Lighthouse Ice Cream & Yogurt

Never wrote a review before I stepped into this place. Only accepting cash then placing an ATM in the store with a $ 2 service fee is douchebaggery. POS fees are a cost of doing business. FYI ice cream sandwiches were being sold on ice cream trucks on Brooklyn for 40 years. Not that original.

Went here on a spur of the moment. We wanted to have dessert after our VDay picnic lunch and I found this on Unilocal.It was the worth the hell we paid for parking, 6 block walk and the 10 minute wait. We will be more than happy to drive from IB to OB just to indulge in this absolute pleasure. Brownie deluxe was so so delicious. While the waffle sandwich was so good too, my boyfriend actually regretted not having what I did. Can’t wait to go back!!!

Had the privilege of trying one of their famous concoctions, for only four dollars you can get any ice cream sandwiched between two piping hot homemade waffles-​flavor of your choice, of course-!!
This is definitely a true must have if you’re in the area! I got the blueberry cheesecake ice cream, which was as creamy as can be, and the friendly server suggested I get a blueberry waffle to pair with it since I was super indecisive when I found out I could pick one of three flavors of wafffles to go on this genius sandwich. :)
The ice cream sandwich was to die for, my son took a bite and would not let go of it afterwards!
We (my son, boyfriend, and I) loved this establishment; it was delicious, the servers were very friendly with an awesome atmosphere to match, and it is conveniently close to the beach, so when ur in the mood for something sweet you do not have to go far!
I would definitely come here again, and would recommend if in the area, or up for the drive to stop by!

The warm waffle is worth trying. Neither waffle nor ice cream is spectacular, but the combination is greater than the sum of the parts. They put it on a waffle grill, so the waffle is warm.

I remember coming here as a child and getting my photo taken with my family plus my aunt from New York. I always come back to this place to look for the photo of us, such fun!
On to the ice cream, I have not yet tried the waffle sandwich, I love making them at home, and I noticed from some reviews that they are soft which I find to be really nice! The crunchy waffles are always too much for me.
My all time FAVORITE flavor to get here is the cotton candy, has a bright blue/​pink colour that turns your whole mouth purple! (:
Another one I recently tried was the ‘Maui Wowi’ (Might have gotten the name wrong) but this one is spectacular! It’s an explosion of two different tropical flavors in my mouth.

I bow down to these wonderful people for creating the waffle ice cream sandwich (or at least perfecting it). Some of my favorite things together is a dream come true! I get it the same each time — cookies and cream ice cream with a plain waffle. It always hits the spot! They also have other flavors, namely mint chip, chocolate chip, birthday cake, and all of the classics. Their ice cream is delicious; it’s super creamy and delectable. The fact that it is between two hot waffles is marvelous. As you bite into the sandwich, it explodes into your mouth in a flurry of cold and warmth. Then the crunch of the waffle is just a glorious combination with that wonderful ice cream. That spark from your first bite into a waffle ice cream sandwich is never lost as it’s repeated for eternity.
I’m so glad I was able to search down this business after my friend kept talking about it. It is near the beach, however, so I’m sure it gets packed during the summer months. I have yet to encounter these crowds and always get my ice cream sandwich to feast on within minutes. Overall, highly recommended!

I’ve always seen a line up. I know why! Line up in the evening was smaller. Great atmosphere inside. Flavors displayed on clip boards with chalk paint.
You can sample flavors and they use reusable metal spoons! Therefore no waste!
I tried the London Fog and it was delicious! Not that sweet with great flavor. Quality of ice cream was very very good. As well as the cone was delicious.
My cousin really likes the Whiskey Hazelnut and Maple Walnut.
You can get take home pints in a jar that’s per-​packaged. I am very impressed!

Found this hole in the way after a day at the beach and exploring. What better time is there for ice cream! They were busy but that wait wasn’t long. Sadly, I can’t remember what flavors we tried, but they were good, and the ones in the case all sounded amazing.
Cash only wasn’t a big deal for us, but I know it can be so definitely worth mentioning!!!

I love small businesses just like this thriving, Light house ice cream & yogurt is known for their famous hot waffle ice cream sandwich. Who ever says hot and cold doesn’t go together, has yet to come and checkout this place.
This family owned ice cream shop has won so many awards for their delicious gourmet ice cream. They have a wide array of different flavor and huge variety of cold treats.

