Mariposa Ice Cream

best ice cream shop on the planet.
with 2 little kids, going to mariposa is a memory maker.
we are lucky to have mariposa in san diego.
a true gem.
p. s. disregard any negative reviews (if any) — those people belong at Baskin-​Robbins.

Great ice cream parlor! I always get the brownie sundae. Most recently I had it with their black cherry ice cream. I love the pumpkin ice cream during the holidays.

Best ice cream in San Diego. Friendly service. Good texture and it doesn’t melt very fast. Worth the price and the flatulence since I am lactose intolerant.

I absolutely love the ice cream at Mariposa! I’ve never asked them to make anything crazy for me, but I love the Mexican Chocolate ice cream! I really diss like chocolate most of the time, but they have the Mexican chocolate down perfectly! I guess they’ll make anything for you too!

Awesome list of flavors. We came here because my husband was craving a classic banana split, and theirs is the best. I got raspberry and coconut in a cone. Definitely recommend that fresh baked waffle cone– holy amazing. Best ever.

Seriously the best ice cream you will ever have. I highly recommend it. The vibe inside is so welcoming. This is a true mom and pop business that you can get behind and truly support. I recommend the Mexican Chocolate.
Great for the whole family. The décor is so much fun to look at and analyze. I only wish they were open ²⁴⁄₇ so I could go anytime and get my fill. Well I guess I can buy some of their pints… that works too.
Buy local, go to Mariposa today!

I’m actually a regular patron of their Temecula location (what?! I owe them a review), but today was our first time at the original location. This visit validated that we’re a fan of Mariposa because they make their own ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good macro-​ice cream, but how can you deny a local spot that churns out small batch custom flavors. Right now, my wife is all about simple floats (ice cream + soda) like the Mexican chocolate and root beer. This location carries only Barq’s Root Beer, but the combination is tasty for a float.
Recently, Mariposa released a «maple pancetta» which is exactly as you see it: maple ice cream and Blind Lady Ale House-​made pancetta. I loved it as it was indeed a mix of sweet (maple) and salty (pancetta, a cured meat), yet I didn’t know what to do with it as both flavors were strong to have alone as a dessert or snack. Hilarious.

The ice cream here is so good! We got one scoop of cookies and cream and one scoop of white choco raspberry in a waffle cone which was the perfect combo! Both flavors of ice cream were really tasty and not too sweet. They were also the perfect texture, not too rich or too thick. The only reason why I didn’t give 5 stars was because the guy that was serving us was not helpful and rude.

MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM PLACE, EVER EVER. This place is family owned, and has a very welcoming feel to it. There are so many flavors both common and exotic to try. To me, what makes this place better than most ice cream places is that the texture of the ice cream is far better than most. My favorite flavors are white chocolate raspberry & cookies and cream, whereas my boyfriends favorite flavor is the Mexican chocolate. I promise you that this place won’t fail!
Only down side are their days of operation. I always crave this place on a Monday… And they’re never open. Also, since this is a smaller shop in Adam’s Avenue, parking kinda sucks also. But, you can park near 7 – 11, walk over real quick and make it back before your times parking is up. This place is bomb.

A san diego staple! My wife is an ice cream snob, and absolutely loves this place! You can tell they take pride in their product and they do it the right way!
Large portions, great prices, and AMAZING ice cream! The real thing! Their waffle cones are great, and I absolutely love their coffee ice cream!
If you live in or visit San Diego and love ice cream, this place is for you!

The first time I tried this place, I fell in love. Sometimes, I’ll come to the area just for a scoop or two. They offer different specials of the month (this month = $ 5 pints!), which you can find out about on their Facebook page. I’ve tried various flavors but my absolutely favorites are Cookies n Mint and Mexican Chocolate. I always say that their Cookies n Mint is different from other mint cookie ice creams because Mariposa gives off that minty fresh feel with every bite.
Definitely recommended. It is my #1 favorite ice cream spot. :)

Nice mom and pop ice cream shop. It’s a cute little spot with pictures of the family and random butterfly related and Beatles decorations. I sampled the coffee, banana walnut, and strawberry but couldn’t decide on one so I chose a ½ ¹⁄₂ pint of banana walnut and coffee. November $ 5 pint special! The ice cream was a little bit icy and a little less creamy than the average ice cream which is just how I like it.

