Olive Oil

7/9/2018

This ice cream place is an iconic, must-go SF dessert spot. It is always worth the wait in line. Plus, the wait will prolly be faster if you grab a burrito from Taqueria La Cumbre first.
My favorite flavors are mint chip, balsamic strawberry, and basil (long gone summer seasonal flavor). Don't miss the kids size hidden below large... it's more than enough for me and $1.25 cheaper than a single scoop. They're generous.
Please do yourself a favor and add sea salt or blood orange olive oil.
Take your ice cream to the park and people watch away!

6/15/2018

I would KILL for there to be a Bi-Rite in San Jose.

Let me describe a perfect day in SF for those who are visiting from out of town. Take a stroll at Dolores Park. Proceed to set a blanket down and have a relaxing nap. Upon waking up, you'll probably feel like you need something refreshing after being under the sun so walk a few minutes to arrive at Bi-Rite Creamery. Enjoy and fall into a day-dream while eating the ice cream.

I think this creamery appeals to a lot of people because of its unique flavors. People like to experiment new and unknown things because it's exciting and mind opening.

Some of the flavors, such as olive oil, might sound strange and barf worthy, but I bet it's spectacular. I sampled the salted caramel ice cream which is one of their most popular flavors, but ended up buying the honey lavender and ricanellas (cinnamon with snicker doodles) which has wonderful texture to it.

We came here on a nice Sunday afternoon and the line was out the door, as usual, but it moves so fast and I would be okay with waiting to be able to try every single one of their flavors.

4/18/2018

If you go to San Francisco...you MUST go to this ice cream shop across the street from Dolores Park in the Mission district! The line wraps around the corner and took about 30 minutes to get inside, but soooooo worth it! I tried a sundae with 3 flavors: 1) malted vanilla with peanut brittle and milk chocolate pieces, 2) roasted banana 3) basalmic strawberry...all this topped with olive oil & sea salt...just no words for how delicious this was! All of us got something different and all loved it!
To the owners: please consider opening a Southern California location!

12/7/2017

There are two types of ice cream lovers in the world. One that likes everything at once in their ice cream- what I like to call the Ben & Jerry's and one that just likes one flavor done really well- the Haagen daz. I am more of a Haagen daz person and if you are too then Bi-rite creamery is for you.

There was a lot of interesting flavors here to try like honey lavender, olive oil, apple dumpling. I got the banana and black sesame. The banana flavor was surprisingly good. It tasted like korean banana milk- which trust me tastes better than it sounds. It's a sweet cream flavor with a hint of banana. Can't wait to come back and try the other flavors.

This review was not sponsored by Haagen daz

11/14/2017

I was staying 1.5 blocks away and didn't know until I got a text from my wife: "eating ginger caramel and black sesame ice cream." Needless to say, I was thinking about that all afternoon and made sure to cut my group dinner short. Black sesame and olive oil were my choices for the evening. Delicious!

10/26/2017

Sampled: olive oil, lavender and honey, peanut butter and jelly. Settled on Brown Sugar with caramel ginger swirl. SO GOOD. The staff is equally awesome.

9/23/2017

I love this place. Every time I've come, the workers were so friendly and energetic. They recommend their favorite flavors and will give you samples even when you don't ask for it. the flavors are unique too! I tried the olive oil flavor which was actually pretty good!! I also like the black sesame and the honey lavender

9/23/2017

Bi-Rite has pretty good ice cream but it's a bit overrated in my opinion. Lines out the door all the time, kind of like for SF brunch spots.

They have pretty interesting specials, this time they had PB & Yay!!! with Strawberry Jam and Olive Oil. The ice cream is homemade, organic and sources from Straus Family Creamery.

The ice cream here tends to be on the heavier and sweeter side for me. They do offer samples so be sure to ask! Flavors include Black Sesame with local honey, Salted Caramel, Balsamic Strawberry, Roasted Banana etc.

Honey Lavender - Great flavor, the sweetness was a bit overpowering so I'm glad I stuck with a kids size scoop.

