Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt

We are rarely in Sebastopol but happened to be today and this place popped up on Facebook. It is phenomenal. Very interesting way to make their ice cream but it beats regular froyo for sure. I got the almond cream base with regular chocolate and gummy bears. The way it comes out the yogurt is kinda chewy almost. Really hard to explain you just have to try it for yourself. We will make a trip to Sebastopol literally just to come here. AMAZING!!!

Loved their service and the ice cream was exceptional!!! Please get ice cream here! I got the mint choice preset on the board and loved it!

Amazing ice cream, such a creative experience as well. Located in the Barlow so it’s perfect to have dinner before and end with an awesome dessert!

Decent product, bad employees.
Good variety of flavors
Basic assortment of toppings
The concept is fun and the ice cream turns out well. But bad employees degrade the experience. They always seem overwhelmed and in a bad mood.
Subzero says they can give you a softer or harder ice cream, but the employees ability to give you what you ask for varies widely.
The only place with liquid nitrogen ice cream in the area. More consistency and better employees would give this place much more appeal.

Good ice cream! For for the kids! Disappointed on fruit flavor options. Wish they had a better variety the just candy and syrup! Overall I would go back.

Tried it for the first time last night, and loved it. From the experience of watching them make your ice cream to actually tasting it. I had their limited time only PB&J icecream which was delicious. It was served with a waffle cone. Can’t wait to go back !!

Needed peanut butter ice cream for homemade profiteroles.
I really didn’t know the sub zero concept, but was very glad when I came across them, b/​c peanut butter ice cream, with nothing else in it, is harder to find than you might think!
A tad expensive at $ 11/​pint, but seemed worth it considering the ice cream is made to order, high quality ingredients, etc. Could have been a bit heavier on the peanut butter.
Good location & friendly service.

So delicious! A little bit on the expensive side, but this is definitely the best ice cream around– come all the way from Santa Rosa for it

This place is so fun! Their menu has tons of options, including vegan & lactose free choices. They don’t have many toppings («mix ins»), but they make up for that with their long list of flavors to choose from. (I got dairy free yogurt & the banana flavor, and it tasted amazing!)
The people who work there are also very friendly. When I told them I was lactose intolerant (as well as vegan), they gave me a list that showed which bases & flavors are vegan!
The store is fairly small (only seating for 2 – 3 people), but right outside is lots of benches, tables, and an outdoor firepit.
Overall, this is a great place to get ice cream. They’re fairly cheap, located in a cute little area, and have a huge menu. It’s so much more fun than a basic ice cream shop.

This place is just flat out fun. The district has this ‘iron flat warehouse/​artsy loft with roll up door’ feeling. The menu is huge and a blast to create your own masterpiece. It’s like a choose your own adventure and at the end you get ICE CREAM! You get to watch your liquid cream flash freeze into your creation right in front of your eyes. I never want to grow up.
I really liked the idea. The ice cream isn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t the worst either. There are endless creation options with different bases (ice cream/​frozen yogurt/​gelato) and tons of add ins (anything you can think should go in ice cream) and it seemed like infinite flavors. It was pretty cold the weekend we rolled up so they weren’t busy at all. We sat outside in the plaza where we could hear live music from one of the neighboring restaurants.
We will certainly come back next time we’re wine tasting in the area for sure

Wow, pretty good!!! I didn’t think it was that expensive, don’t know why there are two dollar signs up there…
Apparently this is a chain? #newbie…but this was the first time I’ve seen one.
This particular branch is nice and clean, and very small. There are seats for 4 people inside. Luckily though, it’s next to the outdoor fireplace at the Barlow, which I think is much more appealing seating anyways!!!
For others who haven’t heard of Sub-​Zero:
It’s customized ice cream to the max. You choose a base (I got the premium ice cream) which includes custard, ice cream, froyo, and non dairy options. After that you can choose a flavor, and they offer a lot, as well as seasonal ones at the moment, like Amaretto, Peppermint, Eggnog, and Gingerbread. Finally, you can choose mix-​ins. They have all of the standard ones :)
Another pretty awesome thing is they have suggested combinations, called Sensations as well as a Sensation of the month, kind of. The ice cream is part of the nitrogen trend these days, and all of this smoke appears, and it’s done quick enough, I think.
I was surprised. The stuff was NOTICEABLY creamier than most that I’ve tasted. Arguably smoother than Smitten’s down in SF. It was again, and I’m tempted to go back and try all of the holiday flavors!!!