Delicious ice cream! Had their blueberry & raspberry white chocolate. Very small, and hot in summer days, but worth it. Good variety of ice cream choices.

Hands down all time favorite ice cream place in San Diego. You can taste the love in the delicious creamy homemade ice cream here! AND it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg if you’re looking for a good single or double scoop ice cream treat. I mean Will Ferrell loves this place too, you can’t go wrong.
Go to favorite flavor is the White Chocolate Raspberry Ripple. Cappuccino Almond Fudge, Mexican Chocolate and Cookies and Cream and also great! Go for banana walnut if you like walnuts! Cookies and mint is alright, not as good as cookie and cream in my opinion.
Waffle cones are also great, there’s usually a special too (on sundaes or something like that). You can get a waffle cone to go as well if you are buying pints for home.
When we come here every week we always buy pints for home, it’s 2 for $ 12! You can have more than one flavor in the pints. Be sure to check their hours before going as it is a mom and pop shop.

Woohoo! I’m a huge fan! Mariposa is such an adorable, quaint, little hole in the whole. More importantly they are a neighborhood gem. Yes, the ice cream is heavenly, not overly sweet and definitely tastes homemade. We got the brownie sundae with the heath bar ice cream. When I innocently asked for extra whipped cream, the cute elderly man (I think he’s the one behind the magic) smiled at me after piling on a matterhorn mountain size of whipped cream on my sundae. I can’t forget to mention that they make their fudge sauce in house and that was the cherry on the cake. It was thick, gooey, warm, and viscous. You can’t ask for more.
We spontaneously came when there a musician was playing inside Mariposa. Everyone was singing along, laughing together, and inviting others to join and sit down, including me and my parents. It was such a neat experience. I love the communal vibe. This place is truly a jewel. Can’t wait to visit again. First I need to digest all the ice cream I just inhaled however.
I may have gotten a scoop of their cookies n’ cream for the road. No shame haha.

The first time i heard that Mariposa existed was when I got a Root Beer Float at Blind Lady Ale House.
((I know what you’re thinking — wtf is she doing getting a root beer float at a joint that is exclusively known for their selection of beer? — WELL, I’ve got eleven words for you: I’ve got five words for you: I DO WHAT I WANT))
So anyways, it ended up being the best damn root beer float I’ve ever had so I told our waiter and he nonchalantly said «oh yeah totes, its cuz we use mariposa ice cream from next door» so I was like «WOAH DAFUQ YOU IS» and i immediately knew i had to check this place out.
That being said, this is a great place to stop by whenever you’re in Normal Heights to get a pick-​me-​up on a hot summer day. The Ice cream has a great creamy consistency that leaves you wanting more, and their portions are very generous for the price that you’re paying for.
My personal favorites are the MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE and COOKIES AND CREAM. Mosey over and snag a couple scoops with a fresh waffle cone, you wont regret it !

This mom & pop place is next to a 7 – 11 but not in the «greatest» area of town.
Smells like yummy blueberries inside.
Ice creams are all yummy & there wasn’t one that I didn’t like.
Ice cream texture was a bit on the icy side but little creamy too.
Great portions & prices.
Faves:
Cookies & cream (slight horchata taste to it)
Banana walnut
Mexican chocolate
Health butter toffee
Service: A+
Very nice, friendly & patient guy who let us try all different flavors of the ice cream.

One of my friends took me to this awesome and wonderful place and I can’t thank her enough… THANKS OLI! It was actually pretty hidden on Adams Ave by a 7 eleven. There’s a couple of parking spaces in the front of the store and half the time I get lucky enough to score one of them.
The two flavors that I always end up getting is the Mint Cookie (best thing ever) and the White chocolate raspberry. I’ve tried their other flavors, but none is as good to me as those two. Their waffle cones are amazing (even when it’s a little stale) and everyone in San Diego should go and try it.
The interior is very unique and one wall is basically filled with The Beatles which is pretty cool. There are also pictures of celebrities like Will Ferrel who came.

Small, cute shop full of Beatles and celebrity wall décor. Their website says all ice cream is handmade which convinced me that I had to come here! I probably sampled about 4 different flavors and ended up getting a double scoop in a cup, one flavor strawberry and the other cookies and mint. They also have the option to get a half-​and-​half single scoop, which I should’ve done, but forgot to mention it to the lady helping me):
The ice cream is of a reasonable price which is great. I noticed the ice creams were of different consistencies — some icy and others creamy, some sweeter than others. The best sample I had was the butterfinger! Probably should’ve gotten that, but wasn’t feeling candy or chocolate. Definitely an interesting place to check out!

One thing I noticed with ice cream places in San Diego: many of them have really bad ventilation and have no AC, Mariposa included.
Upon entering Mariposa, the stuffy hot sulfur shit smelling smell instantly hit my face. I cannot believe how disgusting the place smells. Imagine the a non ventilated bathroom with a hand dryer. Imagine that dryer being on most of time and then someone taking a #2 and trying to cover the smell with one of those nasty fruity frebreeze spray. It smelled like that! My friend and I couldn’t stomach it (we just ate at Daofu) and stood outside for fresh air. How odd it smelled like that! (Does anyone know the explanation? Or was it just that day?)
Despite the disgusting smell of the place, the ice cream was not at all in anyway disgusting! Don’t let the smell deceive you. The ice cream by far in SD is the most creamiest I’ve tasted. The waffle cone was also very crunchy and you can tell they made it. We got the banana walnut and peanut butter. The banana walnut had a walnut in every bit and the banana didn’t feel like an artificial flavor. I’m not a peanut butter fan but it was delicious.
If you are sensitive to smell, let your friend wait in line for you. It’s definitely a must have dessert if you’re ever in the area. Also we think the owners are the workers and the creators. They were very friendly and happy. I would be too if I get to make ice cream all day and have it be sooo successful as Mariposas! There was always people coming and going.

Banana walnut and peanut butter ice cream on a cone.
Mariposas, a local mom and pop ice cream parlor slapping up some gourmet frozen treats and they’re definitely doing it right. Those two flavors were legit! I can’t get over the cone either. It was so crisp, yet with such soft, subtle chewyness. It’s different than the typical mass produced cones which resemble something closer to cardboard or some other recycled material. The cone was my favorite part.
Hats off to these folks, they got it going on. Oh and I almost forgot, this place is worth the lactose intolerance. Haha.

Delicious handmade ice cream and fresh waffle cones… Mariposa is every ice cream lovers’ dream! The ice cream tastes as fresh as can be, no chunks of ice, no givin’ you brain freezes… just perfection in a (delicious waffle) cone.
I came here for the first time yesterday and since it is handmade ice cream, I ended up finding a tiny hair in my scoop of coconut. They switched it out no problem. The ice cream is so creamy, fresh, and unlike any ice cream you’ve ever tried that this little incident would not sway me from returning. I’m mentioning it only because of the awesome customer service here. They were more than accommodating in replacing my scoop and waffle cone.
Speaking of waffle cone… you NEED to get your ice cream in one. It’s a dollar extra but it’s the softest most delicious cone I’ve ever had and pairs perfectly with any flavor. YUM. One scoop in a waffle cone is only $ 3.50. I also love how they have wooden spoons, not plastic, that they compost after use so don’t feel bad about trying multiple samples! Such a smart and green idea!
Definitely recommend the blueberry and coconut ice creams. Blueberry tasted very fresh and not sour at all, not artificial tasting. It was like a smoothie in a scoop! The coconut had little pieces of coconut and was creamy as can be. Will be back to try more flavors.

Homemade ice cream.
That’s it, that’s all there is to know. This ice cream is Amazing! Along with one other ice cream place I’m San Diego (thee which will not be named), I have yet to come across a place that makes homemade Ice cream taste so good, and in such a variety of flavors.
I have brought friends and co-​workers to this place and they’ve all loved it. They bring new flavors from time to time depending on the time of year. During Christmas time they have a good peppermint ice cream– which is actually hidden beneath all the other flavors.
My personal favorites are: Mexican chocolate, chocolate, banana walnut and coffee. If you’re not sure which one to opt for– take a sample. Trust me, you want to make an informed decision.
Everyone at the shop is always really friendly. Sometimes when I’m feeling extra generous ill take a pint to go and share with people– that’s only when I’m feeling extremely generous. Their pint is actually very reasonably priced at $ 5, so if there’s a flavor you fall in love with and don’t live near the area, this is a good idea.
Do yourself a favor and get some of this good stuff, thank me later.