8/20/2017

overpriced for a poorly presented sundae. the description had my mouth salivating and while I liked all of the flavors, the way in which it came was such a letdown. a bowl with two small scoops of ice cream and some light chocolate drizzle, not hot at time of receiving it, is much less than a sundae. I was pleased with the olive oil, and I thought the salt was too much. the ice cream itself was very nice and balanced in flavors. I had the dainty gentleman, and I would recommend to someone else just to get the honey lavender ice cream on its own.

8/8/2017

TL;DR Review: Believe the hype - it has a solid foundation to back it up. Their mainstays are elevated versions of ice cream classics, and their seasonal sundaes are essential San Francisco gourmet experiences. Don't let the long line fool you, it moves fast.

Full Review: Came here with friends on a Sunday afternoon. The line required two separate roped areas so that customers didn't entirely block the sidewalk. It moved quickly, and we were enjoying the best ice cream of our lives in just under 20 minutes. I ordered a Dainty Gentleman sundae (honey lavender ice cream topped with chocolate fudge and blood orange olive oil) and a scoop of their sea salt caramel. The helpful server suggested kids' size over the full scoop since I had already ordered the sundae, and it was the perfect amount to try the flavor out. Friends ordered basil, mint chocolate chip, and other flavors. We were all thoroughly impressed with our selections.

The Dainty Gentleman is exactly the kind of gustatory experience you'd come to the city for, and the sea salt caramel was the most luscious, creamy, flavorful take on a simple classic that I have ever had the pleasure to taste.

Yes, there's a line. Yes, this place gets hyped. Yes, it's popular with basic InstaThots. But all of that is forgivable with one lick of the scoop. This ice cream is like dairy crack, and you'll regret every time you went somewhere else for dessert.

8/3/2017

Waited almost 45 minutes for this ice cream! Was it worth the few minutes that it took me to eat the three scoop sundae? Maybe... but it is defiantly good ice cream. Really fun, different flavors and lots of toppings! I'd recommend the blood orange olive oil on top-it may sound weird but it tastes amazing. The caramelized bananas are also really good.  I mean-it's hard to mess up ice cream and toppings but this place has defiantly perfected it.  The shop is quite small and the line usually extends around the corner. I'd recommend coming by closer to the times they open and close to avoid the wait.

7/31/2017

Two words: DAINTY GENTLEMAN(!!!) By far my favorite ice cream sundae. I can't remember the last time we went to Birite and didn't order one. There's a reason why Birite is an SF favorite.

Still focusing on Dainty Gentleman. Let me start by saving Honey Lavender is already amazing on it's own. It's not too sweet and the lavender flavor is so well executed. But when you layer on the hot fudge, blood orange olive oil, and sea salt, you get the most amazing combination of flavors. It's an extremely unique flavor experience that pushes Birite ice cream into the upper echelons of the ice cream world (IMO).

For the longest time I thought Birite was overrated because the first time I tried it, I chose flavors I wouldn't usually go for, thinking Birite's renowned reputation would magically make it so that any ice cream flavor they attempted would be other worldly. These first two flavors were salted caramel and chocolate coconut. I was pretty underwhelmed but I came back and tried a couple more flavors (in addition to the Dainty Gentleman) and those flavors really changed my mind.

The rose and earl gray, uh amazing. The Afternoon Snack sundae (bombbb house made graham crackers) is also a personal favorite. I've subsequently tried many a flavors from Humphrey Slocombe and Salt & Straw, but Birite is still my favorite.

I tend to go the most in the winter when it's cold and the line isn't as long cus best believe I ain't finna wait in that line on a Sunday in the summer when Dolores is packed like a can of sardines and the Birite line is wrapped around the corner.

