fentons

fenton’s creamery in oakland, california has been serving up their amazing ice cream sundaes since 1922, becoming an icon of the east bay. their iconic stature was also present in pixar’s film, up, when they were featured in a scene where mr. fredricksen, russell, and dug are having a tasty treat on the curb. they make their own ice cream and topping in house, and also serve up traditional breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, and salads; however, the main reason to make a visit is for their enormous ice cream sundaes.

you’ll typically find a line forming at the parlor if you’re looking to dine in. for those looking to dash, fenton’s has a separate line just for ice cream orders to go. the atmosphere of the parlor has a classic american family diner with an open kitchen where guests can see their ice cream sundaes being made. there are also opportunities throughout the day to see their famous ice cream being freshly made in their mixers.

first up was the cookie connection. this was a cookie creation that starts with a warm chocolate chip cookie under scoops of cookies n’cream and cookie dough ice cream topped with hot fudge, marshmallow topping, whipped cream, crushed oreos, and topped off with a cherry.

secondsundaewas a customized regular size, which is still a pretty good portion on its own. comprised of a scoop of pistachio and mocha almond fudge. we asked for strawberry and caramel toppings to get a real feel for the ice cream flavors first before drowning them with sauces. everysundaeis finished off with almonds, whipped cream, and a cherry.

the last jumbosundaeto come out was an even larger customized masterpiece. thissundaecame with several scoops of dark chocolate raspberry twist, chocolate marble, and cherry vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry and hot chocolate syrup finished off with the traditional whipped cream and, you guessed it, a bright red cherry.

fenton’s creamery is a classic american place to visit and have a big old school style ice cream sundae. delicious flavors, huge portions, and an awesome atmosphere.

i can't comment on the food menu, only the ice cream - apparently people actually go here for more than the ice cream. who knew? 

obviously, it's hard to review ice cream because it's ice cream and you can't really screw that up. but theirsundaeconcoctions are amazing. go with a big appetite because the servings are big, too. my favorite is the black and white: chocolate and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow and hot fudge. kinda heaven in asundaebowl, if you ask me. get a junior size unless you have an empty stomach. they also have butter brickle ice cream, which was one of my favorites growing up that you really don't see in stores much anymore. 

parking can be tricky, their lot is small and the street is busy.

truly awesome ice cream. visiting some friends in the area, i skipped dinner, opting instead for a black and tan juniorsundaeand a side of fries. fantastic ice cream and unbeatable fries. the fries were even good cold the next day which is a true rarity.

come for the ice cream, not the food. the ice cream at this long time establishment is delicious! i love the classic toasted almond and often crave this flavor. besides that, the days of a quick cheap bite of sandwich before the treat are over. the food here is overpriced and not very good.

i love the main room and hate the back "party room" which is more like a holding room. both times i was seated in the back room we were given the same rude waitress (this was a year or two ago). maybe too many children's birthday parties in one day makes a server a little cranky but i felt annoyed that we were spending 20 per person on an ice cream dinner and were ignored and then sighed at constantly.

anyway, that brief rant aside, come to the front room of this busy ice cream parlor for asundaeand you will leave happy!

go for the ice cream, fer chrissakes. great old-fashioned ice cream parlor vibe. the black and tansundaeis a sight to behold and so tasty you won't mind the extra 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer tomorrow.

holy crap thatsundaewas huge. so i was hungry, it was late, and i knew fenton's was open till midnight on friday from a previous attempt at one in the morning. i had never been before despite growing up here, and decided to go for thesundaethinking i could do it.

when it came to the table (it was the browniesundaewith vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce) my jaw hit the table. i'm a pretty big guy (6'3", 250lbs) and could only eat half.

if you get it, split it with someone.