I came here to experience THE waffle ice cream sandwich, my reaction is a big fat NO. I could do better with store bought waffles.
Other reviewers have complained about the heat inside the store. The heat definitely comes from the machines operated inside. There were several freezers including the ice cream display. Without proper climate control (aka AC), you are just gonna want to leave if you come here on a hot day.
Tried the chocolate waffle with coconut ice cream. ice cream is by Double Rainbow from SF. The ice cream was fine, a good price. However, despite it being hot, there was no crisp on the waffle, and the texture just was sort of spongy, and the flavor was not very chocolatey. I would rather put the ice cream in a cone instead.
If you’re craving a dessert with none of those items in your home, and if you live close by, then consider coming here.

Quaint place. They have waffle ice cream sandwiches. Of the chocolate, blueberry, and plain options, the blueberry is the best option!
They have Vegan options– I really liked the cherry chocolate chip one!

After a night out at OB Oktoberfest, ice cream was the perfect way to end the night. My boyfriend and I wandered around the streets and came across this place. This was the first time that I’ve heard of the idea of waffle ice cream sandwich and I think its brilliant! I only had cookie ice cream sandwich before and sometimes the combination of two pieces of cookies and ice cream all together can be a little overwhelming. Replacing the cookies with waffles not only reduces the overwhelming sweetness but also brings out the flavors of the ice cream more.
It was super hot and humid inside the store and on top of that, there were flies everywhere too. Definitely not very pleasant but I still stuck around because I needed some ice cream! I wanted to get the blueberry cheesecake ice cream but the ice cream wasn’t thick enough and felt like it’s been exposed to room temperature too many times because of the constant opening and closing the ice box. So instead I got the pistachio almond which surprisingly didn’t have that problem. The girl who helped us out was really nice and offered to cut it in half for us so its easier for me and my boyfriend to share. I thought the waffles were a little too soggy and definitely not crispy enough but overall the flavors were all there so I enjoyed it very much. Only three stars because of the soggy waffles and the unpleasant environment.

:)
Waffle ice cream sandwich! The end.
I tell all my friends to go there when I hear that they are visiting San Diego, and I go nearly every time I make a trip out there.

Great flavor choices — including soft serve vanilla and chocolate ice cream and colorful choices of swirls. You can opt for their existing recipes or create your own.
I ordered a customerized flurry — vanilla mixed with Oreos and Nutella. It’s like an updated version of cookies n cream flurry. Very tasty! Saved as a safe choice.
Will definitely come back if I have the chance to go back in SD.

Waffle ice cream sandwiches are so good here!
I wished I got my own instead of sharing because it was so delicious! Their mint chip is by far my favorite ice cream because of how creamy and minty it is compared to other places. The waffles are crispy and every bite is perfection. $ 3.25 for this heavenly sandwich is worth every cent. I’m even drooling writing this review.
Con: Cash only!
Whenever I’m in the area, I’ll always drop by to get one since I always have a sweet tooth! It does not disappoint.

We’re so lucky to have a delish ice cream place in our ‘hood. Hood of OB that is.
The flavors they have are usually so good and different than other ice cream places. I believe they use mostly Rainbow ice cream, which is very rich with butterfat. More fat the better.
I’m also not a big fan of their waffle sandwiches. As Lisa W. said, it would be nice if we could figure out when the waffles are fresh and maybe I would enjoy it more. But I guess it makes sense they make them in advance since it’s such a big tourist place.
The owner, Carol is a sweetheart and everyone seems really happy to work there. They also sell Julian pies which you can have a slice of with a scoop of your choice, nice.
Once had the sand bucket special with two others to share. I think it had like 5 scoops of ice cream with a bunch of toppings in a plastic sand bucket. SO GOOD!

Nothing beats a sunny day in the water or the sunset over the waves. The only thing that could make the beach better is a nice ice cream cone!
Lighthouse is in the perfect location! It is a small ice cream shop on Newport Street that is just a short walk away from the Ocean Beach Pier.
Sure the parking isn’t always ideal, but Ocean beach is full of cool shops to walk around and see, as well as good eats.
You’re able to choose from a variety of flavors. My favorite is the Salted Caramel. I usually order it as the Big Olaf, which is basically a Sundae in a cone.
This spot also offers waffle ice cream sandwiches. If you order the apple waffle with a scoop of ice cream, it’ll taste like an apple pie. Delicious!
The place gets really busy, but the staff is really fast. They’re also really nice and offer samples to try. Lighthouse is CASH ONLY, so just keep that in mind!