6/14/2017

All that hype!! Thanks to all the buzz over Bi-Rite Creamery, I came to this place with some high expectations. And while my scoop of ice cream was good, I was still a little let down (thank you hype gods for another disappointment). For one, what is with this godawful line?! I could've sworn someone was handing out free money by the looks of just how crazy long the wait was. It wasn't even a hot day! It was literally in the evening on a cold brisk windy San Francisco kindov night, and I still waited a good 20-30 minutes just to TRY some friggin' ice cream (and don't even get me started about how long it took to pay).

Now on to the flavors. I have to give it up to these guys for thinking outside the box, but some of their ingredients where just a little...out there. Balsamic Strawberry, Basil, Olive Oil, Roasted Banana (no, this was not my grocery list and yes, these were their flavors for the day). I didn't have the guts (or patience) to try these so I sampled the Honey Lavender and Salted Caramel. The Honey Lavender was pretty good (at first). But after a while it tasted a little over powering - almost like I was eating a real flower. The Salted Caramel was too sweet for my liking. I'm a huge fan savory and sweet combinations, but this one was all sweet. Hence, I settled for the Honey Lavender (a field full of them from the tastes of it).

Prices are, also, what I would expect from San Francisco - EXPENSIVE. For $4.50 you either get one large scoop of a single flavor or two mini scoops of two flavors. They charge the same whether you order a cup or a cone, but regardless $5 for over hyped decent ice cream is kinda pricey in my book. I might come back to give this place another try, but for the time being I rather stay away from the crowd (or zoo, whatever you wanna call this shit show).

6/3/2017

Just delicious ice cream. The sundaes with olive oil and sea salt are sublime.  The only reason for losing a star, the line is long and can be very slow.  And for the customers that want their moment to hem and haw over the menu... the counter clerks should ask them to step aside until they are ready to order out of respect for everyone behind them that patiently waited in line with their order in mind and ready to place.

3/10/2017

Mmm mmm mmm!!  The flavors here are so on point!  Really enjoyed my experience!  Apparently the line is usually around the corner of the street, but we came on a night where there was only a few ahead of us in line, so getting our fix of ice cream was a quickie!  

Their flavors change a lot so if you have a favorite, it may be only a limited time only!  I got the earl grey which was so good!  Really hit the spot and the earl grey flavor was spot on!  I also tried some of the other flavor, the toffee almond was also really good.  

They also have special sundaes, one of which is topped with sea salt and olive oil!  It was actually pretty good to have the sweet and salty and a hint of olive oil!  If you like that combo, then definitely try that sundae!  

I'd definitely come back here to try other flavors any day!

Parking is street parking and we were lucky to find a spot by the park/high school.  

Bathroom was really clean.  Seating area is a bit limited and the area is narrow so if you are with a large group, some of you will be standing!  

Customer service was great!  The guy that helped me even offered pairings of flavors that go great together!  That was definitely a first that I've never been offered at an ice cream shop!  

If you do not want to wait in the line, you may also grab a few pints and enjoy the ice cream at home!

3/7/2017

The one thing that immediately pops into my mind when reviewing this shop is "WORTH THE WAIT!!"

While on vacation with my boyfriend in California, I had this on my list for the entire trip. We ended up meeting a local friend here on the last day. We were all a little unsure about the long line, and whether it was going to live up to the hype, but I was really confident that it would be worth it after all my research for "best ice cream in San Francisco." It was everything I hoped it would be.

The line only took about fifteen minutes, and we needed that much time to choose our ice cream, anyway. The options were endless, and the pre-determined sundaes helped guide us to our choices. I only got a scoop each of the Honey Lavender and Orange Cardamom, but it was the best ice cream I've had. I am such a sucker for interesting, diverse flavors, and they were perfect.

My boyfriend got the Cookie Monster "staff-favorite combo," and he is still talking about it even now that we've returned home to Philadelphia. Our friend ordered Sam's Sundae and seemed really into it, but it was huge, so I ended up finishing it for her! I would have never guessed that I'd love olive oil on ice cream, but it was amazing. It was also the best whipped cream I've ever tasted.

Bi-Rite Creamery is the one experience I keep returning to when I think about our trip to San Francisco. This ice cream shop could draw me back across the country for another visit.

