The Ice Cream Shop Instagram Is Totally Obsessed With

Salt & Straw Ice Cream San Diego Erin Aschow Revenge Bakery

Pics or it didn’t happen. Who needs Yelp when you can browse your Insta feed for all of the hottest spots, places to see, places to be seen, visit and eat? Whether you’re looking for a totally Instagram worthy vacation destination, trying to figure out what to wear out on a hot date, the coolest new brands, how you should decorate your new apartment, the coolest beaches to be seen at, what #causes to get involved with or even where you should get you next scoop of ice cream, IG is the go to resource of all things happening right now.

Be real, have you ever gone to a restaurant because you saw someone you follow post about it? Of course you have. Lolz. We all do. It’s all about the X factor. We’re all looking for the coolest new places to visit, and let’s be real we all want that IG money shot. If a restaurant doesn’t have something attractive or over the top to post about, they’re not going to get posted about. It’s all about creating a space that makes people want to take pictures and food that’s just waiting to be photographed (and then completely devoured). If you build it… they will come. And by “they” I mean anyone with an Instagram.

Enter: the hottest ice cream shop that everyone in Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, LA and NOW San Diego are totally obsessed with.

The IT Ice Cream Spot: Salt & Straw

Salt & Straw Ice Cream San Diego Erin Aschow Revenge Bakery

Salt & Straw is so hot, the ice cream is literally melting in everyone’s hands. On any given day, at any time, it’s fairly standard to see a line going out the door of Salt & Straw in San Diego. When they opened, people were waiting for 1-2 hours… just to get their paws on one of Salt & Straws famous ice cream flavors. The same goes for their other locations. They might as well round people up in party buses and schedule shifts, because there’s always a demand.

Oddly enough, Salt & Straw only opened about 7 years ago. Since then, they’ve built a major cult following. So what’s the deal? Why is everyone lining up and what makes their ice cream different than any of the other million ice cream shops without lines?

The 411 On S&S

Ok, so you’re thinking: it’s just ice cream, what’ the big deal. At Salt & Straw, it’s not just “hey let’s throw some strawberries into that vanilla ice cream” or “just stir some chocolate sauce in”. They’re ice cream artisans. So they go out of their way to collaborate on innovative flavors that all tell a different story.

I went in during February, while they were doing their chocolatier series. Sounds fancy, right? Since it was “chocolate month” they teamed up with some of their favorite chocolate makers and chocolatiers to make five different flavors of ice cream inspired by the chocolate creations. In addition to having flavors you can’t get anywhere else, people line up because of the texture of the ice cream. Finally, all of their ice cream is made in small batches (5-10 gallons), using 17% butterfat in its base (instead of the standard 10%). Which results in a creamier, more dense ice cream than your standard scoop of ice cream.

Over The Top Flavors

After trying literally every single flavor on their menu (special thanks to the girls working who patiently spooned me single servings of everything), I got two scoops.

The first scoop was Compartes Chocolate’s Coney Island. I’m a huge fan of Compartes Chocolate. Not only is their packaging totally IG worth itself, they have some of the most amazing flavor combos. The Coney Island scoop looks kind of like a jaw breaker (hello photo opp). The ice cream was created to actually look like one of his amazing wrappers. It’s a vanilla base, with tai-colored chocolate paint… giving it kind of a Jackson Pollock effect. Then they top it off with pieces of waffle cone & Compartes Coney Island Bar.

Scoop #2 was so good I actually got a pint to go to bring home to Tony. Chocolate Gooey Brownie flavor, just the name is making me drool. The base ice cream “layer” kind of tastes like frozen hot chocolate, with hidden chunks of chewy brownies and marshmallow full ribboned in. Now that I’m thinking about it… I’m having the sudden urge to see if Postmates will pick some up for me tonight.

Other classic flavors you can get in San Diego:

Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons
Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache
Double Fold Vanilla
Chocolate Gooey Brownie
Roasted Berries & Toasted White Chocolate
Honey Lavender
Peanut Butter Stout with Chocolate Chicharrón
Freckled Woodblock Chocolate
Avocado & Oaxacan Chocolate Fudge
Salted, Malted, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Roasted Strawberry Coconut (v)
James Coffee & Bourbon

How To Get It

Salt & Straw Ice Cream San Diego Erin Aschow Revenge Bakery

Ok, here’s the important part of this blog post. How do you feast your eyes (and taste buds) on your very own Salt & Straw ice cream? Whether you live in one of these hot spots, or have a trip planned, I listed all of the locations & hours for you below. Because there wouldn’t be anything worse than showing up late and missing a scoop. So I’d recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the location. There tend to be lines, especially after dinner and on weekends.