Want to recreate the film UP! in real life?

Then you need to head to Fentons Creamery in Oakland – the same Fentons featured in the Disney Pixar film UP! If you remember at the end of that fan favorite film, Russell and Carl are sitting on the curb watching the cars pass by and eating ice cream in front of a quaint little shop.  That shop is Fentons!  And while it doesn’t look EXACTLY like the one in the film, it is indeed cute with little awnings in the front and perhaps some of the best ice cream in town.

Location: 4226 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Type: Table service / Quick service for ice cream if you’re on the go
Specialty: Ice cream, burgers, and sandwiches
Cost: $10-15 for meal and $9-15 for ice cream (so worth it)
Craig’s Favorite: All of it – the whole meal was delicious

As a Disney Nerd, this place is remarkable as the ice cream shop at the end of one of my favorite films, UP! by Pixar. As a Disney foodie, I was intrigued to see if this would hold it’s own among other ice cream shops and in Disney lore. It does. I was surprised at how good this place truly is. So often, places of legend don’t live up to their image, but this one surpassed it. I thought walking in we would have to wait an hour or more, but we got seated within 15 minutes even with a party of seven. We went around 7pm, but it only got busier as it got later.  We’ve also been for lunch and again the wait was minimal compared to how busy it is. They are super efficient, friendly, and yet you don’t feel rushed at all.

FOOD: EXCELLENT! I was craving a burger and tried the chili burger. Sloppy? Yes. Delicious? Definitely. The chili was rich and just the right thickness. The burger was cooked just right and could still be tasted separately from the chili. Fries were good. Not super outstanding or anything, but solid. It’s the burger that really makes this dish shine. Everyone around the table enjoyed their food but I LOVED my chili burger.

Of course, we came for the ice cream and it was equally delicious. Sometimes places like this are overrated, but not Fentons. They serve truly amazing ice cream and equally great food. This place has a nice atmosphere but doesn’t play on it’s fame as “the ice cream place from UP!” The ice cream is tremendously huge. A regular scoop would be a huge scoop in most other places.  The first time, I got a simple small ice cream sundae with Dutch Chocolate Chip and Hot Fudge.  So good.  The second time I got a junior Black and Tan – again no disappointment there! If you want to share, just get a regular size and you’ll have plenty.

My “small” hot fudge sundae

This is how they do ice cream in a cone at Fentons (and by the way that strawberry was good and I’m not even that big a fan)

SERVICE: Our server was on top of things, totally nice, very gregarious, and personable. Serving a larger table, he was attentive and helpful. Totally made this a great experience. Also, liked that he helped my wife who is gluten-free find a way to enjoy her experience, too. They didn’t have gluten-free buns but did do a lettuce wrap and was still really enjoyable.  Even though they were super busy, he made us feel like we were the most important table.  When we went back, same thing.  They really train their servers the right way. Parking can be difficult as in this part of Oakland its pretty limited but each time we were there we were fortunate to find parking right away.

COST: Okay, the food is average cost for eating out and you get a lot.  The ice cream is a bit on the high side, but if you like ice cream this is a cut above the rest.  Yes, it’s more expensive, but seriously worth every penny.  Oh, and a side note, across the street is the official Fentons gift shop, Myrtle’s Lodge named after the Fentons’ first cow!  So adorable.  They sell t-shirts, glasses, as well as old fashioned candies and other fun stuff.  Overall, I know we will be heading back to Fentons many times – and not just for the ice cream.