Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream

Great quality ice cream, wonderful favors.
Humphry Slocombe delivers high quality frozen treats. There are a small selection of favors but they cover a wide variety of tastes. This week, Humphry offered a selection of beer flavored ice cream. I sampled the Amber Flying Cloud Stout. It had a rich beery flavor with a hint of salt, creating a complex creamy flavor.
So if you need something cold to eat and up for some unique favors, then try Humphry Slocombe.

This place is really close to my apartment, and I’m sooo thankful that it is!
They have a lot of interesting flavours — my personal favourite is Tahitian vanilla — and they regularly introduce new flavours. The service has also been very good each time I’ve gone and I’ve never had to wait longer than like 2 minutes, unlike at some of the other really good ice cream places, where you have to wait almost 20 minutes to place your order. The only thing is that it’s a bit pricey, so I don’t end up going as often as I actually want to.

While visiting San Francisco we stumbled upon the Ferry Building location of HS. The unique flavor selections reminded me of a very quirky ice creamery we have in Ferndale, MI called Treat Dreams, so naturally we had to stop and try some flavors. I personally tested Brown Butter, Butterscotch Root Beer, & Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple. All 3 were delicious, but I think Brown Butter was one of the Top 5 ice cream flavors I have ever had. SO smooth and rich, with a unique flavor that it’s hard to describe everything that sticks out about it.
The shop also had Blue Bottle coffee flavor combinations, and specialty #SFBeerWeek concoctions. They seem to be very creative and offer flavors you would not find anywhere else.
Whether you stop by the physical location, or the stand in the Ferry Building, this place is delicious and deserves any ice cream lover’s attention.

Saturday, 8:30 PM.
Quickie:
+ Dessert quality
+ Hygiene
+ Customer service
+ Turnaround
+ Menu variety
And then???
Humphry’s is in the top tier of ice cream vendors.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Super secret: corn meal and Bourbon
+ Unconventional, bold, but somehow this combination pulls it off.
2. Pistachio brittle
+ Takes pistachio, adds a salty spin and elevates this duo.
3. Blue Bottle Vietnamese coffee
+ Strong roast and not too sweet.
4. Balsamic
+ Did not think this could be an enticing ice cream flavor.
Constructive comments:
*Source ingredients

After seeing the atrocious line at Mitchell’s on a random Friday night, my husband and I decided to take our talents to Humphry Slocombe for a late night treat. Having been to their outpost at the Ferry Building, I was so happy to finally make it to their Mission shop. As always, their Secret Breakfast is a no-​brainer, but the Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple was also nothing to bat an eye at. I can’t stress how happy good ice cream makes me, so having a scoop of Humphry Slocombe after a long week makes everything better!

This was my first time getting HS somewhere other than the ferry building, so I was vaguely surprised at the lack of a long line… but hey, that’s nothing to complain about, lol! A friend had forwarded me the news about their black sesame flavor coming back for a limited time via instagram so I was super stoked to try it out… I was certainly not at all disappointed!!!
Black sesame– The characteristic «roasted» scent of the black sesame really came through taste-​wise… This is EXACTLY what I had been craving! You can still see the flecks of black mixed into the ice cream so you know you’ve definitely gotcher self the read deal. What really brings this one above and beyond for me was the fact that the base ice cream was not some plain vanilla… but rather a mellowed out version of something like salted caramel! The almost savory/​salty hint from the «salted caramel» background truly paired with the black sesame like a charm. If I could buy this flavor on the regular… man, oh, MAN!
Jasmine lychee– Strong on the tea at first. So much so that it feels almost like it’s going to stay a really heavy flavor (like some chai)…but then it turns around back into the realm of lychee… great soft tropical finish!
Am I the only one that is vaguely surprised (in a happy way) that they don’t charge extra for a waffle cone? Can’t wait to come back to try the other flavors!

Definitely one of the best ice cream places in SF to go to. Went in today w/​no line and had a very helpful server help me get samples of various ice cream I wanted to try.
I tried various flavors they had, but just ended up getting the secret breakfast and the blue bottle Vietnamese coffee which = complete breakfast! :)
The place is quite small and parking is hard to find so its best to go during a weekday or off peak hours.

