Rainbow Soda Fountain

Elite '08

139

230

Eric W.

Hayward, CA

With all the foreign invasion of dessert crazes going on these days, throwing their snazzy marketing in your face, and their fancy schmancy, futuristic looking shops, it's always good to know that when you wish to harken back to the "good ole days" of Americana, to the times when things were much simpler, there are still a few places around in which to do so. Enter Rainbow Soda Fountain.

Situated in the heart of the revitalizing downtown Hayward, this circa 1950's style ice cream parlor carries on the nostalgic look and feel of what I assume the originals might have been like. From the decor to the tables and benches, this modern re-creation of the classic themed diner makes you feel like riding your wooden scooter up to the front door, with Rover in tow.

However, keep in mind that this part of town is still in the middle of its gentrification process, so remnants of its seedy recent past can still be evident on a daily basis. It's almost like a miniature, more sterile version of Oakland, in which you can just sit back and observe all the follies of mankind. In just fifteen short minutes of peering out the window, I noticed three drunk guys hobbling along the sidewalk (it was 2 pm); two blinged out scrapers rattling the windows up and down B St. whilst gas brake dippin' ; a gang of transients steady mobbin' down the block with their shopping carts; a pack of young bucks spittin' more game than Sega at some shawties at the bus stop (darn, I wish I could have taken some notes); and a couple of rice paddy hat sportin' old Asian ladies digging for cans in the trash bins. For all these reasons alone, one extra star must be added!

While all the gelatos and fruity yogurts and all that other crap disguised as "healthy" desserts are fine and dandy and all, I'm sure many of you out there will agree that there is nothing better on a warm, summer afternoon than a nice, big root beer float or banana split with a cherry on top. It's sad that these types of establishments are falling victim to the aforementioned nowadays, but it is comforting to see that places like Rainbow Soda Fountain still exist to keep the tradition alive.

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