This is one of situations where the draw feels gimmicky to me. I’m sure there’s some high-​brow appeal to ordering your ice cream and having it custom made right in front of you (a la slow drip coffee), but I can’t help a little eye-​rolling. To be fair, it’s cool that you can pick your own type of milk/​crème/​custard and watching the process is fascinating. But some of the ingredients don’t handle the nitrogen well (brownie bits tasted a bit burnt), and the final product while good wasn’t mind blowing. Maybe it’s the lawyer in me, but I also worry about the staff who have to handle liquid nitrogen all day. That doesn’t seem entirely safe to me, though the woman who made my ice cream didn’t seem to mind. In the end, the ice cream was yummy (except for the waffle cone which is way too sweet). But I left with more of a desire to shrug than anything else.

I like all of the options, but the end result is less than spectacular. The ice cream was so overly sweet that I could barely eat it. It wasn’t pleasurable at all. My wife felt the same about hers. At least the kid was happy.

I created chai apple ice cream with cheesecake bites and it was beyond fantastic!
Can’t wait to return with more curious friends and future new satisfying self creations.

Yessss! Finally a place that serves actual non-​dairy ice cream!
Usually whenever I ask about it there’s a blank stare and then «well… we have sorbet…» And sure, sorbet is awesome, but when you’re craving ice cream it just doesn’t cut it.
Anyway, Sub Zero offers no less than three alternative ice creams: almond yogurt (my favorite), coconut, and hemp. The last two are sweetened with agave I believe.
You get to pick the base, flavoring, and add-​ins, so it’s very individualized. My favorite combo so far has been peanut butter with raspberries and streusel topping.
It’s fun watching them make it, like a little science experiment.
My only real complaint (and the reason I have only been twice) is that the prices are high… very high in fact. And portions are small. I can see why though. Liquid nitrogen aside, they’re located in the Barlow and rent there has got to be exorbitant.

This was my first experience with ice cream made on the spot using nitrogen. The store is very allergy aware and it was really nice that the people working all washed their hands before making my ice cream when I told them I had an allergy. The ice cream was good but way over priced. I guess the cost of nitrogen is high these days? I wouldn’t go back just because of cost but it was worth trying once.

Sub Zero Ice Cream, located at the Barlow, is Edutainment at its best! It’s a mad science experiment that you get to participate in AND taste. Choose the ingredients for your creation and then watch as it is instantly frozen before you with liquid nitrogen.
Here’s how it works:
Step one: Choose your size. Options range from Kid’s starting at $ 3.75 to Pints starting at $ 9.50. You can also choose extras such as Waffle cones, hot fudge, extra mix-​ins and extra flavors.
Step two: Choose your base (this is the liquid foundation for your creation). There are a LOT of options here including options for folks with dietary restrictions. Options include Organic premium cream (higher price), premium cream, French custard, low fat cream, Lactose free, Almond yogurt (dairy free), nonfat yogurt, organic coconut milk and even hemp milk.
Step three: Choose your flavor. I believe there were over 21 flavors during my visit (sorry Mr. Baskin and Mr. Robbins) with everything from Amaretto to Cardamom.
Step four: Choose your mix-​ins. Similar to a Fro-​Yo shop, there are several options including almonds, candy pieces, cherries, berries and cookies.
Now the really cool part (no pun intended) is when your stainless steel bowl is hit with a blast of liquid nitrogen. Don’t take your eyes off the bowl because it’s going to disappear in a thick white cloud of nitrogen «smoke» and when it reappears it will have been transformed into ice cream!
Now this is all fun and entertaining but the truth is in the mouth of the beholder (so to speak… or taste). I had the Premium cream with caramel and almonds… and it was delicious! I’m not just saying that because it was my own personal creation that I watched come into ice cream existence. I eat a LOT of ice cream (don’t judge me) and this was indeed smoother and creamier than most. This has something to do with the size of the ice crystals being much smaller as a result of the instant nitrogen freezing as compared to the standard process which takes a lot longer and results in larger crystals.
The evening that I went was nice and cool and there was even a fire already going in the fire-​pit that is just steps away from the shop. Fire and Ice… what a great combination! I thoroughly enjoyed my treat and will definitely be back the next time I’m in Sebastopol.