Came here awhile back with my friend Christine on our ice cream adventure. This was our first stop as she bought me the recipe book by them. I came here with very high expectations and with high hopes of trying the Jesus Juice. I mean, it’s Jesus Juice, and Jesus was a cool guy, so it has to be good. Sadly, they didn’t have the day I went.
I ended up trying the Thai Chili Sorbet which was very interesting. Never had spicy sorbet before, or even spicy ice cream. I really enjoyed the Thai Chili sorbet. It was refreshing in its own way, and it was spicy but wasn’t (The only way I know how to explain it). But with that in mind, I couldn’t eat a whole scoop of it. I opted for a scoop of the Vietnamese Blue Bottle Ice Cream, which I really enjoyed. The coffee flavor was extremely strong.
All in all, I enjoyed my experience here. Definitely not my favorite ice cream store, but still really good!

Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee. You have my attention. Before I go on, I love my coffee. It has a special place in my heart :’) but more importantly I love good strong Vietnamese coffee. They do Vietnamese Coffee ice cream pretty well here. A good balance of the coffee flavor and the sweetness from condensed milk. I expected it to be fairly creamy and not being able to capture the coffee flavor that well but they proved me wrong. I personally would’ve liked the ice cream to be a little less sweet. Came on a winter day so seating inside was easy. Highly recommend trying their Vietnamese coffee.

this ice cream shop is probably my second favorite one in San Francisco. (absolute favorite is Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous. they weren’t open that day.: /​) this shop has become so popular for their radical combination of flavors that they have also opened a booth in the Ferry Building.
this location only has street parking like most of the shops in the city. if u drive around the area for a while, it’s not hard to find one.
for ppl who don’t often go into the city n love them, their ice cream can also b found at Bitter + Sweet in Cupertino. (their scoop is quite small tho. I’m into places where they scoop with a heavy hand. :))
Christmas Story: this is probably their seasonal flavor. it’s so good n refreshing cuz of the large pieces of peppermint bark mixed in.
Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee: this has a very concentrated coffee flavor from the popular Blue Bottle Coffee. lots o’ caffeine. :)
Malted Milk Chocolate: tasted so rich n creamy. just like Maltesers!
Tahitian Vanilla: smooth n not overly sweet. can’t go wrong with this flavor.

I know that I’m going to say what most people have said already, but Oh. My. Goodness.
The Secret Breakfast is to die for. I am not a huge alcohol fan because I just don’t like the taste of alcohol (and I get a real bad Asian glow with the slightest alcohol), but this ice cream is ahmazing! It’s the perfect amount of Bourbon and sweetness. Ugh. I love it. Also, I love the Vietnamese Blue Bottle ice cream! Not too sweet and good coffee flavor!
Other flavors may be good too, but I once got Harvey’s Milk (honey, milk, and graham crackers) and it was wayy too sweet. What I really like about this place is that they have unique flavors that are not offered anywhere else. Although I love, love, love Bi-​rite ice creams as well, these are a different kind of ice cream flavors that I enjoy just as much.
Things I don’t like: it’s quite pricey. $ 4 for a scoop and $ 6 for 2 scoops, but I guess they can do whatever they want since no other ice cream shops really offer their type of flavors. Also, the couple of times I have gotten The Secret Breakfast, the ice cream seems to melt very quickly and is very soft. Perhaps this is due to the alcohol in the ice cream, but that’s just my logic (don’t quote me). It’s not a huge deal cause I eat it up so quickly, but it’s noticeable.
All in all, I love this place!

Hehe love the mission! So when I found out this ice cream shop was here I was so excited ^-^ I got the cream cheese chocolate chip. It reminded me of a greek yogurt chocolate chip ice cream. It has a sour kick to it so I enjoyed it.
The overall texture of it was definitely creamy. Has that thick texture that doesn’t melt easily. I would say it’s less milky tasting than bi-​rite. But both are the same level of goodness. They both have their good flavors and weird tasting flavors. They are all super unique so you’ll have a wide range of choices.

Blue bottle vietnamese coffee. The best coffee ice cream! So smooth and so creamy. yumm
I came here on a Saturday evening a few weeks ago. There was no line and the people working there were really nice and let me and my friend try almost every flavor: X
There were pretty exotic flavors from candied ginger, to bourban infused ice cream. We personally didn’t like those ones so much, but I can see people that like ginger and bourbon enjoying those ones.

