Fentons Creamery: Famous East Bay Ice Cream
If you live in the East Bay, the words “ice cream” and “Fentons” go hand in hand. After walking Lake Merritt on a sunny afternoon or leaving an evening show at the Paramount or Grand Lake Theater, chances are you’ll find yourself here, braving a long line spilling from the lobby to the sidewalk, just for a taste of rocky road.
An Oakland institution since 1894, Fentons has been serving up generous scoops of handmade ice cream for over a hundred years. And we’re not just talking ordinary ice cream cones and old-fashioned sundaes, though you’ll find those here as well – we’re talking humongous frozen creations the whole table can share. Layered sundaes and sweet concoctions stand tall in their fountain glasses, so prepare to satisfy that sweet tooth. If you’re feeling intimidated, “Sundaes for the Sedate” are also on the menu.
Originally a dairy operation delivering milk from a horse-drawn wagon, Fentons takes pride in their “cow to the cone” philosophy based on making small batches of fresh ice cream at a time. Families are invited to take an Arctic Tour to see how the ice cream is made. In addition to using cream from Happy California Cows, Fentons uses locally roasted almonds, fresh fruit, and hand-crumbled Oreos. Their famous flavors – toasted almond, rocky road, and Swiss milk chocolate, have been around for as long as the creamery itself, and that’s quite awhile.
It’s not all about the ice cream here, either. If you’d rather not skip straight to dessert, you can fill up on an all-American favorite, like a burger or BLT, hot dog or chicken salad. The old-fashioned crab salad sandwich gets a lot of buzz, too. And for breakfast, there’s everything from waffles to omelets to corn beef hash.
Family-owned and operated Fentons is located in one of Oakland’s go-to spots, Piedmont Avenue, where a range of culinary offerings and independent shops co-mingle. The creamery has recently expanded to include two new locations in Oakland and Solano County.
Bay Area-based Pixar Animation Studios recently tipped a hat to Fentons, giving the creamery a cartoon-cameo in 2009’s popular animated movie “Up.”
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:00 a.m. to Midnight on Friday and Saturday; 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Posted by Renee Rutledge
