Review Highlights
“Great and patient staff. I got to spin the wheel and ended up getting red bean ice cream, which was delicious.” in 377 reviews
“However, you do have to get the one it lands on if you choose to spin! I recommend the Thai Tea and Jasmine Tea.” in 96 reviews
“I also tried a bit of my bf's scoop of lychee which was also delicious, creamy, and refreshing.” in 142 reviews
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Location & Hours
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About the Business
A neighborhood staple of the Sunset District since 1955, our independently owned and run ice cream parlor has been serving up the best in ice cream and soft serve. Polly Ann boasts a collection of over 500 homemade recipes with 49 flavors are available daily. You'll love our custom made ice cream cakes for any occasion! Visitors will find endless variations of all the traditional flavors as well as some more unique flavors not available at any ordinary ice cream parlor.…
Ask the Community
Question:
Ranch 99 and Marina supermarkets used to carry their ice cream in various flavors (sesame, taro and green tea etc) in tubs. No longer selling them this year (in SF Bay Area). Why?!
Answer:
Question:
Is American Beauty (rose) flavor available now?
Answer:
Recommended Reviews
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- Jess N.Montebello, CA1 friend20 reviews19 photos
11/9/2019Pros:
- excellent service, I tried at least 8 flavors with no problem!
- 48 UNIQUE flavors, my favorite were Lemon Cookie, Vanilla Cupcake, and Mint Oreo Cookie.
- ice cream serving size is generous for SF norms and prices
- ice cream is very creamy and flavorful with lots of chunks of cookie, etc
Cons:
- wish there was one in LA!!! - Vincent L.Oakland, CA
11/30/20191 check-in
A solid neighborhood creamery with several dozen flavors to choose from. An appealing feature is a flavor wheel that you can spin to try winning a free scoop.
Many of the flavors are Asian-inspired, in a nod to the area's diversity, like macapuno and jasmine tea. I enjoyed the black sesame and the hazelnut. Both flavors were creamy and rich without being overpowering. Currently, with a Yelp check-in, you can get either a free topping or a free waffle cone.
There are only about 3-4 tables inside that seat 2-3 people each, and there aren't any seats outside as this is a residential area. Still, a great option to check out while in the neighborhood. - Newton H.East San Jose, San Jose, CA
11/26/20191 check-in
Not the best but it's edible. The ice cream texture is thick and doesn't melt fast, so that's good. It wasn't sweet enough though, and I like sweet.
I wouldn't come back. The Oreo flavor is okay. Nothing memorable to be honest. Quite shocked the reviews are high. - Kislev A.Los Angeles, CA
9/22/20191 check-in
Rainbow is good. Kids love it!
Orange Sherbet is refreshing!
Horchata is soooo good!
Thai Tea is also very good.
Im not sure if the line was this long because there was a community event a block away on this day or they are normally like this.
It was also an incredibly hot day in San Francisco on this day.
Oh the parking. It's always a challenge in San Francisco.
Prices not too bad... - Corn D.San Francisco, CA4 friends4 reviews3 photos
2/1/2020If you're looking for amazing tea flavored ice cream, such as Jasmine Tea or green tea, Polly Ann Ice Cream is the place to go. Mango and strawberry swirl was also yummy. They have a very cool and creative spinny wheel that chooses the flavor for you. Very cute interior with good vibes. We will definitely go back for the spinny wheel!
- Lisa H.San Leandro, CA
6/25/20191 check-in
Don't get overwhelmed with the immense number of (unique!) flavors to choose from. There's a MASSIVE wheel that can be spun and choose for you. You can sample the flavors and the workers are so patient. Free waffle cone if you check in on Yelp!
Order:
-Double scoop: Jasmine tea and lychee. This is the first time I had jasmine tea ice cream and it was sooo satisfactory! The flavor was super strong in the best way possible. Lychee was fruity and refreshing.
Only street parking in a more residential neighborhood. Seating is limited inside. - Johnson P.Daly City, CA0 friends3 reviews
1/28/2020Best ice cream in the city because it's a local mom and pop type spot. Spin the wheel if you can't decide! I bring my kids here all the time and they love it. Probably because the sell both candy and ice cream.
- Dorothy H.San Francisco, CA
9/21/20191 check-in
My favorite ice cream place in SF. Why? Has the best "asian" flavor ice cream (excluding matcha soft serve spots, but best regular ice cream).
Go-to's: matcha (best non-soft serve matcha ice cream I've had-- totally personal preference on texture/flavor), black sesame, and lychee (the lychee flavor is probably the closest to actual lychee fruit I've had in ice cream).
Not a review for other flavors of ice cream. I don't actually love eating ice cream, but if I must have it, it's going to be from Poly Ann. - Boris C.San Gabriel, CA406 friends59 reviews5 photos
1/24/20201 check-in
Not going to lie - some of the BEST Ice Cream I have ever had. I was visiting from SoCal and WOW. This place is on my "must come" list for every time I visit from now on . I got the Taro. Best. Ever.
- Yoyo L.San Mateo, CA
3/19/20191 check-in
Abundant flavors of ice cream for sure!! If you're having trouble to pick a flavor, that's fine too because they have a huge spinning wheel will help you with that problem!
Great customer service!
