Step Into Silver Hoof Creamery, Old Town’s New Folklore-Inspired Ice Cream Parlor

Old Town has a new reason to wander in. Silver Hoof Creamery is a woman-owned soft serve parlor opening in the heart of the neighborhood, and from the moment you step inside, it’s clear this isn’t your average ice cream shop.

The space is warm and cabin-inspired, the ingredients are honest and all-natural, and the whole thing is built around a fairytale that owner Daria Kim grew up hearing at bedtime – a mystical silver-hoofed deer that appears only to the kind-hearted, leaving gemstones wherever it treads. That sense of quiet magic runs through everything here.

From Waffle Tacos to Jacaranda Sundaes

The base is a custom recipe made from 100% pure, all-natural California dairy milk sourced from a family-owned Southern California dairy that’s been around since 1913. Served in cups, homemade waffle cones, waffle bowls, or waffle tacos, the flavors range from classic Vanilla and Chocolate to Ube, Matcha, and dairy-free options.

Sundae standouts include the Jacaranda – a nod to the purple blooms that take over San Diego each spring – alongside the Tart Cherry, Dubai Chocolate, and Banana Crunch. Build-your-own sundaes and nostalgic milkshakes in Chocolate, Strawberry, and Caramel round things out.

Every order can be finished with colorful toppings and powders, a playful nod to the gemstones in the original tale.

A Creamery Built on a Childhood Memory

Daria Kim spent years in corporate roles before deciding to build something of her own – a business rooted in the same values the fairytale taught her growing up.

Be good, and goodness comes back. That philosophy shapes how Silver Hoof operates at every level. There’s no tipping here, and every staff member earns a proper livable wage. “We’re a small business, and that should mean something,” Kim says.

She also drew on a simpler memory: “When I was little, every time my dad took me out for ice cream, it felt like the best day ever. I want other families to walk in and feel it too.”