I had two hot waffle ice cream sandwiches in one sitting. And I’d do it again.
This place is incredible. There is not one type of sweet treat you can’t get and the flavors are amazing. I love the prayer box at the front and the owner goes to my church; Newbreak. Such an awesome establishment. Always a special occasion no matter the day

I got the moose tracks here today while i was at the farmers market and it was pretty good! I would have ordered something more extravagant but i filled up with corn & indian samosas lol.
I probably will come back because the location is right next to the beach :)

The blueberry waffle with blueberry cheesecake ice cream is worth trying, but I’m not so sure how sanitary the place is. The person making my waffles worked the cash register (cash only) and my waffles at the same time without washing his hands or at least putting gloves on in the process.
Remember, it’s CASH only & it might be hard to find parking.

Of all the times, I came to California, I’ve never been to the beach. Coming from Hawaii, I just didn’t need to see one. When we pulled into the street, I saw the most amazing sunset ever. Sometimes, watching the sun set somewhere else makes me appreciate changes and unexpected moments in life.
Lighthouse Ice Cream is sitting close to the beach. A small ice cream shop with friendly staff who takes care of you right when you step into the store. There were alot of regular flavors like cookies and cream and praline pecans. So what did I come for, well, it was for a waffle ice cream sandwich. Yups, 2 warm waffles hugging cold chocolate peanut butter ice cream. OMG! It was heaven. The waffles were light and the ice cream was creamy. The chocolate peabut butter flavor was amazing. Maybe a little too dense after awhile though.
This location is just a perfect way to end the day. Grab your ice cream and take a walk along the beach with your date and watch the sunset. Perfect!

3.5 stars (dammit Unilocal,I wish you can give halfies!)
Home of the waffle ice cream! I love the concept but I just wish that the waffles were warm, crunchy and fresh! They pre-​make the waffles and just add the ice cream when you order (totally understandable… wishes can come true, maybe at a certain time when they first make the waffles). Totally easy to do at home, but just the concept of getting it at an ice cream place is genius.
With that being said, the waffles felt a bit more soggy to me, but the concept was great. I came back again and got their Marionberry sorbet & Deuce del leches and that was good. Definitely doesn’t compare to Salt & Straw (Portland) or McConnells (SB) or Milk (LA). I don’t know how those places do it, but their ice cream is soo much richer than any ice cream place I’ve tried (even Hammonds)! Good for the location and SD.
Lighthouse is definitely great for that dessert after dinner. The employees are always really nice and helpful. Quite pricey for the «premiums» ice cream. Don’t know why some are selected as premiums. You pay about $ 1 more for premiums, same amount of ice cream too… weird.
2 bad things about Lighthouse is #1, it’s extremely and I mean extremely HOT inside for an ice cream place. I would think the ice cream would all melt considering I sweat balls when I enter and wait in line for about 10 minutes. #2 it’s CASH only. This age in time, cash only is a thing of the past! Unless you want to stash some unreportable earnings. *wink* #3 tables have time limits, this doesn’t bother me and it’s totally understandable in a touristy place, but I guess it’s to keep away the loiters, hippie bums, and tourists. I don’t know exactly how they time this. Great for the area, I would come back and try more.

Who ever thought of putting waffles and ice cream together? A GENIUS, that’s who. Some friends and I happened to stop by after dinner for a sweet treat, it was quite a good experience.
Right when you walk in you can tell its family operated. There are family posters and pictures all over the place. Literally stacked on top of each other. Anyway, place is pretty small but wasn’t crowded at the time.
Everyone in my group opted for the hot waffle ice cream sandwiches. You can sample any flavor so knock yourself out. There are are 4 types of waffles you can chose: original, chocolate, blueberry, or apple cinnamon. I wanted to enjoy my pistachio ice cream so went for the original waffle. Man… That sandwich was good, really good.
Oh, and don’t worry, there’s other things in case you (for some reason) don’t like waffle sandwiches. They offer malts, shakes & freezes as well as hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider & hot tea. For health nuts, don’t fret, these guys have fruit smoothies on their menu. Gee, they really thought of everyone.
Customer service was ok. The girls at the counter were nice. Nothing crazy. Luckily, we ordered when we did because after us came a group of about 10 people, place got really full really fast. Side note: CASH only, be prepared.
One last thing. I noticed they offer bacon by the slice… as a topping. Ponder that in case you dare.