(Applause for Bilingual service that helped our parents understand better)
We really enjoyed the ice cream and the service! Thanks for providing an amazing experience! - Grace L.Toronto, Canada
12/5/2019Yesssss. Great selection of flavors made in house with real ingredients. Not too sweet. NOT a bougie yuppie kind of place. This is where you want to take your kids after a day at the beach or after a sushi dinner on a cold rainy day haha :). Taro is my favorite here. Tastes real. Green tea also on point! Again, tastes like real green tea.
- Juan V.San Francisco, CA
8/3/2019This is the place to get some ice cream in the Outer Sunset in San Francisco. There are plenty of flavors to choose from and it makes it so easy to come here more often with so many options. I decided to get the butterscotch ice cream which was the best I had. I also tried the "Star Wars". Overall the service was so friendly and the ice cream is so delicious.
- Andrea P.San Francisco, CA0 friends6 reviews
1/31/2020I remembered getting a Star Wars ice cream in a cup. God, that was delicious. May the force be with me. ! I remembered seeing a cartoon of monsters shivering when advertising "Monster Milkshakes". ! My mom used to go there with me after school until this joint underwent some remodeling. I don't think that dogs are allowed in an ice cream stores EVERYWHERE, because they could get into a lot of trouble with consuming frozen dairy treats.
- Owie N.San Francisco, CA
1/8/20191 check-in
On a misty sprinkling night, we had ice cream at Polly Ann and I will never forget how magical it was to eat ice cream while it's sprinkling outside. Something about it feel so romantic to me.
I ordered the banana and chocolate chip. It was good a good combo.
I hope you give this ice cream place a try. Cheers! - Laura L.South San Francisco, CA
2/11/20194.5/5
This place was located kind of far from where we had dinner but we still wanted to venture over! It was a good choice because I was pleasantly surprised by the unique ice cream flavors they had. When we got here there was only one person in front of us so we got to sample quite a few flavors but by the time we left, there were quite a few people behind us. They have so many different ice cream flavors; I tend to like getting "tea" flavors so I opted for the Jasmine Tea. Excellent ice cream that had strong jasmine tea flavor! It tastes like a mix between earl grey and green tea but you definitely will note the jasmine. My friend got the red bean and she liked hers as well, though I still preferred my Jasmine Tea flavor :P - Bobbo B.San Mateo, CA1 friend5 reviews25 photos
11/30/20191 check-in
This is probably my favorite ice cream shop in SF. The service here is great: they are super nice and would allow you to sample many flavors before ordering. Then, they're quick to assemble your dessert and have you pay as well. Lines can sometimes be long depending on the time of day you visit, but it's worth it.
Flavors are unique and delicious. Some of the unique flavors are red bean, honeydew, and durian. I've been here multiple times, and I recall getting red bean, honeydew, blueberry cheesecake, and taro. All of them are truly phenomenal with their texture, flavor, and the fact that their ice cream does not melt quickly. On the left side of the store, there are also ice cream pints, popsicles, and candies for sale.
This place has the best ice cream and whenever I'm in the sunset area, I always treat myself to a nice ice cream cone!! - Mary L.Inner Richmond, San Francisco, CA
8/8/20191 check-in
Hands down the best and most affordable ice cream in SF with the most unique flavors. My favs are jasmine & Thai tea. You can even spin the wheel for a free scoop!!
- RACHELLE T.San Bruno, CA333 friends126 reviews118 photos
9/14/2019I've been going to Polly Ann's since I was a little girl! I remember when it was the little narrow ice cream shop with wooden wall panels!
I have so many favorite flavors here!
Root beer
Ginger (look for the picture, it's not in English!!)
Blueberry cheesecake
Green tea (IMO best in the city)
Thai tea
Honeydew
Jasmine tea
Coffee milk tea
Black Sesame
Lychee
Like, some of these flavors, literally WHERE else can you get them?
It can get pricey but totally worry it.
My husband gets the shake. It's like $8-$10 but they're REALLY good! - Courtney H.Los Angeles, CA
9/18/20181 check-in
I heard about all the flavors Polly Ann serves so I had to check it out while visiting SF!
I sampled the Jasmine Tea and Black Sesame. The Jasmine Tea had a light floral note but it was a little too sweet in my opinion.
Black Sesame
* Super nutty flavor
* Hint of bitterness
Overall, the Black Sesame was good but it was so strong I couldn't finish the scoop. I wish I got another flavor to balance out the strong sesame taste - I would recommend something fruity.
There were a few people in front of me who ordered the durian flavored ice cream and soon after, the durian smell filled the shop. Their doors were open so I was fine. If you love durian, you should definitely give this place a try since it's such a unique flavor. - Ali K.San Francisco, CA0 friends10 reviews11 photos
10/28/2019I live a block away. Been there since I was a little kid, when Polly Ann was a few stores down in the tiny mom and pop shop run by Polly Ann. She was always nice to everyone. They had a free doggie cone for dogs too. And they also had this one drink. It was called "the suicide" which had a mix of different sodas.
These great memories are why I only give so few stars to the business it has become today. After the owners retired and sold the business it has gone down hill. Lost is any connection to the kind and wonderful owners serving treats to the community. I'm sorry to say that this shop has little to no soul.
Matcha is my favorite flavor in general. But I never order it here. The Polly Ann matcha ice cream skimps on matcha. That's how you tell they are trying to pass off ice cream made as cheaply as possible to the point that you're just being treated as a sucker. You are paying a premium price so you expect a decent amount of flavor. You get a richer more flavorful matcha ice cream by buying the mass produced brand tubs from 99 Ranch. If it's too expensive for them to make good ice cream flavors they should just remove it from the menu
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