SALT & STRAW IS DOG FRIENDLY! read more

I'm so excited to have Salt and Straw in the Ballard neighborhood! They are one of my favorite ice cream shops in the NW. They're open from 11am - 11pm daily. They have unique flavors that are made specifically for the Seattle area. read more

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I mean, this place is know for amazing ice cream. I can't write anything more to make someone come here that hasn't otherwise been written. Get here, try their ice cream ;) treat yo'self! read more

If you are in Seattle and you want to taste some amazing flavors of ice cream which you have never taseted before then this is your place to go! They change seasonally their flavors and those are worth tasting.you might be sceptical about the unknown flavors but don't worry you can try all of the flavors before you buy one. Cool right? read more

Salt&Straw is one of the most unique ice cream places I've ever been to. Not only do they have unique flavors that you can't find anywhere else (like cheese and peppercorn) but they partner with local businesses to make their flavors. Every month is a new menu of flavors but they also have their household favorites like Honey Lavender year round. My wife's current favorite flavor is Snickerdoodle, followed closely by berry cheesecake and also the Skittles sherbet. Definitely a must try ice cream place if you're visiting the Ballard area read more

Salt & Straw - Ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good ice cream. Let's start there. Cool and unique flavors. Homemade waffle cones, etc ... I was there after lunch, had never been, saw no line at all and went for it. Had a bourbon salted caramel or something like that? I know it was bourbon ... I think it was maybe $8.50 for a scoop and waffle cone or something?? It's similar to Molly Moons, but a bit more pricey. I just didn't see the value really. I'd go down to the gelato spot down the street. read more

The ice cream is good and the flavors are very unique. I wouldn't normally wait in a line this long but we were told to try it. I can't even remember my exact flavor but it had almond and ganache in it I think! Nice shop and different but not worth the wait in my opinion. read more

Review is for the hospitality that they showed us at this location. Ice cream is a given since it is Salt and Straw (frequent patron in SF) and the quality is always top notch. We came in and shared that we were visiting from out of town. Never caught his name, but the guy in the Oaklandish hat on Sunday night was patient and took the time to suggest and insist we try all the limited and local flavors. If that wasn't enough he gave us free scoops for our order. The local coffee ice cream and Ellenos Greek yogurt with matcha were great. Thanks so much Ballard Salt and Straw for being so good to us on our way out of town after a great trip in Seattle! read more

Don't let the lines fool you, they actually go by fast! They have workers take your order before you reach the counter so by the time you get to the counter you just pay. At first I thought this place would be mediocre but I see why people actually are willing to wait to get their homemade ice cream. It's quality and different from your average Baskin Robbins (do they exist even more?) We got the flight which consists of 4 scoops of ice cream. Our choices were honey lavender, almond brittle, coffee & whiskey and chocolate brownie. All were very unique and delicious. But I would mainly go back for the almond brittle, it's super yummy! read more

I recently went to the Portland one and was craving Salt and Straw again, so I was happy to find out they have one in Ballard! There was a line out the door but it was worth the wait. They have some "Seattle" flavors that I didn't see down in Portland. I had the matcha green tea and yogurt flavor with the sheeps cheese and strawberry flavor in a waffle cone. It was like heaven in a cone! The only complaint I have with this place is that it is a little pricey- it costed $15 for two ice cream cones before the tip.. read more

Salt & Straw - Matcha/yogurt and the sheeps cheese/strawberry in waffle cone... so good - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I don't really get the hype either? It's decent ice-cream but not orgasmically amazing...is it supposed to be? I sampled several flavors and actually had to "settle" for one. Okay the Honey Lavender is pretty good. But again, not the best ice-cream I've ever had. I prefer Jeni's Splendid Ice-Cream instead. Nevertheless I'm happy to have Salt & Straw in Ballard, with its sister location in Cap Hill. I also love how you're brought endless samples as you wait in line -- great service! Maybe the Limited Edition flavors will be better next round! I'll keep trying. read more

Eating ice cream here is like having a front row seat to heaven. I got a scoop of the "Elm Coffee+Westland Whiskey" and my husband got "Ellenos Yogurt+Matcha". We almost shit our pants at how good it was. If I ever came back to Seattle, I would only eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. read more

Salt & Straw - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Flat out BEST ice cream I've ever had! From this (and other places in Seattle), I've learned that my favorite type of ice cream is salty ice cream. I did a half and half scoop of Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons (staple on the menu) and Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip (on the rotating menu). Both were incredibly tasty and combined the salt and sweet really well. They also let you try out a lot of flavors so make sure to do that before you decide what to buy. Also, get the ice cream in a waffle cone - it is well worth it! It is pretty expensive, but definitely worth it if you are visiting in the area. read more

Salt & Straw - Sea Salt with Caramel, Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was excited to check out S&S on opening day and it was fantastic! Of course there was already a long line but the pints of all their flavors were right at the entrance! I was able to select my pint then go directly to the cashier. The pint is a great deal if you plan to share with friends (or if you have a really bad day and need ice cream and Netflix). The flavor I chose was the Theo Chocoloate S'mores and it was delicious! Super creamy and chocolatey with big chunks of graham cracker, globs of marshmallows and swirls of caramel. Lots of other unique flavors to choose from if you're feeling adventurous! Loved how the shop is open and airy with some counters to eat at. Can't wait to return! read more

Wow, this place is awesome! Lots of unique and interesting flavors. Staff are nice too. You can sample flavors, good thing because some of them have quite complex descriptions and I wouldn't have a clue what it could taste like. Tends to be a bit busy and chaotic though. The line does move quickly. It's worth it! read more