I have been wanting and bugging my boyfriend to try this little shop for awhile and he finally gave in. It’s a little hard to find its tucked on a little corner in a maze of interesting warehouse like buildings.
The service lacking. The young man with the cast who helped us seemed very uninterested in his job of providing customer service or answering any of our questions. (This was our first and last time coming here.)
The ice cream. My boyfriends ice cream was ok but nothing special. He got coffee. I got chocolate, which was just meh at best. My daughter got the special of the month which was the «firecracker», she hated it and she ended up taking my chocolate and was even more disappointed. Not worth the drive or $ 13.
I was hoping to love this place but I just can’t.

Honestly, this place ends up being an expensive gimmick for the kids, so if that’s what you’re looking for, have at it. I was disappointed b/​c i am an ice cream fanatic.
The idea is that they use fresh cream and liquid nitrogen it into ice cream right in front of your eyes. Then you choose a flavor and then mix in add-in’s, similar to Coldstone. I was really curious if freezing the cream right there would make a difference.
Sadly, I found that this ice cream pretty much tastes the same as the ice cream at any other shop.
It’s ~ $ 6 for each cup, depending on size, add-in’s, type of cream.
One unique draw would be the vegan/​organic options.
Line can be long b/​c they have to make each individual order and the space is small.
Outdoor seating only.
I’d rather go to Screaming Mimi’s.

I am not like a huge ice cream fanatic, but even I was pretty sold. Matcha green tea with REAL matcha powder made in front of me with nitrogen? It really doesn’t get cooler than that.
I love that you can choose your ice cream base, and have it be the super fatty organic premium cream, or go light with a low-​fat option, or select a non-​dairy option for lactose intolerance! Of course, me, being so oinky, I got the premium cream and you can definitely taste the difference.
I like their style of this sort of Cold Stone meets modern technology mix ins, but I liked my ice cream just the way it was — matcha green tea. Simply delicious!

My mom is super picky about her premade foods. She always wants to know what’s in things, what ingredients they’re trying to «sneak» into her foods, and what prepackaged gunk restaurants and food producers are trying to pass off as edible. For her selective tastes, as well as anyone with specific food allergies, I am pleased to announce that Sub Zero is here, and is ready to surprise and delight you.
After a less than wow’ing experience elsewhere, we headed to Sub Zero just to check things out, after hearing so much about them by other Unilocalers and out-​of-​towners. I expected to see a crowd, given that it was a Sunday afternoon, but even with the line, the staff were friendly, courteous, and efficient. We spent some time listening to the schpeal about how the liquid nitrogen freezes almost immediately, so you pick everything your heart desires, and it’s custom blended exactly the way you want.
First step is to choose your base, full crème, low fat, custard, yogurt, lactose free, non dairy, coconut… the list goes on. Then you pick your flavor, vanilla, chocolate, green tea, cinnamon, fruit, a seemingly endless selection of options. Finally, you select your mix in, chocolate chips, strawberries, caramel, nuts, and more. We opted for the Custard base, with cream cheese and cardamom flavors, and mix in fresh raspberries. They put everything together, BLASTED it with the liquid nitrogen, and whipped our dessert up into a beautiful, incredibly fresh, custom ice cream just for us. The flavors were perfect, not too heavy, not boring or light, just right, with balance, substance, and creamy dreamy goodness.
Prices are slightly higher than a serve yourself, but seriously, this is dessert meets entertainment, with complete customization that can meet the sweet needs of practically every palate. Can’t wait to return. Bonus points for a card-​free loyalty system, guarantee that if you don’t like your concoction that they’ll make a replacement on the house, and for being on the cutting edge of awesome.