Was always on the border about the secret breakfast but finally ordered a scoop of it and 2 mins later… Gone. The ice cream is decent. Generally I think the flavors are strange but there’s always at least one that’s delicious.
I like to come here when I’m craving ice cream at night and the line at Mitchell’s is too long. Usually pretty easy to find street parking and there’s rarely more than 4 or 5 other people in the shop.
Come with no expectations. The flavors change often so I like to sample a few and then make an executive decision.

Haven’t been here in a few years but I finally made it back today. I tried a few flavors and picked the milk chocolate passion fruit and the Candy Cap, a maple flavored ice cream, which were so delicious! Two scoops is a bit much (was feeling kinda sick after) but I tried the Candy Cap after ordering a single scoop and deciding I needed another flavor.
Can’t complain, other than the ice cream is served at a pretty soft stage. My chocolate ice cream was almost like soft serve. It’s good ice cream and they have interesting flavors. But man, $ 6 is a bit crazy for ice cream. Good thing I normally just eat my own. Expensive ice cream because San Francisco. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh, Humphry Slocombe, you have my heart. You warm that large part of my heart dedicated to ice cream, gelato, and other creamy frozen dairy products.
I will simply dedicate my review to their secret breakfast. Why don’t all breakfasts taste like this? Why doesn’t my heart healthy oatmeal taste like this? And who thought of the combination of Bourbon and corn flakes and why does it work so well? This is definitely one you must try if not order when coming to HS. I love the texture that comes through from the cornflakes and the unique sweet, liqueur tastes from the bourbon.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, it does. I’ve essentially cut out all soda from my life, but I do make an exception for a Bourbon and Coke float. Coke from a glass bottle (makes a difference that it is glass) over 2 scoops secret breakfast equals your best friend on a warm SF day.
The ice cream scene is a pretty plentiful party, but Humphry Slocombe definitely holds one of the top spots for me. Plus they have locations now in the Ferry building and at the Yard by AT&T Park.

Choosing your favorite ice cream place in San Francisco is like choosing a gang affiliation. People swear by Mitchell’s or will die with Bi-​rite in hand. But, I rep Humphry’s and I stand by my statement that this is the best ice cream in SF.
They have a couple of flavors that you can rely on being there like «Secret Breakfast» (bourbon + cornflakes), «Harvey Milk and Honey Graham», or the «POG» (passion, orange, guava) sorbet…
Which are all great, but you can always expect some crazy flavor that somehow works like the «After School special» (vanilla, caramel, choco-​covered potato chips), «Eton Mess» (strawberry, marshmallow fluff), or some beer flavored ice cream.
Sometimes they’ll try to keep it classy and sassy like «Olive Oil» or «Here’s your damn strawberry».
In the end, there’s no «wrong» flavor. Everything somehow works… and deliciously.

I was so anxious to eat my ice cream I forgot to take a picture…
Secret Breakfast
Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee
After School Special.
I didn’t taste them all but the cone of Vietnamese Coffee I ordered was a beautiful ending to our afternoon in the city. It’s not hard to describe how uniquely fresh the ice cream was.
The young ladies behind the counter were very professional and handled the crowd with ease.
No doubt that is some of the best ice I have tasted, shout out to my homegirl Dana that suggested the place, it pays to go to the city with a SF Native!
I will be back, I will taste more than 2 flavors and I will order a double scoop…

