Is Gunther’s Ice Cream worth the hype? I tried Sacramento staple on a $25 budget
Walking into Gunther’s Ice Cream in Sacramento feels like jumping into the past.
Black-and-white photos decorate the white and teal tile walls of the Curtis Park scoop shop, along with old-fashioned clocks and vintage milkshake machines.
The scoop shop at 2801 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento is surrounded by picnic tables filled with bouncing children, parents enjoying classic sundaes and groups of teens trying different flavors.
A neon sign featuring a man scooping a hearty helping of ice cream into a cone perches on top of the light blue building between Pangaea Bier Cafe and CurtsDream barbershop.
Gunther’s Ice Cream, which recently celebrated its 85th year of serving Sacramento residents, has garnered local and national recognition for its cool, sweet treats. It was even featured in the Michael Cera movie “Sacramento.”
Sacramento Bee reader Stephen Howell recommended that I check out Gunther’s Ice Cream as part of The Bee’s On a Budget series, which helps readers find fun and affordable ways to connect to the community, describing it as “the best ice cream I’ve had.”
Does Gunther’s live up to the hype? Here’s what I discovered:
What is Gunther’s Ice Cream in Sacramento like?
I visited Gunther’s Ice Cream at around 2 p.m. on an incredibly hot weekday afternoon. Thankfully, the scoop shop was air-conditioned, offering a nice contrast to the 100-degree temperatures outside.
Inside the bustling business, line of people waited to order at a large counter engulfing nearly half of the space.
On a large wall of the scoop shop is an expansive menu of ice cream flavors, fruit freezes, milkshakes and sundae options.
You can also select frozen treats from a display case, including chocolate-covered bananas, cheesecake slices on a stick and ice cream sandwiches.
Offerings change from time to time to highlight in-season fruits.
According to its website, Gunther’s Ice Cream prides itself on producing “the rich, smooth ice cream of yesteryear” based on an original recipe developed in the 1940s that includes a higher percentage of butterfat than other brands.
In addition to dessert, Gunther’s Ice Cream serves a variety of hot dogs and sandwiches including egg salad, turkey and peanut butter and jelly.
Drink options include soda, milk, hot tea and coffee.
While Gunther’s Ice Cream offers limited inside seating next to its large windows, the majority of seating can be found outside on the patio. There are several picnic tables and benches under large umberellas.
Customers can find limited street parking in front for Gunther’s Ice Cream and other nearby businesses.
What I got for $25 at legendary Sacramento ice cream shop
I spent a total of $20.95 before tip and tax at Gunther’s Ice Cream.
For that price, I got enough sweet treats for a whole family.
For $7.65, I ordered a scoop of limited-edition blueberry cheesecake ice cream and a scoop of peanut butter cup ice cream in a cup.
Gunther’s also offers cones in regular and kiddie sizes, as well as chocolate-dipped cones.
I also ordered a 10-ounce guava fruit freeze for $5.65 and two more scoops of ice cream in a cup — black walnut and bing cherry — for $7.65.
I grabbed a seat at a picnic table and settled down to enjoy my desserts. Everything was delightful, to say the least.
By far, my favorite was the guava fruit freeze served in a cup.
The brilliant dark pink frozen dessert was cool and unmistakably guava-flavored, which I adored. The texture was soft and not overly icey.
The black walnut ice cream was creamy with the perfect amount of nuts and a distinctly earthy, bittersweet flavor, while the chocolatey peanut butter cup ice cream had light pieces of peanut butter in every bite.
The blueberry cheesecake ice cream had a strong cream cheese flavor with random bursts of vibrant blueberries, making it a fun summer treat.
Finally, the bing cherry ice cream boasted thin slices of real bing cherries that provided a pleasant fruit flavor and a nice textural contrast to the mild, creamy base.
Gunther’s ice cream makers have truly mastered the ability to feature the lightest flavors and make them prominent.
Is Gunther’s Ice Cream affordable?
Yes, Gunther’s Ice Cream is an affordable option for people who want to enjoy cool treats in an iconic setting.
Prices for sweet, frozen treats including fruit freezes, milkshakes and ice cream range from $2.30 to $17.82, with menu items averaging around $7.
Those looking for frosty treats other than ice cream can buy frozen bananas, ice cream sandwiches, bon bons and cheesecake on a stick. for prices ranging from $2.03 to $10.13.
Prices for food at Gunther’s Ice Cream range from $1.35 for a bag of chips to $13.16 for a turkey sandwich.
Drinks cost $3.44 to $3.85 each, depending on the size.
This was my first time visiting Gunther’s Ice Cream, and I must say the Sacramento staple is worth the hype.
Gunther’s Ice Cream has spent nearly a century cementing its reputation. After my visit, I must say it rightly deserves the praise.
This story was originally published August 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