2/8/2017

I grew up in San Francisco, and am absolutely obsessed with this place. I would stand in the line even if it wrapped up the block any day. They have interesting sundae's that sound so hip you begin to question it, but one bite makes you a believer. My favorite sundae to get there includes one scoop of vanilla, one scoop of lavender, blood orange olive oil, caramel, and homemade whipped cream. (Advice: never skip out on the whipped cream, you'll regret it!)

11/11/2016

The reviews here do not lie. Even if you have to wait in a fairly long line, it is completely worth it, just to taste this ice cream. I have been a firm believer that ice-cream is fantastic, but pretty much the same wherever you get, but this shop has completely changed my mind. The unique flavors they have are spectacular, trying the flavors alone was amazing. Even classics like mint chip were phenomenally better than "normal" ice cream. I'm sure just getting a scoop or two on a cone, which some of my friends purchased, would still be extremely delicious.

After trying multiple flavors that ranged from black sesame, to apple cider bourbon, I finally decided on one of their sundaes. They may be a little pricey (I believe they were $8.50), but it was definitely worth it. If you're a fairly adventurous eater, you MUST get the Dainty Gentleman!!! Allow me to break this sundae down for you: honey lavender ice cream (absolutely amazing flavor, super decadent, not too sweet, very light yet still rich and creamy) topped with blood orange olive oil (may sound extremely weird but hear me out, it is SO worth it), hot fudge, and Marlon Sea Salt. If you're not familiar with Marlon Sea Salt, it is a finishing salt that's very flaky that comes from England, you use it to top dishes rather than cook with.

If you decide to purchase this sundae, the first sight will initially be off-putting. It looks like two scoops of vanilla floating in oil, but once you bite into it, the flavors all blend together perfectly. It is an excellent combination of sea salt with chocolate, and the blood orange taste compliments the creamy honey lavender ice cream so well. The sundae comes with two scoops of ice cream and I normally cannot even finish one. However, at Bi Rite's Dainty Gentleman, I can wolf down the entire thing by myself. It also comes in Vanilla Ice Cream or Chocolate for a cheaper price of $8.00.

Overall, I definitely would come back, even if it is an hour and a half drive. This ice cream shop is fantastic, and all of their flavors are spectacular. The line may be long, but once you bite into your ice cream, you'll be so glad that you waited.

11/2/2016

Unique ice cream spot next to Dolores Park. Take your ice cream to go, or enjoy at one of the tables inside.

The ice cream selection itself is exceptional, with a variety of ice cream flavors from your typical birthday cake, to more atypical seasonal flavors like bourbon (or whisky?) cider with carrot cake. Sample away when it's your turn at the counter. Personally, I felt like some of the flavors were teensy bit of a let down. For the honey lavender for example, the lavender flavor is so strong it overpowers the honey. It's still good, but I would prefer the flavors to be a bit more balanced (-.5 stars).

What I found really impressive here was the selection of sundaes. Though not the cheapest sundaes around. these sundaes are so much more than your traditional fudge/brownie concoctions. We opted to split the Dainty Gentleman - two scoops of honey lavender, topped with fudge, sea salt, and my favorite: blood orange olive oil (I know it may sound odd, but trust me, it's delicious). This is a must try sundae for anyone looking for an adventurous explosion of flavor.

All in all, 100% worthwhile ice cream experience.

10/16/2016

Ugh just amazing. Last time around, the Coffee Toffee was life changing for me, but this time it was the Black Sesame. I've only had black sesame ice cream once before at Fosselman's in Alhambra, and theirs pale in comparison to Bi-Rite's. Bi-Rite's version is richer and deeper, with a scattering of black sesame seeds throughout. So so good!

Service was v on point as well. My guy kept handing me samples, even of ones I didn't ask for lol. He even made me sample a secret menu flavor, which was the cookies n' cream ice cream with a dash of blood orange olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Now that was doubly life-changing. 10/10 would recommend!