It took a wedding for me to get a chance to try one of San Francisco’s vaunted ice cream shops at last.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Here’s the deal: I did visit Polly Ann’s in 2009. My faint recollection is that it was good, but not truly excellent. I also drove up in 2012 to help some foodie friends tour the City by the Bay. They didn’t plan an ice cream stop though, and I didn’t object because I figured that I would get a chance to go back sooner or later. Unfortunately, it was more of a later, and it was an opportunity created by heading up a little early before attending some other friends’ wedding reception.
I arrived at Humphry Slocombe at about 4:40pm on a Saturday. Considering the praise that they get, the line was shockingly short! Five minutes (after the drive and such) to get to the counter is such a huge plus. I don’t know whether it was the time of day, the speed of service, the lack of a huge sign with their name on it, or some criminal underrating by the residents of SF, but I was so happy. This was amplified when I realized how long some of the lines at other top-​notch spots can be, reportedly at all times of day too.
Seeing that one scoop is $ 4 and two are $ 6, I found that the $ 7.50 option for three scoops would provide the best value and variety (other than going pint-​sized for $ 9, which is kinda ridiculous even for me). I didn’t sample every last flavor on the menu because I felt the eyes of those behind me in line, but I tried enough flavors to make three choices confidently.
The Nectarine and Plum Yogurt didn’t resonate with my palate, so I left it unordered. I probably should have had a scoop of the toast and jam, which was actually fantastic, but I went for the White Miso Peach instead. It was pretty interesting with its slightly savory flavor and peachy accent, but it didn’t hit all the right spots for me. The Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee was an obvious choice, and I loved the strong coffee flavor that was not masked by the restrained addition of sugar. Finally, I had to get the renowned Secret Breakfast, and I see why everybody likes it. Although it melted a bit too quickly for my liking, it definitely had a strong bourbon flavor with a «soft crunch» from the corn flakes.
The textures in general are not as thick as some ice creams (in technical terms, there’s more overrun), but I’ll write it off as a stylistic choice. There weren’t unexpected ice crystals or anything else off-​putting, although the Coffee flavor did seem to have an evenly distributed icy texture.
I’d easily get the latter two flavors again, but then I’d have to skip out on new experiences. They only have perhaps 16 of their 100+ flavors (listed on their web site) available at once, and I’m sure that they rotate them the time. Now that I’ve had a lot of experience trying not-​so-​traditional flavors of frozen dessert, I’m really interested in some of the flavors that I haven’t heard of elsewhere. Glenlivet? Prosciutto? Count me in!
San Franciscans should feel so lucky to have Humphry Slocombe. I’ll be back some day, even if I have to skip the other well-​known shops. Nah, that’s ridiculous — I’ll visit multiple shops and include this one. An ice cream tour! That will be the best day ever.

I’m always down for a new gelato discovery. Particularly if the gelateria is throwing some mad flavour combos my way. Humphry Slocombe is doing just that, and the name is pretty darn cute too.
They’re really good about you sampling a few before you buy, which is nice of them. I tried the Matilda (a mix of cake biscuits and chocolate), Thai tea which was very unique (mmm condensed milk goodness) and the Vietnamese Coffee, which had quite a punch to it. The range isn’t huge compared to other gelaterias I have visited though.
Definitely a great place for something quite unique and sweet when you’re next in The Mission.

Oh yeah, merci Elodie F ! Grâce à toi, voilà que j’ai retrouvé ces super glaces de SF, testées il y a deux ans déjà ! Il faut dire que si on né cherche pas Humphry Slocombe… on né le trouvera certainement pas ! Pas d’enseigne, une devanture ultra discrète, à peine 3 tables posées devant… ici on fait dans la sobriété !
Côté parfums, c’est pareil: on fait dans le sobre et dans l’efficace. Oubliez les énormes glaciers avec 200 parfums différents, ici les parfums se comptent sur les doigts de la main, et les classiques sont inexistants. Qu’on se le dise, Humphy Slocombe est un glacier hipster moderno-​minimaliste. On hésite donc entre sésame noir, ancho-​chocolat («euh ça veut dire quoi, ancho ??! Anchois ??») ou encore peanut-​butter-​curry. Et si on hésite, on demande à goûter et on nous en donne une cuillère tout de suite. Top ! Pour ma part, je né goute pas et je fonce, ça sera peanut butter curry. Ouf, ce n’était pas évident, mais c’est parfaitement à mon goût. On arrive à sentir à la fois le peanut butter et le curry, sans que l’un né vienne masquer le goût de l’autre — équilibre difficile mais parfaitement atteint ! Tout compte fait un seul regret… les parfums étant assez tranchés, je n’ai pas osé les mélanger… et j’en aurai bien goûté plus, en fait !! Il faudra y retourner !

Parfum très originaux et surtout très réussis. À né pas manquer: huile d’olive. Ce n’est pas une blague.

Oubliez vos petits sorbets Berthillon tout mignons, vos mini cornets de chocolat Amorino, ici on vous sert des boules de la taille d’une pomme.
Et les parfums sont à se damner: café vietnamien, peanut butter curry (amaaaaaaaazing-llike-oh-my-god-c’est-une-FATerie), huile d’olive, cannelle-​noix caramélisées, sésame noir, bourbon-​corn flakes…). Le tout est riche et crémeux. Mais vraiment délicieux.
La petite boutique très hip et chic est toujours remplie et Humphry a déjà un nom et une réputation bien installés dans le quartier.
3,75 dollars les deux boules (et on se fout pas de votre gueule avec ces boules)