Order: Oatmeal cookie sandwich + classic scoop $5.50/scoop
The best classic scoop shop in San Diego. Real vanilla bean, real chocolate, made in-house.
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Pacific Beach Local Guide
The best ice cream in Pacific Beach start with Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream and Mr. Frostie. Here's where locals actually go in 2026, what to order, and what you'll pay.
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Quick answer: Top picks: Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream, Mr. Frostie, The Baked Bear.
The best classic scoop shop in San Diego. Real vanilla bean, real chocolate, made in-house.
PB walk-up soft-serve stand since 1949. Vanilla, chocolate, twist, and a line at sunset.
Pick two cookies, one ice cream, roll it in toppings. Late-night PB staple; open until midnight on weekends.
The 'walk it on the sand' scoop. Not the best on paper, but perfect 30 feet from the water.
Actual Italian gelato — dense, smooth, lower fat. The pistachio is a sleeper.
The best ice cream shops sell out of popular flavors by mid-afternoon on weekends.
Salt & Straw's monthly flavor drop and vegan flight are both worth tracking.
PB is the late-night dessert neighborhood — The Baked Bear and Hammond's are open past 10.
Farmers markets are a cheat code for Viva Pops paletas and rotating micro-makers.
If you want gelato, Bobboi in La Jolla/UTC and Chocolat Cremerie in Hillcrest are the top picks.
In Pacific Beach, Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream is the local anchor for ice cream.
The best ice cream in Pacific Beach include Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream, Mr. Frostie, The Baked Bear. Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream is the top local pick for Oatmeal cookie sandwich + classic scoop, priced $5.50/scoop.
Locals point to Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream as the best ice cream in Pacific Beach — The best classic scoop shop in San Diego. Real vanilla bean, real chocolate, made in-house.
Expect $5.50/scoop to $5 per person at the top ice cream spots in Pacific Beach. Prices are current for 2026.
Yes — Pacific Beach has ice cream options that work for visitors, including Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream, Mr. Frostie, The Baked Bear. Most are casual and don't require a reservation, though weekend brunch and omakase counters are exceptions.
Neighborhood-level rankings for food, drinks, and coffee in Pacific Beach.
Narrow it down to your neighborhood — locals' top ice cream picks, block by block.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .