Handel's Homemade Ice Cream

This isn't artisanal small-batch sorbet or a trend-chasing dessert concept — it's an ice cream parlor that actually makes ice cream on-site, rotating through 20+ flavors at any given time, all served in portions so generous they border on structural engineering challenges. The shop sits on Mission Boulevard in full view of beach traffic, which means it operates at two speeds: steady weekday local flow and weekend tourist chaos when the line stretches past the door.

The **pistachio** is properly nutty, not just almond extract with green dye. The **mud pie** layers coffee ice cream with Oreo chunks and fudge ribbons thick enough to require active chewing. **Black cherry** comes with whole fruit pieces, not the neon-red maraschino nonsense. They'll let you sample before committing, which matters when flavor names like "Graham Central Station" don't immediately telegraph what you're getting.

Practical notes: parking is a nightmare — either walk from wherever you're already beached or accept circling the block. The line moves fast even when it looks daunting; they scoop with industrial efficiency. Service is friendly unless you catch them mid-shift change or during a post-beach rush, when it's more transactional. Prices are reasonable for the size — a single scoop here equals a double anywhere else.

This is where you end up after a long day on the sand, when you want something cold and absurdly large and don't care about provenance or flavor innovation. It's not trying to be the best ice cream in San Diego; it's trying to be the ice cream shop that PB locals hit three times a week because it's there, it's consistent, and the scoops are ridiculous.