Bi-Rite Creamery

I'm going to cut right to the chase. Brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl - GO TRY IT. It was so good when I tasted it, that it left me speechless for a few seconds. You might think, "Ginger? With brown sugar and caramel? That's weird." But it's that little bit of zing that makes all the difference. It's even better than their famous salted caramel flavor. Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodle) is also delish.

I've been to Bi-Rite twice - once on an unusually scorching fall day, and once on a frigid rainy night. And both times, despite the uncomfortable weather, there was a line down the sidewalk. People don't do that for "just OK" ice cream.

Some things to note:
- They have some indoor seating, but there is rarely ever a free seat. Bet on standing or sitting outside, at Dolores Park across the street, or getting it to go. Bring your dog; it's a great pit stop on walks or when you're spending an afternoon at the park!
- They have vegan (coconut) flavors! They also have popsicles which sound pretty darn mouth watering.
- There is a separate window (and shorter line) for frozen yogurt and baked goods. It's really just a window facing the sidewalk, so definitely for grabbing and going.

Bi-Rite is one of the crazy popular places to get dessert in SF and there is usually a long line that snakes its way outside and around the corner, even on the chilliest of nights. They're most famous for their salted caramel flavor so you know I had to put it to the test.

Once I got into the shop and tried some of their unique flavor combinations, I had to go absolutely sick and ordered 3 scoops. The first was obviously the salted caramel, but I followed that up with the brown sugar with ginger swirl as well as the ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles). Let me just say...wow! All three flavors were absolutely great, with the standout being the superstar salted caramel. It wasn't overly sweet and the saltiness was extremely subtle, but there was a very special balance of flavors that you've got to taste to understand. The brown sugar and cinnamon flavors were also phenomenal and the flavors were so well balanced with their accompanying combinations.

While I didn't totally dig some of the flavors in the case, they simply weren't for me. However, the choices I did make were soooo good, and I can totally see why people are willing to stand out in the cold to score a scoop or two. There is seating outside where you can hang with your dog (the whole neighborhood is pet-friendly) and I highly recommend bring them to keep you company in line. The Mission has some really cool eateries, and none more cool than the cold scoop of their famous salted caramel.

Food: 10/10

Service: 9/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 9/10